Cisco-Linksys WRT54GL Wireless-G Broadband Router
by Linksys
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys WRT54GL Wireless-G Broadband Router
Customer Review: Works well with Apple computers.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read a short review on here saying you must avoid this router if you have an Apple computer. I have 4 Apple devices connected to this thing (an Apple desktop, 2 MacBooks, and an iPod Touch) along with a wireless printer and my Xbox 360.
Cisco doesn't provide an installation disc optimized for an Apple computer, so if you need help setting up your WRT54G(L) router with an Apple computer, here are steps for a basic setup:
1. Obviously with both devices plugged in (with the power light solid on the router) connect your Apple CPU to the router via ethernet cable, but the ethernet cable must be inserted in either slot numbered between 1 and 4. DO NOT plug the ethernet cable from your computer into the port that says "Internet." Not that anything bad will happen, you just won't be able to setup your router through that port.
2. Open up a web browser and type 192.168.1.1 in the address bar. Proceed by leaving the name blank and type "admin" in the password field. By default, your destination should be in the Setup tab and the Basic Setup sub-tab.
3. In the Setup tab, go to the MAC Address Clone sub-tab. Click Enable. Click Clone Your PC's MAC. Click Save Settings. Click Continue.
4. This step may not be necessary, but to be safe, go to the Status tab, then by default you should be taken to the Router sub-tab. If the IP Address is 0.0.0.0, click DHCP Release. Click DHCP Renew. Click Refresh. You should now see numbers other than straight zeros. (NOTE: This step is only applicable if your modem is already connected to your router via ethernet with the ethernet cable plugged into the "Internet" port (with your Internet connection on and running).)
5a. For wireless security, click on the Wireless tab. By default, you should already be taken to the Basic Wireless Setup sub-tab. In the field where it says "linksys" next to Wireless Network Name (SSID), go ahead and personalize your router's name. Click Save Settings. Continue. (Unless you're connecting a Nintendo DS to your router, you may want to change your Network Mode to G-Only, and if you're having issues with speed, you may need to toggle the Wireless Channels until you find a speed that works for your device.)
5b. In the Wireless tab, go to the Wireless Security sub-tab. You may choose whatever security mode you'd like, but I've chosen WEP with 64 bits 10 hex digits and in Key 1 have typed in a 10 digit personalized password. Depending on the firmware, you may only be allowed to use numbers 0-9 for your wireless password. Click save settings. Continue.
And you're done!
If you're a parent and don't want your children to hack into your router, you may want to change the password from "admin" to something of your choosing by going to the Administration tab and Management sub-tab (you'll see 16 * symbols, but the password is still "admin" at this point). Be sure to click Save Settings. If you ever forget this personalized information that you've set up for your router, there is a reset button on the back of your router which will restore the router to factory defaults. Just note that your child is just as capable of hitting this reset button, in which case if they do, I hope you punish them by canceling your next trip to Disneyland. You can also change the Local IP Address on your router, but as smart as children are these days, they can easily figure out what your new Local IP Address is so I don't know if it's worth the effort.
As for gaming, on the very box this router comes in, Cisco will tell you that this router isn't the best one to get for multiplayer games (not sure if they mean online or offline) but I have my Xbox 360 plugged in directly to the router via ethernet for Xbox Live. I mostly play Halo Reach. I don't experience any lag when I play matchmaking, but I do experience a lag when I play co-op campaign via Xbox Live unless I'm the host (though I don't receive any lag with the co-op campaign on Halo 3 or ODST). That could be the router, it could be my ISP, it could be the game, but I'm not really sure what it is; I can't say that I really care all that much. If you're a basic gamer, I'm sure this router will do, but if you're an extreme gamer and want the absolute best of the best, you may want to get an N-router.
Customer Review: Excellent Wireless-G Router to Use as a Wireless Access Point
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this Linksys WRT54GL router to use purely as a Wireless Access Point on my existing wired network. The process was simple (in general terms, don't connect anything to its WAN port, give it a new IP address, turn off its DHCP Server, and set its wireless values) and the results great (excellent connectivity throughout my house). My wireless needs are very low (basically, a Wi-Fi connection for my Kindle and for the occasional cell phone). So, this router (on sale) fit the bill. Unless and until something unforeseen pops up, I'm rating this at an Excellent 5 stars out of 5. If anyone's interested in the technical specifics of my process, here they are:
- To avoid conflicting with my existing wired network, I plugged the WRT54GL into a power supply and attached the provided 5 foot long CAT5E network cable to an isolated computer via one of the numbered LAN ports (not the WAN port -- don't use that for an Access Point).
