The only drawback is that this router is not very tolerant of file sharing software. It frequently locks up despite severely limiting numbers of connections.

If you intend to use file sharing software, get something else. Otherwise, this is a great router.

No probs at all....GGGRREEAAATTT

http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,9352534~mode=flat?hilite=MR814v2

Another bug: Blocking sites by keyword doesn't work correctly. I tried blocking hotmail by schedule, and it just blocked it continually...never unblocked it until I did it manually.

I even exchanged mine for a new replacement, and the replacement did the same thing.

All the rest of the functions seemed to work okay.

That said, the upside:
1) Nice, slim, compact and visually appealing design
2) The wireless signal is strong through my two story home
3) The web based router configuration is fairly simple to use (with knowledge of these devices)
4) The out of box router setup wizard seems to work well
5) Solid wireless security: disable wireless SSID broadcast, 64 and 128bit wireless encryption, MAC address filtering
6) solid router functions: firewall, DHCP server, VPN support, URL filtering, etc. etc.

If you have the tolerance to deal with *potential* setup issues, this is definitely a 4 out of 5 starts product... good bang for your buck.

I bought this to replace my aging Linksys router, which was starting to require a reboot almost daily. In short, this Netgear router does not play nice with the Airport Extreme card in my Apple Powerbook.

Sure I can connect to the Wi-Fi router. And sure it has great range (which was important to me). But transfer speeds of 3 kbs just don't cut it (doesn't matter how close I am to the router). Signal is nice and strong, but transfer sucks (WEP on or off).

Hooking up to the router with a wired connection works just fine.. but that kind of defeats the whole purpose of wireless, doesn't it?

Oh yeah, and even though it says "Mac OS compatible", it doesn't pass Appletalk traffic. So be prepared to enter the IP address of your printer and whatever net devices you need to connect to.

Mac users would be wise to avoid this one.

I was a bit confused on the installation, even though the guide/manual did have clear, illustrated instructions. I called up installation support, and it turns out that my confusion stemmed from my thinking that installation much have been more difficult, i.e., I was already hooked up and didn't know it. Installation support is 24/7 and was quite helpful and patient. I did disable all antivirus/internet security software before installation as I had read somewhere that some complications may arise if I had these turned on. I'm looking looking forward to hooking up our laptop with the MA521.

Ironically I was able to access other wifi networks with no problem.

But now that its working I would hope that it would be worth the trouble.

I was hesitant to go wireless because of the connections and insecurities, but was forced to try it out as it was my only option at the store I went to. I bought this router in a package that came with the adapter.

I was connected and on-line in minutes, which was a great stress reliever for my old Lynksys died on me for no apparent reason and I was left without Internet for over 2 weeks.

A few months later, the router is still working without any major problems. One thing I am a bit annoyed at is I always have to reset configurations to default for the connection to work properly. -_- this defeats the purpose of cable internet as you are "always" supposed to be online. but it's something I've adapted to, I think.

If you're on a budget, want a quick and easy to set up router, buy this router and hopefully you won't be disappointed!(There seems to be a lot of mixed feelings about it. You could always return it if it doesn't work for you...)

The only thing missing is the stateful packet inspection that I am used to with my SMC Barricade (SMC2404WBR). My Linksys BEFW11S4 (ver. 2) at my in-laws' house has similar range but junky logging, as you can't clear the log without powering off the router, and it doesn't show which computer name is associated with the web sites logged. The Barricade has much less range than the other two routers, and the Linksys is just too big/bulky. The slim profile of the Netgear MR814, superior range, excellent logging, and overall stability make it my favorite of the three routers. I like it better than my brother's D-Link DI-614+ too. I hate its junky dual list - one across the top and one down the side - of setup screens. Hard to navigate!

Overall, this router is well worth the money for its features and performance (even though it only uses NAT and is missing SPI). I plan to buy another one as replacement if any of my routers break in the future.

Set up took some time due to user errors and some firmware quirks on the router.

First, I had my DSL modem connected to the wrong port on the router. It can only go into one port.

Second, the router assigned IP address for my toshiba pda would come up wrong, and I would have to hit IP renew several times to get it right. The pda would not connect until this was right.

Lastly, most web pages did not download properly to my pda until I upgraded the router firmware to 5.03.

Now it is wrorking great.

Range is limited to just outside my house, but that may be my pda.

Overall, with these headaches over, and some hours spent working them out, I am very happy.

Please note I am an engineer and have some networking background, so I did not give up, whereas most people might have.

This rewiew was written on my pda using the wireless network.

I am going to try another brand, but unfortunately I believe all these wireless networking devices are going to have problems with my house, my 2.4ghz phone and my need for spped.