Linksys WRT54GS Wireless Router

Pros: Handy
Cons: Reliability, poor Customer support/warranty coverage

Mine went bad after about 10 months. That can happen. But, to have it replaced, I needed to have the original receipt...even though I registered my purchase with Linkys.

Fortunately, I purchased mine over the internet, so I had an electronic receipt.

However, after I returned my unit, I still had not received word from Linksys. When I spoke to them, they asked for my mail tracking number. Fortunately, once again..I had electronic info regarding my tracking numer. Twice then, Linkys attempted to bail on its warranty with what I considered techinicalities and red tape.

Pros: Looks cool!
Cons: Works when it wants...Read my review. Buy one of the cheap brands!

This is my 2nd linksys wireles router. I have bought them based off of reviews i have read and the brand name. The first one i got a few years back worked o.k for awhile. But eventually started dropping the connections all the time, i would have to unplug then plug it back in so i went back to "wires".

Finally last month may 2005, i bought another one off of ebay. I figured the technology would have been better. Well it was the same. I am not a computer newbie and when I first bought a linksys router I lived at a different house so its not the location.

I have also tested the trendnet (spelling?) and netgear's router from FRYS electronics. they were cheap, like 26-30 bucks and it worked better than this.

I figured if netgear and trendnet work this good linksys must be better......Its not...

Pros: good hardware, vertical position allowed (save place)
Cons: complex administration panels, require good network knowledge, documentation not helpfull, transformer too hot

In fact, I have a WRT54G (without S = old version of the WRT54GS).

There is an "easy install" CD but if you want to configure manually, the documentation and administration panels suppose that you have a good network knowledge/background. It is probably the reason why some people on http://www.epinions.com and other forums are not happy at all.

In addition, complementary information is not so easy to find on the net, even on the Linksys site !!
Finally, I have had to send an email to Linksys to get the information.

The conclusion is that this router can be used in 3 modes :
- pure switch : WAN port not used, modem connected to one of the LAN ports (then modem is on the same subnet as the other LAN ports and the wireless pc's)
- pure router : second router connected to the WAN port + "router" in panel "advanced settings" (wrt54g doesn't do "address translation", I didn't test this mode).
- gateway : modem connected to the WAN port (modem is on another subnet + wrt54g does "address translation" for all the LAN ports !!)

I purchased a wireless router & adapter card for my laptop so that I could surf the net without being pluged into a phone line, and to search much faster. We have broadband through our cable system. I set up the router as instructed, it was alot less complicated than I thought it would be. I set up the adapter card in my laptop, turned everything on, and EVERYTHING WORKED! So far I am satisfied & am planning on purchasing another router to set up at our "lake House" so I can take my laptop there & use it. Everything OK so far!

Pros: reasonable price
Cons: Defective unit. Tech support sux.

I have version 2.0 of this router and have upgraded to the latest firmware 2.00.8

Problem: Every time the power goes out at my house, I have to go through the setup process in order for the router to begin working properly.

NOTE: This is not a synchronization problem with the cable modem. I've already tested, many times, for that scenario.

I'm not certain how many other units are defective, but I know this one is screwed up.

Luckily, It didn't take very long for me to figure out that tech support was too clueless to help me out.

Of all of the choices of routers to choose from, I picked a piece of crap. Don't count on the LINKSYS brand name, if you're looking for quality.

Pros: It works. Wireless, networking, port forwarding all ok with a static IP
Cons: Reliability is highly questionable. Horrible support encourages you to learn networking on your own

I've had this router over a year. I called tech support once, but couldn't understand the accent, so I figured out the problem myself. I recently moved into an area where power outages are common with both brownouts and blackouts. The router is on an APC surge protector. After the first outage, the unit came back with port one dead. After the second outage of the season, the unit came back with a second port dead. 2 more bad storms, and I'll have a wireless only router. No other item in the house has been affected by the storms. There's a quality lapse somewhere here.

Pros: None
Cons: 5 hour install process ultimately had to be uninstalled.

In short, the first wireless card (packaged with the router in my case) failed. Second card was a different version which worked, but after 5 hours (a grueling experiene) Linksys told me the only hope would be to uninstall their software and use the windows barebones version.

A five and a half hour install ultimately culminating in "well, it's just not going to work" is entirely unacceptable.

Pros: Quick installation, no worries, hardware firewall, hardly know it's there!
Cons: Cons? What cons? It should be FREE, maybe?

This is a no-brainer! We bought it, we installed the software, we configured the device, and had wireless going within 30 minutes. Took a bit more time to really figure out how the WEP option works, but we got it, and we're relatively secure. Our laptop found the net quickly, and we got it past the security quickly. It's as fast as wire, and it works all over the house. We've got two computers, our Oki printer, and our TiVo on the wired ports. We also installed a booster on the back porch to extend the wireless to our detached shop building, works great.

