Buffalo Technology AirStation Turbo G High Power Wireless Ethernet Converter ( WLI-TX4-G54HP )

I have had this bridge for a few years at my home entertainment center. I download movies from DTV, play Xbox with no lag, and watch Netflix movies in full quality. I have never rebooted this router since I set it up. It just works. I would like to move up to a Buffalo wireless N bridge if they ever make one.

We bought this on recomendation from our local "free wifi" provider. It supposedly could pick up a signal from a greater distance than the built in laptop wifi receiver. The range did seem to be a little greater, but it still wasn't enough to get a reliable signal. (The wifi company seemed to have other issues and is no longer doing business around here.)

This "reverse" hub seems to be pretty reliable. The multiple ports could allow many different devices to be plugged in. However, these days devices seem to be leaning more towards wifi over ethernet, so I don't anticipate a lot of need for this device.

My one complaint was that the antenna had a tendency to disconnect. It would snap right back in to place.

The WLI-TX4-G54HP works fine, when it works. I've owned it for over 2 years but only used for short periods of time. Recently, however, I've been using it in a permanent installation and it rarely works for more than a few days at a time without requiring a reboot. Wireless coverage is good to excellent where it is located, so it shouldn't be having problems. I'm also careful to use a free frequency channel. It finally stopped connecting wirelessly altogether. So then wired it in so I could check the settings, and that worked for all of one minute and stopped before I could even do anything. Now it won't connect to anything wired or wireless.

I use two of these as WAPs running off a Xyzel MIMO router. My setup is rather unusual, since the router is connected to a variety of game consoles, and my desktop is connected to one of the Buffalo AirStations. The other one provides internet access to a ReplayTV unit in a remote corner of the house. I have 3Mbps cable internet, and they certainly don't hinder the speeds I'm getting while browsing or playing online games. For over two years these have AirStations have performed without complaint or reboot (aside from the odd power failure). They never need attention. Heck, half the time I forget I even have them. For a plain WAP they're a bit on the expensive side, but you get what you pay for.

Amazing device!!

I use it to connect my XBOX, Dreambox and several other devices which are in my living room. The Airstation is in turn connected wirelessly to my wireless router in my study room.

Performance is very acceptable and after a firmware upgrade it does not hang or stall. Period!

Excellent product and highly recommended!

I use it for my xbox and it works great. The best part of it is having more than one ethernet port which is rare.

Primary purpose for this item: To hook up my Vonage phone adapter (which wires directly into a wired ethernet network) and be able to use it through a wireless wifi network. As I call international for at least a couple hours a day, this was important to me.

Set-Up: I have Macs only, so I never bothered opening the set-up disc. I connected the converter to my ethernet port, manually set my network address to 1.1.1.1, logged onto the converter via Safari web browser, searched, selected and logged onto the wireless network (WEP 128), plugged in my Vonage adapter, and that was it. Took about 2 minutes, maybe 2 and a half minutes tops for this entire process.

Usage: I bought this last year, when I only had access to a wifi network, and needed to use my Vonage phone. I was upstairs over the garage and the router was 2 floors below in a cement basement. The encryption was WEP128. I ran the Vonage and my iMac through this, since I got a stronger signal and faster browser load times going through the Buffalo than through my iMac's built-in wifi. Worked great.

Then I moved into a lower floor, and the router was 2 floors upstairs, again no way to hard wire so I used the Buffalo again. The encryption was WPA, and I added a media player which accesses plays HD material on my iMac to my HDTV. Worked great.

I spent a few months on the road, and took this with me to hotels and extended stays, to be able to use my Vonage. Worked everytime I tried it. I had my laptop with me, so I was able to configure it via web broswer when I needed, and the times I was not on a secure network it connected automatically. I have flown with it and connected it in other country.

Recently I stayed for temporarily for a few months in an apartment building, where there was wifi provided and that was in the manager's unit which was 4 units down the hall and on the lower level. Again, I was able to connect the Buffalo and my Vonage in just a couple minutes. (WEP 128) and again, I had better signal and faster browser times with my iMac when connected through the Buffalo, than by itself.

