Actiontec GT724WGR Universally Compatible 4-port ADSL Wireless Gateway (Gray) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Good thing for Rick V's review below. Otherwise I would have returned this great router.
If you are a Verizon DSL customer, it is possible that you can't connect immediately to the Verizon DSL service due to the WAN IP Lease expiration issue Rick described below. However, after disconnecting the old Westell modem and waiting for a few hours, the lease on the WAN IP had expired and the Verizon server had issued a new WAN IP to the new router. From that point on the auto-configuration worked like a charm. My advice:
1) don't call Verizon customer service - they are clueless about this issue
2) don't call Actiontec customer service - they told me that the router just does not work with Verizon
3) disconnect your old modem the night before your new Actiontec shows up. That way you are ready to go immediately.
Also, Rick V mentioned below that the router does not support WEP incryption, but only WAP incryption. That is actually not correct since the "Advanced Wireless Set-up Option" allows you to select what type of incryption you want.
Now that that's out of the way I can summarize as follows:
- Set up is really easy and fast (even for Verizon customers, if you follow my advice)
- Range is great. My router is located on the first floor and I still have 54 speed on the second floor in the opposite corner of the house
- documentation is good
- configuration is very intuitive
- just with any other g routers, you can get interference from 2.4 GHZ cordless phones. I would position router and receivers away from a phone basestation
- I was able to reclaim some space on my desk due to the integrated nature (modem and router) of this product
- the already great antenna can be replaced with one of your liking, if you feel inclined to do so (it is screwed on)
- the router is a little bigger than many other routers, but standing up it does not really matter
- it was easy to get to a life customer service person. However, they also did not know about the Verizon WAN IP lease issue
Hence, I can highly recommended this modem/router.

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The Actiontec GS583AD3B-01 4-Port Wireless-G DSL Modem is a full featured wireless ADSL router modem that integrates a DSL modem, router, and wireless networking in one box. Simply connect this intelligent Actiontec GS583AD3B-01 4-Port Wireless-G DSL Modem to your DSL connection, then plug in your computers for an instant home network.The auto-configure tool does all the rest.So, share your broadband connection with anyone in your digital home and enjoy the ease, speed, and reliability of this powerful solution. The Actiontec GS583AD3B-01 4-Port Wireless-G DSL Modem has been rigorously tested to ensure compatibility with allmajor DSL providers.

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NETGEAR Wireless-N 150 DSL Modem Router DGN1000 Review

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(More customer reviews)This router works okay for devices that maintain their wireless connections, but it is terrible for things like Apple laptops or game consoles. About once a day, the device ends up in a state where nothing can connect to the wireless connection. Anything still on wireless will continue to function, though. I've tried everything from changing channels to turning off Wireless N support to no avail. The biggest laugh was the last firmware update promised more reliable WiFi. My final solution is going to be to throw this garbage in the trash and avoid netgear products like the plague from now on.

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Upgrade old DSL equipment to Wireless-N, NETGEAR Live Parental Controls keeps your Internet experience safe by blocking inappropriate Internet content, Provides better wireless coverage than Wireless-G routers, Extra performance boost when connected to Wireless-N devices, Push ‘N' Connect securely connects devices at the push of a button, Built-in ADSL2+ modem for use with DSL broadband (through the telephone line) .Features: Live Parental Controls, powered by OpenDNS, Blocks unsafe Internet content and applications, Customize settings through Web browser, accessible remotely, Protects connected devices through the router such as PCs, gaming consoles, and iPod touch, And it's FREE! See CD inside for installation, To learn more visit www.netgear.com/opendns, Advanced wireless technologies and powerful internal antennas provide better speed and range than Wireless-G, Push ‘N' Connect using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)1.

