Customer Reviews

Asus Wireless-G Access Point (WL-330GE)

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I bought two of these, one to use as a wireless adapter and one as a repeater. My primary wireless router is a Dlink DIR-622 running the original 1.11 firmware.

Initial setup is fairly easy. The manual is TERRIBLE but you really don't need it for basic setup. Out of the box, or after a hard reset, the device is in "Gateway Mode" with it's DHCP server active and ready to hand out addresses in the 192.168.1 subnet. Connect it to a PC's ethernet port, open your browser to http://192.168.1.220 and you get the configuration screen. From there, it is easy to choose one of the other (3) modes and make a connection to your wireless network.

If you want to make additional configuration changes to other parameters, it gets harder. Once you switch from Gateway mode to one of the other (3), the device no longer acts as a DHCP server for the ethernet port; rather, it effectively becomes a device with a static IP of 192.168.1.220. To make additional configuration changes, you must open your PC's TCP/IP settings and change from DHCP (i.e., "obtain an IP address automatically") to a static address (i.e., "use the following IP address") in the 192.168.1 range. Only then can you again open your browser and use http://192.168.1.220 to access the device.

I setup the first unit in "Adapter mode", configured it for wpa2 and then connected it to my Dish Network 622 dvr. Everything connected and worked perfectly.

I have a large house with my wireless router at the North end, so signal quality at the South end of the house is poor. I configured the second wl-330ge for "Repeater mode" and placed it near the center of my house. Devices in the South end now get excellent signal quality from the centrally located wl-330ge repeater. Devices that used to get 6mbps now hit 35mbps.

Both my units came with firmware 2.0.1.8, but I noticed a newer 2.0.1.9 firmware on the ASUS web site with 11-23-2009 release date. As it mentioned a fix related to Repeater mode, I decided to download it and update both units. I then hard reset and reconfigured them. The one in Adapter mode still worked just fine. The one in Repeater mode ceased to function; devices would connect to it momentarily then lose the connection. After several hard resets and reconfiguration cycles, I gave up and flashed it back to 2.0.1.8, and it immediately started working again. If you are using Repeater mode, I recommend avoiding the 2.0.1.9 firmware.

My wireless router is in the basement with limited coverage for the 2nd floor and the patio. So my aim was to expand my wireless network coverage. ASUS WL-330gE proved best value and has several functions one of which is to expand the wireless network (labeled as Repeater mode). Now I have an excellent coverage all over my property.
The following are the steps I did to set it up:
1. Power on your WL-330gE through the attached USB power cord.
2. Connect the WL-330gE to your laptop through an Ethernet (RJ45) cable.
3. Disconnect your computer from internet/router. (Wireless off or unplug Ethernet cable)
4. Open the Internet browser in your computer and type in 192.168.1.220 in the
address box. Type admin for ID and admin for password.
5. Select Repeater tab
6. From the available wireless devices select yours enter your password and connect.
7. Click on the advanced setting at the lower left corner and select IP config then select Yes for get IP Automatically.
8. Click apply then logout.
9. Disconnect your ASUS from the computer. Find a central location in your property and connect the device to the power outlet. You do not need to connect it to the net work or a computer

My main reason for getting this was because I had trouble getting certain devices to work with Vista 64 Bit. I had a USB wifi stick that worked great under XP, but was unstable in Vista. So I didn't want to get another USB device and be disappointed when I upgrade my system again. Well this device does it all and I'd definitely would get more of these if I need to hook it up to anything else.

The coolest part is that you can have it hooked to your computer via ethernet and in the same time allow other devices to piggyback on it via wifi on the same connection. So why would this be useful? Well let's say you are in a hotel and paying for wireless internet service and you could share that connection with your friends or coworkers by connecting to your device. So you can pretty much split the bill amongst each other instead of each of you paying for your own connection. Another way it can be used is to give your home pc a wireless connection and in the same time expand the range of your wifi by becoming a repeater in the same time (hotspot mode).