- Upon booting up the computer, I opened my browser and went to the default router location of 192.168.1.1 (the default password is "admin"). This brought up the Setup | Basic Setup tab.
- In the upper right corner, I noted that the "Firmware Version" was 4.30.14. Previously, I had checked the Linksys support page and downloaded the latest firmware (4.30.15). So, I went to the Administration | Firmware Upgrade tab and upgraded the firmware. When that was done, I reset the WRT54GL to it's factory defaults by holding the reset pin on the back for 30 seconds.
- My existing network router/DHCP server is at 192.168.1.251 and manages the IP range from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.149. So, once I was back at the WRT54GL's default page, I changed the "Local IP Address" from its 192.168.1.1 address to something within my existing subnet that wouldn't conflict (192.168.1.10). I also Disabled the "DHCP Server" and set my Time Zone. I then hit the "Save Settings" button at the bottom of the screen (I won't include this "Save" process in the rest of my bullets -- just assume it's there).
- After it was done, I unplugged the WRT54GL from the power and the computer, and turned off the computer. I connected the cable from the WRT54GL's numbered LAN port to a port on a switch on my wired network (a port on my router in my wired network would also work), plugged the computer back into the switch, too, and powered everything back up.
- This time, I browsed to the WRT54GL's new address of 192.168.10, went to Administration | Management and reset my "Router Password" to a good, strong value.
- On the Wireless | Basic Wireless tab, I changed the "Wireless Network Name (SSID)" to a good, strong value, Disabled "Wireless SSID Broadcast", and changed the "Wireless Channel" to what I wanted.
- On the Wireless | Wireless Security tab, I set the "Security Mode" to "WPA2 Personal" and entered a good, strong "WPA Shared Key."
- That's it. The WRT54GL now functions as a Wireless Access Point. Since nothing's hooked to its WAN port and its DHCP Server is disabled, all the IP addressing for everything coming through the WRT54GL is handled by my wired network's router/DHCP server.
Customer Review: A dependable and rock solid 5 year old router
Summary: 5 Stars
Much of it has been said, so I won't repeat everything that is being said and done on the Intertubes. I have the WRT54G v2, which is the same of the WRT54GL. It's a valid point I guess.
- Stability:
What I must add to the crowd of 5-star rating is that it is dependable and is rock solid. It just goes running 24/7, and keeps going with no stability issues, no lock-ups, nothing. And most important (and common with other routers): no wireless drop outs. I once ran it for 2 or 3 months I guess, only to be stopped by an energy blackout.
Mine is 5 years old (and a few months), and I still use it for routing my home network. I have 3 computers, 1 media player, 1 media server and 1 wireless extender, all together sharing a broadband connection. It handles the load just fine, streaming high bitrate content on wired is perfect. True, the router is very outdated by today's standards (think wifi range and speed), but the fact that I still use it --- if only for routing and handling load --- tells how dependable the box is. You "set and forget", no checking, no rebooting, nothing. The fame is due.
I bought other routers, and some with the same or similar platform (Buffalo WHR-HP-G54), but they were not as stable as this one. No wonder those always find a way being just an AP, while the WRT keeps routing and doing the hard work.
- Features:
Granted, I have a 3rd party firmware on it (have used OpenWrt and DD-WRT, now on Tomato), but that's what is good about it. QoS, "access restriction" (on/off schedule for wifi), dynamic DNS, time server or any other custom task (if you have the Linux skills) you can imagine. People run everything on them. What I do here is just the "surface" of what can be "scratched".
- Cons:
The outdated specs. No N, of course, range and speed seems to be on the bad side.
- Support:
Years ago, when I didn't know about 3rd party firmwares (that was 2005), I was having a problem with dropped Internet connection. The Linksys support on the web was quick and solved the problem (config). Mind you, after that I never used the support again, so I don't know if Linksys support is still good (or if it ever was and I was just lucky). Not knowing is, of course, a good thing in this case, and speaks favorably for the router.
- Final thoughts:
That's about it. Buying many things that promise more and deliver less, I'm rarely enthusiastic with electronics, but this one is a winner. Also, not trying other firmwares on this does not do it justice. Installing a 3rd party firmware is also much easier than it used to be, so anyone with reasonable knowledge and the ability to read instructions exactly as written can do it. I didn't search much lately, so I don't think if we have a comparable, proven and trusted 11n kit like the WRT was with 11g.
I give it 5 stars, period. No footnotes, no asterisks, no nonsense.