Other Comparisons: I had tried a D-link (can't remember the model, sorry) but it wouldn't even work in my first location, which is why I then tried this unit. Since it has worked out so well for me, haven't needed to try any other make.

I've had this powered up and running about non-stop for almost a year. And it is in use everyday. No major problems to report.. the occasional freezing, about once a month, not sure if it is something I do, the unit itself, or something coming from the wireless router. I just unplug it from AC Power, and replug it in, and then I'm good to go again (no re-configuring, and no hitting the reset button). This unit usually comes right back up with no fuss after a power outage. Once when the router went dead and replaced (even though it had the same id and password) I had to reset the unit, and then via web browser re-configure the unit, and this took about 10 minutes with waiting, and the reset, waiting, and then doing the reconfiguring of the unit.

I like that it has 4 ports and eliminates the need to add (or lug with me) a switch, and I can keep everything hooked up at the same time. It has been easy for me to set up, keep running, unplug and tote around, and has done a good job of keeping my devices connected to the internet.

I bought to use with my 20gb PS3 and it worked perfectly. Setup was very quick and easy. I highly recommend it.

I get a great range and its got all the options you would expect from an ehternet converter.
Antenna cover is flimsy an the plastic cracked. But otherwise antenna is fine.

I bought this unit a little under a month ago, and I am very pleased with it so far. It works well and I've had very few problems with it. Setup was a little confusing (which was mostly caused by the fact that I was using the wrong passkey for my network), but once I got it working I didn't have to mess with it again. During the first week I had some connectivity issues, but they were quickly fixed every time by hitting the button on top of the unit - which I later learned activates AOSS but is also very useful for reconnecting to the network. Those problems went away by themselves and I haven't had any trouble with it whatsoever since then. Connectivity has been perfect, and it works seamlessly with my Xbox 360. I would recommend it to anyone who has some basic knowledge of networking, which is really all that's needed to figure out the setup stage. If you set up your wireless network in the first place, you can easily get this unit to work with it.

Based on all the glowing reviews for this product, I ordered this item from New Egg since it was out of stock here at Amazon. I work with computers for a living and am handy with home theater and network setups.

After I got the product, the initial SSID configuration was very painless. I then tried to connect it to various devices (HD-DVD Player, TV, Laptop) and none of them would acquire an IP address (The airstation was set to DHCP). So I called customer support and after a wait-time of 45 minutes, I got someone on the phone whose first suggestion was to turn off all security. I couldn't do that at that point and so called back the next day and had an other 45 minute wait before i got to talk to a CSR. This one seemed friendlier and we tried a few things and none of them worked. At this point I asked this gentleman to give me a number so that I can call back in case I get disconnected. he just refused to do that.. Lo and behold..a few minutes after that I get disconnected. He does not bother to call me back and I was not in the mood for an other 45 minute wait.

I am sure, I just had a faulty unit but the customer support was just horrible to deal with this company anymore. I gave up and sent back the product.

After I purchased my Toshiba HD DVD player I discovered that it had the ability to interactively access the internet for certain HD DVDs. But I need a ethernet to wireless converter to do this and the Buffalo WLI-TX4-G54HP did the job. It was easy to configure and I was connected to the internet right away. Good product and easy to use and setup.

I bought this to connect my DirecTV HD receiver (HD20) to the internet for video-on-demand and the other services they have in the works. Very easy to setup, just follow the instructions and I am no network expert. Also give you 4 ports which is nice for future potential. Very satisfied with the purchase.

I work with computers for a living (programmer). I've set up numerous networks, wired, wireless etc. I had to call customer service to be walked through the setup for this product. Once the basic configuration was complete, operation has been flawless.

I was worried that this product was going to be, well, too cheap to work. Most of the cheap networking gear works for a little while, but then overheats, loses configuration, doesn't work while the neighbors are running the blender, whatever.

