Bekijk de volledige versie : Asus WL-500g vs. Linksys WRT-54G (which one to buy)
I want to buy a WLAN Router and wonder whether I should get an Asus WL-500g or an Linksys WRT-54G.
Both seem to have the same FlashRom (4MB) and RAM (16MB) with the exception of the WRT-54GS who seems to have 32 MB RAM and 8 (or 16?) MB Flash.
The advantage of the WL500g seems to be that is has USB (1.1) and a parallel port. Therefore it seems to be the better choice.
But does the WL-500g have any disadvantages compared to the WRT54G?
I know the Linksys can be modded with 2 Serial ports. Can the WL-500g be modded too?
That would be cool for a fallback modem or ISDN connection.
What about the fact that the WRT54G has 2 Antennas and the WL-500g only one? What can you do with 2 Antennas that you can't do with one?
The higher FlashRom of the WRT-54GS is outdone by far by the ability of the WL-500g to load stuff from USB. But what about the additional RAM? What features would it be needed for?
Any other disadvantages of the Asus? Or is there an even better AP that can run an open Linux?
I want to invest my money into the right device. :-)
Thanks for you advice.
Berny
Few notes. Any broadcom 4702 based device could be easily modified to support 2 USB ports. But this is USB 1.1 only and work slow. If you want USB 2.0 take a look on to netgear wgt634. As for RS232 ports - you can use USB to RS232 device for this, but you will need to add corresponding modules to the kernel.
If you're thinking about linksys - think of GS version only - it's built with 200 MHz CPU (4712 - I don't know anything about USB support) and larger RAM/FLASH which is very important if you want to play games with custom firmwares. If you want guaranteed USB - think of ASUS or Netgear. But I don't know anything about custom firmwares for netgear.
Antiloop
17-05-2004, 13:25
NETGear does not really seem to be available.. although it is not in Holland as i was planning to buy this as 'replacement' (or toy to play with maybe)
NETGear does not really seem to be available.. although it is not in Holland
Do you mean 'at least' not in Holland? Maybe you can buy it from Germany (which should be relatively easy as it is in the EU) or Switzerland.
There are several German online stores that sell the WGT634U (http://www.preisroboter.de/ergebnis112815.html) and at least one Swiss one. (http://www.pcp.ch/artikel.cfm/Netgear.WGT634-DSL-Kabel-Gateway-108-MBit-s/ArtNr.12082366/)
BTW I really had to laugh when seeing the nice coverage-diagramm in this image (http://www.netgear-info.de/produkte/router/firewall/images/wgt634u_diagramm.jpg). The feature of not being affected by walls at all seems to have been traded off with a really low range. But really, who would want to go for 802.11b today when it doesn't even cover one room? :D
But otherwise it sure would be nice for the price of ~ 135 EUR with USB 2.0 except that there are no linux distributions for it. As long as that's missing, I won't buy it. :p
What I can't find on the other hand is the WRT-54GS, at least not in Germany. Does anyone know where to get it in the EU?
Berny
xlephant
17-05-2004, 15:47
hi berny
i bought the wl500g a few weeks ago, and what should i say, i'm very pleased. i bought it by mix-computers.de. for 90EUR, but the shipping costs are a bit to high. :(
greetz from frankfurt
Antiloop
17-05-2004, 15:58
i can't find the linksys wrt54gs neither in holland,
and for the netgear, i want a dutch distributor to deliver the stuff
so i'll wait till it's available here..
for the scheme of them.. :confused: moehaha :D fakers, my 802.11b (Asus WL-300 (B)) is going much and MUCH more far than the wl500g
the difference is at least 50-100 meters from inside(ap) to outside(client)
But otherwise it sure would be nice for the price of ~ 135 EUR with USB 2.0 except that there are no linux distributions for it. As long as that's missing, I won't buy it. :p
netgear runs linux also. And the same toolchain is used, but packed differently. There was a thread on wl500g.info with details.
from where I am (in Asia), the wrt54g is cheaper than the wl-500g. My first priority is that the router must be "hackable". the WRT54g and the WL500g comes at the top of the list.
the wrt54g, of course, is older and is therefore more popular with lots of people contributing to its extended firmware.
I'm very happy to hear about the traffic shaper support (wondershaper) for wrt54g and am wondering if we're gonna see it soon on the wl500g. (am sure the wl500g is worth the extra bucks, but i'm waiting for that traffic shaping support first)
I want to buy a WLAN Router and wonder whether I should get an Asus WL-500g or an Linksys WRT-54G.
But does the WL-500g have any disadvantages compared to the WRT54G?
................
Berny
I own the WL-500G and a WAP54G... I think the only difference in the type of Linksys you mentioned is the extra lan ports and a wider variety of customized FW`s because it has more memory. I might be wrong ofcourse... but since I have experience with both brands maybe I can tell something about my idea about this question....
The USB and LPT of the WL500g is a "very" nice feature. The USB Cam option was my reason of buying this device. Motion detection in a box... wow!
Unfortunately Asus is very bad with their firmwares. Basic features promised on the box need improvement... and Asus takes ages for these updates.
Chupa is the place for a good fix... but it would be nice if only cool add-ons needed to be implemented and tested... but no... everything needs tuning up and fixing and this ofcourse takes lot of time/effort and testing.
And each time Asus puts intelligence of Chupa in their FW... they mess up something else. Their last Audio thing is proof that they don`t investigate enough in making the promised features rock stable.
I think if you like the USB HDD/FTP feature and youre linux minded... this is a wonderfull toy for ya.
If you are more security and stability minded... and want better support and compatibility take the Linksys! I think because they stamp a little Cisco logo on it they can`t fuckup completely to keep up the good name hehehe so FW`s are better tested and more stable... although they have less features.
Also the double antenna really works... it gives less problems with reflections/interruptions and gives a more stable signal (put one horizontal and the other vertikal). Also the connectors Linksys use are more compatible than the reverse sma Asus uses. Its easier and cheaper to buy a extra strong external antenna for the Linksys box.
So a short summary.... Asus has more features... but for stability you need the Chupa community FW releases and patience.
Linksys has less features, but gives more out of the box stability and security.
This is my humble opinion... I hope this helps in your decision :)
I own the WL-500G and a WAP54G...
The local market here the prominent ones are :-
(First tier)
1. DLink
2. NetGear
3. LevelOne
4. SMC
After these names then come :-
(Second tier)
1. Linksys - mainly because of historical presence
2. And other names which I can't remember off-hand.
Asus is considered VERY uncommon, mainly because of the price. Other Asus products are very common, such as mother boards and others - except for the broadband router. Nevertheless I could go to the shop and grep one without having to do a mail order.
Cheers