Netgear still kings of Wireless Routers?

PikKOn · 20 Dec 2007 at 16:14

Hi everyone I am in need of a wireless router and currently have a netgear which my brother is taking away as his moving house. This netgear router was incredible didn't give any issues what so ever so was looking for a new Netgear but apparently I am hearing bad things about them :confused:

Ideally I need my PC, XBox 360, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and Laptop to be connected to the wireless router with possibility of a PS3 coming soon so which router is ideal. I heard the Netgear WPN824 108Mbps RangeMax Wireless Cable Router is dodgy and looses connectivity regularly is this true?

Should I go for a Belkin but I had a bad experience with them in the past... talking about 6 years ago or around that.

Cheers for the help

platypus · 20 Dec 2007 at 16:29

Well I've never ever had a problem with Netgear, and prefer them simply because I'm used to the user interface. Indeed the only problems Ive had with networking have been using Belkin components.

However, the house I'm in at the moment is using this router, and its performance so far has been fantastic.

niko · 20 Dec 2007 at 16:48

for me its draytek all the way ,ive not had a problem since using them (2800g)
netgear i had a lot of problems with and although this was sorted (by me)i found there customer support terrible

Tomsk · 20 Dec 2007 at 19:58

I like Drayteks too, but their wireless isn't the best. I've always had to boost mine with high gain aerials.

Furton · 20 Dec 2007 at 23:49

I've installed the Netgear DG834 54Mpbs router on 4 different networks including my own and never had a problem with it, very stable and just works!

Snapshot · 21 Dec 2007 at 08:34

Draytek for business, Netgear or Linksys for the home, Belkin for the bin.

randal · 21 Dec 2007 at 08:39

Linksys + Tomato > Netgear. Always found Belkin's interfaces on their routers a nightmare, and the Netgear ones are a bit clunky too.

Uhtred · 21 Dec 2007 at 08:43

just avoid belkin and you can't go wrong really

As above, Netgear or linksys for home use

blastman · 21 Dec 2007 at 11:02

Zap said:
Netgear or linksys for home use

I work for an it distributor who sells god knows how much netgear stock each month.

because of this, our office network has been 'sponsored' by netgear and we have no issues with it at all. (touch-wood)

we have about 6 AP's and over 10 switch's for the patch panels, all of it netgear, and i have to say...

it's all good baby!!

VeNT · 21 Dec 2007 at 12:07

isn't netgear cisco? or did they split up?
I've always found netgear and cisco stuff all good

James J · 21 Dec 2007 at 12:13

Found that netgear routers are very sensitive to interference where as say a belkin one would work flawlessly in that environment.

My current gripe with netgear is the dodgy N draft its using on the DG834N as my macbook never connects at 270mbps whereas it did on my belkin always gave me the full N speed

tolien · 21 Dec 2007 at 12:20

VeNT said:
isn't netgear cisco? or did they split up?
I've always found netgear and cisco stuff all good

Nope - Linksys is a Cisco subsidiary, but that has no impact on the quality of Linksys kit.

PhillyDee · 21 Dec 2007 at 12:27

Belkin=fail. I hate them. With a passion. Every product i have ever used is faulty in some way. Last belkin thing i bought got 'accidently' jumped up and down on. Far more enjoyable than taking it back.

IAmATeaf · 21 Dec 2007 at 13:24

Always been a Netgear man, have a dg814, dg834g and a dg835pn. Draytek for me have been the best have a 2600x (or something similar) but moved over to Netgear when I needed wireless.

iMacMart · 21 Dec 2007 at 14:05

Linksys when I had NTL Cable and now with Netgear D834GT UberGT firmware - Fast stable line and wireless signal is fine all over my 3 bed house and garden

crowhorse · 21 Dec 2007 at 15:06

Tolien said:
Nope - Linksys is a Cisco subsidiary, but that has no impact on the quality of Linksys kit.

Yeah - exactly - Linksys were taken over by Cisco - but cisco hasn't tampered with the production of Linksys kit - so don't take that as an indicator of quality.

I've installed hundreds of various types of routers in my jobs before I came to uni... netgear have been consistently the best - but if you do get unlucky and get a faulty one - you will spend hours on the phone with their tech support. Thankfully after a couple of months I managed to get accredited with them, so I could just return anything I found to be faulty - but that's not easy to get. Saying that, Linksys are the same for length on the phone - but they will do absolutely everything they can to stop you from returning the kit to them. But won't go on about this anymore.

Belkin & Edimax... avoid at all costs.

Netgear have proved themselves to be consistently the best, I've mainly dealth with ADSL routers, and don't think I've used the WPN824 cable one... but I have used it's ADSL brother & liked it so much - I bought it for myself. I now own their Wireless N gigabit router for my own connection

Linksys are pretty good brand... but you will have problems with their tech support if things go wrong.

DLink have a good QOS system built into their routers - but the rest of the bits really aren't up to the quality of Netgear or Linksys.

So either Netgear or Linksys and I'm sure you'll be happy... my personal preference and experience would tend toward netgear though.

Richiev4 · 21 Dec 2007 at 15:11

platypus said:
Well I've never ever had a problem with Netgear, and prefer them simply because I'm used to the user interface. Indeed the only problems I've had with networking have been using Belkin components.

My experience exactly. Had a Belkin router and was forever having to restart it; it has now died so bought a Linksys router and have had problems at all.

Rich