Showing posts with label gigabit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gigabit. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Cisco-Linksys WRT310N Refurb Wireless-N Gigabit Router Review

Cisco-Linksys WRT310N Refurb Wireless-N Gigabit Router
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I ordered two of these routers to set up as repeaters in my house. Both routers came very quickly and both routers were in really good condition when I received them. Neither router came with any documentation except for a piece of paper explaining the limited warranty, however, both routers still looked brand new. They do come with a set-up CD, however, the CD is not required if you are familiar with wireless LAN's.
I've flashed both routers with DD-WRT which was very simple to do, and they are both working flawlessly. I didn't even bother using them with the native firmware. DD-WRT all the way!
They do run HOT. I've stuck a pencil under the back end of the router on my desk to see if that helps the air circulate under it a bit better.
I highly recommend this router, especially flashed with DD-WRT firmware.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cisco-Linksys WRT310N Refurb Wireless-N Gigabit Router



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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

SMC SMCWGBR14-N Barricade N ProMax Draft 11n Wireless Gigabit Broadband Router Review

SMC  SMCWGBR14-N Barricade N ProMax Draft 11n Wireless Gigabit Broadband Router
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I'm a Network Engineer and I have a habit of over doing it with my home equipment. I was limping along with my old Linksys router. The Barney of home networking equipment. My Vista laptop did not get along well with it at all. Refusing to upgrade convinced that N was just a stepping stone and the moment I bought a new router they'd release a new better product that actually lived up to the hype. However I was to the point that I would only use the internet if I was wired in. I did a lot of research and I finally chose the SMC Barricade Router. I installed the Barricade yesterday and I was shocked at how many features this router really came with in the Admin console. And my wifi connection is fast, 100% reliable and my laptop hasn't kicked me off of the internet since the moment I turned the router on. Signal...100% excilenta all of the time. Buy it, you'll love it. Stay away from Linksys you deserve better. The only thing that could make me happier with the Barricade is if the built in Gigabit switch had more than 4 ports. I have a few ethernet network storage drives and I'd like to have some extra slots for other devices. But 4 is standard with wifi routers. Thank you SMC for fixing my relationship with Wifi. It has really lived up to the good reviews. Check out Cnet.com for a good run down on it's features.

Click Here to see more reviews about: SMC SMCWGBR14-N Barricade N ProMax Draft 11n Wireless Gigabit Broadband Router



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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

TRENDnet 300 Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router TEW-639GR (Black) Review

TRENDnet 300 Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router TEW-639GR (Black)
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I've spent the last few months dealing with a horrible wireless n router so I decided to go with this one. I also have a TREDNnet wireless n gaming adapter and it's been fantastic so far. Anyways, this router runs cool even though I've been using multiple connections at the same time and using tons of traffic. My PC shows that I average 250Mbps and I see it peak at 300 constantly so the speed is as advertised. I have it running in mixed mode. It only took about 10 minutes to set the router up out of the box. Once I plugged in my cable modem and my pc it automatically configured the connection and I just had to log in and configure the wireless portion and security. In the 10 minutes I also configured my DDNS and my wireless IP Cameras to work with the router. It's a super easy interface.....pretty much the same as any other router you can buy. When saving settings the reboot only took a few seconds and always went back into the setup. Most routers clunk out and you have to reset and log back in manually. I could go on and on but to keep this short I'd have to say that this router is awesome and it does EXACTLY as advertised. I've used most of the major brands of routers and I can't say much for most. It's very difficult to find a good reliable product but I think I've gotten lucky with this one. Don't believe hype or buy something because you've heard the name before. The only other router I've ever been happy with was a Viewsonic believe it or not. That thing was rock solid and never gave me a single problem. If anything changes I will post it....otherwise you can count on this router. I love how people here are claiming they have advanced knowledge but can't set this router up. It's really very very simple just follow the quick setup in the manual.
*UPDATE 1/17/10*
Still no reset needed! I've been using tons of data with multiple devices. As a matter of fact Netflix is streaming to my living room right now. I have a torrent downloading on this pc @ 500kB/s and there are no hiccups. Just solid lightning fast connections!
*UPDATE 3/14/10*
Still no reset needed. I'm running in Mixed Mode and you MUST run 20/40 on the Bandwidth to get full speed. That must be the problem with others but this is standard with any N router.

