Linksys WRV54G Wireless VPN Router
Manufacturer: Cisco Part number: WRV54G
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The WRV54G puts the cart before the horse, providing lots of VPN tunnels without covering fundamental wireless-security bases.
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CNET editors' review
Linksys WRV54G Wireless VPN Router price range: $149.00
- Reviewed by: Stephanie Bruzzese
- Edited by: Allen Fear
- Reviewed on: 10/13/2004
- Released on: 08/26/2004
The good: Supports up to 50 VPN tunnels; fast mixed-mode throughput; detachable feet; stylish case design.
The bad: Expensive; no WPA support.
The bottom line: The WRV54G puts the cart before the horse, providing lots of VPN tunnels without covering fundamental wireless-security bases.
Small businesses that worry about office aesthetics will love the Linksys WRV54G Wireless-G VPN broadband router. This silver, angular device looks sophisticated compared to most boring, boxy routers. In another nod to small companies, Linksys has outfitted the WRV54G with impressive support for up to 50 VPN tunnels, allowing as many employees to securely access the office LAN while traveling. The router also includes an extensive firewall. However, the WRV54G pulls up surprisingly short in wireless security, lacking the WPA support now commonplace among Wi-Fi routers, and its maximum throughput is less than stellar. Coupled with a high street price of about $160, the WRV54G's deficiencies make the router a niche product targeted at businesses that prioritize the convenience of a combined VPN and wireless router over the most advanced Wi-Fi security. Companies that seek better wireless security and can accept fewer VPN tunnels should check out the WPA-capable Zyxel Prestige 334W router. The Linksys WRV54G has the same slick case design you find on the Linksys Wireless B Media Adapter. You can snap four feet onto the case to stand it on its short end; the feet include nice rubber grips, which should help prevent scratches on whatever surface the device calls home. Or, you can hang the WRV54G on a wall, using the built-in brackets. Either choice can assist you in positioning the antenna for ultimate signal strength; you can also bend the antenna 90 degrees and turn it 360 degrees. If you're still not getting the signal you want, you can unscrew the antenna from the device and add an optional antenna instead.
Let's face it: router technology is complicated stuff, so anyone new to computers would have a hard time understanding even the most well-written router installation guide. That said, Linksys still should have made the WRV54G's guide easier to follow. The quick-installation guide's text descriptions are fairly clear, but its images would be more helpful if they were labeled. Neither does the guide explain how to configure your router using Mac OS X, though the router does support the OS. Fortunately, the guide doesn't skip important steps, such as choosing an SSID, or wireless network name, and automatically detecting your Internet connection from among four common types: DHCP, static, PPPoE, and PPTP. If it all goes awry and you want to start over, you can press the reset button on the router's back panel.
You access the Linksys WRV54G's wired and wireless features via its browser-based utility, which includes seven tabs for setup, wireless, security, access restrictions, applications and gaming, administration, and status. The most intriguing features of the lot can be found within the Security tab, where you can enable the firewall and VPN settings. The firewall settings appear on the tab's first screen. From there, you can filter out unwanted cookies, Java applets, requests from the Internet, and more. Drilling down through the tab reveals the utility's VPN settings. IPsec and L2TP passthrough help usher data safely through up to 50 tunnels that you've specified (PPTP is also there to assist those still using a Windows NT 4.0 or 2000 server). You can then alter encryption and authentication settings for each tunnel, choosing either DES or 3DES encryption, as well as MD5 or SHA (secure hash algorithm) authorization.The Security tab is also the place where you determine the WRV54G's wireless-encryption settings. Things start off fairly well, with the standard 64- and 128-bit WEP encryption, plus 802.1x authentication via a RADIUS server. Unfortunately, WPA support is nowhere to be found.
The remaining tabs offer a few of their own highlights. Under Access Restrictions, you can personalize filter schemes, then save those schemes to swap in and out, depending on your needs at the time. The Applications And Gaming section includes the same DMZ (short for demilitarized zone) function as that of the Linksys BEFSX41; this feature lets a single system on your network take a firewall hiatus to play online games or participate in a videoconference. Finally, you can change the router's password and manage other settings through the Administration tab.