But the other reviews sounded good so I took a shot. I was not disappointed. This device was easy to setup, took very little time, and has been working flawlessly completely unattended since I set it up. This is definitely a much cheaper way to get your XBox on the wireless network than Linksys's gaming bridge or Microsoft's own adapter.

I can definitely recommend this product.

The Buffalo Air Station High Power came with the latest firmware ver 2.50 and works exactly like it should. With most other wireless manufacturers that is not the case. Always check tech support on the web for the latest firmware for any wired/wireless device.

That said, at this time, the unit supports WEP and WPA encryption; it will NOT support WPA2. Tech support said they are working on an upgrade. Most of my use of the Buffalo will be in hot spot areas using no encryption, but my initial testing was with a WPA2 access point that resulted in a call to tech support.

If you are not comfortable with IP and subnet addressing, use the included software setup manager. The Buffalo uses by default a somewhat obscure IP address (compared to other products), for itself and the attached PC used for setup. But the pdf manual does have instruction for setting up the unit via your browser. Just follow the instructions step-by-step. The Buffalo Bridge must be set up through a cat 5 cable attached to a PC. Do not try to set up while connected to a router.

You can use the Bridge to connect one PC to a wireless network or use it to connect two separate wireless networks together. If used in the latter configuration, the Buffalo must be connected to the INTERNET or WAN port of your router. It will not work using one of the router's IP ports as described in several forums depicting the use of wireless routers as wireless access points.

The Bridge allows either IP or DHCP addressing. It should be noted this device, once set up with whatever IP address, is virtually transparent to the TCP/IP flow on your network, like a hardwire bridge. I recommend using it with an assigned IP address within your subnet merely to find it easily with your browser. Otherwise you will have to reset the Bridge to access it in the future, with corresponding reprogramming.

For it's function, it is cost effective, stable, and reliable.

"--I love this product. I use it to have my 360 and ps3 (20GB) online at the exact same time. This device creates a wireless bridge in your home. Using its buit in 4 port switch I put this device behind my tv and plugged my tivo, 360, and ps3 (hard wired) into this ethernet converter.

--There are only two downsides I think. One is that the setup interface is a little clunky and it took a few tries before my router recognized the converter. WEP and WPA setup is a snap, you can use the included CD or just set your ip to 192.168.1.1 and type 192.168.1.2 into your browser window and voila---runs the setup ulility.

--The other downside is that in order to take advantage of the "super G" speeds all of your devices on your network have to be super g as well, but 54mbps is plenty fast for my network. I have no problem streaming high definition files from my PC to my 360 or ps3 through media sharing---no skips, framerate issues or hiccups at all XD.

--Pros--Saves you money over the 360 adapter. I spent a little over 50.00 for mine new at another retailer and it sure beats spending 80-100 for microsoft's BS. Plus for me it doubled as a bridge for my 20GB PS3 (without hte built in wifi). I have not lost connection with mine and I've not had to reset this thing at all and I've had it for over 6 months now. I have no problem streaming high definition files from my PC to my 360 or ps3 through media sharing---no skips, framerate issues or hiccups at all XD.

--Sooo.... if you are looking for the best solution to your wireless networking (bridging) problems, this is the device for you. I'm glad I got it!!!!! WOOT!!!!"

I purchased this item from Best Buy, after reading the reviews online. I should have bought it from amazon since it was $20 cheaper, but I wanted had to solve my problem today! I installed it as soon as I got home from work. Our Wireless router is downstairs, where we use it the most, but we have two desktops upstairs in the office that dont have wireless cards, so are not connected to the internet..but I wanted them to be. Connected my desktop to the converter, changed my desktop IP to 1.1.1.2 which allowed me to see the 1.1.1.1 converter..went into settings management and switched the IP setting to DHCP. The converter rebooted automatically, then I changed my desktop IP to DHCP..and VOILA!! Hello MSN!!!
enjoy!!

This item works well once its configured, but configuration was very tricky. My experiences may help some of you configure this item.

The instructions said to wait until your computer gets assigned an IP address of 1.1.1.2, and then you can access the configuration via a web page, much like you configure your router via a web page.

