This review is of the Linksys WAG54G, an ADSL modem, NAT router, 4 port 10/100Mbps switch and 802.11g wireless access point all-in-one device. This device is aimed at home/small office users.

To see if this device suits your needs, and your Karoo Broadband use, read on!

Overview

Linksys have a multitude of products in there range, for different purposes, including the new WAG354G.

Status Indicators & Ports

On the front of the WAG54G are 8 status indicators. From left to right, these are as follows [Screenshot]:

• Power. Green when powered on. Flashes during boot up (10 seconds).
• 4 wired LAN port indicators. Green when Ethernet plugged in to corresponding port. Flashes to show activity on Ethernet port.
• Wireless. Green when wireless access enabled. Flashes to show wireless activity.
• ADSL Service. Green when connected to DSLAM. Flashes when connecting to the DSLAM.
• Internet. Green when authenticated with ISP. Red when Internet unavailable. Flashes green to show Internet activity.

On the reverse of the WAG54G are also 8 ports/buttons. From left to right, these are as follows [Screenshot]:

• RJ11 port for ADSL line-in.
• 4 RJ45 network ports.
• Reset button. Press once for reboot or press and hold for 10 seconds for factory reset.
• Power in.
• On/Off switch.

The aerial on the WAG54G is not detachable.

Configuration

To configure the WAG54G for use on Karoo Broadband you simply use the Linksys web interface. The WAG54G is preconfigured with the IP address of 192.168.1.1. So, assuming your computer is network ready and on this subnet (192.168.1.x), simply open a web browser and enter http://192.168.1.1 in the location bar.

A prompt box will ask for a username and password. The default username is admin and the default password is admin. Once logged on, you will be presented with the routers main setup page. [Screenshot]

The quickest way to get the router connected to Karoo is to navigate through the menu items along the top, setting the following options for a basic but secure setup:

• Setup - Basic Setup [Screenshot 1] [Screenshot 2]
  1. Enable Now - Yes
  2. Encapsulation - RFC2364 PPPoA
  3. Multiplexing - LLC
  4. Autodetect - Disable
  5. VPI - 1
  6. VCI - 50
  7. User Name - your Karoo nodename
  8. Password - Your Karoo password
  9. Keep Alive Redial Period - 20 seconds
  10. MTU - Auto
  11. Local DHCP Server - Enable
  12. Time Zone - GMT
• Setup - Advanced Routing [Screenshot]
  1. NAT - Enabled
• Security - Firewall [Screenshot]
  1. Firewall Protection - Enable

Note: You MUST click Save Settings on each of the pages, otherwise the settings will not be saved.

Once your settings are saved, navigate to the Status - Gateway page. You should hopefully either be connected already or in the final stage of connecting. Connecting via ADSL can take up to 20 seconds. When you are connected, you will have been allocated an IP Address [Screenshot]

For a more advanced setup, you can investigate the following features, which can be setup to suit your own requirements:

• Setup
  • Dynamic DNS services available to DynDNS and TZO.
• Wireless
  • Ability to set wireless channel in case of interference from other networks or devices in 2.4Ghz spectrum.
  • WPA-Pre Shared Key security.
  • Ability to authorise with a RADIUS server.
  • White/Black list function to allow/block certain devices access to the network at MAC address level.
• Security
  • Full featured VPN function allowing IPsec, PPTP and L2TP pass-through as well as an IPsec tunnel to the router itself.
• Access Restrictions
  • Ability to block certain computers or devices access to the Internet during certain times or days.
  • Limited URL and keyword blocking.
• Applications and Gaming
  • Ability to forward 45 single TCP/UDP ports or forward ports in ranges.
  • DMZ function for allowing one machine on the network to receive all Internet traffic - good or bad - that the firewall or NAT would normally stop.
  • Ability to apply a QoS for certain applications or traffic on particular ports. Is a P2P user hogging all the bandwidth? Simple! Give the P2P ports a low priority and HTTP a high priority to allow for smooth surfing.
• Administration
  • Default username and password can be changed here, as well as setting up remote administration of the router.
  • UPnP ability for UPnP aware software which makes port forwarding transparent to the user. Useful for online gaming.
  • Logging and reporting tools which will fire off an email if the router becomes subjected to a DDoS attack
  • Functions to perform basic ping tests, backup settings, reset to default settings, flash the firmware and reboot the router.
• Status
  • Full output of current state of the ADSL, Internet, wired and wireless networks.

Performance

The WAG54G proved to be stable throughout the review period, only disconnecting when the enforced cut off occurs every 72 hours. Downloading and upload speeds seen during the review period have also been exactly as to be expected.

For a guide as to how quickly each Karoo Broadband service can download/upload, please see the separate Service Reviews.

Latency was within the now accepted 17-20ms to the first hop of the KC network, so no problems there either.

Transferring a 272MB file across the claimed 54Mbps wireless took 2mins and 27seconds, giving an acceptable 15Mbps transfer speed through 2 brick walls and a bookshelf. Throughout the testing of the wireless function, the WAG54G performed well, giving a 'Very Good' signal and no noticeable drop outs. The wireless testing was performed with the Netgear WG311T 108Mbps PCI Adapter.

Conclusion

The Linksys WAG54G performed very well with anything thrown at it during the review period, as should be expected for a product now carrying the Cisco Systems badge.

The web interface used to configure the device was tidy and structured well, however a setup wizard would make things a lot easier for users new to routers. Sometimes the web interface paused slightly during saving settings, however this did not prove to be a problem using the device.

Also, the interface does not display how much data has been downloaded/uploaded, which could pose serious issues for users of Karoo Broadband Starter due to the 2GB monthly quota.

Two great functions of this router that the more advanced user will no doubt make use of is the VPN facility and the QoS function. Both of these are an interesting addition to what is essentially a residential product, and perhaps shows Cisco's involvement in the products design. On the opposite side however, the firewall was found to be surprisingly limited, only allowing a set number of ports to be forwarded and keywords/websites to be blocked. There are no 'whitelist' options either.

The Linksys WAG54G also supports the up and coming ADSL2/+ standards, which will deliver Internet speeds of up to 25Mbps for those lucky people living close enough to there telephone exchange, however this will only be proved at a later date when ADSL2/+ becomes available.

Overall then, while not the easiest router to setup, the WAG54G would be a wise, somewhat future proof, investment and well worthy of its mid range price tag.

Additional Notes

The KUG would like to thank KC for providing the DG834G for review purposes.

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