Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch WET54GS5

by Cisco

Product Details

Product Manual [1.76mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001ZRLRE
• Item model number: WET54GS5
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 31, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch can be used as a kind of "cable-less cable" for connecting remote areas together. Maybe Shipping is all the way across the warehouse from Receiving. You can connect up to 5 Ethernet-equipped computers directly to the high-speed 10/100 switch ports on the Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge. Put another one (or a Wireless-G Access Point, or our one-port Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge) at the other end, and those 5 computers are connected to your main network -- with no need to string wires.

And those 5 switch ports can support devices other than PCs. Since there are no drivers to load, you can make any wired-Ethernet device -- like a printer or network attached storage device -- into a wireless network device. All five ports are auto speed negotiating, and have automatic MDI/MDI-X crossover detection, so you don't have to worry about the cable type. To protect your data and privacy, all wireless transmissions can be secured with up to 128-bit encryption.

The Switch supports VPN pass through and port-forwarding. You can partition your network into up to 64 VLANs, using port-based 802.1q tagging. It also supports 802.1d Spanning Tree Protocol to prevent network loops. You can enable QoS on the switch side, with 4 levels of prioritization by port, 802.1p, ToS or DiffServ methods. And even with all this power, set up is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility.

Let the Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch from Linksys open up exciting new possibilities for your wireless network.

See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies.

Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere -- wit-hout wires. Outside of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer. What Wireless Standard is Right for Me? Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use. Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed. For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time: 802.11b 802.11a 802.11g 802.11a/g To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart.

Product Description

Linksys Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch - High-speed cable-free bridging between remote workgroups! The Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch can be used as a kind of "cable-less cable" for connecting remote areas together. Maybe Shipping is all the way across the warehouse from Receiving. You can connect up to 5 Ethernet-equipped computers directly to the high-speed 10/100 switch ports on the Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge. Put another one (or a Wireless-G Access Point, or our one-port Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge) at the other end, and those 5 computers are connected to your main network -- with no need to string wires. And those 5 switch ports can support devices other than PCs. Since there are no drivers to load, you can make any wired-Ethernet device -- like a printer or network attached storage device -- into a wireless network device. All five ports are auto speed negotiating, and have automatic MDI/MDI-X crossover detection, so you don't have to worry about the cable type. To protect your data and privacy, all wireless transmissions can be secured with up to 128-bit encryption.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Deal!, July 8, 2005

By 

Tyrod (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch WET54GS5 (Personal Computers)

Put away those silly game adaptors you're trying to get to work as a bridge for multiple ethernet devices. This is the genuine article. I first attached it to my laptop with an ethernet cable. Ran the CD configurator. I set the IP address to one that I wanted. Uploaded the latest firmware that I had already had downloded from the net. Entered the web interface and finished seting up a few minor things including the site survey.
Then I put the bridge in place to serve a ethernet enabled Tivo and ReplayTV. I was able to immediately able to access both the Tivo and ReplayTV. I setup WPA-PSK and it has been operating 5x5 ever since. One of the thngs I like about this bridge is that it supports QoS which is important for streaming media and VoIP. The bridge seems to be fairly simple to get setup and running, but has multiple menus which control things which are way over my head. One tip is that the default user name and password is admin and not just the password as implied in the manual. Now I just gotta figure out what I'm gonna stick in the other 3 ports.

Update 7/13/05 WPA gave up the ghost after 3 days. I had to reboot it a few times to get it to work after disabling WPA.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great - but watch the heat, August 18, 2004

By 

Rick Starbuck "tech junkie" (Walnut Creek, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch WET54GS5 (Personal Computers)

I got the Linksys wireless bridge working very quickly and with no real issues was able to establish a link with WPA-level encryption.

A day later, the unit started dropping connections left and right. I spent a few phone calls and chat sessions talking to Linksys tech support and then happened upon the solution all by myself.

AMBIENT HEAT FROM OTHER DEVICES KILLS THESE THINGS! If you're experiencing issues with this device, first make sure you've got the latest firmware. Then, check the temperature of the case. I found that setting it on top of my TiVo was enough to cause it to go haywire in a little over an hour. I took it off and placed it on the entertainment center shelf and, voila! no problems. Steady connection.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This bridge works perfectly with the firmware upgrade, November 10, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge with 5-port Switch WET54GS5 (Personal Computers)

There was a glaring problem with this unit and WPA security until they released firmware version 4.9.1 recently. It has been running stable in my home network for 2 months now. The AP its connected to is a D-Link DGL4300 with an antenna booster (they are separated by a floor and 30 feet). I have our email and web server connected to the bridge and it works great. Until the 200mbit HomePlug devices come out, this is the best solution this side of CAT-5 cable runs.