Click Here to see more reviews about: TRENDnet 300 Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router TEW-639GR (Black)



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Sunday, May 27, 2012

NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N300 Gigabit Router with USB WNR3500L Review

NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N300 Gigabit Router with USB WNR3500L
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(More customer reviews)
I recently purchased one of these routers as a replacement for my Linksys WRT54GL, a stalwart in the realm of home networking. My Linksys router is healthy and it works but it does not allow me to set up DHCP reservations without a 3rd party firmware update, and it does not support Wireless-N. After searching for a good balance between functionality, quality and price I settled on this router by NetGear. So far I am very pleased with this unit, though I had some minor issues when setting it up.
Setup of NetGear routers (including this one) is simple and easy. There are two methods of setting it up, using the Wizard CD or going in manually. For users not too familiar with setting up wireless networks or routers, using the CD to get started is a good option. More seasoned users may prefer to work without the CD and work directly with the router. I chose the latter of the two. Even so, tapping in and finding any given setting is relatively easy, everything broken down into several pages. Because the router configuration is accessed through a browser, manipulating the router configuration is very much like accessing a web page and should feel familiar.
The factory-default username, password, and access address are printed right on the router itself so there is no risk of losing this information at any point.
I connected 3 laptops, one at a time, to the wireless network and encountered my only difficulty with moving to this router. Because I retained the network name and key I expected the swap to be seamless and mostly invisible, but my systems each complained when tried to connect, stating that the network configuration had changed even though I retained the settings, the type, key and everything else. To get each system working I had to delete the connection completely, then I allowed each to redetect wireless networks available. Two of them came up without any further incident, but one of the laptops required a reboot before it would properly connect.
Signal strength is important when it comes to wireless networks. My Linksys router gives me very strong signal strength, and I was fearful that this new NetGear router would lack the same power to broadcast. Happily, it broadcasts brightly enough that I have had no problems with connectivity due to losing signals. It is *at least* on par but seems to be stronger. My router lives on the second story of the house, while my personal laptop is in the basement.
As soon as the router was configured and provided a connection to the internet, I logged in ang got a surprise - it is configured by factory default to look for firmware updates every time I log in. This is fine as logging into the router becomes an infrequent activity after a while, though up front it can be annoying to have to wait for it to download and then update itself.
I have had no connectivity issues or drops since setting this router up.
The DCHP reservation and MAC filtering work well, which are the two advanced features about which I care most.
Something I have not seen in any other router up to this point is a USB port. According to the documentation, the router can be set up to provide persistent storage through the network by simply connecting a USB hard drive (or even a thumb drive) to it. I have not tried this but I absolutely plan to put this to work, which will make sharing files between the different computers simple without having to make several copies. It should be noted, though, that this could be a risky practice if using to access the same file frequently from multiple points.
Looking through the options that can be set up, I found a keyword-based page filter, QoS settings and a lot of other features I have not previously seen. For a mid-range wireless router this one has a generous set of features. Of course, the standard features are there - firewall, MAC filtering as mentioned above, different encryption key types and a lot more too.
This is a very nice router with a nice feature set. It is very easy to set up, easy to configure once it's running, and so far has proven to be stable. If you need more than a basic wireless router, consider this one as a good candidate.

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N300 Gigabit Router with USB WNR3500L

Gigabit Switching with Wireless-N for Faster Network Performance, Wireless-N technology for faster wireless speeds and range, Four Gigabit Ethernet ports deliver ultra-fast wired connections, ReadyShare provides fast and easy shared access to an external USB storage device, Live Parental Controls powered by OpenDNS blocks unsafe internet content and applications, Broadband Usuage Meter ensures daily, weekly and monthly measurement of Internet traffic with customized alerts.Features: Multiple SSID support - set an additional wireless network for guests with restricted access to other computers in your network , Smart Wizard installation CD and multi-language support make setup easy, Automatic Quality of Service (QoS) for reliable Internet, voice and gaming applications, Configurable as a wireless repeater for extending range, Push 'N' Connect and Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) ensure a quick and secure network connection.NETGEAR Green Gigabit Ethernet conserves energy, Convenient on/off switch helps conserver energy , Packaging manufactured with at least 80% recycled materials.Open-source Router, Community and Development Partner program, Open-source Wireless-N router with Gigabit wired ports for Linux developers and open-source enthusiasts. Open-source community website and development Partner program with downloadable applications, user guide, forums, blogs and downloads at www.myopenrouter.com, High Performance Broadcom 480 MHz MIPS 74K CPU, 8 MB Flash and 64 MB RAM to even run business-class applications, Popular Linux Firmware-DD-WRT, Open-WRT and Tomato available on Open-source community website, NEW Development Partner Program-development partnership with several 3rd party software vendors to develop custom applications on WNR3500L. Please visit www.myopenrouter.com to join the partner program and see the custom applications that are released or under development.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Cisco-Linksys WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router Review

