Cisco-Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N Broadband Router
by Linksys
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Our Price: $119.96 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $15.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N Broadband Router
Customer Review: Linksys WRT160N Ultra - 2010 UPDATE
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an update to the March 2008 review. It now Feb 25th 2010 and no problems. In fact we now have expanded the office and have 8 lap tops running off this router constantly and and when we have visitors like recently we had 14 laptops running off of the same ONE router.
So after 23 months no problems and the bandwidth continues to be constant and strong. We have various folks on it with Windows XP and Windows 7 now and no problems to connect to any of the computers. Can't say enough how impressed we all are and we are in the tech industry.
Overview - We are on AT&T DSL running the Elite broadband which is 3-6 Mbps. Our average speed is running 5+ Mbps here in the office and that is with Vonage VoIP phones (6 lines) and 4 laptops
We just hooked up the the Linksys WRT160N Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N router in our new office onto 3 Dell laptops and 1 LG laptop. After the intial install on all the laptops running Windows XP Pro, we had only one minor glitch and that is a firmware upgrade needed on the Intel Wireless 4985 card on one of the Dells. It will not run currently on the Intel Pro Wireless card, everything G and below works fine. But it does run on Windows Wireless configuration just fine. We are all averaging 80 - 140 Mbps depending on how much load is on the line with the phones and broadband activity.
I can not speak for the range of the unit yet since the office is only 1300 sq feet and we just hooked up the router, but I'm approximately 40 ft away with no problems. I'm so impressed how quick this is, I think I will go junk my Linksys Wireless G router and go buy another one of these for my home (Comcast Cable and Comcast Digital Phone which is also VoIP) just for the performance and good looks with the antennae now built in.
Last thought, as I read these reviews people seem to bash the router when in fact typically it is the computer configuration or the wireless card that is at fault for not having the lastest firmware installed or the hardware not working. Another potential problem is if your system is standard broadband (CAT5 cable) this is the router you need. If you purchase the GIGABIT router and do not have the bandwidth or CAT6 cable, you may possibly get impeded results.
Customer Review: Works well, but install took a little longer than I expected
Summary: 5 Stars
First off, ignore the software and just connect and go to the router IP address and adjust the settings with that.
Set up with WEP, SSID Disbled, and Mac Address Filtering. Probably will upgrade from WEP in near term.
Purchased this to replace a Linksys Wireless G router. I intended to install this with exact same settings so existing wireless clients would not have to be modified. Worked well for items that were up and running, but the MAC address table would only update those wireless clients that were actually connected. I initially just input desired MAC addresses into the table, but when I saved the table, only those that had accessed the router were saved. So I had to actually connect all clients to router to save them to MAC table. That in itself slowed the process down a little. Overall took about 2 hours to give 9 items access.
Items attached are:
Desktop - Windows XP
XBOX 360
Linksys Wireless N Bridge connected to Directv HD DVR
2 Laptops (1 - Vista, 1 XP)
Linksys Print Server
WII
IPOD touch
ROKU Media Streamer from Netflix, Amazon
The only problem I have had so far is that on one occasion I tried to access the router via it's IP address and kept getting deadlink on the browser. To remedy this I had to power down the router and it then worked.
One thing I like is the Linksys Easy Access Software that is included, but for only 1 reason. It provides a graphic presentation of your network with the ability to name each client - that is nice as it makes it much easier to track unnamed MAC addresses. The other utilities provided I don't use as they really just replace using the IP address to make changes.
I see many people complaining about this router. My guess is that when they run the set up, they click through and set up the security as directed (defaults to pretty robust security) and since they lack knowldege regarding wireless networks, none of their devices can connect. I am not an IT professional, but would rate myself as above average knowldege for technical stuff like this.
Only been up for 2 days, but so far it is working fine.
Customer Review: Functional and sleek
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't often give a product 5-stars, but the Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Router has exceeded my expectations.
First, it's very sleek in appearance, a nice reflective black surface and blue status LEDs match some of my other components and looks very elegant and modern. Did I mention there's no visible antenna? It's hidden in the unit. The LEDs are not distractingly bright, which is good since I watch movies on a TV about 2 feet from this puppy.
