Linksys WRT54GS Wireless Router

I just recently bought my wife a laptop for our 20th anniversary so she could sit on the coach and relax while she is online. That immediately presented a problem with how she was going to connect to the Internet. The laptop had a built in 56K modem so she was able to connect to the Internet via the ultra slow dialup connection. As you can imagine that wasn't going to work for very long since she was so used to the broadband connection via our cable modem.

So it was time to start looking for a way to share our broadband Internet connection. I did some checking on Epinions and it looked like Linksys was the most popular brand for wireless networking. I decided on the Linksys Wireless - G Broadband Router model #WRT54G.

I went to my local computer supplier because he is cheaper on this router than CompUSA was and I was looking for a bargain. According to the box it is supposed to be super easy to install and configure this router to work with my cable modem.

I will say that it would have been easier if we would have had our cable modem setup differently. The Toshiba cable modem that we have had both USB and Ethernet connection when we first got it from our cable company so we selected USB for the ease of installation. Fast forward to today it presented a bit of a problem when I was installing this router.

Installation

The package was supposed to come with everything you need to setup the router, but I soon found out that I needed to go back out and buy a second Ethernet patch cable. I opened the box and I found inside the router, installation CD and one Ethernet cable. You want to make sure that you follow then directions on the CD and don't connect anything to the router until directed to do so.

It became apparent that I was going to need another Ethernet cable when it told me to disconnect the cable from the computer that is plugged into the modem and attach it to the router. That right there wasn't going to work, as I mentioned earlier my modem is connected to my computer via a USB cable and not an Ethernet cable. So I had to go out and buy a second Ethernet cable to attach the modem to the router.

Everything would have gone smoother except for the fact that my onboard LAN adapter was not enabled because I was using the USB port so I couldn't connect to the Internet to complete the configuration process.

The reason Linksys claims that installation is so simple is because they use a web based configuration system and you have to be connected to the Internet for the whole setup process to work. Once we had everything connected according to the step by step procedure on the CD it was time to complete configuration process.

Features/Details

According to Linksys, the Linksys Wireless - G Broadband Router model #WRT54G is three devices in one compact unit; Wireless Access Point, 4 port 10/100 switch and a Router.

Wireless Access Point:This portion of the device allows devices that have WiFi capabilities access to the internet. It can be configured to accept Wireless-G (802.11g at 54Mbps) and Wireless-B (802.11b at 11Mbps) or just either Wireless-B or Wireless -G. This is handled through the router configuration setup when you first setup the router and can be changed at any time.

4 Port 10/100 Network Switch:This can be used to connect up to 4 computers without wireless network adapters access to the Internet utilizing the 4 RJ45 connectors on the back of the router. This currently how we have our main computer attached and my wife's laptop is connected wirelessly.

Router:This portion is what does the actual broadband connection sharing to give all your devices that are attached to it access to the internet.

When I said the unit is compact that is exactly what I meant the case is made of plastic making it a very light unit and it has two antenna's that stick out of the back of the unit at each end of the unit. The antenna's are swivels so they can be directed as you need them. The dimensions of the unit are 7.32" W X 1.89" H X 7.87" D and weighs only 17oz.

Wireless Security

This is very important feature that many users appear to over look, but they really shouldn't. Without the security settings enabled anyone can sit outside your residence and steal your internet access and this includes your neighbors.

With as easy as it is how easy to secure your wireless internet connection I have to wonder why so many people don't do it. All it takes is a couple minutes and a user selectable key makes your connection secure. This way without your key they may be able to detect that you have a wireless router but they won't be able to access it. The level of security is selectable also between WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (Industrial strength WiFi Protected Access) and it also has a hardware firewall built-in to help keep prying eyes and worms from crawling into your connection.

Final Thoughts

I am glad that I chose this Linksys Wireless - G Broadband Router model #WRT54G, it was really easy to install and despite having to go out and purchase a second Ethernet cable I still would rate this product very highly for its ease of installation and setup.

Once we had the router all setup and connected to the Internet, my wife's Dell Inspiron 2200 laptop had no problem connecting wirelessly and it was also connected to the Internet. When we first setup the router we didn't setup the Wireless Encryption and I was able to connect with my HP iPAQ hx4700 PDA, but once we setup the Wireless Encryption I could no longer connect with my PDA. I am still trying to fix that little problem, but that doesn't have anything to do with the router.

I like the LED indicators on the front of the unit that tell me that everything is working the way it should be. These indicators tell me the any of the four Ethernet ports that I am using is functioning, the Internet connection is working and the power indicator.

I would definitely recommend setting up the Wireless Encryption on your router as soon as you configure it so you can keep your neighbor from using your broadband connection to get online. It is really easy to configure as part of the online configuration process.

I can't vouch for this routers ability to penetrate through floors if you have a multilevel house, but I can say with its 2.4GHz radio frequency it easily penetrated our walls into the back bedroom.