Rating: 
Summary: Thumbs down on security and customer support
Review: I agree with many of the other customer's comments for this wireless router: it is fairly simple to setup, and it does work as advertised. However, I feel many of the customers have failed to consider one key feature that the MR314 lacks: SECURITY. This brand offers very little in regards to securing your wireless network. There is no way to view a log of successful or failed connections from wireless clients. Almost all other brands have this ability. My particular router locks up after 8-9 day of use and requires a cold boot. Although, this may be a bug in the current firmware that might be corrected in the next version. I've spoken with Netgear's technical support dept and their level of knowledge is no higher than someone who has read the quick install guide for this router.
Rating: 
Summary: Isn't it nice when something works as it's supposed to?
Review: Installing this router/switch/access point and the MA101 USB adapter took me all of 20 minutes, including configuring the MR314 and two PCs. (Windows XP was running on both machines.) The instructions for the MR314 could be a bit clearer, but really it would be very hard to go wrong. And this was my first time ever installing a network! I could not believe my eyes when I instantly had high-speed Internet access on both machines -- no reinstalling anything, no calling tech support. It just works. Some kind of first for me. My remote PC is two floors up from the MR314; point to point it's about 50 feet. The signal strength registers as "low" (2 out of 5 pips on the MA101 adapter software), but it's good enough for an unbroken connection that's indistinguishably fast from the one I have on my wired PC. Actually, I did have one problem: the regular telephone modem on one PC stopped working after the install. It took me a half hour to figure out that I'd inadvertently pulled the jack out of the wall.
Rating:
Summary: Nice, but the range is much less than advertised.
Review: Setting up the router and the USB adapter (MA101) was easy. First I tested with the two computers in the same room. It worked great, with "Excellent" signal strength. I then moved computer 1 with the router 40 feet (two rooms) away, in my house. The indicated signal strength dropped to "Poor" (1 or 2 out of 5 bars). Transfer speed was still good though--plenty fast enough for DSL communication. However, when the signal was poor, dropouts could occur. Then when I moved the router downstairs 60 feet away, the adapter was NEVER able to connect. Worst yet, whenever the MA101 was plugged in while no signal or the signal was lost, it hung Windows (XP). And the computer must be reset!
It simply does not have the transmission range that I needed-I returned the products.
Rating:
Summary: Works really well, most of the time
Review: I've been using it for about a 3 weeks. From day 1 it would freeze the wireless connection after some heavy throughput. Strangely, the signal stays good though. I am using a Orinoko card on my laptop. I'm returning it this week.
Rating: 
Summary: a good choice of normal internet use
Review: If you all you really do is surf the net, read e-mail and play a few internet based games, this product will probably give you no trouble. I bought it and setup it relatively quickly. I am fairly experienced with computers and networks but the basic instructions were sufficient to get 3 computers hooked up and running in less than half an hour. I tested a variety of applications and most worked flawlessly. Surfing, checking e-mail, even hosting online games work well. Speed was good, no worse than direct connection. The only bug I did run into was when using IRC or mIRC. Any attempts to initiate a DCC send cause your connection with the router to be terminated. I tried to open up the correct ports but nothing worked. I did a web search on the problem and others have also found that a DCC send will cause a disconnection of your network. It seems to be a bug that Netgear knows about but isn't doing alot about. In short, if you don't use mIRC at all, then you probably won't see any problems and it's a great price, expecially on amazon. However, if you do use mIRC or other unconventional software, you're likely to run into a lot of headaches. Personally, I had to return the product and simply setup a computer based proxy/firewall home network using WinXP. It's a more complicated option but it works flawlessly.
Rating: 
Summary: Great, but *NOT* simple if you set it up *RIGHT*
Review: I bought this to replace my D-Link DI-701 router/firewall, which set-up very simply. To be blunt, Netgear's instructions are worthless - in fact it took me several hours to determine that ALMOST ALL of the settings they provided for my ISP were WRONG. On the positive side, the web-based configuration is great and can be done from most platforms. Once I sorted out the settings for my ISP, it was a breeze to setup for basic routing (NAT & DHCP) and firewall use. The 4 switched ports are WONDERFUL, so I used 3 for 100mb access PCs and put all the 10mb machines on a hub on the 4th switch port. This box is an absolute block-out firewall. You must be prepared to specify which ports you want open and hard-code the IP address for that particular machine. Wireless setup was for a Powerbook G4. Again, basic setup was simple, but it wouldn't work with WEP enabled. (Don't call tech support: they know NOTHING about Macs.) Here's the scoop: select and enter 4 different WEP codes where provided, click the radio button of the one you want to be the default. When logging in from the Mac, the "password" will be a "$" followed by the default HEX WEP key. Once you know the scoop, it's really that simple. This should be in the documentation and available to their techs. Security considerations: (1) Change the configuration password to something difficult, immediately.
(2) Don't open more firewall holes than absolutely necessary (you may not need to add ANY and most software companies can tell you what ports they need).
(3) Consider using the site blocking option of the firewall to block access at times when nobody should be on the system.
(4) Block wireless access to all except the MAC ID's of your mobile units.
(5) Change the SPID from "Wireless" to something lengthy and complex - don't forget to put this in your mobile configurations.
(6) Use 128 bit WEP and ensure the key is complex.
(7) For high security, change the WEP (and SPID) periodically. All in all, LOTS of features at a GREAT price, but if you're going to use many of the features (correctly/securely), plan on spending a couple hours, not 10 minutes, setting it up. PRO: Supports most OS platforms and other manufacturers' 802.11b clients (WiFi). Web-based configuration fairly straightforward. Strong firewall with nice features. CON: Instructions may do more harm than good. I suggest you scan them for general ideas and then play with it or buy your local nerd dinner. It will likely take some tinkering to setup securely & use advanced options. Look for help on comprehensive (non-manufacturer) sites on the web.