As far as functionality goes, this router seems to do everything I need. It could have worked out of the box, but I wanted WEP encryption just like my old wireless-G network had that I was replacing. The configuration menus can be a bit overwhelming to a novice (and I personally find that Linksys menus are a little more tedious to navigate than their competitors'), but all the functionality is there and once you know where it's at, changing a setting is a cinch.
I didn't install the included software and don't really find a need for it. Again, with a few glances in the book, hooking up the power cable and your modem and ethernet cables, this thing will be running straight out of the box.
The performance is fantastic! I was running a Netgear Wireless-G router previous to this, and I couldn't get a signal in my corner bedroom upstairs (the router is setup on the main floor by all my video game systems). With this puppy, I get a fantastic signal everywhere in my house. Unlike my routers of the past, I've -never- had to reboot this one.
Overall, the product meets and even exceeds my expectations. I'm sure there are other Wireless-N routers available that would do the same. However, what makes this product so much better is that the price is VERY inexpensive in comparison to other Wireless-N routers out there. For the casual users, gamers, and the families looking to setup a wireless network, this router is for you. If you're one of those technophiles that isn't satisfied unless you've got the greatest hardware in existence, you can probably find something better for two- to three-times the price.
Customer Review: Great for VoIP, media streaming, wireless devices, Macs, and PCs, with a few issues
Summary: 5 Stars
This futuristic-looking router delivers N-speed connectivity in a sleek, antenna-encasing box with four Ethernet ports. If you have a simple network, you'll probably have no problem, but steel yourself with plenty of patience if you plan to connect less common devices such as a network bridge.
The CD provided, with its LELA wizard, makes installation and connecting to the internet a breeze, as long as you know which kind of security (WPA, 64-bit or 128-bit WEP) you want. All our computers -- Macs and PCs --connected. Likewise, our iPhones and Wii picked up the wireless network without incident. However, I bought this router to improve video streaming and VoIP which required a connection with a network bridge. The WPA security wouldn't work to get my Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter online, so we switched to WEP. This process took a lot of patience because the router had trouble identifying the adapter -- and it's made by the same company. Still, the problem may lie with the bridge, not the router.
The four extra Ethernet ports are great for those who have Ooma, gaming consoles, and other hard-wired devices in the same room as the router, and if this is your arrangement , you'll find the set-up and operation, as well as the speed, excellent. Because the range extends so far, it is imperative that users properly configure the security settings. It is completely backward compatible with wireless G and B, although obviously you won't get the N-speed on those devices. The lag time for computers to pick up the wireless network is significantly longer than it was with our Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router, but the internet connection is more steady.
I recommend this router for those who have N-speed internet devices or who need faster, more reliable connections.
-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Customer Review: Performs as expected; no issues
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this router 5 Months ago after a fair amount of research online. I've been putting off buying a wireless router for 7-8 years now - i thought wired worked for me just fine. But every since we got it, it's opened a new world to me; now we found uses for our laptops that we didn't think of before. like watching online video in the kitchen with the family; or checking recipes online right from the kitchen or checking email without going all the way to the desktop.
The router does all that i needed it to, and was v2 (so i can flash it with DD-WRT, if necessary - haven't had the need to, so far). the router setup was a no brainer, all features work as intended. Has all the latest security features etc. I get pretty decent speed with it - haven't tested the 802.1N speeds, though. No issues with the range - i have it on the lower level of the house and get excellent reception on the deck outside on the upper level about 30-35 feet away thru interior walls and floor (i haven't tried longer distance than that). I'm happy with it.
I'm pretty technical, so I read about all the stuff you can do by flashing the firmware, without being sure whether i would really need to or not - i.e. the info made me kind of nervous whether the default firmware is somehow inadequate - but I needn't have worried. I also needed to know if the router would support older encryption protocols like WEP and newer protocols like WPA - since i have an older PowerBook and PCs and newer laptops. The Amazon website description didn't really give me this type of detail (neither did it tell me whether this was v1 or v2 of the router model). i bought it anyway and was not disappointed.
i went with Amazon despite another lower cost online site, because Amazon chose to give me great technical info to make my decision and for the peace of mind that if the product wasn't up to expectations i could return without any worries. i haven't needed to. :-)
definitely 5 stars.