The problem was I never could access the configuration page via http://1.1.1.1

I had to use the supplied CD to even detect the ethernet converter. Once I detected the Ethernet converter, the instructions said to set the converter to use DHCP. I did that, but I still couldn't get access to the configuration.

I finally had to use the cd to set the converter to a static IP address in the 162.198.0.1 range (or something like that), and then I was able to finally access the converter's configuration website.

The next issue is that the converter did not support the WPA security I had configured on my router. I had to change my router to use WEP security.

Next Problem: The Buffalo Technology ethernet converter wants WEP settings based on the 5 or 13 character configuration, rather then the typical 10 hexadecimal or 26 hexadecimal characters.

So I had to convert a 5 character word into its hex display and enter that into my other computers and change their wep keys to match what the Buffalo Ethernet converter requires.

For example: FUBAR becomes 4655424152 converted. So I had to enter FUBAR for the key in the buffalo converter, then set the router to use the 10 character hex key above, and enter that into the other computers.

So, once I went through all these gyrations, finalized my settings, and got the converter to talk to my router, I was able to change the converter back to using DHCP and everything ran fine.

So, I give this item 3 stars out of 5 simply because of the painful configuration.

It is working very well now that its configured, but I'd imagine someone not computer literate getting frustrated and giving up on trying to configure this item.

I got this to connect a shared PC via ethernet-to-wireless after my D-link WUA2340 proved to be managed by the Software From Hell.

THIS gadget was like a gift from the gods. The setup instructions were clear, concise, and most of all, accurate. Install antenna. Plug ethernet into PC. Plug power cable into gadget. Set PC ip to "1.1.1.2" Contact gadget, configure wireless SSID, etc. Reset PC to DHCP. *NETWORK IS UP*.

Five minutes, standing start to fully operational and two of those minutes were devoted to unpacking and setting the gadget up.

Something this easy is a real sanity saver for the tech in a hurry.

I bought this to connect from my ethernet av slingbox to my wireless router located across the room. Works great. So far no problems. The price was good considering alternatives I considered.

It took a while to configure with our Linksys G router, but is working fine. The network has been taken up and down several times while relocating and setting up new wireless components, and the Buffalo unit has not hung or went down.

I have connected my Vonage phones and Slingbox to this unit. It will enable upto 4 devices. I choose to added the Vonage to the Buffalo because of the increased range of this product. We often had range issues when connected directly to the linksys. Vonage seems to be working fine and I have not noted any performance issue. The range does seem to be greater.

I recommend without hesitation

I purchased this to hook up 2 systems (Linux and Solaris) and a printer to the network, but didn't want to invest in anymore wireless adapters. This was suggested by several folks over the Linksys version, so despite having a Linksys wireless router (WRT54G), I took a chance.

Right out of the box, I thought I had a DOA. The preferred instructions are to hook the converter to your wireless router on a free network port and then use the utility on the CD to find the converter. It couldn't find it. After 10 minutes of resetting the router and converter, I hooked the converter up to my laptop, changed the IP address of the laptop to match the converter, and voila - I was up and running. After running through the config, I connected it to the systems and the network printer and they were INSTANTLY online. I've had no problems with connectivity at all.

Funny enough, it was faster to set this up than it usually is to setup the Linksys wireless routers despite the 10 minute loss :)

This thing is great. Right out of the box - plug and play! I'm using it for VOIP and it's a charm, as well as boosts my wireless signal all over the house - what a bonus!!! I was worried about what brand to go with, but after seeing the Buffalo reviews, I'm glad I purchased this one. DO NOT THINK TWICE if you need a wireless ethernet bridge - THIS IS THE ONE. BUY IT.

If you want support go to the buffalotech web site, go into "support", then "download" and choose "Wireless-G MIMO Performance* Ethernet Converter". Others have mentioned a lack of support.

Easy setup, problem free performance. One drawback, no on/off button, gotta unplug it.