As Wi-Fi routers with VPN support go, the Linksys WRV54G shows solid maximum throughput speeds of 24.2Mbps--precisely the same score earned by the Zyxel Prestige 334W router. Pitting this score against those of all wireless routers, however, proves that the WRV54G actually has much slower maximum throughput than other devices, such as the D-Link DI-624 Xtreme G wireless router. The Linksys WRV54G's mixed-mode throughput is another story: its 18.1Mbps score is nearly as fast as the speedy Dell Wireless 2300's. |
Throughput in Mbps |
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Throughput in Mbps |
For more details on how we test networking devices, see the CNET Labs site.
The Linksys WRV54G Wireless-G VPN broadband router includes a generous three-year warranty with toll-free technical support 24/7. You can also get Internet support via several different methods. First, you can engage in a live chat with a Linksys tech-support rep or e-mail a support rep for help. You can surf the Linksys knowledge base, which provides a decent amount of WRV54G-specific content. The online troubleshooting guide also helps you through a few of the more common problems associated with installing the router and altering its settings. In addition, the Linksys Web site hosts a complete collection of downloadable firmware updates and product docs.User reviews
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Really BAD!!!
by KSSeti on June 1, 2005
Pros: None, None, None, None
Cons: Wireless Failure, VPN Failure, Tech Support Failure, Linksys FAILURE!!!
Summary: I am a 15 yr professional network administrator. I have worked with a lot of different brands and types of network equipment during that time. Including Cisco and Linksys. I ...
Summary: I am a 15 yr professional network administrator. I have worked with a lot of different brands and types of network equipment during that time. Including Cisco and Linksys. I think this is important for you to know. I have an IT staff working for me of 33 people, all college grads, all with varied networking certifications.
I originally bought the Linksys WRV54G for my home to create a simple VPN Tunnel and allow my kids wireless access for their systems.
VPN
The VPN functionality of this router while it can function after a BETA update from Linksys Technical support, it doesn't function well. Previous to the Firmware update the VPN Tunnels do not function properly.
After the update the VPN Tunnels fail about every 10-15 minutes because of some issue with the firmware. I played with the settings and had three of my staff experiment as well in a totally different environment. We determined that regardless of the setup VPN tunnels will fail at a random interval.
Therefore, as a VPN router I cannot suggest the WRV54G.
Wireless
This is where Linksys fails in the greatest sense of the word!
The WRV54G previous to the Beta update and post does not function properly.
The WRV54G requires a soft or hard reboot every 30 minutes - 2 hours. Symptoms are low speed leading to reduced signal and finally complete wireless failure requiring reboot of the WRV54G.
The wired portion of the router will continue to function when the wireless function fails. This is good because it saves you from having to walk across the house or building every half an hour.
Bugs, Bugs and Bugs
The firmware provided by Linksys Technical support and the version which ships with the WRV54G are buggy to say the least.
The easiest bug to identify is on the primary page when you login to the web interface. When you set a static IP for the WRV54G only wired clients will see the proper information on that page. Wireless clients will always see that the IP is dynamic.
There are so many little quirks and oddities I cannot list them all, but believe me... BUGS!
Techinical Support
Linksys technical support for the WRV54G is provided by live web and phone.
Both are handled by what I believe to be Indians. Their English skills are fair to poor.
That aside, they are not being given the tools by Linksys to support their customers.
Linksys is not providing ETA on fixes or temporary solutions to the problems I have explained.
I cannot suggest Linksys technical support as a solution provider should you encounter trouble with your WRV54G.
Testing
I had 3 of my staff and myself test the WRV54G over a period of 1 week. We tested wireless, VPN, wired, firewall, interface and more.
We came to the conclusion that the WRV54G was rushed to market and is not a functioning piece of equipment out of the box.