I do want to note that if you set it to repeater mode only then you can't get internet with ethernet. So if you want a hybrid mode then hotspot mode is the best way to go and plus you don't need to fiddle with ip addresses. You can switch it to bridge mode, but it makes it harder to switch to other networks if your ip changes. The device's ip is 192.168.1.220 and let's say you connect to a host with an ip address of 128.5.6.1. Well what happens is the ip will change in bridge mode (example 128.5.6.34) and you won't be able to connect to the device (current ip of device 192.168.1.220) unless you change the device's ip to match the current ip address range (128.5.6.x). In hotspot mode the ip is assigned to the device only and your ip will remain in the same range as the device (so instead of becoming 128.5.6.134, you would become 192.168.1.220). So hotspot mode makes it easier for you to hop on to other networks without having to reset the box.

The downside of being in hotspot mode vs. bridge mode is that you are sharing your internet connection via wifi, but of course you can password protect it (up to WPA2), mac filter it, and even make the SID invisible. You might also want to disable the firewall in the device if you are already connecting to another router with a firewall already enabled.

It seems to have great network stability and solid bandwidth control. What I mean is that I don't notice and dropped connections and it seems to handle gaming or online videos like if I was hardwired. I can't speak on reliability because I haven't had it long enough, but I can't say I had any problems with other Asus products before.

The device does come with a short ethernet cable and usb cable. The usb cable is used to only power the device instead of using the AC adapter. Why use the USB cable instead of the AC adapter? Well depending on your system the USB power usually gets shut off when you turn the computer off, so the device is only on when your computer is on. Now I have built in USB ports and I also expanded my system using PCI Cards with USB ports. I noticed the PCI USB ports turn off completely while my built in ports stay powered on even though I turned my computer off. So I used a USB extender to reach the PCI card and this way the device turns itself off when not in use. Of course you would only want to do this if you are using it as in bridge mode or hotspot bridge mode. If you need to share your connection at all times then obviously AC adapter would be the best choice.

Once the device is setup then you can hook it up to a PS3 or XBOX360 or any other device that has an ethernet port and make it wireless.

So to sum it all up you can use this as a repeater, gateway, bridge, or hotspot which is like a hybrid bridge with a repeater / gateway compatibility. I was thinking about getting the D-Link DWL-G730AP, but then I saw a rebate for this and took the chance on Asus which I am glad I did and I think it is a very cool device. I'd actually give this 4.5 stars because the manual is very basic and really doesn't cover everything that can be done with this device. It isn't hard to setup and if you have some wireless know how then you can do some complex things with it as well.

I LOVE IT! It's about the size of a deck of cards. It can be powered via a USB connection. The device and the USB connector don't get hot to the touch. It doesn't hog my CPU when it's connected. My only complains are that the instructions are too simple and in its gateway/hotspot configuration it wouldn't show me the hotspot's capture portal (the login screen you see in hotel and cafe hotspots), so I couldn't authenticate my connection. That's why I give it 4 stars.

To make you give it 5 stars, I include supplemental instructions. Below, is what I did to set it up and to make surfing more secure. Don't be scared by the length of the instructions because every router requires similar number of steps.

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OPEN THE CONFIGURATION SCREEN
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* Connect the USB connector and the ethernet cable to your laptop
* Open a browser (eg IE, Safari, Firefox) and enter the device's IP address in the browser's address bar and press enter. The device's IP and MAC address are on a sticker in the device.
* A popup window will ask for the username and password. Enter the word admin in both text fields.

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SWITCH FROM CHINESE TO ENGLISH
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* The default language for this device is Mandarin (Chinese). Select the first item in the top right dropdown for English.

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SAVE YOUR CONFIGURATION
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* Click on Advanced Settings and then on System Setup and then Setting Management.

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KEEP READING IF YOU WANT TO SURF SECURELY USING THE ASUS WL330GE
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CHANGE THE DEVICE'S PASSWORD
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* Click on Advanced Setting then Click on System Setup
* Enter a new password (make it a long phrase and remember it). The next time it asks you for a username and password enter admin in the top text field and your new password in the bottom text field. This will secure your device from someone else looking at your other passwords and changing your settings.