So if you're looking at this product you probably are wanting something to allow your Xbox / Xbox 360 or maybe a media center PC to be wireless. The nice thing about this product is it has 4 ports so you can always add more wireless devices later.

But how easy is the setup?

As other reviewers mentioned if you have the Buffalo brand router setup is easier because you can just hit a button.

However if you don't it's really not that hard.

1) Plug The Buffalo Airstation into the router that you currently use for wireless.
2) Run the setup utility on a PC connected to your network. Follow the instructions for what to click in the Buffalo software
3) Eventually it takes you to a webform where you choose which wireless network you want to connect to. So if you're network is called "Apartment 303" then that's what you'd pick.
4) After that you just go plug in the Airstation to the xbox or whatever you want to give internet to and you are good

5) If you are using a MAC Filter for your wireless security THEN you add the Mac address of the Airstation to your filter list. (DONT add the Mac address of the buffalo airstation at the beginning of the setup process, because then it thinks you want the airstation to be your new router and your computer's internet won't work)

It's really not that bad. It comes with a ethernet cable so you don't have to buy an extra one. Don't give Micro$oft any more money. Put the extra 30 minutes in to set this baby up and you won't be sorry.

This product did everything it was advertised to do. It was the perfect solutiuon for a unique problem I had. We had a wireless network at our business. It would have been difficult and messy to run an ethernet cable from the wireless router in the back to the device I wanted to use at the front of the store. I connected the access point to the power source and pushed the one button setup and it found the network immediately. It took longer to get it out of the box than it took to set up. I reccommend this product very highly

Works well. WPA is a great feature that I really needed.

Sometimes drops signal (I know, it is still wireless!) which can be annoying.

This item works as advertised. I found the setup to be simple and painless - just followed the instructions. My new HD-DVD player connects to the internet seamlessly using this product.

This is a must have if you can't put a modem near your desktops. I had to make one call to get it set up, but it was pretty painless. It has work 100% without a single hicup. Perfect.

After spending several hours trying to decipher the cryptic instructions, I finally found the 'magic' words I needed on the last page in the last paragraph in the last sentence bracketed within paratheses. At that point I was not in a sane mood to rate this product as I was seriously contemplating using the converter for target practice. But after finally succeeding in getting this product installed, it has been great!! No problems whatsoever. Wonderful! And a very fast wireless connection I might add. So, if you purchase one of these converters, I would advise lining up a techno-geek just in case you run into problems during installation.

I've been stubbornly fighting to get Linksys routers and adapters to work well for some time. This great product from Buffalo Technology has put my WiFi problems to rest.

I use the Ethernet Converter for my desktop PC because I wanted the Buffalo Wireless-G MIMO Performance Router & Access Point (WHRHPG54) to be centrally located in my home for great laptop connectivity throughout the house. (The desktop is located at a far end of the house). The real beauty of this device is that it does not depend on the desktop to be active to remain connected (as PCI or USB adapters do), ending the reconnection problems that occurred when the desktop woke from standby or hibernation in XP.

Great signal strength and Web-based control, not to mention their (AOSS(tm)) security setup (as well as easy manual security settings) makes this a terrific product with reasonable pricing. I don't see any good reason to go with "N" stuff when this works so well.

I bought this as a way to link my current wireless access point on one side of the house to link another access point for improved coverage. I set the unit up without installing software, just using the web page configuration. I was worried that this link would block access to the router side of the linked access point, but it translates all IP addresses as it was directly connected to it. Unlike a wireless bridge, it is cheaper and easier to set up. I connected one of the ethernet ports to an extra Linksys wireless access point, on a different channel. Had to connect via the switch ports, rather than the WAN port, and it works great. Now my wife and mom can use the computers on the far side of the house. Could not be happier.

I was in need of some kind of Wireless Ethernet bridge for use with my new Vonage VOIP telephone service. My cable modem and Linksys wireless router (WRT54G) are located in the Family room. But my Home Office is where I needed to place the Linksys PAP2 Phone Adaptor. Linksys had a couple Wireless Ethernet Bridges, but none of them got a good review.