Cisco-Linksys WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router
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Pros: Great speed. Wireless is only less than 5% slower than ethernet connection. USB link port is very solid.
Cons: Not designed for people who want plug & play devices with no knowledge of networking.
I will agree with a lot of people regarding people that stated that this router is no good. Those people do not know what they're doing.
I bought a REFURBISHED version 1... and it works perfect. After reading so many bad reviews, I had the feeling that all refurbished WRT610Ns were probably from people who didn't know how to get it to work properly.****HOW TO PROPERLY SETUP A WRT610N ROUTER****
1) Download the latest firmware to your computer from Linksys' website. Do this even before you receive your WRT610N. Reading all the comments about the firmware, I didn't even bother trying the stock firmware.
2) Upon receiving the router, plug in the power cable and plug it into the AC outlet. No CAT5 cables yet.
Once it powers up, hold the reset button for a few seconds until the power light starts to blink. Release the reset button.
3) Once it powers up completely, plug your computer to the router with a CAT5 cable. Log into the router. Upload the new firmware.
4) After the upload is complete, unplug the power cable from the router, wait a few seconds, then plug it back it. This is to be assure the load was good.
5) Wireless configurations:
#1 Rule: Do not use auto on both G and N. Set 2.5Ghz band for B-G only and to a certain channel (6 or 11 works best). And set 5Ghz band for N only.
#2 Rule: Do not use the same encryption on both G and N. Set different encryption methods (example., WPA2 for N, WEP for G)
6) Disconnect the CAT5 cable, and try connecting to the N-wireless (do not connect to G. this is for testing purposes) Once your pc connects to the N network wirelessly, log into the router wirelessly.
7) 5Ghz in its nature is a sensitive frequency. The higher the frequency, the weaker the signal gets... but also gets faster. With that said, the 5Ghz N portion needs to be tweaked to what works best.
- On your computer, open up the Wireless Network Connection Status window. Leave this window open at all time so you can see the connection speed (If you have more than one pc with wireless N, do the same thing).
- Log into the router via wireless N. Go to Wireless Advanced section. Band: do not set AUTO on the band. Start off with 40Mhz. From there, pick the first channel (44 or something like that).
- Now check the speed(s) of the pc connection(s). Try out ever 40Mhz band until you find the best speed. If no band is solid, then result to 20Mhz. Once most solid and fastest speed is achieved, save the configs.
COMPLETE!
USB Link:
The USB link worked great. But there are some pointers. I tried two harddrives. 320GB 5400RPM SATA and 320GB 7200RPM SATA. Both were clones of each other; clean NTFS formatted with nothing but videos and music. I would recommend to edit SHARE and click on SHARE ENTIRE PARTITION. It seems much more fluid with that on. Ok, after I named my drive, shared the whole partition, and clicked on access rights, I mapped the drive to each computer to test the stability and speed. I did have a problem with my music folder that had 355 sub-folders (individual albums); it would randomly see all 355 folders. It would see 210, then 340, the 290, etc. It was a strange behavior. Since both harddrives were clones of each other, I formatted one harddrive using the Linksys Router function. It formatted the drive to NTFS FAT2. First time I've used FAT2. After I copied the contents back to the drive, I tested it again. It actually finds the files much faster than before. Don't know why. I haven't had a problem with missing folders either. Everything is found instantly. So I would highly recommend to format using the Linksys Router function. I did test out between 5400rpm and 7200rpm to see which would be better for a media storage. Attached to the linksys, neither one of them showed an real differences. I tried file transfer, playing lossless music, pictures, HD movies... all had the same performance. So I would recommend to just pick a 5400rpm since it runs on lower power consumption.
Stress Test:
I ran a very thorough performance test to see if this router could handle it.
Laptop #1 - wireless N 300Mbps connection
Laptop #2 - wireless N 280Mbps connection
Laptop #3 - wireless G 54Mbps
PS3 - wireless G 54Mbps
Wii - wireless G 54Mbps
NAS Harddrive on USB Link port
Laptop #1 to download multiple 3-5GB files from the internet.
Laptop #2 was streaming an HD movie 1080p from the NAS harddrive.
Laptop #3 was streaming lossless music from the NAS harddrive (54Mbps is too slow for HD movies)
PS3 was in an online game session (Marvel vs Capcom 2) as a spectator watching everyone play
Wii was set to stream a tv channel (Japanese Wii)
Laptop #1 was downloading at 35Mbps (which is about 2Mbps slower than when directly connected to the internet modem without Linksys). So that was still downloading at flying speeds even with all the traffic. Laptop #2 had no problem streaming an HD movie. There was some bit delay if I paused the movie or FF. But playing the movie, switching languages on the fly, etc... had no problems at all. It played smoothly. Laptop #3 was playing flac lossless audio files while browsing through the folders with no problems. PS3 never lost the connection to the online game. And the Wii never froze with the tv channel. I ran this test overnight with no problems at all.
Conclusion: This router works. It's very fast, stable, and had no problems. Just make sure you configure it properly. One piece of advise regarding wireless cards, stay away from the Intel N cards. They work poorly with the Linksys N routers. I tried three different Intel N cards and two Linksys N routers. I was never able to achieve a 300Mbps connection with any configuration.
I hope you will find this review helpful.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cisco-Linksys WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router

