Review: Linksys WRT300N-UK

Offers some useful tools but can't match the competition

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Price: £120

Manufacturer: Linksys

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Verdict

Pros: Useful AP isolation feature for enhancing client security
Cons: AP isolation enabled by default; web filtering limited
Overall: Offers some useful diagnostic and network tools, but ultimately can’t match the competition

Tim Smith, Personal Computer World 11 Dec 2006

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Draft n routers graphs

Draft n routers table

The Linksys WRT300N-UK certainly caught our eye with its peculiar antenna arrangement, but it makes for an indiscreet home installation. There is no setup wizard on the router but the first page contains all the information you need.

Wireless options allow the network to run in either a mixed mode or restricted purely to draft-N devices. There is no option to exclude 11b clients – your choices are limited to 11n or 11n, b and g.

Wep, WPA Personal and Enterprise WPA2 are supported. A passphrase can be used to generate the security key, but only hexadecimal Wep keys are allowed.

One mode of note available on the Linksys is AP isolation. In this mode clients can talk with the router for internet access but not to each other.

This is great if the router is going to be used in a DMZ (demilitarised zone) offering web access to clients that should not be able to access each other. But it would be better if it was not a default option, especially as it’s configured in the advanced wireless settings page.

Access to the internet can be restricted to times and days or blocked with a basic content filter using up to four keywords and URLs. Keyword blocking is a good idea but no substitute for full blocking software, as just four keywords is too limiting.

A log can be generated of events on the router but, unlike some others, this cannot be forwarded by email. Thankfully it is possible to administer the router remotely, including updating the firmware.

The built-in ability to ping other devices on the network and run a traceroute test are useful troubleshooting tools aimed at more experienced users.

Overall it offers a mixed bag of pedestrian real-world performance in our tests and some worthy, but not particularly well-thought-out features.

This article is part of a group test of draft-N routers.
See also:
Belkin N1
Buffalo Airstation Nfiniti
D-link DIR-635
Netgear Rangemax Next
Trendnet TEW-631BRP
Graphs and table of features can be read via our pdf downloads above.

You can also read an introduction to this group test and discover the Editor's Choice of product.