Then I found the Buffalo. It got very good reviews, though again some people seemed to have trouble with the setup and nobody mentioned how it would function with VOIP, I decided to give it a shot.

Setup was a breeze. I simpley used the Web Browser interface as outline in the documention. I did not bother with the supplied CDROM.

It took me longer to read through the 4 page document then it took to configure the Bridge. It took me longer to run the cables between the Linksys, the Buffalo and the VTech phone then it took to connect the Bridge to the Linksys wireless router. This product is solid. Works great straight out of the box.

If you are in need of a Wireless Ethernet bridge that will provide your peripheral computer equipment with CAT V interfaces in an otherwise wireless network, buy this product. You'll be happy you did.

I bought this to work with my XBox running XBox Media Center and it works flawlessly. Great product!

Works very well with my D-Link AirPlus Extreme router. I did not have to install the software, did not have to tweak anything.

I use this to connect my Slingbox to my home network and it has worked seamlessly. Previously I tried a wireless game adapter by linksys (recommended by slingbox), but it would frequently "fall off" the network, meaning I would have to go turn it off and back on to get it back onto the network. I've had the Buffalo for several weeks now, and that problem hasn't recurred at all. Setup was easy. I'm very pleased with it.

I recently purchased the Buffalo WLI-TX4-G54HP Ethernet Converter and must say that I'm thrilled with it. It is one of those rare products that fills a niche in the market and offers additional features that only make the deal better!

In this case, the niche is that of converting wired Ethernet devices to a wireless network. A few devices that do so for just one wired Ethernet device do exist, such as the Linksys Wireless Gaming adapter. But this is where the Buffalo Ethernet Converter really stands out above the crowd. Not only does it let you connect wired Ethernet devices to a wireless B/G network, it also includes a very handy four port switch built right into the unit. It does this for roughly the same amount of money as the competition, where only single devices are supported.

Setup is extremely fast and easy. I was up and running with this unit five minutes after I unpacked everything. All I had to do was plug it into a computer, run the Buffalo setup assistant to configure it and finalize some operating settings with the unit's built in web page. From that point on, it has been working flawlessly.

If there were a complaint, it would be centered around the fact that Buffalo Technology USA doesn't seem to acknowledge even producing this device. I can't find it on their web site or support section. It seems awfully silly to produce a device whose functionality is unparalleled by anything else on the market so far and then to hide it. Other than this, the unit is excellent and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who has a number of computers to network but doesn't want the hassle of pulling cable to each one.

Has worked great. Easy setup.
Give added range. Reach downtown cafe that are 3 blocks away from patio.
Highly recommend.

I was looking for a solution for my home network, and this solved my problem. I had my router upstairs with my PC and cable modem, and downstairs was the entertainment center with the xbox 360, and a few other Ethernet devices. Rather than buying individual wireless adapters for each, I picked up this wireless hub, and it works great, Plus I saved a ton of money....

I got the Buffalo Ethernet Converter WLI-TX4-G54HP today to wirelessly connect to Xbox Live through my LINKSYS WRT54GL router. Though the Linksys automatic setup is not compatible with Buffalo's AOSS, the configuration CD and instructions worked with ease. WPA encryption was no problem. The Xbox connected to the internet through the Wireless Ethernet Converter immediately. The connection appears strong even though the Xbox is in a room that normally has problems with wireless signal strength.

It is not my normal practice to provide reviews before I have really given a product a thorough test over a lengthy period, but this setup was so smooth compared to other wireless configurations, I wanted to tell the world.

For those of you who have done their research on reasonably priced wireless converters, you undoubtedly found the same lack of consensus I found. Customer reviews on the Linksys and Netgear wireless converters were alarmingly horrible. The D-Link game controller I purchased and returned doesn't tell you that it will only work with a Linksys router if you lower your encryption standards. The customer reviews of the Buffalo product were the only ones that were consistently favorable.

For a price less than you would pay for most single port game controllers you get 4 ports. You get WPA encryption levels, connectivity with other brand routers, and some of the most favorable reviews you will find in wireless.

