flying_lip's Full Review: Linksys WRT54GS Wireless Router
I have been using WRT54G version 1.0 for over a year (when 802.11g was still a draft standard), and while this is a competent product, there are many bugs Linksys needs ironing out.
Setup was easy enough. Connect router to broadband modem, connect computer to router and power them up in the same sequence. I would suggest using a LAN (cabled) connection to configure the router and its wireless functions if you plan on going totally wireless. Linksys has set pretty much every setting to "on" or automatic including built-in SPI firewall, so it can function from the start, and you may wish to leave everything as is if your LAN works. However, not all settings should be left as is, especially the wireless functions.
First thing I changed was the admin login password, followed by changing the SSID name and enable wireless security (WEP/WPA).
Things to remember when setting wireless security.
1. Disable SSID Broadcast alone does not improve security.
Hiding SSID is like hiding an open door behind bushes hoping no one will see it. Unfortunately, there are freeware programs that can scan and identify SSIDs and be able to tell if any security function has been activated. In fact, there is a new "recreational" activitiy called WarDriving doing exactly that - driving around the netigbourhood armed with a wireless laptop and one of these programs identifying unsecured wireless networks. (Please note WarDriving is illegal in certain areas)
2. WPA is better than WEP.
So use WPA if you can and if your wireless clients support it. Note even WPA is not all that secure. If you want to read a bit more about this, please see: http://wifinetnews.com/archives/002453.html
The most interesting aspect of the WRT54G is the Linux based firmware, and Linksys has released the source codes of the firmware according to the GPL licence, and already there are versions of customized (or hacked) firmware released by 3rd parties to add to and to improve on what Linksys has or has not done, for example, signal strength adjustment (Linksys default at 25%), and bandwidth management. For more information, please visit www.linksysinfo.org or the Linksys forum in www.broadbandreports.com.
Not all bugs can be fixed by these customized firmwares. For one thing, UPnP doesn't always work, especially if one is using WRT54G version 2.0 and DSL connection. Many have reported issues when using VPN as well.
I find some of the functions are too simplistic. For instance, UPnP function only has "on" or "off" - everything else is left to be configured through Windows, and the log function only records in/out traffic.
When everything works, the WRT54G is a competent home router, albeit lacking some features found in its competitors (e.g., WDS support), but sadly not everything is working, so when my WRT54G fails, my next purchase will be a Buffalo.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 167 Driver Availability: Linux only
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