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SET THE DEVICE FOR A SECURE WIRELESS GATEWAY HOTSPOT
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* Click on Advanced Settings. The click on Wireless and lastly click on Advanced. Scroll to the part that says Hotsopt(sic). Click YES to Enable Individual Wireless Settings. Enter an SSID so you can recognize it later. Use the most secure authentication method you can. I selected WPA-Auto Personal (WPA2-Personal is more secure, but my laptop wireless device doesn't support it). Then I selected AES in the WPA Encryption dropdown because its much safer than TKIP.
* Set the Network Key Rotation interval to something less than 5 minutes to make it even harder to crack (in case you are using WPA). I set it to 60 (once a minute).
** HINT ** If you are not going to share the network, select WPA2 and use the ethernet connection in your laptop to connect to the Asus and turn off your laptop's wireless. This makes it practically impossible for others to steal your wireless connection even if your laptop doesn't support WPA2 it doesn't matter because you are connecting to it with the ethernet cable and not wirelessly.
* Click Apply and then click Finish to Save & Restart
* When it comes back to the main page (Gateway tab), select Enable for the Hotspot Mode. It will now display the SSID you chose and say Security Level WPA Personal. If you selected WPA2 it will say Extra. If you wanted WPA2 and it doesn't say Extra there's no way to set WPA2 from this screen, you have to go through Advanced settings as explained above.

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EXTRA SECURITY MEASURES
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* Click on Advanced Settings and then on Internet Firewall. "Enable Firewall" should be set to Yes and Enable Web Access from WAN" should be set to No. This prevents others from accessing your router without physically having it plugged into their computeres. Then click Apply, Finish, and Save.
* Click on Advanced settings, then on Wireless, then on Access Control and enter you laptop's MAC address. You MAC address can be spoofed, but it doesn't hurt to keep less sophisticated hackers at bay. Then Apply, Finish, and Save.
* Click on Advanced settings, then IP COnfig, then Miscellaneous and set "UPnP" to No. This disables universal plug and play, which will make your device more secure to UPnP vulnerabilities. Then click Finish, and Save&Restart.

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MORE TECHNICAL. TO CHANGE THE IP OF THE ASUS WL330GE
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* This can be more complicated, so you can skip this is everything is connecting OK already. Otherwise, try this to change the Asus' IP to make it work in a network that currently is using the same three numbers of the Asus IP (192.168.1)
* Click on Advanced Setting (lower left), then click on IP Config and then click on WAN & LAN and scroll to the bottom and change the LAN IP from 192.168.1.220 to 192.168.8.220. It will it should automatically update the DHCP. Click OK or Yes to let it update it automatically. Then Click Apply and then click Finish. This will allow it to connect to neworks that are not setup as 192.168.97.220 (most networks are setup as 192.168.1.X or 192.168.2.X).
* Click on Finish, Save&Reset and wait until it's 100% done. It may not show the Asus Quick Setup page. If that happens your LAN probably still has the wrong IP subnet, so you need to renew your LAN's IP address. This is what you do in Windows XP:
-- Open a command prompt (Click Start, then select Run, then type cmd and click OK)
-- then type ipconfig/renew
-- if you type ipconfig/all you can see that your LAN's IP address now starts with 192.168.8 (same three numbers you set for your Asus LAN IP)
** IMPORTANT ** After it resets, its default is no longer the original IP address, so next time you need to enter setup you open your browser and enter its new IP address.

That's all I have for you. Enjoy using it and don't be afraid of these instructions!

I have several wireless devices in my apartment. If it requires WiFi access and was released within the past 3 years, chances are; I own it. I'm not bragging - just trying to explain my predicament.

1x PS3 on 802.11G
1x Xbox 360 on 802.11G
1x Tivo Series2 DVR on 802.11B
1x 2008 Mac Pro workstation on 802.11 Draft-N
1x iBook G4 on 802.11G
1x iPhone on 802.11G
*1x Apple TV on 802.11 Draft-N*

All was relatively fine and dandy on 2.4Ghz mixed mode 802.11B/G/N until I got the Apple TV. I live in a high rise and, I guess, all the other wireless networks (I'm picking up 25+), telephones, etc, were taking their toll on my poor 2.4Ghz network.So much so that I couldn't stream movies (and even music) from my Mac Pro to my ATV.

Switching my AEBS to 5Ghz "N-Only" mode fixed all that instantaneously. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of all of my wireless products that weren't capable of 802.11N at 5Ghz.

In comes the Asus pocket WAP.

I wanted to see if I could set up a 2nd wireless network for my G and B products, though I still wanted them (notably the Tivo, iBook and iPhone) to be able to communicate with my Mac-Pro. After connecting it to my iBook (ethernet and USB), punching the IP in my web browser, switching the Asus to "Access Point", changing the IP to DHCP and applying the appropriate security settings, I was up and running with a secondary wireless network for my B/G products. Best of all, because it draws power from a USB port, I didn't lose a power socket. This was a major selling point for me.