Linksys Ultra RangePlus, Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless RouterThe Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is really four devices in one box.First, there's the dual-band Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect to the network without wires.There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100/1000 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together at up to gigabit speeds.The Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection. We've also included a Storage Link that lets you easily add gigabytes of storage space onto your network using readily available USB 2.0 hard drives -- or plug in a USB flash disk for a convenient way to access your portable data files.The built-in Media Server streams music, video, and photos from the attached storage device to any UPnP compatible media adapter.And you can get to your files from anywhere in the world through the Internet.The Access Point built into the Router uses a dual-band version of the very latest wireless networking technology, Wireless-N (draft 802.11n).By overlaying the signals of multiple radios for each band, Wireless-N's "Multiple In, Multiple Out" (MIMO) technology multiplies the effective data rate.Unlike ordinary wireless networking technologies that are confused by signal reflections, MIMO actually uses these reflections to increase the range and reduce "dead spots" in the wireless coverage area.The robust signals travel farther, maintaining wireless connections much farther than standard Wireless-G.

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Monday, May 14, 2012

Netgear WNAP210-100NAS Prosafe Wireless Access Point 11BGN 2.4Ghz Review

Netgear WNAP210-100NAS Prosafe Wireless Access Point 11BGN 2.4Ghz
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Lifetime warranty and speed are great but poor connection reliability render this product useless. Replaced a Netgear wireless-G access point with this similar wireless-N unit. While file transfer speed over wireless network did noticeably improve, connection reliability was not good. Had to reset AP and/or disconnect/reconnect late-model, b/g/n capable ThinkPad and MacBook laptops a few times every day! Wireless-G AP from Netgear never had this problem; has worked for years without a hitch. Returned this unit and went back to wireless-G for now.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Netgear WNAP210-100NAS Prosafe Wireless Access Point 11BGN 2.4Ghz



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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

D-Link DWL-8200AP Managed Dualband Wireless Access Point, 802.11a/g, PoE, SNMP 2 LAN Review

D-Link DWL-8200AP Managed Dualband Wireless Access Point, 802.11a/g, PoE, SNMP 2 LAN
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I needed to add an additional access point to my warehouse. I have 2 cisco access points that cost much more. However, this unit works just as well and is easy to set up. Recommend this unit.

Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link DWL-8200AP Managed Dualband Wireless Access Point, 802.11a/g, PoE, SNMP 2 LAN



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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

NETGEAR RangeMax Premium Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNR3500) Review

NETGEAR RangeMax Premium Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNR3500)
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I purchased this router for 2 reasons: Wireless-N and Gigabit router.
PRO/CON:
- Wireless signal is quite strong and is able to go far distances. I was an early adopter of Wireless-N, and to had to purchase a new one to replace my D-Link DIR-635 because it became unstable after the draft was approved.
- Gigabit router works well and transfers well between my computer and home fileserver. You'll see a green light if you're connected through Gigabit speeds and an orange light if your speed is 10/100 Mbps.
- For some reason, when I use a nameserver (OpenDNS) outside of my ISP's, the router becomes unstable and disconnects from the Internet every now and then. Using OpenDNS as primary and ISP's NS as secondary appears to fix the problem.
- Wireless security (WPA/WPA2) is very easy to setup.
- The blue flashing lights at the top of router is pretty cool, but useless at the same time. Fortunately, there is an off button on the back of the router.
- For those wanting to save the planet, this device is rated Energy Star compliant.
UPDATE: I'm giving this router 4 of 5 stars because it is a good router. I have not had any problems since I updated the firmware. Also, all 4 ports are Gigabit speeds (I originally reported 2 of 4).

