Should be Range Minus

When I decided to go wireless about a year ago, I went with the Linksys Wireless router WRTG54. It was a nice little router that worked well with the card that I installed in the laptop my wife used at the time. Once we got a new laptop with a built in wireless adapter, we noticed that the signal was not as good, and even dropping off at times. (The previous laptop had other issues that really kept that problem hidden from us). With my wife beginning to start an in-home therapy for our child with autism, it was critical she stay connected. I decided to invest in a wireless router with a stronger signal, which is why I went with a MIMO router. I've always had great experiences with Linksys, so I decided to purchase this product, even though I read some lukewarm feedback about it. I should have listened.

Setup was somewhat of a breeze. I didn't use the enclosed CD, since I knew how to manually set-up the router. It instantly recognized the wired settings and I was online. Having a cable modem, I don't need to log into my ISP. If you have DSL, you may have to set the router up to authenticate, so this experience is dependent on your ISP. I got about the same throughput as the WRTG54, so I was happy with that. Setting up the wireless was a bit more of a challenge.

While the menus were the same, it seemed to take longer to get to the SSID screens and the wireless security screens. I set up the network name, security (I chose WEP, although WPA options were available as well.), and the choice to broadcast the SSID. When I had the new laptop next to the router it saw everything right away, and I got it set up great. The trouble started once I moved up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, the signal cut in half. This is maybe 15 feet away. I moved the possible signs of interfence (cordless phone and monitor) away from the router, and it didn't change. I took the laptop upstairs (it's usual home) and the signal dropped another 25%. The laptop kept having issues trying to keep a lock on the signal. The old laptop, which is in the next room from the router, fared little better, registering and average of a 40% signal. For a MIMO router, this is very unacceptable. With the stronger signal output, the signal should have been at worst 50% two flights up. A friend up the street has a MIMO paired with a built in adapter in the style house built at the same time, and located in the basement. He gets a 60% signal average.

I went out and purchased a Dlink Rangebooster to see if the adapter on the new laptop was defective. I fared no better with that device (although there were other issues with the adapter that may have affected it) than the built-in adapter. I played with some of the settings on the router, but nothing made it better. I decided to return this router to Best Buy, since I could not get it to work.

I would suggest you stay away from this router, as it will try your patience, as well as waste your time.