Linksys WGA11B Wireless-B Game Adapter

But this sucker was PLUG AND PLAY for all intensive purposes. There are a few things, however, I think people should know in order to set this up:

a) You probably want to turn off all WEP and MAC filters. You can turn them back on once you get the sucker id'ed on the network and talking... but for now, leave it off.
b) You probably want to turn ON your SSID (again, makes it easier for the thing to install out of the box.)
c) You probably want to know what your broadcast frequency is on your WAP. If you are using a linksys WAP it is found on the admin screen regarding security. You need to look for the broadcast ID channel (default is six). That is the channel you want to tune the WGA11B. However, what I really recommend that people do is avoid "ad hoc" mode entirely and set the WGA to In mode (looks kind of like 1n on the WGA display) - this is infrastructure mode. Infrastructure mode is what you want to use if you are using a broadcasting router/switch/bridge access point (like the linksys Wireless-B, G, WAP11, etc.)
d) Make sure you know what type of cable you are using to connect it. The cable that comes with the broadcast bridge unit (the WGA) is actually a CROSSOVER cable. This was a bit surprising to me (not that they are hard to make, just, you rarely ever get one from someone - you always wind up making them). You'll know you have the switch in the right position when the WAN light (the little symbol that looks like a circle with two lines in it) lights up GREEN.
e) If you are not already, I'd set up DHCP for the moment. The bridge is default configured to try and connect via DHCP. If you don't have DHCP configured, I don't know what it is going to try to do default IP static (probably 192.176.1.1 if it is like other linksys products). Save yourself the headache and do DHCP.

Okay - otherwise, this sucker is easy as pie to set up. Plug it in to your LAN adapter (I have PS2 so it is a little box on the back of the game thing - don't know about Xbox). Then plug the cord into the WGA. Turn the WGA on and set it to the channel of your WAP. It should start talking IMMEDIATELY. If not - you have done something wrong.

The CD for the PC is interesting. Like most linksys products - it looks nice and is full featured. You won't need the CD for configuring the WGA unless you plan on using WEP.

The infrastucture mode is really fast. I must say that I play online alot.... and this connection point on PS2 shows virtually no lag. I don't know what Sony did via their gaming networks - but this sucker runs QUICK. Like I said, virtually no lag.

The real bummer is that about 99% of the games out there are not multiplayer yet. The ones that are, however, are really fun to play. I play MOH:RS, Desert II, and a few others online. The games are quick paced. To really take advantage of it, however, you might want to go "full bore" and invest in a USB headphone/mic set so you can "talk to people". Also, the USB keyboard might be a nice feature too... although I don't have that...

I've seen quite a few game adapters out there (do a search on Amazon - you will see). This is the best one I've seen for the money.

One last thing - I'd forget "Wireless G" adapaters. Again, unless your connection is like a T3 line straight to the house (which 99% of most people do not have) - you're only as fast as your smallest connection - which is likely to be the ADSL/Cable router connection. Comcast is 3MB - which I NEVER get (even burst inside Comcast's net). So B is MORE than enough bandwidth. I heard some guy at Best Buy trying to talk up a Wireless-G adapter saying he would get "better performance" - and while that is true.. it's like putting brand new wheels on a car with an underpowered engine... yeah, it will look better... but it won't go faster.

See you out there...


Best thing Ever!   August 23, 2003
Eric D Lorenz (Indianapolis, IN)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful

I was a litte doubtful on how easy this would be to use. But I had it configured and playing online with my X-box in under 5 mins. I use WEP in 128 bit, and also use MAC filtering on my access point. I simplyed hooked the unit up to my laptop and configured the WEP setting with the easy to understand config wizard. Unit supports three different profiles so you can setup the config for different networks, and simply chose which profile you want to use with a push of a button. Great feature if you move your unit in bewteen secure wireless networks.

Most people could have this ready to go in about a minute, since they don't use WEP or Mac filtering. Already have plans to get one to go with the Replay TV Box. No more cable clutter around my home. Also easy to connect multiple game consoles togther without the need of an access point. Simply chose the saem channel on each unit, and they each game console will see each other. Some concerns over wired connections, since ethernet can support 100mb and the wireless only supports 11mbs. Any game setup for on-line play should have no issues, since most high speed internet tops at 1.5mbs and below.