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR RangeMax Premium Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNR3500)

The NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNR3500 lets you easily set up a blazing fast network with both wired and wireless connections. Everyone in your home or office can share a single Internet connection, and connect to their network, at speeds up to 1000 Mbps wired, and 300 Mbps wireless, letting you stream music, video, make Internet phone calls, video conference, and surf the web -- all at the same time.
Easy Setup The WNR3500 makes it easy for even a novice to set up a wireless network: just plug the included Ethernet cable from your LAN into the device and insert the included CD into any computer on the network. The Smart Wizard will lead you through easy step-by-step instructions, and will automatically detect and configure your router for virtually all ISP connections. A stand is included for vertical placement options.
The WNR3500 employs a web-based interface for configuration for compatibility with any computer with a web browser. Setup is secure using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), and the "Push 'N' Connect" eliminates the need to remember or input security password keys.
New Technology Means Blazing Speeds and Backwards Compatibility The WNR3500 complies with the latest Wireless-N draft specification, which allows for wireless speeds up to 300 Mbps. By utilizing patented metamaterial antenna technology, the WNR3500 offers a speed and range far surpassing the older Wireless-G standard. Eight internal antennas ensure maximum coverage and range throughout your office or home.
If you still have computers that use Wireless-G or Wireless-B, don't fret--this router is backwards compatible with the older wireless standards and can be set so all your computers can connect to the network.
By using Gigabit Ethernet for the backend, you'll be certain that the router is receiving data at the highest possible speeds, preventing the input from become a bottleneck. Four Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet ports in the back allow you to have wired connections to the network that blaze along at 1000 Mbps.
For users who already have a wireless network set up, the WNR3500 can be configured as a repeater for extending the range of the existing network.
Security Made Easy The WNR3500 offers many security options to ensure your data is always protected and remains private. Double firewall protection keeps your network shielded from outside attacks and also prevents Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. The WNR3500 supports WiFi Protected Access (WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK), and 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption for Wireless-B/G networks. Additionally, you can set security through MAC address authentication, allowing only authorized users onto the network.
The NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNR3500 is backed by a 1-year warranty.
What's in the Box WNR3500 RangeMax Router, power adapter, Ethernet cable, stand, setup CD, and warranty/support information card.


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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

NETGEAR Indoor/Outdoor 9 dBi Omni-Directional Antenna Review

NETGEAR Indoor/Outdoor 9 dBi Omni-Directional Antenna
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The only problem with these is there isn't many antenna cable connection options. I had to buy multiple adapters to get them to work with the antenna cable I needed. Otherwise the product works as needed. I get a very good signal within about a 75 yard radius of the antenna on the wi-fi network I setup.

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR Indoor/Outdoor 9 dBi Omni-Directional Antenna



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Friday, February 24, 2012

D-Link Xtreme N Duo Wireless Bridge/Access Point DAP-1522 - Wireless access point - external Review

D-Link Xtreme N Duo Wireless Bridge/Access Point DAP-1522 - Wireless access point - external
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I needed a wireless bridge so that I could move my printer to a room with no jacks. The D-Link DAP-1522 had great reviews, and a bridge should work with any environment. Not this one.
* The router's wireless settings can not be configured without Internet Explorer (a Linux user like me has to fire up a VM).
* The bridge would not relay DHCP responses from the wireless network to the attached wired devices. D-Link support says that is because I am using a Linux router (though it shouldn't make a difference). If I configured static IP addresses on my wired devices, they worked great.
* D-Link has not released new firmware in over a year, so I doubt that these problems will get fixed.
* D-Link support was "lacking" (and don't get me started on Office Depot's awful return policy).
* Custom firmwares like dd-wrt or tomato won't work on this device, so there is no easy way to correct these problems.
In short, I can get it to do what I want, but it's a lot of hassle.

Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link Xtreme N Duo Wireless Bridge/Access Point DAP-1522 - Wireless access point - external



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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

ASUS Black Diamond Dual Band Processor, Hardware NAT, 5 Internal Antennas, Fast Gigabit Ethernet and 128MB DDR2 Wireless Router (RT-N56U) Review

