- IEEE 802.11b/g, IEEE 802.11n Draft
- Interoperates at up to 270Mbps with other products powered with Intensi-fi Wireless Data Rates
Upfront issues, but fixed them
10/15/2008
This review is from: NETGEAR WNR834B RangeMax Wireless-N Router IEEE 802.11b/g, IEEE 802.11n Draft
Pros:
Once properly configured this device works flawlessly. I have had no speed issues and can even get a signal on my wifi-enabled phone while in the garage, out in the apartment parking lot (50 yards away), and inside the complex clubhouse (about 50 yards away, through my walls and theirs). It is set to wireless g mode because we still have G devices in the apartment.
Cons:
Hybrid Mode: Known issue causing issues when negotiating between N and G. By default the device should backlevel to G Mode, but doesn't, and therefore crashes. Forums on linksys, netgear, and dlink sites indicated that this is potentially a firmware issue, but also related to N adapters constantly trying to communicate a N speeds. Unless you are using all N adapters, set the speed default to 54 Mbps on the router and on the N adapter.
Chipsets: Mingling different manufacturer devices can cause issues as well due to the chipsets they use. This is one of the issues they are trying to resolve for the N standard. Unfortunately, the big companies seem to be split on which sets to use. If you have a bunch of linksys adapters, well, buy a linksys router to be safe. I have had little issue with this however with my netgear/linksys mixture.
Network Attacks: Noticed alot of ACK and SYN Flood (DoS attacks) in the logs. Enabling MAC address filtering eliminated this and reduced outage freque
Overall Review:
Weigh your needs versus what you are buying. This device will require some configuration and if you are not familiar with the technology or comfortable playing around with it, go with something simpler, like the one touch setup routers.
Also remember that wireless router technology is still evolving and will continue to do so rapidly. Unless you absolutely need Wireless-N, stick with wireless G.
Also keep in mind that the speed of your internet connection is dictated not by your internal network but by your internet provider. I believe the average offering today is 6Mbps (usually operates at 10-12) with the max being around 40Mbps (residential). The point is that a connection from your computer at 300Mbps is still only going to surf the net at the maximum speed allowed by your provider.
Using G i download files at 1+ MB/Sec (not Megabits)
Hope this helps!
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- David M.
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Owned For:
1 month to 1 year
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