Rating: 
Summary: Wireless that works
Review: I'd have given this 10 stars if it were 802.11g, but it doesn't really matter, since 802.11b is fast enough for broadband (and even T1 and T3!), and I don't transfer huge files between my PCs.I'd tried Netgear, D-Link and Linksys and was sorely disappointed by the limited ranges on those AP/router units. Netgear was the worst. Finally I decided to give this a try. I was a little skeptical at first since I wasn't excited about a Microsoft product. "Plain and buggy," I thought. But, five minutes after installation, I finally got steady wi-fi signal all over my house, whereas before with the other AP/routers the signal would drop completely after less than 20 feet. It has worked well ever since. Very happy with it. There's a twenty-dol rebate until June 30. But you'll have to dig for the rebate form on Microsoft's online store site.
Rating:
Summary: Wireless for Mere Mortals
Review: I'm not a networking guy. I'm not capable of drawing you a network diagram of my "home LAN" and don't really care to be honest. A DMZ to me is a military term. I wanted 2 things only: I wanted a wireless LAN at home and I wanted some reasonable security in front of my PC. I'm not too concerned about hackers sitting outside my house with wireless NICs trying to establish a connection...my PC would be the last thing I would reach for if I encountered that situation. Now, I have no real point of comparison (Linksys, Netgear, etc.), but I believe Microsoft hardware products are typically a higher quality than other brands (I'm a little biased since I used to work there). The ONLY problem I ran into setting up was my SBC DSL software had a firewall application that conflicted with the router. Once the software was disabled, I connected without a problem. I also bought the Microsoft wireless NIC for my laptop and so I can surf from anywhere in my house (1 level ~1,650 sqft.). The occasion that I had to call tech support at MS was a breeze. They are AWESOME! They had me up and running in no time (I called SBC half-a-dozen times and after 4 hours they were still clueless). A co-worker of mine just recently bought a Netgear setup and he had the same software/hardware conflict, so it's something to be aware of. All in all:
This router performs beautifully and is all I could ask for.
The menu is easy and intuitive.
Tech Support is GREAT!
Price is competitive.
What else is there? I highly recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy to setup but didn't work so well with one computer
Review: I use this wireless router to connect two computers at home. Was easy to setup but didn't work so well with a PII computer running Windows ME. Initially I connected a PIII running XP and a PII using ME. I had to go through several steps everytime I booted the computer running Windows ME to get the network connection to work. After getting rid of the PII computer and getting a new celeron (still runing ME), I now have no problems. So beware if you have plan to use this with older computers.
Rating:
Summary: MN-500 - Doesn't get any easier than this
Review: I recently upgraded my internet connection from a regular 56K modem to Verizon's DSL service, and wanted to share my new connection with my secondary computer in a bedroom. I looked at several different options including running wires through the attic, but the resounding choice was to go wireless. I have had over 6+ years dealing with computer hardware and software, but networking I have never had real formal experience dealing with, so I was a bit ansy when it came to purchasing and setting up my first wireless network. The wireless hardware market is relatively consolidated between Linksys, Netgear, DLink, and to a smaller extent, Microsoft. I chose to go with MN-500 over the others because of my excellent previous experience with other Microsoft hardware. I purchased it, got home, opened the box - was surprised that the router could stand up or lay flat on it's side - a great feature. Came with all necessary cables and great instructions. Hooking up cables and driver installation was a breeze on Win98. Then it came to setting up my wireless information: my SSID, base station password, channel, WEP key, and some other information. Having not worked with wireless before, it was very intuitive. Got everything correct, then went through the painful process of setting up my wireless USB adapters. Had to reboot the MN-500 once in order to get the USB adapters to recognize the network, but after doing so it worked perfectly. The MN-500 configuration page shows what computers are hooked up to your network, and the management page has all the usual options: WEP, NAT Firewall, Mac and Client Filtering, LAN and WAN setup, and logging. Very easy to use. In terms of performance - the MN-500 has been reviewed by many major sites and has been called the slowest in terms of performance of any wireless router. I don't transfer files often between computers so that is not much of an issue. The speed it does transfer files at is more than adequate. In terms of download speed over the internet, the speed is the same on the wireless computers as it is on the wired computer. The base station itself - features 4 ports for wired access, and status indicator lights showing if the router is having problems, what port is using the network, and so forth. The MN-500 automatically assigns DHCP IP Addresses, so there's no need to manually do it unless you enjoy the challenge. Also, the MN-500 is XBox Live! and XBConnect compatible, so getting your XBox online is as simple as plugging it into the router. My only gripes about the router: you cannot turn off auto broadcast. That might be a security concern to some, especially if you live in an apartment. (My router is next to a window so I'm kind of concerned) My other gripe: this might be wishful thinking, but you should not be able to lock yourself out of the router through mac filtering, which unfortunately, is possible with this router. (Easily avoided by doing a hard reset on the router) Overall however, this router is great for the newbie wireless user or even the advanced. It's a great piece of hardware that's easy and simple to use and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Don't be afraid, go wireless. The MN 500 makes it easy!