I later connected the Asus to an available port on my AEBS, and the USB power adapter to the AEBS USB port. I'll later be adding a USB hub to free up the USB port to add more devices.

PROS:

-Compact
-Easy setup
-Good, stable connection
-Can draw power from USB or included power adapter.

CONS:

-Blue status lights are bright.
-USB power cable could be longer, though that's nothing a USB hub can't resolve.

I'll try and tack on a setup video to this review, later, if I can.

This is a great access point for making the connection between your Iphone or Ipad to a wired internet connection. I carry one with me on all my travels and use it in Hotels that only have a wired connection for the internet. It is small and easy to carry and has excellent range for such a small unit. It was easy to set up and has been very stable over the last eight months I have used it. Highly recomended if you travel with an Ipad and never have to worry about not being able to connect in situations where you only have a wired connection. Also nice that it allows multiple devices to connect at once so you can be updating or Skyping on the Iphone and using your Ipad at the same time.Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)Apple iPad Tablet (64GB, Wifi)Apple iPad Tablet (32GB, Wi-Fi)Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)Apple iPad Tablet (64GB, Wifi)

I only use this device for wi-fi adapter, so I can't comment for the device's other features (gateway, ap, and repeater)

I was looking for a wi-fi ethernet adapter for my Samsung BD-P2550 blu-ray player and I came across of two devices, Asus WL-330GE and Linksys WGA-54G.

I am glad I picked Asus WL-330GE because I heard Linksys WGA-54G had issues supporting high bandwidth data for the Netflix HD streaming.

So far I am happy with Asus WL-330GE. I got my Netflix HD and SD streaming at their highest quality without any issue. Well, at first I had issues when I set the encryption security to WEP and WPA2. With WEP, somehow I couldn't get any connection at all. With WPA2, I have to reset Asus WL-330GE 2-3 times per movie.

After switching the encryption to WPA, everything is fine.

The manual sucks for sure. The learning curve for non-techie users to setup this device is quite high. And don't expect to get help from customer service.

Some people don't like the bright blue LED, and some people like it. I have no opinion on this since I put WL-330GE behind my blu-ray player and I can't see the LED anyway.

I bought this to bring wi-fi connectivity to my excellent Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blu-Ray Disc Player (Black) which has an Ethernet port but no built-in wi-fi. In this "Ethernet Adapter" mode, the Asus connects to your existing wireless access point (AP), and acts as an Ethernet router to your Ethernet-only device. By connecting your Ethernet-only device to the Asus via an Ethernet cable (a short one is included in the Asus package), the Ethernet-only device can take advantage of wireless networking! Examples of such devices include printers, all-in-ones, and Blu-ray players.

Upon unpacking, I connected the Asus to my Sony laptop with the included short Ethernet cable and short USB power cord. (Note: the included USB cable is for power only, not a data cable.) I then booted into the configuration utility by typing 192.168.1.220 into IE, clicked on the Adapter tab at the top (default mode is gateway), connected to my wi-fi router after entering my WPA password, and bingo! everything was set up within 2 minutes. The config utility automatically saves your settings as you change them.

I then took the Asus to my Panasonic and hooked up the Ethernet cable and included AC adapter. Lo and behold, my Panasonic connected to the Internet prompto and free of problems. I've been using this heavy-duty for the last week and everything has been glitch-free.

The Asus seems pretty sensitive as a wi-fi device, which is a good thing. My entertainment center sits in the furthest corner from my AT&T wireless router and I actually set the router's power to medium (don't want to get my kids' brains fried), and like my PS3, the Asus pulls in a strong signal and operates at full 54G speed.

Only time will tell if the Asus will be trouble-free for years to come, but at this price, it's a good buy and an easy way to wi-fi-enable your Ethernet-only gadgets.

I'm not a super techie by any means but I get by & figure things out pretty well. I'm often called to help my non-techie family & friends when they have problems.

This is a good wireless router (among it's other features) for home and travel. It's a shame the enclosed instructions are so unhelpful and misleading. I'm writing these instructions, as the process is pretty straight forward, although you'd never know that from the enclosed manufacturers instructions. I assume anyone doing this has a basic knowledge of how to turn on and off wifi on their computer, and how to find and logon to a wifi network from their computer. If you don't have that down yet, you need to go sort that out before attempting to install this Asus unit.

my pretty basic instructions..............

