Rating: 
Summary: Great Router
Review: This is a fast router with a very reliable connection. Don't miss this one! It's the deal of a lifetime! I love it!
Rating: 
Summary: Beware- Incompatibility
Review: After receiving the 2nd shipment of this item, coz Neatgear tech support decided the 1st one was defective, it didnt work neither. I talked to a higher up at Netgear tech support and he acknowledged there is compatibility issues with AOL. I connect my computer through cable and using AOL for broadbund 9.0 optimized. So please beware.
Rating:
Summary: Lot of great features...hardware issues....
Review: I bought this for the faster 54Mb rate...it is fast. BUT a few problems or differences in expectations were encountered...I have used D-link, linksys, netgear, cisco, USR and belkin wireless products. The transmit strength on this compact WGR614 is pretty strong. maybe it's a factor of the 802.11G...it seemed to be as strong as the cisco gear which is phenomenal in itself. The wireless card from netgear for 54G is pretty strong also. I think belkin was the worst, followed up by USRobotics which was also pretty weak, then linksys, then d-link. Connection was extremely easy. I just unplugged the D-link wireless and put in the Netgear. It found the internet automatically, configured itself for access and spoofed the mac address automatically. Something that is great for newbies. MAJOR PROBLEM: I use my cable (comcast-which blows chow most of the time...) to access internet to use stock trading software and as such, is a streaming data stream through a VPN. This router claims VPN pass through...but unless you know which ports to open up..it makes it somewhat difficult to use "real" VPN because all you're doing is opening raw ports to the internet to IP addresses behind the router. This is a pretty big security concern IMO. I just moved all my data from the trading computer to another server that doesn't have ports open...but a pain nonetheless... anyhow, back to the main problem. This netgear router tends to just stop routing...no joke. the connection lights with the internet remain ok, but the router just freezes, stops working and then works again in a few minutes...I've contacted tech support but the Netgear technical support is a complete joke. You wait on hold for 30 minutes (an eternity it felt like) EACH time and then get connected with India..yes, they outsource, and some of the tech folks in India speak faster english with major accents than some spitfire hispanics speaking spanish...needless to say, I had to remind them to slow down and enunciate so I could hear what they were saying.. Bottom line, tech support is a joke, if you have a problem. you're on your own...Ive upgraded the firmware TWICE now, even to the new unsupported "beta" to try and stop this freezing...to no avail. I've gone back to my old D-link and it works wonders...go figure... I'm going to order one more netgear router and if that freezes too..then i think there is a hardware/firmware issue... i'm jinxed folks :-)
Rating: 
Summary: Great Product - Terrible Support
Review: I purchased the WGR614 a few weeks ago along with a WGE101 wireless bridge for my Turtle Beach Audiotron digital audio receiver. The performance of both products has been rock solid. I'm running 3 computers through the ethernet and two wireless devices. Plus this thing costs half as much as the comparable Linksys product. The only thing I don't like is the support. When I've emailed, it took several days to get an automated response to a question that is not even to close to what I really asked. I haven't tried to call yet. Also the manual indicated that you could shut off the SSID broadcast, but infact you can't unless you upgrade the firmware to the newest beta version. I did that and everything is working fine. The only other problem that I've experienced is that I can't use my employer's VPN. My own internet and network sharing works fine, but for some reason I can't use the VPN. The instructions state that shutting of the SPI firewall would solve this, but it doesn't. This was not a problem with my comparable Linksys product.
Rating:
Summary: A winner
Review: After wrestling with a Linksys BEFWS114 for the past 2 years, finally decided to junk it and get a decent wireless router(wireless on the linksys crapped out on me after a tech-support recommended "upgrade") Setting up the WG614 was a breeze. So far have not used the wireless portion of it, so cannot comment. But have been impressed so far (including ability to save off config changes like LAN IP, admin/passwd etc, so that if these get trashed during a firmware upgrade, they can be retrieved easily) Looks cool too..
All in all Netgear has a winner!
Rating:
Summary: Easiest set-up
Review: I was very concerned about ease of set-up but like others who reported here, it took 5 minutes. The auto detection of the ISP made all the difference which is where my installation problems have always occurred. Our ISP is Earthlink through Time Warner. We live in an apartment and range has not been an issue. The rebates make it a GREAT deal.
