Cisco-Linksys WRV54G Wireless-G VPN Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this item from Amazon even though the reviews I read were less than stellar. I just assumed most of the problems were user configuration errors. After all.... it is easy to mess up a VPN configuration, especially if you are using Windows IPSEC policies because the UI for setting that up can be a little misleading.
However after setting it up in my home lab I discovered that... it just didn't work as a VPN device. I connect with a VPN client called SSH Sentinel (it is a little dated but works on every other VPN I have used). I could get a connection fine but it refused to route traffic inside the LAN at all. Even setting up the route recommended by Linksys it still would not work.
So I decided not to give up yet and searched out Google groups for people who have solved this issue and I found... no one. Everyone complained at the constant problems with each firmware release and the inability to VPN into the router properly. I was surprised because quite frankly all the other linksys hardware I have work great. I rarely have any problems with their print server, kvm switches and other routers... why in the world would Linksys drop the ball on this product.
Well it seems this particular router is different than any of Linksys's other routers because it is running an embedded version of Linux. It would seem that Linksys and this Linux vendor are having some big difficulties getting this thing to work and perhaps it got pushed out the door too soon.
Well I went out and bought a cheaper BEFVP41 VPN router from Linksys (it is not wireless but I had a spare WAP-G) and I was able to get a VPN connection the first time.
So.. if you buy this router to VPN into your home network you will have some serious problems. I also had some flaky wireless problems with it but I must admit... after reading all the problems with this model I put the thing back in the box and bought something else that works...
I hope this isn't the end of Linksys putting out good products and being responsive to their clients...

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Cisco-Linksys BEFSX41 EtherFast Cable/DSL Firewall Router (4-Port 10/100 Switch / VPN Endpoint) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've used two SX41s for over three years on DSL and they are rock solid providing that I don't violate the cardinal rules of operation. The VPN tunnels are easy to set up if you follow the guidelines. First of all you must use a stable firmware. 1.45.7 is the most stable. The latest 1.52.9 is okay, but not as stable. Also you must NEVER set any of the Web Filters to deny or you will have reboots. Generally it is as simple as that.
There are also rules for flashing that must be observed. It doesn't matter whether you use a ver 1 firmware on a ver 2 router or visa versa. Thinking there is a difference is nonsense. What DOES matter is that the router MUST be reset to factory defaults (30 secs on the reset button will do this) before a flash or you risk bricking the router. When flashing with the Web page flashing tool, use IE or you will risk bricking the router. Use the TFTP utility for the SX41 obtainable from Linksys if you wish to use a Mozilla-based browser to flash. After you flash, you should reset once again to factory defaults. There are residual register settings carried over from the previous firmware versions that can cause reboots and other malfunctions.
Even the best flashing procedures can fail, but there are procedures for recovering from a bad flash at DSLReports.com. The recovery rate is probably better than 90% using those techniques. Guidelines for setting tunnels up are also posted there as well as access to the 1.45.7 stable firmware.
Successful operation of the SX41 requires modest intelligence, some networking experience, and following the operating rules. Linksys support hasn't a clue as to what those rules are so don't even bother with them unless you are trying for an RMA for a defective unit. Basically the router has gotten a bad rap from people who don't know how to operate it. Unfortunately they can't learn how to do that from the minimalist manual or from the so-called tech support personnel. Ask for operation help in the Linksys forum on the above mentioned web site if you are struggling with this router.

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The Linksys Instant Broadband EtherFast cable/DSL firewall router with 4-port switch/VPN endpoint is the perfect solution for connecting a small group of PCs to a high-speed broadband Internet connection or a 10/100 Ethernet backbone. The router can be configured to limit internal users' Internet access based on URLs and/or time periods (URL filtering and time filtering). For enhanced protection against intruders from the Internet, the router features an advanced SPIfirewall.
Use the cable/DSL firewall router with 4-port switch/VPN endpoint to create IPSec VPN tunnels, so you can securely connect to the corporate server from your home office--or from any location, when you're on the road. The router provides a dedicated port for DMZ hosting and acts as the only externally recognized Internet gateway on your LAN. With the performance and security features of the Linksys cable/DSL firewall router with 4-port switch/VPN endpoint, your network will take advantage of the Internet while keeping its data secure.
This router is compatible with Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, Me, and XP.
Note: All Linksys routers now include a special edition of Norton Internet Security! Claim your free CD-ROM by calling (800) 814-0180, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific, seven days a week.

