| Netgear RangeMax Wireless Router (WPN824) |
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Model: WPN824
Brand: Netgear
Manufacturer: Netgear
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 170
Operating system: Apple MacOS
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, 802.11 Super G
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| Features: |
Seven internal smart antennas – no need to manually adjust and no risk of breaking
SmartWizard simplifies setup by automatically detecting and configuring your router for virtually all ISP connections
Maintains video quality speeds throughout your home, up to 10 times the speed of standard 802.11g
Improves performance of existing legacy 802.11b and 802.11g wireless devices up to 50%
Data speed of up to 108 Mbps |
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| Description: |
| The WPN824 RangeMax MIMO-G Wireless Broadband Router gives wireless network users better connectivity. As computers become a more integral part of life, you want the best possible home computing environment. When you set up a wireless network you'll find that Internet connections will fade in and out in spots -- or even drops off completely. The RangeMax Router puts an end to that, giving your the freedom to work and play online, anywhere in the house. Time-based usage controls, Web logging, remote management and URL content filtering Auto-sensing RJ-45 10/100 4 port Ethernet switch with half & full duplex support |
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| User Reviews (170 total): |
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Good hardware but poor tech support and setup software, August 11, 2005
By thedest (Jacksonville, FL USA)
I would have given this a 5 star rating, but there is a setup problem in the software and poor tech support. The router works great, I was able to connect to the internet on all computers with a good signal anywhere in my 5000 square foot 2 story house. The instructions for setting up security and encryption are sketchy but I was able to figure it out. The problem I had is I was unable to use file and printer sharing until I spent over 8 hours troubleshooting, and this unit is installed on a brand new Dell 5100 that should have no unusual conflicts or configuration problems. Tech support was worse than useless. Nothing on the web site on troubleshooting file or printer sharing, and the phone rep (in India, it sounded like), didn't even know how Windows XP printer sharing works, and when I tried to explain what it said on his own company's web site, he hung up on me. Thank goodness for Google, as I was finally able to find (on "askmarvin") a fix. XP Home edition has "NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol" turned off by default, and this has to be installed under the local ethernet adapter, and Network Setup Wizard has to then be rerun on every computer. I suspect config problems are common with all wireless routers, but it seems this should not happen on a new computer, and Netgear should fix their setup software. I still recommend the unit but you may be taking a chance on file and printer sharing unless you have the patience to troubleshoot it yourself.
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Not better than regular wireless router (with 802.11b card), August 11, 2005
By AM (San Francisco, CA)
1) Not better with 802.11b: NetGear claims a 1.5X better range with regular 54Mbps wireless cards (e.g., 802.11b), and a 10X boost with one of their RangeMax wireless cards. I don't have a RangeMax wireless card yet, so can't speak to how that pair will perform. I found that the NetGear WPN824 performs only as well as my old SMC Barricade 2804WBRP-G when paired with my SMC 802.11b card. The signal fades at exactly the same location in my house. Shifting around my notebook with either router would enable me to pick up the signal, only to have it drop out moments later. The signal has to pass through a couple of walls on the way to the fade-out location, so its possible that the multi-antenna technology is only useful in partially obstructed environments - perhaps when there is a clear path around an obstruction by bouncing the signal off an adjacent wall.
2) Great setup: The setup on this device is very nice and will be useful for beginners. A CD steps you through the process, and detects many settings for you. Very nicely done.
3) Trade-in deal: NetGear is offering a great trade-in deal which makes it very much worth the price. Send them your old router, get a free wireless card.
4) Aesthetics. The router sports an attractive design - until you plug it in, that is. It seems that some geniuses in the marketing department - or geeky engineers - insisted that bright blue LEDs constantly flash to indicate which antenna is active. I'm sure this was great fun during those long boring hours in the trade booth, but I found that at home the excitement lasted only for milliseconds. A dimly lit room becomes a carnival display when this silly device is plugged in. It seems that companies like NetGear (and Creative) are destined to forever try, but never match Apple's legendary artistic sensibility. Oh well. Nice case, though.
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AWESOME Wireless Router - Better than the Linksys, August 1, 2005
By Alpharetta, Georgia (Alpharetta, GA)
I just upgraded myself from a Linksys 10b wireless ROUTER to this AWESOME Netgear Rangemax. It was a snap to configure - I have DSL and 3 total wireless computers in the house for the family. It was getting a horrible spotty and inconsistent connection with the Linksys 10 b wireless router even though i had linksys wireless usb adaptors on my families computers... Anyway this was only $99 (and I can send my old linksys router in and get a FREE WIRELESS G adaptor. That means one of my family members will get a free wireless G instead of B adaptor. Guess what ? After upgrading to the netgear for the $99 both the linksys wireless adapters on my other pcs work incredible faster and the signal is 100% strong... Can't beat that and the free Wireless g adapter is on the way anyway. SO I felt I had to let other people know how impressed I am with the Netgear Rangemax wireless and RJ45 router. It also has 4 direct ports in it... By the way; they are serious about customer service as they had a Netgear rep working in Compusa helping tons of people whom were disillusioned or having problems with the Linksys products including range and and signal strength.. There it is ! Good luck and my family thinks Im a genious...
