Linksys WRT600N Linksys Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link Reviews

• Excellent - range, speed, secure and easy

  
  By A23WUA3JCKH4PQ on 2007-11-17
  We want a router that covers the whole house, that is fast, and secure since my wife and I both access business information from home. I used to use 2 802.11b AP but still not satisfied and added power-line Ethernet
  
  for the 6 computers we have. Selected WRT600N based on the reviews for range and 5.8GHz 802.11n.
  
  I am very happy with the router that offers long range, good bandwidth and security. It is easy to set up after the initial confusion. Tech Support was helpful but could be better.
  
  The 5.8GHz 802.11a radio is fast and cover the whole house (good size) with at least 2 bars. The 2.4GHz 802.11b/g radio covers the whole house with 5 bars. Both delivers good bandwidth to all 3 floors. On-line gaming is good :-)
  
  My router came configured so EasyLink Advisor could not find it. I consider this a bug. Tech Support told me to connect the router to PC via wire and go to 192.168.1.1 with a browser, login (user name and password are on page 5 of the user guide) then it is easy from there. Here is a quick guide for wireless.
  
  Tech Support wanted me to use WEP for security, I had to tell him I want WPA2 twice since WEP is unacceptable. He did warm me about bandwidth drop, but I only have a 3Mbps fiber connection at home so it is not a concern.
  
  I could not get Tech Support to give me the user manual, it is available here http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_CASupport_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1175237935014&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=3501429063B390&displaypage=nodata#versiondetail
  
  The box came with EasyLink Advisor version 1.0. I was concerned with all the not-so-positive reviews about version 1.0 with WRT3xx. Downloaded version 1.6 but I did not need it.
  
  Linksys might consider using screen shots with higher resolution for the user guide.
  
  Your Tags: wireless router
  
  

• crashes

  
  By A1NV77CV1JPGUL on 2007-12-31
  I have both Linkys WRT300N Linksys WRT300N Wireless-N Broadband Router and this WRT600N. Unlike 300N, this is a dual-band wireless router. Apparently, 5GHz does help in term of speed. 600N is about 50% faster than 300N, in 5GHz. The problem is, it crashes too often.
  
  Every time, when I transfer a 700MB file, it crashes the router (about 500MB copied). I have to reconnect. WRT300N works much more reliable, although a bit slower.
  
  
  
  

• Not recommended. WRT600N not a mature product as of Feb 2008

  
  By A31C5LDEG5II14 on 2008-02-19
  I am finally getting around to posting this review. I see that more recent users have been having good experiences with this product so I am considering giving it another try.
  
  This review was originally drafted in Feb 2008 as I was preparing to return my second WRT600N with no intentions of getting a third.
  
  Recommendation: after attempting to get two WRT600N's to work, I have come to a personal conclusion that the product is not mature and needs much more work. I applaud and am envious of others who have been able to make it work.
  
  Review Synopsis: my first WRT600N failed to establish a connection with multiple laptops and an Xbox 360. After two hours with Linksys technical support, they recommended I return the router for replacement. Second router connected routinely, but every 10 - 20 minutes would drop the wireless connection on the 2.4 GHz signal. Returning it as well.
  
  Full Review: I had been using a WRT54G v3 successfully for about three years now. Why replace it you ask? A few reasons:
  1. I connect my Xbox 360 to a computer in my office via Media Extender. Because it is wireless from the router to the Xbox (linear distance is about 10 feet but through two glass windows), navigation of Windows Media Center on the Xbox has quite a bit of lag.
  2. I live in a high rise condo... as you can imagine, the 2.4 GHz spectrum is crowded contributing to reason number 1, above.
  3. I have many wireless devices connecting to my router at any one time: Xbox, Tivo HD, and up to three laptops.
  4. Lately, the router will all of a sudden lose connection to the internet. This happens about once every three to four months. No amount of power cycling or refreshing of IP addresses on the Administration tab will re-establish the connection. The only solution I have found is to reset the router to factory defaults and then re-enter my settings. I have confirmed that I have the latest firmware.
  
  After reading some favorable reviews of the WRT600N on CNET, Laptop Magazine, and other publications (I know... I know), the router seemed a solution that would fit my environment. Also, it offers the built-in USB port to which one could attach an external USB HDD for a nifty Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution.
  
  First WRT600N: got the first one. Opened it up and boy it sure looked purdy. Followed the setup instructions to a "T" using the EasyLink Advisor software that came on an installation CD. Since I was transitioning from a Linksys product, the EasyLink software detected my existing router and led me through the steps of replacing my WRT54G with the WRT600N. There were clear pictures and the software even transferred the settings from my WRT54G to the WRT600N. The only thing it did not transfer were the MAC addresses of all the computers I had on my network.
  