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Belkin Wireless G 4-Port Router Review

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(More customer reviews)I set this wireless router up for my non-techy parents around Thanksgiving. The setup was probably about half-an hour if you're overly-thorough like me with wanting to check everything out. After the initial setup, the 'rents have not had a bit of trouble connecting wirelessly. I noticed another review (and a comment) mention not being able to make changes to the settings. I didn't experience any of their woes. However, I do remember logging in to the router not being very intuitive and I wonder if that could be causing the issues. I was able to change the default SSID, login password for the router, and setup WPA easily. I set everything up by connecting my laptop directly with an ethernet cord and going to the router's IP address. I didn't use the included software, so I have no idea how well that works. As far as speed goes, I can't tell a difference between this cheapy router and my nice expensive one at home. My parents are only using it for browsing/email, and since they just upgraded from dial-up, they feel like they are flying.
***Update 01/20/09
I just wanted to state that my positive review of this product was not paid for, in light of Belkin's recent pay for reviews scandal (65 cents not really worth my integrity). And my parents still haven't had any problems with this router.

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With the Belkin Wireless G Router, you can quickly set up a wireless network for an apartment or small office, letting you share a broadband Internet connection with multiple computers. The Wireless G Router gives you the performance you need for handling all your basic networking applications, such as surfing the Web, emailing, and instant messaging.
Smart Design with Wired and Wireless Connections The Wireless G Router has a striking, vertical enclosure that is both handsome and space efficient. By standing vertically, the router takes up less desk space, giving you more room to work. The built-in external antenna provides the range necessary to easily cover an apartment or small office. Six LEDs for Power, Wired, Wireless, Modem, Security, and Internet let you know the status of your network at a glance, making it easy to troubleshoot any problems.
G Wireless relies on 802.11g technology and provides a wireless speed of up to 54Mbps. This means that you can surf the Internet, check emails, and chat with friends from the comfort of your kitchen table or couch.
You can also share networked peripherals such as a Wi-Fi printer, hard drives, and DVDs. The router is compatible with any 802.11g wireless products and is backwards compatible with 802.11b networks. But for maximum speed and range, the use of Belkin's G Wireless USB Adapter, Notebook Card, and Desktop Card are recommended.
In addition to G Wireless, the router also has four 10/100 Ethernet ports at the back, giving you the option to plug in for a steady and secure, fast connection running at up to 100Mbps.
Thanks to the strong built-in security, including support for WPA, WPA2, Wi-Fi Protected Setup, and 64-and 128-bit WEP encryption, you will be protected from hackers and intruders trying to gain access to your sensitive files. The router also supports VPN for making secure connections between home and office.
Easy to Set Up Belkin designed the Wireless G Router to be as simple to use as possible. Simply connect your wireless router to your cable or DSL modem, plug the router in, and connect your computer to the router. That's it. To help monitor your network performance and usage, the router includes Personal Network Assistant software, which runs on Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X 10.4/10.5.
The Belkin Wireless G Router is backed by a 1-year warranty and includes free 24/7 technical support.
What's in the Box Wireless G Router, quick installation guide, Personal Network Assistant CD, user manual on CD, power supply, RJ45 Ethernet cable.

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Cables To Go 15199 Cat5E 350 MHz Snagless Patch Cable, Gray (10 Feet/3.04 Meters) Review

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(More customer reviews)Price was very good with speedy delivery. Would cost about 10 times as much at a RS store

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For voice/data/video distribution, this cable will handle bandwidth-intensive applications up to 350 MHz. Meets all Cat5E TIA/EIA standards, and drastically reduces both impedance and structural return loss (SRL) when compared to standard 100 MHz wire. Each of the individual pairs is bonded together to help maintain the twist-spacing throughout the line right up to the termination point. Constructed from high-quality cable and a shortened body plug, this design minimizes Near-End Crosstalk (NEXT) levels. The molded, snagless boot prevents unwanted cable snags during installation and provides extra strain relief. Available in a variety of colors to easily color-code your network installation. Uses:1000 BASE-T; 100 BASE-T; 10 BASE-T (IEEE 802.3) , 4/16 Mbps Token Ring (IEEE 802.5); 100 VG-AnyLAN , 100 Mbps TP-PMD (ANSI X3T9.5); 55/155 Mbps ATM , Voice

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Buffalo Technology Wireless-N 150 High Power Router & Access Point WHR-HP-GN (White) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're not a geek, this router is awesome. It comes with a CD which guides you through installation and secure setup. (The #1 problem with wireless routers is security, and the setup process is the solution.) It supports WPS, which means, you can hold down a button on the router for a few seconds, and then your devices (laptops, many Blu-Ray players) will automatically and securely negotiate connection to the router (no more entering crazy-long passwords).
If you're a geek, Buffalo actively supports DD-WRT (you can download it from their web site). In addition, the specs are great: 32 MB of RAM and 4 MB of flash space.
For more information on why I chose this router, see [...]

