Buffalo Technology Wireless-G High Power Router and Access Point with High Gain Antenna WHR-HP-G54

Full Description

5 Reviews

1. I bought this to replace a Linksys WRT54G2 router, which worked for a month and then started giving me incredibly slow internet speeds, requiring me to power cycle the modem and router numerous times each day. This Buffalo router was not the easiest thing in the world to set up, however I know very little about routers and I was able to get it up and running in an hour and a half, so I guess it’s not too bad. The automatic setup wizard was not able to establish an internet connection, however when I went to the router’s home page, there was an option to connect to the internet, and choosing that solved the problem. Some of the wording in the setup wizard is a bit confusing, for instance, when entering a user name and password, it told me to check with my internet service provider, making me think that I should enter some name and password that I had arranged with them. Like I say, it’s a bit confusing.

   As far as a comparison to the Linksys WRT54G2, here we go:

   Linksys: 70% – 75% signal strength at my Playstation 3.
   Buffalo: 85% signal strength.

   Linksys: 1 – 5 Mbps download speed at PS3.
   Buffalo – 6 – 9 Mbps download speed.

   Linksys – big reduction in internet speed with a wired connection to my PC.
   Buffalo – no noticeable reduction in speed over wired connection to PC.

   Linksys – a regular hotplate. I moved it once and the desk underneath it was downright hot.
   Buffalo – only slightly warm to the touch.

   The AOSS (AirStation OneTouch Secure System) worked well with the PS3 – I originally set up the router with no security and went through the automatic network connection setup on the PS3. Once that was done and a connection established, I went into the custom internet connection settings on the PS3, paged through it until I got to AOSS, then chose it and went and pushed the button on the top of the router. All the security was set up automatically. Pretty cool!

   So far I’m extremely satisfied with this Buffalo router. Other than the fact that setting it up took a bit of head scratching (and one rather loud profanity), it seems to be working perfectly. Now if it only lasts! You can be sure that if I start having problems with it in the future, I’ll most certainly be back to edit this review.

2. Unless you’re a completely router tech savvy person, save your time and frustration and get something newer. After hours of research, hardware issues, and flashing, it still didn’t work succesfully. I will be returning and getting a newer piece of routing technology.

3. This was my second purchase of this particular model and 4th overall purchase of a Buffalo networking product. I purchased it as a gift for my friend because his router died. This particular router is incredibly stable and is actually better than Buffalo’s wireless N router (which I also own). There are several features which I particularly like. The first is that it is extremely stable. I NEVER have to power cyle this router, unlike my Buffalo wireless N router, which I need to cycle once or twice a monrh. The second is AOSS, which allows one step connection of compatible devices, like the Nintendo Wii. The third is WDS which allows you to daisy chain multiple routers into a single network to extend your coverage in large spaces. Interestingly, Buffalo’s wireless N routers do not have this capability as yet. Finally, this router has excellent range. I do not have trouble getting a signal in a 3600+ sq foot home. I suspect that the combination of these features is what keeps this router still on the market, despite the fact that it has not had a firmware upgrade release in years.

   The only limitation of this router is that the admin system is really basic.

4. Pro – well built, seamless operation and great signal, hack notification, and some security options

   Con – The manual and software are poorly translated from the Geekinese.

   INSTALLATION TIP

   The trick to a cable modem installation is to get the computer talking to the router and all that powered up. Completely disconnect cable modem and either remove battery or let it wind down to zero charge. Then, it will release its stored MAC address, which is critical to get it to talk to a router.

   Now hook up the cable modem’s signal paths, and lastly hook up the power.

5. Noticed very little if any additional range and connection. Features are over exaggerated. If you need more range, go with a multi-antenna router.