Many businesses are now looking to go down the wireless route because of the increasing use of laptops in the network. Providing a wireless option to mobile devices is increases the convenience offered by such routers. Wireless networks, if properly implemented can provide adequate security as well. Enterpriser reviewed the Linksys by Cisco wireless G-Broadband router WRT54G2 to find out of if this device lives up to its predecessor's popularity.
Package Contents:
- WRT54G2 router
- Quick setup guide
- Setup wizard and documentation CD
- Power Cable
- Ethernet data cable (RJ-45)
Design and Connectivity:
The router looks stylish and even has its antennae built into the body to maintain aesthetics. Lack of an external antenna might prevent some who want to attach a directional or a higher gain antenna in order to increase range. However, to most users, this should not pose to be a problem.
The Linksys WRT54G2, like its predecessor, has 1 WAN port and 4 LAN ports as connectivity options. The WAN port supports the RJ-45 connector -- this enables users to directly connect to ISPs (Internet Service Providers) that provide Ethernet as a connectivity option. The 4 LAN ports ensures that you can have computers and devices like network storage, or a network on the wired network as well. This router does not have a built-in modem. This means that the device cannot connect directly to ISPs that provide Internet via a telephone line -- MTNL's Triband being one such example. Such modems are usually ADSL2 or ADSL2+ modems. However, one can connect the ADSL modem to a non-ADSL wireless router as a workaround. Connections to computers and mobile devices on the network will then be made through the wirless router. This method has one advantage -- if at all you choose to change to an ISP that does not use ADSL, the wireless router will still be useful. Also, ADSL2/2+ wireless routers are more expensive than the non-ADSL ones.
Features:
Connectivity options for this router includes the ability to support static and dynamic IP addresses. If your ISP dynamically assigns an IP address, then setting up the router becomes virtually plug-and-play. The router also supports tunneling protocols like PPTP and L2TP for virtual private network (VPN) connectivity. This router only supports IPSec as a passthrough and not endpoint connectivity. Businesses who are serious about security will need a router that also supports IPSec as an endpoint for VPN.
For those businesses that would want to host certain services without a static IP address, services like tzo.com and dyndns.org can provide access to systems inside an organization. The ability to clone your PC's MAC address works fine with ISPs like Hathway, Reliance, etc. who restrict access by MAC address as well.
Security:
The wireless router includes security features like the ability to not broadcast its SSID -- which is a unique ID that identifies a wireless network. While this can easily be circumvented, it does include one more obstacle for the casual eavesdropper. For the security conscious businesses, the WRT54G2 supports encryption modes like WEP 64-bit and 128-bit, the more secure WPA (personal and enterprise) that supports the TKIP protocol, and WPA2 (personal and enterprise) that supports AES and the TKIP+AES encryption standard. The WRT54G2 supports authentication of the connecting clients to a central server by RADIUS authentication as well. This will keep many a hackers at bay. It also supports MAC address filtering for up to 40 MAC addresses. While this is again a small obstacle for a casual snooper, advanced hackers can circumvent this by cloning MAC addresses on their computers.
Quality of Service (QoS):
The router supports QoS options specifically for businesses to ensure optimum usage of available bandwidth. An administrator can control the amount of bandwidth allocated to each user -- ensuring that no one user hogs bandwidth. This router supports a frame burst mode that can increase network speed by using the packet bursting mode. However, this feature will work only if a frame burst capable wireless card is used on the client PC/laptop/mobile device.
Firewall:
The firewall on the router can be setup to block anonymous Internet requests that prevents pings/network scans. This firewall also stops attacks like Internet NAT re-direction and IDENT requests. The firewall on the router can be termed as a 'rudimentary' one. While it does provide basic security, businesses should rely on a stronger free or paid firewall system to secure their network. Features like port forwarding and demilitarized zone (DMZ for a perimeter network) for hosting services and setting up servers are also supported.
Access Control:
One of the main reasons that this router is ideal for businesses is because it provides a decent level of access control. An administrator can block users by,
- IP addresses
- Time of the day (for example, users can be configured to have restricted acccess to the Internet during office hours)
- Day of week
- Directly block sites by their address or URL
- Block sites by matching keywords
Management:
The router can be locally or remotely managed using the HTTP and HTTPS (HTTP Secure) protocol. It can also be seamlessly integrated into a Cisco network by using the Cisco Web Assistant. The router also supports data logging for auditing and troubleshooting purposes, uses diagnostic features like Ping and Traceroute to check connectivity, restore factory defaults in case of configuration errors, and perform a firmware upgrade.
Usability:
The router perfomed very well in different locations -- it was found to have a decent range and worked without any hiccups in an office space of a radius of about 50 meters. Although casual surfing, instant messsaging and e-mail users will not find this a problem, this transferring large files over the local network may not be provide an optimal transfer rate. The transfer speeds were particularly noticable as the range increased. An important security feature that was missed in this router was IPSEC endpoint support and the ability to restrict the signal range which existed in the WRT54G.
Conclusion and Verdict:
At a price of Rs. 3,199 this router performs well and provides a reasonable set of features which includes high security, access control and manageability. The WRT54G2 is definitely a must buy. However, the inability to add a high gain antenna or change the firmware to enhance features as well as performance.
Pricing and Availability:
Contact: Mr. Jayesh Dabrai
Phone: 9820429532
Warranty: 1-year (Limited Warranty)
Price: Rs. 3,199
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