Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys WRT160N-RM Refurbished Wireless-N Router

5 star:		(320)
4 star:		(145)
3 star:		(61)
2 star:		(55)
1 star:		(130)

 

 

I was looking for a Wireless-N router (the newest form of wireless connectivity) as most of my computers and consoles (Xbox 360 has a new wireless dongle) now have Wireless N technology. This was cheap and had fairly decent reviews so I decided to take a chance. The item arrived fairly quick and in great (I'd say practically brand new) condition and was easy to install. However, after only a few hours of use, I noticed several problems with this unit. Most of the problems seemed to be with my Macbook Pro; it wasn't getting a full signal, speeds were slow, and whenever I opened iChat, the router would instantly restart itself. After going through the hassle of purchasing and installing it, I decided to try something else before sending it back: I installed DD-WRT open source firmware on the router, and haven't looked back since.

I have never used open source firmware before, but I had read up about it before purchasing a router again. Even though the DD-WRT website listed this as not compatible, I purchased this anyway in hopes that eventually it would be released. DD-WRT for this router (version 3) wasn't supported until literally 2 weeks ago, and I was lucky enough to find a release of it on the DD-WRT support forums (easily found by doing a quick search on Google for "DD-WRT WRT160Nv3"). After downloading the mini pack and the standard pack (listed as WRT160Nv3 in the file name) I loaded the router access page (192.168.1.1) and did a web firmware update thru my FireFox browser, first starting with the mini pack, and once that is finished, then with the standard firmware for this router.

It was as easy as that, and took literally 4 minutes to upgrade it. Now, this router has been perfect. It hasn't been restarted once since it was updated with DD-WRT, the speed is fantastic, and overall, I am extremely happy to have upgraded with the new firmware. The DD-WRT firmware also has some great features like bandwidth monitoring, signal adjustment and strength meter, great security features and tons more that the standard Linksys firmware doesn't include. **Please note: there is a slight chance DD-WRT could brick (aka destroy) your router, though it doesn't appear to happen very often. Please make sure you read the DD-WRT website and support thread on this router thoroughly before upgrading it. With that said, it was the easiest and least painful upgrade I have ever done, and now this router works great.

EDIT: Please read comments section for more information and direct links.

EDIT: 12/13/10 Please be advised that this review is over a year old. Since installing DD-WRT last year, I have never had to upgrade anything or really even mess with it. However, things change quickly, and my experience then might be different from yours today. Please be sure to read the official DD-WRT website and forums for current information related to this router. Thanks

Out of the box this router was a total failure. Within a few hours of booting it would drop wifi connections and refuse new ones. Resetting the router would fix this for a few more hours and then it would fail again. I worked on its configuration with Linksys support on two separate occasions and eventually they told me to return it.

I'd filled out the Amazon return forms and was about to mail the router back when I read another review here that suggested installing DD-WRT. This installation erases the Linksys firmware and installs an open-source Linux-based replacement. With DD-WRT running on my router it is solid, stable, fast and fully featured. For less than $30 it is a fantastic purchase. But ONLY with DD-WRT installed on it.

I have updated the DD-WRT wiki pages to explain how to install on the v.3 router. It is easy enough for anyone with very basic computer skills to do this.

Alright, as a long time user of linksys wireless routers, I think I knew what to expect here, and I DID NOT get what I was expecting, thats for sure. This product is unreliable. The wireless signal drops, constantly- a refurb unit, I know, but after researching the WRT160N on the internet, the signal drops are obviously a systemic problem with the unit.

In fact, Amazon has a separate part number just for WRT160N refurbs (WRT160N-RM)- what does that tell you? There are a ton of these flying around, in fact my unit looked absolutely new out of box - it probably WAS new - but with the out of box systemic wireless signal dropping flaw, back it goes to Amazon for a second try at a refurb sale.

A few more details,
- the setup is easy and improved from my older wireless-G. Nice improvement in the ease of use area.
- Router starts up well, signal is strong and speed is outstanding to my XP laptop with odyssey client in the other room. All is well.
... 3 hours pass...
- signal on my home network starts going in and out on my laptop sitting 10 ft away from the router. The green bars go from excellent to very good to just good. Hmm.
- then, poof, all white bars on my laptop, no more signal. I go check the router. All seems fine the lights are all working. I connect the hard wire ethernet cable to the router, internet connectivity is fine.
- wait about 35 minutes the signal from the WRT160N comes back- great! I have wireless connectivity for 10 minutes, then white bars again. Reboot computer, no luck. Delete the home network connection and recreate. No luck.

