Linksys WAG354G Wireless-G ADSL 2+ Modem Router Gateway, 4-Port Switch & Access Point

One niggle is that the UserGuide is presented as a single PDF book for all languages - one per language would be easier to navigate. And it would be helpful to have a set of the standard configurations for the main ISPs. Finally, I paid £60 - so at £50 I would recommend it as good value.

The new unit is noticeably smaller than its predecessor. However the web interface very similar, and therefore just as easy to configure. I was initially dubious about the similarities though, given the problems I'd had with the earlier model.

Firstly, the good news. The wireless connection is consistently stable, and despite the lack of an external aerial, does not drop out after prolonged use. So the thermal problems that many people experienced with the WAG54G appear to have been resolved. The device is ready for ADSL2, meaning it's ready for connections faster than 8mb, if you are fortunate enough to have this speed connection available. The customary 4-port switch is built in too.

Now the bad news, perhaps. If you want to set up a PPTP VPN connection, this router still does not do what it says on the tin: The GRE protocol required for PPTP to work is still being blocked by the built-in firewall.

Overall impression: A much improved device from Linksys, and one that I am now (mostly) happy with. I suspect anyone that does not have my requirement to operate a VPN will be very satisfied with it.

As an aside, the full source code for the router's firmware is available on the Linksys website under the GPL licence, for those that are inclined to tinker.

I was quite nervous about setting this up as I had no experience of setting up networks. The leaflets in the box made me more nervous as it made it look like I would have to phone my ISP (Tesco) to get all sorts of obscure information. However also in the box was a CD, I used this and I had the router/modem configured and running in about 3 minutes. It is noticeably faster than the USB modem supplied by Tesco and my Dell Laptop connects with a full strength signal anywhere in my house. I really do not understand all the reviewers who said that they had trouble setting this up. All you have to do is run the CD and follow the illustrated instructions, (disconnect your old USB modem, connect the router via cable to your phone socked, and to your PC's ethernet port with the supplied cables and then power it up). The only other thing you need to do is enter the username and password for your ISP account. Simple really, and hard to see how it could be made any easier. Initially I set it up with no encryption. Found it dead easy to log onto the router/modem via my web browser to set this up. Again once I had entered the new security key on my laptop, no problems. I can only think that those who have had problems have just ram stammed ahead without reading the instructions on screen when they ran the set up disk.