How to install your router if you're hoping to add wifi to your normally hard wired (ethernet) home or hotel internet service. (This does not include instruction for the additional features such as wifi to wifi hotspot, repeater, etc.)

You should only have to do this process once, thereafter you just need to logon & connect to your wifi - easy peasy.

What you need:

1. hardwired internet connection with an ethernet cord (looks like an extra fat phone cord/plug)
2. wifi enabled computer
3. This Asus wireless unit

A. First off, IGNORE the initial instructions that show you using a small ethernet cord (that comes with the Asus unit) and plugging that ethernet cord from the Asus unit into your computer (page 11 of the quick start guide).

B. What you need to do is plug the ethernet that comes from your internet source (the router/equipment provided by your phone company, cable company, or hotel for connecting to the internet)into the Asus.
C. Then, either plug the Asus into the wall electrical outlet with the provided cord, OR plug it into the USB port of your computer with the provided cord.
D. Now, turn on your computer's wifi if it is not already on, and click on it to connect to the Asus (it should show as the wifi signal that is strongest, since you are right next to it doing all of this.)
E. Once your wifi shows as connected to the Asus network you should open your internet browser. It will say that there is a problem - no connection, etc. That's fine for now.
F. In the address bar (where the www. site address always shows) erase everything that is there, including the http:// so that it is completely empty. Now type in 192.168.1.220 (should be the same number as found on page 12 of your quick start guide) and press enter,
G. then you will recieve an "enter username and password" pop-up or page. Enter admin for each one.
H. The page should then open to the Asus set-up page as seen on page 13 of the quick start guide. (If not, recheck all instructions above.)
I. Under SSID, give your wifi network a new name (whatever you want and will remember...)
J. Change the box underneath that says Low(open system) to medium(wep-64bits)
K. It will want you to enter a secret code - this will be the secret code people need in order to logon to your wifi network. This needs to be 10 digits. I find that a phone number you know well works best. enter this number then click finish.
L. The website will reprogram your Asus to use the new name and password. It will then kick you out
M. unplug the Asus for about 5 minutes (both the power cord and ethernet cord)
N. disconnect your wifi in your computer from the network Asus.
O. Shut your browser windows down.
P. replug in your Asus into the power and ethernet cord
Q. Go back into your wireless in your computer, have it research for all wifi networks & you should see your new network, with the name you gave it, show up. click to connect to that network
R. Enter your password when the window pops up, then give it a bit to connect.
S. Once connected, open your browser and give it a test by opening up a webpage - Voila! You should be all set!

Going forward you will not need to do the set-up process above unless you decide to change the name of the network, the password, or one of the other more advanced settings. If you travel and a hotel only has ethernet, you can just plug the ethernet cord into this Asus, and connect to your wireless as you would otherwise (now, if they have fees, etc. that have to be paid first, you'll need to sort that out.). The same goes for friends you visit, etc.

If you did all of the above and it didn't work for you, or you get the message "doesn't have a valid IP configuration", try restarting your computer, unplugging the Asus BOTH power and ethernet again for 5 minutes, then restart from "P" above and see if it works. If it still does not work, now is the time to call tech support(or your neighbors 14 y.o who'll likely get it up and running in a jiff...)

I suggest you write the I.P. address (the numbers you entered on step F) on the unit in perm marker, and write down your secret access code somewhere you won't lose it. That way you're all set if you ever need to repeat the installation or change the settings, password, etc.

I realize this is kindergarten basic and folks with good tech understanding will likely laugh at it. However, it works and is easy to understand for not-so-techie folks.

Anyways, hope this is helpful for some folks. Why on Earth these companies don't bother to give clear instructions I just don't get. Cheers...

I've owned two of these, purchased a year apart. I purchased them specifically for use as wifi to ethernet adapters. Unfortunately, neither adapter was able to use WPA2 security for the wifi connection.

The first unit worked for about 6 months before dying completely. The second unit would connect with WEP, but not WPA or WPA2 right out of the box. Working with support to fix the issue pushed the time past the return window, leaving only an RMA process for an obviously DOA unit. Since shipping is half the price of a new unit, both have gone to the great recycling center in the sky.

If you are going to use these units on a network with WEP, you should be fine. If you need the added security of WPA/WPA2, do not purchase these.