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Buffalo Technology Wireless-N 150 High Power Router & Access Point WHR-HP-GN (White)

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Verizon Actiontec MI424WR FIOS Router/Cable Modem Review

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(More customer reviews)I have an old 1800s house and needed to get ethernet to my HTPC on the first floor. Wireless N/G weren't cutting it. Fios router is in my attic office. After looking at mixed reviews on Ethernet over powerline I stumbled onto some instructions on using this router as a MOCA bridge. The router arrived in great shape, and in about 15 minutes I had www over the installed COAX AND a second wireless access point.

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The Verizon FiOS Router, a fiber optic, broadband wireless router for Verizon FiOS digital homes, packs in more features and performance capabilities than any other fiber router on the market. It is the first device to feature a dual-core, 64-bit processor that allows it to support home networking speeds over to 100 Mbps and permits FiOS TV and other content to be distributed to multiple devices in the home over coaxial cable. The router supports MoCA, Ethernet and wireless networking. * Premier router used in Verizon FiOS homes * Superior routing and networking capabilities o Industry's first dual-core 64-bit processor o Able to support speeds well beyond 100 Mbps * Enterprise Level Security o Customizable firewall o Stateful Packet Inspection o Denial of Service protection o Content Filtering/Parental Controls o Intrusion Detection o WPA and WEP WiFi encryption * Hardware-enabled QoS (Quality of Service) o 8 input and 8 output channels o Frees up CPU for other bandwidth needs * TR-69+ Remote Management

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Cisco-Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Linksys WRT54G and WRT54GS routers have been the number one most popular wireless router devices available for the past few years. So this begs the question why Cisco would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by needlessly changing an almost perfect product. The fact is that versions 1 -4 of the G and the GS (with Speedboost) versions of this router were fantastic. Those earlier routers run a flexible and powerful Linux based firmware that has been perfected for the past few years a numerous updates and tweaks. However, the earlier WRT54G product has now been replaced with a less powerful wireless product (version 5) that has had its onboard flash RAM chopped in half from 4MB to 2MB and its system RAM cut from 16MB to 8MB. Instead of the flexible, reliable and powerful Linux firmware the new WRT54G version 5 routers run the licensed VxWorks firmware instead. There is nothing wrong with using VxWorks and over time Cisco will probably work out the bugs but for now the newest wireless routers are not reliable.
Why would Cisco do this to its most popular Linksys brand of wireless routers ? Apparently it might be a case where the first four versions were too flexible for their own good. The open source Linux firmware with the large amount of flash and system memory was attractive to many third party independent software developers that were turning the WRT54G and GS routers into powerhouse micro Linux wireless computers with a functionality approaching and often surpassing the $600+ wireless routers that Cisco sells. There might also have been an excess number of product warranty returns for the WRT54G routers due to so many people flashing them with non-Linksys third party firmware that sometimes can "brick" a router or make it unusable.
Your solution is to either look for a previous version of the "WRT54G" router before version 5 or purchase the "WRT54GS" (SpeedBooster) version 4 which as of the posting of this review is still available in the stores and it still uses the popular Linux firmware. You will pay $20 more for the GS model but compared to the version 5 of the G model it is worth the extra money. The GS models 1 - 4 are all good with GS version 3.0 and 3.1 reportedly being the most flexible of the bunch and GS 4.0 being the latest. If you want to use third party firmware you may want the GS versions 2.0 - 3.0/3.1 since they have the most flash RAM while still having newer Broadcom based processors. Finally, if you do plan to flash your WRT54G with third party firmware the ones before version 4 of the WRT54G wireless routers are supposed to be easier to work with.
How do you find which version you are looking for? Look on the bottom of the box near the scan tag for the serial number of the router. For the WRT54G wireless routers look for CDFA or a CDF9 or lower (CDF8, CDF7, 6, etc.) Any serial number with CDF5 (v2.0) through CDF9 (v3.1) are the most flexible for use with third party firmware. Unless you want to use a more risky third party firmware I recommend that you read the manual instructions on how to carefully flash these older router models with a newer Linksys firmware which is designed for that specific router version. The latest official Linksys firmware for each specific version of router can be obtained from the Linksys support site. Completely avoid the WRT54G routers with the "CDFB" (v5.0) serial numbers since those are the buggy VxWorks versions. You could also simply purchase the WRT54GS (v4.0) routers that say Speedboost on the box. You will see the "CGN6" serial numbers on the box and as of this review these were still using Linux firmware with software based SpeedBoost enhancements but the RAM and hardware inside seems to be essentially the same as the older WRT54G (v4.0) version 4. The WRT54GS v2.0 (CGN3) through v3.0 (CGN5) are also good and will have more flash RAM available if you want use the wireless router with third party firmware. I would like to note that flashing the router with firmware other than an official Linksys releases obtained from the Linksys support web site will void the warranty and can result in a "bricked" or damaged router.

