Cisco-Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N Broadband Router by Linksys
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Digital camera reviews of Cisco-Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N Broadband Router
Digital camera Review: Best router I have ever purchased
Summary: 5 Stars
Looks cool, setup is simple, and works like a charm. What else can I say?Digital camera Review: Better than net gear
Summary: 5 Stars
Great compared to my old netgeat that did not have support unless you call India call center support and it was not working and no repairDigital camera Review: Beware of the V2 Model
Summary: 1 Stars
I have used Linksys WRT54GS for years (very stable). I wanted to upgrade to N in order to get faster speeds via wireless for my home business. Linksys has 3 models of the WRT160N (V1, V2, & V3). From all tech blogs and info-sites V1 seems to be stable & V3 is the new replacement for V2. V2 is the one that is horrible. I am here to validate that. My speed and range tests between my original G & the new N router showed that the older WRT54GS was much more stable than the WRT160N V2. Apparently Linksys used a different chipset with the V2 model than with the V1/V3 models. The firmware 2.02.2 for the V2 version of the WRT160N was created to fill a security hole but created much greater problems. There is no new firmware update on Linksys website to fix the fix. So if you get the V2 model of this router (like I did) you are stuck unless you return it. The issues that I experienced are the same as everyone else.
1. Drops Internet connection intermittently hardwired and wireless. Very annoying while surfing.
2. Setting it to N speed seems to not matter. The router seems to do whatever it wants with the speed. I think it is because it is disconnecting and reconnecting on its own sporadically.
3. RangePlus is a joke. The original G router had a much better range. There is no range and definitely no range plus with the V2 version.
I have returned this router & gone back to my original Linksys G router. If you have a small business, I would stay away from the V2 model of this router. (What am I saying?) I advise everyone to stay away from the V2 model of this router. Hopefully Linksys will have a firmware upgrade soon for the V2 model but after making them aware of the issue, I wouldn't hold my breath. I will see if I can find a V3 model. Unfortunately there is no way to tell unless you open the actual box to determine which version is actually in the box.
Update: The Linksys WRT310N Wireless-N Gigabit Router is a much better alternative than this router. Be sure to read my review on the Linksys WRT310N Wireless-N Gigabit Router to get the sloution to solving the heat issue of the router.
Digital camera Review: Beware the newer (v2) crippled model - can't select channels for 11n
Summary: 1 Stars
Maybe the WRT160N v1 was a decent Wireless-N router. It's hard to know, since Linksys now makes only the newer version-2 router, which is awful as a Wireless-N router. The main problem (and it is a critical one) is that the newer version makes it impossible to both enable the Wide radio band (which delivers the increased bandwidth with wireless-N) and select the channels you want to use (which with the popularity of WiFi and interference arousing from neighboring routers is an absolute necessity). The wide radio band is only enabled if you set the options all to "auto", which prevents you from selecting the desired channels. If you want Wireless-N speeds, you're stuck using channel 1, whether you like it or not.
This is a poor excuse for a router. Selecting the channels to use has been a baseline feature for wireless routers for almost a decade now. Linksys ought to be embarassed for selling this piece of crap.
Digital camera Review: Beware!!! Ensure you have the right version!!!
Summary: 1 Stars
I have had version 2 of this router for about 2 months now. I have learned a lot about this router during that time, and I DO NOT recommend that you buy it unless you are somewhat network savvy and want to deal with a potential hassle in order to get it working.
Here's the explanation: there are 3 versions of this router. All of them have suffered from problems with the firmware provided by Linksys to run the router, such as failures to resolve DNS. In the case of versions 1 and 3, there have reportedly been improvements in the firmware, their chipsets are based on Broadcom, and version 1 is supported by the 3rd party DD-WRT software program, which is supposed to solve a lot of problems for these routers.
Version 2, unfortunately, has the Ralink chipset, reduced RAM, has no DD-WRT solution, and as of its latest firmware build cannot resolve DNS for most users. The best and most common solution for V2 owners seems to be that of downgrading the firmware to build 8. I have done this, and my router work fine right now, but there are concerns in the Linksys forums about security risks in this older build, so it's not a perfect solution.
What is perhaps most disconcerting about this router is the complete lack of acknowledgment and concern on the part of Linksys for the failures of the version 2 firmware. There is a Linksys support forum thread that has persisted for over 6 months now, with numerous complaints from V2 router owners about the router's failures to resolve DNS. What does Linksys do about this? ALL THEY DO IS SPEND TIME CENSORING THE POSTS AND EDITING OUT COMMENTS THAT ARE CRITICAL OF LINKSYS'. There has been virtually no response from them on this thread. Some of the router owners have called Linksys tech support to ask for help. Sometimes the techs try to offer limited help, but most puzzling is that we are told that this is the first time they've heard of this problem (which is not likely true at all).
DD-WRT has reportedly been working on a firmware replacement for V2, but it's been going slow and the DD-WRT developers have not been very forthcoming on the status of development. So who knows when it will happen.
In conclusion, what would I have to say to anyone interested in this router? Make sure that it's a V1, not V2 and probably not V3 either. You can at least get DD-WRT for V1. How do you determine the version? First, buy it in a store, so that you can physically open the box, take out the router and look at the model number on the plating under router. There is nothing on the box, wrapping or documentation that says the router's version. You must look at the router itself. If you buy it online, find out from the seller what version it is, maybe even demand that they send you a picture of the bottom of the router so you can verify.
If you still get stuck with a V2, either try to exchange or return it for a refund, OR downgrade the firmware to build 8. If you're like me and prefer that this router work the way it should out of the box, then stay away from it and look for something else.
Another note: These routers also come with a network management tool called LELA (Linksys Easy Link Advisor). While it has a pretty user interface, not everybody likes it, either because it simply won't work (what with all the errors that may pop up, especially if your router firmware doesn't work), or because it changes your network settings (something you won't like if you already have a network set up a particular way). You don't have to install LELA to use this router, and I would recommend not using it at all even if your router is working well, unless you want another background program taking up computer resources.