Linksys by Cisco WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point

This product works as advertised. However there are facts you should be clued to.

1) it suffers from FTP upload/download issues. It cannot do large FTP transmits or receives without hanging. This is a known problem having to do with some memory leak and their help desk's only response was "well if you want to do that, you need to get something more robust". What an answer eh.

2) the device has upgrade compatability issues. Since my friend having gotten the above answer from their tech support, needed to upgrade in order to branch out into his new B2B FTP processes, he bought a good powered wireless VPN router. But as one reviewer indicated, the WAP54G will only talk to others of its kind. Indeed every setup option has a restrictive use complication. Thus these access points did not work with his new router. This means that when it comes time to upgrade, you cannot just go out and buy any old thing if your intent is to try and reuse these components elsewhere. The new router works fine, but these devices refuse to talk to it. The documentation confirms that indeed the linksys accesspoints won't talk to anything but others of their kind. That means my friend must upgrade not only his wireless router, but also the wirless connection method used by his store front pcs, and also his router setup in his home office which also uses the related linksys product. What should have been a 150$ fix is now a 600$ total replacement because these WAP54G are useless with any other equipment but themselves.

3) it is slow compared to newer equipment. The speed difference between the WAP54G and corresponding router, and the new VPN wireless router was dramatic; visually noticable. Maybe this is a silver lining for my friend. He si somewhat excited about the possible speed improvment he might see at his point of sale units. The new router was painting internet screens very fast whereas the old liksys router was not in comparison. I wish I could give a comparison of wireless PC performance so that I could comment on the actual performance of the WAP54G but since we could not get the wireless connection made to the new router what can I say.

And before someone says that we never tuned the WAP54G setup, know that my friend had network professionals install and optimize the WAP54G equipment when it was initially purchased. They came to his store and home office to do the setup. It cost a few bucks but he was happy at the time to know it would all work.

So to recap:

0) works as advertised but...
1) slow
2) memory leaks
3) upgrade incompatible

Hail Flavius!

This is a good router for the price with multi-port use as well as wireless. Contains set-up disc with easy instructions.

I purchased this WAP in Dec 2008 and have only powered it down to move it from one place to another within our office. I am using it on a home network with a wired desktop computer (XP), a wireless laptop (XP Media Center), a wireless desktop (Vista), and a wireless printer. It has been awhile since I set up the WAP, but I can't remember any problems. I would recommend this as a WAP -- just remember, it is not a router.

Bought two of these to connect to networks in the house together. Hooked the first one up to the Linksys wireless router. The CD setup instructions said to just hit the buttons (for 1 second) on the AP, and then on the router. The lights flashed white for 20 minutes before I gave up and reset the AP. When it came back on, the leds were stuck yellow and red. Checked online for a way to reset to factory settings. Tried 3 different "official procedure" instructions. Nothing worked.

Going to sell the other one on eBay.

I used this access point as a Client Bridge using ddwrt and it was a smooth easy install.

I bought this to provide access from my 3rd floor to a WRT54G router that moved from our 2nd floor to 1st floor when we switched from DSL to Comcast cable. Installation took a little longer than I expected, but total was less than an hour to get it all set up.

Once installed, there have been no problems at all. Like all Linksys products I've used, it just keeps working perfectly. The WAP54G provides a strong, excellent signal, very good on 3rd floor, and also good on 1st floor in our kitchen.

One point to note: the download speed has been a little lower, like 6MB on the WAP54G repeater, instead of 12MB on the WRT54G router connection; upload speed seems the same on both. In other words, no visible difference (at 6MB download, our browsing life is pretty sweet!).

Quick summary of steps to install; I followed what "my sources" said to do, instructions at these two links:
[...]
[...]

1. BEFORE hooking up the new WAP54G: Start with login to the WRT54G router (http://192.168.1.1/ is typical IP address) to get the wireless MAC address (use the one under Status/Wireless, NOT the under Status/Router). Also get the wireless channel number and SSID (name of your wireless router).