  When it came time to test the internet connection, the router could not get an IP address from the modem. The EasyLink software kept putting me in an endless loop where it checked for the internet connection, could not find one and the only assistance it gave was to go back one step (Back button was the only step available) to test it again. No hints on how to resolve the issue.
  
  However, after a few power cycles, the router finally got an IP address and I was connected to the internet via a wired connection. I got my Gigabit Ethernet signal indication on my computer. This is where the success of the first router came to an end.
  
  I wanted the following configuration on my router; the 5 GHz radio for the Xbox and maybe my one laptop. All other devices on the 2.4 GHz radio. I was able to connect my Xbox to the 5 GHz broadcast at first, but the signal was extremely weak ; one red bar. By comparison, the WRT54G maintains between 3 and 4 bars (out of four). The laptops connected to the 2.4 GHz signal a little easier and with better signal strength as compared to the Xbox, but showed dramatically fluctuating signal strength (50% - 85%) as soon as I took the laptops more than 15 feet away from the router. I live in a 2BR condo, total sq ft around 1100, so distance from the router should not be a factor.
  
  I tried all combinations of settings before calling tech support. 5 GHz on mixed, then A only. 2.4 GHz on mixed, but 20 MHz bandwidth instead of 40. Mixed on all. Specified channels instead of Auto. Advanced tweaks discovered via some user forums. Nada worked. Called Linksys tech on the 24 x 7 line. No support was available until the next morning at 8 am. So much for 24 x 7. Next morning, after 2.5 hrs on the phone with Linksys tech support and failed firmware upgrade attempts, they recommended I return the router.
  
  Second WRT600N: setup was a little more difficult with this one as the EasyLink software froze. Had to end it, reboot and restart. Same issue with not being able to get an initial internet connection as the first router. Several power cycles, resetting of the router etc. until I finally got an IP address from Cox Cable.
  
  Now, on this second unit the wireless connections went easily and flawlessly. Connected the Xbox 360 on mixed mode on 5 G Hz with Auto setting for bandwidth. Smoother response and much less lag using Windows Media Center connected via Media Extender to my computer. Signal strength somewhere between 60 - 80%. All other wireless devices connected via "g" on the 2.4 GHz frequency. I was happy... until.
  
  15 minutes into this, all 2.4 GHz devices dropped their signal at the same time for about 15 seconds, then came back on. Hmm. The Xbox stayed connected on 5 GHz. Again, 10 - 15 minutes later, another dropped wireless connection; this time all devices lose signal for about 10 seconds.
  
  More tweaks,another call to tech support.
  
  NOW, HERE IS THE CLINCHER that is making me return the second router and not giving a third attempt at this. When I talked to the tech support line, their first recommendation was to disable the 5 GHz radio! What?! Why? Yes, I know what they were trying to assess... are the radios interfering? Ok, so let's say they do... what's the point in having a dual radio router??? I told them that disabling was not a solution for a router marketed as having two radios intended for simultaneous operations. I asked if it was their intention that I operate the router only on the 2.4 GHz radio. They said, well, if that fixes your signal dropping problem, then yes. That's when I told them I might as well return the product. They tried to dissuade me from doing so and insisted that I turn off the 5 GHz radio, "just to see... ". Ok. Done. They told me to leave it that way for a few hours and call them back if it dropped. I asked, "What if it does not drop? Is it Linksys' recommendation that I operate only one radio?" The support person backed away from that and she did not want to give a definitive response. After pressing, I finally got her to reveal that there are issues with the dual radios and that the standard recommendation is to disable one of them.
  
  Now I know that I could attempt to flash the WRT600N with third party firmware from [...] which some reviewers have done successfully and have said it fixes their issues, but I am of the belief that the manufacturer should make products that work. I am afraid to brick the product by doing something I am not experienced at so...
  
  Time for a refund and kiss the WRT600N goodbye. I'm looking forward to the D-Link DIR-855.
  
  Some equipment notes:
  
  - Xbox 360 using Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter that supports 802.11abg
  - Thinkpad T42 with Thinkpad 11 a/b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Adapter (Atheros OEM), Vista 32-bit
  - Thinkpad T61p with Thinkpad 11 a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express Adapter (Atheros OEM), Vista 32-bit
  - Dell Latitude D620 with Dell Wireless 1490 Dual Band WLAN Mini-Card, XP 32-bit
  
  First router: S/N MNR008107370, manufactured 1/2008
  Second router: S/N MNR008107361, manufactured 1/2008
  
  Both routers came with firmware version 1.01.35 Build 5. The latest version on the Linksys support site was Build 3. I told the first tech support person who wanted me to install the Build 3 firmware of this inconsistency, but she said it does not matter... try anyway. The firmware upgrade failed on the first router. I don't know if it made a difference.
  
