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We called Netgear and spent an hour on the phone with the rep and were still unable to get the wireless connection to work. Needless to say I sent this router back to Amazon. We were able to get the wired connection setup but my laptop was unable to pick up the wireless signal for the router.
By that time we had spent a good 4 hrs trying to get this router to work. I bought a DYNEX Enhanced Wireless G Router and we were able to setup the wireless connection and port forwarding in about 20 minutes. It was also at this point that we looked at the bottom of the router and realized it had WGR614v8.
I ordered the WGR614L router because the description stated that it supports Linux and port forwarding. His response was 'what firewall that is on your computer'. It also works fine with Linux.
A couple of times I got a message that I had no wireless adapter connected, even though I was able to see other wireless networks. After deciding to give up on the wireless connection, we asked the rep where to find the firewall so we could setup port forwarding.
When I was on the stock firmware it used to sometimes drop the wireless connection and since installing DD:WRT it is rock solid. I wouldn't recommend this router unless you are savvy with computers, as you can "brick" (destroy) your router if you don't know what you are doing when flashing it with custom firmware. I loaded up DD:WRT v24SP2 on this and it is completely stable.
I like Netgear better because the previous 2 Linksys routers I owned developed major problems that were unfixable with firmware upgrades. There are ways to de-brick, but they are involved processes (involves soldering and tftp). Netgear has always been good to me.
I bought this router in order to run custom firmware because I was sick of dealing with featureless and for the most part unstable firmware that is provided by router manufacturers. If you're not a Netgear fan then I would look into Linksys. So, if you have no need to run Linux based firmware then buy a different model, they can normally be had for cheaper as well.
Webpages seem to start loading faster than they did when I was on the stock firmware and my WiFi signal is stronger running at 70 mW instead of the default of 28 (DD:WRT lets you adjust it higher or lower). I will be buying Linux compatible routers from now on.
Originally, I got the linksys series which just proved to be worthless for my situation. I have a lot of walls to go through between my base unit and remote unit. The netgear series has done a great job in delivering high speed wireless connection.
With the ease of set up and the reliability I have seen, I would recommend this to anyone (not sure that I would have done the same with my Linksys). Set up in it's vertical orientation, it has a much smaller footprint than the Linksys it is replacing as well as a classier look.Now that wireless routers have become a basic home appliance, perhaps the best feedback to give on this one is to say that it just plain works. The elegant design was just a plus.
The instructions and setup were straight forward and clear so set up went very well. Once up and running, I have been very happy with the speed boost. I have been using B for way too long now, so I was looking forward to upgrading to G.
My old Linksys B router was more of a bottleneck than I had thought.My hopes and expectations were pretty limited, I just wanted a device that worked. Solid product. Although I should point out that I am an IT worker.
Setup took literally less than five minutes including plugging in the hardware, setting up WEP protection, configuring.
Within an hour, my wife and I were both online with a secure wireless network, and I wasn't once pushed to profanity-laced tirades or Hulk-like explosions of rage. No more impatient waiting to use the internet, no more trying to decipher the Linksys's array of lights, and hopefully no more router rage. I wanted my wife to be able to access the internet on her laptop computer while I use the iMac.
Perhaps the best part was how clearly all of the ports and lights were explained not only in the instructions, but on the device itself. I may still take the Linksys router out back and go all Office Space (Widescreen Edition) on it, but then again, maybe not. Everything should be this simple.My wife is happy, so I'm happy.
My wireless networking needs are fairly simple. Manual setup was easy enough for me to manage without needing technical support, as was configuring the router specifics and security preferences. The Wireless G has put me in a happier state of mind after all.
You'd think that would be a simple thing, but after a very frustrating year with a Linksys router with performance ranging from "hey, I'm actually online this time." to wondering if the router's performance could somehow be improved through repeated contact with a hammer, I had all but given up on the idea of a reliable wireless network.When given the opportunity to try out the slick looking Wireless G Router (WGR614L) by Netgear, I jumped at the chance. Sure, it was a bit annoying that the installation software wasn't very Mac friendly and that I had to use manual setup, but those were minor speed bumps in the overall process.
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