Review: I love gadgets and technology, but I am NOT a computer expert and wireless networking terms such as MAC numbers and Port Forwarding and DMZ are pretty foreign to me. I just wanted a wireless way to share my broadband internet connection between our home office desktop, my PDA (iPAQ 5455) and our kitchen/family room based laptop. The Microsoft MN 500 Wireless Base Station is the ticket to easy wireless networking. All you really need to read is the 4 page quick start guide and the device will be up and running. I read the very informative 100 page manual as well and learned a thing or two, but I really didn't need that informtion. The base station connected flawlessly -though I did reset my cable modem after connecting. That is not in the instructions but my ISP told me it would be a good idea. The base station has worked perfectly since and the signal is very strong throughout my house, upstairs and down- and in fact even in my driveway outside (so I was certain to leave the built-in encryption feature on to prevent drive-by theft of my signal.) My base station is tucked into a cubby hole in my computer desk next to the cable modem and has no problem sending its signal throughout the house. Those who have had problems with the signal probably just need to move the device. There is a lengthy discussion about placement of the base station in the manual (away from metal computer cases, for example). The MN-500 also comes with a hardware firewall. There is much debate as to whether software or hardware firewalls are best. I'm testing. The first two weeks I had my base station I disabled the hardware firewall and continued to use my Norton software based protection. Now, I've disabled that and am using the MN 500 alone. The ease of installation and the firewall and encryption features make this a great product for people who want to share the internet at home but don't want to learn the inner workings of wireless.
Rating:
Summary: I didn't even need the CD!!
Review: Well, I took it home, opened the box and did exactly what all the stickers and instructions say not to. I just plugged it in. By the time I booted up by desktop and launched IE the MS500 had found my DSL router and autoconfigured everything I needed. It worked right out of the box with no install CD or setup required!!! How much easier can it get than that!! Very good product.
Rating:
Summary: Customer service by Microsoft A+
Review: I recently bought a new IBM Centrino powered laptop (R40) and wanted a wireless broadband connection for my home. After reading all the reviews on the $50 - $75 routers I picked the Microsoft MN-500 based on customer service. After installing the software I was unable to connect to the internet. My computer recognized the wireless connection but could not connect to the internet. I had a 10 minute wait in primetime to talk to a customer service rep at Microsoft. Within 15 minutes I was running full throttle throughout my small condo. Full signal, regardless of where I went. Needless to say I am very happy with my purchase. And you get a 2 year warranty. I hope Microsoft keeps the customer service in this country. I will avoid offshore customer service companies. And no, I am not in the tech business. My limited experience with offshore customer service has been very negative. You could give me a wireless router and if they have poor customer support I would give it back to you. You get what you pay for!
Rating: 
Summary: Only for Beginners.
