ASUS isn't just known for its fantastic motherboards and bare-bones laptops. It also produces a series of wireless devices, most notably the WL-500G, an 802.11g-compliant wireless router that has a built-in USB port. The router can be combined with an external hard drive to set up a file server, or a printer to set up a print server. The WL-500W, the subject of this review, is the WL-500G's big brother. It is a pre-N router, meaning it supports the most current draft specifications of 802.11n as of its manufacture date and firmware revision. Read on for a investigative review.
Specifications
Draft 802.11n compliant, fully compatible with 802.11b/g, Ezsetup button provides easier network setup process for beginners, WMM(tm) enhances wireless transfers of audio/video content, data security including WPA2, WPA, WEP, ACL, and SPI firewall
WAN Ports: 1 x RJ45 for 10/100 BaseT
LAN Ports: 4 x RJ45 for 10/100 BaseT
Antenna: 3 x external dipole antenna
Power AC input: 100V~240V(50~60HZ); DC output: 5V with max. 2.5A~3A current
USB Interface: 2 x USB2.0
Operating Frequency: 2.4 - 2.5 GHz
Data Rate: 802.11n Draft up to 300Mbps* (*Note: The maximum wireless signal rate is IEEE802.11n draft specifications. Actual throughput will vary depending on the wireless environment and other parameters)
Encryption: 64/128-bit WEP, WPA, WPA2, TKIP, AES, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, MAC address, 802.1x
Applications:
Download Master: Download ftp, http and BT (BitTorrent) automatically
FTP Server
WebCAM Server
Printer Server: TCP/IP (LPR, supported in Windows XP, Windows 2000 and MAC OS)
Management:
Smart Wizard browser-based administration
Bandwidth Management
Remote management
DHCP server, WAN DHCP client
Save/restore configuration files
Upgrades via web browser
Firmware restoration
Device discovery
Security:
Firewall: NAT and SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection), intrusion detection including logging
Logging: Dropped packet, security event, Syslog
Filtering: Port, IP packet, URL Keyword, MAC address
Buttons:
Restore button: Push for 5 seconds to restore factory setting
EZSetup button: Automatically SSID and WEP or WPA configuration
Operating Modes: 11 for N. America, 14 Japan, 13 Europe (ETSI)
Output Power: 12~15dBm(g mode), 15~18dBm(b mode), 14~16dBm(n mode)
WAN Service:
Static IP Address
Dynamic IP Address (DHCP Client)
PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)
PPTP
L2TP
Big Pond
Hi Just bought one ASUS WL500W. It works fine but when I tryed to set up a tunnel towards my company VPN I just did not succeed to configure it to recieve needed answers from the company server. Has the router got the possibility to work towards a VPN at all ?? If not I have bought something not worth the money. but I can not imagine that such a new router not can handle the VPN problem so I hope its just me and config problem. Help me !!!
Hi Just bought one ASUS WL500W. It works fine but when I tryed to set up a tunnel towards my company VPN I just did not succeed to configure it to recieve needed answers from the company server. Has the router got the possibility to work towards a VPN at all ?? If not I have bought something not worth the money. but I can not imagine that such a new router not can handle the VPN problem so I hope its just me and configuration problem. Help me !!!
gufur3,
Do you mind me asking where you purchased your Asus Wl-500W ?
I have been trying to find a stockist for a while now and there don't seem to be any.
Jacques
I just setup the WL-500W (updated to latest firmware) and to my surprise the reported signal strength to my upstairs computer was much lower than my current D-Link DI-624. I'll do some research to see if everything is setup optimally, but I suspect I'll be returning the device and waiting for another N router with better signal strength and guaranteed upgrade path.
Just bought it from Amazon. It works great. The FTP works even over the internet and with an NTFS storage. The only problem is that the Download Manager is not working but its probably because the drive is not FAT32, although it works perfect over the network and internet as a shared drive. The printer worked fine also with an Epson iP1800, haven't tested the webcamer yet.
The signal of the Asus is lower than other N routers from close range but it has wider coverage and better signal than others in long range connections (tested from cnet I think).
Very good choice and very good price $135 in Amazon.com.
Affiliates