Customer Review: My recent experience trying TrendNet, Netgear, and Linksys Routers and why I chose the WRT54GL
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a very standard home network with two HP desktop PC's, one Sony laptop, and and a WM5 Pocket PC all hooked up to a DSL broadband connection via a Linksys Wireless-G router. However, I do insist on high wifi security so use at least WPA + TKIP encryption in combination with MAC address filtering. After three years of operation the router suddenly died so I decided (on price) to first give TrendNet a chance to replace it with the TEW-432BRP which I bought for $40.
I installed the TEW-432BRP router, updated to the latest TrendNet firmware, and had no problem connecting all of my wifi devices with WPA + TKIP encryption enabled. However, as soon as I switched on MAC address filtering in the router firmware all of a sudden I could no longer access MSN instant messaging or Hotmail on any PC on my network. Reading into the firmware history file I saw that TrendNet has had previous issues with connectivity to MSN which it believed it had fixed... well perhaps so for general router settings but apparantly not when also using MAC address filtering mode. In any case, for a router to block any web site in any mode of operaton was unacceptable so I packed up the router and brought it back for return to vendor.
I next bought the Netgear WPN824 router for $65, set it up, updated to the latest Netgear firmware, and connected my devices. The router connected with every wifi device successfully using WPA + TKIP encryption. But as soon as MAC address filtering was enabled only my WM5 Pocket PC could still connect... the router completely blocked the Sony laptop from re-connecting. This happened despite the fact that the router had automatically entered the correct MAC address for the Sony into its allowed devices database from when it was connected without filtering earlier. The Netgear MAC address filtering firmware obviously has a quirky problem with Sony laptops using the Intel a/b/g wifi adapters. Netgear Tech Support had no useful suggestions and recommended returning the router to vendor which I promptly did.
I finally bit the bullet and bought the Linksys WRT54GL for $75 because it got good reviews online and offered open platform support for third party firmware. No surprise, even with the default Linksys firmware it works as advertised with all my devices and using full WPA + TKIP encryption and MAC address filtering. There were no unexplainable wifi lockouts (as with Netgear) or MSN/Hotmail blocks (as with TendNet). Linksys had designed and tested MAC address filtering correctly.
Clearly TrendNet and Netgear need to spend more time building a robust MAC address filtering implementation and test product compatability more thoroughly in this mode if they want to compete with Linksys. I'll be sending this feedback to all three vendors and kudos to Linksys for getting it right straight out of the box. In networking compatability will always be the king.
Customer Review: A classic.. And a great product...
Summary: 5 Stars
The WRT54GL is essentially a reissue of the original and classic WRT54G router that LinkSys started selling in 2003. It is bullet-proof reliable and simply the most upgradeable router you can buy. You can not only purchase high gain antennas to increase its range, but it has the widest number of open source firmware options of any wireless router. I purchased mine and then replaced the factory LinkSys firmware with open source DD-WRT, which allowed me to increase the power output on the antenna and offered other advanced features. My wireless router is now used by my iPhone, a wireless printer and wireless laptop, and is wire-connected to a PC and a Sony PS3. It works perfectly and its throughput is excellent. I never have to reboot this router, as I have had to do with newer LinkSys 802.11n models. And I personally like the classic and timeless industrial design of this router over the newer "Darth Vader" designs that LinkSys has put out.
Obviously the big downside of this router is that it predates the newer 802.11n or "N-wireless" protocol. I'm a fairly tech-savvy user who always likes to get the latest and greatest in terms of equipment, but I've owned 802.11n routers and I always come back to this router because of its rock-solid reliability. What most people don't understand is that for most users, the true "bottleneck" of their wireless network is their connection to the Internet and not the speed of their wireless router. I use Comcast cable for my Internet connection, which is pretty fast (averaging about 8.5 mbps), but the LinkSys WRT54GL router can send and receive data at several times the speed of my Internet connection. That means that even if I had a newer 802.11n wireless router, or even plugged my devices into the network through a wired connection, they would not connect to the Internet any faster then they do through the WRT54GL because the WRT54GL's speed still exceeds the speed of my Internet connection. For me, the illusory benefits of 802.11n simply do not outweigh the proven reliability and expandability of the WRT54GL.
** UPDATE 05/22/2010 **
I have to add one caveat to my review above; having the newer 802.11n may have an additional benefit that I did not mention earlier. I recently moved to a crowded metropolitan area in a building with a lot of tenants. The result is that there are now 25 wireless points/routers within close range of my unit (operated by neighbors) that are sharing the frequency bands of my WRT54GL. The result is substantial interference and moderate to significant performance degradation. A lot of these are DSL customers who have wireless routers. I am seriously considering switching to 802.11n simply because it runs at a different frequency (5 GHZ) than 802.11g and is far less prevalent (at least today), which may result in a lot less interference and less performance degradation.