The U.S. Robotics USR8054 boasts solid wireless performance and offers a lot of traffic-filtering choices—not to mention a configurable NAT firewall. Unfortunately, the USR8054's setup tools are a little confusing, and security options don't include WPA.

Initial Configuration and Documentation

We are puzzled by the installation CD's title, "Ready Set Connect," since it contains nary a wizard or assistance besides a simple help file. Only after you're connected to the router's main interface do you find a setup wizard that helps you with the basics of your broadband connection, including security. The PC Card utility, however, strongly resembles D-Link's tool and is equally easy to use.

Management and Features

This product does have a clean, easy-to-navigate management interface, though the integrated system help file seemed to be missing some of the menu items. One glitch we noticed: The interface failed to return to the appropriate menu upon reboot. This occurred after changing the device's configuration. Still, the router has plenty of features, including a DHCP server, DMZ support, and UPnP.

Security

Filtering is one of the biggest strengths of the USR8054. You can filter traffic by IP, MAC, or protocol. The integrated firewall is also very configurable. But because the router lacks WPA support, we cannot recommend it for business use.

Performance