Electronics & Computers Deals here!
-
CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 29 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The good: Linksys makes setup easy for newbies; great throughput at long range; offers the latest security features; low price for an 11N router.
The bad: Linksys scaled back the warranty for this product to one year.
The bottom line: The Linksys WRT150N is a great router option for those who want the range improvement of 11N but don't need the other features--or the steep price tag.
Price range: $78.00 - $78.96
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 03/05/2007
The Linksys WRT150N Wireless-N Home Router goes against the grain of new routers providing faster throughput, and for good reason. Linksys designed this router for those home users who want improved range over standard 802.11g routers, but don't want to pony up the cash for one of the new Draft N routers, either because of sticker shock, or because they simply don't need the speed and bandwidth that 11N products provide. The 11N spec addresses the needs of bandwidth-intensive applications such as high-definition video streaming, VoIP, and smooth online gaming--especially simultaneously. If you have no intention of using any of these features but still need your wireless network to cover more ground, the high price of the Draft N routers can be hard to swallow. The WRT150N covers this niche: it provides less speed than the Draft N routers (but still more than enough for normal Web browsing), increased range over 11G products, and a lower price point--around $99. The advantage of this router over so-called Super G or pre-N products that use MIMO is that the WRT150N is based on the draft 11N spec, so it should interoperate seamlessly with products from other vendors. (The pre-N/Super G products are all based on vendors' proprietary implementations of MIMO and aren't guaranteed to play together nicely.) We like that Linksys is addressing the segment of customers who aren't power users but who still want to benefit from the newer technology.
The WRT150N router looks like a standard router. Its black-and-blue body is the same size as the WRT300N, but it provides only two standard antennae, which are mounted on the rear. Also on the back edge are the standard ports: one WAN port, four LAN ports, a power jack, and a pinhole reset button. The front edge of the router houses labeled indicator lights that correspond to the jacks on the rear. A top-mounted button is labeled reserved, and Linksys is mum about its plans for the button.
Setting up the WRT150N router is simple, and Linksys makes the process transparent. When you first open the box, you're faced with an envelope containing the installation CD. The included instructions direct first-timers to insert the CD into their PCs for the setup wizard. The wizard walks you through all the steps, starting with disconnecting your PC from your modem. Old hands can simply connect all the cables and navigate to the router's default IP address (192.168.1.1) to configure a network. If you need a refresher, Linksys includes a handy reference to manually installing the router.
Once you've installed the router, you can configure your wireless network using the router's Web-based configuration tool. The WRT150N includes all the latest security features you'd expect to see, including 128-bit encryption; WEP, WPA-PSK, and WPA-PSK2; SPI and NAT firewalls; and VPN pass-through. You can set up access rules by date and time or by MAC address, and you can filter Web sites by keywords or IP addresses.
Continue reading- See more CNET content tagged:
- router,
- Linksys,
- throughput,
- MIMO,
- IEEE 802.11g
User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 29 reviews
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 3 of 29 user reviewsSee all 29 user reviews
-
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful
"Overall the latest upgrade to WRT54G and probably the best basic home networking router yet."
-
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
-
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
- See all 29 user reviews Write review
Submit your review
Where to buy
Linksys WRT150N Wireless-N Home Router:
$78.00 - $78.96
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$78.00 | Yes |
|
|
$78.96 | Yes |
|