I bought the WLI-TX4-G54HP because I run a dual-boot, dual-use machine. Every peripheral I buy has to be usable with Linux, FreeBSD, and XP Professional. Before I upgraded my tower from a Pentium III to dual Opteron 64 dual-core processors, the Buffalo AirStation (WLI2-USB2-G54) worked fine with all three using ndiswrapper under unix/linux. After the upgrade I needed a more transparent solution. The Buffalo Tech Wireless Ethernet Converter fills that role perfectly. To get maximal signal strength I added Buffalo Tech AIRSTATION HIGH-GAIN ( WLE-AT-DACB ), a replacement 6 dBi directional antenna.

Because it's an Ethernet device, no OS-specific drivers are needed. It acts as an Ethernet bridge so that the connected machines (up to four) appear to be locally connected to the upstream router. Thus I can setup port forwarding on that wireless router to redirect inbound ssh connections to my tower on the internal NAT network. So while I share my neighbor's Internet connection through their cable modem, I can securely reach my home machine from anywhere on the Internet. If this device was a router instead of a bridge the same thing could be done, however it would require replicating much of the setup in the secondary router. This approach was simpler to setup and troubleshoot.

One thing to keep in mind is that anytime host addresses are changed, or the address of the product itself, resetting the product is required for it to notice the changes. This can be done with the button on the top (same side as antenna connection) or power-cycling it. Paying attention to this would have saved me about 30 minutes of troubleshooting. Keep track somewhere of the address you assign the device. Since it's a bridge it maintains a low profile on the network.

PLEASE CHANGE THE DEFAULT PASSWORD! Write it down somewhere, too. Memory is frail, but a password written on the user manual can save you a lot of headaches. Don't use a high-value password like your ATM PIN. You should also change the default router password. Do a google search on "pharming" to find one reason why.

This was the only bridge I could find that combine a WLAN bridge with a 4-port switch. I had no trouble setting it up and it worked flawlessly.

This is among the one of the cool gadgets, I have acquired recently. Those of you who do not know what this device does, here is a brief explanation. This device will let you connect any device with an ethernet port to your wireless hub/access point, without using any wire. For example, I have a Brother printer/scanner which has a built in Ethernet port. Such printer can simply be connected to a networking hub. I can then print on this printer from any computer, which is connected to this network. The problem comes, in a home networking environment. Most of the time the only networking hub available is on your wireless router/access point. Wireless router, in my case is sitting in my basement. So, my networking printer could only be installed using an ethernet cable in the basement, which is a major inconvenience. I want to have this printer close to my kitchen and the living room, where I spend most of my time. Buffalo Airstation made that possible. It picks up the wireless signal from the Access Point in the basement. It converts the wireless signal to an ethernet port (RJ45). There are four ports on this particular model. I connected my printer to the ethernet port with a small network cable. Now I have a great printing/scanning station right in the smack middle of my kitchen without a wire. That is cool!!

Buffalo does not provide a good documentation, if you want to configure it in a different way, other than the default settings. You will have to configure it differently, if you had a requirement like mine. I figured it out myself, while I was enjoying the hold music on Buffalo's so called 24 hr tech support. For me, it was necessary that the printer used the same I/P address range as rest of the network. The default settings for the device will work fine, if you were using the device more like a hub to connect several computers to access the Internet. I was expecting that the device will have its own DHCP server. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't. The DHCP assigned addresses are passed on to any devices connected through Buffalo, from your main wireless router. This little fact is extremely important in the printer's context, and it is NOT documented anywhere. You will need another ethernet hub to configure this device. Don't connect your laptop to the ethernet ports of this device and expect it work instantly. At least that part is clearly mentioned in the documentation.

Some final thoughts: I would highly recommend this device for small offices. Put this device up, and you got yourself a network of up to four computers without running four separate network cables all the way to the phone closet. I did not test in, but if I know my networking, you can connect another ethernet hub to any of the ports of this device, you can have that many ports available to you. Since you, Mr. Network Administrator will be configuring this device, you don't need to share your wireless secrets (WEP Key etc.) with anyone. You will love that huh, me too! I wish a model was available in higher speed, but considering most of the employees surf the web during work hours, this will do fine for now.

