Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G
by Linksys
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Our Price: $129.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $35.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G
Customer Review: A great signal repeater
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to agree with the other reviewers that the intended way to set this up is a pain. You actually need a computer with a wireless card to run the setup program and it will mess with the configuration on your computer. In the end it refused to configure the box because it said that my AP was not compatible... (I think officially only Linksys APs are supported.) However - you can just use an Ethernet crossover cable between your computer and the repeater (or hang them both off the same switch), set your computer to 192.168.1.100 and browse with your Web browser to 192.168.1.240. There is no login and default password is "admin". The setup is straightforward and real easy this way. Enter your SSID and the WPA password and change the IP to fit into your wireless network. Do not forget to change the password first. Hit save. Done. Success is shown by the blue link light. If you screwed up, you can factory reset the box by pressing the reset botton for 5 seconds and start over. The auto-config feature is useless.
One note is that this is a repeater not an access point. This means it will send and transmit on the same channel and therefore your throughput will be somewhere 40%. I am still getting about 3 Mbps, which is plenty for Web surfing. An interesting obserservation is that the Ethernet port can also be used to bridge the wireless network to another Ethernet cloud and this way there would be no BW loss. On a side note, your AP needs to support WBS (Wirelss Distribution System), many do but not all.
On a final note, this is not a commercial solution where you can daisy chain multiple of those repeaters to cover a large area. This product is thought to cover bad spots in a residential home such as an outside area where few wireless users are active at the same time. If you want to cover a large space with many users you need multiple APs and probably should look into a commercial AP solution.
Customer Review: Easy installation and works great
Summary: 5 Stars
After refinishing our basement, the teenagers' computer went to the basement. They were not happy when they could not get a strong signal from our wireless network. First I put on an extended antenna, and it didn't do a thing. So I got this range expander for Christmas. I was a little skeptical after reading reviews. But I relied on some of the steps mentioned in previous reviews and had to improvise some too. First, from a computer that had working internet access, I disabled WEP from the router. Then I changed the settings on my computer to connect to the now-unsecured network. You don't need to change the settings on all your other computers except for the one you are working on - you reenable WEP at the end anyway. I plugged in the range expander in the basement and laid it on a table close to the bottom of the stairs. I tried holding down the auto-configure button as some others had mentioned, but it didn't work. So I used the set-up CD, and it was easy as pie. It read the settings on my wireless network, including the channel, so I didn't have any human issues I would have had if I did it manually. At this point, while the router and range expander were both unsecure, I checked the computer with the poor signal to see if it were better (after I had to reboot it, of course). The next step is enable WEP on the range expander FIRST. If you do the router first, you won't be able to connect to the range expander to change its settings. So, re-enable WEP by typing in 192.168.1.240(I was able to use the same keys and not generate new ones). At this point I needed to unplug and replug the range expander. I also needed to unplug and replug the cable modem and wireless router because my MacBook kept dropping connections until I did so. I was surprised how easy and effective it was. Oh, there was a review about it not working with Vonage. We have Vonage and there has been no interruption. Go figure.Customer Review: Works great for me ... set up quick, easy, problem-free
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, let me say that this is essentially a non-technical review from the perspective of an average end-user who was looking for a simple solution to a common problem.
This is one of my favorite wireless solutions and the cornerstone of my home wireless network. I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone.
After reading some of the other so-so reviews, I was skeptical prior to purchase, but I needed something to resolve the problem I was having with slow wireless speeds from the back of my house approximately 80-85 feet from my Linksys Wireless-G router. I considered other options like hard-wiring a bridge in the back bedroom (wired wireless?), or purchasing a better antennae (expensive), but decided on the Range Expander because I feel that it will be backwardly compatable with any future and faster standards.
Upon receipt, I was pleasantly surprised by the small size and sleek design. After a quick glance at the instructions, I simply plugged it in and then checked my laptop in the back. Still 11.0 Mbps??? I walked back to the unit placed high on a wall in the hallway and this time held down the auto-config button. When I returned to the back of the house and checked my speed it was now at the 54.0 Mbps maximum, and the highest signal strength possible.
My total setup time was less than 60 seconds. It really was that easy. This product met all my needs. I don't know why others experienced problems, but I certainly didn't.
I am a DSL user, running Windows XP Pro SR2 on a Dell laptop with an internal wireless adapter.
Based on what I've read, you can avoid a lot of the hassle by disabling encryption before you install, but this did not apply to me personally so was a non-issue.
I'd gladly purchase again.
Customer Review: Very easy to install, great product
Summary: 5 Stars
I had no luck using the CD that shipped with this product. It actually caused me problems by installing a Broadcom Wireless Utility, which is a LAN application that replaces the default Microsoft Windows XP Windows Zero Configuration Service. To fix this problem I had to uninstall that software.
I configured it manually and it is very easy. Here are the steps:
1 Start/Run/CMD
2 At the command prompt enter ipconfig
3 Write down the default gateway. If you have a router this will be your router's IP
4 Connect a LAN cable from your router to the Range Expander. Note: you can connect directly into it from your PC, but then you will need to configure your LAN connection from DHCP to Manual.
5 Open Internet Explorer and enter 192.168.1.240
6 UserName: Leave Blank
7 PassWord: admin
8 In the Gateway section put in the IP address you got on step 3
9 Make sure to enter your network name exactly as it is in SSID. This is what appears when you look for a wireless connection.
10 Enable Security
11 Save Settings
12 Select Edit Security settings tab
13 Select WEP and In Key 1 and enter your WEP
14 Save Settings
15 Disconnect LAN cable, you are done!
To test your connection after completing these steps you can disable Broadcast on your wireless router. When you view the available networks and you see yours, it will be the range expander. I hope this helps.
I bought this for my neighbors and decided to set it up on my Linksys WRT54G to insure it worked. My neighbors have an Actiontek broadband router and I know for a fact it will work. All I need to do to connect it is get the WEP and router IP. Then follow the above mentioned steps. This is in my opinion a great product.
Customer Review: Very Easy Setup and Works Like A Charm
Summary: 5 Stars
First off I want to say that I was very sceptical when I ordered this product. I was under the assumption that it would be a pain to setup and it would take me days to figure out. My problem is that our main computer is downstairs and that is where the router is. The area where it is setup is like a bunker whereas there are 3 concrete walls on each side and a huge metal furnace blocking all signal throughout the house. The other computers were setup on our second story via wireless. I got the Linksys WRT150N router thinking the "Draft 802.11 N" feature would extend the network up to the upper computers and there would be no need for an extender. Unfortunately that was not true so I went on the search for a Range Extender. I looked at a couple but the reviews were not astounding. Then I wondered if Linksys made one. To my suprise they did.I checked out some reviews and even though I thought it would be difficult to setup I bought it.
When I recieved my package, I started trying to setup the WRE54G without the CD because I had read everywhere that the CD is no help. I got nowhere. Then I decided to try to use the CD. It worked marvolously. I put in the CD, it brought up the Setup Program immediately. Then all I had to do was find my network on the list that it generated, put in the security key to the network, select the model of the extender I had purchased and click NEXT. It setup the WRE54G for me in a matter of minutes and now I get full (5 bar) signal in my whole house, not the lousy 1 bar or less I was getting before.
The only downside to this extender is the fact that, unless you are the only wireless network in your area, you can't use the auto setup button on the extender, but with a setup as easy as 1-2-3 on a cd there is no need to fret.