Buying Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router

I recently replaced my Netgear MR814V2 (802.11b) with the WRT54G2. Even though I am reluctant in a bad economy to replace a functional piece of equipment, it seemed too slow, especially after recently getting an iPod Touch (802.11g). Indeed, once I purchased the WRT54G2 my wireless performance to my Touch, wireless laptop, and Wii improved significantly.

In addition to the improved performance, this router also has improved MAC address filtering. Because of circumstances I am unable to rely on password encryption so I instead rely on MAC address filtering, which means unless you have a specified identifier in the router, you can't gain a connection. The old router only allowed 4 devices under this method, so if someone came to visit who needed wireless, I had to delete an existing device to give them access. No problem with this router - it allows at least 20 devices access under this access method. No need to fight with passwords either!

In terms of the setup, it's plug and play. For the "Dummies" crowd the software walks you step by step the sequence of connections. You probably don't need to do this if you're experienced but I did it through an "abundance of caution." Everything worked great! I didn't set up passwords but it looked like the software would have walked me through that too, which is great.

I liked the footprint, even though it ended up being larger than the old device. I have a cramped wiring box for my phone, cable, and internet, but this fit fine. Not having the antenna (or its optimal orientation) to worry about is an added bonus and I have seen no relative degradation by placing the metal lid over the wiring box.

Overall I am happy with the device, although I think the price is a bit high. My Touch wireless is functional and updates to the Wii software don't take years anymore! Many of the improvements listed here may be standard, I don't know. But they have made replacing my nearly 6-year-old router worth it.Get more detail about Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router.