UPDATE: 3/22/13 this router died on me. Web interface broken, wireless radio not functioning properly, and DHCP issues, even after a hard factory reset!
Overview:
Newt Eating Three Grasses after Entering Amazon Rainforest…That’s what NETGEAR stands for. At least that’s what I think…Anyway, this exact newt specimen is a Netgear WNR2000 Wireless N Router.
Packaging and Features
This is the front of the box:
Apparently we have a “300 Speed”. 300 whats? Miles per hour? Nibbles (1 nibble=0.5 of a byte)? Well, since its a router box I’m going to assume they mean 300 Megabits. Some notable features include Parental Controls, a Wi-Fi power button (more on this later), and the promise that I will be able to “Work and Play,” at the same time!
Now, on to the back:
On the back is a chart telling me that my new router is unable to stream video and that it will have lots of interference. Some more features are listed, including:
-Lifetime Warranty (lifetime of me, or lifetime of the product?)
-Free parental controls (gotta control those parents!)
-Guest network access (If you want to use WEP on either the main network or the guest network, you’ve got to use WPA on the other. And this creates problems, because some old wireless devices/cards and some older (2000, XP) versions of Windows have shoddy or non-existant WPA support)
-Wi-fi on/off button (This is a really good feature. It allows you turn off the wireless portion of the router, like at night, but keep the rest of the network going, then you can re-enable wireless access in a second)
-Power on/off button (Quite self explanatory. However, this button is really cheaply made, and it grinds against the plastic casing of the router, and it jams easily. I recommend you just unplug the thing or use the wireless button, if you actually want to bother turning the router off.
-Wireless repeater mode. (I didn’t test this feature. However, it’s a nice feature to have, if one ever needs it)
Warranty:
I think it’s really suspicious that they don’t warrant the power adapters.
However, the 12V, 1A adapter barely even gets warm, so it should last a long time. However, it does feel a little cheaply made, (it’s very light), but I don’t see lots of failed power adapters in these type of routers so I’m not too concerned. If it does break, it’s the same plug and polarity as almost every other 12V, 1A Netgear power adapter made in the past like 6 or so years, so a replacement would be cheap and easy to find.
What!? No Windows or Linux support!? Just kidding, this router supports pretty much any OS made in the past 15 years. They just put that logo there so the mac fan- boys and girls don’t feel left out!
Box Contents and Documentation
The box contains: A coupon for 35 free songs, a booklet of Netgear products, the Install and Documentation CD, the written documentation, a router stand, an Ethernet cable, the Power Adapter, and one damn funny-lookin’ newt!
The paper manual has some decent information in it. I would rate it higher than most manuals that come with networking devices. If needed, there are more help resources on the CD.
Installation, Setup, and Configuration
On the CD is a neat little program called Netgear Genie. It basically walks you through the installation in easy to follow steps.
The installation took me about 5 minutes. All I did was plug the router into my DSL modem.
Go to the configuration page (routerlogin.com), and set it up
The configuration page has many, many cool options! These include:
-Quality-of-service (QoS) prioritizing
-Monthly bandwidth usage metering
-Port forwarding
-Site blocking/content filtering
The Router
Here is what it looks like:
Here is its new home, hopefully for many years to come:
You can see my 8-port D-Link switch, too!
I think the Netgear router looks alright, but I liked the older ones that were horizontal and were that sort of rounded rectangular shape.
I have one major nitpick with this router: The lights don’t blink. I mean that the status lights on the front don’t blink when there is activity. I really liked being able to see what was going on in my network. I also found it very relaxing to run speedtest.net on my PC and watch the little lights blink really fast!
Router Performance
This router seemed to have slightly better range than both my Netgear 108G and the router (now disabled) built into my crappy 2Wire DSL modem. Also, this router seems to connect with devices a lot faster, including my phone and my various laptops.
Conclusion
Pros:
-Fast and has good range
-Integrated
-The Genie software on the included CD is very helpful for less experienced users
-Wi-Fi on/off button
Cons:
-The quality of the on-off button on the back
-There is no option to enable the status LEDs to blink when there is network activity
-Long boot-up times (this router takes like 1 minute to turn on)
Scoring
-Performance: 9/10
-Features: 9/10
-Quality: 8.5/10
-Aesthetics: 7/10
-Value: (50USD): 9/10
Final Score: 8.5/10
If you would like to buy this router, go here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122235
To discuss this review in our forum, click HERE!
Review Sample Source: Purchased at a computer store.
UPDATE: 3/22/13 this router died on me. Web interface broken, wireless radio not functioning properly, and DHCP issues, even after a hard factory reset!
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