Linksys WRE54G wireless range extender – extend the wireless G range network. Should we add this range extender or upgrade your existing wireless G router to Linksys E3200?
Linksys WRE54G wireless range extender is the old generation product which is powered by the wireless G standard extending the range of your old generation wireless G router. The benefit of deploying wireless range extender is that you don’t need to run the network cable from the router to the access point device in order to add another wireless network to cover the dead spots area.
With your existing wireless G router, you have the legacy wireless network which the speed is limited to only 54Mbps or 108Mbps (for wireless G router with enhanced features). The wireless G router coverage is also limited not as far as the wireless N router can cover which is typically one fourth the range of the wireless N. And the speed, the wireless N network can deliver the speed up to 300Mbps or even faster up to 450Mbps – this is nearly 6 to 10 times the speed of wireless G standard.
Now, keeping your existing wireless G router and adding the Linksys WRE54G to extend the range of your wireless G coverage, you should think differently. You have the options of covering the dead zones within the home either adding Powerline adapter plus wireless N access point or replacing the router with the wireless N router such as Linksys E3200 series.
Adding the Powerline Adapter Plus AP
Powerline Adapter is the easy solution to create a building wide network by using the power outlets – your existing electrical wiring. You need one Powerline adapter and connect it to your Ethernet port of the router and your power outlets within the house are ready for the network. Add another Powerline adapter in area where you require adding a wireless access point device to provide wireless network around. This solution is ideal if you require to cover the farthest corner of the building when adding a wireless range extender is still not possible.
For example, you can use the Linksys PLTK300-RM Powerline adapter kit. The kit includes one PLTE200 with one Ethernet port you can connect to your router, and PLTS200 with four ports you can install in area where you require multiple devices in separate room (or in the second floor) connect to the network / the internet.
PLTK300-RM delivers the speeds up to 85Mbps via the electrical wiring and fast Ethernet ports delivering the speeds 10/100Mbps to the Ethernet-based devices.
This is the easiest way you extend the network using the existing electrical wiring. You can connect devices by using the UTP network cable from the Powerline adapter to the Ethernet-base device or you can add a wireless access point device such as WAP610N to provide wireless access.
Replace to Linksys E3200 N600 Router
The other solution instead of adding WRE54G is replace your old wireless G router with the latest generation of wireless N router such as Linksys E3200 N600. The router is powered by the latest wireless N technology delivering the speeds up to 300mbps (almost 5 times the speed of your existing wireless G router) each band (300+300Mbps). This doubles your bandwidth demand to 600Mbps instead of 54Mbps (your wireless G router).
The router includes four Gigabit Ethernet ports – fast lane ready when you upgrade your computers with gigabit NIC adapters for maximum data rate throughput. The good thing is that it includes one USB port you can use to share external USB storage disk across the network. Cisco Connect Software included with the product helps you manage the router configurations including the storage, user settings and managing the shared printer on the network.
Not just that, regarding the security other legacy routers cannot support is the guest network feature. You can create separate network with different password to allow your guests / visitors get the internet access without compromising your local network resources.
By Ki Grinsing
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