Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)About EVDO card compatibility:
Other reviews and several Internet forums discuss compatibility problems with Verizon's EVDO cards (e.g., wireless broadband cards).
According to Linksys, the newest version of the WRT54G3G-VN's firmware only supports three Verizon Wireless EVDO PC cards: Audiovox PC5750, Novatel V720 and Sierra Wireless AirCard 595. (As of this writing, Amazon sells the PC5750 and the AirCard 595.) Other sources suggest five cards work with this router; that was once the case, but only for previous firmware versions, which are no longer available from Linksys. (My router, purchased in April 2009, came with firmware version 2.01.6, dated May 6, 2008 and likely the last firmware release Linksys will offer.)
If you insert a PC card other than those into the WRT54G3G-VN, the card will receive power but the router will not recognize the card or connect to Verizon. I had to visit my local Verizon Wireless store to change cards (I went with the PC5750); they called it an "upgrade" and gave me the card for free in exchange for extending my service contract by two years.
About technical support:
Linksys places a large orange sign in the WRT54G3G-VN's documentation, suggesting customers call Verizon Wireless for support. Verizon will not support this product, don't bother calling.
Linksys will provide tech support for this device, but only over the phone (i.e., no live chat via the Web site). Expect several transfers and to be on hold for a while. It took three support people and about an hour to get from Linksys tech support the compatible cards for this unit.
About the unit:
The WRT54G3G-VN's best selling point is that it's a standard Linksys WRT54G wireless-G router that happens to have a PCMCIA slot on the top, into which you stick an EVDO card.
That means the familiar Linksys administration panel and approach to home routers is in full presence. If you want simple routing, the guided setup CD-ROM will have you up and running in five minutes. If you want advanced routing -- port forwarding, VPN tunneling, MAC address restrictions, DMZ, etc. -- they all can be set in the admin panel as they would on any other Linksys router.
The back of the WRT54G3G-VN has four standard Ethernet switch ports and an Ethernet uplink port to connect to a DSL or cable modem. Therefore, you could use this router for network failover; simply connect it to a cable / DSL modem via Ethernet, add an EVDO card and configure the router to connect to Verizon only when the cable / DSL modem doesn't work.
This unit only provides 802.11g wireless LAN access. Most laptops made in the last five years or so use wireless-G; older computers that use 802.11b and newer ones that only support 802.11n will not be able to connect to this router wirelessly.
Overall assessment:
Linksys has the lion's share of the home networking market for good reason: they build reliable, affordable equipment, and the WRT54G3G-VN is no exception. It's simple to administer, has more configuration options than most people need and runs rock-solid.
I purchased this unit to replace a Kyocera KR-1 EVDO router purchased five years ago, when it was the only game in town. There's no comparison: the KR-1 (manufactured by D-Link), while adequate for the simplest home networking application, may have settings for port forwarding and VPN tunneling, but the router simply will not support either feature. The Linksys WRT54G3G-VN is hands-down a superior unit, one made by a familiar manufacturer with a proven track record.
In short, there may well be other wireless broadband routers that are as good, but there sure aren't any that are better, so why risk using something that isn't familiar?
Final notes:
-- As others have noted, you need to activate your EVDO card in a laptop PC before it will work with the WRT54G3G-VN. The only way to activate the card is in a PC Card-equipped computer with a fresh install of the VZ Access software. Verizon Wireless will not activate the card for you.
-- It's becoming increasingly difficult to find PC EVDO cards. You'll want to ensure you can purchase a compatible EVDO card first, and keep in mind that in two or three years, you may not be able to easily purchase a replacement PC EVDO card if your card suffers a malfunction.
-- The unit comes with a wide, sturdy stand; it can also be wall-mounted by screws, which are not provided.
-- There's a 3-foot-long, yellow Ethernet cable included in the box. In spite of the odd jacket color, it's a standard, T-568B straight-through patch cord.
-- The power supply cord is about four feet long. The cord has an inverter built into the plug; while it's not heavy or hefty, it may take up two outlets on a power strip.
-- The WRT54G3G-VN is basically the same as the WRT54G3G-ST (Sprint) and WRT54G3G-AT (AT&T Wireless). The only difference is the firmware, which controls what EVDO cards work with the router. It is possible, therefore, that you could use a WRT54G3G-ST with a Verizon Wireless PC EVDO card, or a WRT54G3G-VN with a Sprint card, provided the router's firmware supports the EVDO card you use.
It is also possible to download, for example, the Verizon Wireless firmware from the Linksys Web site, then "flash" a WRT54G3G-ST router with the Verizon firmware, basically turning it into a WRT54G3G-VN. I don't advocate doing that, especially if you are not skilled in computer hardware and networking, but it is possible.
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