  About me: though not a networking specialist or technician, I consider myself a relatively competent and experienced user of technology, installing and setting up my own equipment (which basically means I read instructions and figure things out with a bit of internet research when I run into problems).
  
  
  

• Not up to the hype

  
  By A23PWWXRO8G5XI on 2007-11-24
  I recently purchased the WRT600N N-series to replace a D-link g-series wireless router. I wanted a Cisco product (quality) to avoid the random connection issues I had experienced with prior products. This WRT600N has both 2.4 and 5GHZ bands to operate simultaneously. I also purchased the WPC600N notebook adapter that was specifically designed to work with the router. My wife and I depend on a strong signal so we can actually do work and not play wireless connection debug. I am running Vista and she has XP. I specifically went for the 5GHz product, which I expected to have a greater signal strength farther from the router.
  Impressions:
  1)The 5GHz signal is weaker than the 2.4Ghz signal far from the router where it is supposed to be stronger.
  2) The router install program did not work. Just use 192.168.1.1 directly to configure it.
  3) I don't feel it was worth the extra expense since the 5ghz signal is NOT stronger.
  Recommendation: By a 2.4 GHz product and use the wireless adapters built into your laptop.
  
  

• Good router but may be too many features to be useful

  
  By A2JLDER5UES1Q3 on 2008-02-08
  Purchased because needed extended range to reach a computer in my basement (3 floors down from my router) and I wanted to get a gigabit router. I also liked the storage link function. Overall, the router performs great. I don't get the blazing speeds in the basement, but I do get connection where my old G router did not quite make it there. I also believe that moving my router may also increase performance. Setup was very easy moving from one linksys router to another, however I would say that the wizard doesn't do everything it should...
  
  I also like the interface (with the exception of storage link noted below) and it is VERY easy to set up. I use a VoIP phone and it was simple to set up the phone for QoS and that has worked flawlessly. (Another big reason for purchasing the phone.) You can set QoS by MAC address, IP address, ports, etc. Very few people use this function and you definitely should.
  
  I'm disappointed with the storage link. I'm familiar with technology and disk management and I have yet to figure out the Storage Link interface. There is NO documentation with the unit, and very little on this feature online. I know that if I spend some time with it, I will be able to find instructions, but a SimpleShare device I purchased a few years ago didn't require reading manuals (yuck!).
  
  I am also disappointed that, at the time of purchase, only notebook cards were supported with the dual radios. I don't know if this would have increased my range (don't think so) so for now, I think I would purchase the less expensive non UltraRange version of this with only the one radio.
  
  
• Almost Perfect
  By ATDU3E6MELIMF on 2008-04-20
  I have had several wireless routers over the years, both Netgear and Linksys.
  
  I developed problems with my internet connection. All PCs in my house would sometimes get a very slow connection. The problem had to be the modem or the router. I had my eye on the new "pre-N" routers for quite a while, and decided this was as good an excuse as any to buy a new router. (It turns out the problem was with my Modem, but that's another story.) I especially liked the WRT600N because it is the first unit to offer two independent radios -- one for 2.4 GHz and another one for 5 GHz.
  
  The first thing I did was plug in the router and try configuring it with the Easy-Start CD. Not surprisingly, this did not work. The Easy-Start CD is a good idea, but if anything goes wrong, it gives very little indication of where things went wrong and what the problem might be.
  
  I called Linksys tech support, and had a remarkably good experience. The technician spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable. He didn't even try to play with the Easy-Start program, but immediately jumped into manual configuration. It didn't take long to find that I picked up a bad Ethernet cable. After that, configuration went quickly. To his credit, the technician recommended I configure WPA security. I didn't do it because I am in a semi-rural area. The technician told me that the SSID for the 5GHz and 2.4 GHz radios had to be the same. I later found out this is not true. It makes a difference because it's much easier to tell which frequency your PC is using if the SSIDs are different.
  
  About a month later, I decided to use the USB disk drive option. I had a 200GB USB disk which I use for backup. I map it through file explorer and copy the files I want to back up. I wanted to be able to do this with any of the three laptop PCs in the house. I was able to connect the disk drive without any technical support. The trick is to work backwards through the configuration. Go to Storage / Administration FIRST. Configure the users. Then configure the groups. Then you can go to Storage / Disk and create your share folder. Then you will be able to map the share folder in Windows file explorer.
  