ASUS Black Diamond Dual Band Processor, Hardware NAT, 5 Internal Antennas, Fast Gigabit Ethernet and 128MB DDR2 Wireless Router (RT-N56U)
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I recently purchased two other routers before purchasing this one to replace an older 2.4ghz router. The first router I purchased was the newly released Cisco Linksys E4200. I ended up returning it because I barely had a signal downstairs and slow output. My previous router usually had around 70%-80% signal downstairs however the E4200 would quickly lose signal the farther I moved away from the router. I purchased as a replacement the highly rated Netgear WNDR3700. This router had much better signal however it would not work with my external hard drive. Per review of online comments and Netgear's own website, the 3700 has issues being compatible with numerous external hard drives. Netgear has posted on their website about a dozen compatible hard drives that work with the 3700. I had the choice to either keep the 3700 and fork out another $50-$100 on a new external hard drive that would work or purchase another router with similar features. I ran across the Asus at my local electronic store. I never heard of this model before since it is a new release. Before I decided to purchase it, I went home and read the limited reviews I could find on it. Both expert and consumer reviews were positive. I ended up purchasing the Asus. I was completely blown away by the features and performance of this router. I have over 90% signal downstairs. My laptop is maintaining 230-270mbps connection when I am downstairs (about 30 feet away from router which is upstairs) which was impossible with both the E4200 and 3700. The user interface provides significant amount more custom options than both the Netgear and Cisco. My external HDD (Seagate) was instantly recognized by the router. I also found the wired connection runs smoother and faster than the 3700. The 3700 had a delay at times loading pages. Overall this is in my opinion the best performing router that I have ever owned. Currently the WNDR3700 is considered the best but it has been out for a while now. The Cisco E4200 claims to be the best however I disagree with this due to real hands-on experience with it. There is a good amount of owner complaints already being posted about the E4200 which is similar to issues that I also encountered. The only bad thing I found with this unit is that it does not allow wall mount option. For the price, performance and features, this is an excellent value and steal.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS Black Diamond Dual Band Processor, Hardware NAT, 5 Internal Antennas, Fast Gigabit Ethernet and 128MB DDR2 Wireless Router (RT-N56U)

Impossibly thin with a glossy black patterned finish, the ASUS dual band gigabit wireless-N RT-N56U router truly cuts the edge of innovation with powerful features that deliver the latest in networking capabilities. Equipped with exceptional hardware Network Address Translation (NAT), this one-of-a-kind router delivers up to 1000Mbps throughput that's up to five times faster than conventional gigabit routers.1The RT-N56U is like having two routers in one. Dual band transmissions enable both 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums simultaneously to give you faster, more secure connections. And with up to 300,000 sessions-20 times the amount of convetional routers-you have sufficient headroom for additional clients and devices without buying an additional router.

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Monday, February 13, 2012

Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router WRT160N - Wireless router - 4-port switch - 802.11b/g/n (draft) - desktop Review

Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router WRT160N - Wireless router - 4-port switch - 802.11b/g/n (draft) - desktop
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I've given up on this product. The installation CD's first window was a mystery on what process to select since none showed as "installation". Called toll free number. Answered eventually (after enduring endless menu) by person who clearly spoke English as a second language. 30 min. on the phone later, I just gave up,thanked the guy for his time and ended the call. At one point I wondered if my call had prompted a hidden camera joke where eventually someone would tell me a joke had been played on me and the person I was speaking with really was Not a tech support rep etc.etc. I was absolutely worn out after dealing with Linksys's customer support for new installations. I had to repeat every sentence the guy said in an effort to confirm his instructions and then steps later, he would change his mind and have me un do something he had instructed me to do previously. After 30 min. on phone I questioned what to do with an included cable that he had not mentioned.When he told me it should have been installed many steps prior, I knew it was time to stop this torture. It was truly unbelievable ! End result: I am donating this unit to a local youth home,and buying another brand highly recommended to me by my neighbor who installed a wireless network in his home without any calls to tech support or any problems.I read scathing reports about the poor installation software on various Linksys products and now I am a believer. However poor the installation CD is, live tech support is worse....worthless, in fact.If you are not tech savy, I can't recommend using this product based on my installation misadventure.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router WRT160N - Wireless router - 4-port switch - 802.11b/g/n (draft) - desktop



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Thursday, February 9, 2012

Dell TrueMobile 2300 Wireless Broadband Router, Model WX-5565D Review

Dell TrueMobile 2300 Wireless Broadband Router, Model WX-5565D
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I bought that router because the cable modem from Comcast is crap, so I need a router to share the internet connection with other computers at home.
I am so glad that router is cheap because it's not an newest model, but it works well. It's not 802.11n but it's enough for me at this moment.

