Home > Consumer Reviews > Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter

I have a SOHO that uses a wired 10/100 switched network. Already part of this network is a Linksys single port Cable / DSL Router. When it came time to make the jump to wireless, the WAP54G seemed the logical choice, as I would not have to reconfigure anything on my existing network. For my initial conversions, I was converting a desktop PC and an older laptop. For this review, I'll be discussing at the WUSB54G. Look for reviews on all these items posted separately.

I decided on the WUSB54G because I did not have any available internal slots. This computer may be replaced in a year or two, and unplugging the network card from a USB port seemed a lot more attractive than opening the case. Actually, the installation is almost a simple as plugging the adapter into an available USB port.

My initial installation was using Version 2.0 of the installation software. The significance of that will be explained later. Regardless of your version of Windows, I suggest installing the software first. This will eliminate any potential problems in the installation process. Make sure you know your network name and WEP Key. You will need to supply that information during installation or you will not be able to connect right away. If you don't have the key handy, it can be input later, but it is not as convenient.

The Wizard does a good job of walking you through each step. Once done, you will need to reboot. Don't disconnect from the wired network just yet. Wait until the next phase is completed. On boot, you computer should detect the new hardware and install the correct drivers for it. The next step could take a while, so be patient. Your new wireless network card will search for a signal, an access point, and you should be prompted when a network is found. If more than one network is detected, a distinct possibility with the proliferation of wireless networks, you will quickly realize the advantages of naming you network something other that the default and of applying a WEP Key to your network.

The initial connection took about two minutes, but seemed a lot longer! You will see an icon on the Bottom Right of the Task Bar indicating you are connected. I do one final check by opening a command prompt and using the command "ipconfig /all" to show all my adapters. If there's a difference in IP addressing ranges, reboot one more time. If both the wired and wireless connections show IP address in the same range, you're ready to unplug the wired connection. Now try opening your web browser. If you can surf, you're all done.

My experience with this installation was very positive. The wizard was friendly, the physical installation could not have been easier, I had all the information on hand I needed and I was wireless after the first reboot. I'm using this adapter with a G network and I'm getting the full throughput.

One final note: this installation went so smoothly I got another adapter from a local dealer that had a price too good to pass up. When I got home, however, I noticed a small sticker that said this was for Windows 2000 and Windows XP only. I then noticed the serial number and installation software said version 1.0. Hmmm... this was going on a Windows 98SE machine. The hardware specs looked identical, from what I could determine from the box, so I tried an experiment and used the version 2.0 software. It worked just fine. BEWARE: this is not an endorsement that this will work in every case nor should you conclude there is no difference between versions. I strongly suggest you try to get the latest version hardware and software for optimal performance.

I purchased the Wireless-G Router (WRT54G), Wireless-G notebook adapter (WPC54G) and this Wireless-G USB Adapter (WUSB54G). I ordered them on a Friday night, they were shipped on Saturday and I received them on Monday around 4:00 pm. I opened all 3 boxes and had all installed by 5:00 pm that same day. These were a piece of cake to install and set up. I have 2000 on my laptop and XP home on the desktop. I really can't believe how easy this was to set up. I had put off getting these for months because I figured it would be my luck that I'd buy the wrong items or installation would be a nightmare. It wasn't. The connection hasn't failed once since installation. The router is located in my basement office (where the DSL cable modem is) and the desktop that utilizes the USB Adapter is on the main floor at the opposite end of our home. The signal is good (although not 100% obviously), but good enough that it is 10 times better than the dial up we had on that PC. I have taken the laptop in all rooms of our home (main floor and basement) and love the freedom I have to work where ever I want without losing my internet connection.
I am very satisfied.

I haven't seen a review yet that really compared options among various wireless adapters so I thought I'd give it a try.
I live in an apartment complex with concrete walls that barely allow for a cell phone signal. The little bit I use the internet I didn't want to pay 60$/month so I bought a Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter, Netgear WG511 Wireless 802.11g PC Card, and a Hawking WIRELESS G USB NETWORK ADAPTER w. Hi Gain 6db Antenna basically just to make sure I got one that would work.
The worst of the 3 was the Linksys usb adapter. It could pick up weaker signals without having to balance the laptop at a weird angle out the window, but the software which runs it doesn't like weak signals so anything under 50% keeps the thing scanning even after you're connected. which means constant disconnects unless you manually stop the scanner while connected. Even then, it had a frustrating habit of losing the connection.