After you have the MAC address, wireless channel number, and SSID:

2. I disconnected my laptop from the wireless network.

3. I reset the router (plug it in to power, hold down the reset button in back with pencil point, and watch until Act light on front flickers and then goes out), then unplug the power.

4. Now from your favorite web browser on your PC/Laptop navigate to http:--192.168.1.245.

5. On the PC/laptop, open network connections for LAN and config TCP/IP to a specific IP address: 192.168.1.240 / 255.255.255.0. No DNS or gateway settings need to be set at this time.

6. Plug in cable between PC/laptop ethernet connection (RJ45 jack, the usual one for network connecting) and the port on the back of the WAP54G.

7. Plug in power to the WAP54G.....wait until lights come on, Power, Act, Link.

8. Navigate laptop browser to http:--192.168.1.245 and you'll get a linksys login screen...leave the User Name blank, and enter "admin" as password.

9. At this point, you are configuring the WAP54G with the wireless MAC address, channel number, and SSID saved from the WRT54G router in step 1.

10. On the main page of the Web interface, change the channel number to the same one the WRT54G uses (5 in our case). As with all chgs, click save and continue.

11. Click "AP Mode", select the "Wireless Repeater" radio button, and enter the WRT54G's wireless MAC address (from step 1).

12. Click "Password" and change the default password (I changed to same as used for WRT54G router). After save/continue, use the new password to get back to the admin interface in browser.

13. Finally, click "Basic Setup" and change the SSID (I used a different name from WRT54G router, adding a "2" to end of name, so that we could decide manually which to connect to from various points in our home. You may want to use the same name as router--supposed to be seamless--but I preferred unambiguous knowledge of which one used).

14. If you use only MAC filtering for security (which I do, enough for our little home network), you are finished as MAC filtering is automatically "inherited" from the WRT54G. If you use WAP/WEP security, follow the rest of the instructions from the links above.

15. Finally, disconnect the cable between PC/laptop and WAP54G. And reset your network connection (step 5) for LAN, config TCP/IP, back to DHCP or whatever you were using.

This access point works well as a repeater for a Linksys wireless router. My only complaint is that it didn't come with any useful instructions, so I had to call them to get help setting it up. The instructions simply said to run the CD and follow directions, and the CD configures the access point in a way that requires a wired connection.

The CD is not really needed: just connect the access point to your router with an ethernet cable and point your browser to 192.168.1.245.

This unit installed fairly easily. I mounted it in a first floor closet where it now provides an excellent signal to the entire first and second floors (my base wireless router takes care of the family room floor in the basement).

HOWEVER, I find that I constantly have to power it on and off to get my portables back online when they have been "asleep" for awhile - so frequntly that I installed a power bar in the closet just so I wouldn't have to unplug the Access Point to reboot it. None of the standard approches to "fix" the connection from the computers themselves works. One portable is an IBM using XP while the other is an HP using Vista, so it's apparently not an operating system or hardware issue. Besides these same computers did not have this problem connecting to my base router (also a Lynksys, although older), before I bought the Access Point.

The Linksys setup works ONLY if your computer can access Linksys' default 192.168.1.245 address. If your host address is 192.168.0.xxx, you cannot reach the configuration page.
After many attempts, I found a relatively easy fix (at least on XP -I didn't try this on Vista). XP allows multiple addresses on the same network port. Go to Start > Control Panel > Network Connections. Right click on Local Area Connection > Properties > Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) > Properties. On the Properties page, click Advanced, then under IP Addresses click Add. Add a new address in the 192.168.1.x range (e.g. 192.168.1.2)with a mask of 255.255.255.0. Click OK on each screen to close the dialogues.
Then connect the Linksys to the switch or hub (if you have one) with ethernet cable or connect the computer to the Linksys with a crossover cable. Proceed with the setup via the CD. Or you can open your browser and type the Linksys address: 192.168.1.245 and proceed (initial password is admin). You can then change the address if desired, set up a new password, and configure your other settings.
Once I finally figured this out, it was easy to configure and the WAP works well! The lack of setup information is the problem! I hope this helps other purchasers.

