Linksys WRT610N gives wireless N a bad name

Author's Rating:

Pros: Nice looking product with pretty blue lights.

Cons: Below average 2.4 GHz wireless G area coverage. Atrocious 5.8 GHz wireless N area coverage.

The Bottom Line: 
The Linksys WRT 610N has miserable coverage and makes 802.11n look bad. Avoid this product.

Author's Review
I recently bought the Linksys WRT610N router because I have crowding on the 2.4 GHz band at home. I had been using a
2Wire 2700 HG-B (super G) gateway that has a 400 mA transmitter. My house is a 125 year old 2 story wooden Victorian house with no interior insulation between the walls. The Gateway, and later the WRT610N router were on the second floor. I had great connection on the 2Wire gateway on the 2.4 GHz 802.11g band and a weaker signal 802.11g band on the Linksys router. Though I could connect within 15-20 feet on the Linksys 5.8 GHz N-band, I lost signal beyond 20 feet. I stronly suspect that the power to transmit on the 2.4 GHz radio and especially the 5.8 GHz band is weak and deficient for the Linksys WRT610N router. I believed their hype of "four times" greater transmission for (draft) N than for G. Four calls to level two and three Linksys support was not successful in getting increased coverage for the 5.8 GHz 802.11N signal. Their excuse was 802.11N is "not a mature product". Support recommended that I buy more Linksys products to increase the coverage under the 5.8 GHz N band. I sent their product back and am using my 2Wire Gateway.

I would AVOID this product until such time that Linksys increases the transmission of both their 2.4 and, especially, their 5.8 GHz radio transmitters.