Wireless-G Broadband Router
Manufacturer: Linksys Inc. Part number: WRT54G
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The low-cost Linksys WRT54G features fairly high throughput. But it has a relatively short operating range, and its poor performance with 802.11b devices makes claimed backward compatibility moot.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 11/07/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Wireless-G Broadband Router price range: $59.99
- Reviewed by: Eric Knorr
- Reviewed on: 02/25/2003
- Updated on:02/28/2003
- Released on: 12/01/2002
The good: Speeds approaching those of 802.11a at an 802.11b router price; easy setup.
The bad: Short operating range compared to that of 802.11b; mixing 802.11b and Wireless-G clients results in poor 802.11b performance; one-year warranty.
The bottom line: The low-cost Linksys WRT54G features fairly high throughput. But it has a relatively short operating range, and its poor performance with 802.11b devices makes claimed backward compatibility moot.
This product was released prior to the final ratification of the 802.11g standard, but firmware upgrades for most 802.11g draft-based products are now available that bring older products up to the final spec. Often these upgrades include other enhancements, such as improved security features for stronger encryption. Check the manufacturer's support site for firmware upgrades and look for firmware posted after June 15, the date that 802.11g was ratified.
User reviews
-
-
Awesome Product for AVERAGE Home Users
by frankiep27 on July 6, 2005
Pros: It's a Cisco System, Wireless Security is stronger than Dell
Cons: Range through the house
Summary: I think this router is great for most people. If you have a cable modem or DSL, you won't notice a difference by making the jump to wireless A ...
Summary: I think this router is great for most people. If you have a cable modem or DSL, you won't notice a difference by making the jump to wireless A so I don't think it's worth the cost. The wireless security on it is relatively good so long as you don't have any serious hackers in your area... supposedly it can be hacked in 10 minutes so that's a little worrisome. Bottom line, secure is not secure, but the router itself works awesome. Make sure it is in a room that the door is open to... I have found that if the door is closed, the reception tends to go down. I would also recommend going with linksys recieving cards too. Their third party software does a much better job at keeping a signal than does the windows xp client. If you find that you use the internet a lot more often that not, make the jump up to wireless a... there is a notable difference, especially if you are on t1 internet.
Updated
One thing I forgot to mention in the review... make sure to enable wireless security. Nothing is iron clad, but it will keep the honest people out. If you didn't read your manual, this can be done by opening your web browser and typing in 192.168.1.1 (default anyway) and typing in the default passwords you find in your manual... Click the Wireless tab and the Wireless Security subtab. Here you can create the hex codes for your network. This will keep the MAJORITY of people off your network. Don't ask for 100% security, because if the computer connects to the internet, that doesn't exist. But if you use WEP at 128 bit encryption you will keep those hackers busy and not in your network.10 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Good out of box, great after mods
by picopir8 on June 19, 2005
Pros: Accepts third party firmware.
Cons: Overuse of LEDs
Summary: Im surprised at the low reviews this router has received. Considering all of the third party firmwares available WRT54G and WRT54GS, these are some of the most versitile and feature ...
Summary: Im surprised at the low reviews this router has received. Considering all of the third party firmwares available WRT54G and WRT54GS, these are some of the most versitile and feature rich routers on the market. These free firmwares offer features that are normally offered in routers that cost around $500-1000. The firmwares also allow you to crank up the antenna power or use the factory disabled frequencies. No other sub $100 router even comes close to this router. My only real complaint is that, like every other electronic devide, this router is LED happy. I ended up covering the LEDs so that I dont get distracted with all the flikering.
8 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
They should update the CNET review. Router has had many updates, and is now an excellent performer
by dfichtner on November 20, 2005
Pros: Has all of the strength I need for my small home and outside in the yard. Easy set-up.
Cons: The "one-touch-set-up" button is sort of a fluke unless you have the right equipment. No manual in the box, but I think that is planned so you follow the step-by-step set-up.
Summary: I am an American living in South Korea. This is my second attempt at owning and operating a wifi router. My first wifi was a poor-quality (yet expensive) system I ...
Summary: I am an American living in South Korea. This is my second attempt at owning and operating a wifi router. My first wifi was a poor-quality (yet expensive) system I bought from Hi-Mart. The name was "I-Link", which I know now to have been some cheap knock-off of the D-Link name.
