Broadband Router Blog

Up 'n Running in a Snap
I purchased this router to replace an older Linksys router that finally failed after 7-years of uninterrupted service. I read many reviews that indicated problems with having to reset it often. I have hand none of those problems. Its been installed for about two months and I haven't had to reset it once. It has run and performed great! Some reports suggest it was "slow", but the only time I have experienced a slow-down was when it was peak internet use hours; thus I attribute it to the high volume on the internet and not the equipment. All this said, I opted to replace my old Lynksys router with a new one and found it to be reliable and responsive. It was easy to configure through the web-style interface and took very little effort to get it up and running. You should consider it too.

Security online with Linksys
I find the Linksys routers to perform very well as an addition to a secure home network. I connect the BEFSR41 to the cable modem then connect the WRT54G inline to create a more secure network for my sensitive computers. I can connect my server to the first router in the DMZ and no bad traffic can reach the machines behind the second router. Both routers perform fast and I can't detect any latency.

Just what I needed.
I had worked with one of these before.
I needed a router for my new home, and started looking around. Once again I find myself with a Linksys.

It is easy to administer, will handle logging in my DSL Modem (I am much happier with DSL then Cable) and has kept things running smoothly.

Oh, and I could not beat the price.

This modem is great
This modem/router is awsome, I Always have been a sceptic about integrated devices, but i have no regrets on this purchase. Configuring is very easy and the distance of range is true to there word. Also if you have a desktop computer, that you wish to be wireless, the Netopia TER/GUSB2-N1 works perfect with that router, no problems, none, 5 stars on both products hands down.

Wonderful product
I purchased this Motorola SURFfboard wireless modem and router for my Mac laptop. Although the enclosed software was not compatible for Apple, the website contained all of the information needed for installation. It is indeed a fantastic product and I would recommend it to anyone who want a wireless combination for internet access.

Love my Wireless Modem!
I have had this modem now for a couple of years and it still works great. We have a three-story home and the wireless modem is located on the second floor. It never drops signal on any floor and the unit is not so large. Also, it is a great value because you don't have to by a router, it has the modem and router all in one! Definitely recommend to anyone who wants to buy a modem and router and not sign a contract with the Internet/phone company!

The best
I have been using a Toshiba modem and a Netgear router for a couple years
and always had to do network cycles. This modem is the easyist and most efficiant unit there is. Very easy setup and much faster than what I had. Works great for 2 wireless laptops.

Solid value!
Bought this for Comcast internet service... works like a charm, after about one month, I have not had any issues and solid performance. It is easy to configure and it has all the features (and more) that I'd expect from a cable modem. I easily recommend this as a home network solution.

Adequate for the most part
I have owned this router for about a year and it usually works. I do have problems with it not allowing me on the internet at times. The only way I can fix it is to perform a hard re-boot by pressing in the reset button for 10 seconds. When I do this I have to re-enter in all my security info.
I don't have problems other than that. It does have the capability to block out certain web sites.
Overall, this isn't a bad unit, though I am in the market for another because of the frustration I am having with locking out the internet.

Linksys WRT54G review
1. Hassle free and easy to install
2. Was able to configure and use in 2 minutes after hookup.
3. Reception has been quite good given the fact that I live in a pre-fab house whose walls are made of concrete and rebar.
4. Would recommend to anyone.

Good Router
Great price on this router. My computer technician went to Best Buy and suggested that I get this one. I knew I could find it cheaper on Amazon. And sure enough, I saved quite a bit! Thanks Amazon. Great router, and easy to install.

Excellent Linux router
This router was purchased for our Community center. I immediately installed DD-WRT firmware. The router covers the whole building which formerly was a one story four room rural school with a gym. It has been in operation for about a month with out any problems. It is setup with remote web administration to avoid a trip to the building to check on it.

Good With Stock Firmware - Great With Open Source
If you are interested at all in security and special features, this is the router to get - and then replace the stock firmware with one of the open source versions. I went with Tomato and have been completely amazed. It's Linux, runs IPTables, supports port knocking, logs incoming/outgoing data rates, logs blocked incoming/outgoing packets, allows you to limit incoming connections by source IP, and so on.

I am using this as the router just in from my DSL modem and have a webcam linked in wirelessly and restricted to just being watched from my work IP address. Running against Steve Gibson's Shields-Up, if I allow his IP and forward the port, it sees the port just fine. If I take GRC's IP out, it's as if there was no web server up at all. Totally hidden.

Even if you aren't sure which router to get, spend the extra or so and get this one because if you ever do want to get the hot setup, this one lets you do it. Worst case, you have a really good router in its own right. But install other firmware (easy) and you can have features that commercial routers for businesses have.

Good so far
I have been using WRT54GL for the past 1 month. Its good so far. I didnt see any problems.

