| | |  | Networking & Online Communication | Home » » » » » Linksys by Cisco Wireless-G Router For Mobile Broadband For Use With Verizon | | | | | | | Description: | | The Linksys Wireless-G Router for Mobile Broadband is really three devices in one box. First, there`s the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect both screaming fast Wireless-G (802.11g at 54Mbps) and Wireless-B (802.11b at 11Mbps) devices to the network. Second, it¿s a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Connect four PCs directly or attach more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Thirdly, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a mobile broadband Internet connection (requires a mobile broadband data card). Alternatively, you can also connect a cable or DSL modem to the Ethernet port and access the Internet via your available broadband service. | | | Features: | |
• Features
• - All-in-one Internet-sharing Router, 4-port Switch, and Wireless-G (802.11g) Access Point
• - Shares a Mobile Broadband Internet Connection and other resources with Ethernet wired and Wireless-G clients
• - Standard PC Card slot for a Mobile Broadband Data Card (available separately from your Mobile Broadband service provider)
• - High security Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2 Personal), wireless MAC address filtering, powerful SPI firewall
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 6.69 inches | | Product Width:
| 6.69 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.3 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.77 pounds | | Package Length:
| 11.4 inches | | Package Width:
| 9.7 inches | | Package Height:
| 2.8 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.85 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 22 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 22 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 Works great, but only with three EVDO card modelsApr 07, 2009
By Douglas Vanderweide
About EVDO card compatibility:
Other reviews and several Internet forums discuss compatibility problems with Verizon's EVDO cards (e.g., wireless broadband cards).
According to Linksys, the newest version of the WRT54G3G-VN's firmware only supports three Verizon Wireless EVDO PC cards: Audiovox PC5750, Novatel V720 and Sierra Wireless AirCard 595. (As of this writing, Amazon sells the PC5750 and the AirCard 595.) Other sources suggest five cards work with this router; that was once the case, but only for previous firmware versions, which are no longer available from Linksys. (My router, purchased in April 2009, came with firmware version 2.01.6, dated May 6, 2008 and likely the last firmware release Linksys will offer.)
If you insert a PC card other than those into the WRT54G3G-VN, the card will receive power but the router will not recognize the card or connect to Verizon. I had to visit my local Verizon Wireless store to change cards (I went with the PC5750); they called it an "upgrade" and gave me the card for free in exchange for extending my service contract by two years.
About technical support:
Linksys places a large orange sign in the WRT54G3G-VN's documentation, suggesting customers call Verizon Wireless for support. Verizon will not support this product, don't bother calling.
Linksys will provide tech support for this device, but only over the phone (i.e., no live chat via the Web site). Expect several transfers and to be on hold for a while. It took three support people and about an hour to get from Linksys tech support the compatible cards for this unit.
About the unit:
The WRT54G3G-VN's best selling point is that it's a standard Linksys WRT54G wireless-G router that happens to have a PCMCIA slot on the top, into which you stick an EVDO card.
That means the familiar Linksys administration panel and approach to home routers is in full presence. If you want simple routing, the guided setup CD-ROM will have you up and running in five minutes. If you want advanced routing -- port forwarding, VPN tunneling, MAC address restrictions, DMZ, etc. -- they all can be set in the admin panel as they would on any other Linksys router.
The back of the WRT54G3G-VN has four standard Ethernet switch ports and an Ethernet uplink port to connect to a DSL or cable modem. Therefore, you could use this router for network failover; simply connect it to a cable / DSL modem via Ethernet, add an EVDO card and configure the router to connect to Verizon only when the cable / DSL modem doesn't work.
This unit only provides 802.11g wireless LAN access. Most laptops made in the last five years or so use wireless-G; older computers that use 802.11b and newer ones that only support 802.11n will not be able to connect to this router wirelessly.
Overall assessment:
Linksys has the lion's share of the home networking market for good reason: they build reliable, affordable equipment, and the WRT54G3G-VN is no exception. It's simple to administer, has more configuration options than most people need and runs rock-solid.
I purchased this unit to replace a Kyocera KR-1 EVDO router purchased five years ago, when it was the only game in town. There's no comparison: the KR-1 (manufactured by D-Link), while adequate for the simplest home networking application, may have settings for port forwarding and VPN tunneling, but the router simply will not support either feature. The Linksys WRT54G3G-VN is hands-down a superior unit, one made by a familiar manufacturer with a proven track record.
In short, there may well be other wireless broadband routers that are as good, but there sure aren't any that are better, so why risk using something that isn't familiar?
Final notes:
-- As others have noted, you need to activate your EVDO card in a laptop PC before it will work with the WRT54G3G-VN. The only way to activate the card is in a PC Card-equipped computer with a fresh install of the VZ Access software. Verizon Wireless will not activate the card for you.
-- It's becoming increasingly difficult to find PC EVDO cards. You'll want to ensure you can purchase a compatible EVDO card first, and keep in mind that in two or three years, you may not be able to easily purchase a replacement PC EVDO card if your card suffers a malfunction.
-- The unit comes with a wide, sturdy stand; it can also be wall-mounted by screws, which are not provided.
