Rating: 
Summary: Works Great
Review: I upgraded my network to wireless with this router. I just replaced my old Linksys router with this one, turned everything on in the right order, and it was up and running with no problems. All of the wireless components that I bought were a breeze to set up as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Piece of junk
Review: I just received this router today. I attempted to use the setup wizard on the supplied CD which has you connect your PC to the internet directly, bypassing the router. Even though I was able to connect to the linksys web site, the setup wizard kept failing to detect a network connection (not a good start). I spent over an hour on the phone with a Linksys customer service rep(after being put on hold for 15 min), it was very difficult to communicate with the rep due to a strong Indian accent. After having me reboot all of my computers and attempt to connect to the router with each of them, she finally gave up, gave me a case number and recommended that I ship it back through the Lynksys support website. Note, that my whole home network was working fine with my 4 year old 3Com router prior to attempting to 'upgrade' to the Lynksys WRT54G. The Linksys website wants a credit card number to charge me for a replacement, they say they will reimburse me after I return the defective unit (yea, I'll end up with another junk router and get charged for 2). After playing with the router for a few more hours I was finally able to get the wireless connection to work, but none the wired connections work. I tried to connect this router into an output port of my 3Com router and connected my wired connections into the 3Com in an attempt to use the WRT54G just for wireless connection, this did not work. Looks like I'll be sending it basck to Amazon.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful product
Review: I've been using this product since 8/15/03 with little or no problems. The only problems have been solved by resetting it, and that only a couple of times. My kids are thrilled that they can use their computers anywhere in the house. I'm no technophile, but had no trouble setting up or adding machines since we've had it. It is very very fast.
Rating: 
Summary: God help you if it doesn't work right out of the box.
Review: I bought this product despite some negative reviews because I figured I am smart enough, and technologically competent enough, to make it work. Unfortunately, my laptop is designed to be tiny, and therefore the CD-ROM drive and the wireless card both operate from a PC-card slot and cannot be used at the same time. Since I couldn't set it up exactly as as the so-called installation "wizard" wanted me to, I had to call tech support, and that was a big mistake.I spent literally six hours on the phone, with three different people who spoke varying amounts of English, but never enough to make communicating with them comfortable. (My name, Emily, was reflected in the emailed tech support feedback request as "eniyo"--you get the idea.) None of the three techs asked me what version of Windows I was running (basic, no?) and all three constantly asked me to look for things that simply didn't appear on my screen. When I pointed this out, they acted as though I were a stupid child who couldn't read the screen. They insisted that something other than their product was at fault despite the fact that (a) our DSL worked fine when plugged directly into the laptops and (b) our wireless cards effortlessly connect to *other people's* wireless routers. Although I was assigned a case number, neither the second nor the third tech appeared to have any background on the problem. Eventually I got sick of talking to people who clearly had no fact-finding, problem-solving or troubleshooting skills, so I reset the unit and just fiddled with it myself. And yes, it works fine now. But shouldn't calling tech support be *more* effective than just fiddling with it yourself? I would consider the experience funny if it hadn't hosed my entire Saturday. Linksys should be embarrassed.
Rating:
Summary: Works great with MacOS X even using WPA security
Review: I just plugged it into my cable modem and turned it on, replacing an old router and a blown Airport basestation. Within seconds the device had configured itself and was advertising a working wireless network which I connected to, instantly able to surf the web. You change the device's options with your web browser by surfing to the box's setup web page, and Safari works fine for this.
I quickly changed the router password, set a network password and turned on WPA security (WPA is the new strong wireless security). I reconnected to the network with the password I set and everything has worked fine ever since. Note that you need the latest Airport software update and I think Panther for WPA to work on a Mac. It works even with old Airport cards. The WPA option combination that worked for me was WPA Pre-Shared Key, and TKIP (whatever that is). The password must be at least eight letters long. This device works very well. I would choose this over an Apple Airport Extreme base station because the LinkSys is half the price, has more Ethernet ports, and is just as easy to setup.