Review: I purchased the MN-500 Wireless Base Station last May and it worked great all summer. In fact, it is the simplest router I have ever used. Setup was simple, quick, and it enabled all the security features automatically, as opposed to using default settings that are easily compromised. However, after three months of using this device, it simply stopped working. The lights did not blink; they all just stayed lit. Technical support was very helpful and sent me a replacement promptly and I was just as pleased with the new unit. Suspiciously enough, this same problem occurred a mere three months later. I will not comment on the technical support the second time around, but they sent me a new router, anyway. The third MN-500 I received was the new and improved version of the product, released with the same features as the MN-700 Wireless Base Station sans wireless-G capabilities. In other words, it was now using a "Commercial-Grade SPI Firewall." To say the least, the new MN-500 not only had the same capabilities as all the other MN-500 Wireless Base Stations I had received, but it was in fact, the SAME router. It did not have any of the additional enhancements that were listed on the box and it used the same firmware version as the previous models. I saw nothing in the router configuration concerning control of the firewall by any means different than was previously available. My understanding (in dealing with LINKSYS products) is that a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) Firewall gives you more control over incoming packets than the choice to simply enable or disable the firewall, which is the only choice given for the MN-500. Even when I updated the firmware, I still saw no change to this feature and was very disappointed that it did not give me more advanced controls over my Internet connection. On the bright side, the base station has given me strong wireless connections and I have never received a drop-off in communication between any wired or wireless device with this product. Nevertheless, this product needed to be replaced twice and does not have any of the features a computer user might want. I turned to the WRV-54G Wireless VPN Broadband Router from LINKSYS, and despite its poor remarks here at Amazon.com, I have never had a single problem. (Please note that I update all my firmware promptly upon each release.)
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable!
Review: I know there are many Microsoft bashers out there, but bottom line is their hardware products always work without a hitch. I have used Microsoft Keyboard and Mice with no problems ever. I bought a Netgear WGT624 router which was a nightmare. Reboot issues remain ignored by Netgear, and their support is lacking. I read the reviews of the MN-500 router by Microsoft so I decided to give it a go. At the price you cannot go wrong. I am a very proficient network type guro, and manage a modest size network at Stanford. I have always been hesitant using wireless because of the hit and miss connection issues. My laptop has a wireless network card so I decided to take the plunge at home. Dealing with the Netgear router made me want to give up, but using the Microsoft router, I must say I am very impressed. At first glance and feel, its rather cheasy (showing my age). Setting the unit up was a breeze. You can set the router up without using the software, but I like the software so I used it. After a few clicks, it was up and running. Wireless too. No problems at all! It was really refreshing to use a wireless router without haveing to deal with hassle. Plugged it in, ran the software, surfed the web, end of story. The software will notify you of an update, and I recommend you do. It adds an extra security feature - dissabling of SSID broadcast. So what do you get for about 40 bucks? 1. Wireless router
2. 4 port switch
3. Firewall
4. MAC address filtering
5. 64 or 128bit WEP
6. Disable of SSID broadcast
7. Very good wireless range - 20% greater than the WGT624 in B-mode. and all of the other usual features like DHCP. Sure its only 802.11b, but its tried and tested. If you are looking for a router, get this router!
Rating:
Summary: No Muss, No Fuss Networking--This Is It!
Review: If you want a reliable, easy-to-install wireless network, this base station/router is a great centerpiece. I have had it configured with both cable and DSL modems, and the MN-500 worked great on both. The security is very good with the built-in WEP and inegrated firewall. For an added measure of security, you can also enable MAC filtering so the base station communicates only with hardware you designate by MAC address. Outstanding tech support by Microsoft for 2 years is an added bonus. When I called for help about a setting, Microsoft kept calling me to ensure everyting was OK--unheard of nowadays! The only hitch I've run into with the MN-500 is using the automatic install wizard. It doesn't seem to always work reliable, so I've had much better success just configuring the base station manually, which isn't as scary as it might sound. You just access the base station with your web browser and type in some information. The range is excellent, and there is no place within my house or yard where I cannot access the base station with my remote PCs. The manual is excellent in all regards and explains all of this in terms anyone can understand. Overall, an excellent product.
| 