I ordered this item to provide my house with wireless internet. After it arrived, I took it out of the box. The instructions read "insert the enclosed CD and follow the on-screen instructions." I put the CD in. When the icon appeared on the desktop, I opened it. There were no instructions! Instead, I was presented with a baffling array of 13 different icons, none of which had self-explanatory names. So I called the 1-800 technical help number. Over approximately half an hour, I spoke (with difficulty) to two different women located in the Philippines. Both spoke English with a heavy accent, and at times I had trouble understanding them. I was asked my name, my telephone number, and the model and serial numbers for this device. I was asked who my internet provider was. I was also asked "how I was" today, thereby pointlessly wasting both my time and theirs. I spent all of the 30 minutes answering THEIR questions, but was never told how to install or set up this device. Instead, I was informed that this device would not, in fact, provide me with wireless internet as advertised. So, there you go. If you are a technical person, then perhaps you can figure out for yourself how to install this thing. But I would not recommend this device for the average person. It will not provide you with wireless internet, and you will get no help from customer service.

Orininal product never worked
I was sent a new unit
It worked once
I still have a unit that does not work

Spent a day trying to get it to work in repeater mode to no avail. Linksys tech support helped me to get it working for ten minutes. This is complete junk. I am returning it.

Pros: Range(although in a warehouse without walls to obstruct the signal), easy to setup (took me 15 mins), easy to adjust settings via browser, no dropped connections after 2 weeks of use.
Cons:It's ugly but thats just me being picky.

I bought the WAP54G based on the supposed solid reputation of linksys products. For the first six months, I had to agree that this product was working quite well. Then one day, the connection got choppy, then it stopped working altogether.

I tried everything, and even set the router back to its factory settings, and I could not connect to it even on the most basic level. It would not let me login to set up the connection, and I finally gave up and decided connecting directly to the cable modem was a better option.

Avoid this if you can.

The setup documentation is valid only if your DHCP serves addresses beginning with 192.168.1.xxx! This was not stated in the documentation, so it took me some time to guess that the Documentation effort was outsourced, and I'd need to resolve the issue myself.
Advice: Most casual users will have their internal IP addresses set to 192.168.1.xxx, but if this is NOT your case, you must change the "default ip address of 198.168.1.245" that is pre-configured in the WAP54G to something compatible with our network. -- In order to accomplish this step, you will need to temporarily reconfigure some PC/laptop to a compatible IP address for communicating with the Linksys (such as 192.168.1.004), then with the linksys cabled to that PC, you can run the LinkSys setup and reconfigure the IP address range.

I am no luddite, but I wouldn't say that I'm that tech savvy when it comes to networking.

After a few calls to Linksys I finally got set up and running great.

I have an ethernet home-network connecting the Internet to my office and my wife's. I wanted to add a wireless access point to my office so we could use a WiFi radio in the kitchen. I was ready to return the WAP54G to Amazon when I read only Windows requirements on the box. Moreover, the "Setup Wizard CD" inside the box is completely useless to any Macintosh person, and Lynksys provides no written information about how to communicate with the WAP54G from a Mac.

Fortunately the WAP54G support page "http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/support/WAP54G" came to my rescue. I was able to set up my WAP54G easily using their "Accessing the Access Point's Web-Based Setup Page Using Mac" instructions. And my new Squeezebox Boom radio sounds great in the kitchen.
Linksys WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point

Unit worked for 6 months then developed a hardware fault which took several days to identify. The support information was incorrect which wasted a lot of time.

I am outraged that I must pay for shipping the defective unit to the Netherlands - and will pursue this as an infringement of UK statutory rights.

