Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I have this product connected to my directv hd receiver to download VOD content. If the installation software is not able to detect the device during the installation process, then follow these steps (I had to perform these steps when I called Linksys for assistance. I wish they had just documented the steps instead):

1. Quit out of the installation software (keep the adapter connected to your pc)

2. Assign a static IP to your pc (if you do not know how to do this, then call Linksys or google it). The static ip settings should be:
ip: 192.168.1.50
subnet: 255.255.255.0
gateway: 192.168.1.1
leave dns settings as is

3. Open up your browser and type http://192.168.1.250 in the address bar. You will now see a log in page

4. Log in with admin/admin

5. Now assign a static IP to the adapter
ip: 192.168.1.250
subnet: 255.255.255.0
gateway: 192.168.1.1

6. Now go to the wireless settings tab and enter in your SSID and WEP/WPA Key. Make sure you select the correct authentication type

7. You will now need to reboot the adapter (it will ask you to do so)

8. Once the device is back up, go back to the http://192.168.1.250 page and log back in. Double-check to make sure your settings were entered in correctly. The wireless light should light up on your adapter.

Tip: Before you connect it to your console/receiver, you can test to make sure the adapter can connect to the internet. Switch off your wireless connection on your pc/laptop and connect the adapter to your pc via the ethernet port. Try accessing the internet and if you can, then the adapter is all set.

Good luck.
p.s. the main reason I detailed out the steps for the "advanced setup" is so that people know that it is still a straight-forward process, so no need to be afraid if you won't have the plug-and-play experience.

another tip. if you are still having issues, then try changing the channel on your router (although you should not have to if all your other wireless devices are working well on that channel).

First - the product is a bit hard to configure if you do not have a compatible Linksys N router. The CDROM that comes with the WGA600N can only configure it if you have a compatible Linksys router. I have a Apple Airport Extreme N router and had to spend a little time googling to discover that the Reset button on the WGA600N puts it on 192.168.1.250 IP address and that I had to enable static IP in the same subnet on my desktop's interface in order to be able to go to the Web GUI at http://192.168.1.250. After that, it was a breeze to setup. Very easy.

That aside, the best part about WGA600N is that it is very good for streaming HD content over your network. I have Slingbox hooked up to my HD enabled Comcast DVR to enable streaming to my desktop in the other room. The desktop has no wireless card and so it was wired to a NetGear Powerline HDX101. With this setup the HDTV streaming with Slingbox was not impressive - frequent lost packets, not so good speed etc.

But once I hooked the desktop to the WGA600N and had it connect to my extreme N router (Airport shows it connects at 300 rates, whereas my Laptop with WirelessN card connects at 130) no more lost packets, and I get the best streaming speeds, consistently (hovering around 5500Kbps to 6000Kbps).

Overall I am quite happy with its performance - Linksys should fix the configuration utility though, that will save people without Linksys routers some headache for sure.

I was able to set this adapter up easily and quickly with no issues whatsoever. It works perfectly with my XBOX 360 and is much much faster than the XBOX brand wireless G adapter. I am using WPA2 (TKIP and AES) mode on my router and everything is running smoothly with no connection issues. A great product.

I just wasted an hour trying to set this up through my PC while getting error message after error message.

If you're trying to hook this up to your DirecTV box (HR-21) to get on-demand content, you DO NOT have to set up the adapter through a pc.

Simply connect the device to your HR-21's network port, plug it in, and click DirecTV's menu button. Go to "Set-up," then down to "Network." Answer the questions, and in less than a minute, you should be up and running.

The latest update to DirecTV boxes provides immediate plug-and-play access with the adapter.

Hope I saved someone else a lot of time!

I setup the Linksys WGA600N Wireless Game Adapter with my DirecTV HR20 receiver to download VOD. Initially, I had difficulty getting my PC to connect to the adapter (device not found errors). After calling tech support, it was due to my having a non-standard network setup. I do not use the IP address range of 192.168.1.x. As a result, I removed my PC off the network and gave it a static IP address in the 192.168.1 range. I was then able to connect to the device through a web browser (connect to IP 192.168.1.250) and configure it. If it wasn't for the undocumented issues with the setup, listed below, I would have given this 5 star rating

Pros - works flawlessly once configured
Cons - undocumented setup hurdles. 1) device uses address 192.168.1.250 as default, 2) default password is 'admin'

I use SageTV software to transmit television and video throughout my house. When I upgraded to HDTV signals, my existing Powerline adapters couldn't handle the bandwidth, so I decided to try this device.

At first I couldn't get the device to use 802.11n, which limited me to wireless-g speeds. This isn't adequate for HD video streams. Then I found out that WEP security isn't in the draft-n standard, so if you use a WEP password on your network, the device reverts to wireless-g. I changed to WPA security on my router and the adapter started using wireless-n. This was surprising, but I'm glad I stumbled upon this easy-to-miss piece of info.