-- There's a 3-foot-long, yellow Ethernet cable included in the box. In spite of the odd jacket color, it's a standard, T-568B straight-through patch cord.
-- The power supply cord is about four feet long. The cord has an inverter built into the plug; while it's not heavy or hefty, it may take up two outlets on a power strip.
-- The WRT54G3G-VN is basically the same as the WRT54G3G-ST (Sprint) and WRT54G3G-AT (AT&T Wireless). The only difference is the firmware, which controls what EVDO cards work with the router. It is possible, therefore, that you could use a WRT54G3G-ST with a Verizon Wireless PC EVDO card, or a WRT54G3G-VN with a Sprint card, provided the router's firmware supports the EVDO card you use.
It is also possible to download, for example, the Verizon Wireless firmware from the Linksys Web site, then "flash" a WRT54G3G-ST router with the Verizon firmware, basically turning it into a WRT54G3G-VN. I don't advocate doing that, especially if you are not skilled in computer hardware and networking, but it is possible.
12 of 13 found the following review helpful:
Great Product WITH some qualifiersAug 14, 2008
By R. Evans
This product is great. Linksys has farmed out their customer support overseas, so it sucks now. BUT, this is really easy to set up.
1) make sure your card is on their APPROVED list (only 3 cards work for Verizon)
2) make sure your card has been activated and you have USED it in a comptuer, you cannot take a live card and just plug it in
3) have another internet source available while installing, that way you can log into Linksys Chat for any tech/setup related questions
4) patience and a basic understanding on how these networks setup. If you have set up a previous wireless g or something, you know enough
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Something that finally works...Sep 02, 2008
By E. E. Cavazos
I live in the middle of no-where and have a very hard time getting high-speed internet. I have tried local high-speed, which would not reach, satelite internet, which is faster than dial-up, but not worth the money, and finally this. I recieve 4 full bars of signal where I live, and pull very good speeds. Normal download speeds of about 2 MB/sec, and normal upload about 750Kb/sec. I used this router with a Verizon Wireless PC5750 AirCard, and have no problems. The speeds are very consistant, and I have never had a problem, other than sometimes the router will not automatically "dial in" a connect to Verizon, and I have to push the button. The router has proven it self in reliability, consistancy. I sometimes use XBox Live, and have no problems connecting that and my computer to the internet.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Great product, poor documentation and supportJan 05, 2009
By Brian Schoenbaechler
"climb2ski"
The unit works awesome if you have an approved card and update firmware. I gave this as a Christmas gift to my parents! They brought me the unit since they could not get it to work.
The Good
1) unit works as advertised provided you are willing to wade through poor support and documentation!
The Bad
1) No tech support number with the product. (they forward you to Verizon tech support which is useless and totally deceiving, a lame attempt to pass the buck Linksys)
2) Updated firmware drivers buried on the website in some obscure location.
3) After hunting a tech support number on the Linksys website and waiting 30 minutes...I eventually found the new firmware drivers and loaded them on my own.
Ditto the other guys post:
1) make sure your card is on their APPROVED list (only 3 cards work for Verizon)
2) make sure your card has been activated and you have USED it in a computer, you cannot take a live card and just plug it in
3) have another internet source available while installing, that way you can log into Linksys Chat for any tech/setup related questions
4) patience and a basic understanding on how these networks setup. If you have set up a previous wireless g or something, you know enough
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
One of the best investments I've made!Jan 20, 2009
By R. Boney
After years of struggling with Time Warner Cable's Roadrunner I finally stumbled across this great router from Linksys. This is the perfect solution for anyone who is tired of dial-up or cable and can't get dsl through their phone line...but has multiple computers in the house and needs a wireless router! I'm not a computer wiz but I have installed previous wireless routers and therefor really did not have problems with the set up, but as the other guy says there are a few steps to keep in mind.
1) get the right card from verizon, and double check that they have coverage in your area. I purchased a PC5750 and it works great.
2) ACTIVATE THE PC CARD FIRST!!! Put the card into your laptop or someone's laptop and activate it first. I had to borrow a friends dell laptop to installed the broadband card software and activate it since I only have Mac's in the house and they don't have a PC Card slot! However, once I activated it, I just took the card out of her PC and went on to step 3...
3) Once you have the router all I had to do is put the card in, plug up the router and then push the Data Card connect button on the front of the router. It took a minute or two for the connection to be made but it worked like a charm right off the bat (no software what so ever had to be loaded onto my Macs)
4) You can go to http://192.168.1.1/ to setup the router and create a password so your wireless network is secure (the default is usually user name: admin, password: admin) google linksys router setup if you have issues.
5) Verizon broadband is not meant for anyone who is looking or needs super high speed. Right now I'm downloading at about 1.5mbs which for normal surfing (checking email, the weather, checking facebook and downloading some songs on ITunes) is fine and I'm not having any issues (and I hate slow connections!) However, if you plan to do any gaming this is not the solution for you!!!
Again, this was the perfect solution and well worth the money for the router and card! The verizon network is reliable and their customer service is much better than the cable company! I would recommend this solution to any friend!!!
See all 22 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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