Poor product - poor support - poor (possibly illegal) warranty operation
I just hope I get a functioning replacement without delay

This was a very easy access point to setup. The included software worked great. Everything I needed was included. The range doesn't seem to be quite as good as I have observed with the WRT54GS but it still provides adequate coverage.

According to the tracking number the package was delivered, but I never got it. The Post Office was no help.

I wish I would have had it insured, but I don't recall seeing that option.

I MAY try again later

I bought this item for the purpose of linking my Directv model R22 receiver to my wireless internet group. Do not use the cd that comes with it. The CD was confusing and would not work anyway. Plug in a computer using a RJ45 cable from computer to the Wap54.

Enter the address of the unit in the computer browser 192.168.245. The log in will come up. The factory password is admin and user is (blank).

When the setup menu comes up the first is a list four modes of operation. Choose the second mode and it will have a network search button. Press the button. A list of available wireless net works will come up. Choose the one that you use. The unit will automatically configure itself with the security codes and parameters of the net work. Be sure that the default gateway address is the same as your network router. Note: in the setup menu there is a config backup. Be sure to backup the working config..
If the above doesn't work try plug the lan cable into the back of the router along with the pc lan cable.

When all is set correctly you should be able to browse the web with the computer plugged in the WAP54. Now it is ready for the R22 receiver.

Now plug the RJ45 cable into the top connection on back of the R22 dish receiver. Go to the net work setup menu if it doesn't connect make sure the R22 has the correct default gateway address listed...

I first tried to use the WRT54G2 router I could not get it to work.. After researching the web I figured out the difference between a Wireless access point unit and a router. Linksys does a very poor job of explaining it. In fact Linksys has very little information about their products. There is a Adobe manual on the CD that helps a little bit. DO NOT try to load the so called automatic helper program. This thing is a major pig and eats up PC resources and is very hard to remove.. MAJOR can of worms. Plus Linksys tech support is terrible. They do not want to hear from you... Maybe you will have better luck than me..

You can get this unit from Directv for double the Amazon price. Why bother. Directv tech support is not all that good either..
Good luck...

Product arrived quickly and in new condition. Competitive pricing.
I would purchase from this seller in the future.

I've used this Linksys AP in many applications. Extending my wired network to wireless with one of these APs is almost brainless. The new wizard does the trick especially. The price is still a bit high compared to an AP+router today. Not sure why but because I know this product works, I don't mind paying the price.

This is the text from the web control panel. It doesn't work with other brands and so you can't get a signal even though it's in range. Would not buy again since the functionality is so limited.

"Note: When set to "AP Client" and "Wireless Bridge" mode, this device will only communicate with another Linksys Access Point (WAP54G). When set to "Wireless Repeater" mode, this device will only communicate with another Linksys Access Point (WAP54G) and Linksys Wireless-G Router (WRT54G)."

Very good product. Allows me wireless access throughout my entire house. I have always trusted the Brand Linksys. Good Value for the price.

I needed a WAP to link my blue ray player to my in house wireless network. I have a WRT 54 GS Router. The setup was a bit tricky, but use the instructions provided in the reviews here and you can set it up. The first item at some point turned into a brick and I sent it back, the replacement is working fine.
Amazon's replacement policy was excellent.

You can make a cheaper wireless router work as an access point, but why bother? These are so easy to set up you will find he extra cost worth the price. I won't restate what others have said. Just this one point. If you test you network with netstumbler you will see what wifi frequencies are in use--configured your device for an unused frequency for best performance.

Also set the device for a fixed ip address so you can easily make changes later on--write the ip number on the device so you have a rference.

Works great, I do have to power cycle the device every 3-4 days because it stops responding, and I loose connection.