I bought this unit to connect a networked Tivo to a wireless network. I used a USB ethernet adapter to connect the Tivo to the AirStation.

It just worked when I turned it on. Found my network right away, and configured itself. I never opened a manual.

This product took 5 minutes to set up and has worked ever since. Great speed, great product. My home network uses a Netgear 802.11g router which it connects to flawlessly.

My goal in buying the Buffalo WLI-TX4-G54 Ethernet Converter was to enable wireless network printing to my HP laser printer (with JetDirect card) and provide Internet connectivity to a desktop PC, both located in the basement (wireless router/switch upstairs).

The first Buffalo Ethernet Converter I bought could not connect to my SMC2804WBR V1 wireless router (firmware version 1.18) if I used any level of encryption (WEP64, WEP128, or WPA-TKIP -- the SMC doesn't support WPA-AES). The Converter would connect to the SMC router only if encryption were disabled. It still isn't clear to me if the problem lies with SMC, Buffalo, or both. My Toshiba notebook using an SMC2835W V1 802.11g wireless network card works fine with the SMC router using WPA-TKIP encryption. The SMC card also connects fine to a Linksys BEFW11S4 V1 802.11b router (firmware 1.44.2z) using WEP128 encryption. A Dell Latitude D600 notebook with Intel PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3A Mini PCI Adapter (an 11b mini PCI card) also connects to the SMC router with WPA-TKIP encryption.

Assuming that the problem was a compatibility issue with the SMC router, I decided to get a matching Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 router. Unfortunately, the Buffalo router, converter, or both must've been defective. The router would not connect with any of my wireless devices (Buffalo converter, Toshiba laptop, Dell laptop) unless encryption was disabled. The router and converter wouldn't even connect using Buffalo's own AOSS auto configuration feature.

I tried both ASCII passphrases and HEX passphrases for WEP and WPA, but nothing worked.

Both Buffalo router and converter had the latest firmware versions installed. I worked with Buffalo tech support to no avail.

I decided to exchange both Buffalo products for replacement items. I then did a simple test with the WLI-TX4-G54 converter and the 802.11b Linksys BEFW11S4 V1 router. Happily, the converter connected to the Linksys using WEP128 (the highest encryption level supported by the Linksys).

Unfortunately, the converter still would not work with my SMC router with encryption enabled. But the success with the Linksys gave me hope that the converter would work with the Buffalo router, and sure enough, that was the case.

I set up the Buffalo router in place of my SMC router, following the manufacturer's instructions. Had just one glitch -- the router was unable to connect to my Comcast Cable Internet service until I switched from Easy Setup to Acquire an IP address Automatically from a DHCP Server. Then I used AOSS to configure the Buffalo converter, unplugged the converter and moved it into the basement to connect an HP laser printer and a PC to the network, reconnected everything, and everything now works fine (2 PCs wired to the router's LAN ports, a Dell laptop connecting via 802.11b WPA-TKIP, the Buffalo converter, and the printer and PC connected to the converter).

After searching for a couple of months for something that could enable me to connect my sling box through wireless connection, I decided to buy the Buffalo.

When it arrived I hooked it up and worked immediately. I did not even have to install software!!!!

The connection speed is great.

Inexpensive versus "wired" bridges, EASY set-up and it works fantastic.

Plugged it in & connected a XP laptop. I was going to install the software, but I was already connected to my wireless network (D-link 524-G). Glad I didn't try to run any network cable. Could not have been easier. Now that I know it works, I'll connect my X-box.

This product worked flawlessly from day one and only took about 15 minutes to install and get working. Have been using for some time now without a hiccup. Fast, simple to install at a great price. I am using my AirStation to provide an ethernet port for an Avaya VPN IP phone where I can not get a cable. Works great with plenty of bandwidth.