PROS: The most popular, flexible, reliable and highly rated wireless router on the market before the WRT54G version 5. Previous versions could be flashed with powerful third party firmware. The latest WRT54GS v4.0 routers can still be purchased and except for the SpeedBoost software enhancement (including a different version of Linux based firmware) they are essentially the same as older WRT54G v4.0 routers.
CONS: The latest version 5 has less Flash and System RAM and uses a buggy non-Linux based firmware. There is no rumor of this yet but in the near future Cisco might also release a newer WRT54GS router non-Linux based router (WRT54GS v5.0 ???)
CONCLUSION: With all the changes to the memory and the firmware this latest G model is really a very different product and Cisco should have changed the model number altogether. Neverless, I hope that Cisco works out the bugs in their current version so that the G version can at least partially return to its glory days. There are rumors that a still newer model popular Linux based router might be re-released with the model name of WRT54GL but until that happens we can still purchase a very good WRT54GS v4.0 Speedbooster model.
THE BOTTOM LINE: I give five stars to the older WRT54G models and five stars to the latest WRT54GS model. But I give only one star for the newest WRT54G version 5 which averages the score to only 2.5 stars (rounded down to 2 stars since v5.0 is the newest and most abundant WRT54G model that you can find in the stores).

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The Linksys Wireless-G broadband router is really three devices in one box. First, it's a wireless access point, which lets you connect Wireless-G or Wireless-B devices to the network. There's also a built-in four-port full-duplex 10/100 switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices. Connect four PCs directly, or daisy-chain out to more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Finally, the router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
To protect your data and privacy, the Wireless-G broadband router can encrypt all wireless transmissions, and it supports the industrial-strength wireless security of 802.1x authentication and authorization. The router can serve as a DHCP server, has NAT technology to protect against Internet intruders, supports VPN pass-through, and can be configured to filter internal users' access to the Internet. Configuration is a snap with the Web browser-based configuration utility.
With the Linksys Wireless-G broadband router at the center of your home or office network, you can share a high-speed Internet connection, files, printers, and multiplayer games with the flexibility, speed, and security you need!
Wireless-G is the 54 Mbps wireless networking standard that's more than four times faster than the widely deployed Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the country. But since they share the same 2.4 GHz radio band, Wireless-G devices can also interoperate with existing 11 Mbps Wireless-B equipment.
Because both standards are built-in, you can protect your investment in existing 802.11b infrastructure, and migrate to the new screaming-fast Wireless-G standard as your needs grow.
For more information on the differences between an access point and a router with access point, see the following table:

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D-Link DIR-615 Wireless N Router, 4-Port Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a very good router, but I had issues during setup. I have Qwest DSL and the DIR-615 wizard setup couldn't auto-configure the router to provide internet service.
Most routers use an intranet address in the range of 192.168.x.x and then devices connected to the router are assigned within that ip range. I finally manually played with the settings and still couldn't get it to work. Frustrated, I called Qwest thinking the problem was with the DNS values. That assumption was incorrect and generally Qwest DSL requires no tweaking at the router level. Qwest DSL tech support was great. They said it was a setup issue with the router and called Dlink's tech team on a Sunday morning and we had a 3-way call. Dlink's technician had me fixed up in 3 minutes.
Here's what worked for me. Under the router's 'network settings' we set the router IP address to 172.16.0.1 and the subnet mask to 255.255.0.0. If not checked, enable "DHCP Server". Under 'Wireless' set the Channel to 11 and the Mode to "Mixed" to support 802.11b,g,n. I set security to WPA-Personal. Be sure to save the configuration and this will cause the router to reboot. If things don't work immediately, unplug the modem to cold-start the system, wait a minute and finally plug in the router.
Contrary to what someone wrote in a review, this router does indeed support wireless-N devices in a mixed environement and does not downstep to G for the whole network.
Remember, you can't setup the router via wireless. You have to use an ethernet cable from your pc to port #1 on the router. Another cable runs from the router Internet port to the dsl modem.
Before calling tech support, first confirm that the modem is working. Run a cable from the pc to the modem and confirm you can browse the Internet. With the modem eliminated as an issue, the tech people can quickly help you configure the router. I'm using Vista and the setup process did not require any Windows firewall changes so keep the firewall 'On'.
I may be wrong but here's what I think the core setup problem was for me. The Qwest DSL modem uses a DHCP Default Gateway of 192.168.0.1. This is the same IP the Dlink router attempts to use as its address. Thus you end up with an IP addresss conflict since both can't use the same address. The Dlink technician changed the router address to a different subnet in 172.16.x.x and eliminated the conflict.


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The D-Link Wireless N Router (DIR-615) provides a better wireless signal for your network than existing wireless 802.11g technology.

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NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N300 Gigabit Router with USB WNR3500L Review

Average Reviews:

(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.

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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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NETGEAR DGND3300 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router with Built-in DSL Modem Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Yes it does work as advertised with all the bells, whistles and dazzling lights, but some other wireless DSL routers have similar functionality and are priced for a little less.
After my old 2-wire DSL router died, I decided to buy this as a replacement. I couldn't wait for shipping. So I bought this DSL router from a local store. I've also been disappointed by other reviews on the internet for this DGND3300-100NAS. So I'm writing this review.
I mainly got this DSL router because of the energy star logo on the box. It lives in the temperature extremes of my garage, and some of the other DSL routers ran a little too hot. It works with my AT&T DSL. I've only been using it for the past day, and I have not had any connectivity issues. I'll update this review if the stability changes.
I never really had wireless connectivity problems with my old router, but the new wireless router now stays at 100% signal strength through out my house. My other router would sometimes go down to 90% at the farthest edge of the house. I set this router to "Up to 130 Mbps at 2.4 GHz. Neighbor friendly mode".
If you are familiar with configuring home routers through a web interface, this won't be much different. It's fairly easy to set up.
Compared to my attached 8 port gigabit switch and my 6 megabit DSL, the 802.11n standard isn't very interesting when compared to 802.11g. Downloading from the internet is limited to my purchased 6 megabit DSL, and wirelessly transferring files to my network attached storage is limited to the 100 Mbps limit of the integrated 4 port router. Though now my router supports 802.11n in case I ever get such a device that requires it. I'm glad it has the more secure WPA2-PSK, and there is a setting for both WPA2-PSK and WPA-PSK to be used at the same time, which is helpful for migrating the settings of your wireless devices.
It does have one minor annoyance. I'm not sure why it has so many bright blue blinking lights. It looks like a disco in my cabinet now. If your DSL modem will be in a bedroom you use for sleeping or any other room that you want to keep dark, this may be a concern for you.
One feature I missed from my 2wire DSL modem that I haven't found on the Netgear DSL modem is the Management Diagnostic Console. It's a hidden set of pages that provides error diagnostics and a pretty ASCII based bitloading graph. It was helpful to diagnose which radio frequencies were interfering with my DSL. In case you didn't know, telephone lines act like huge radio antennas, which interfere with the DSL signal. That's part of the reason why shielded coaxial cable from cable companies can have higher transfer speeds. Most people won't be fanatical enough to care about this missing diagnostic feature.
-------------- Review update December 22, 2009 --------------
It's been a few months since I reviewed this product, and I decided to go back to the latest 2wire modem from AT&T. After upgrading to the latest Netgear firmware level for this modem, I noticed the bandwidth rate became inconsistent. On several occasions the DSL Reports speed test reported that my 6Mbps DSL line (5.1 Mbps real bandwidth) went down to 3 Mbps occasionally, and on average the Netgear modem seems to be about 5-10% slower than my new 2wire modem. I'm dropping this review from 4 stars to 3 stars due to this new slowness. The sad thing is that the 2wire modem from AT&T is cheaper than this modem :-(

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Two simultaneous wireless networks deliver better connections with less interference, Greater bandwidth for high-quality media streaming and better online gaming, Push `N Connect securely connects devices at the touch of a button, Automatic Quality of Service (QoS) for reliable Internet, voice and gaming applications, For use with ADSL broadband (through the telephone line).