Since I'm connected to DSL via a modem which incorporates a router, adding a WAP was the easiest way to add wireless capability for my wife's laptop. I was concerned about range after reading a few reviews, but I have the WAP in an upstairs bedroom and we usually use the laptop downstairs. It always gets a strong signal. (It even sees the neighbor's network 100 yds away, although weak) Set-up was extremely easy using the included CD. I would definitely recommend this product.

Using this device as an access point only. Connected to a D-Link DGL4100 Gaming Router. Network of 3 PCs is wired with 1 laptop, also wired. Before setup, I read about security, WEP v. WPA/WPA2-Personal and MAC address filtering. Security concerns were the reason for the wired network. I used the CD to auto setup, and then manually configured after logging into the address my router assigned to the Access Point via DHCP (your router will change the default ip if you have it set to do so. It's status page should tell you the new ip).

At first, I used simple WEP encryption. Connection was quick. Then I played with the WPA encryption. Had problems connecting and stuck with WEP. I then disabled SSID broadcasting. Tried again next day and realized after making changes to the AP's login page, and saving, you must EXIT the page before you can make a successful connection. Once I figured that out, I went right to WPA2-Personal encryption (the highest level for me), and filtered by MAC address. No problems. Connects my Dell Latitude immediately and excellent range on the second floor as well (AP is on first floor).

Very satisfied. Only complaint is the bright blue..wish it was all black to blend in more. I plan on mounting it high on a wall in my basement stairwell, which will be a pretty central location in my house and will keep it out of sight.

My company owns several of these units. When configuring them it always feels like it's on a wing and a prayer. Often configs don't take and have to be reentered. One unit in our Philadelphia location has continued to loose it's configs and resets to defaults. Owned by Cisco but not as reliable as a true Cisco device.

I was wanting to be able to install the network without using the CD. It seems like the CDs always make you install something that comes with spyware or virusware. After plugging in the Access Point to my network and not being able to find it with my laptop wireless NIC, I relented and used the CD.

No problems at all. I was setup in 2 minutes. No programs installed on my laptop, just a simple utility run only off the CD.

I got this access point (AP) in order to create an ethernet connection to my old iMac G3, which does not have wireless. My in-laws have a d-link router connected to the cable modem. After some fiddling (best to read instruction manual on the CD that came with the Linksys AP), I got it to work and now the iMac is connected to the internet. I am using it as an AP client, which receives wireless signal from a router and converts it to ethernet signal. (I had to change the mode to AP client by using a Web browser at address http://192.168.1.245/) The manual says that, if used as a AP client, it works only with a Linksys router or another Linksys AP. Well, lo and behold, it can work with a d-link router as well. Extrapolating, I can say that this AP should work with any well-behaving router with the right settings.

I tried to run the automatic setup more than 5 times, no luck. I then used Windows to look for the wireless network and set it up that way. I cannot log onto the access point by entering it's IP address (192.168.1.245) into a browser window. It appears to work fine, has a long wireless range but I cannot setup the wireless security.

I bought this product over three years ago and its rock solid preformance intigated this review. I never review much and look only at the detailed ones as credible. Setup was easiest over the internet but this basically consists of linking it in and entering the IP address 192.167.1.1 and bang I was talking with the router. Security settings are easliy done too and I have 128-bit encryption running seemlessly with three wireless, one hard wired, and obe powerline ethernet connection. I have added my brothers computer by logging into the same IP address. I can't comment on 802.11-N technology but this G router has been awesome for me.

The Linksys WAP54G is well suited for personal and SOHO use. It supports a variety of security modes, from open networking, to WAP with RADIUS authentication. Initial configuration is simple.

(Note: Amazon has deleted certain key info from my review. Since they don't edit comments, read the comment below for the missing info.)
After reading through many reviews here, and struggling all day to get this unit running as range extender/repeater, it looks like the negative reviews are mostly from people trying to use it as a repeater. Apparently, if you're just using it as a wireless router, it seems to work fine. In fact, the setup disk and the PDF instructions deal only with that use of the product. If you want to use it to extend the range of your signal, Linksys leaves you without any instruction whatever, despite a blurb on the box stating you can use it as a repeater.