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Belkin F5D7132 Wireless-G Universal Range Extender Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have shared the same experience as the most helpful reviews here: this is a pain to install when you want to configure this Extender to be secure (so strangers can't mooch off of your internet or worse). On the other hand, once you have it set up, it works like a charm.
It's possible, but prepare to burn an hour or three. I would like to add some instructional steps, which are a variation of the very helpful ones already present here on Amazon.
Dummies Guide on How to set up the Extender with security turned on:
1. Completely ignore the instruction sheet that comes with the product. At first, I tried following it stubbornly despite reading these Amazon reviews, and I found that it is an embarrassment. Shame on you Belkin, for giving us so much unnecessary grief.
2. Find a computer in your home to use for this setup. Any computer (that isn't Vista) will do.
3. If this computer happens to be plugged into your router (I'm not talking about not the Extender), unplug it from the router. If this computer happens to have a wireless connection, disable the wireless connection.
4. Plug in the power cord for the Extender into the wall, then connect an ethernet cord (looks like a fat telephone cord) into the back of the Extender, then stick the other end into your computer. The "LAN" light will now light up. Just in case you're concerned, you can ignore the red "search" light that may blink.
5. Install the "Belkin Range Extender Utility" onto this computer. The installation CD will place a program in your Start->Programs menu once you run the install.
6. Go to start->settings->network connections. At this point the only enabled network connection should be Local Area Network (or Local Connection... the name may differ slightly for you). If anything else is enabled, disable it. Right click Local Area Network and select Properties. You're now looking for a new window to pop up that lists a bunch of internet-sounding words like Network or QoS. Look for the item called Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Double click that.
7. Select manual IP, and enter 192.168.2.100
8. The subnet mask will get filled out automatically. Ignore the gateway. Hit OK, you're finished.
9. Start up the Belkin utility, and hit "refresh" if nothing shows up on the list of detected Extenders. If you're lucky, you will see the Extender show up, and you can now click "Web Management".
10. If no items show up on the Belkin Utility's list, or an item does show up but the "web management" icon is unclickable, then repeat steps 6-9 but enter the IP address 192.168.1.100 instead. Then the Extender should show up.
11. Finally, once you are able to click "Web Management", it will bring you to a webpage that is very much like a Router setup page. The details of what you need to do here can be found in instructional docs on the web elsewhere. The basic idea is that you want to copy pretty much everything over to be identical to what your router settings are. The only exception is possibly the SSID of the Belkin Extender. Depending on your preference, you may want to choose a different name for it just so you can confirm that its really working later on.
12. Save those settings (there's a systems tab at the bottom of the web management panel that allows you to save the settings into a file as a backup).
13. Unplug the Extender from the computer, unplug the power for the Extender, and move the extender to wherever you want. Plug the power back in.
14. Go back to steps 6-9. Remove the manual IP configuration for your Local Area Connection, and revert the panels back to the way they were (which is probably "automatically obtain ip address"). Hit OK. Enable all your network connections if you disabled them in step 6.
15. You should now be able to use your wireless connection to see the Extender under its fresh new SSID. Enjoy.
A version of the above for those that are network-saavy:
1. Disconnect all wireless from your computer, then connect your computer directly to the Extender as if it were a router. Power up the Extender.
2. Manually specify your computer's IP address to be 192.168.2.xxx with subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Yes, I know this step is weird. I'll explain the reason for it in step#4.
3. Install the Belkin Network utility. Its a simple executable. Start it up. It's purpose is to scan for the Extender, provided that your Extender is directly wired to your computer (which we did in step 1).
4. You should see your Extender show up in the utility. If the Extender does not show up or the "Web Management" button is greyed out, this is because your computer and the Belkin Extender are on different subnets. The Belkin Extender is usually shipped from the warehouse hardwired to the IP Address 192.168.2.254. What??? When you plug your computer into the Extender, you need to hardwire your computer to be on the same subnet so the stupid utility will work. Hence, since the factory setting for the Extender is 192.168.2.254, hardwiring your computer's IP to 192.168.2.100 will get the utility to connect to the Extender. However, if for some awful reason your Extender is hardwired to some other IP Address (which is configurable once you get to step#5), you need to change your computer's IP Address to have a value that matches the Extender's new subnet. In other words, if the Extender IP somehow changes to 192.168.5.254, you should change your computer IP address to 192.168.5.100
5. Once you click "Web Management" you can configure the Extender via a browser window. Replicate your router's settings here (they all need to match the original router's, with the exception of the Extender's SSID).
6. Hit Save, then unplug the Extender's power cord and ethernet, and then move it to wherever you would like. Power it up again.
7. Remove your computer's manual IP address. You're now officially done.
*As a note, I had occasional connection problems when I had my Belkin router & extender encryption set to WPA-PSK. I just switched my encryption to WEP and now it is fine. Not everyone has this problem.
Up this review, if you found it useful. I want to see other people spared from the excessive pain the rest of us have already experienced!