Conclusion
Do not purchase the WRV54G.10 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Crappy product
Pros: Nice feature set on paper. If it all worked this would have been a nice product.
Cons: Don't know where to start... All of the previous posts are correct. WEP does not work, only unprotected WiFi. Hangs every now and then and requiers manual power down to reset. Have tried with several versions of firmware (even beta ones, received from Lin
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Linksys totally blew it
by The GIZ on July 20, 2005
Pros: Combines all the functions of the things I need for SOHO networking.
Cons: VPN does not work at all! Well if you spend a tone of time on it it sort of works.
Summary: This product is a cruel joke. Its $180 cost seems inline with what I expected for the feature list.
As a router it seemed to do fine and I can'...Summary: This product is a cruel joke. Its $180 cost seems inline with what I expected for the feature list.
As a router it seemed to do fine and I can't really think of any issues that occured with the WAP parts.
BUT THE VPN. Now the VPN abilites was the selling point of this unit. Be able to access the netowrk from on the road.
Well it just plain didn't work. Linksys quick VPN would show me as connnected but nothing really passed in and out of the tunnel. Once connected I could not map network drives nor see the net bios. All I could do was ping the IP addresses. This took hours to get set up.
Now Linksys is supported by poor english speakers at the 1 and 2 tech levels. But they are usually helpful.
As soon as I said VPN I got put on hold and kicked up the tree. Finally level 2 told me that level 3 would call me back in an hour. ITS BEEN 7 DAYS. I call everyday and see if I can get level 3 on the phone am just told, "they will call you."
Various clients like greenbow are supposed to make it possible to actually use this thing. Well greenbow is from a French company and you have to buy it. As soon as I installed it I got blue screen of death errors. Took a hour to dig it out.
COnnect a BEFSX41 to the WRV54G and all sorts of things go wrong. My trusted router suddenly starts rebooting for no goood reason. Plus it never managed to secure a tunnel to the WRV54G. I connected it to another BEFSX41 is a matter of minutes.
I hours and hours spent on this WITH NO HELP AT ALL FROM LINKSYS. Never got calls back and learned off all the problem siwth the unit from www.linksysinfo.org. Where some people have some success after weeks of messing with this thing.
The reason I tend to use linksys gear on jobs is bacause I have teh User Interfaces memorized and I can trouble shoot them on the phone without needing to look at them. This experiance has made me seriously consider if I ever want to buy another linksys product again.
(I have had issues with other linksys products in the past. Like the now unsupported WMA11B software that dies thanks to XP incompatabilites and looses playlists with no fix insite or planned. The finiky WRE54G that only works consistantly with WRT54Gs and WAP54Gs. But the point is once you know about this issues it is not that hard to mix and match with what actually works. But the support for the WRV is beyond bad.)
BTW: Last week when I bought the WRV54G BB had 10 of them on the shelf and a sign pitching the "connect from the road". When I returned it yesterday there were none and no sign. I can only hope its because they pulled the product and not that everyone eles is going throught the same crap I did.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Linksys misrepresents this product.
Pros: Features look great, everything I need in one package. Dyndns, VPN, 802.11-G, firewall, router. What could be better......perhaps a product which works as advertised.
Cons: The product has been unstable, from Dyndns, wireless network, and most especially VPN support. Spent four weeks trying to configure a workable VPN solution with absolutely no success. Tried different network connections, computers, network cards, firmware
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Unstable, terrible support
Pros: So many features offered seem to make it an ideal device.
Cons: None of them seem to work! Out of the box the range of the wireless connection was so low, that you had to be almost next to the router if a link was to be established. One firmware download later fixed that problem... but the rest remained bad. Wireless
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent product
by ranron on April 5, 2005
Pros: Looks good, VPN, Awesome signal strength
Cons: Need to buy the high gain antenna for maximum capibilities
Summary: I'm not sure why other reviewers keep telling how this product doesn't work, but I just got this router, and not only does it work, it performs better ...