  A couple of days after configuring the disk, I lost the disk connection and could not map my share folder. This time I used "chat" Tech Support. Again, the technician was knowledgeable. She successfully got my share folder mapped. She also suggested I use a different SSID for the two radios, which makes controlling the frequency the PC uses to connect to the router much easier.
  
  The disk connection is still far from perfect. The problem seems to be with Windows. If I suspend my computer, then turn it back on; Windows tries to connect to the disk drive before the wireless network is up. It declares the drive not available. After that, things are ugly. I finally resolved the problem by *not* clicking "re-connect at log on". When I want to back up some files, I connect the drive, back up, and disconnect. It's hardly an ideal solution, but it works very reliably.
  
  Like many Linksys products, the WRT600N runs a little warm. But I keep it out in the open. Heat has not been a problem.
  
  I use the 2.4 GHz radio and a "G" connection with an older Dell and an older Sony laptop, both running Windows XP, SP2. I also have a 2.4 GHz Linksys G Wireless Print Server. I use the 5 GHz radio with an "N" connection with Dell XPS M1330; which dual-boots to Vista and XP. After several months of use, the router works very well with all.
  
  My caveats:
  
  * Both Linksys technicians recommended I configure the radio band to "Wide" instead of "Auto". I set the 5 GHz radio to "Wide" and the 2.4 GHz radio to "Auto" I haven't had any problems. Even when I connect my new Dell to 2.4 GHz using an "N" connection, everything seems to play together nicely. But given the Linksys advice, your mileage may vary.
  
  * The USB disk drive share folder works well. Groups, users, and passwords all work fine. But Windows has difficulty managing drives that automatically connect over a wireless connection.
  
  * I do not use Media Server, FTP server, QoS, or encryption. I can't say how well any of these features work.
  
  * Linksys should offer better instructions on how to manually configure their routers, perhaps on their web site.
  
  
  
• Linksys WRT600
  By A1GG82ALWJIGE8 on 2007-12-28
  The router works flawlessly after a very challenging set up adventure. The initial set up attempt was unsuccessful. I use the Vista Home Premium operating system. After 2 days of trying to configure the wireless set up using the Linksys provided configuration tool, I gave up. Wired set up was not a problem. After configuring the router for wireless operation with my laptop, the router recognized every wireless appliance on the network except for the laptop that I used to configure the router. I gave up after 2 days of unsuccessful attempts. Then I switched to the Windows Vista wireless configuration tool, and I was up and running in less than 5 minutes.
  
  
• Best Router I've used.
  By AEJMMTXOD69L on 2008-01-13
  This router is great assuming you configure it right and use it with the right equipment. I configured the router so that my good laptop is on the 5ghz network (using the Linksys WPC600N wireless adapter) and all other wireless equipment using b,g or 2.4ghz-N connect to the 2.4ghz wireless network. Yes, your wireless computers will be connecting to two different wireless networks but as long as they're in the same workgroup they can still see each other. Its true, out of the box the 5ghz network is much weaker than the 2.4, but (after reading the manual) I changed the radio band from Auto to the Wide-40mhz channel (for the 5ghz network only, leaving the 2.4ghz wireless setting to auto) I'm now getting a link speed of 135-182mps! That's what this router is designed for; use one wireless band for high speed N-only and the other band for all of your mixed devices. Again, I'm using this with the wireless adapter that its designed to work with, its definitely worth the money to get the wpc600n for at least one of your laptops that way you can connect to the 5ghz N-band, otherwise your probably better off with the wrt350n.
  
  
• Promising but like all Draft-N routers...not up to speed
  By AMMBWF2MFMPRD on 2007-11-05
  I just bought a new Asus laptop with N capabilities and wanted to realize its full capabilities. Did some research and discovered that a lot of people have trouble with the Intel chipset and the earliest N routers as they were only operating at the 2.4GHz. I can't vouch for those issues but this router certainly delivers the speed. My wife's old laptop connects at 54MBs, while mine connects at ~270MBs. Signal strength is excellent throughout my house on the 5GHz band. Setup was a breeze. It comes with some software but I never installed it. The menu is pretty straightforward and easy to configure, just going from screen to screen. I haven't tried the storage link functionality yet but just got that for future possibilities.
  
  Update: 1/5/08 - As a commenter pointed out, the speed the computer lists is NOT what you are really getting. I downloaded DUMeter to monitor download speeds and never saw anything >5MB/s actual speed. I can't lower the rating on this item but would definitely lower it to 1-2 stars based on the price...
  
  
• do not buy
  By A35A3WQY0I6QKJ on 2008-01-29
  I recently purchased this router and a Linksys companion USB Network Adapter (WUSB300N). Very simply put, I am completely dismayed over the inability to connect the adapter to the router...two compatible devices. It is not a Vista issue or XP...Technical support said they would call me back as they were unable to resolve the issue after 3 hours on the phone. Three days later, I still await that phone call. Absolutely incredible. Never again.
  
