ASUS SpaceLink WL-500G user reviews (wireless router - none - 802.11b/g - desktop)

1.0 stars

"Wireless sometimes on - sometimes off?" on February 4, 2010 by differentgeneration

Pros: Looks pretty

Cons: Wireless decides when it wants to work - unstable!

Summary: The ASUS WL520GU has unfortunately always given problems, so much so that it stayed in the box, where it was more stable. Tried updating the firmware several times with no decent results. Updated the firmware to DD-WRT with a much improved interface to use on another project, but once again the wireless was intermittent and was regularly receiving IP conflict errors from other computers on the network when using DHCP. Time to back in the box - I mean bin!

Would not purchase another ASUS product after this fiasco

1.5 stars

"An unstable performer, which just creates headaches." on March 28, 2005 by Eddie10011

Pros: WPA encrpytion, print server for both USB and parallel ports

Cons: Intermitent and frequent disconnects while connected; slow in sending print jobs

Summary: Although this Router and print server has loads of features, don't waste your time and money on this device; you'll be kicking yourself. I got it as a replacement to an old US Robotics router/print server (because one of my new laptops didn't pick up its signal) which worked much more consistently than this one. I exeperienced speed drop offs and disconnects for no obvious reasons while using a Centrino laptop. After a couple of months of constant tinkering, I switched back to my old 802.11b router/print server and using an ethernet cable now for that machine. I'm sticking with the older and much more reliable router.

3.0 stars

"Oh boy... Quite a handful." on March 20, 2005 by Tomilius

Pros: More features than can be counted

Cons: More flaws than can be counted

Summary: Now, let me start by recommending that any super-great reviews be disregarded as they were most-likely posted by somebody who had only used the router for a day or so.

I've had this router for over a month, and it has been a big handful, to say the least. If it wasn't one problem, it was another, and I'm not afraid to be specific. The built-in DNS server which handles DNS requests using the DNS servers set or picked up by DHCP isn't functional in any released firmware I have used, for one thing--that means you have to tell the router to give out one of your ISP's DNS servers or manually-assign it rather than the router's IP address. Another problem in some firmwares is that the WAN side will just "die"--aka, the internet is gone. A problem I've had and may still have (it's too soon to tell for sure) is that wireless clients will experience random connection drops. Yet another problem that I myself have experienced is that when devices have been off for a while, when they turn back on they may have trouble accessing certain LAN machines (go figure with that odd issue).

Then come the custom firmwares! They're out there, and they improve the router radically, fixing some of the problems ASUS has yet to address. However, only so much can be done in custom firmware, so some issues are still present in certain custom firmwares (like the wireless client connection dropping).

Now that some of the worst is over with, I'll briefly address the goodness the router has to offer. It has a ton of features that most people will never care to use, such as a print server and a USB port for a webcam. It has advanced firewall capabilities (*cough* though ASUS's non-custom-firmware defaults may leave you a bit vulnerable), and an FTP server, and all sorts of great things.

The custom firmware has better features and allows you to set options and firewall rules more specifically (using iptables). This is nice.

But what's the point of any of this if it's as unstable as grandpa's bowel movements? .... Well, it is.

This router will suck away all of your free time if you attempt to fix its problems. I've spent weekend after weekend trying to fix its problems, and my recent vacation time was drained as well. Don't let this router take you, even though it has some of the best features available at a great price.

ASUS is basically dead and won't respond at all, and their site's support features are pretty much down.

My recommendation is to suffer with few features and another router, sadly. Sorry for the rushed review, but I need to get back to trying to fix this stupid thing.

3.0 stars

"best quality/price relation" on February 8, 2005

Pros: WAN connection, bandwidth management, mixxed B/G traffic support

Cons: Somehow confused configuration, some features only in most recent firmware updates