Summary: I'm not sure why other reviewers keep telling how this product doesn't work, but I just got this router, and not only does it work, it performs better than any router I've used so far. The set up was quick (~ 30 min) and the signal was good too. I purchased the SMA high gain antenna [by Linksys] for this router and I would advise any potential buyers consider the investment in the better antenna. Using the stock antenna, I could cover half of my house and when I installed the high gain antenna, the signal even reached my neighbor's house. I would strongly recommend this router for it great capabilites and signal strength (with high gain antenna), even if you don't need the VPN. You never know when you might find that you would like to use VPN and this router provides it.
Updated
I really don't see how bad this router can get. Other reviewers are giving it ones or twos. I may be lucky, but my unit works superbly, without flaws, VPN works fine, signal is great, works as expected. Other reviewers claim that the VPN doesn't work or takes several hours to configure, but that was untrue for me as it took about 15 minutes at most to configure the VPN, allow my network to accept my connection, and when I went out to test it out, it worked as if I was at home. The signal is okay with the built in antenna, so I would advise you to pay for the high-gain antenna unit as the signal improves dramatically. It is unfortunate that this unit does not have WAP or AES security, so if you are afraid of WiFi thieves, stay away. Other then the router's feature, the capatibility with repeaters is also nil, so if you have a big complex you wish to cover, consider additional access points or use a powered directional antenna unit. Finally, the price can get high with this product, so if you can get a good price, then it should be worth the value.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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awful awful product
by amadali on July 19, 2005
Pros: Large feature set at a bargain price
Cons: So many bugs, it renders it unusable
Summary: The Linksys WRV54G is supposed to be a Wireless VPN router.
It does neither function.
Firmware updates haven't helped either.
Dropped wireless connections are the norm. Establishing them is ...Summary: The Linksys WRV54G is supposed to be a Wireless VPN router.
It does neither function.
Firmware updates haven't helped either.
Dropped wireless connections are the norm. Establishing them is essentially random.
VPN functionality is an exercise in frustration.
Don't take my word for it. Listen to every one else on the Internet saying the same thing.
I am so disappointed in Linksys as a company. No more. I won't buy a single product from them ever again. It just irks me that they've made money off of me. I own 3 of the garbage WRV54G's.
There ought to be a class action lawsuit against Linksys for false advertising and faulty products.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This is the second router I received from Linksys and it still doesn't work!
by anneschn on July 18, 2005
Pros: I don't have anything good to say about this product.
Cons: Wireless connectivity is spotty, Internet access constantly goes down
Summary: The support Linksys provides is absolutely HORRIBLE. Between my husband and I, we've spent at least 15 hours (no exaggeration) trying to fix the problems with the router before ...
Summary: The support Linksys provides is absolutely HORRIBLE. Between my husband and I, we've spent at least 15 hours (no exaggeration) trying to fix the problems with the router before they would agree to take it back. When we finally did get a new one, it too was defective and they admitted they were having some problems with the firmware that might be the problem. To further comlicate matters, the people on the support line did not speak English very well. I have a technical background and they were very condescending and difficult to understand. I will never buy another Linksys product again.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not even a good paper weight
by patggg on July 14, 2005
Pros: I can return it to the store where I bought it
Cons: Advertised as something it is not
Summary: Don't bother with this router. Great feature list but for what actually works you can buy one for $50. VPN does not work, DDNS does not work, Wireless is ...
Summary: Don't bother with this router. Great feature list but for what actually works you can buy one for $50. VPN does not work, DDNS does not work, Wireless is intermittent.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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There should be a Class Action Lawsuit!!!
by gurumaster on May 14, 2005
Pros: Nothing Good
Cons: VPN Tunneling Doesn't Work, Indian Support that Doesn't Speak English
Summary: 3 Days old, 8 calls to Support and upgraded to Beta Firmware at Linksys's suggestion. VPN Tunnels disable Hardware DMZ, LAN Internet Access and NetBIOS on VPN! More bugs ...