  Jon
  
  
• Where is the dual-band mode?
  By A1QWDKVW015TFA on 2007-12-11
  Very flaky router. I could not get it to work consistently (lots of dropped connections, redundant rescanning, etc..) without turning off one of the bands. Works wells now after many wasted days playing with the router configuration for the best operation. Works well in the N band only mode (turn off dual-band). This kind of defeats the purpose of purchasing this unit.
  
  
• Costly Tech Support!
  By AH9KZ2GSWIRQZ on 2008-01-05
  They had free support until just very recently. My beef is with the EXTREME cost of support, 3.99 a minute. ( I don't know if that includes listening for many minutes to bad music.) You can get 3 months support for $199, 6 months for $299 or 1 year for $499!!! I can tell you I spent many hours talking to tech support before this recent change of events. I have had my Linksys router for 3 years. I also had to get a bridge to extend the range because it couldn't go through walls very well. I had to call them a lot because sometimes the bridge or router somehow lost the address. You will need tech support now and again when you change ISPs, etc., go elsewhere.
  
  
• still lots of glithes
  By A14J137J5QBVBH on 2007-11-12
  Even though this router shows the connection speed of 270Mb when connected using 802.11N, in reality, I've never had download/upload speed more than 20Mb. I measured the connection speed by DUMeter, while downloading/uploading music and video to my external hard drive (WD MyBOOK 500 Gb) connected to the router through USB. In addition, while playing video directly from the hard drive connected to the router, the connection to the drive dropped periodically. Because of the same connection dropping problem I couldn't synchronize my IPOD with my library located on that particular external hardrive shared on the network. I hope this canget fixed by firmware update within the next 30 days, otherwise I'm planning to return the device back to BestBuy.
  (Lenovo ThinkPad T61P ).
  
  
• wrt600n
  By A28AU9PZ0VN4X4 on 2007-11-25
  The router dual band capability works great excetp the media server option. My PS3 does not see the media server option when enabled.
  
  
• 'Very disappointing...
  By AMZU2KGKGDHDE on 2008-02-24
  I'm no networking novice, and I struggled to get this unit to work with a modicum of security on one band. The "N" remains useless to me. Historically, I've used SMC routers, and even had luck with D-Link, but I've never been this frustrated with setting up a router.
  
  I've caved and replaced it with the Linksys WRT54GL. There are far fewer bells and whistles, but it works like a charm right out of the box, and is highly configurable with third-party firmware upgrades. It also costs 1/4 as much! 'Relearned an old lesson: Keep it simple...
  
  I think that with the WRT600N, Linksys has, once again, made promises it couldn't keep.
  
  
• Can't get Draft N speeds
  By A3CJJJGJR75GZX on 2008-05-07
  I purchased this router a few days ago and returned it after 2 days of usage. Reason? No matter what I did, couldn't get it to go faster than ~ 50 Mbps. The draft N speed (270 Mbps) never materialized for me.
  
  Used it with a brand new Lenovo T61 laptop running Vista ultimate. The 5GHz band would always run at 801.11a speed! The 2.4 Ghz band fared better and would run at 802.11g speed.
  
  Worked with Linksys technical support for several hours. The first line of support is pretty useless. The support from India had a hard time differentiating LAN and WAN performance. One of the support rep told me that Wifi routers are designed to go slower than 54 Mbps as WAN connections don't go that fast anyways so what's the point of faster wifi. I tried to explain to the rep LAN performance is required for fast file transfers across the LAN and has nothing to do with WAN bandwidth. He wasn't convinced and kept harping that I can get online so what's the big deal. Apparently most of his support calls are from users who are clueless and can't configure basic internet on a router like this.
  
  I did get through to 2nd line of technical support based in the US once and the guy actually was helpful. He tried tweaking several parameters in the router's advanced wireless page but to no avail. He indicated draft N routers are buggy and advertised speed rarely materializes. In the end the tech support suggested returning the product!
  
  I also had trouble with getting a Gigabit NIC in a desktop connecting a 1 Gbps speed. The desktop couldn't get past 100 Mbps when connected with the router even though it had a GigE NIC. Again support was useless in figuring out the issue.
  
  Seems like Linksys has put out a buggy product. Most people will not know enough about draft N versus 801.11g speed difference to find out. So there may be bliss in their ignorance. For a tech savvy user, the product will not meet its advertised promise.
  
