Rating: 
Summary: TERRIFIC...for newbie or experienced user
Review: Easy to install, and easy to configure. I'm experienced, but not an expert, and I have no complaints so far with this router after a few months of use. Offers simple features like DHCP, and advanced features like DMZ, MAC filters, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Customer Service
Review: I had no problem setting the hardware up, etc. Had slight difficulty with my work VPN. Hardware performs average. The biggest issue I have with SMC is their customer service (they stiffed me on my rebate, and did not reply back to my e-mails, etc), and therefore will not purchase anymore of their products.
Rating:
Summary: Great little SOHO Firewale, but not for average home use.
Review: I purchased this firewall to add wireless capability to my home LAN for my PDA. After browsing through the setup screens, I was so amazed at the functionality that I replaced my trusty Linux based firewall with it. Not to long after that, I took it off my network and re-instated the Linux firewall, more on that later. I have a 24/7 cable mode connection to the Internet so a firewall is mandatory here. The SMC Barricade features time synchronization via SNTP, dynamic dns (via tzo.com), 64/128 bit WEP, mac filtering, port forwarding, DMZ, intrusion detection, stateful inspection and some tricked out firewall features I've only seen in enterprise level or more expensive SOHO firewalls. You can actually create custom rules and apply them to specific clients on your network such as URL/keyword blocking (great for blocking porn sites) and specific tcp/ip services. You can also schedule these rules by specifying a time frame on any given day of the week and assigning it to one or several clients. This is great for keeping the kids off the net after certain hours! After setting it up I ran it through several security scans over the web (grc.com, sygate.com) and probed it myself from the office with various Linux and Windows scan tools. Being a Network Security Specialist I can tell you this, the SMC Barricade is a solid little firewall and whether you decide to purchase it or not, do not go out on the Internet without one. <-period I purchased mine at the beginning of 2003 for $$$, at the time of this review it is now $$ with a mail in rebate. Sounds like SMC wants to unload their stock as soon as possible. The wireless capabilities are ok but not great with my PDA. After about 50ft the signal gets pretty useless. This is most likely my wireless adapter and not the SMC. What can one expect from a battery powered wireless card the size of a matchbook anyway? Now for the complaint section of this review: First of all, there is no provision for external logging outside of the built in security log which isn't too bad. But the ability to log the data via syslog would be nice. Secondly, this thing chokes when UDP traffic gets heavy. Too put this in context for the non technical folks, when you have more than one client playing games on the Internet, this firewall is going to kill those connections. Even with the intrusion detection parameters tuned as loose as they'll go and/or even with SPI turned off, this firewall either just can't handle it or thinks it's under attack and blocks the connections. It shouldn't do this under the cirumstances. Thirdly, there are bugs, even in the latest firmware, currently rev 1.23. If you are using the firewalls DHCP service and if you disable the UDP setting under SPI (you must also disable TFTP and h.323). When these are turned off, forget about any kind of DNS resolution from this firewall. Because it doesn't pass along the DNS IP addresses it obtains from your ISP to the clients on a DHCP request, but instead assigns it's own IP address for DNS resolution, you must manually enter the DNS settings on your clients. Now maybe I am missing something here but I don't think so. The SMC Barricade has quite a few bells and whistles for the price and would probably be great in a small office or home environment for web/email use, but outside of that, I can't recommend it. I am sticking with my Linux firewall and the SMC get's to play wireless gateway on the DMZ and that's about all it's good for.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely easy to set up and works excellent.
Review: This is my first wireless router and wireless USB adapter I have ever tried to install. I wired the router between the cable modem and PC (Win XP), then plugged the SMC USB adapter into a second PC which uses Win98SE. The setup was extemely easy to do and took only a few minutes. After rebooting the second PC, the browser web pages opened very fast over the wireless connection. I will be adding a notebook computer later with the SMC Wireless Cardbus Adapter. This was much easier than I ever anticipated. This product provides a lot of performance for the money.
Rating: 
Summary: Good router once I got it to work
Review: My router did not work with my Win2k and XP computers out of the box. My connectivity to the internet was good (ping and traceroute), but web and email was VERY VERY slow and often timed out. Finally, I downloaded and installed the latest firmware from SMC and it solved the problem. The signal strength is very good -- stronger than the Cisco Aironet that the SMC replaced. I don't have dead spots in the house like I used to. The configuration GUI is simple and easy to use. Although I haven't tested any of the firewall/security functions yet. Overall I am satisfied with this router, but I only rate it a 3 because it shouldn't have shipped with the old firmware. I would recommend downloading the latest firmware and installing it before engaging in any troubleshooting.
Rating:
Summary: Great Features - Horrible Wireless
Review: I wish I had paid more attention to some of the other reviews on this product. The price is just so seductive though. The installation was a breeze as promised although documentation was very scarce. Initially I was delighted to be up and running in minutes upon plugging everything in. Great features on router and easy maintenace. HOWEVER signal strength is just plain horrible for wireless access. I have problems at times in the same room (5 friggin feet away). Firmware upgrades, switching channels, moving phones, etc... just doesn't solve problem. Spend the extra few dollars and get another brand.
Rating:
Summary: the router that can make your home a wi-fi center
Review: The setup with router was easy do and make easy by windows XP. XP will show which setup to you to make easier. All you need to coonect 2 cat-5 wires one from cable\DSL modem to router and one to your desktop. Then will make an change in ip address and now your online with router. I have 3 computers on network 2 laptops and 1 desktop. All computers have fast connection to internet and can go any where inside and outside of house for connection. This router you want to have in your or any where you want internet access any where in your home or aparnment.
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid this product
Review: wasted all day with a SMC barricade wireles router and SMC 2635W wireless adapter. I was getting dropped every couple minutes, so it was impossible to transfer any files of decent size. Talk to tech support half-a-dozen times. First they blamed my cordless phone, so I unplugged it. Next they blamed my cell phone, so I powered it off and called them on a landline. Then they blamed windows xp. I discovered that their driver wasn't signed (not windows logo certified.) SMC owns about 5.9% of the wireless market, LinkSys owns about 50%. Avoid Microsoft too. They are new to the wireless hardware game, and their products aren't well tested either. Good luck!
Rating:
Summary: Great Tool for Novices & Pros Alike
Review: I just ordered a second one of these routers for a friend. I have used mine for six months now, and reccomend it to anyone looking to enjoy a wireless connection, as well as ethernet connections too. All the negative reviews are due mostly to not reading instructions. Most issues can be resolved by making simple adjustments thru the advanced setup wizard. Another thing too... Buy all the same brand (i.e. router, cards, etc), and you find you get awesome distance with wireless, and no compatibility issues. I live in a highrise, and go three flights down and to the opposite end of the building to a friends house and get great signal strength. GREAT PRODUCT, EASY SET-UP, AWESOME PRICE!!!
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't work with Surfboard Cable Modems!
Review: I'm a computer consultant, and have setup 20+ wired and wireless networks for cable/dsl connections. The SMC gave me more headache than most, all because it is incompatible with the Motorolla Surfboard 4200 (and maybe more models?). The tech support politely suggested I upgrade and buy a newer SMC router. They didn't tell me of the incompatibility until the 3rd call and hours of wasted time. Granted, the SMC has more features than the linksys, or the netgear routers, but if it doesn't work, the features are useless. Also, while this does claim Dynamic DNS Support, you have to use their fee-based DYNDNS service, unlike netgear which allows autoupdating to a free account at dyndns.org and others. Perhaps the SMC firewall is better than linksys or netgear, but I wouldn't know until it works!
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