CompUSA: USR MAXg 125Mbps wireless router w/print server $14.99 AR/AR/AR

[ttown]

Sorry if repost -- I searched and found an old thread by allisolm a couple months ago

LINKY

Userguide shows a LOT more features than what you can read on the box.

examples: Access Point Isolation (aka "hotspot"); wireless bridge mode; wds; QoS; RADIUS authentication

I snagged one but haven't set it up yet -- so I may add my review later this week...

Anyone else use one?

 

[allisolm]

The adapters are also $14.99 AR. $59.99 before rebates.

331851 USB adapter (2 MIRs, 1 erebate totaling $45)

331850 notebook card (same rebates)

331853 desktop card (same rebates)

 

[Deslok]

Any comment on Performance? Review I found were mixed at best.

 

[BoKingWen]

wonder if i can use disable the router function and use it as a wireless print server.

 

[phils725]

Originally posted by: Deslok
Any comment on Performance? Review I found were mixed at best.

I bought this a while back at crapusa when it was $20AR. Overall, pretty reliable, and feature packed on the router (not the best of the bunch but certainly not even near the worst). The adapters on the other hand dont seem to provide as good of a range as you would expect. I get better signal quality from an old MS 54g adapter that I own than I do from the USR.

 

[caboob]

Originally posted by: BoKingWen
wonder if i can use disable the router function and use it as a wireless print server.

I should try this. I just picked this up this morning.

 

[nekote]

First, is it a truly bi-directional printer port?
I tried to find out, but struck out.


Second: USR5461 User Guide

OMG, another open source code (wireless) router???? (w/USB print server, too!):

GPL Source Code
The GPL Source Code contained in this product is available as
a free download from the GPL Code Central Archive
Firmware Version 3.91.37.0.3

5461_3.91.37.0.3.usr 1.8 MB 11-21-05

 

[Fallen Kell]

Originally posted by: Deslok
Any comment on Performance? Review I found were mixed at best.

At $15? Its hard to say anything bad about these. I mean, come on, if you really want performance, well you need to pay for it. But at this price, even if the range is only 1/2 everything else out there (and I am not saying that it is), it is still a steal.

 

[elph]

Good deal if you're looking for something quick and easy. I prefer routers than can run openwrt though.

 

[caboob]

So far this thing connects to the net with better speed than my Netgear. I'm currently connected at a full 54 Mbps even from a different room. My Netgear can only do that if the comp's in the same room. Very pleased so far. Now to get those rebates in the envelopes.

 

[probzy]

Nice post. Thanks OP!

 

[BoKingWen]

Originally posted by: caboob

Originally posted by: BoKingWen
wonder if i can use disable the router function and use it as a wireless print server.

I should try this. I just picked this up this morning.

Are up able to just use this router for printer server function?

 

[markrb38]

Anyone ever try it with an all-in-one?
Wonder if the scanner would work.

Mark

 

[ttown]

Originally posted by: markrb38
Anyone ever try it with an all-in-one?
Wonder if the scanner would work.

Mark

Nope.

Quote:
When used with multi-function printers that scan and copy, the Wireless MAXg router only supports printing. For bi-directional communication features, such as scanning, connect the multi-function printer directly to the computer. Also, notifications, such as low ink or add paper, are not transmitted from the Wireless MAXg Router to the computer.

 

[caboob]

So far, I've been able to wirelessly send print jobs. Just point the computer to the printers address and away you go.

 

[ttown]

Has anyone set up bridging?

I'm trying to set bridging and am pretty much stuck.

Can anyone help me out with a sample set-up/configuration?

I put it in bridging mode, set the wds restriction to my other wifi-routers wlan mac address.
What else do I do?

 

[Fallen Kell]

Originally posted by: ttown
Has anyone set up bridging?

I'm trying to set bridging and am pretty much stuck.

Can anyone help me out with a sample set-up/configuration?

I put it in bridging mode, set the wds restriction to my other wifi-routers wlan mac address.
What else do I do?

Well, according to the documentation, the wds restriction settings need the mac addresses of the devices that are getting plugged into the router (in other words the things you "bridging" into the network, so any computer, game console, etc... not the mac address of the other routers, although it wouldn't be a bad idea to place them in there). You also need to set the SSID, channel, encryption type and encryption seeds to the same as the wireless network you are bridging into.

