Linksys WAG54G 802.11g ADSL Modem VPN Router


Hello you world of wireless fun. Here I am, please take me in with open arms. I have been a believer for a long time but never really got around getting the right equipment. Now I have.
The Linksys WAG54G is a handy 4-in-one device for an ideal home broadband and wireless solution. The device is full of features
With the built-in ADSL modem the device connects to broadband Internet. The device comes with a micro filter and a phone cable so it’s all in the box, ready to run.
The device has a router with 4 switched ports to let you connect PC, laptops, printers and etc. via network cables. All computers connected to the router will be able to shares resources creating a home network. By plugging in additional hubs you can create as large network as needed. Of course, all computers will have access to the broadband connection.
The 802.11g (WiFi) access point lets you connect wirelessly from other devices. The g standard supports speeds of up 54Mbps and is backward compatible with the older b standard in case you have any such devices. The access point supports 128-bit WEP encryption and MAC address access list making it decently secure.
To complete the picture there is a firewall to fend off any hack attempts. The firewall is configurable for port forwarding and DMZ if you need more control over what services would be available inside your network. An extra security is time based access control. With this feature you can limit certain devices (like your child’s PC) to access the Internet only during certain hours.
The Linksys WAG54G can be set up to create a VPN connection to a VPN server. This is ideal If you are working from home and need to connect to your office. All devices inside the Linksys will automatically be able to access the LAN at work.
Included in the box is one network cable so that you can set up the device and start using it straight away. Connect to http://192.168.1.1, browse through all the settings and set them accordingly.
ADSL setup: account, password and ADSL parameters
WiFi: change SSID, turn off broadcast, turn on WEP 128-bit encryption, set up a MAC access list
Change the administrator name and password
Takes around 15 minutes and is very straight forward. The Linksys WAG54G can be purchased for just above £100.
Update 15/02/04
The newest firmware update from Linksys corrects incorrect system time and adds WPA security. Definitely a must.
Check out the the Linksys WAG54G forum.

6 thoughts on “Linksys WAG54G 802.11g ADSL Modem VPN Router”

  1. Hi, I’m trying to configure one of these WAG54G for a member of the family. She uses BT ADSL. The Linksys requires a username/password but I think BT ADSL doesn’t require a username/password. So what do you use? The best I can achieve is that the Linksys seems to be working in the context of a router ie every computer inside the network can see the router and get an IP address. Unfortunately, the best the Linksys does is to start “training” with the BT connection, but it never successfully connects. Am I missing something obvious?
    Any help would be very much appreciated.
    Andy Clarke
    reply to: [email protected]

  2. Hi,
    I too have a WAG54G and i have a question for anyone. I know you can use the xp vpn ipsec policies to get a client VPN connection to the Wag54G but It looks slighly complicated. Do you know if you can use any software VPN client (I have Cisco VPN 4.03) to connect to the WAG54G. if so what settings do you use?

  3. Hello everyone!… PeteMitch99, I think Cisco VPN client is not compatible with the WAG54G….I’ve read it in some forum or something….here is a link you can check -> http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=205861&p=4
    … By the way i’m having the same problem as PeteMitch99 and I would really appreciate some help from someone concerning WAG54G…The question is: What’s the best VPN Client to connect my XP to the this Gateway?…

  4. I have a WAG54GX2 router. As far as I can see it can be configured for VPN. I want to access my desktop from web sites eg from work or other sites. Would there be some document giving settings please. I am in the UK

    David says:
    You need an IPSEC VPN client. Last time I looked, I could not locate a free one.
    The GreenBow client supports various Linksys routers. Have a look at their site for their configuration guides or contact their pre-sales support.
    http://www.thegreenbow.com/vpn.html
    I assume that you know that you can access your PC desktop without using VPN by forwarding the necessary ports (3389) to your PC (with obvious security issues).
    Please use the WAG54G forum for further questions.

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