Luckily, another reviewer (Pinoy in NJ) was kind enough to detail just how he got the unit to work as a repeater. Definitely start there. A few additional comments:

- If you are on a Mac, the installation disk won't run. If you're trying to set up a repeater, the disk is useless anyway. So are the instructions on the PDF file.
- You need to have the unit hooked up via the included CAT5 cable to your existing router, or you won't get anywhere. Once you have "programmed" the unit, you will be able to disconnect it, and place it elsewhere in the house.
- After attaching the unit to your router, go into your Internet browser and type "[...]". This calls up the setup menu. The login is blank, the password is Admin, unless you changed it.
-Type "[...]" to bring up the setup page for your WRT54G router (unless you have a different router)
-From the WRT54G pages, you need to find the MAC address. It's in the tab "Status", third line down on that page. Write this down.
-On the WAP54G page, click the Setup tab, then the AP Mode subtab. Select the third option, Repeater. Enter the Mac address from the previous step.
-I disabled all security, since I couldn't get it to work. Sorry I can't help you there. It was something of a miracle when the thing worked at all. If someone wants to camp out at the curb with a laptop browsing [...], more power to them!
-Make sure both the router and the Access Point are tuned to the same channel.

At this point, you should be able to disconnect the cable, and still be able to ping the AP using the [...] address. Try accessing the Internet now using a wireless computer somewhere in the house.

Wish I could be more specific, but honestly, I found myself repeating the same actions over and over, and it seemed to work finally for no apparent reason. I list the main points above, as these seem to be key.

What I wish Linksys (or someone) would sell is a Repeater. You would plug it in to the power (no cable at all), and it would sense the wireless network. Pop in a setup disk, configure the settings and security, and you're done. It doesn't work that way at all.

Instead, Linksys provides a button (it looks like the Cisco logo) that blinks furiously for five minutes, and seems to do nothing but change the SSID. It's SUPPOSED to "automatically" set things up, and maybe it does with a newer version of the router (WRT54G), but not mine. There is lots of opinion about the SSID (do they need to match, should you broadcast the SSID). People report that it changes by itself, which means your connection will drop until you pick the new SSID in your Network Connections.

All this just to boost the signal to a room at the end of the hall. Linksys needs to make this a MUCH easier process somehow. If someone like me, an IT person with 20 years experience with computers, struggles for a full day to get it to work, there's a problem. No more Linksys for me!

I have an ethernet home network which is working perfectly. I decided to get a laptop and at first connected it to the network by an ethernet cable. I had been told that in no time at all I would be wanting to go wireless and that turned out to be true.

I researched connection options as I wanted to add the wireless capability to the existing ethernet network and found that something called a wireless access point existed. This seemed to be the right answer as I did not need another router.

All of my network equipment was Linksys so I decided the Linksys WAP54G would be the best way to go. As usual, Amazon had as good a value as anyone on the equipment so I ordered it from Amazon. Once the WAP54G came in it set up and installed without any problems.

I had read a lot of information about wireless security so I followed the Linksys instructions very carefully in selecting the highest level of encryption available for home use. This was not difficult to do but did require that one read the installation alternatives and proceed carefully.

It is now in operation and has not given any problems. It has been interesting to note that there are 6 wireless networks in my area; three of them have no encryption at all, two of them have the lowest level of encryption, and only mine has the highest level. All that says to me is that they were not careful in setting up their security level when they installed the software.

I guess the moral of this story is to carefully read and select the highest level of encryption if you don't want your network to be public.

I bought this product after I moved to a bigger place and needed a Access Point to widen the signal range. After setting it up, I realized there were a few things I wasn't aware.

