JiWire Lab Test Results

The Linksys WRT-G54 offers very good performance, but relatively poor range, as throughput dropped off dramatically after going through a few walls in a wood-frame house. In the same room or adjoining rooms with the router, however, the Linksys' speed was better than most of the competition.

Linksys also makes an inexpensive 802.11g access point, the WAP-G54, which can be used along with the WRT-G54 router to cover a large house. The latest router firmware adds support for wireless bridging to the WAP-G54 access point, so you can install it without running wired Ethernet to the access point location, as well as roam seamlessly between the two devices.

Throughput vs. Distance

Chart Key: Click on a product to see its results...
D-Link AirPlus XtremeG Wireless Router DI-624
NetGear 108Mbps Wireless Firewall Router WGT624
Microsoft Wireless-G Base Station MN-700
Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router WRT-54G
Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (with modem)
Buffalo AirStation G54 (WBR-G54)
NetGear Cable/DSL Wireless Router MR814v2

How We Tested

Our real-world performance tests measure actual throughput in a typical wood-frame house, through walls and floors, at five distances from the base station: 3 feet (same room), 15 feet (same floor), 25 feet (same floor), 35 feet (upstairs), and 50 feet (upstairs). All tests were conducted with 128-bit WEP encryption on, and in 802.11g-only mode, if available.