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Cisco-Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Our old D-Link 624 was starting to need rebooting weekly so it was time to upgrade. The router now is located in the master bedroom, so cosmetic appeal or should I say low visual impact was desired. This unit is very sleek and if it didn't have lights, would be almost unnoticeable.
After dealing with wireless routers since they came out the Cisco software makes it "Apple" easy. Our IS provider is Comcast and rebooting of the modem was required. The E2000 came with a SSID name that was good enough to keep (not Linksys or Cisco) and WPA / WPA2 security already on. After setup, it was time to connect all the wireless devices (4 - iPhones, 2 - lap tops, Xbox 360)which went flawless. Left it at the default 2.4mhz and no conflicts with any other devices in the house. The wireless range is a bit better then the prior Dlink and gives us good to excellent signal strength thru 3 - 4 walls. I don't believe any of our devices can take true advantage of the N+ but we'll be ready for it.
Now the real test...longevity.

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Cisco E2000 Wireless Broadband Router - 300 Mbps E2000 Routers & Gateways - Wireless

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NETGEAR N600 Wireless Dual Band Router WNDR3400 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We've had this router for a couple weeks now, and I must say I'm nothing other than happy.
One person streaming movies to Xbox, playing shoot-em-up game on PS3, and surfing the web all at the same time and everyone is happy. I didn't have any trouble with setup (I did not use the setup CD). Instead, our old router was a netgear and I just copied most the old configuration and used my brain to figure out the new wireless settings. (they're not so hard)
My only complaint is the ring of blinking blue LED's on the side. In a dark room they are a bit irritating. Maybe there's a way to turn them off?
Oh, and I decided on this router over the next wndr3700 because we don't need a gigabit wired network in the house. So far as I could tell, that was the only difference and I couldn't see paying $70 more for something we wouldn't use. I don't even think our computers have gigabit ethernet on the built-in network cards.

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Simultaneous dual band Wireless-N offers twice the bandwidth with better connection and less interference, ReadySHARE provides fast and easy shared access to an external USB storage device, Broadband Usage Meter ensures accurate measurement of Internet traffic daily, weekly and monthly with customized alertsLive Parental Controls, powered by OpenDNS, Blocks unsafe Internet content and applications, Flexible and customizable settings through Web interface, accessible remotely, Protects devices connected through the router such as PCs, gaming consoles, and iPod touch, And it's FREE! See CD inside for installation, To learn more visit www.netgear.com/lpc, Multiple SSID support – Set up a second network for guests with restricted access or a dedicated network for video and gaming, Automatic Quality of Service (QoS) – Enjoy enhanced media, gaming, and Internet telephone performance with automatic application prioritization, Push ‘N' Connect securely connects devices at the touch of a button, SmartWizard installation CD – Spend less time installing your router and setting up your network and more time gaming, surfing the Internet, and conducting business, NETGEAR Green, Convenient one-touch on/off switch and Wi-Fi button conserve energy, Efficient Energy Star compliant power supply, Packaging manufactured with at least 80% recycled materials

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Netgear N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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 N600 Wireless Dual Band 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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NETGEAR DGN2000 Wireless-N Router with Built-in DSL Modem Review

