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So, this is a very versatile device. I used support when I first set it up and they did a good job for me.There is a very good reason why this is one of the oldest product still in production by Netgear. I can remember rebooting it once in that time. Mine has been on the entire 4+ years. That is a lot of function for the money. I got one of the early versions of this Router/access point/switch/firewall/print server. It has NEVER given me problems. Also, it has great range.However, this is an office product not a home product, so you should know a little about firewalls, routing, DHCP, IP, etc., or you should be ready to spend a few hours educating yourself.
As a result, I only use it now as a LAN router until I can afford something else. is huge. All my friends are playing Civ IV online with no problems, but my ability to connect has been very spotty (I've never been able to complete an online game). If you want to use this as a print server, be sure to check for compatability on the website: the number of printers that are not compatible (or just have not been tested, why should they actually go through the trouble of verifying compatibility before advertising it).
Look elsewhere, unless you are a masochist. If I'd known I would face these kinds of problems I never would have bought it.I would not recommend this product even if you got it for free; the time and headaches it will cost you are probably much more than what you'll pay for a dependable wireless router/print server. Netgear's website is spotty as well: the contact list for ISPs regarding ISP connectivity issues was last updated in 2005. Its wireless connection is intermittent and sometimes totally freezes up, requiring the router and the DSL modem to be rebooted. Also, the wireless connection does not work with Dell laptops for some reason. "Customer service" is Mumbai Hell; the waits are interminable and customer reps are clueless. It also has problems with online and LAN games.
Even as a simple four-port LAN firewall/router it has gaming issues. I have had a lot of problems with this router. I have upgraded to the latest firmware and that hasn't helped. Also, with some LAN games (e.g., Dawn of War, Warcraft III) it will allow certain computers to connect to the game server and not others, without any discernable reason why.
I get a strong signal and the router itself is in what feels like a sturdy metal case.If you are among the 5 of us out there still using dial-up and are tired of being tied to a phone cord I recommend this router. The dial-on-demand feature works well and I've only had to reboot this router a couple of times. Mine wasn't on the list and it still worked but I may have gotten lucky. I use this router to serve up a wireless connection via a serial modem. Unless you need to connect to the Internet through a serial modem or need a modem as a backup connection you can save money with a cheaper router. Be sure to visit the manufacturers web site to see what serial modems are supported.
I found some rumors that heat is causing the wireless issues. Data encryption is WPA2-PSK. Tech support is very poor. When I was streaming video it got hotter. The speed of the connection would fluctuate between 54Mbps and 1Mbps. When I do experience them, I go into my site monitoring software, and I find that my firewall is still active and has a strong signal. And I would randomally get disconnected for some time until it would reconnect.
I really love the functionality of this firewall, thus all of the RMA's. I cracked open the firewall and found that the broadcom IC(Wireless) was very hot at idle. Well, that makes sense. Sad thing is that there are no heatsinks on it. I generally get 1 disconnect/week. When you know more about their product then they do, do yourself a favor, and either demand for an RMA, or hang up and fix it yourself. It runs much cooler, and my speed is stable. I think it has to do with my wireless card in my laptop.
Best thing is that I don't have the disconnects as often. The main issue I was experiencing, was the wireless conneciton. I also am running the higest security settings one can run.
Well, I got fed up and I did exactly that. I'm sure I can drop down to WPA-PSK to help out, but I like the heightened security. It's a Dell, with the built-in WiFi.
I am on my 3rd RMA with this device. I have done some extensive research as to what could be causing this. I went to the store and purchased a VGA heatsink and slapped it on there.
Printer compatibility is hit-or-miss with most of these.I solved this problem with a separate Netgear USB Mini Print Server (Model PS121), which was reported to work by Dymo. This was unfortunate but not entirely unexpected. I think it compares favorably to my home network's Linksys WRT54G, though I would have simply bought another Linksys if I'd known up front that the integrated print server isn't compatible. I chose this combination wireless router and USB print server because I needed both those functions and wanted to keep the equipment/wiring quantity down. However, the print server failed with our Dymo LabelWriter 400. Now we can print wirelessly to our laser and the LabelWriter.Overall the functionality is fine.
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