Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Bridge for phone adapters WBP54G

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was extremely hesitant in getting this because I worried that voice lag would be created by the semi-complicated setup we have.

To give some background:
We have 3 cordless phones around our house that talk to a central base station that is plugged into a wall jack. Elsewhere in the house, we have Linksys PAP2 device (Vonage Service) that one end plugs into the wall (backfeeding to the phone base station), and the other half was plugged into our home router.

For those Visual People:
Cordless Phone > Phone Base Station > House Wiring > PAP2 > Router > Cable Modem > Vonage

My concern was that by inserting a Wireless Bridge between the PAP2 and the Router (which is now on the other side of the house), that a delay would be created, or the signal would occasionally just drop.

I am happy to say that I completely over thought the complications of it.

When the device came, I followed the setup wizard on the CD (didn't bother with the picture book type printed instructions) and had the bridge configured in about 15 minutes. I then moved the PAP2 and Bridge to where I needed them, and plugged it in...and like magic, everything worked great. We've had no lag, no problems, and most importantly, no signal drops.

While wired is still the most reliable method to make sure your VoiP phone device talks to your network consistently, I would definitely recommend this device to anyone who has to take the wireless route.

The product works very well, doing exactly what it's supposed to do. The difficulty is in setting the bridge up. First, it doesn't come with a Mac version of the setup program, nor does Linksys offer one on their site. Luckly, I have some VM software that let me run Vista. The next problem is that the setup doesn't quite work right in Vista (go figure). If you run setup.exe in Windows XP compatabilty mode, it works fine. Since then, it's been chugging along just fine.

In short, run the setup in Windows XP compatability if you use Vista. If you use a Mac, get a VM (e.g., Parallels or Fusion) or Bootcamp and a Windows license, or have a friend bring over their PC.

I use this device with my laser printer. I obtained a spare Linksys power supply from ebay, and it works perfectly to connect the printer to my wireless network. It's an absolute bargain compared to most wireless bridges.

My bridge between my DSL and my cable internet died so I ordered this device just to see. It works perfectly fine as a normal bridge between my DSL access point and my cable LAN. I used an ordinary 5 volt AC adapter, ran the CD and had it up and running literally within a couple of minutes. It's a great little device and not just for phones. Too bad it doesn't have a screw plug for an external antenna but it works great and takes up much less room than a "normal" network bridge.

I got it working after a few tries with the auto detection via the windows CD...and it did work with my VOIP phone adapter for a while. But today I relocated my phone to a different location and this thing somehow does not work any more. No matter what I do, I cannot get a dial tone any more (but plug the VOIP adapter into a wired network works right away). And the bridge appears to be working as well on a computer. Maybe the shared power is cause issue?

Update: it appears that power is the issue. The power adapter output is 5V/2A, which works for the bridge, but the bridge power output is only 5V/1A, which is supposedly to support the VOIP device (mine is PAP2T), but that device requires 5V/2A! I tried to use to this to network my laptop - it drops the connectivity as soon as I plug its power output into the PATP2T...The idea of sharing power (therefore cut down on power adapter clutter) is well thought by poorly implemented in this case...

Look like you'd be better off to get the Netgear WNCE2001 Universal WiFi Internet Adapter. it has dual power option - you can either use its power adpater, or use a USB cable to get power from any device that has a USB...

Five different phone calls, being switched around the globe to the wrong technicians, and two and a half hours after beginning my "Quick" Setup...I'm told I can only install using a Windows PC running XP, or to simulate XP vers 3 in my compatibility mode on my mounted version of Windows 7 (tried that, still doesn't work). The error is "communication error, connection lost" when it's supposed to be recognizing available networks. THANKS LINKSYS!

I purchased this product to connect my Dish Network HD DVR (ViP 722K) with my wireless router (Linksys WRT54GL). One of the reviews above said that they were able to use this for their Direct TV box, and it worked fine. No such luck with Dish Network's ViP 722K.

Easy set up using Windows XP Pro. After disconnecting the network cable of the wireless bridge from my router and leaving the bridge plugged into the wall (you will need to purchase a 5V2A power adapter separately), the wireless bridge did show it was connected wirelessly via indicator light. I moved it to the room it was needed in, plugged it in and it still connected wirelessly. I plugged the network cable into the back of the ViP 722K, and it connected (ethernet and wireless indicator lights lit up) for about 5 seconds before no more wireless connection and no more ethernet connection to the box. I unplugged the ethernet connection from the back of the box, unplugged the power adapter from the wall, plugged the power adapter back in, and the wireless connection indicator on the wireless bridge did not light up again. It appeared to die after plugging it in to the Dish Network receiver. Needless to say, I reset the bridge via XP... end result is that it will get a wireless signal and DIE when plugged into the ViP 722K.

It appears that it will work - just not with the Dish Network ViP 722K.

I went from a wired network to a wireless and my Vonage units did not work. For a short time, I bridged via a wired router on on computer but I could not shut it off or I would loose my phone service. When I installed the WBP54G the problem was solved. Flawless. Note that it must be used with a Linksys modem.

Vonage was no help. Believe Linksys.

Need to operate a Sipura (now Linksys) ATA VOIP device wirelessly? This is the device for you. For example, you are in a hotel room that only offers a wireless internet connection. You wouldn't be able to use your Sipura ATA because there is no wired ethernet connection.

The Linksys WBP54G will allow you to unwire your Sipura VOIP ATA device's ethernet connection. The WBP54G acts as a wireless bridge for a Sipura device. No power brick needed, it shares power from the Sipura ATA's DC adapter.

After reading the Quick Installation, I figured I could get by without any WBP54G setup procedure whatsoever. YMMV. I'm not using any wireless secutity on my router (Linksys WRT54GL). There's no other open router within range. I just plugged in the WBP54G and it worked immediately. Voice quality is just as good as wired ethernet.

The device is small, about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Since no additional parts are needed, it travels easily.

I use 8x8's business service with a Polycom IP phone. Followed the directions (connecting to my XP computer), connected the device to my phone, plugged it in, voila! I'm pretty impressed as I'm actually using it over a Verizon Wireless MiFi device, not that that matters to most, but this was just what I needed!