Finally go check [...] for support notes on this signal in and out issue- WOW! literally hundreds of blogs and rants on the web about the WRT160N dropping connections.

Final chapter- box it up and send it back to amazon. As much as it pains me to buy a near obsolete product, I will purchase another Wireless G router from linksys. Those work like a charm.

This router gives me full service regardless of where I am in the house. It is also noticeably faster than my old Linksys WRT54G. Between buying for friends and family this is the third refurbished router I have purchased and I have never had an issue with any of them. Do not hesitate to buy a Linksys refurbished router, they are a solid product!

This router has three generations (v1, v2, v3)

This remanufactured item does not promise which version you will get

There are interesting reviews that suggest replacing the firmware with dd-wrt open source firmware. I tried to do this but unfortunately got a v2 router, which is not supported by dd-wrt (v1 and v3 are)

Just an FYI

I am compelled to write this review in fairness to Linksys, as well as to help someone else avoid a similar situation! My wireless connection had been gradually deteriorating. When I recently used a neighbor's network, I realized how untenable mine had become. She had a different router, and I had mine for a while, so I facilely concluded that I needed to get a new router. After reading the reviews, I selected this one, knowing that it was a good product but that some people had setup trouble. I also experienced setup trouble and assumed it was similar to what other reviewers had gone through, so I tried Linksys's Live Chat (my wired connection worked)to remedy the problem. I got disconnected, and I kept getting disconnected a few times - ending up at the back of the queue each time. I finally went to their website and saw that I could have someone take over my laptop to diagnose, so I went for that. It is very reasonable: refundable $9.95. I actually had to call them a couple of times over the course of the next couple days because they would get my connections to work, only to go down soon after they hung up. It was also maddening to see them doing the same steps again (changing channels), although they were very thorough and patient, and Linksys Support is 24/7. Finally, I decided that I was going to return this router, and in the meantime I would just use the wired connection straight out of my modem... That is when I realized that it was my modem that was breaking down. There was no way for the Support Reps to have figured that out based on what I was telling them, but they could have asked me to plug into my modem directly. I hope they add this to their staff training. So now that I am finally connected in all sorts of ways: I like this product. I love the streamlined design and reduced footprint. The speed is not any faster than what I had with my Wireless-G. For the price, I am keeping it. I can vouch for the quality of this refurbished model. But those of you reading this who are experiencing similar issues - test your modem first and systematically go up the diagnostic list. I can't help but think that I could have exasperated a lot fewer people had I been more intelligent about the whole thing.

Picked it up refurbished to replace an aging WRT54G.

Configured manually in a snap. NEVER waste your time with the software. I've got a larger home; replaced my old router without a hitch and it improved wireless coverage in my home. After setting it up I took the laptop with the poorest reception to the opposite corner of my home. It got a reliable 2 bars and worked just fine. It didn't before. My mac is even faster and my older G devices have improved coverage.

As soon as I received this product, I immediately put an installation of DD-WRT on it, so that tempers my review by removing one of the normal aspects of it off the bat; but once I had installed DD-WRT on this device it has been a supremely stable, powerful device with fairly consistent signal strengths from all ends of my house and capable of many advanced features. I never used the stock firmware, so I can't really say how an experience with that would stack up to my experiences, but as far as I'm concerned I got a great deal.

I've been wanting to upgrade from "G" to "N", and at $30, this was a low risk investment assuming that the stock Linksys firmware could be replaced by a more robust solution such as DD-WRT or Tomato. I actually prefer Tomato, but DD-WRT was the only working firmware available, and only if you are lucky enough to receive a version 1.0, 1.1, or 3.0 WRT160N.
Because there is no way to tell what version you will get, I was prepared to return it if it could not be modified.
It was a version 3.0, and I modified it out of the box before installing. It took about 30 minutes, which included a thorough reading of the upgrade notes. Has worked very well so far, and speed tests indicate that I am now limited by Comcast, and not my wireless connection.

DISCLAIMER: there is a possibility that firmware upgrades, such as DD-WRT could brick (aka destroy) your router. Please make sure you read the DD-WRT website and support thread on this router thoroughly before upgrading it!

I am a big fan of Cisco products and had several previous versions of the Linksys router. However, the 160N is substandard.

My computer is approximately 10 feet away from my 160N, and it loses signal at least once an hour. At the same time, my computer is able to see all of the other wireless routers in my neighborhood.

However, my 160N died today. No more wireless signal - and it's only been 2 months since I bought it. For the first time in years, I am looking at an altnernative that is not Cisco.

Updated: Download to the latest firmware and then reconfigure. This fixed a lot of problems for me.