  
  
  
• Linksys SUPER Router WRT600N
  By A1YNANDJ19OM7J on 2007-12-02
  I've had this router for about a month now. It replaced a low cost G Router that constantly lost connection with our DSL Modem. So far, the WRT600N has been rock-solid, never losing its connection to the modem. Even though we haven't invested in the N network cards for our laptops, we're getting great connections throughout our 3700 Sq Ft house. It's not cheap, but so far, it's worth every penny.
  
  
• Performs as advertised, but ...
  By A3748EC7OV6UIB on 2007-12-21
  I purchased this item for two reasons- improved range and security. It performs as advertised. The instructions are straightforward and written for both the average and advanced users - your choice as to how. Setup was easy, advanced settings went smoothly but... I lost wireless access for a MAC and MAC laptop to connect. Nowhere was this stated either in the instructions (after the fact,yes) or in the reviews. This can be circumvented if you choose to use ethernet cables but doesn't that defeat the purpose? All worked out well - my MAC user can conveniently "borrow" internet access from a friendly neighbor's unsecured router ( an older linksys).
  An update ... In June 2008 after Linksys made some updates and "corrections" available we were finally able to get those MACS in the loop.
  
  
• EXCEPTIONAL! I just bought a 2nd one.
  By AZHFUEFSZ1GIY on 2008-02-09
  I bought my first WRT600N six months ago for my home office. I work in I.T. field from my home and cannot afford to be down or have network performance issues. The setup is very easy and I have no problems running small network with another 8-port gigabyte switch, four computers, three IP telephones, and a networked printer. VPN pass-through works without a hitch to corporate network. It never has failed even when my kids decide to run there networking demanding games on three of these computers. I am so pleased, I have decided to buy another WRT600N for cottage. I can highly recommend this router.
  
  
• WRT600N Quality Control Issues
  By AF0HMYXXUTZXL on 2008-03-08
  The WRT600N has quality control problems. The first two that I had lost connectivity with the modem at random times. The third router worked perfectly right out of the box. You have to demand a replacement after you go through tech support's routines and it still does not work. Be advised that replacement routers are not new. Both of the ones I received were reconditioned. They had scratches and one was even sent with the wrong power cord. If you look at the reviews you see people that love the router and people that have had a bunch of problems. That tells me that quality control is the issue.
  
  
• A Step Up
  By A18SO9U5M34LK1 on 2008-05-18
  Nothing in life is perfect, but the 600N is a step closer than G.
  
  Have owned/used most brands of G-wireless devices and experienced every type of problem (poor range, crashes, interference, etc.). So far, am happy with the 600N and it seems stable as can be. I haven't tried the shared storage or DMZ features yet, but as a wireless access point/router, the 600N does what it says. Even using computers with standard "G" cards, they get stronger signal & faster data xfer.
  
  On the downside, 1) the cost difference is still too significant between N & G (remember, it's not just the $100 extra for the router, you have to upgrade all those $15 "g" cards with the $70 "n" cards). 2) The Linksys setup software is supposed to be "easy" but it's agonizingly slow and awkward, much easier just to connect wirelessly and login via IP address. Also, the UPnP auto-config didn't work at all for me, so meant I had to spend more time tinkering manually (see next point). Lastly, 3) making config changes is unpleasant. The router's config navigation is not clear and feels clunky, which is odd, since the unit itself is very handsome (as routers go). For instance, I still haven't discovered how to show a list of all DCHP clients (it only seems to list those users connected via wireless). But, worse still, the 600N requires the router to "reboot" after modifying each page of settings. By the tenth time I saw "You will be returned to the prior page in 25 seconds" I was ready to scream! Through some wonder of technology, my prior Belkin and D-link routers had no trouble making or remembering config changes between screens and until I click "Save" (are you listening Linksys???).
  
  Anyway, happy customer here - just annoyed that Linksys cut corners needlessly and mostly am glad that once setup I shouldn't have to tweak the router settings too often
  
  
  
  
• WRT600N use with Hard Drive
  By A3NCLIP3N4W99T on 2008-02-03
  I installed the router recently and the wireless and wired internet connectivity works fine. I just cannot get access to the damn Hard Drive from a connected computer.
  The router sees it but I cannot gain access to HD from any computer on the network.
  The manual does not do a good job explaining how to access hard drive.
  Any help would be appreciated.
  
  
  
  
• Excellent product - some units are defective
  By A3JYLOCC9VMAG7 on 2008-05-22
  Like some of the other reviewers, I did have substantial performance problems with this unit - dropouts, extreme slow wireless speed, etc. After a lot of testing, it became clear that the 2.4ghz radio was faulty and causing most of the problems, including making the 5ghz dropouts. I returned the unit to Amazon, got a new one overnight, and the new unit has worked absolutely flawlessly both with -g and -n and both on 5 and 2.4 ghz. I suspect that they have some manufacturing quality problems with their 2.4 radio (I suspect a loose or heat sensitive connection because the fault unit got very, very hot) - so if you have trouble, swap the unit and it'll probably do you wonders.
  
