NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've applied the new flash upgrade, and performance is still quite good. Most of my comments from January still apply. Setup is quick, Citrix & terminal services work without modification, and I can connect to my main office via Cisco VPN client. Games are still working too.
As with most vendors, I suspect you'll have better compatibility if you use a Netgear WiFi NIC with this unit. I can get it to work with a Cisco Aironet NIC, but I cannot get WPA encryption to work. WEP (for what it's worth) works, but I'll probably have to spring for the corresponding Netgear NIC if I want to move to WPA.
The print server took a hit with the flash upgrade, however. Now it will only work as long as the PCs using it never reboot. If they do, you lose the connection to the print server until the firewall is rebooted. Tech support has been, um, less than helpful in resolving the issue. For that reason, my rating still stands at 4 stars. I strongly recommend you check the printer compatibility list on Netgear's site before you count on this as a print server.
A couple of other notes:
- The firewall is solid. I'm a networking guy, and I've tried to hack my way in a couple of times. Nothing's perfect, but this is a good solution in the home or very small business market. The worst I've been able to do against this unit is a denial of service, which disabled the Internet connection to my home network until I rebooted the unit.
- If you plan to use MSN Messenger 6.2 and/or Windows XP's Remote Assistance, you'll need to enable UPnP on this unit, which is a bit annoying, but more of a Microsoft issue.
- The e-mail logging is VASTLY improved over that of the previous flash. My logs are much more manageable, and the number of false-positive security alert messages is minimal.
- You can now create up to two remote access VPN tunnels with the new flash. I tried it and it works, although as a home user I can't imagine ever needing that feature. Difficult to set up, though, so unless you have a solid understanding of IPSEC VPN protocols, good luck.
Still, I believe this is a good unit for a home office. For me, combining the functions of print server, wireless access point, and hardware firewall into a single device make it worth the price.

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server

The NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server is a mouthful to say but provides your business with a router, switch, print server, wireless access point, and firewall. Instead of multiple devices and a tangle of wires, the FWG114P is all you need.
Wired and Wireless Connectivity The FWG114P can connect up to 253 users onto the LAN, including 64 wireless users, to share a single broadband connection. Built in to the router is a 4-port 10/100 switch for up to four connections, as well as an 802.11g wireless access point. The wireless network supports speeds up to 54 Mbps and there is a detachable 5 dBi antenna included.
A USB port allows you to connect a printer to the network that multiple users can share simultaneously. An RS-232 serial port provides a backup connection in case the main network connection fails. A row of LED lets you know the status of the network at a glance.
High-class Security For more security than just a simple NAT router, the FVG318 offers significantly more protection. It provides: a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall to prevent Denial of Service attacks, an Intrusion Detection System (IDS), the ability to block Java/URL/ActiveX based on extension, and FTP/SMTP/RPC program filtering.
The FWG114P supports two simultaneous VPN tunnels to protect links between remote locations, encrypting the data between them. The wireless network is protected by 40/64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption as well as WPA.
Easy Setup Even with all the functionality the FWG114P provides, NETGEAR makes setup a breeze with the intuitive Smart Wizard that automatically detects the ISP connection and adjusts your configuration accordingly.
The NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server is backed by a 3-year warranty.
What's in the Box FWG114P, AC power adapter, ethernet cable, installation guide, resource CD, warranty/support information card.

Click here for more information about NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server

Read More...