Overall: 4 stars, solid, secure. (But will Netgear update the firmware to support the new WEP-Plus? Let's hope so.)
Rating:
Summary: NETGEAR IS SO SWEET
Review: I debated which router to buy since I heard Dlink and Linksys were also great wireless alternatives. However, I decided to pick up the MR314 router at Best Buy and try it out with the Cisco card I already had. I was up and running within a half an hour because a few of my settings were not correct. I called the Netgear help line and they were very helpful and knowledgable. Its really cool since I can now work on my couch instead of in my office at home (heehee). I was so curious about the range I brought it outside a few hundred feet to my apartments pool and what do you know - worked perfectly! The most amazing thing is that the speed is just as fast as when I was connected directly to my cable modem. A MUST BUY!!
Rating:
Summary: It works and I'm wireless!
Review: I'm a wireless newbie. I was going to buy just a 802.11b wireless access point and share my internet connection using the Windows XP ICS facility. But this solution works better as now I can connect to the internet wirelessly and my main computer doesn't have to be even turned on! Although Netgear claims you can be up and running in 30 minutes, it always take me much longer to install networking stuff - it's seems like I'm always booting and rebooting all the PC's in my network? The documentation is a bit hard to get to as you have to dig it out of the included CD. This router supports VPN (PPPTP and IPSec) and the VPN speed in may experience is very good - I can connect to work wirelessly from my laptop and have a 1Mbit VPN connection through my Earthlink DSL. 40 and 128 bit WEP is supported. With WEP enabled, performance does drop a little, but I don't notice it when sharing internet connection or general networking use. It even comes with 4 port 10/100 lan switch, so you can run wires if you choose to. I also liked the nice metal case the product is packaged in. Bottom line is that for the price, this is a great product. If you want serious speed for networking then check out the 802.11a products. You'll pay a LOT more, and these products won't make your internet/broadband connection any faster.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: Wow. That was all I could say when I got this card and the MA401 wireless card home and connected. I have to admit that I haven't used any other wireless networking products, so I cannot compare NetGear's products with any others. But I did do a good deal of research when deciding which company to use. At first I was only considering the Linksys and D-Link products, and had a tough time deciding which to try. Last week, Best Buy was offering a rebate on the NetGear products, so I thought that I would research them, too. I am SO glad that I did! I found very few (if any) disparaging remarks in regards to these products, and now, after using them myself, I know why. Once I had the products home, I plugged the wireless card into my wife's notebook (running Windows 98), inserted the installation disk into her CD-ROM, and 3 minutes later it was completed. Then, I took the router into my office and ran the ethernet line from the router to a NIC card in my PC in there. The LED lights for power and the local PC instantly lit up, but the wireless one did not. So, I walked back into the room with the laptop to check the status light on the card to see if it was lit. By the time I got back to the laptop, the light on the wireless card was green. So I walked back into the office, and the wireless light was now lit. It synched up that fast. I was amazed. I then used the Windows XP built-in functionality on my PC to setup the network. This was also very simple, thanks to XP. I finished this, shared the folders/files/whatever I wanted to on my PC, did the same on my wife's laptop, and I was finished. The entire process took approximately 15 minutes. And there was no issue whatsoever using Windows XP. I had read some reviews for both the Linksys and D-Link products, and some people had issues with XP, which was another reason I tried the NetGear products. A few days later my cable company (Insight) came out to install my internet service, and I plugged my Motorola SB4100 modem into the router, and again had no issues (besides my own inexperience). I had everything running through the router in about 20 minutes. Again, very simple. The router did an excellent job in terms of security (although it does not have a firewall built into it), because it defaults to locking down all ports of your network. I didn't realize this until I tried hosting a multi-player game for my friends to join, and they could not connect to the IP I had given them. One of my friends told me to go and change the DNZ address to my local IP address, which essentially unlocked all of the ports on my machine. They were then able to connect to my game without any problems. So I had to lock it back down afterwards, but I plan on doing some testing to find what specific port this game used, so I can just unlock that port permanently. I would definitely suggest this product if you are considering a wireless network. This router will also work with any 802.11b network, so you don't HAVE to purchase the NetGear wireless card with this card; but I would suggest you do.
Rating:
Summary: Easy, Quick, and It Works!
Review: I had a need to get more than just one of my workstations online via my ISP and to also connect to my office's vpn. Also had picked up a Cisco Aironet 340 card for my laptop at a convention last year so was curious to try a wireless DSL router. Reviewed them both here and at CNET... at first thought the DLINK or the Siemens would fit the bill but really felt drawn to the number of folks who liked the NetGear. Found a supplier in Fremont, CA who had one in stock and had it shipped. You'll note that they aren't in stock online everywhere. Beware of the ones that are but that are 802.11a _WOW_. Out of the box and on the Internet with my workstations within ten minutes. Pass through VPN works great, the fact that my ISP wants me to have only one MAC address (my computer's) was fine as the box handles MAC spoofing... I am using zone alarm on my workstations so I don't care that the device itself doesn't have a FW... the content filtering is nice but I don't need it. I know networking very well but suspect that if you didn't, this would still have been a simple install. Love the product. Wireless range is OK - our house is challenged in that regard so I think my comments on distance may not be applicable to anyone else - especially since my card is Cisco's (might make a difference if the card were NetGear's, might not. I do know I had better range using a Cisco access point but those are pricy even on eBay). In sum - broadband access, 4 10/100 ports, and the wireless are more than enough for me. Especially given how drop-dead simple this was to get working. Change the admin pwd as soon as you get it set-up. :) Cris
| 
