Monday, November 28, 2011

Buffalo Technology AirStation N150 Wireless Router & AP WCR-GN (White)


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Buffalo's N-Technology Wireless N150 Router & Access Point WCR-GN is a compact, entry-level wired and wireless solution, combining Buffalo’s legendary wireless technology with an ultra-small, simple and hassle-free installation. Buffalo’s AirStation One-Touch Secure System (AOSS) and Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) allow you to easily configure security settings and connect to the Internet in a matter of minutes. With speeds up to 150 Mbps, N-Technology provides performance and range superior to that of 802.11g wireless products. The N-Technology Wireless-N 150 Router & Access Point is a high value wireless router that is compact and easy to use.

This review is from : Buffalo Technology AirStation N150 Wireless Router & AP WCR-GN (White)
Better than powerline . I've been using a powerline adapter to get ethernet to my slingbox and other A/V equipment, but powerline is very sensitive to anything and everything. So I started looking for an affordable wireless bridge. Here it is in the WCR-GN.

To be clear (since the packaging is not) this unit can be used as a standard access point and firewall, or as a bridge to connect to your existing wireless network and give you five ethernet ports in a remote location--a wireless switch. The box leaves you wondering if this unit is compatible with other brands of access points--it is.

I got the unit, plugged it in and configured it for bridging mode, and it connected to my D-Link DIR-625 wireless network with no problems (using 802.11n). It brings me much better and consistent throughput to my A/V equipment than did my four port powerline unit. In bridging mode the "WAN" ethernet port becomes a fifth switch port.

The web management interface is quirky and unrefined, but it gets the job done. When you make changes that cause the unit to reset, the screen usually says it will take about 20s. It really takes 1-2 minutes to settle down and stabilize, so don't get too impatient. The radio seems to have a more limited range than most, but it's acceptable for my purposes. It is a rather small unit, so can fit just about anywhere.

This unit can also act as a simple access point with a no-frills firewall, but I don't intend to use it that way and haven't tested it. What I did test was streaming my slingbox to my desktop while simultaneously watching an HD YouTube video streaming to my BluRay player. Both were running through the Buffalo in opposite directions. Pretty basic stuff, but I had to make sure it performed given the price. Neither had a hiccup, which is again far better than my old setup.

Lastly, in bridging mode it can also act as a wireless repeater to extend your existing wireless signal, or to add more SSIDs. I don't have a need for this and only tested it briefly.
Buffalo Technology AirStation N150 Wireless Router & AP WCR-GN (White) Reviews
Loses wi-fi connection with Apple iPhone . It works fine when connecting a laptop or a Nintendo Wii but the Apple iPhone won't keep its wi-fi connection. I've noticed other reviewers have had the same problem.
Buffalo Technology AirStation N150 Wireless Router & AP WCR-GN (White) Opinions
Easy to set up . AP was easy to set up, easy to use. Being typical guy, I did it without reading the instructions. :-)... Switching from router to AP was one button choice, made it very easy to extend network. As AP it gets IP from DHCP server and was on the network in no time at all. Great for the price.
Gret little product . This is my 3rd router of this type that I am using as a local switch and AP. Works perfectly with my main Buffalo N300 router, though learning how to use these as a bridge took some digging. These are great also if you are on the road and happen to stay at places with wired but no wireless access.
works fine straightforward setup . This router works just fine for me. I see no reason why it wouldn't work for any normal home use, but the configuration interface does require a MODEST amount of tech know-how. If you've ever installed Windows for yourself you'll probably get through this just fine. The main thing is throw away the CD that comes with it, plug in via a cable and just point your browser at 192.168.11.1. Login as "root" with no password, and there's your configuration setup (obviously, set a password first thing). I didn't try the wizard/automatic thing, as the bare config UI is quite sufficient, and surprisingly flexible for such an inexpensive device. It took me less than 5 minutes to setup the wireless network with logging, WPA2 Personal, DHCP reservations and port forwarding -- piece of cake. Our home network these days includes computers running Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows 7, plus a TiVo, an Android phone, and a Blackberry. All are working flawlessly with this router.The one big "gotcha" I experienced and my only real complaint is it's only capable of using an 8 character root password. I'm sufficiently paranoid that I usually use passwords at least twice that long, so the first two times I set the password then couldn't log in and had to reset the thing before I thought about password length, and sure enough...

TLDR: for under $30 this router is a real steal. I just wish they'd upgrade the firmware to allow longer root passwords, or I'd have given 5 stars.
Complicated setup but packs a lot of functionality for the price . This device has loads of functionality in a very small footprint. But setting it up can be extremely frustrating!

