Customer Rating: 
Summary: Linksys WRT54G2
Comment: Overall, a nicely thought out and put together product. After an easy CD-assisted installation and setup, I was able to connect the router to the modem and computer and password protect the connection. The wireless strength is good in every room of the house, and I no longer need to worry about dropped connections. Great job, Linksys! Good price and free shipping from Amazon ended my hesitation to get this product!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Awful product!
Comment: I've been purchasing with Amazon.com for nine years and this product is so awful I feel compelled to write my first review. The packaging implies you'll be connected within minutes. The product offers no manual whatsoever and only an installation disk. The disk prompts you on which cords to unhook from your current router and where to plug them in on your new router, and then prompts you to turn on the router. The prompt icon spins for over ten minutes only to tell you there is no connection to the Internet. There isn't a word of technical support provided other than "make sure everything is plugged in."
If I didn't want my money back, I'd use this piece of junk as a paperweight.
Please note that I wasn't able to leave no stars. One star is far too good a rating and I apologize for any miscommunication. Worst. Purchase. Ever.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Awesome with dd-wrt firmware installed; not so much with stock firmware
Comment: I would only give this router three stars with the stock firmware it ships with (VxWorks), but with the GPL dd-wrt firmware installed, it is a vastly superior product sporting features found on routers costing hundreds more. I was unimpressed with the stock VxWorks firmware. While adequate for many home users, its feature-set was underwhelming... and reliability was lacking in many respects (particularly in syncing with broadband devices like cable/DSL modems).
After installing the Linux-based dd-wrt firmware on this router, i noticed two things: Firstly, the device became more stable and robust. For example, resetting the router no longer required power-cycling the cable modem, etc. Secondly, even though this router only supports the "micro" version of the dd-wrt firmware (due to its small flash RAM footprint), this firmware still offers *many* more features (and more polish) than the stock VxWorks-based Linksys firmware.
For example, DHCP is vastly improved (both the client and server), and includes MAC address based static leases (i.e. computers on your LAN can be assigned static IP's via the router's DHCP server). More advanced Quality of Service (QoS) settings. Supports Wake-On-LAN, WDS (Wireless Distribution System, i.e. wireless bridging of multiple routers), automatic router reboots (or not). You can control many parameters of the wireless -- including transmitter power output -- and configure the button on the front panel to toggle the wireless on/off. It supports a variety of status screens, including graphical bandwidth usage stats. The web admin interface even offers a choice of several color skins. There's also a telnet admin interface. The firmware even supports cron jobs!
The dd-wrt firmware far outclasses the stock firmware, making the latter appear to be the work of Mrs. Pauli's fourth grade class. The only down-side is the somewhat cumbersome geeky triple-flash install procedure, and all the dire warnings that you could "brick" your router. I did the install from an iMac, which was harder because the install procedures are written for Windoze. [Tip for Mac users: Use the shareware program MacTFTP (available from Version Tracker or MacUpdate) where the directions call for Linksys' tftp.exe utility, and be sure your built-in firewall (System Preferences) is turned off during the firmware installs.] You can find install instructions and a download link on this page:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_WRT54G2
Customer Rating:
Summary: Had to rewirte my review. Results on this item were not good
Comment: I had a WRT54G for two years and it worked great until it died. So I went out to find another but only found the new model WRT54G2. The missing antenna concerned me, and the lights being on the top instead of the front would be an issue in my computer cabinet. But this was the new release of the old trusty product that was so widely used so it was an easy decision.
Linksys software is great and the installation went smoothly. I have a bit of a complex network for a home including two wired VOIP phones, a Network Attached backup hard disk (NAT), a wired desktop, three wireless laptops, and a playstation. I use WPA2 security for wireless and want to restrict my son's laptop from internet use but allow him to use the two network attached printers. All of this setup went well, some I had to do from the advanced mode by logging directly onto the router. I had no issue with the signal strength in my 1450 square foot home either. But I did have two problems, one which forced me to give up on this router.
First, I could not get my Grandstream HandyTone-286 VOIP box to work with this router. It worked fine with my older WRT54G but not the G2. My Linksys CIT400 Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit with Integrated Skype VOIP works fine with this new router though. I can live without the Grandstream with some pain so that wasn't a deal breaker. Intermittent behavior was the killer.
The first WRT54G2 I had for about 3 weeks worked but constantly dropped the internet and my desktop had regular (more than once an hour) trouble communicating with the router at all. Wireless laptops worked better but still dropped the internet at least once an hour. So I returned that WRT54G2 and picked up a replacement of the same type.