Only one reason to buy this
Open firmware is the ONLY reason to buy this router. Sure it's a great router, but at this point it's more than a bit behind the times. If you don't plan on putting one of the many open source after market firmwares on this you really should look elsewhere.

If you are looking to put after market firmware (ex: DD-WRT) on a router then look no further. I've flashed 4 or 5 of these guys at this point without any problems. Each time I keep expecting to get burned but it hasn't happened yet.

I use DD-WRT and have found that it offers SIGNIFICANTLY more functionality and control than more modern routers costing 4-5x what the WRT54GL does.

Great for novice users when combined with Tomato firmware
The GL model is a great unit to combine with the Tomato firmware. http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato

Don't be afraid to download and upgrade from the stock firmware, you will be glad you did.

Tip for Mac users
I've had this product for a few weeks and it has worked OK so far. If you're a Mac user, note that the setup/configuration software on the CD it comes with is for Windows only, and nowhere (that I could find) in the written instructions does it tell you what to do if you own a Mac. However, it is Mac-compatible; you can set it up through an internet browser. After some searching online, I found this solution:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=264789
which is similar to a solution buried in the more extensive setup instructions downloadable (in pdf form) from the TrendNet website.

TRENDnet 108Mbps Wireless Super G Broadband Router (TEW-452BRP)
TRENDnet 108Mbps Wireless Super G Broadband Router (TEW-452BRP) Inserted cd as instructed, 5 minutes later, after hooking up the power, I was connected. Extremely easy to setup and works very well. I'm glad I chose this wireless router out of all that's available. It has range to spare.

Great G router
Easy to configure. Easy to manage. Consistent performer (I use it in a concrete/steel/brick multi-level setting. Only runs 108 when open, but WPA produces a solid 54mBps performance with the included MIMO.

Pretty Good
This router gives me great speed at 108MBs. and with the extended range i am happy with it. It is small and light, but the main picture on amazon is not what the router looks like, the real one actually looks better. I had a few setup problems, but in about 10 mins. i had it running. All in all, the router is great and the price is low too. I would recromend this to anyone and buy it again.

Easy to use... but
I bought this product because i was thinking it will bring D1.0 version but i was wrong! it came with C1.1 and the problems is that the firmware in the oficial web site doesn't work (d1.0)

Awesome!
The product works like it said it would It reaches further then you would expect from something that small!

Good one!!
I was apprehensive when I was ordering it, but it works very well. I have been using it since last 1 month for a 1 bedroom, hall apartment and the signal is very good everywhere. Also, the installation is very easy, no issues at all. The installation guide and CD do their job very well!!

Works great, takes patience to set up
I bought this router as an inexpensive replacement for a router that quit on me. It works great. The setup was a little more tedious and time consuming than expected, but I was able to work through it. Works as well as some routers double the cost.

Works as advertised
It's a wireless router. It's cheap, it works, it routes. Never could notice a difference in speeds when on wireless versus wired straight in, so I'd have to say it works great. No frills, but excellent if you don't need frills.

One thing you MUST know, however, is if you have technical know-how, do NOT use the "easy set-up CD". Just go into the router's firmware yourself (HTTP into 192.168.1.1 when wired to it) and you'll find all the settings you need. The CD is meant for people who don't know how to set up a router. I tossed the CD and set it up manually.

It's small in size, but the coverage range is real Ultra
Our business building has 8 offices on 2 floors (metal-studs construction in all partition walls). Since we experienced some difficulties in receiving wireless phone (including cell phone) signal in some area inside the building, we were very concerned about using a wireless network. But amazingly, this small Ultra Range Plus can work nicely to transfer strong signals wirelessly across all offices..

Awesome choice for Mac owners, speed issues aside
I have to start this review by admitting this router wasn't my first choice. After struggling with an old 802.11B router for a while, I decided it was time for an upgrade and went shopping. After a great deal of time and research, I settled on the Belkin F5D8233-4 N Wireless Router, an inexpensive Draft-N solution that got good reviews.

It worked well -- for about a month. Then, the router and my MacBook decided they were no longer going to play nice. My connection would drop every ten seconds, and sometimes it would fail to reconnect for hours on end. The Belkin, I decided, must be destroyed. I read the reviews on this Linksys model, and decided to go with it instead.

Thankfully, this solved the problem with my MacBook. Indeed, I have that laptop and another MacBook Pro hooked up to the Linksys, both without a single connection issue. Other items on the network are a desktop PC, a multi-function printer, a VOIP line, two iPhones, and a Tivo. All have behaved well. Better yet, the frequent power blinks we get here don't seem to phase the router -- after a brief power cycle, it gets back on its feet quickly.

The range appears to be quite good, but I have to admit that my duplex isn't exactly cavernous. Nonetheless, I've taken the MacBook and the iPhone well into the backyard, putting some distance and a couple of brick walls between the devices and the router, and have experienced no loss of coverage.