I've been using it as a wireless bridge for a wired VOIP device for the past few weeks. My wifi network runs off a Linksys router, so I can confirm that the bridge mode does work with non-Buffalo routers. Here is how you set it up:
1. Power up the device with no LAN cables plugged in
2. If you already tried to set it up previously, reset the device first by holding the reset button until the Diag LED is lit. Release the reset button and wait till the Diag light goes off.
3. Connect [1] port of the device to Laptop (turn off wi-fi on the laptop first) using a LAN cable.
4. Open IE and go to 192.168.11.1 (try 192.168.11.100 if that doesn't work). Login with root/(blank password).
5. Click on switch operating mode to bridge. Wait for restart
6. Click on Wireless config. Click on WDS tab.
7. Click check-box to use WDS
8. Enter your existing network's SSID and click search. Enter key and click apply.
9. Unplug the LAN cable from your laptop, wait a few minutes, plug it back in. Try to access the internet.
10. If internet works on your laptop, you should be able to plug your media device to any port on this device for internet access

Pros and cons follow.

Pros:
1. Packs a lot of functionality in a very small size, while also looking good (though I usually prefer black to white)
2. Lowest priced wireless bridge I could find at the time of this writing

Cons:
1. Setup is terrible and the configuration UI is the worst I have seen bar none
2. Unreliable as a bridge for a VOIP (or other 'always on') application. I keep losing uplink momentarily about 10-15 minutes into a conversation and being forced to place the call again. It should work fine for applications such as video streaming or downloading where momentary loss of connectivity does not pose an issue.

In summary, I wouldn't recommend this device as a bridge for internet telephony or gaming. I think it should do fine for streaming audio/video and downloads.

For the price, this is an excellent value even just as a Wireless-N router. The bridge mode is an added bonus. Just be prepared to spend a few frustrating hours setting it up initially.
Excellent Value - If you are a Techie ! . The software that comes with this will challenge even the most advanced user. This is a long, long way from "Plug & Play" However once set up, it works very well with excellent range. Quite a value when comparing with similar units. I used it to add an "N" band to my home network & extend the previously weak signal to my separate workshop about 50 feet from my house. Went from one to two bars & dropping signal on my Actiontec GT724WGR to a steady 4-5 bars. Pleased as punch at the price.
Set-up is a beast but works great . To be clear, I consider myself extremely fluent with computers and setting up networks. This was by far the most confusing piece of equipment I've tried to set up. That is partly because I wanted to use this as a bridge and not as a router. The automated set-up utilities were useless. The online configuration screen is, of course, of its own design and not necessarily intuitive. I finally just followed the setup instructions for a manual setup and got it to work.

My application was using this to add a xerox copier/scanner to a wireless network. Once I got the router configured as a bridge, all I had to do was connect my copier to the router with a network cable, and it worked. For the price, this was a much better, more flexible option than running a wire or adding a port in the room would have been. I leave it on 24/7 and in the past month have had no issues with it at all. Hopefully it stays as a "set it and forget it" router.
Does the job well instructions are horrible. . The reason I purchased this product was because we were moving our entertainment center with all of our media to another wall where I wasn't going to be able to place the cable modem and my existing wireless router. Those stayed where they were. I also have media devices that were wired connections only. So, how was I going to connect these devices without extending CAT 6 cable all over the place? The Buffalo Technology N-Technology Wireless-N150 Router and Access Point WCR-GN (White) was the answer.

The device is very small and fit perfectly in a little space behind the TV where it was unseen and unobstrusive. Perfect. It synced with my existing network, has 4 ethernet plugs for my devices. Perfect. Has some level of encryption. Perfect.

However, it took me nearly and hour to configure the darn thing. Professionally, I'm an network engineer and this thing was so difficult to configure I almost threw it away. I can't imagine the difficulty someone might have who isn't familiar with the lingo. The software is not intuitive and extremely cumbersome. The nice thing is once it's up, I never have to touch it again. And it works like a charm.
Worth the money . Router functions well, Setup as bridge is somewhat difficult no clear documentation on setup.
I'm using it for Netfilx access with my samsung blue ray player. Connection speed is fast enough
for uninterupted access. Given the low price of this unit it is definetly worth the time you need
for setup.

Product Image


Feature Buffalo Technology AirStation N150 Wireless Router & AP WCR-GN (White)

  • Ultra compact size
  • Push-button setup with AirStation One-Touch Secure System
  • Wi-Fi certified for maximum compatibility
  • Supports QoS - WMM Wi-Fi Multimedia
  • Built in 4 port Ethernet switch




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Product Details

EAN : 0747464121567
UPC : 747464121567
MPN : WCR-GN
Brand : Buffalo Technology
Color : White
Weight : 1 pounds
Height : 3 inches
Length : 10 inches
Width : 9 inches
Binding : Personal Computers
Manufacturer : BUFFALO
Model : WCR-GN
Publisher : BUFFALO
SKU : 1017420547
Studio : BUFFALO

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