The second WRT54G2 was much worse than the first. I could hardly work with it at all. I did get it all set up and working with my network devices (not the Grandstream) but it wouldn't stay up for more than a few minutes at a time. I considered loading the third party DD-WRT software on it as others have suggested and even downloaded the software and a good set of instructions. However I finally decided against it and gave up.
I went to a local Fry's Electronics and picked up a Netgear WNR2000 Wireless-N Router (Black). This was a very satisfying experience. After installing it and turning it on my laptops starting working before I even ran the setup software (without any security settings though). It took me less than an hour to get it all set up and it has been working ever since. I'm no longer suspecting my desktop NIC is bad or that I have fluctuating AC in my house as I was with the Linksys. Netgear could learn a few things from Linksys though.
The Netgear user interface is not consumer friendly. The linksys has a very nice graphical map of everything hooked up to the router and one can even log into each unit from the router for advanced network settings. The Linksys user interface uses more consumer friendly terms and is generally easier to work with - assuming it works in the end.
I don't know what happend with the Linksys design. Perhaps a software update will fix these issues. The version I had was V1 but there was no download update available. I see from the many reviews on Amazon that many people have had good experiences and are happy with it. Having tried two of these I'd have to say there is something wrong with the design.
A bonus for me is the Netgear is an N router with a VERY strong signal, and the lights are on the front of the unit so I can see them easily with the router mounted inside my computer cabinet. I don't have any N wireless cards in my laptops yet but I'm now prepared for the future.
Hope your experience is better than mine withe the Linksys.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Poor Range; Easy to Set Up
Comment: I would have given it one star solely due to its lackluster range, but the unit does look sharp and the ease of setup was wonderful.
PROS: It is very easy to set up; the whole process took less than 5 minutes and was completely automated. The last router I set up took over an hour of fiddling and re-setting.
CONS: very low range! I have a 2600 sq ft home and the router is in a downstairs office. The signal gets lost two rooms away, which is surprising and very disappointing.
I liked this router when I set it up but now I intend to return it as its range is so extremely limited. I did a quick search online to find out if I could purchase something to extend it but after 30+ minutes gave up on that idea.
This device would only be useful for small apartments and situations where the wireless devices were within maybe 15-20 feet of the unit.
Summary: Linksys WRT54G2
Comment: Overall, a nicely thought out and put together product. After an easy CD-assisted installation and setup, I was able to connect the router to the modem and computer and password protect the connection. The wireless strength is good in every room of the house, and I no longer need to worry about dropped connections. Great job, Linksys! Good price and free shipping from Amazon ended my hesitation to get this product!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Awful product!
Comment: I've been purchasing with Amazon.com for nine years and this product is so awful I feel compelled to write my first review. The packaging implies you'll be connected within minutes. The product offers no manual whatsoever and only an installation disk. The disk prompts you on which cords to unhook from your current router and where to plug them in on your new router, and then prompts you to turn on the router. The prompt icon spins for over ten minutes only to tell you there is no connection to the Internet. There isn't a word of technical support provided other than "make sure everything is plugged in."
If I didn't want my money back, I'd use this piece of junk as a paperweight.
Please note that I wasn't able to leave no stars. One star is far too good a rating and I apologize for any miscommunication. Worst. Purchase. Ever.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Awesome with dd-wrt firmware installed; not so much with stock firmware
Comment: I would only give this router three stars with the stock firmware it ships with (VxWorks), but with the GPL dd-wrt firmware installed, it is a vastly superior product sporting features found on routers costing hundreds more. I was unimpressed with the stock VxWorks firmware. While adequate for many home users, its feature-set was underwhelming... and reliability was lacking in many respects (particularly in syncing with broadband devices like cable/DSL modems).
After installing the Linux-based dd-wrt firmware on this router, i noticed two things: Firstly, the device became more stable and robust. For example, resetting the router no longer required power-cycling the cable modem, etc. Secondly, even though this router only supports the "micro" version of the dd-wrt firmware (due to its small flash RAM footprint), this firmware still offers *many* more features (and more polish) than the stock VxWorks-based Linksys firmware.
For example, DHCP is vastly improved (both the client and server), and includes MAC address based static leases (i.e. computers on your LAN can be assigned static IP's via the router's DHCP server). More advanced Quality of Service (QoS) settings. Supports Wake-On-LAN, WDS (Wireless Distribution System, i.e. wireless bridging of multiple routers), automatic router reboots (or not). You can control many parameters of the wireless -- including transmitter power output -- and configure the button on the front panel to toggle the wireless on/off. It supports a variety of status screens, including graphical bandwidth usage stats. The web admin interface even offers a choice of several color skins. There's also a telnet admin interface. The firmware even supports cron jobs!