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SHARES DATA & PERIPHERALS AS WELL AS A SINGLE INTERNET ACCOUNT AMONG ALL COMPUTERS CONNECTS TO THE NETWORK SWITCH & JOINS WIRELESS-EQUIPPED PCS TO A WIRED ACCESS POINT NETWORK INCREASES THE COVERAGE OF EXISTING WIRELESS NETWORK OF UP TO 1500 FT STANDARD 802.11G54 MB RAMLIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

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Cisco-Linksys WRT120N Wireless-N Home Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I hardly ever write reviews (like someone else said) but wow, what a piece of crap this is! DO NOT BUY THIS! The setup is easy but this router is junk. It will just stop working for no reason. I don't know if it is overheating or what. I have even tried flipping it over so the vents are facing up. It will just stop working once is a while. By once is a while I mean around 1-3 times a day. Sometimes I have to manually reset(unplug - the reset button doesn't always do it.). Other times it takes a few minutes to start working again. I had a $30 Belkin before and it lasted 2 years with no problems until the end. Once I find a good replacement I'm going to pull an Office Space on this thing.

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Step up to the speed of Wireless-N!Get connected without wires. The Wireless-N Home Router gives you a wireless connection that's twice the speed of Wireless-G so your whole family can share a broadband Internet connection and access files from almost anywhere in the house.Wireless-N technology lets you surf the web from the living room, play on-line games from the bedroom, and listen to your digital music in the kitchen. The extra speed lets you connect more devices, and move files faster. And Wireless-N works great with your older devices, too.

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Alfa AWUSO36NH High Gain USB Wireless G / N Long-Rang WiFi Network Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As the happy owner of an Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW wireless adpater, I purchased the Alfa AWUS036NH 2000mW wireless adpater for my second computer expecting to be ecstatic.
Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the 2000mW adapter has more difficulty finding, acquiring, and maintaining connections to wireless access points than does the less expensive, supposedly less powerful 1000mW adapter.
Regardless of the combinations of cables, antennas, computers, locations, and updated drivers I tried, the 2000mW adapter consistently found fewer than half as many access points and reported far lower signal strength than did the 1000mW adapter.
Assuming that I'd received a defective item, I contacted a customer service agent at DB Roth who politely handled my call and promptly shipped a replacement adapter.
Unfortunately the second AWUS036NH performed just as badly as the first. Since both 2000mW adapters had exhibited the same behavior and the 1000mW adapter performed perfectly (as has been similarly reported by other Amazon.com customers), I have decided to exchange the 2000mW adapter for the less expensive 1000mW adapter.
DB Roth customer service has been extremely helpful. In spite of a brief misunderstanding over shipping charges, Bianca in customer service deserves very high marks.
Sadly, I can't say the same for the Alfa 2000mW adapter.