My Linksys WRT54G is version 4, and works beautifully. You can find out the version on the box's UPC code, as well as under the router itself. According to what I have read, earlier versions of this wifi router had many issues. These issues have now been fixed. This product is mature enough that it has worked out the bugs, and does what you want it to do. That is saying something. Through buying a lot of computer products, I have learned that the "newest thing" in computers is often a headache because no one knows what the bugs are for a few months. This product has the bugs worked out, and has the fast 54mps "G" functionality that my Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG card in my NEC laptop seems to work well with.
Set-up with my unit was fast. Unless you know you have the "one-touch-set-up" hardware on your other peripherals, I recommend that you don't bother with touching that button. It only causes you more time in setting the router up. Just do it manually, as the documentation and CD explain. Anybody can very easily get this router running wifi (with no security) in about 5 to 10 minutes by following the simple steps. Setting up the security takes more time, but is the same learning curve as with any router. I recommend you read the information at: http://www.54g.org/pdf/Wireless-WP200-RDS.pdf for lots of detailed information dealing specifically with this router and its capability.
I might also say that one thing which turned me off on buying any router at all was the whole, "ports" thing. I like to run some software (Shareaza) that gets blocked by routers such as this. Opening the port wasn't difficult once I learned to navigate the set-up menus online. There is tons and tons of great information online, so this isn't an issue. That link I gave above has what you want.
As for signal strength, I am very, very satisfied. I can now sit on the toilet and use my laptop (something which the other I-Link unit, which I returned, wouldn't allow). I can also pick up a signal outside on the 5th floor deck (I live on 7th and the walls are concrete, and the windows are double-glass with some dark tinting). The router is near the window, but not line-of-site with the deck.
It took me maybe an hour of playing to figure out the security I wanted. Actually, it took me two, because I had it going with WEP 64 encryption after 30 minutes, but accidentally pushed the SEC (or SES?) button on the webpage and changed all of my router settings. Doh! So don't push that unless you have the one-touch-set-up feature available on your external wifi card. After reading a bit more about encryption, I got the WPA2 incryption working, typed the same keys into my laptop's card set-up, and now I'm encrypted and working just great.
I'm very happy with this router, and glad I didn't waste money buying a 108mps router that my card can do, anyway. The "turbo" and 108mps stuff on the newer (and much more expensive) wifi boxes seems to require special cards and stuff, and many of those have bugs because it's a newer technology, as of this writing: Nov. 2005.
I highly recommend this router. Mine is version 4, and version 5 just came out. The only difference between v4 and v5 are that v5 runs on 3.3 volts instead of 5 volts, and the Linksys people locked out some 3rd party software that allowed people to mess with the internals of their router somehow. Nothing I would mess with, anyway. Oh, and I also recommend setting your router to run on channel 1, because every router out there defaults to channel 6, I think. Channel 1 is apt to have much less interference. You can do that at the website menu.
The only reason I give this a 9 instead of a 10 is because of the confusion with the "one-touch set-up" capability, and the lack of a nice owners manual (although everything can be found easily online). I also didn't like it that when I opened the ports using the website, it didn't seem to keep a log of what ports I had opened, unless I am looking in the right place. It just says they are open and resets the page to blank.
Anything v.4 or above is bound to work great! Enjoy!Updated
Still going strong after one month. The issue with the port forwarding was due to my error. It does keep track of the forwarded ports. I am still very happy, but drooling over the super-fast SRX400 from Linksys, which just came out. Mimo sounds great! I don't have a need for it, though. My place is very small.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Try it, you'll like it.
by wllittlejohn on September 2, 2005
Pros: Good throughput, good range, very easy setup.
Cons: Incredibly ugly.
Summary: I just installed the WRT54G as a replacement for a Netgear WGR614. There is no comparison.
With the Netgear unit, Internet throughput was erratic and slow (never over 300 kbps). ...Summary: I just installed the WRT54G as a replacement for a Netgear WGR614. There is no comparison.
With the Netgear unit, Internet throughput was erratic and slow (never over 300 kbps). Antenna placement was critical and required frequent tinkering to get it to work at all.
Right out of the box, this Linksys unit performed superbly. Measured throughput increased by a factor of 10 over the Netgear unit's best. Range appears to be more than acceptable. I have not had to do any tinkering with antenna placement despite having several walls and a floor between the unit and one of my computers.
Most Linksys products are rather ugly, but mine is working great on the top shelf of a bookcase - where I can't see it unless I stand on a chair.