1. The device must be physically connected to your existing router (so it's not totally 'wireless') to be used as Access Point.
2. If you want the device to be completely wireless, it needs to be configured as Wireless Repeater.
3. To use it as Wireless Repeater the model of the existing router you have must be WRT54G. (not WRT54GC, WRT54G2, WRT54GS, etc.)

After spending hours on chatting with Linksys support (apparently she wasn't even aware some of these restrictions) we found out this device won't work with my router so I decided to return it.

I wish this device could feel pain. It certainly has caused me hours of grief. When you set the password in the setup tool, it may or may not correctly allow you to long in through the web page administration. I'm now configuring it to work as a bridge connecting to my new wireless router. I can't do that, because it won't set the password correctly. I've only been trying for a couple hours, though. So very, very frustrated. It's worked before, so eventually, it will probably work again. I'd give it zero stars if I could.

Like everything from Linksys this is a very simple to set up unit. Not only do we use our laptops and the printer wireless at home, we also have two TiVo systems which link to the wireless. Going to the higher speed has really made a change in transferring shows from one system to the other. Make sure to secure your wireless. It has great range which means others can tap into it.

THIS IS NOT A ROUTER, IT IS AN ACCESS POINT. LOOKING FOR SECURITY IN A ROUTER? BUY A ROUTER! THIS IS JUST A ACCESS POINT TO EXTEND WIRELESS RANGE INSIDE A BUILDING. IT HAS NO SECURITY WITH IT IT USES THE ROUTERS SECURITIES.

FIRST TIME BUYING LOOKING FOR A ROUTER? THIS IS NOT A ROUTER. IF YOU DO USE THIS AS A ROUTER, YOUR NEIGHBORS CAN USE YOUR INTERNET THAT YOU PAY FOR! THEY CAN USE YOURS FOR FREE WITHOUT YOU EVER KNOWING!!

It was the easiest wireless router/access point that I have ever set up. And its worked great since.

When did I buy this? It's been so long, I don't remember. But guess what! It's still going strong and hasn't given me a lick of trouble. After 275 giga-quads of data passed by, it still works.

This was my first wireless access point, it is mated to my Linksys BEFSR41 router. It only took a few moments to hook up, and another minute to run the setup disk. Works wonderfully! I highly recommend it as an alternative to buying a wireless router if you just want to add to an existing setup.

The box says it can act as a repeater with your existing network, however it is only compatable with other linksys routers and access points, a completely unnessecary restriction if you know anything about wireless networks. They use standard frequencies and languages, the only reason it would only work with certain routers is that linksys specifically wrote the firmware that way to force you to buy more of their products.

This wouldn't suck so much if it said so ANYWHERE on the box, but it doesn't say it until you've installed the device and connect to configure it, then you get a small warning at the bottom of the menu that it will only work with their other products.

Called Linksys tech support to try and troubleshoot this device. Along the way it came out that the power adapter that came in the box is far under the recommended specifications. Naturally since they packed the wrong adapter in the box I asked her just to mail me the correct adapter. She told me it was Amazon's fault because what they sell is second hand or refurbished products. I told her I did not believe it. Imagine, as many of their products as Amazon and other online stores sell - this is how they return the favor. Well, I'm sending this back and will avoid Linksys products from here on out.

Exactly what I needed for my business. Very easy to set up and to use. The very secure nature of limiting access to my network really reinforces that I have made a good purchase.

I consider myself fairly savy with regard to computers, but trying to set this baby up on my own was killer...I recomend calling tech support(not online chat)to get this product installed...Ive had it up and running now for only about a week, but I havent had any problems at all and it works as well, if not better, than I anticipated!...

This box is probably the most widely used home router. I bought it 5 or 6 years ago after my belkin router died after only a year and a half. This one has never failed me. It never needs to be reset (w/ cable internet) for no reason, is easy to setup or alter your security settings. Highly recommend to anyone who wants an easy home WLAN. Mine broadcasts onto 3 levels of a house with no problem so it should work great just about anywhere.