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Netgear FVM318 Cable/DSL ProSafe Wireless VPN Security Firewall Review

Netgear FVM318 Cable/DSL ProSafe Wireless VPN Security Firewall
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The documention that comes with the router is garbage. The client software that comes with the router is garbage, In fact, the documention and the screen shots didn't match what the router's web interface. Nor did the documentation match the client client software it comes with.
Aside from the problems with the documentation, once you figure out Netgear's logic, everything works. Well, atleast everything I've tried. I've been able to set up a client to Netgear VPN connection, and Site to Site. I've also tried all the other features and so far, everything works solid. The only thing I haven't used is the wireless.
Over all, I am happy with the FVM318. The only drawback is the documentation.

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Nothing outperforms NETGEAR's FVM318 ProSafe Wireless VPN Security Firewall for economical total office network safeguarding. It delivers business-class protection and addresses the main concern regarding wireless LANs ? security. A true, Virtual Private Network (VPN) firewall with an 802.11b wireless access point, it's fully equipped and broadband-capable. Denial of Service (DoS) protection and Intrusion Detection using Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), URL access and content filtering, logging, reporting, and real-time alerts, as well as new AES encryption capability cover all the bases. This unique firewall supports up to 70 IPSec VPN tunnels simultaneously on the wide area network (WAN) and up to 32 VPN tunnels on the wireless local area network (WLAN) for a total of 102 tunnels, creating a security-maximizing barrier against wireless hackers while reducing your remote access operating costs. With 8 auto-sensing, Auto Uplink switched LAN ports and Network Address Translation (NAT) routing, up to 253 users can access your broadband connection simultaneously.

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Cisco RVS4000 4-port Gigabit Security Router - VPN Review

Cisco RVS4000 4-port Gigabit Security Router - VPN
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I purchased the RVS4000 primarily due to its gigabit WAN port; very few wired firewalls have a gigabit WAN port. Not having a gigabit WAN port is a reasonable design because WAN ports in many SOHO firewall applications will likely connect to T1 (1.5 Mbps) or T3 lines (45 Mbps) at most. Since these data rates are lower than that of an ordinary 100 Mbps ethernet port, a gigabit WAN port is more than what is required of a WAN interface.
However, I wanted to use a firewall/router on the network inside of my primary NAT/SPI firewall which is primarily a gigabit network. So, a gigabit WAN port was an important feature because it needs to connect to a gigabit switch (not a WAN link).
Before my purchase, I read many customer reviews that complained about slow data rates through the WAN port. These reviews were very discouraging since the Linksys had a gigabit WAN interface. This was until I found a benchmark test that explained the negative reviews. The RVS4000 (primarily due to its industrial-grade security features) has a WAN to LAN data rate of 15.9 Mbps; very slow for a gigabit interface. However, this can be improved upon by configuring (turning off) the security features of the firewall. Unless you configure the firewall as a non-gateway device, don't expect orders of magnitude improvement in speed.
Here's the good news. The benchmark clocked the RVS4000 LAN to WAN data rate at 530 Mbps. Since many disk drive interfaces do not have a sustained data rate this high; you will not see this number when transfering files. I have a couple NAS RAID boxes with gigabit interfaces that top out at around 100-150 Mbps (individually). I can get higher network utilization numbers when doing several files transfers between different network endpoints simultaneously. Network file transfers tend to be very CPU intensive, even when using SCSI hard drives. The CPU intensive part comes from having to package up the data into IP packets and managing the data transfer.
The bottom line is that I am very satisfied with this firewall and its gigabit WAN port. But understand that it needs to be configured properly to optimize its performance and functionality. You don't need to be an engineer or rocket scientist to do this; however, you will need a bit of understanding about IP networking. If you use the RVS4000 as a primary firewall (configuring all of its security features), I suspect it will do that job rather well also.


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As broadband speeds increase most 10/100 gateways do not have the power to support those higher data rates, and thus become the bottleneck in the network. The RVS4000 10/100/1000 4-Port VPN Router works at Gigabit speeds to meet the demands of todays networks. It features Linksys proven SPI Firewall with an integrated Intrusion Detection and Prevent System (IDS/IPS). Its built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100/1000 Ethernet switch can connect up four PCs directly, or additional hubs and switches. The QoS features provide consistent voice and video quality throughout your business. In addition the RVS4000 features a Virtual Private Network (VPN) security engine that creates encrypted IPSec tunnels through the Internet. The IPSec VPN tunnels enable remote users from at home, or on the road to easily, and securely connect to the office network through a typical wired or wireless broadband connection. When used with another RVS4000 or other Linksys VPN router, branch-to-branch connections can be established allowing users in a remote office to connect to the corporate network.

