Buffalo WCR-G54

I got this the other day so I will have a wireless signal where ever I am in the hospital. I asked the IT guy to set it up for me so I could just plug it into one of the free LAN cables on any floor.

REVIEW

The Buffalo WCR-G54 Wireless Router is a capable router, but don't look for performance that you're expecting from big name routers such as Linksys and Dlink.

The form factor is definitely small. Much smaller than the Linksys WRT54GC (Linksys Compact Wireless router). It's thin and light. It also comes with a stand so you could save precious space. The trade off from the size, is that, it comes with a power brick instead of the usual wall plug adapter. This means, more stuff to carry. But for those who will use this as a home router, the looks is definitely a plus. It's matte black and it will surely blend in any room's decor.

It has the usual bells and whistles such as 3 LAN ports (1 less than the usual), it has a very visible set of indicator lights. And I would presume ample ventilation slots as I haven't experience any "overheating".

Setting it up is easy, one can just pop-in the CD and follow the prompts or if you're a little bit advance, log on to the web utility page and put in your settings and you're to go. This thing is really Plug 'n Play personified. A friend of mine borrowed it so he could test it at home, this guy is not that knowledgeable when it comes to networking, but all he did was to plug in the LAN cable from the DSL modem, plug the router to the mains and he was able to get a signal in just a few seconds after which, he's got a wireless network at home (although I had to teach him how to set up the wireless security measures (e.g. WPA passwords).

Another good thing about this router is it's hardware settings. There's a switch on one side, the user can choose between AUTOMATIC, ROUTER and BRIDGE modes. No need to dig into the web utility page.

As for the performance, it's antenna-less, meaning the reach is acceptable, again, not comparable with the Linksys WRT54G or the Dlink DIR-300. I would suggest this to someone who would be needing a wireless network in a dorm room, a studio type apartment, or an office. But for houses with concrete walls and 5 floors to boot, then this is not for you. A room-wall-corridor-wall-room set-up will cough out about 2 bars of signal on the next room. That will give you an idea of the range this router can give.

Nonetheless, for those who are going to get a router for the first time, and for those who doesn't want to shell out too much moolah on a wireless router, then I suggest you get this baby instead. Don't bother with the ones from CD-R King, though I'm not saying that their routers are not good, all I'm saying is, for a few more bucks, you can get a branded router with easy set-up utility and a small form factor. Heck, this can even replace the bulky Linksys WRT54GC I have which I use as my travel router.

But for a few more bucks, for a home router, I would recommend, the Dlink DIR-300 instead. It has and external antenna and has a wider range. Enjoy!