Linksys WRT54GC Wireless Router

My laptop has been tied to the desk in the computer room for the last 2 years because I didn't own a wireless router. Friends would complain about how they couldn't connect to the internet from my guest room or the living room when they were visiting and I began to wish I had a wireless connection, to get out of the hot computer room.

I'd been waiting and waiting and waiting to find a good deal on a wireless B router, but without having any luck started looking into wireless G routers. (you only need a G if you're sending information between multiple wireless devices) I also frequent a website called slickdeals.net where I found this gem of a router on sale. $70 regularly down to $20 (without rebates even!). I hadn't done any real research on the device, I assumed it would be good enough for my limited usage and range. The driving factor was the price (most wireless G routers are about $50) and this was cheaper then that.

My experience with this router thus far has been very positive. It was fairly easy to setup and all seems in good working order after a little fiddling. The router comes with a CD that walks you through the steps on setting it up and even lets you configure the router from this point. You can apparently go on the web and do it too, but using the cd seems even easier, since I don't need to know my IP address.

Basically it was as simple as running the installation/instruction cd, then plugging all the appropriate wires in to the router and the laptop, and lastly configuring the modem with password information and what type of security encryption you wanted to use (WEP or WPA). From what I understand, it appears that WPA is stronger then WEP, but not all computers have the hardware capability to utilize it. One thing to remember is to make sure that your computer and router are using the same encryption, otherwise they won't be able to talk to each other.

I just finished installing it a couple of hours ago, but it's been smooth sailing since I got it up and running. I have "Excellent" coverage throughout 2nd floor (router is in 1 corner of the 2nd floor) and I get "Very Good" coverage on the opposite corner of the house 1 floor below. I use the term "Excellent" & "Very Good" in quotes because that's what the wireless network connection window is telling me my connection quality is. While sitting next to the wireless router, Signal Strength: Excellent (5 out of 5 bars), Speed: 54.0 Mbps. While sitting downstairs at the opposite corner of the house, signal strength is "Very Good" (4 of 5 bars), speed is down to 48.0 Mbps. In the basement (2 floors below the router) and in the opposite end of the house from the router (read about as far in the house as I can possibly get from the router), I had signal strength: "low" (2 of 5 bars) and speed: 11.0 Mbps.

I find this all to be very acceptable considering the small size of this router and the fact that is has no external antennae makes it that much more impressive to me.

Blurb from the box which highlights features etc.:
The Linksys Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router is really three devices in one small box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect both scream fast Wireless-G (802.11 at 54Mbps) and Wireless-B (802.11 at 11Mbps) devices to the network. Use the built-in internal antenna, or add an optional external antenna for more range. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Connect four PCs directly, or attach more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Finally, the router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.

Once your computers are connected to the Router and the internet, they can communicate with each other too, sharing a printer, digital music, picture and document files, and multi-player or on-line games.

To protect your data and privacy, the Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router can encode all wireless transmissions with WEP or high security WPA Personal encryption. The Router can serve as a DHCP Serve, has a powerful SPI firewall to protect your PCs against intruders and most known internet attacks, and supports VPN pass-through. Configuration is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility. And the tiny form factor fits any home or desktop.

With the Linksys Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router at the center of your home or office network, you can share a high-speed connection, files, printers and multi-player games with flexibility, speed and security!

Specifications
Model no.:
*WRT54GC
Standards:
*IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE802.11b
Ports/Buttons:
*Internet: one 10/100 RJ-45 Port
*LAN: Four 10/100 RJ-45 Switched Ports, One power port, One SMA port, and One reset button
LEDS:
*Power, Internet, Wireless, Ethernet (1, 2, 3, 4)
Power:
*External 3.3V DC, 2.0A
Dimensions:
*3.86" x 3.86" x 0.98" (98mm x 98mm x 25mm)
Weight:
*0.31 lbs (0.14 kg)