 Great Router... with DD-WRT installed |
| Review Date: December 3, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Christopher Gonzalez, Maryland, USA |
I was looking for a Wireless-N router (the newest form of wireless connectivity) as most of my computers and consoles (Xbox 360 has a new wireless dongle) now have Wireless N technology. This was cheap and had fairly decent reviews so I decided to take a chance. The item arrived fairly quick and in great (I'd say practically brand new) condition and was easy to install. However, after only a few hours of use, I noticed several problems with this unit. Most of the problems seemed to be with my Macbook Pro; it wasn't getting a full signal, speeds were slow, and whenever I opened iChat, the router would instantly restart itself. After going through the hassle of purchasing and installing it, I decided to try something else before sending it back: I installed DD-WRT open source firmware on the router, and haven't looked back since.
I have never used open source firmware before, but I had read up about it before purchasing a router again. Even though the DD-WRT website listed this as not compatible, I purchased this anyway in hopes that eventually it would be released. DD-WRT for this router (version 3) wasn't supported until literally 2 weeks ago, and I was lucky enough to find a release of it on the DD-WRT support forums (easily found by doing a quick search on Google for "DD-WRT WRT160Nv3"). After downloading the mini pack and the standard pack (listed as WRT160Nv3 in the file name) I loaded the router access page (192.168.1.1) and did a web firmware update thru my FireFox browser, first starting with the mini pack, and once that is finished, then with the standard firmware for this router.
It was as easy as that, and took literally 4 minutes to upgrade it. Now, this router has been perfect. It hasn't been restarted once since it was updated with DD-WRT, the speed is fantastic, and overall, I am extremely happy to have upgraded with the new firmware. The DD-WRT firmware also has some great features like bandwidth monitoring, signal adjustment and strength meter, great security features and tons more that the standard Linksys firmware doesn't include. **Please note: there is a slight chance DD-WRT could brick (aka destroy) your router, though it doesn't appear to happen very often. Please make sure you read the DD-WRT website and support thread on this router thoroughly before upgrading it. With that said, it was the easiest and least painful upgrade I have ever done, and now this router works great.
EDIT: Please read comments section for more information and direct links. |
great router for the price!
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| Review Date: June 22, 2009 |
| Reviewer: 01Moch1, Oregon |
| This router gives me full service regardless of where I am in the house. It is also noticeably faster than my old Linksys WRT54G. Between buying for friends and family this is the third refurbished router I have purchased and I have never had an issue with any of them. Do not hesitate to buy a Linksys refurbished router, they are a solid product! |
Great inexpensive router - assuming you install DD-WRT
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| Review Date: February 23, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Peter N. Johnson, Maryland, USA |
I've been wanting to upgrade from "G" to "N", and at $30, this was a low risk investment assuming that the stock Linksys firmware could be replaced by a more robust solution such as DD-WRT or Tomato. I actually prefer Tomato, but DD-WRT was the only working firmware available, and only if you are lucky enough to receive a version 1.0, 1.1, or 3.0 WRT160N.
Because there is no way to tell what version you will get, I was prepared to return it if it could not be modified.
It was a version 3.0, and I modified it out of the box before installing. It took about 30 minutes, which included a thorough reading of the upgrade notes. Has worked very well so far, and speed tests indicate that I am now limited by Comcast, and not my wireless connection.
DISCLAIMER: there is a possibility that firmware upgrades, such as DD-WRT could brick (aka destroy) your router. Please make sure you read the DD-WRT website and support thread on this router thoroughly before upgrading it!
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DDWRT saves this router
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| Review Date: February 20, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Kryptonite, Second star to the right, Straight on til' morning. |
ran this thing with ddwrt and its fast and efficient! got a V3
the only problem i have with this thing is that on moderate//full load downloading such as a file it will start making rattling/processing noises which is kindof annoying so i put it in another room other then that the router is great.
have not ever had a dropped connection and have had this thing up and running for 20+ days |
5 stars - with a catch
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| Review Date: April 14, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. Bedoya, Houston, tX USA |
This router was mediocre (2.5 stars) until I installed DD-WRT. Now, it's blazingly fast. The DD-WRT install was very easy and fast.
If you do buy this router, make sure you install DD-WRT. Otherwise, you can expect performance similar to the WRT54G routers. |
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