The dd-wrt firmware far outclasses the stock firmware, making the latter appear to be the work of Mrs. Pauli's fourth grade class. The only down-side is the somewhat cumbersome geeky triple-flash install procedure, and all the dire warnings that you could "brick" your router. I did the install from an iMac, which was harder because the install procedures are written for Windoze. [Tip for Mac users: Use the shareware program MacTFTP (available from Version Tracker or MacUpdate) where the directions call for Linksys' tftp.exe utility, and be sure your built-in firewall (System Preferences) is turned off during the firmware installs.] You can find install instructions and a download link on this page:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_WRT54G2
Customer Rating:
Summary: Had to rewirte my review. Results on this item were not good
Comment: I had a WRT54G for two years and it worked great until it died. So I went out to find another but only found the new model WRT54G2. The missing antenna concerned me, and the lights being on the top instead of the front would be an issue in my computer cabinet. But this was the new release of the old trusty product that was so widely used so it was an easy decision.
Linksys software is great and the installation went smoothly. I have a bit of a complex network for a home including two wired VOIP phones, a Network Attached backup hard disk (NAT), a wired desktop, three wireless laptops, and a playstation. I use WPA2 security for wireless and want to restrict my son's laptop from internet use but allow him to use the two network attached printers. All of this setup went well, some I had to do from the advanced mode by logging directly onto the router. I had no issue with the signal strength in my 1450 square foot home either. But I did have two problems, one which forced me to give up on this router.
First, I could not get my Grandstream HandyTone-286 VOIP box to work with this router. It worked fine with my older WRT54G but not the G2. My Linksys CIT400 Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit with Integrated Skype VOIP works fine with this new router though. I can live without the Grandstream with some pain so that wasn't a deal breaker. Intermittent behavior was the killer.
The first WRT54G2 I had for about 3 weeks worked but constantly dropped the internet and my desktop had regular (more than once an hour) trouble communicating with the router at all. Wireless laptops worked better but still dropped the internet at least once an hour. So I returned that WRT54G2 and picked up a replacement of the same type.
The second WRT54G2 was much worse than the first. I could hardly work with it at all. I did get it all set up and working with my network devices (not the Grandstream) but it wouldn't stay up for more than a few minutes at a time. I considered loading the third party DD-WRT software on it as others have suggested and even downloaded the software and a good set of instructions. However I finally decided against it and gave up.
I went to a local Fry's Electronics and picked up a Netgear WNR2000 Wireless-N Router (Black). This was a very satisfying experience. After installing it and turning it on my laptops starting working before I even ran the setup software (without any security settings though). It took me less than an hour to get it all set up and it has been working ever since. I'm no longer suspecting my desktop NIC is bad or that I have fluctuating AC in my house as I was with the Linksys. Netgear could learn a few things from Linksys though.
The Netgear user interface is not consumer friendly. The linksys has a very nice graphical map of everything hooked up to the router and one can even log into each unit from the router for advanced network settings. The Linksys user interface uses more consumer friendly terms and is generally easier to work with - assuming it works in the end.
I don't know what happend with the Linksys design. Perhaps a software update will fix these issues. The version I had was V1 but there was no download update available. I see from the many reviews on Amazon that many people have had good experiences and are happy with it. Having tried two of these I'd have to say there is something wrong with the design.
A bonus for me is the Netgear is an N router with a VERY strong signal, and the lights are on the front of the unit so I can see them easily with the router mounted inside my computer cabinet. I don't have any N wireless cards in my laptops yet but I'm now prepared for the future.
Hope your experience is better than mine withe the Linksys.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Poor Range; Easy to Set Up
Comment: I would have given it one star solely due to its lackluster range, but the unit does look sharp and the ease of setup was wonderful.
PROS: It is very easy to set up; the whole process took less than 5 minutes and was completely automated. The last router I set up took over an hour of fiddling and re-setting.
CONS: very low range! I have a 2600 sq ft home and the router is in a downstairs office. The signal gets lost two rooms away, which is surprising and very disappointing.
I liked this router when I set it up but now I intend to return it as its range is so extremely limited. I did a quick search online to find out if I could purchase something to extend it but after 30+ minutes gave up on that idea.
This device would only be useful for small apartments and situations where the wireless devices were within maybe 15-20 feet of the unit.
Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router Reviews: Page 10 of 58
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