The Netgear card was much better at holding a signal, although it did require a balancing act and careful angling to get the signal. The software was great. The biggest complaint I had with this is I was dealing with really low signals which slow the internet to a crawl. It would take a few minutes to load yahoo. With better signals the card would be great.

The Hawking usb adapter is by far the best of the bunch. I'm picking up signals I never saw with the other two, and they are coming in with decent percentages. The software couldn't be better. Connection doesn't take minutes like the other two, and the radar dish antenna can be pointed for better signal gain. I haven't had a connection loss once using it, and the internet is running at better than dial up speed (I'm connecting to a 23% signal).
Overall, I'd pick the Netgear card for travel with a laptop due to it's size and portability, but for home use the Hawking usb adapter was head and shoulders above the others.

As a long time fan of LinkSys, with some exceptions on early versions, I upgraded my WUSB12 (802.11b) to their equivalent WUSB54G (802.11g/b).The upgrade was trivial, in part, because I was familiar with the language, technology and simily products.

When buying wireless equipment from any vendor keep in mind that the version number for the hardware and software is as important as the model number. In this case, the software CD came with an obsolete version 1.0, while a downloaded version 2.0 was available online. The earlier version would not work with hidden SSID's

As with many LinkSys products, which are build using real computer chips and open-source operating systems, they produce some heat. To minimize the negative consequences of heat use the chimney effect. I always mount units vertically, and if possible with with air under the unit. Keep the unit coooool, and like all equipment, it will last forever.

Another issue is that the range of wireless depends very strongly on the enviroment, not just the vendor. In one room, local hot-spots, no more than a few inches in diameter, producd a 10 dB change in sensitivity (3:1 in signal strength). The best location for my WUSB54g turned out to be on the side of the monitor, where internal metal at the correct distance acted as a corner reflector, significantly amplifying the signal.

Using the LinkSys WRT54G as the base station, I got about 35 dB signal-to-noise ratio providing 54Mbps bandwidth going through at least 4 very solid walls with wood not metal lath. Antennas on both the base and remote station need not only to be positioned wisely but also oriented along the same axis.

Finally, if you use the most advanced features, or if you combine the unit with differnt vendors and technology, especially with WinXP SP2 on WPA, the probability of having problems increases dramatically. Regardless of what the literature says, no vendor can test the millions of combinations. Bugs happen and you may be the only one to experience a particular kind of bug if your environment is not typical of the rest of the world. And technical support is way down on the corporate food chain.

As we say, KISS (keep it simple stupid) and the technology will work fine. That means you should not load Beta firmware or other 3rd party stuff unless you want to be a bleeding edge victum. Follow, do not lead, when it comes to high technology, even if the price is the same as that of a hamburger.

A short review, to be updated as the user experience continues:
I got this unit in place of a wireless ethernet because of the price and the size. It is powered by USB so it saves wire clutter. I am running out of PCI ports so that this was selected as an alternative. Here is a simple breakdown:

Likes:
-Small size, portability, ease of connection

Dislikes (minor annoyances omitted--only major flaws):
-Signal fluctuates quite a bit, from very good to very low, and at which point it drops connection. Other wifi devices in the same area suffers no such phenomenon, using the same WRT54G router.
-Not capable of being used in a windows network in XP (cannot select it as a network device) -- still investigating.
-Needs a driver to be connected, instead of the universality of a standard ethernet WIFI connection (WET54g, for example).
-The software stinks. It offers few additional features if at all. Might as well use windows network software instead.
-The connection would often drop after a while, without warning, and there is no way for me to reconnect to the available networks. At this point I have to unplug and reconnect to reset the unit. Doing this sometimes causes system to freeze in XP, and task manager shows that "system" process is using all the system resources. I will have to hard reboot, which of course comes with all the unplesantry of system crashes, which does not happen in xp that often otherwise.

I am recommending against the product, becuase of the above reasons. It has wasted countless hours with reconfiguration woes, and sporatic disconnections due to the signal/reception fluctuation simply erode the user experience (net streaming media never comes in one piece). I picked Linksys systems over the cheaper Netgear just to change flavor, but this WUSB54G in particular seem to deserve much more attention before it should be considered by anybody. Caveat emptor.