4 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX WAN - IEEE 802.11b/g - MPN: WL520GU11PUS
Strengths: Can be upgraded to Tomato, DD-WRT, or other "open" firmware. Solid, inexpensive router.
Weakness: None for me.
I bought this router because I was hoping to install the Tomato firmware so that I could issue static IP addresses, set up port forwarding, configure QOS, and use other "advanced" features. So far, all is well!
I had to go through a bit of trial and error when flashing the firmware, so let me summarize my experience here.
First, I installed DD-WRT using the Asus firmware upgrading tool.
See this site for help:
www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/in...
Don't forget to run the tool "As Administrator" in Vista. Also, make sure you use the "reset" button when powering up instead of the "EZ Setup" button. I felt like an idiot when after 20+ minutes of struggling to make this work I realized I was using the wrong button.
Then I used the DD-WRT firmware upgrade page to load the Tomato firmware. I used version 1.21 ND. I had to change the filename extension from ".trx" to ".bin" for the DD-WRT firmware to accept it.
I have not used the USB port, but everything else is working great for me. Available for less than $50, this unit is a great value.
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TopStrengths: Speed WebUI Configuration Options
Weakness: USB Port
This router was a necessary upgrade from a 6 year old 802.11b router that just wasn't cutting it anymore. It's stored in a closet in the corner of my house and I get perfect coverage in the opposite corner (~1700 sq ft, 1 story). The setup was easy with the included utility and there are a TON of configuration options. This also supports DD-WRT and its variants, but I don't think I'll bother as it does everything I want it to already.
The USB port is pretty weak. The router isn't quite powerful enough to act as a real print server, which is really too bad. It'll print a singe page of text just fine, but if you try to print a couple pages of directions and maps, the printer will stop halfway through the first page and just give up. To my knowledge, it doesn't support external USB drives (without DD-WRT anyway) but I think that even if it did, it would have horrendous performance.
Overall, I recommend this, as it's cheap and feature rich. If you want a print server, use a spare PC or a standalone network server.
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TopStrengths: Looks, Signal Strength, Hackable, Inexpensive
Weakness: None for the price
This is truly a wonderful router. I've owned five different routers and all of them would frequently restart under medium load. Not this one. After I installed tomato firmware, it has been working flawlessly for almost 2 weeks. And yes, contrary to the popular belief, it is possible to install a tomato firmware on this router. First you need to flash the router with DD-WRT using Asus Firmware Restoration utility. Then flash the router with the modified tomato firmware, "tomato-125c”. And that’s it.
I think I am falling in love with this router. There is not one thing that I do not like about it. 5 out of 5 stars
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TopStrengths: Works great, network printing
Weakness: High price
I bought this Asus WL-520GU Wireless Router after my old dlink DI524 stopped working. The Asus router works great. The wireless signal is strong in my home and it is pretty stable. I used it for 3 months without any reset. The built-in printer support is a great plus. I connected my Canon IP3000 to it and now I can print my documents from any computer, which is very handy. The product quality from Asus is excellent and I would recommend this product except for its relatively high price.
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TopStrengths: Features, Build
Weakness: firmware is not the best
This is a great router by famous maker ASUS that has a lot of features not found in most routers in this price range. this includes a USB port, print server. the router works well and best part is it is compatible with 3rd party free firmwares like DD-WRT that can do amazing things. firmware from ASUS is not so good. in particular the lack of USB storage functionality is disappointing.
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TopStrengths: Great Range! Print Server! NAS Capabilities! DD-WRT Firmware Available!
Weakness: Changes requires reboot. USB Print server. Little RAM.
Great Router that can be flashed with DD-WRT which gives a lot of extra capabilities and options for the router. The only thing I don't like about the router is that the USB print server does crash when printing multiple pages with MB file size.
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TopStrengths: dd-wrt compatible, easily flashed, print server, usb connectivity
Weakness: external power brick
Flashed with v24 dd-wrt firmware and router works well. some say it works with tomato as well. Router is easier to flash than Buffalo. 240 MHz Broadcom 5354 chipset, 16 MB RAM, and 4 MB flash like the Buffalo G125 which is unavailable at the moment. Cheaper and probably better than the WRT54L.
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TopStrengths: Good stability and speed, network printer supported, price is cheap.
Weakness: flashed with DD-WRT then lack the network printing...but this is problem of DD-WRT.
I have a buffalo one flashed with DD-WRT and I am very happy with DD-WRT. that is why I decided to buy another router which support DD-WRT. That comes this WL-520GU, from the parameters, it should be better than the buffalo one. It is indeed better and I do not need an extra printer server if I use asus software. However after flashing with dd-wrt, it does not have this function. But this is not the problem of this router. This router is great, very stable and reliable. And the price is less than 20$ if you have buy.com coupon.
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TopStrengths: Solid Dependable router
Weakness: Range could be stronger
This is a solid and dependable router priced at a very reasonable level. The set up is easy and I had the router running within a few minutes of opening the package. The original firmware does not have an option to strengthen the signal and if you need wider wireless coverage, you can flash the router to ddwrt and adjust the signal. There aren't very many routers in this price range that will give you that option. I rate this an excellent buy.
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The WL-500gU is a mid-range 802.11g wireless router from Asus. With a USB port, the device features print server functionality with automatic switching, allowing simultaneous printing from multiple network computers. EZQoS enables adjustable bandwidth allocation to specific network activities, allowing users to prioritize online gaming over web browsing, for example. This feature is intended to...
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Performance is Average according to 10 Wireless Router experts. -- "802.11n is superior in most all respects, one thing that the 11g crowd has over its quicker brother is that its installed in almost every notebook on the planet."-techgage.com -- "good wireless performance"-bestcovery.com -- "easy bandwidth prioritization"-thinkcomputers.org Read more to find expert opinions on more features like...
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Bestcovery experts have rated the Asus WL-520gU Wireless Router as a best pick for the Best Cheap Wireless Router. Bestcovery's experts recommend the best products and services for a particular need based on extensive research and evaluations. Click below to see Bestcovery's full review of this product.
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Testseek.com has collected 3 expert reviews for Asus WL-520GU Home Gateway Wireless Router and the average expert rating is 80 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.
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WL-520gU Wireless Router
Strengths: No drop outs or resets, stable connections. USB print server works well with HP PSC 2210.
Weakness: manual had wrong picture or placement of WAN port. Printer set up on each PC is a tad complex.
I have been using the Asus WL-520GU router for about 3 months. Using with 4 wired and 2 wireless devices. I have not experienced any drop outs or resets.
I have not used phone support, so, cannot comment.
It has worked well throughout my house, but, I have not tried outside.
Other than the wrong picture for the WAN port it was simple to set up. And, setting up the client printer for each PC was not too bad. For most it will be just a matter of following the instructions, exactly.
I recommend this router to anyone looking for a good, low cost router.
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