Buffalo WZR-HP-G450H review

However, the clunky Buffalo firmware led to a huge jump in transfer speeds. When transferring files to our test Centrino 2 laptop, we saw 48.1Mbit/s at 1m range, which is what we’d expect, and 44.3Mbit/s at 10m, which is one of the fastest speeds we’ve seen at that range. Even at 25m, where many routers give up completely, we still saw speeds of 18.37Mbit/s.

When we plugged in Buffalo’s WLI-UC-G300N USB adaptor (£21 from www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop) we saw even faster speeds. At 1m we could transfer data at 57.6Mbit/s, which is at the top end of the routers we’ve seen at close range. At 10m we still saw 55.9Mbit/s, which is the fastest result we’ve ever seen at that range. Even at 25m the router could transfer data at 25.8Mbit/s which is, again, the fastest transfer speed we’ve seen at that distance. Enabling channel-bonding increased speeds at 1m and 10m slightly to 61.5Mbit/s and 58.6Mbit/s, but caused the signal at 25m to drop out completely.

As long as you install Buffalo’s official firmware for the WZR-HP-G450H, you’ll have a router capable of incredibly fast speeds, even at long range. It’s a shame the router’s alternative DD-WRT firmware slows down transfers so much, as it goes a long way to fixing the WZR-HP-G450H’s clunky interface. If you’re not too fussed about a pretty interface and the router’s limited USB storage functions but want the fastest speeds possible, it’s a good buy.