Product Description

LINKSYS WRT54GS -- The Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G, Wireless-B, and other performance-enhanced SpeedBooster devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection. Easy configuration with web browser based configuration utility Linksys Parental Control Service (free trial included) keeps your family safe on the Internet, setting profiles for time-of-day and day-of-week access restrictions, and controlling which of 16 content categories each family member is allowed to see Also includes email & instant messaging filters

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: blue/black
• Brand: Linksys
• Model: WRT54GS
• Dimensions: 1.89" h x 7.87" w x 7.32" l, 4.00 pounds

Features

• Warranty - 3 years
• Standards - IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b
• Ports - One 10/100 RJ-45 Port, Four 10/100 RJ-45 Switched Ports
• Button - Power Port, Reset Button
• Cabling Type - UTP CAT 5

From the Manufacturer
The Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G, Wireless-B, and other performance-enhanced SpeedBooster devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.

SpeedBooster
The Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster incorporates the next generation of Wireless-G (802.11g) networking. SpeedBooster technology is a compatible add-on to standard Wireless-G, which increases "real-world" wireless network performance by up to 35%. Unlike other speed-enhancing technologies, SpeedBooster is fully 802.11 compliant, and a "good neighbor" to other wireless devices and technologies, using a single 2.4 GHz channel as specified by the official wireless standard. And, unlike other technologies, with SpeedBooster you'll see an overall speed improvement even when running a mixed network of SpeedBooster and regular Wireless-G devices.

To protect your data and privacy, the Router can encrypt all wireless transmissions, and also supports the industrial-strength wireless security of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), and 802.1x authentication and authorization. The Router can serve as a DHCP Server, has a powerful SPI firewall to protect your PCs against intruders and most known Internet attacks, and supports VPN pass-through. Configuration is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility.

With the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster at the center of your home or office network, you can share a high-speed Internet connection, files, printers, and multi-player games with the flexibility, speed, and security you need!

Also works with:

• WPC54GS: Connects your notebook computer to the Wireless-G network with SpeedBooster technology.
• WMP54GS: Wireless-G with SpeedBooster connectivity for your desktop or tower PC.
• WGA54G Converts any Ethernet-equipped game console to Wireless-G networking. Wirelessly connect to your Router for Internet gaming!

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 of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer. What 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 802.11a/g 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

Solid router - but setup could use some easier configuration access
Overall - a solid router - with great signal-strength and relatively easy setup. My only beef was related to needing to get into the configuration to tweak some of the security settings. Linksys seems to assume that the average user shouldn't even know what the security settings are - let alone change them - so doesn't make them accessible in their pre-packaged utility for managing the network. You have to access the router directly - which was made more difficult by the fact that they provide the wrong default IP address to access the router in the documentation ("Oh yeah - the info on the website and the user manual is wrong" said tech support..." Not encouraging)

That being said - if you just want to get something up and running quickly, and don't mind sticking with their defaults - it is a no hassle setup.

A good high-bandwidth router
My Belkin router began performing poorly during high-bandwidth times (ie. downloads, gaming, tivo, etc). I spoke with several people about an inexpensive replacement since I work in the IT field. Almost everyone of them said Linksys. With such a strong lean toward Linksys, I decided on buying one and went with the SpeedBoost version, since I do a lot of in-home networking as well.

It is a great router and I would recommend it for most. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:
- Fair price
- Linksys = Cisco
- Many configurable options (including parental controls)
- Its fast and can handle tons of bandwidth

Cons:
- Initial setup was WAY more complicated than it should be
- Should have come with directions for intermediate/advanced users
- Using their setup software was an awful experience
- Does not wall mount

All in all I am pleased with my choice.

Linksys with speedbooster
The router was very easy to set up and our wireless network was up and running in less than 15 minutes. The Macs we had recognized the network immediately. The XP computers took a little coaxing but eventually we were able to sign on 4 computers.