Great product, just wondering what took them so long to make it


360 Compatible   January 28, 2006
Kathleen Dewees (NJ)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

For those of you who were wondering, yes it does work with the Xbox 360. I used this for over a year with my old Xbox and now use it with the 360. It works great, and is a much cheaper solution to the official Xbox 360 wireless adapter with the same perfomance!


Setup was not as bad as expected... and the adapter works GREAT!!   August 10, 2006
M. Sibaris (Coral Springs, FL / U.S.A.)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I had heard and read all kinds of horror stories about this game adapter. Well, after going through the setup process, I can say that I have seen much worse installations. In a nutshell, if you read the manual, you will be able to successfully configure the adapter.

VERY IMPORTANT - You MUST download the latest software from Linksys. Do NOT use the software from the CD!! If you use the CD software, you will get the infamous "Connect Fail, Please try again" error message after you enter the password.

The WGA11B adapter could work right off the box, but only if your network address is in the range 192.168.1.xxx and if your router has SSID broadcast enabled and WEP encryption disabled. Of course, that is not the case of my home network, so I decided to follow the instructions on the User's Guide, step by step. Linksys' documentation is not even close to be considered stellar, but if you stick to the process described in the manual you will be able to set up the game adapter with little or no trouble. I did exactly that and the setup process was not painful at all. Yet, here are a few recommendations that might be useful to some users:

- Connect the game adapter to a laptop or PC. You will then run the setup software on this computer to perform the configuration process. Using the little cable provided with the game adapter, plug one end into the Ethernet port on the game adapter, and then plug the other end into the Ethernet port on the computer.

- Page 6, Ch. 4, Step 3 - In most cases, the crossover switch should be set to X. If the Ethernet LED does not come on when you plug the cable, try the other setting (||).

- Page 9, Ch. 5, Step 3 - If you don't have a Linksys router, leave the Keyphrase field blank.

- Page 9, Ch. 5, Step 4 - The default password is admin. If you type admin and you cannot get through, either you are using the setup software from the CD, or you may have a broken game adapter.

- Page 10, Ch. 5, Step 5 - My game adapter is configured to use DHCP to obtain its IP address. If you plan to use a static IP address, make sure you assign a valid address in your network, the appropriate subnet mask and the corresponding default gateway.

- Page 10, Ch. 5, Step 6 - If you enter your network's SSID, you can disable SSID broadcast in your router if you want. Also, if you want to use WEP encryption, enter your network's WEP key (either 64- or 128-bit) and keep WEP encryption enabled in your router. I disabled SSID broadcast and enabled WEP encryption in my router (a D-Link DI-634M), and still the Linksys game adapter works beautifully.

- Page 11 - When you click No at the end of the setup process, the configuration is saved as Profile #1 (P1) in the game adapter's memory. For normal operation, you need to make sure the LED display shows P1 -- if it doesn't, press the blue button repeatedly.

As I'm writing this, my son is playing Call of Duty: Big Red One online on his PS2, and from what I've heard from him there is no lagging and signal is strong and steady. Zero drops so far. Definitely a great buy for only $20.

I hope this helps.


Perfecto for The Box   January 19, 2005
Deborah P. Hildenbrand (Pittsburgh Area)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I bought this Item for my XBOX and I'm in Gamer heaven. I have a friend with the XBOX G-Adapter, and if you ask me the linksys B-Adapter's performance is just as good if not better then the XBOX adapter.

The only lag I have experianced is when XBOX's servers get a little chippy, which affects anybody on XBOX live.

People, this thing saves you $50, do not waste your money on the XBOX game adapter ($99 US!!!).

It's setup is simple.

1:Hook the ethernet cord to the ethernet output in the back of the XBOX (No Brainer)

2: Plug the power cord in (Another no brainer)

3: Press the big blue button until the screen on the Adapter reads "IN".

4. Turn the metal on and your ready for Xbox live!

Note: Make sure your router is on, and don't forget, to actually play XBOX LIVE, you need a subscription and such.

Happy Gaming!!!