Linksys by Cisco WAG320N Wireless N Gigabit Dual Band Modem Router (for ADSL / telephone line connections i.e BT Broadband)

This is one of the first ADSL routers I have seen with 4x Gigabit ports.

So I bought this to speed up copying of files between my various PCs. The ability to connect USB storage is a nice bonus.

ADSL was easily configured. Web interface standard Linksys affair. Synch'ed slightly faster than my old Thomson router but nothing to get excited about.

One feature not mentioned much is the ability to use port 1 of the Ethernet ports to connect to another Internet source. Useful if later you decide to switch to Virgin Cable as it means you dont have to spend on another device. Downside is ofc you lose a port.

The storage/NAS feature works briliantly. The set up in the web interface takes a little getting used to and not recommended for a beginner but then this is not a router you would get for your granny!

This router is aimed squarely at the prosumer market and from that respect its fabulous. Only thing missing is the ability to hook up a printer via USB too.

Wireless works flawlessly. The dual band is there but its one or the other. You cannot run both simultaneously.

Buying this product was a bit of a gamble for me, firstly because for some time i had been searching around the net looking at reviews of this product, from professional reviewers to the people who bought them, and there's seems to be a mix match of what people think of the product, from people having a good experience of the product to the dissatisfied ones.
Here's my thoughts:
- Wireless speeds are better than the traditional "G" standard, but I've used faster "N" routers. Although you have to consider if the additional cost of something faster is really worth it? (What meets your needs?)
- This router isn't best suited to HD video streaming but will happily do normal def stuff.
- Setting it up was easy (so long as you have your broadband information at hand), the setup wizard walks you through in a simple and easy to understand fashion.
- From what I experienced, Mac support is equal to the PC. I.e. the CD that comes with the router works on both platforms.
- Gigabit ethernet is amazingly fast. Great if you're transferring massive files.
- USB feature is useless in the real world. On a Mac, finding a USB stick on the network required too much effort, i've heard it's easier on the PC. But the router should be treating any USB drive plugged into it as if it was another computer on the network. Therefore making it easy to find.
- If you are thinking of attaching a storage device to the router, you're better off using a NAS type device rather than using the USB port on the back. NAS was designed for a network (hence the name), has nice management features and importantly is faster than USB or firewire (when using the ethernet).
- When they say Dual-band, they don't really mean it. You have a choice between the standard 2.4GHz, which all wireless stuff will work with and the newer 5GHz, which is faster and more reliable since there aren't devices broadcasting at that frequency (yet). Unfortunately you have to choose one of the two, it can't do both at the same time. Cisco do make a router that does does both 2.4GHz and 5GHz at the same time but hasn't got the vital ADSL modem feature we need. You better off sticking to the 2.4GHz frequency, which is set as a default, plus all wireless devices will work fine with it.
- Be warned, Tech Support is hopeless. Cisco need to get on this problem, regardless of how good or bad their products are.
- The power button on the back is a nice, what's the point of leaving it on all night when my Mac is off, plus it's a lot easier to reach compared to the power socket.
- Great design, normally something that isn't considered much with routers but i like the black glossy finish. All the antennas are hidden away. Much like with anyone who's owned an iPhone or iPod Touch, this thing will be covered in finger prints. And you will notice them.
- It's reliable. Sometimes, whether you notice it or not, routers will lose their connection between your computer or internet (which is more normal than you think on a wireless network). So far I had no problems.

I bought this router to replace the one I received from BT. Specifically, I wanted a router which I could adjust the settings more easily and fully than is possible with the BT one. This router has an excellent range and is a doddle to set up. The only drawback I had with it was when using the 5Ghz range on the WiFi. I bought the Cisco USB adapter Linksys by Cisco WUSB600N Wireless-N USB Network Adapter with Dual-Band in conjunction with the router in the hope that I could switch band and get a 'cleaner' signal and therefore a longer range. In fact, the key dropped the signal by 20% at 10 feet (no walls) and moving downstairs meant losing the signal altogether. Switching to the 2.4Ghz range on the router and then reverting to the internal NIC in my netbook meant getting a 50% signal downstairs again. Clearly the 5Ghz range advertised on these two products is less than perfect. My advice? Get the router, it is excellent, but forget the Cisco USB adapter. Oh, and don't bother with Amazon's 'expedited' service - my kit took 4 days to arrive, not my definition of 'expedited'... something I won't bother with again.