Linksys WRT54GS Wireless Router

Going wireless

For someone who is not into computer technology this might sound so out of this World and an untouchable thing. The Linksys Wireless-G router changes all that. Going wireless has never been easier than with this device. I chose this router to deploy a small network in the office where I work. The office is about 50 feet from the main building where we have cable (Broadband) Internet connection. There are already tons of wires running in between the main building and the office here. The last thing we wanted is more wires. I know a regular, cheap router and 100 feet Cat-5 cable would of done the trick, but I went wireless anyways.


Why Linksys

Why did I choose this router and not a D-Link or another brand? Well, for the answer is quiet simple. I trust Cisco Systems. Being an MCSE and A+ certified technician, I dealt with Cisco before and they never disappointed me. Even when they did, it was my fault. Well, nuff said and I don't really want to go into the nerd lingo either. I intend to write an easy to understand review for all. This epinion is concentrating on the product, the quality and setup. If you are looking for exact data on protocols, frequencies and number of pockets, please look at the Linksys site. http://www.linksys.com/ I really want the everyday Internet user to fully understand what I write here. I learned this when I worked for Compaq / HP. Nothing is more rewarding when an end user understands what you mean. Keeping this in mind, I am trying to explain myself with simple & easy to comprehend words. This Router is manufactured by Linksys, which is a division of Cisco Systems. A networking company in large.


Out of box experience

When I purchased this router, it was on sale for $79- Cdn, which is about $65- US. At the time of the purchase I also obtained a wireless G network adapter with a PCI interface. I will review the adapter in another review. The router came in a nice black & blue box and the content was well protected by insulation and antistatic bag. It also had a Quick installation Guide, a driver CD disk and other warranty papers, plus registration card. Linksys also includes bonus software for you with Symantec (Norton) Internet security. When I toke the router out of the box, I noticed the piece of network cable was also included and both ends had a male RJ-45 plug which looks like a telephone plug, but larger in size. The box also contained the AC adapter, which powers the router when in operation. The two antennas on the router were folded down, but I could easily open them up. Now they are sticking upwards. Please keep in mind there are other type of Linksys routers out there. This review is concentrating on the 2.4 GHz, Wireless-G Broadband router, Model No: WRT54G. Instructions for this product come in six different languages, those are: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.


Installation and Setup

Installing and setting up this router is very easy. Just plug everything into its place, Install the included software, and turn the router on by plugging it in. Here is how I did it. Since the main broadband adapter is around 20 feet away from the router, I had to utilize a longer network cable. This was just a simple cat-5 network cable with RJ-45 plugs at each ends. I had to make sure the range is long enough for me to receive some signals in the office. There is another personal computer in the main building with Internet connection and this station is also running off this router, but with a cable. Sometimes we call this "hard-wiring" the computer to the router. This means, simply cable, instead of a wireless adapter and antennas. Since the instruction recommends installing the included software from the computer, which is directly connected to the router (Hard wired), I did just that. There are seven small green lights at the front of the router indicating your connections. There is one where you see Wireless G above the small light. This light has to be on for the router to broadcast out any signals. At the very right side there is a small green light with the writing Internet under it. This light also has to be on, so you know the router is connected to the Internet.

To get to the main menu of the router, you have to use your web-browser and type in this IP address: 192.168.1.1 into your address bar. This will (should) bring up the Linksys setup page, where you can configure the router, your network preferences, program permissions, security and firmware update. I very highly recommend that you do a firmware update before even start using the connection. I had a few issues with the connection until I updated the firmware. It is downloadable from their Web site. For example certain sites just would not load on either of the PCs I had connected to this router. Hotmail was one of them, and after the update, they worked fine.

Looking at the router from the back, you can see 6 ports. Well, five ports and one outlet for the power. One port at the left side is where you get your Internet connection. Exactly above this port, it should say "Internet", so you know where to plug in your cable / DSL modem. The other five ports are regular RJ-45 ports / outlets that can supply other computers, laptops, network printers and other routers & switches if required. This is where I have the main computer plugged in. This is the one I mentioned earlier with the hard-wired connection. There is also a small, red, reset button at the back of the router, incase you need to reset it.


Technical support

This is one thing I was trying to avoid all along, but had to call them once. Calling the supplied 1-800-326-7114, 24-Hour technical support line can sometimes make it or break it for you. I just needed one command line I can type into the command prompt and when I called them, I was talking to a person in India. How do I know? Well I asked him where they are located exactly. The support agent was helpful and knowledgeable. However I was unable to understand what he was saying most of the time. This is really sad that a large company like Cisco System can't afford a North American call center, located in North America. This is two thumbs down for Linksys / Cisco. I would rather go on-line and gather support from a forum or such, than going through a hassle like that again. No offence, but this is unacceptable. I guess they wanted to save a few dollars and just, simply followed the footsteps of Compaq, HP, Dell and the others larger hi-tech firms to save a buck. Big mistake, Linksys!!!


Using the router

Once the small network is setup in your home or office, you have to configure the connection on each station. Especially when running older operating systems, like Windows-95 / 98 & ME. I have Windows XP professional running on both systems and the setup was relatively easy. It was almost automatic, since XP has a built in wireless networking capability. Before you do all this, go back to your Linksys setup page and create a network. Call it home or whatever you want. This name will show up on the stations later, once you are connected. When connected to the Internet through the wireless adapter, you can see a small connection icon at the bottom right side, in your system tray (Task bar) When the connection is not present, you will see a small, red X in front of this icon. The icon looks like small desktop computer with a monitor on top. You can always right click on this icon and experiment with the options. I use the "Repair" option once in a while to reset the connection. This is due to the brick wall, and the office wall in between this station and the router. Signal can be sometimes weak or non-existent if there is something between the router and your station. This can be a car or any large, metal object. Windows XP renews your IP address upon selecting the repair option. It works most of the times. According to the support agent at Linksys, the range is about 30 feet. The current distance between this station and the router is about 80- feet. There are two walls between us. I know this can cut the signal strength significantly, if not completely at times. You can always obtain range extenders if the distance is more than 100 – 150 feet. The signal goes through wood and dry wall easily. It has a hard time with brick walls and metal objects, like aluminum siding or large cars / vans / trucks.

Given the rather short range of this router, security is not really a concern for us. This can be different in your case however. Especially when you live in an apartment building or town home, where the homes are closer to one another. I recommend encrypting you wireless signal by going into the setup page and configure the security. The signal is easily hack-able if not protected by encryption. Some folks call this piggybacking. Meaning use someone else's signal.


Conclusion

I do recommend this router for small office and home usage. If your company's data is classified or needs to be protected, please use encryption or hard-wire your computer to the router. Also turn on the firewall in Windows XP. Downloading Service pack –2 for XP would also help securing your connection. Wired routers are more affordable and just as easy to setup. I was really disappointed with the range of this router. It supposed to transmit its signal to 100 / 150 feet, but in reality it's only like 50 feet or less. Especially when you have a wall or two in between. The speed of the router is fast and the size is small. You can easily hide it in a corner, or on top of closet, etc. Overall I am a happy surfer and would buy this product again. Thank you for your visit and rating.