For testing the WL-600G’s network performance, we used 2 different ADSL2 networks so as to gauge real-life performance. The networks we used were Airtel and MTNL. The speeds that were offered by these respective networks were 512 kb and 2 Mb. These are healthy broadband speeds (at least by Indian standards!). The WL-600G was able to easily sync with both the ISPs and was surprisingly giving us more consistent speeds as compared to our comparison unit-Dlink’s 604T. To confirm this fact we simply downloaded multiple files from our Tech2.com download section, download.com and fileforum.com. Across all these downloads, the Asus WL-600G was consistently faster by about 15-20 percent. This we found to be a great point in favor of the WL600G, as it simply means that the WL-600G is able to manage your bandwidth better and will not choke in case you are a power user.

The WL-600G in keeping with current trends, offers the entire spectrum of current Wi-Fi standards ranging from 802.11a to 802.11g. So for our next test, we configured the router’s Wi-Fi settings. Here we found that the settings page was a bit sparse and has been designed on the premise that the end-user will have some technical information about various security settings and Wi-Fi related terms. This we found to be a drawback, as a lot of users purchasing this device may be first-time users and will no doubt be confused by the various terms here. A wizard based system similar to what is offered by D-link would have been a better move. The Wl-600G we found much to our satisfaction,supports all the Wi-Fi security protocols. We were able to easily configure WPA2+/WPA settings. This is a good move, as it means that your Wi-Fi network will be quite secure and not prone to easy hacking. The second part of our Wi-Fi test involved the sharing of the Internet. This was also fairly easy and with support for DHCP, the router was able to easily share the internet without the need for manual settings on laptops.

In the final part of our tests, we decided to check out the QOS support of the router. QOS in simple laymen terms (in this scenario) means that certain activities such as a VoIP call and Video Streaming get priority over other network activities. For the purposes of our test, we simply connected a Polycom Soundpoint IP 430, a well known VoIP phone to the Ethernet slot at the back of the router. Since the Polycom is DHCP enabled, it was auto-configured and was online in minutes. After this we proceeded to make a few international calls, while making sure that there were some file transfers running at the same time. Normally a VoIP call requires dedicated bandwidth and if it does not get it, the call can get choppy or may not even initiate. This is the reason we made sure, that there were file transfers running while we were making our calls. Here the QOS worked as advertised. Every time we made a call the file transfers would be choked and the VoIP call would go through without stuttering or dying.

At the end of the day we find that the the WL-600G, is a very good network router. Not only does it offer full functionality and comprehensive Wi-Fi settings, it is very competitively priced at Rs. 7,300 which makes it an excellent competitor to the market leader Linksys.