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D-Link DWL-G510 Wireless PCI Adapter, 802.11g, 54 Mbps Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Bought this to work with a new D-Link DI-524 wireless router. Works great, with the signal cutting diagonally and through the floor of my 2-story suburban house. I am using an old 6db directional patch antenna (from Hawking Technology; I bought it years ago) and the connection is flawless. Tested in both Windows XP SP2 & Ubuntu Linux (Breezy 5.10 & kernel 2.6).

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The D-Link AirPlus G DWL-G510 PCI Adapter is a wireless PCI adapter featuring the very latest in advanced wireless silicon chip technology to deliver incredibly fast data transfer in the 2.4GHz frequency. The DWL-G510 also works with 802.11b standard wireless devices and when used with other D-Link AirPlus G products delivers throughput speeds capable of handling heavy data payloads. The D-Link AirPlus G DWL-G510 also includes a configuration utility to discover available wireless networks and create and save detailed connectivity profiles for those networks most often accessed.

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SMC WSKP100 802.11G Wireless Skype Phone Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have seen a lot of mixed reviews on this product, some good and some not so good. I was a bit hesitant about purchasing this, but after having done so, I have no regrets. It works as advertised. It was easy to set up and works pretty well.
Pros:
1. It gets you away from the PC.
2. The battery life is sufficient for about an hour or perhaps more (they say 3 hours talk time). If you talk more than that, plug in the charging cord when the battery appears to be weak, even while you are on the call. It is very similar to a cell phone in this respect.
3. It's easy to pack around, as is a cell phone.
4. The display is bright and buttons are easy to operate.
5. You can store all of your Skype contacts as well as your Skype OUT contacts for quick access.
Cons:
1. Upon occasion it may be sluggish, perhaps leading to a freeze. Just pull off the battery and snap it back on and you are good to go again. This phenomenon is rare, however.
2. It does not have a web browser for inputting passwords to access wireless networks though a browser. If you are lucky, you can usually find an open spot and it will auto connect to that.
3. No cradle for charging if you buy the product in Japan (Logitec) or in the U.S. (SMC).
4. This unit seems slow to update the status of on-line or off-line users. My PC is very quick, but this unit takes a while sometimes. Upon occasion you must initiate a call to an off-line user for them to appear on-line.
5. No speakerphone function. It comes with a i-pod type of earphone/microphone that includes a mute button, but a speakerphone function would be nice.
Overall no real complaints. However, I do strongly suggest that you buy the Edge Core version of this product from the U.K. as it has a charging cradle with it.
Skype WiFi Phone CRADLE and WIRELESS ROUTER WA4101-Cradle AP.
Also, take some time to update your firmware through your PC before using this product. This will make a difference in performance.


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D-Link 4-Port Wireless-G 108Mbps Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Like everyone else, when I first installed the router I was having difficulties. I was having dropped connections, sometimes the SSID was not broadcasting, and a bunch of other stuff. I was about to re-box the thing and send it back, but I decided to fool around with the settings thinking I could not make the situation any worse. I remembered when I activated my DSL modem there was something called PPPoE. The PPPoE could either be hosted on the modem, the router, or the computer. Since the DLink WBR-2310 has PPPoE built-in I decided to turn off the PPPoE on the modem and host it on the router. Low and behold, all my connection problems went away. I was still a little apprehensive that I had found the problem, so I started a large file transfer from my notebook to desktop over the wireless connection and had two other notebooks pulling large downloads from the internet. Not once did the connections drop. Things got slow but nothing ever stopped. So, for anyone having connection troubles and they are using DSL try my example. It may work for you, it may not. I took away a star because I had to "luck-up" on finding the solution. DLink does not provide support for my modem and AT&T does provide support for the router. Terrible situation to put a customer in.

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RangeBooster G Wireless Router, 4-Port Switch, 802.11g, 108Mbps

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