The router supports port forwarding, DMZ, Static Routing, all the standard stuffs on routers. It also support Dynamic DNS, one feature that I miss from the Linksys router taht I used to have.

The range is pretty good for my standard. I live in a 2 bedroom apartment and everywhere I go I have full signal with my D-link Air-Plus DWL-650+, and I heard people living in a 3 stories house and the range is good for them.

Some minor problems:
1) The router has no built-in firewall, so if security is your thing, install software firewall on all computers.

2) Default setting have Idle Timeout set to 5 minutes. That means it would automatically disconnect from your ADSL provider, I had to connect to the router and tell it to reconnect at least 3 times a day. I emailed support and they emailed me back like a couple of hours later telling me to set Idle timeout to 0 to maintain connection.

3) There is no way to disable the wireless boardcast, but WEP is supported so turn on the 128-bit encryption if you're worried someone around your house can just listen into your traffic.

Now considering I emailed them on thanksgiving, support is really good IMO.

MR814 is a really good router to have if you're looking for a cheap way to get wireless in your house.

It has 1 x 10Mb/s WAN port, 4 x 100Mb/s Ethernet wired ports, as well as 11Mb/s 802.b11 wireless access. It makes an excellent replacement for my Linksys since it provides much of its functionality with wireless access added. It can be configured using a browser and it has one of the best configuration interfaces I've seen. The following comments related to the latest version of the firmware: 4.09.

It has a configurable firewall that supports port forwarding and can be set to block specific ports to selected internal IP addresses. All blocking can be scheduled to operate only at specific times. It can also block specific websites, a feature I don't have any use for. It cannot, however, block specific MAC addresses, which is an important feature if you are using DHCP. Even if you are not, static IP address can be easily changed by users on the network. Therefore, in my opinion, MAC blocking is a must for a future version of the firmware.

On the wireless side it supports up to 128-bit encryption as well as MAC filtering. It does not however allow you to disable wireless operation. For me, this is another important omission in the current firmware. Being able to schedule wireless operation times would be a nice security enhancement. Why have it run all night when you are sleeping, or during the day when you are at work?

I am hopeful that in the future the firmware will evolve to provide more useful features and perhaps drop some of the less useful ones. If it were to gain all of the functionality of my Linksys I would be extremely happy. As a minumum I believe that it should allow MAC blocking and it should allow wireless operation to be disabled/scheduled. Since this is a relatively new model there's a good chance that this will happen, especially given Netgear's excellent past record in home networking devices.

This router has some of the same features my old router had - a DHCP server, port forwarding, etc. However, it does lack a built in firewall, but to me that is not a big deal since I always used a software firewall anyway. The unit comes with a stand for setting it vertically, which means it takes up a lot less space on my desk than a conventional router. The range is also excellent -- I get the same network speed anywhere inside my home.

As for the router itself, there's no firewall protection (aside from NAT), you can't block specific ports, and the interface is horribly oversimplified and poorly arranged (like a completely separate category called "Security" solely for DMZ settings - here's an idea, call it "DMZ settings"!). If you do get this product, make sure to install a software firewall on your computers as well (like Agnitum Outpost or ZoneAlarm).

The only other gripe I have is that I can't seem to find a way to disable wireless broadcasting, but if you want great range from a wifi router at a very reasonable price, it's a great solution.

Setup was very easy - Netgear setup wizard even recognized the type of the broadband connection I have (PPPoE-based DSL). The manual includes a handy table with settings for many US ISPs. Wireless LAN was also up and running in no time.

I have no complains about the router operation so far. It's does not drop my PPPoE connection, and is generally *not noticeable* - just like a router should be.

Features that make this router stand out in the crowded field of wireless routers: 24x7 tech support and 3yr. warranty, parental controls plus free Zero Knowledge Freedom Personal Firewall software (one-year license for up to 8 computers), and ability to update your dynamic ip address in DynDNS.org database automatically (very handy if you need to connect to your home computer).

The only downside I can think of is the size. The unit is larger than many comparable routers, although it is not as tall as others, and can be positioned vertically with the included stand, or mounted on the wall.