Summary: 3 Days old, 8 calls to Support and upgraded to Beta Firmware at Linksys's suggestion. VPN Tunnels disable Hardware DMZ, LAN Internet Access and NetBIOS on VPN! More bugs than I can deal with!!! Wireless is horrible! Weak signal, dropped connections, slow slow slow. VPN only verifies by IP, no option for FQDN. Linksys will not accept returns, NewEgg won't accept returns, so I am stuck with this WRV54G until Linksys and Cisco re-write the firmware and make the thing work!!!
What a scam! What a Rip-off!
Customer service and support is ridiculous. Indians that barely speak English and go over the same questions every time you call support. Even though you provide a Case #. Level 2 support speaks a little better English but still no help! Customer comments form on their website offers a 24 hour response to say, "Thanks for writing to us and have a nice day"!
What a shameful way to conduct business Linksys and Cisco!
I am finished with Linksys and Cisco. My clients are finished with Linksys and Cisco. My friends and family are finished with Linksys and Cisco.
Since when do you pay for a piece of equipment and then have to beta test the manufacturer's new firmware because the BRAND NEW UNIT doesn't work!
BOOOOOO!!!!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Cisco
- Part number: WRV54G
- Description: The Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router is the advanced, complete networking solution for your small business, incorporating four essential networking functions in one high-powered box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G (802.11g) or Wireless-B (802.11b) devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices. Connect four PCs directly, or daisy-chain out to more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Third, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection. And finally, the Virtual Private Network (VPN) function creates encrypted "tunnels" through the Internet so up to 50 remote or traveling users can securely connect to your office network from off-site, or users in your branch office can connect to a corporate network. To protect your data and privacy, the Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router can encrypt all wireless transmissions with 128-bit WEP encryption, and also supports the industrial-strength wireless security of 802.1x authentication and authorization. The Router can serve as a DHCP Server, and has a powerful SPI firewall to protect your PCs against intruders and most known Internet attacks. It can be configured to filter internal users' access to the Internet, and has MAC or IP address filtering so you can specify exactly who has access to your network. Configuration is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility. As the center point of your office network, the Linksys Wireless-G VPN Broadband Router gives you the flexibility, speed, and security you need.
General
- Device Type Wireless router - 4-port switch (integrated)
- Enclosure Type Desktop
- Compatible Slots None
- Connectivity Technology Wireless
- Data Link Protocol Ethernet,
IEEE 802.11b,
IEEE 802.11g,
Fast Ethernet - Frequency Band 2.4 GHz
- Data Transfer Rate 54 Mbps
- Remote Management Protocol HTTP
- Encryption Algorithm 128-bit WEP,
64-bit WEP - Features VPN support ,
Full duplex capability ,
Switching ,
DMZ port ,
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) ,
DHCP support - Compliant Standards IEEE 802.1x ,
IEEE 802.11g ,
IEEE 802.11b ,
IEEE 802.3u ,
IEEE 802.3 - Built-in Devices Antenna
- Status Indicators Link activity,
Port status,
Power,
Link OK Expansion / Connectivity
- Interfaces WAN : 1 x Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45,
LAN : 4 x Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45 - Expansion Slot(s) None
- Expansion Bays None
Networking
- Networking type Wireless router
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Communications
- Type None
Miscellaneous
- Width 7.3 in
- Depth 6.9 in
- Height 1.9 in
- Weight 1.1 lbs
- Cables (Details) 1 x Network cable
- Compliant Standards FCC Class B certified
Software / System Requirements
- Software Included Drivers & Utilities
- OS Required Microsoft Windows 2000,
Microsoft Windows 98,
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition,
Microsoft Windows XP Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
- Humidity Range Operating 10 - 85%
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 3 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 3 years
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Cisco products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Cisco
- Address:
170 W. Tasman Dr.
San Jose, CA 95134 - Phone: 800-553-6387
- Email: tac@cisco.com