My Netgear 614 went straight into the garbage. I wouldn't wish its performance on my worst enemy.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Getting a Replacement Unit
by i8rmnky on March 21, 2005
Pros: Good features; Customer Service Better Than Most
Cons: Very Slow; Drops Connection with Linksys Card; getting replacement
Summary: Purchased unit to get G speeds. Out of the box it was noticably slower and had less range than the SMC 802.11b router I had been using for 2 ...
Summary: Purchased unit to get G speeds. Out of the box it was noticably slower and had less range than the SMC 802.11b router I had been using for 2 years. Connection is fine with other manufacturer's cards, but intermittenly loses connection with Linksys card.
After 1 month of use, Internet speeds dropped to dialup speeds (often <75 kbps), whether connected via wireless or hardwire. When I plug in the old SMC router, speeds are immediately over 10-15x faster.
Linksys customer support was better than other companies. Unlike SMC where each support person had me running through the same basic script that led to nowhere; the Linksys support people acknowledged that maybe I knew what I was talking about and we quickly got to resolving the stated problem and then talking about a replacement. Although, one support person actually tried to convince me that the speeds I was getting were fine. I asked whether Linksys products were supposed to reduce a broadband connection to dialup speeds and operate at less than 1/10th the speed of comparable routers. She checked with her supervisor and initiated the return process.Updated
I received a replacement unit within three days, uploaded my old configuration and it provides 10-20x faster Internet connections then my old system. I am very happy so far with the replacement unit. Looks like the first unit I purchased was just a dud.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
From expert user: slick but has major bug
by kyknos2001 on November 27, 2005
Pros: Easy to configure, many features...
Cons: Freezes occasionally and fails on certain requests
Summary: I have used linksys products for a long time now, but the WRT54G will be my last. The product is easy to configure and is feature-rich. The first unit I ...
Summary: I have used linksys products for a long time now, but the WRT54G will be my last. The product is easy to configure and is feature-rich. The first unit I bought, however, froze regularly. The second unit worked fine while accessing 99% of website but would freeze on 1%. This bug has been documented by several other users across the web (proposed solutions include firmware upgrades, playing with MTU size). I spent 6 hours trying to solve this problem to no avail. Tech support was horrible. I STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST THIS PRODUCT.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
I Absolutely Agree With Most People Posting Here!
by edmondscomputer on January 21, 2007
Pros: It's strong, durable and reliable.
Cons: The firmware is somewhat user unfriendly.
Summary: I fix PC's and set up home networks all the time. And for the price and reliability, I tell my clients to purchase this device. So far, Linksys has ...
Summary: I fix PC's and set up home networks all the time. And for the price and reliability, I tell my clients to purchase this device. So far, Linksys has never let me down. Shame on CNet for such a bad review. I've been using this device for the last 7 months and I may have had to restart it two or three times?
I have 2 laptops and 2 desktops (one of which is wired in via RJ-45) on 3 floors. Our house was built in 1930, so instead of dry wall, our walls have this plaster and gravel mixture... Thus making the composition of our walls thicker. We can get signal on all 3 floors. The signal on the 3rd floor is between 50- 80%. We could do better if we had a hi-gain antenna.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Update your wireless card drivers!!!!!!!
by valmarc on January 3, 2007
Pros: Easy set up; works with B and G wireless devices
Cons: Instructions for firmware upgrade almost impossible to find without some help
Summary: I agree with everyone's frustration over these devices, having been through days of tech support myself only to discover that an old B router was just broken. I replaced ...
Summary: I agree with everyone's frustration over these devices, having been through days of tech support myself only to discover that an old B router was just broken. I replaced it with this Linksys because I was familiar with the interface. Sure enough, although the direct wired desktop worked fine the laptops continued to drop the connection after setting up the new router with new firmware. The laptops both have Intel wireless cards. Although Linksys tried to be helpful it was only after reading many posts that I got the idea to go to the Dell download site (probably on the Intel site as well) and install the latest drivers for the wireless card (updated Dec 1 2006 on the Dell site). The laptops immediately began to work with a solid connection. I don't want to jinx myself, it has only been three days, but the effect has been startling. I have heard of similar problems from my company's IT group. Hope this helps someone.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Worst Router
by eyalniv on July 13, 2007
Pros: Good package
Cons: Doesn't work
Summary: This router is the worst I've ever used, and believe me I've used many.