  
• The good, The bad & The ugly
  By AJM5KZLKARIPE on 2008-07-07
  I've been using this router for a good 3 months now. I am an IT professional, operating a large home network with lots of devices. Bought this router in the hopes of a more reliable router and network. It's Broadcom-based with 300Mhz CPU (fast for a router) and 32MB of memory (plenty for a router).
  
  THE GOOD: excellent and reliable router with lots of memory and features - just make sure you upgrade the firmware. It has TWO radios, one 2.4Ghz, one 5Ghz, each configurable separately to do whatever you want. Very fast CPU allows for fast enough routing to send FAXES through my VoIP line! Lots of memory - you can use it for things like VPN, BitTorrent and VoIP, including all at the same time! Third-party firmware also available (DD-WRT) and working quite well, maybe even better than Linksys' own (no Wide-Channel support on 5Ghz band with DD-WRT).
  
  THE BAD: Until recently this router had a very buggy firmware, which made this it next to useless. Make sure you update to the latest firmware - go to the US Linksys website regardless of where you are located and get it (only the US one has the latest firmware for some reason!?!?). The new firmware (build from March 2008) fixes most of these problems. The G-connectivity is shaky: I am still very unhappy with it. Connection becomes unreliable on my laptop (Apple PowerBook G4 12") when I move more than 4-5 meters away from the router. That's "unrerliable" for my use, most people might find it acceptable. Interestingly, other computers do not seem to suffer from this too much. The problem does not seem to improve by changing firmwares, it appears to be a hardware compatibility issue with certain older adapters. I ended up using my OLD router as a G-access point to solve the problem. The StorageLink is useless for my purposes - too slow, you can't beat a computer acting as a file server. You would think the USB port would also accept a printer, but sorry - no print server included. No support for IPv6 - none whatsoever. I find this surprising for a high-end router.
  
  THE UGLY: Linksys' technical support is still being their useless selves. You can just pretend they don't exist. If you have a problem, search forums on the matter. DD-WRT's forum is very very valuable in this area.
  
  CONCLUSION: What do you want from this router? A reliable router? Yes, you get that. Feature-rich? Yes, that too. I am sending FAXES through my VoIP line, very impressive! So far I haven't seen it crash on me, it does what it was meant to, as long as you upgrade to the very latest firmware - do it immediately! Very disappointing G connectivity from my computer to my router. StorageLink is useless, even if 300Mhz were enough for that, would you want to divert valuable resources from routing? I didn't think so.
  
  
• poor signal but extremely fast
  By A1B2IHLIUAUXSH on 2008-02-23
  This product does not have the signal strength I wanted (the signal strength goes down to about 50% at 25ft from the router). But I'm still able to connect so I suppose it's a workable flaw.
  
  The speed of this router is extremely fast. I wanted to push the limits so I ran 4 separate internet shows on 4 separate computers (3 wired & 1 wireless). I also sent print requests from one of my wired computers to the wireless printer (through the router). And finally I was making and receiving skype calls on my DECT Cordless Phone for Skype VoIP. There were no delays in all 4 of the shows, the print jobs worked, and none of the phone calls were effected.
  
  There are a few problems that I needed to resolve before I was happy with my network. Initially I was running a 2.4GHz cordless phone system that made the wireless network not function. The network was slow and would be lost frequently (most likely due to the cordless phones trying to talk to each other on 2.4GHz), and whenever a phone call was made the wireless network would cut out (it felt like dial-up). I've since upgraded my phones to a DECT Cordless Phone for Skype VoIP that runs at 1.8GHz. This solved the problem.
  
  In summary this product is good as long as you aren't looking for a long range wireless signal.
  
  
  
• Great upgrade to 802.11n
  By A3HU30P8YYXW1S on 2008-03-19
  I've been a Linksys user since my first CableTV internet connection. Linksys / Cisco still makes a great product.
  
  Before I began, I saved my old Linksys router configuration to a file on my PC. I also printed out many of the web admin pages containing configuration info.
  
  WRT600N Setup was very simple. I unplugged my old router, ran the new cables and plugged in the 600N. Unfortunately, the EasySetup CD did not work properly in my PC.
  
  The 600N has the same web management interface as my old WRT54G box. So I ran IE to http://192.168.1.1/ and was back on track. I entered all the old settings from the printed pages made earlier and saved the configuration.
  