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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Cisco-Linksys WRT310N Wireless-N Gigabit Router Review

Cisco-Linksys WRT310N Wireless-N Gigabit Router
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I might be a day late and a dollar short but as long as you stand the product up on it's side, there is no heat issue. If you either wall mount or mimic a wall mount by standing it on the side with the ports facing up you won't have a heat issue at all. If you lay it flat, you will have heat issues. I tried it standing up with the ports face down but it got hot. The vents for the heat to escape are on the side with the ports so if you face that side up then there is no heat issues.

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Netgear N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700 Review

Netgear N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700
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This router is fast, easy to set-up and smartly engineered. Although this is a high-end feature-rich consumer router, out of the box, I had this running in just a few minutes. Using the simple color-coded 1-2-3 step setup process, an expert, or a novice, can have this router up and running very quickly.
Modifying the two dual band networks for different names and passwords is straight forward, and I preferred to do it manually. After logging into the firmware, the screens are divided into three panels. The left panel is the list of the feature sets, such as "wireless settings," or "guest network" settings; the middle panel has the pick list of options for the feature set; and the right panel on the screen explains, in the easiest of terms, what the features and options mean. There is little need to refer to the product manual or other help. Everything is in one place, and in the right place.
I attained maximum speeds with each of the dual bands when my laptops were in close proximity to the router. My throughput on the 5 Ghertz band using the "n" protocol was a blazing 300 Mbps. With my previous router, I was never able to achieve anything faster than 130 Mbps. As is the case with the 5 Ghertz channel, this speed drops off quickly as I moved my laptop away from the router. By 30 feet, I was down to 100 Mbps a second, but still relatively fast when compared to the legacy "g" speeds. On the 2.4 Ghertz band, using the "g" protocol, I saw very little degradation within 50 feet of the router.
I streamed a Netflix movie to an HD television flawlessly through a Toshiba laptop and an HDMI cable. There was no stutter in the picture, and the picture quality was excellent. Unlike past video streaming, I did not experience a dropped picture while waiting for the video buffer to reload.
I connected a USB disk drive to the router and shared it among three laptops without incident. I established read and read/write passwords for various file folders on the disk drive. I also made the drive available for access through the Internet, and again this process was straightforward in creating. I plan on backing up the three laptops to the USB drive on the router, as well as sharing photos and other files with family and friends by having them access the password protected IP address of my new network-based disk drive.
In total, you can establish four networks on this router. One for each of the dual bands, and two more as guest networks for each of the dual bands as well. The guest networks are nice as they can completely isolate guests from accessing sensitive information on other PCs or devices on the network. (Or you can open up the guest networks to everything on the network.)

Some other features worth noting are the automatic checking for firmware updates every time you log into the router; the "traffic meter" that shows daily, weekly and monthly internet usage that can be configured to throttle it; and the ability to backup personalized firmware settings in case of an emergency restore. With regard to the latter, it would be nice to also get a saved PDF file of what the settings are for each of the backed-up firmware configurations.

The Netgear WNDR3700 replaced two Linksys routers that I had connected together to essentially create a "dual band" environment. One was an older "g" unit, while the other was a newer "n" router. Together they got the job done in a mixed environment of video and Internet surfing. But the WNDR3700 takes routing to a newer level, with faster processors driving the dual bands to faster speeds and better range; and a big feature set that is easy to use, understand and configure.

SIX-MONTH UPDATE - This router has been powered up constantly for six months now, and it continues to run flawlessly. During this time, two firmware updates have been automatically flagged and applied without incident.
I use many of the key features of this router across the three laptops that are connected wirelessly to the dual bands. Video streaming from Netflix and other Internet sites continues to work smoothly.
Being able to connect a USB disk drive to the router has become a heavily-used feature. The router-based disk drive is the central location for backing up the data from the three laptops. I can backup these laptops locally, or from anywhere using the Internet. When traveling with a camera and a laptop, I am able to easily backup digital pictures to the router's USB disk drive. It is another way to save and protect files when away.
This router is my third, and best to date.

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The NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router delivers the ultimate in wireless performance for home and small business networking. With twice the available bandwidth, separate wireless-N access points for media and data, and four Gigabit Ethernet ports, you enjoy more reliable connections, faster wireless, and maximum wired speeds— ideal for connecting multiple computers running multiple applications. The Dual Band Gigabit Router manages network traffic too, so there's less lag in streaming, VoIP, and other critical tasks. Centralizing an external storage device and file sharing is easy. Just connect your USB storage device to the router, and every computer on your network can easily exchange media, documents, music, and more.

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