Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Cable Gateway (WCG200)

by Cisco

Product Details

Data Sheet [70kb PDF]

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Product Manual [1.12mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.5 x 3.4 inches ; 2.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000TW3RE
• Item model number: WCG200
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (197 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,715 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

The Linksys Wireless-G Cable Gateway is the all-in-one solution for Internet connectivity in your home. The Cable Modem function gives you a blazing fast connection to the Internet, far faster than a dial-up, and without tying up your phone line. Connect your computer to the Wireless-G Cable Gateway via USB, or take advantage of the built-in 4-port 10/100 Ethernet Switch to jump start your home network. You can share files, printers, hard drive space and other resources, or play head-to-head PC games. Connect four PCs directly, or daisy-chain out to more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. The built-in Wireless-G Access Point allows up to 32 wireless devices to connect to your network at a blazing 54Mbps, without running cables through the house. Its also compatible with Wireless-B devices, at 11Mbps.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid at all costs, March 2, 2007

By 

Todd Northcutt (RSM, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Cable Gateway (WCG200) (Personal Computers)

This combo cable gateway and wireless router seems like a dream come true. Instead, should you fail to heed my warning and purchase this item, you'll be subjected to a nightmare that will only end when you seek another wireless solution.

As a cable gateway the WCG200 performs as expected. Setup with my ISP (Cox in southern California) was a breeze. I was up and running in no time.

Wireless connectivity, however, has been an absolute nightmare. None of my devices (laptops, bridge, print server) will stay connected for any length of time. When the router is performing well, I'm lucky to stay connected for an hour. When the router is performing poorly I can barely stay connected for 15 seconds.

The Linksys forums are crowded with other users reporting the same problem. I've been unable to find any official acknowledgement or response from Linksys.

Do yourself a favor and avoid the WCG200. You will regret purchasing it.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not buy, November 7, 2006

By 

R. Fontana "AWDTT" (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Cable Gateway (WCG200) (Personal Computers)

The WCG200 V2 still has several software/firmware defects, the most annoying of which is dropped connections several times a day. To restore communications, a cold boot is required.

The convenience of an all-in-one solution is outweighed by the time wasted in reestablishing connections. If you telecommute using SSH or Telnet over VPN then DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM.

80 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a unit that combines it all and beefs up security!, March 24, 2004

By 

Todd Osborne (Danbury, Connecticut United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Cable Gateway (WCG200) (Personal Computers)

This is exactly what I have been looking for and it certainly helped in eliminating the extra plugs and ethernet cables running behind my desk (linksys cable modem, 4 port router, wireless access point AND a switch since I needed ONE more port). Now I have everything connected to this unit and don't need anything else extra. The USB connection is nice and actually gives you 5 ports instead of 4 on the router (4 ethernet ports + 1 USB).

The biggest improvement I think I see is the configuration part of the unit which you access via browser. More control over security and settings! As a person who knows how to capture hack attempts made on my network or suspicious activity made against it (most seem to try to access by ftp'ing onto my linux server), this one helps further protect your home LAN by making your network 'undetectable' by means of pinging that must hackers use to find exposed networks and ports. People with kids would probably like the part where you can block access to certain websites and even keywords. It can even disconnect certain computers from the network at hours you specify.

The only gripe I had was with amazon.com itself. The pricing is among the highest ($171.95 at time of writing) and I submitted a form that showed a competitor beating their price but after a week, they have not still budged on their pricing. I bought this from buy.com for $139.49 and the shipping, like amazon.com, was free.