Linksys Wireless g Router

The Linksys wireless g router is a good example of everything touched upon previously. A model such as the Linksys WRT54GS wireless g router contains a wi fi access point, to connect compatible devices using 802.11 g and 802.11 b standards. Built-in 4 port Ethernet connections for any wired devices. And the router itself, which handles all the devices and allows them to share a DSL Internet or high-speed cable connection. The router also functions as a DHCP server (assigning unique IP addresses to each device on the system), with a built-in firewall to work with any PC-based security for added protection from unwanted intruders or attacks.

This particular Linksys wireless g broadband router also comes with speedbooster, which is an addon by the company to boost the transfer rate between computers on the same network. This is usually much faster than transfer rates on the Internet, but the addon can increase this speed even more, which can be helpful when moving large files from PC to PC. The extra speed comes from having a larger flash memory (8mb instead of 4mb), and more RAM (32mb vs. 16mb).

You can also get this model without the speedbooster function, as the Linksys WRT54G wireless g router. It has all the other features - Access point, 4 port wired connections, and the router functions (DHCP server, built-in firewall).

Similar models from other companies would include the Belkin F5D7231-4 (shown previously), or the Netgear WGT624 (shown above). All three models use the 802.11 g standard, which is also backwards-compatible with 802.11 a. Installation is easy, usually by following the steps on the included CD-ROM (actual instructions may vary slightly from model to model).

Once you know what kind of router you want, it's time to turn our attention to the devices you want to link up to your network - desktop computers, notebooks, printers, maybe even game machines or cameras. Do they have built-in compatibility with your router? What can you do if they don't have a wifi access point? We will examine the need for a wireless network adapter next.