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(More customer reviews)The DGN2000 replaced my old Linksys router, a Speedstream DSL modem and an older Netgear wireless router. I have 9 devices networked together in my home. 5 computers are wired to the router via gigabit and 10/100 switches. The DGN2000 worked fine for these devices. The modem and wired router worked. The problem was with the wireless functionality. After following the wizard to set up the first wireless device, it worked briefly. However, when I tried connecting a second computer, it would lose the connection. The DN2000 would work briefly, but only if 1 computer was connected. If the computer went to sleep, the connection would be lost upon wake-up. Most of the time it switched from Access Point mode to Ad-Hoc mode and my wireless computers could not connect. I spoke with several Netgear tech support agents and they had me try different channels and security settings. The Netgear agent told me to contact my vendor and ask for a replacement. First, I checked Amazon.com's return policy and noticed that the vendor was actually ANTOnline.com. ANTOnline's policy was that they didn't support the product and that I was to deal directly with the manufacturer. I contacted Netgear again and explained the situation, so they agreed to give me an RMA to replace the DGN2000.
The replacement arrived a few days later (after having to pay an expedited shipping charge). The second DGN2000 seemed to work a little better than the first, but it still lost the wireless connection. At least this one worked briefly with 2 computers and an iPod Touch. However, within an hour it would switch to Ad-Hoc mode. Again, after dealing with several tech support reps (including the 2nd tier), they decided to give me another RMA and send a third unit. At least this time, they didn't charge me for shipping.
The third unit arrived - same problem. By this time, I was ready to give up on the DGN2000. It was clear this was a poorly designed product. If 3 are bad, it's highly likely the 4th is going to be bad. I checked Netgear's online forum and found several threads discussing problems with the DGN2000. This one about switching from Access Point to Ad-Hoc was exactly the same problem I was experiencing.
[...]
It's strange that all of Netgear's tech support agents acted like they'd never heard of this problem, when clearly many people were dealing with it.
Anyhow, I just wanted my money back so I could purchase a different product. I contacted ANTOnline and asked for a refund and they refused because more than 30 days had passed since purchasing the original product (it had been something like 33 days). Since many of these days included shipping to and from Netgear, the 30 day policy didn't seem fair. I tried getting a refund from Netgear, but they don't provide refunds and were only willing to send me another poorly designed DGN2000. I tried Amazon.com's A-to-Z Guarantee and they wouldn't help because they decided that ANTOnline's written policy was clear and fair.
So after spending over [...] and much time and hassle, I still didn't have a product that worked for my wireless networked devices.
Finally, after complaining to Netgear, they agreed to replace the DGN2000 with the next step up - DGND3300-100NAS. The DGND3300 is working fine. So at least in the end, Netgear was willing to help me out. However, I would not recommend buying the DGN2000. And for ANTOnline's support and return policy, I won't ever buy something from them again.

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Netgear DGN2000 Wireless-N Router DGN2000-100NAS Routers & Gateways - Wireless

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Scientific Atlanta DPC2100R2 Cable Modem Review

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(More customer reviews)We were looking to get a cable modem at a great price. We found it in this modem. It gives us exactly the same features as what we were leasing from comcast. It works great and we did a search at 31 dollars great buy. We just needed to switch it with the one from comcast. I looked up the serial and product number. Amazon gave us a few choices. The seller shipped it fast. We are satisfied.

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SBH Haxorware (by rajkosto) is the first real modified firmware for the 5101, and probably the best firmware ever created for ANY modem. It is based on Motorola SB5101/5102 factory diagnostic shelled firmware. It does not have the torrent crashing problem that has been a problem with Sigma-X2. Haxorware also has the most advanced features of any current firmware. The web interface is clean and easy-to-use, and the web shell works flawlessly. New versions of the firmware can be easily upgraded via the web interface. This firmware is also known to work on many other modems with the Broadcom bcm3349 processor including the Ambit U10C018, RCA DCM425, Webstar DPC2100R2 and DPC2100R1 w/ bcm3349 chipset.