  My cable modem refused to let my PCs access the internet. Remembering advice from my cable co. I unplugged the power from both the 600N and the cable modem for a short time, then plugged them back in. After that, the cable modem sent the correct IP network settings to the 600N and I was Googling like a madman again.
  
  NEW Stuff: The 600N has 2 wireless bands, with it my older wireless devices (a PDA, cell phone and printer) can connect wirelessly using 802.11g. At the same time, I get faster connection speeds using 802.11n with my laptop. Same network, with different security keys so it's as secure as I can make it.
  
  Wireless N makes watching video much more enjoyable - few to no pauses in the video. Response time for shared folders is almost instantaneous.
  
  I've read that some Mac users have had wi-fi connection dropping problems when using the 600N. I've had the 600N running for 1 month now with no connection problems from my Macbook Pro.
  
  The 600N is one step in my Home Media system project. I think this was the right choice.
  
  
  
• No complaints works great
  By A351RUN1SJB5EK on 2008-05-18
  So far so good configured this router to be an access point rather than a true rounter on my home network. I have a 500GB drive attached to the USB port and works as well as can be expected for a USB device. Had no problems getting the disk sharing configured. I upgraded my Dell LAtitude D820 wiht an Intel 4965AGN internal adapter. The driver installed by default uner Vista was so so and the same version available at the Dell site but found an updated driver on Intel's site that improved the connection speed. I didn't attempt to utilize the linksys software to configure this device I just logged into the web interface and first set some basic security settings then did a littlw tweaking. So far everty thing is working great. I may tweak a few setting to see what if any changes I might see in performance. I purchased this for the dual band N support and the support for a networked shared disk access. I had a Belkin networked USB Hub but you couldn't connect to the disk from more than one remote system at a time. The access speed to the USB drive flies connected to the router in contrast to the crawling it did on the Belkin USB Hub. I also like the facxt that it utilized the standard SMB drive mapping built into the client OS to connect to the disk and doesn't require any special drivers, overhead. I am a systems administrator have worked with many routers and servers so barely took a quick glance at the manual to verify a couple of things. This was my first N setup and first dual band. While I wish the price was a bit lower considering it allows 24x7 secue access to my networked (USB) HD that can be attached to any of the systems on my home network it was not that big of an investment. If you have some netowking background and perhaps a little Windows Server and or SAMBA server background this is a very simple device to get up and running.
  
  
• Nice spec. Lousy implementation.
  By AHS6NANYGD5FL on 2008-08-10
  I just can't recommend this router to anyone at the moment, esp. with some fundamental problems below:
  1. DHCP - If you have a dedicated DHCP server somewhere on the network, then forget about this router. The darn thing would still assign IPs even if you disable the DHCP function. It'd also send DHCPNACK with DHCP diabled.
  2. DHCP again - If you assign a DHCP range and assign them as static entries. It'd still assign those IPs to other machines.
  3. DDNS - Obviously the router doesn't keep track of the WAN IP changes and if you save the configuration a few times, it'd try to update the IP on the dynamic DNS server multiple times, causing the custom domain to be banned.
  4. Tech support - Not exactly the router's problem but if you have a support person who'd recommend connecting a cable modem to the LAN port to get around the DHCP problem, you're just not going to trust their tech support anymore.
  
  
• New technology a hit!
  By A262J4UK9ZTGPT on 2008-02-09
  The extra strength and speed of the signal were an instant hit. The added feature of a USB port for sharing a non-network printer was a bonus as well.
  
  
• Fast - Setup was a breeze
  By A1HX761FP469E3 on 2008-04-09
  Let me start off by saying if you aren't a techie or a gamer, there is no reason for you to own this router. That being said, if you are then this is the one for you. I didn't even put in the "setup" disc (who needs those?) - Linksys has their familiar web-based setup which is nice. You can set up each signal to their own styles and security. I put Mixed Mode (b/g) on WEP security and Wireless-N Only on WPA2. Easy password setup. It comes with the latest firmware 1.01.35. Cloned my PC's MAC to get Comcast to work. Port forwarding for things like Xbox Live worked perfectly, just copied the port #'s from my 54G. I honestly don't see how anyone could give this a bad rating. It's expensive yeah, but it works great! Good for homes with N devices that still have some older G devices like Tivo and DS around, to get full speed from N.
  
  

• Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports WRTP54G - Wireless router + 4-port switch - VoIP phone adapter - EN, Fast EN, 802.11b, 802.11g
• Wireless N_one Router 802.11 N
• Linksys WPC600N Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N PC Card
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• Linksys WPC600N Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N PC Card
• Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N USB Network Adapter, WUSB600N
• Linksys WUSB300N Wireless-N USB Network Adapter
• Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter
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