Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster

Features

Warranty - 3 years

Standards - IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b

Ports - One 10/100 RJ-45 Port, Four 10/100 RJ-45 Switched Ports

Button - Power Port, Reset Button

Cabling Type - UTP CAT 5

Manufacturer Description
The Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G, Wireless-B, and other performance-enhanced SpeedBooster devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.

SpeedBooster

The Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster incorporates the next generation of Wireless-G (802.11g) networking. SpeedBooster technology is a compatible add-on to standard Wireless-G, which increases "real-world" wireless network performance by up to 35%. Unlike other speed-enhancing technologies, SpeedBooster is fully 802.11 compliant, and a "good neighbor" to other wireless devices and technologies, using a single 2.4 GHz channel as specified by the official wireless standard. And, unlike other technologies, with SpeedBooster you'll see an overall speed improvement even when running a mixed network of SpeedBooster and regular Wireless-G devices.

To protect your data and privacy, the Router can encrypt all wireless transmissions, and also supports the industrial-strength wireless security of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), and 802.1x authentication and authorization. The Router can serve as a DHCP Server, 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.

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

Also works with:

WPC54GS: Connects your notebook computer to the Wireless-G network with SpeedBooster technology.
WMP54GS: Wireless-G with SpeedBooster connectivity for your desktop or tower PC.
WGA54G Converts any Ethernet-equipped game console to Wireless-G networking. Wirelessly connect to your Router for Internet gaming!

See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies.

Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere -- without wires. Outside of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer.

What Wireless Standard is Right for Me?
Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use.

Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed.

For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time:

802.11b

802.11a

802.11g

802.11a/g

To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart.

Product Description
LINKSYS WRT54GS -- The Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect Wireless-G, Wireless-B, and other performance-enhanced SpeedBooster devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection. Easy configuration with web browser based configuration utility Linksys Parental Control Service (free trial included) keeps your family safe on the Internet, setting profiles for time-of-day and day-of-week access restrictions, and controlling which of 16 content categories each family member is allowed to see Also includes email & instant messaging filters

Reader Reviews
I love the WRT54G which I have bought for my home a year ago. I am a college student and just bought another one since I moved off campus. At first, I had trouble deciding between the WRT54G or the WRT54GS( with speedbooster). From first glance, the speedbooster tag seems enticing since everybody wants fast wireless transfers that would hopefully come close to wired networks. After reading some reviews and speaking to my best friend who works for Linksys , the only difference between the WRT54G and the WRT54GS is the flash and Ram memory. It is an upgrade from 4mb to 8mb for the flash, and 16mb to 32mb for the Ram. Basically you wont surf the internet any faster. The benefits of this is just transferring files from one computer to another will increase. For those who just want to share an internet connection, stick with the WRT54G and save the extra 20 bucks for a 30 pack of beer. If you like to transfer files between computers, spend the extra dough. Comments (7) | Permalink | (Report this)

Available from Amazon
Price: $37.68
Updated on 6-8-2008.