Product Description

Wireless-G is the upcoming 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 work with existing 11Mbps Wireless-B equipment.The Linksys Wireless-G Access Point lets you connect Wireless-G or Wireless-B devices to the network. Since both standards are built in, you can protect your investment in existing 802.11b infrastructure, and migrate your network clients to the screaming fast Wireless-G standard as your needs grow.To protect your data and privacy, the Wireless-G Access Point can encrypt all wireless transmissions. The MAC Address filter lets you decide exactly who has access to your wireless network. Configuration is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility.Future-proof your wireless network with the Linksys Wireless-G Access Point. You'll enjoy Wireless-B connectivity today, and be prepared for a high-speed Wireless-G tomorrow.

Product Details

• Brand: Linksys
• Model: WAP54G
• Platform: Windows
• Format: CD
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 7.00" h x 2.00" w x 8.00" l, 1.10 pounds

Features

• Supports data rates up to 54 Mbps--up to 5 times faster than 802.11b
• Backwards compatible with existing IEEE 802.11b devices at 11 Mbps
• Supports 64- and 128-bit WEP encryption
• Wireless MAC address filtering
• Router not included, so you cannot connect multiple users to the Internet

Amazon.com Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description The Linksys Wireless-G access point lets you connect Wireless-G (802.11g) or Wireless-B (802.11b) devices to your network. Because both standards are built-in, you can protect your investment in existing 802.11b infrastructure, and migrate your network clients to the new screaming-fast Wireless-G standard as your needs grow.

For more information on the differences between an access point and a router with access point, see the following table:

To protect your data and privacy, the Wireless-G access point can encrypt all wireless transmissions. The MAC address filter lets you decide exactly who has access to your wireless network. Configuration is a snap with the Web browser-based configuration utility.

Wireless-G is the upcoming 54 Mbps 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 2.4 GHz radio band, Wireless-G devices can also work with existing 11 Mbps Wireless-B equipment.

Future-proof your wireless network with the Linksys Wireless-G access point. You'll enjoy Wireless-B connectivity today, and be prepared for a high-speed Wireless-G tomorrow.

The Linksys Wireless-G access point is compatible with Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP.

See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies.

Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere--without wires. Outside the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, and airports--great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer. Which Wireless Standard Is Right for Me? Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use. Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed. For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time: 802.11b 802.11a 802.11g To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart.

Customer Reviews

Some initial setup problems but works as advertised!
I'm using the unit in a REPEATER mode. My house have 3 floors and my router (WRT54G) is located in the basement. I get a signal of 11 Mbps on the sec flr using a centrino powered notebook. The signal would drop to 1 Mbps after some use and the only way to get the signals back is to to reboot the notebook for some reason or go to the first flr. Hence, decided to get this unit and use it as a repeater.

Steps that worked for me are as follows:

1. Disable any security you have on the router (I'm using WEP) and enable SSID broadcast prior to any configuration .
2. Configure the unit using the setup disk and provided the ff:.
- provided a different SSID (or you can provide the same SSID) with enabled broadcast.
- no encription
- the same transmission channel (Chan 11) as with my router
- new password
3. Exited program setup. Run browser and connect to the AP interface using the default address http://192.168.1.245
4. Configured the AP in REPEATER MODE placing my router's wireless MAC address as the repeated source signal.
5. Saved the setup.
6. Test if working by removing the wire behind the AP. On your PC/Notebook, open up a command window (START,RUN, type in "cmd" and click [OK]). Type in "ping 192.168.1.245" and press [ENTER]. You should see something like "Reply from 192.168.1.245 bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=225". If you get a "Request timed out." then that means your AP cannot be seen in your network and was not configured successfully go through STEP#1 again.
7. If successful, you need to enable security back (NOTE: At this point, the AP is running stand alone with no wires connected at the back from the router). Since I'm using WEP, connect to the AP using a browser at http://192.168.1.245. Go to wireless security and enable WEP and add the key codes and save your setup.
8. Now enable security back on the router with same key as you have on the AP and save your setup.
9. Test connection again by running STEP#6.
10. Place the AP where you want it to.
11. With a wireless PC/Notebook, scan for wireless networks. You should see the new SSID as well as the old one. Connect to it so that your PC/Notebook would save that information.
12. Connect to your AP, disable SSID broadcast, save setup.
13. Connect to your roter, disable SSID broadcast, save setup.
14. You're done!


I placed the WAP54G on the third floor. After all is said and done, my signal was boosted to 45 Mbps (max at 54 Mbps). Works like a charm!!!

NOTE:
- These procedures is specifically if you want to configure your AP as a REPEATER.
- If you configure the AP with WEP security on the get go, you will never be able to get it to work!! I spent hours on this to no avail.
- You can use the same SSID. I used a different one because I want to see what wireless unit I am connecting to when i transfer from floor to floor.

Easy Conversion to Wireless from Wired Network
I have a SOHO that uses a wired 10/100 switched network. Already part of this network is a Linksys single port Cable / DSL Router. When it came time to make the jump to wireless, the WAP54G seemed the logical choice, as I would not have to reconfigure anything on my existing network. For the record, I selected the WUSB54G and WPC54G adapters for two different purposes. Look for reviews on those items posted separately.

I had no trouble installing my original piece of Linksys gear. Now, since Cisco acquired Linksys, this effortless installation is even easier. The software installed seamlessly and I was able to modify the default settings, to match my network and increase security, occurred without any problem. A nice touch is the included patch cord to perform the initial setup. If you have a single port Cable / DSL Router already on your wired network, simply plug the other end of the patch cable into any open port on your switch or hub and the WAP54G will establish communication.

One small item left out of the manual was how to access the Web based administration interface. For first time installers, this may be critical. You need to open you web browser by entering the IP address for the Access Point. Once there, you can access the proper screens to assign a static IP address, strongly advised, and set any key options.

If you are not familiar with WEP Keys, these are electronic codes that keep your network private. While not as fool proof as wired security, they do go a long way to keeping strangers from using your network. If you create a key, keep a hard copy somewhere secure but handy. Like any password, treat them as a guarded secret. If you enable WEP Keys on the access point, any network adapters must be supplied with the key before a connection can be established.

Once the Access Point is configured, place it a good location and your done. Now you only need to add a wireless network adapter to any PC and your good to go. One nice feature is this model is also compatible with the 802.11b spec and will handle the slower traffic of this spec. With the 802.11g adapters, the network will send traffic at the full 54 Mb/sec for that spec.

Bottom line: nice price, nice performance and painless installation.

Excellent WAP -- 802.11g Linksys Rocks!
I plugged this WAP54G into my existing home network, slapped the Linksys PCMCIA card into my laptop, and I was up and running in unsecure mode immediately. I then had no problem enabling MAC address filter, 128-bit WEP, and the SSID Change for security. It was a piece of cake. I flashed the firmware to the latest version and have had no issues. I consistently link up at 36 Mbps to 54 Mbps.
The thing screams. I can't tell the difference between file transfers across my 100 Mbit home network and file transfers across this wireless network. The speed and range are fantastic.
I read the other reviews and I am surprised that this is the same product being reviewed. I have been in the I/T industry for almost 10 years and I researched wireless security for a year before buying -- and this product is fantastic.