Rating:
Summary: A Solid All-in-One Wireless G Solution
Review: I decided to upgrade to the WGR614 due to the limited security and spec on my existing Netgear ME102 access point. With no SSID broadcast control, no MAC address access lists, and limited range, the ME102 was quickly becoming obsolete in my household. Enter the WGR614. With a price alluringly under 3 digits after rebates, I decided to cut my losses and step up to the faster 54MB platform. I purchased the both router and the matching WG511 PCMCIA card in order to maximize compatibility. So far, I am very satisfied. Thanks to my previous experience with the ME102, I had no trouble setting up the WGR614. All configuration on the unit is handled through a built-in web server, including an upgrade feature that allowed me to install the latest firmware from Netgear's web site (a beta version implementing full 802.11g draft compliance with SSID broadcast blocking). A quick side note, if you decide to upgrade to the beta firmware, be sure to do the same with your Netgear WG511 PCMCIA card as well. If you own a different brand of wireless card/bridge/USB connectivity device, be sure to check with the manufacturer to see if they have a "g" draft-spec firmware *before* upgrading to prevent compatibility problems. As with any wireless network device, performance will vary according to the environment, infrastructure, and placement of the antenna, but in my case, I experienced increased range in my 1600 sq. ft., two story home with steel framing over my old ME102. Where the signal would drop significantly at the farthest corners of the home with the ME102, I had good signal through the entire house. Throughput was improved, of course, but those who primarily web surf may not see dramatic improvement. I do feel better about security, now that I'm able to use access lists in addition to WEP. While there are still ways around these controls, the added layer of penetration is certainly welcome. Like it's competitors, the Netgear offers some router and firewall-like features which do everything from hide or forward ports and services to static routing. The latter is especially helpful for connecting the device to another router like the Linksys BEFSX41--perhaps not coincidently, the private IPs used by Netgear are not the same as Linksys. Since I do not use the Netgear for VPN or secure tunneling, I am unable to vouch for it's effectiveness as a remote office solution. I think it would be safe to say however, that those users who need a router with VPN services should look elsewhere for a dedicated device or one that advertises (and presumably supports) such features. In all, the WGR614 is a solid entry or addition to home wireless networking. I was able to replace a 5 port wired switch and standalone access point with one Netgear wireless router. I would recommend both the WGR614 and WG511 PCMCIA card for a simple-to-set-up, cost-effective, and secure home wireless G solution.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic compared to Linksys
Review: I first purchased a Linksys wrt54g. Having Wi-Fi experience on b routers, The first thing I noticed was poor range. I also depend on NetMeeting, Remote Desktop Sharing, and other tools requiring a 'smart router'. I returned and bought the Netgear. I immediatley noticed the range improvement, and programs that would not work properly on the Linksys work fine on the Netgear. It's that simple. Security features also work as advertised.
Rating:
Summary: This is the way to go for a home network
Review: It took me more than five or ten minutes to get everything working, but once it was all in place, the WGR614 works great! There is a card included in the box that warns you to ignore the Windows XP message about non-supported devices. But the install guide did not say anything about unchecking the box on the wireless dialog box once everything was installed. It took me quite awhile to figure out what I needed to do to get the Netgear box to replace the Microsoft box. Once I was able to configure the device, everything works splendid. I used to think I would need to wire CAT5 all over the house, but now I see that wireless is the way to go. And the WGR614 makes the job of setting up your home network easy (much easier than using the Microsoft Windows Internet Connection Sharing if you ask me). I highly recommend this device to anyone who is planning to set up a home network.
Rating:
Summary: good price (before mail in rebate) to performance
Review: I purchased this product because of the cool deal (not so cool anymore: more below) I was getting at amazon.com. I followed the instructions verbatim but could not get the product working the first time (Hence 3 stars). After two days of trying all possible things, it suddenly started to work. I did not call the product support as my experience with customer support for all products have always ranged between bad to terrible.
I made a firmware upgrade (after getting it working in the first place) on both my router and my wireless card and have had no problems since then. My link quality and signal strength are always above 98%, and I am using 128 bit WEP encryption.
I am really loving the 54Mbps speed.
I would rate it as good product in terms of hardware but it is not easy to install. It is not very difficult either!
Update:
1) Upgraded to the latest firmware for both the router and the 511 card.
2) Yet trying to get my $50 mail in rebate from amazon.com. I
received a letter from the rebate division that they need my
original receipt, although the rebate form only asks for a copy.
These people surely know how to delay things. I didnt expect this to happen on amazon.com, but they proved me wrong! Conclusion:
In spite of not receiving the mail in rebate, I think that the netgear WGR614 was a good one, and thus I have changed my rating from three stars to four. Dec 23 update: I got my mail in rebate!!!
The router is still working great!
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