Also according to the manual, you do not need to use wds in order to bridge the networks. In fact, it is recommended that if you are only using the router as a bridge and not needing it to allow other wireless devices to connect to that router (due to signal strength or interference), that you do NOT use bridged mode and wds as it appears to use a lot of extra computing power and restricts the network bandwidth on the "bridge" connection between this router and the other wireless router it is connecting with (well, it doesn't come right out and say that, but if you read between the lines and notice that you can't enable a bunch of other features like higher levels of encryption security while both "bridge" and "wds" are enabled, you will be able to come to the same conclusions that I just stated above, it uses a lot of extra processing power).

 

[dhkkim]

so using the bridging, can you use it as an wifi extender?

 

[nekote]

Originally posted by: ttownQuote:
When used with multi-function printers that scan and copy, the Wireless MAXg router only supports printing. For bi-directional communication features, such as scanning, connect the multi-function printer directly to the computer. Also, notifications, such as low ink or add paper, are not transmitted from the Wireless MAXg Router to the computer.

ttown - thanks!!! (that is, unfortunately, the expectable state of affairs )
(NOT bi-directional)

 

[johnny42544]

I got one of these several months ago from C-USA, and got it FAR with 3 rebates. They took a while, but all came thru. And it works beautifully. Highly recommend.

 

[TekDemon]

Oh I might have to grab one to replace my HORRIBLE Linksys WRT54G router (yes it's one of the horrible new ones with 2MB of RAM and performance from the 56K era).

I mean I had heard that the older ones were better, but nobody actually told me that the new ones were unusable pieces of garbage that get smoked by my 4 year old Microsoft 802.11b router. Grr, Linksys must be joking with this horrible excuse for a router.

OK enough venting...time to go bring USRobotics back from the dead!

 

[nekote]

Following up on that thought, how many MB on this puppy?
(forgive my laziness. I got no time and hoping somebody with one will be able to investigate / anser quick and easy)

 

[ttown]

Originally posted by: Fallen Kell

Originally posted by: ttown
Has anyone set up bridging?

I'm trying to set bridging and am pretty much stuck.

Can anyone help me out with a sample set-up/configuration?

I put it in bridging mode, set the wds restriction to my other wifi-routers wlan mac address.
What else do I do?

Well, according to the documentation, the wds restriction settings need the mac addresses of the devices that are getting plugged into the router (in other words the things you "bridging" into the network, so any computer, game console, etc... not the mac address of the other routers, although it wouldn't be a bad idea to place them in there). You also need to set the SSID, channel, encryption type and encryption seeds to the same as the wireless network you are bridging into.

Also according to the manual, you do not need to use wds in order to bridge the networks. In fact, it is recommended that if you are only using the router as a bridge and not needing it to allow other wireless devices to connect to that router (due to signal strength or interference), that you do NOT use bridged mode and wds as it appears to use a lot of extra computing power and restricts the network bandwidth on the "bridge" connection between this router and the other wireless router it is connecting with (well, it doesn't come right out and say that, but if you read between the lines and notice that you can't enable a bunch of other features like higher levels of encryption security while both "bridge" and "wds" are enabled, you will be able to come to the same conclusions that I just stated above, it uses a lot of extra processing power).

Ok... I turned off wds and encryption, and set the ssid and channel to the same as my other wireless router

But not much happens.

Somewhere along the way, I noticed a strange IP address in this routers Log (which i turned on) and so I pinged it. It pinged... but I have no idea what it is. The address was like 253.255.255.250 -- where I'd expect something more like 192.168.2.101 (another pc on my other router). When pinging, I do notice that the wifi light blinks on my remote router in relation to the pings -- so something is happening. I think I'm either missing something in how to configure this router -- or it is not compatible with my other router (an SMC7004vwbr).

Couple questions on bridging in general:
1) Does a router I'm bridging to -- which has dhcp turned on -- serve ip addresses accross the bridge? Or do I use the local (bridging) router's dhcp server for clients attached to it?
2) Should both routers have the same address? (eg: 192.168.2.1 on both my SMC and USR)

 

[ttown]

Well... I think I've tried every combination of every setting trying to get this thing to bridge with my SMC router -- and no luck.

Has anyone gotten this to bridge with any other non-USR brand router?

I've tried googling -- and there's too few hits to be usefull.

I'll do a little more research before returning it....
If that wasn't the sole reason I bought this, I'd probably keep it even without the bridging -- it definately has more features than my SMC (which I'm happy with).
Still worth $15 -- but I already have a router, so no sense in gambling on the $55 in MIR's.