The WRT54G disconnects every few hours and doen't reconnect.
I'm using it ...Summary: This router is the worst I've ever used, and believe me I've used many.
The WRT54G disconnects every few hours and doen't reconnect.
I'm using it with DSL line with Alcatel Modem.
GUI is bad too. overall a terrible experience - I'm gonna throw it away.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Okay but unstable
by AcTlMan on October 22, 2006
Pros: Price, bandwidth
Cons: DHCP stability
Summary: This router works well once it get started; however, it freezes and DHCP becomes unstable after the power has been turned off and on.
When I first tried to use ...Summary: This router works well once it get started; however, it freezes and DHCP becomes unstable after the power has been turned off and on.
When I first tried to use this router it wouldn't connect, then it just stated to work after it was repeatedly reconfigured.
I wanted to turn the router off when I wasn't using it; however, it doesn't restart well. DHCP freezes and the router can't authenticate with any access point.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Linksys Inc.
- Part number: WRT54G
- Description: Wireless-G is the 54Mbps wireless networking standard that's almost five times faster than the widely deployed Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the country - but since they share the same 2.4GHz radio band, Wireless-G devices can also interoperate with existing 11Mbps Wireless-B equipment. Since both standards are built in, you can protect your investment in existing 802.11b infrastructure, and migrate to the screaming fast Wireless-G standard as your needs grow. The Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G or Wireless-B 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. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection. To protect your data and privacy, the Wireless-G Broadband Router can encrypt all wireless transmissions. The Router can serve as a DHCP Server, has NAT technology to protect against Internet intruders, supports VPN pass-through, and can be configured to filter internal users' access to the Internet. Configuration is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility. With the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router at the center of your home or office network, you can share a high-speed Internet connection, files, printers, and multi-player games with the flexibility, speed, and security you need!
General
- Device Type Wireless router
- Form Factor External
- Built-in Devices LED panel
- Width 7.3 in
- Depth 7.9 in
- Height 1.9 in
- Weight 1.1 lbs
Processor
- Type 1 x Motorola 200 MHz
Memory
- RAM 64 MB
Networking
- Connectivity Technology Wired, Wireless
- Integrated Switch 4-port switch
- Data Transfer Rate 54 Mbps
- Frequency Band 2.4 GHz
- Data Link Protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet
- Switching Protocol Ethernet
- Network / Transport Protocol TCP/IP, IPX/SPX
- Routing Protocol RIP-1, RIP-2
- Remote Management Protocol HTTP
- Communication Mode Full-duplex
- Status Indicators Power, Link activity
- Features DMZ port, NAT support, VPN support, DHCP support, Packet filtering, 256-bit encryption, Firewall protection, MAC address filtering, Full duplex capability, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
- Compliant Standards IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
Antenna
- Antenna Qty 2
Communications
- Type None
- Max Transfer Rate 54 Kbps
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Bays Total (Free) None
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) None
- Interfaces 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45, 4 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45
- Compatible Slots None
Miscellaneous
- Cables (Details) 1 x Network cable
- Rack Mounting Kit Optional
- Encryption Algorithm WPA2, 64-bit WEP
- Compliant Standards CE, IC, FCC
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
- Power Consumption Operational 0.03 Watt
Software / System Requirements
- Software Included Norton Internet Security
- OS Required Microsoft Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP
- Min Processor Type Intel Pentium, 200 MHz
- Min RAM Size 64 MB
- Peripheral / Interface Devices CD-ROM
- System Requirements Details Pentium - RAM 64 MB
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 3 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 3 years, - response time: 24/7 hours a day / days a week
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
- Humidity Range Operating 10 - 85%
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Linksys Inc.
Specs: Wireless router, 7.3 in x 7.9 in x 1.9 in, Wired, Wireless, 54 Mbps, Ethernet, HTTP, Full-duplex, External, 2.4 GHz, 1.1 lbs
-
Dual-Band Wireless A+G Broadband Router
Manufacturer: Linksys Inc.
Specs: Wireless router, 7.3 in x 6.9 in x 1.9 in, Wireless, 54 Mbps, Ethernet, SNMP, Full-duplex, External, 2.4 GHz, 0.9 lbs
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Linksys Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Linksys Inc. products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.linksys.com/
- Address:
17401 Armstrong Ave.
Irvine CA 92614 - Phone: 949-261-1288
- Email: support@linksys.com
- Fax: 949-823-3002