Anyway, now that everything is configured, I really like this adapter, but it took some fiddling to get it to work right. I'm able to move HD video streams from my media room to my living room, which is on a different floor and several rooms away.

By the way, I had to use the manual installation instructions (found in another review for this product). The included setup disk didn't work for me. Also, I'm using a D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Wireless Router; interoperability hasn't been an issue.

If installation was easier I'd give this 5-stars. The clunky install cost a star.

I purchased this adapter to serve as network bridge from Verizon wireless router to Sony BDP-S550 blu-ray player (for BD Live and firmware update). The included cd setup software didn't work so I called their Technical Support. I used my Vista desktop with built in wireless card in setting up this adapter.

I was instructed from the very beginning to disable the firewall. I have Norton Anti-virus software and disabling any of its features is not as easy as before so we just proceed with the manual configuration without disabling the firewall. At first, we couldn't even get to connect/login to the adapter using manual configuration. After we had checked the pc's setting and getting nowhere, I opened up the Norton interface and finally found where I could disable the firewall. After that, we were able to setup the adapter.

When I connected the adapter to the bluray player, I still could not get into the network though the adapter had all the green lights on indicating it's working. I tried all the network options from blu ray player setup but still have the same error. I pulled out the blu ray and adapter's power for a minute - same error. I called up Sony Technical Support but he didn't even know what a network bridge/adapter is. I pulled the power out from Verizon wireless router for a minute and to my surprise, the blu ray was able to connect to the network.

The unit is working perfectly. Tried the BDLive in Iron Man and it connected to the internet without a problem and downloaded the data in a few seconds.

First of all -- Amazon did great. Quick shipping even with the free Super Saver.
The wireless adapter works great. I am using it for Video On Demand with Directv HD DVR (HR-21).
But as others have reported the setup CD from Linksys was a dismal failure. Would not install. Tried two different computers, both Windows XP. The manual setup via computer spelled out in previous review did not work either.
Fortunately I saw another previous review saying to let the HR-21 do the setup. I reset the WGA600N, plugged it into the DVR (HR-21), and simply followed the on screen directions. Just a few clicks, less than a minute or two and the connection was successful.

I use the Linksys gaming adapter as a wireless network bridge for devices requiring hardwired connections: Ooma, Slingbox, Blu-Ray player, and, soon, a Sony Bravia television. Because the gaming adapter has only one port, I also purchased an Ethernet switch box (Linksys EZXS55W EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Workgroup Switch) that provides the necessary number of ports for my devices.

When I first installed the adapter, I had a Linksys G router, and the set-up was quick and successful, although we had to connect a laptop with the CD installation set-up to the bridge itself - not cool if you don't have a laptop and want to configure it where it will eventually be. (You can connect it to your computer next to your router and move it to its position later.) Ironically, the real frustration began when later installed a Linksys N router (Linksys WRT160N Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Broadband Router). Every time the power goes out, we have to reconfigure the gaming adapter. At first, I thought this has more to do with the router and its security than the gaming adapter, but all my other wireless devices connected to the router work perfectly. Because we don't have many power outages, this isn't a major problem for us, but if you live in an area with spotty electrical service, you might want to take this problem into account.

Even though we have mostly G wireless devices in the house, the N speed is noticeably faster/stronger, especially for video streaming. We tossed a SlingLink adapter in favor of this bridge to hook up our SlingBox, and, other than the power problem, the device works great both on the home network and over the internet. Likewise, the Ooma, which shouldn't work away from the cable modem according to the manufacturer, works flawlessly. Since our Wii is wireless, we don't have the adapter hooked up to any game consoles, although the company's literature says that the hardwired consoles (PS3, Xbox, Game Cube, etc.) are plug-and-play. Again, with only one port, users of more than one system will want to expand their Ethernet ports. We considered other manufacturers that had more ports, but we trust the reliability of the Linksys brand. Although adding an Ethernet switch is not expensive, I really wish Linksys had included more ports with this. Serious gamers usually own more than one system, and electronic junkies like me have more than one Ethernet device.

If you are looking for a wireless network bridge, consider this, especially since there currently aren't many wireless-N bridges on the market right now. The "gaming adapter" name is misleading since it can work with a variety of devices, although serious gamers will need, more than others, the N speed that this provides.

Devices that I have successfully hooked up using this adapter and an Ethernet switch:
ooma Core VoIP Phone System with No Monthly Phone Service Bills
Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100
Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Player

-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

I was concerned about using this for a PS3. Many of the reviews here talk about hours of setup time.

I have a Linksys 54g router, so I decided to go ahead and buy this, hoping the software would be compatible. The automatic setup option didn't work. After two tries I clicked on the manual setting. I typed in my WEP code, and within seconds, the computer said it recognized the device. I plugged it into the PS3 and it worked great. Total setup time, including the failed automatic setup, about 5 minutes.

By the way, it seems to function well. No noticeable lag, or anything like that. It just seems to work.

I would have given it 5 stars, except for the failed automatic setup feature.