ASUS RT-N13U Wireless-N Router, Access Point, and Repeater Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For those looking for a cheap wireless N router + Print & FTP Server, this is an excellent buy!
I bought this router specifically with hope that it 'might' be able to do more than what it claims on the box, and it does, to some extent. Read on and you'll find answers to your questions that any other reviews on the web aren't able to tell you.
1. Can a USB hub be used to connect multiple peripherals to the router?
A. Yes, but with certain limitations. I have successfully connected a printer and a hard drive to the router via a usb hub, and both work flawlessly! Here's what you do: plug in the usb hub to the router, then connect the hdd to the usb hub, set up your ftp server on the hdd, then connect the printer to the usb hub, and set up your printer. You will only see the printer show up in the router's main page, but the ftp serve works fine. However, hooking up 2 printers will not work because the print command is directed ip-to-ip (your pc to the router) and pass on to the usb port. When you have a usb hub with multiple printers connected the print command will be pass on to every port on the hub. Sometimes printing will come out from the right printer that you want it to, but sometimes the command will get send to the other printer which may cause your printer to malfunction. I have two printers: a HP inkjet and a Samsung laser. It happened to me when I want to print from the Samsung but the command got sent to the HP, and HP will keep feeding paper and print out an error message on the corner until I force power-down the printer; same for the Samsung when a HP print command was sent to the Samsung it just kept printing errors until the machine overhead and power-off itself.
2. When connected to a HDD, it can only be set up as a FTP server, not a network drive.
What the differences you ask? On a network drive you can stream files directly from it, while an FTP you can only upload/download files but no running directly on the server. But simutenous access from multiple users are possible. That's an advantage over the so called "netowrk shared usb" where only a single user are allowed to use the peripheral at a time.
3. This router has a hardware repeater mode switch, which I consider a big plus. It's the transparent repeater mode, meaning it will receive and broadcast the same SSID of the network you're repeating; as oppose to 'stealth' repeater mode where you can set your own SSID and security for broadcast. Note that the network printer won't work in the repeater mode 'cause the print command will be pass on to the someone else's router (one that you're repeating). The Asus router still maintain its own ip and subset which the network printer belongs to, but it's hidden in the repeater mode. You can manually configure your pc to connect to it and you'll be able to print, but you lose internet. Not sure about FTP serve in repeater mode. Haven't try yet. The router has good range. I can receive Safeway's wifi which is like 300m from my place.
4. The router itself looks good IMO. I like the hidden antenna design.
What else? Msg me if you still have a question regarding the router.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS RT-N13U Wireless-N Router, Access Point, and Repeater

ASUS RT-N13U Wireless-N Router, Access Point, and Repeater

Click here for more information about ASUS RT-N13U Wireless-N Router, Access Point, and Repeater

Read More...

SMC SMC7004ABR Barricade Cable/DSL router with 4-port 10/100Mbps switch and Integrated Print Server Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There are several items that set this SOHO router apart from its peers:
1. Support:
SMC actually tries to solve problems with the product in an expeditions manner.
2. Flexibility:
The 7004ABR can be used with a serial modem, a serial ISDN TA, or any Ethernet-based broadband interface. It can also be configured to AUTOMATICALLY switch from the broadband interface to the serial interface if the broadband loses its connection, and automatically switch back when the broadband problem clears up.
The unit also includes a print server so PC/linux users can convert that old parallel-port printer into a network printer. I can't meaningfully comment on that feature, as I don't use it.
3. Security:
Stateful Packet Inspection, and logging of attack attempts. This unit _could_ be sold as a firewall, not just a SOHO router.
Unit can be configured to be totally stealthed on the WAN side. (good)
Client filtering can be used to selectively control internet access based on client IP, and date/time.
4. Convenience and Reliability:
Changing settings does _not_ require rebooting the router. This is a unique feature among SOHO routers that I have tried.
Only operation requiring router reboot is a firmware upgrade, which is, btw, extremely easy from any modern web browser.
As a result, it is easy to achieve just about 100% network uptime reliability with this product, even when making changes in the configuration. Very cool feature.
This unit is a class act, and at (dollar amount), an absolute steal.

Click Here to see more reviews about: SMC SMC7004ABR Barricade Cable/DSL router with 4-port 10/100Mbps switch and Integrated Print Server

The Barricade™ is an ideal all-in-one networking solution for home and small business users.This platform independent multi-functional broadband router combines a 4-port 10/100 Mbps dual speed switch, a built-in print server, an RS232 COM port for fail-over dial-up or modem connections, and firewall capability for security against hackers and other unauthorized users.The Barricade™ provides a WAN port as well as Network Address Translation (NAT), which translates your WAN IP address into private LAN IP addresses keeping your internal network hidden from the rest of the Internet. Barricade fully supports VPN tunneling via L2TP, PPTP, and IPSec pass-through allowing remote users secure access to their corporate infrastructure.Also, a feature known as Hacker Attack Logging has been implemented which detects, logs, and reports any potential hacker attacks to your network.The new broadband router also allows the connection of multiple users to the Internet using a single WAN IP address. LAN IP addresses are auto-assigned and easily managed through DHCP server capabilities, and the IP routing supports a range of popular applications.

Click here for more information about SMC SMC7004ABR Barricade Cable/DSL router with 4-port 10/100Mbps switch and Integrated Print Server

Read More...