The one advantage of the Apple device is USB printer-sharing. My LinkSys came with firmware 2.0.2 which is the current version as I write this. The firmware can be upgraded through the web page UI, but I did not try this.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Router
Review: I'm using this router with Sprint FastConnect DSL service. Sprint DSL provides you with a Zyxel 645 Series DSL Modem by default, and it provides little if any security. Simply adding a router such as this one to your broadband connection will greatly increase your online security primarily by masking the presence of your PC on the Internet. Anyway, after making a few adjustments to the DSL modem configuration (should be set to bridging mode) per the Sprint DSL support website, I was able to connect my WRT54G Router without problems. My advice is to throw away the software installation CD that comes with the Router. The CD does nothing that you can't do yourself with great ease. Accepting the default settings will get you connected first time. I did not need Linksys support, but I did use their website to download the latest firmware. The process was very easy to execute, and it went off without a hitch. All my PCs are running Windows XP Professional, but don't worry if you have an older operating system... the setup is the same. The Router itself is a pleasant blue on black color and has a built-in 4-port switch as well as wireless capability. The switch works flawlessly providing 100MBit connectivity to the other PCs on my LAN. Wireless functionality works well too. I use a mixed-mode wireless setup since I am not yet 100% wireless-G. No problems here... security is good, and I can connect from all over the house and way out into the yard. My best estimate for range is 100 feet inside (I have a lot of walls) and about 200 feet outside the house. I am very pleased with this product. The price is right, and I encountered no surprises during setup. For anyone experiencing interference, remember that you can set the Router to broadcast wirelessly on any one of 12 channels. If you need better signal, try one of the other 12 channels as you would with a cordless phone. I found channel 1, 2, and 3 to be quite erratic. Channel 6 gave best inside range; Channel 7 gave best outside range. In the end, I settled for Channel 6. The Router's web interface is excellent. It's very straight-forward and clear. Each setting has a help button so you don't have to refer back to the manual each time (since it's a PDF file). Start to finish, the setup took me about an hour. That's because I did things manually, deliberately, and activated a moderate level of security features. Everything about this router operates as advertised. For the purposes of this review, my model was version 2.0 you can find this on a label on the underside of the Router next to the Serial Number. I would highly recommend the Linksys WRT54G to anyone. Even if you only want to go with the 4-port switch wired functionality, and upgrade to wireless later... the wireless feature can be disabled to consume less power and to turn off wireless transmissions. This one gets 5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: Great with XBOX
Review: I have this on my lower level, and my xbox is 2 levels up.
Is works great. Strong signal with xbox.
I would definately recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Enhanced capabilities with OSS firmware.
Review: Low cost and versitile. Not only has this box capabiity to be router, internet access point, and WiFi LAN, but it runs on Open Source Software (OSS). What does that mean to you? Well . . . It means that if you are adventurous you can get the source code and make your own modifications to enhance the product's capabilities. A little bit less adventurous? Try downloading pre-built customized firmware off the Internet or exploit some firmware bugs that allow you to enable some of the "hidden" capabilities of the product. You can discover them via a web search using your favorite search engine. Searh for "WRT54G firmware".
Rating:
Summary: Wireless Router For Dummies
Review: I truely knew nothing about seting up a network, let alone a wireless one. In my house we have a computer, an xbox, and a laptop and i needed a way to combine them all and connect to my cable broadband connection. I read a few good things about this product and decided to buy it and the WPC54G wireless notebook adapter. I opened the boxes, plugged in the router (didnt install the cd, also im running XP home edition)and plugged the cable modem into the router, connected my desktop and then put the adapter in my laptop (again didnt install the cd, i run XP on that computer too)and turned everything on. Total of maybe 4 or 5 minutes. Now, on my laptop, it said i had a connection but not a secure one and it mentioned something really quickly about WEP. I had never heard of that so i inserted the cd just to read the manual for the router and found out how to set a code (i understand that there are more secure ways, but this was ok for my needs) and logged into the router, set a code, loaded that code into the laptop and wahla, done, up and running in about 8 or 9 minutes tops, and i knew nothing about hooking up a router. This is a very easy to use product and it has been working great for awhile now. I can go anywhere in my house and surf the net. I highly recommend this product for people that dont have a vast knowledge of networking and computers, and it looks like it has alot of more advanced options to tweak for those that do. 2 thumbs up.
Rating:
Summary: Functional, but cheap-looking and not-so-sturdy
Review: For the price, the Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router is a great deal. It's easy-to-setup and works. However, I, personally, have a preference for "sturdy" looking hardware. Unfortunately, this Linksys router, from a physical standpoint, is made of cheap plastic components. Any sort of "accident" would destroy this flimsy device. In fact, it's so light that the slightest tug of a network connection cable will send this router flying across the floor. The two little antennas are also difficult to keep in a fixed upright condition. If you are looking for something a little damage-proof, and sturdy, then look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a decent buy.
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