Speed, unfortunately, is the only spot where I've been less than enthused. Don't get me wrong -- it's pretty quick, especially if you're accustomed to an 802.11B connection. However, the Belkin I first tried put this Linksys to shame. Well, when it worked, at least. It was blazing fast, and I found myself a little disappointed at being slowed down. I haven't done any official tests for this, however. Moreover, the Linksys is plenty fast, and I'm a relatively high-demand user, much to my ISP's chagrin.

Setup is easy and, if it's important to you, this router is one of the most attractive on the market. Better yet, I didn't have any MAC address issues like I've had in the past with other routers (that is, Belkin). Within 10 minutes, I was up and running, cursing Belkin and praising Linksys the whole time.

All together, this router is a solid purchase. Reliability has been wonderful, and I can live with slightly decreased performance. If you're a highly wired weirdo like me, don't hesitate to buy!

Great wireless-N router for the money
I have been looking for a wireless-N router to replace my old Linksys wireless-G router for a while, and I saw this one, decided to give it a try (was thinking switch to D-link). This router looks great and also works great, the wifi signal is reliable and stable and a lot faster than my old Linksys router, thanks to the Wireless-N, it also makes the LAN faster than before, so far I am very pleased with the router, and would recommend this product.

Easy to use... but
I bought this product because i was thinking it will bring D1.0 version but i was wrong! it came with C1.1 and the problems is that the firmware in the oficial web site doesn't work (d1.0)

Awesome!
The product works like it said it would It reaches further then you would expect from something that small!

Good one!!
I was apprehensive when I was ordering it, but it works very well. I have been using it since last 1 month for a 1 bedroom, hall apartment and the signal is very good everywhere. Also, the installation is very easy, no issues at all. The installation guide and CD do their job very well!!

Works great, takes patience to set up
I bought this router as an inexpensive replacement for a router that quit on me. It works great. The setup was a little more tedious and time consuming than expected, but I was able to work through it. Works as well as some routers double the cost.

Works as advertised
It's a wireless router. It's cheap, it works, it routes. Never could notice a difference in speeds when on wireless versus wired straight in, so I'd have to say it works great. No frills, but excellent if you don't need frills.

One thing you MUST know, however, is if you have technical know-how, do NOT use the "easy set-up CD". Just go into the router's firmware yourself (HTTP into 192.168.1.1 when wired to it) and you'll find all the settings you need. The CD is meant for people who don't know how to set up a router. I tossed the CD and set it up manually.

Perfect! Great signal coverage!
Perfect! I just plugged it in, plugged in my USB cell modem (Alltel UM-150), followed the startup instructions and had a wireless network in 10 minutes. Signal covers the entire 2500 sq. ft. house, upstairs and down, which is amazing because our floor plan is not open, (I think it was a "stealth" house plan designed to frustrate people like me who use wireless everything). There are lots of options for expanding the network. I like the internet driven setup pages. I had trouble with a laptop connecting (the issue was with the laptop's wireless card, not the router), but I was able to connect with the included network cable and solved the wireless connection problem. Nice Unit!

Works great with Sprint BroadBand Card!
I bought this to use with my sprint broadband card, to make my 2 laptops and 1 desktop wireless.

I am a technophobe, and was worried about getting this to work for me. It was so easy to set up,even i couldn't mess it up.
It is as fast as what i have at home,and i love it!
The best is that i can easily move it to another office,and set it up when i need to.

Works with Huawei EC228 - Zero Config
I have the Huawei EC228 EVDO wireless internet "card" (it's actually a USB device) from Alltel. If you ask Alltel for a router, they sell you a Cyfre router that doesn't support 802.11n, has only 1 LAN port, and costs 9. Looking for an alternative, I took a chance on this Cradlepoint MBR 1000, even though the EC228 isn't on it's device compatibility list. Not only does it work great with the EC228, it required zero configuration... plug it in and go! I haven't tested range or performance with the 802.11n yet, but I'm so impressed by its seamless operation with the EC228 that I'm giving it 5 stars right now.

Not for an average consumer, but is excellent
This product requires a firmware update included in the box. This is what I forwarn the inexperienced user who wants a simple install. The software will auto-boot with your portable laptop, and if not present requires a removal from the start up program launch program folder. You can do so manually withtout error messages this way.

Once set up. The unit performs very well. Signal level at any significant distance is not that great. If you had an N card in your portable device might help, but I doubt it. N is ok for line of site with N units at all equipment if you are looking for max bandwidth. The hype for N doesn't mean you will get what is promised. This N router is ready for the future and seems to be industrial type of gear from what I have witnessed so far. Documentation is light. Good luck if you want to learn more about the unit. This is one of two reasons I did not rate it a 5. I lump this into user friendliness....