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Actiontec GT701D Ethernet DSL Modem with Routing Capabilities Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this unit to replace a Motorola 2210 that after 13 months died of heat exhaustion. The 2210 ran HOT HOT HOT. I was told by an ATT Tech that the unit might last a year, and of course 13 months out, one month after the warranty expired the 2210 died. My replacement setup tied this Actiontec unit to a D-Link DIR 655 Extreme N Wireless Router. When I attempted an automatic setup, it turned out that both the Actiontec and the D-Link Wireless Router shared an IDENTICAL IP Network Address at 168.192.0.1. This is not a good thing. However after a quick call to Actiontec Customer Support on a Friday Night (I really do have a life:) along with a brief description of the conflict issue, I was able (using advance settings) to modify the Network IP Address on the Actiontec unit, resolve the conflict and get the unit up and running. This unit is virtually identical to the Motorola 2210 in terms of connections and for anyone replacing a burned out 2210 Motorola (piece of junk) this is the unit for you. The unit is about the same size and runs noticeably cooler than the 2210. From other reviews of this and a related Actiontec unit it appears and so far I can confirm that this Actiontec unit is very effective in holding and processing the DSL signal. The slightly more expensive Actiontec USB & Ethernet DSL Modem has an on off switch a USB port and can handle two computers on a wired network basis without an additional network adapter, but is also an older unit that must be upgraded to ADSL 2/2+, whereas this GT701D unit has ADSL 2/2+ protocol built in. This is a great unit for the money if you require a simple stand alone DSL modem.


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The GT701D DSL Modem is a superior-quality ADSL 2/2+ single port modem, compatible with all major DSL service providers. This product has been rigorously tested to ensure the highest levels of compatiblity and performance. Remotely manageable and preconfigured for simple setup, the GT701D Includes a double commercial-grade firewall to help keep your connection secure. (This product is the updated version of Actiontec GT701A (GEU003AD3A-01))

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Cisco-Linksys Refurbished WRT54G2-RM Wireless-G Router Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered the WRT54G2 'refurbished' (not from this vendor) because I wanted a replacement for my 801.11b Linksys and the refurbished could be had for a significantly lower price and the product was Linksys certified and came with a 90-day warranty. To my surprise - I expected some glitches - I had close to zero problem installing and operating it. Here is my experience.
- I followed the advice to first run the installation off the provided CD.
- Even though all of my computers are wireless, I followed the advice and connected one of my computer to the router via Ethernet to perform the initial installation.
- After disconnecting the old 801.11b router I used the exact same name for the new network. This allowed for all devices to connect immediately, as soon as the setup completed.
- I made sure that the DHCP server was on.
- The end of setup. All devices, including the wireless printer and the VOIP box connected without a problem.
To my surprise, LELA is not on the CD. It took me longer to find, download and install LELA (Linksys EasyLink Advisor) than to complete the initial setup. I strongly recommend that you do install LELA because, besides the nice graphic of your home network it allows you to restore broken connections without having to turn off the router.
As far as performance is concerned, I believe that I notice a slight but not significant improvement over my old 801.11b router. We have about one dozen connected devices: desktops, laptops, a PS3, a PSP, VOIP, printer and, with all on, everything worked just fine. With the router in the basement, I had '3-bars' on a computer 15-20 feet from the router. Surprisingly, I had 3 bars on the first and on the second floor as well and I had the same 3 bars outside, about 90 feet from the router, by the pool. The old router gave me 4 bars in the basement but only 3 bars in the rest of the house and only 1 or 2 bars with intermittent disconnections outside the house.
With LELA running, I was able to quickly fix the the few disconnections that occurred over a several-days period without having to power off the router. This was better than my old 801.11b that had me power off the cable modem and the router whenever the connection to the Internet stopped working. Disconnections do occur after computers are set to 'sleep' but recovery is usually quick when the computer wakes up. I never had issues with non-computer devices such as printer, PS3 or the VOIP box.
Overall, I am very happy with my new router so far. It's probably as good as any 801.11g device can get.
___________________________________________
DNS issues update:
With DHCP, strangely, after a few months of operation, the router began to 'forget' about passing DNS queries to the outside server. It KNOWS about the 3 DNS servers the ISP has but, out of the blue I get 'resolving host' errors and LELA claims that I'm no longer connected to the Internet. This while VoIP, connected to the same router works without a problem and so do the PS3 and my kids computers.
The initial 'solution' was to power off the router and then power it back on.
I have no idea why this was happening yet but, this is my quick solution: on the 'Network and Sharing Center' click on your connection 'View status' then 'Properties', highlight 'Internet Protocol Version 4...', 'Properties', 'Advanced', from the DNS tab click on 'Add...' and enter all the DNS servers that your router has listed under 'Status'.
This eliminated all problems.

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The Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect both screaming fast Wireless-G (802.11g at 54Mbps) and Wireless-B (802.11b at 11Mbps) devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Connect four PCs directly, or attach more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Finally, the router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.

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