Pros: None.
Cons: Defective technology, ineffective tech support, poor customer service.

Purchased this router new to upgrade from previous standard. WRT54GS version 5.0

The software would not display the Linksys setup page correctly in my browser window, such that most of the links and buttons were not available. This made it impossible to troubleshoot the usual network setup problems. I spent 6 hours working on this, including multiple phone calls back and forth with Linksys tech support, but they were unable to diagnose or fix the problem.

The worst part is that Linksys was unwilling to admit this was a defective unit or to agree to replace the unit without making me go through ANOTHER hour of useless maneuvers.

Finally, Linksys agreed to a replacement unit, but their replacement unit website malfunctioned and left me unable to complete the paperwork.

Pros: none
Cons: Unreliable Internet connection. Poor wireless coverage.

The firmware is faulty.

The Internet has multiple well documented cases (Google-search for yourself) of this router dropping the Internet connection or not providing enough wireless coverage after a few hours.

Users are angry that Linksys is releasing products to the market that are not well tested.

My WRT54G Linksys router is so unreliable that I have switched back to my old Linksys router. Yes! It is an old Linksys BEFSR41 but it works, not like this piece of sh..t!

Linksys support recommended to downgrade the firmware from 1.37 to 1.02. I got better Internet connection but the router was losing over 50% of wireless coverage after 48 hours and I had manually reboot it every 2 days.

Pros: Fast, reliable, good wireless range, best customer service ive ever had!
Cons: none so far

im very very happy with this product. bought it about 6 months ago and no problems. was recommended to me by a guy thats in IT security so im sure he knew what he was talking about.

anyway, the best thing about this router is the customer support you get with it. although ive setup routers before i had a small problem installing mine (no fault of the router- just me) but anyway i called the linksys help line and they went through every mouse and keyboard click with me until it worked!

id definately recommend this product to anyone, especially if you're not sure if you can setup a router!

Pros: Simple setup. Dependable so far.
Cons: Not so good signal strength for me... {but have never dropped connection yet}

I bought this router because it had the highest reviews on a couple sites, even though it was $20-$40 more than other routers. One of my biggest requirements was ease of setup and dependability. Well, it gets an A+ on both counts, setup took only minutes with me just pressing "next" a few times and I was in business, setting up security was super simple, and getting my wireless computers online was similarly simple. My one and only complaint is that the wireless PC's, which are only about 50 feet away through 2 walls get a signal strength reading of "low". But I dont have a laptop to test actual range, and to be fair, they dont lose connection or anything. I just figure it should be higher than "low"....

Pros: Works ok for the standard home user.
Cons: Terrible support if that home user needs some help.

There was a time when Linksys actually cared and wanted your business; not anymore. This product is allright if:
1. It stands alone and does not connect to any other networking products except clients.
2. You don't have any trouble and don't need to call support.

My biggest beef with this product is the support that follows behind it. Every time I call Linksys on the phone, I can never understand them. Their support must be based in India or something. If you use the live chat they have on their website, its even more frustrating. I would ask a legitimate question, and they would respond with something totally off the wall such as:

Me: What does it mean when the power light on the WRT54G constantly blinks? I have rebooted the router and it still does this.
Them: Are you connecting to the router via a desktop or laptop?

I have also found that if you ask them a hard question, they just flat out stop talking to you. The product itself is allright, but its worth it to me to pay alittle more and get another brand, one that has better support.

Pros: Easy to setup ,Price, speed I am very Pleased
Cons: Power adapter A little bulky

After trying several other brands like Netgear, Dlink and having lots of trouble with them I decided to try the linksys for the first time. It was very Easy to set up the only thing I had to configure was the security encryption.
I use vonage phone service and the linksys works well with it. I have 3 computers on my home network and they all work fine I am very happy with it I haven't had any trouble yet.


I would Highly recommend it The price was good and the product works well

Pros: speed
Cons: poor tech docs; installation can be dicey

I bought a Linksys w/ trepidation . . . my previous b's performance had degraded over time and w/o decent technical docs, you have to rely on Linksys tech support to troubleshoot issues. My initial router install and my 4 adapter installs ALL required calls to Tech Support.

I had tried the Belkin G 54 mpbs and LOVED the accompanying technical documentation, the setup was a breeze, the setup user interface well designed, and the built in firewall a definite + (noticed that my pop up blocker seemed to work so much better w/ the Belkin in place). However, my connection speed was waaaaayyyyyy toooooo sloooooooow.

Tech Support at Belkin sent the wrong firmware update; I got no reponse to an email saying it had failed and even completed 2 surveys saying problem was not resolved. So, I took the Belkin back and bought the Linksys. After talking w/ a geek at Circuit City, I'm wondering if Belkin has an issue w/ their ethernet cables.

The initial Linksys install looked like it was gonna hose, but powering down everything worked. My hardwire and wired clients are zipping along.