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Great Product - Strongly recommend, July 23, 2005
By Patrick (Austin, TX)
A couple months ago I unfortunately found myself on the market for a new wireless router, as my existing wireless router ethernet ports were malfunctioning. I selected the RangeMax from NetGear and have been blown away by the product. Not only was the setup wizard easy to go through (I'm not a techie) but the product itself has surpassed my expectations. I'm getting much less performance degradation through the many walls in my house. (2 story house) The range on the RangeMax by far eclipses the range of my old wireless router.
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Great router, July 22, 2005
By Justin M. N. Wood
I spent the last week going through a pile of wireless routers, returning them as necessary. The most notable were the linksys SRX router, belkin Pre-N, airport extreme, and this rangemax one. The belkin would report the best signal to my computers, but the throughput of the wireless couldn't get near to that I could get on the rangemax.
I have a pretty noisy area, and whatever this thing does to compensate for it is fantastic. I highly recommend this to anyone :)
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Works well, but "wizard" is only junior apprentice, and blue lights are irritating, July 19, 2005
By Cay Horstmann (San Francisco, CA USA)
I bought this to replace an Apple Airport that died an early death.
Setup was easy as soon as I figured how to bypass the "wizard"--more like a junior apprentice, really. It falsely claimed that my ISP gives me a static IP address. Had I followed along, it probably would have worked for a while and then failed mysteriously. The cheat sheet has bypass instructions, and then the setup is very nice. It is completely web-based without forcing you to install any software on your computer.
I run Linux, Mac and Windows, and all connect just fine.
The range improved nicely, as advertised. Having internal antennas is an advantage--one less thing to break.
The only irritation are those blinking blue lights that you cannot turn off. (I read that you can open the box and disconnect the ribbon cable, but that seems a drastic step.) Covering them with cardboard is not a perfect remedy since light still emanates from the air vents.
In summary: (1) DO NOT install the CD (2) DO NOT use the "wizard"; go directly to the advanced setup (3) Wear dark sunglasses when facing the device
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absolutely a keeper, July 7, 2005
By gadget man (tewksbury, ma United States)
I am a tech savy person.I have been playing with wireless routers prior to 802.11 standards.So far i have used Proxim,Dlink,Linksys and Buffalo routers.The problem with these routers was that they are highly directional sensitive.RangeMax had solved definitely this issue.Smart antenna or MIMO or hybrid of these two ,whatever you call it, it adapts to your placement of 802.11X clients.
A good example is this pattern/configuration in my house.I have a mac with airport Card in my kitchen and Rangemax in my office rm. 50 feet away with no direct line of sight and 2 walls.When idle my Mac shows signal strength of 2-3 bars. But when i start downloading huge contents or run any Intenrnet speed tests ,my mac signal strength immedialty shoots up to 5 full bars.This is been consistent and i ran these tests atleast some 100 times.
i think this is the magic of MIMO/Smart antenna.
Biggest of all tests is i have a Multimedia receiver 100 ft. away in media room and i can stream DVD/VOB files from my network storage which is wired to Rangemax without a hitch.
good luck to you all
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a very nice piece of engineering, July 5, 2005
By crusty silicon valley engineer (San Jose, CA)
I use to be a loyal Linksys customer, until now. The Netgear range max wireless router and usb adapters are absolutely fantastic! It took me about 10 minutes to set up a secure wireless network with 3 home computers and a cable modem using these Netgear products. I returned my 4 Linksys 802.11g products (router, pc card, pci adaptor, and usb adapter) this afternoon after spending 3 hours on the phone with a tech support team who just spun me in circles. So today, I had a fairly unique opportunity to compare Linksys and Netgear side by side. Netgear's setup and monitoring are truely professional and gave me alot of confidence compared to Linksys. I regret trying to save a few bucks buying Linksys 802.11g. The Netgear range max capability is amazing. I have walked my laptop into every room in my house, including front and back porch and there has been no glitching or signficant signal loss. I used the advanced setup via explorer to setup the router. It was amazing how clear the setup procedure, even in advanced mode, with its help frames. My daughter installed the Netgear range max usb adapter on her computer using the install wizard and she didn't even have to ask me any questions! Woa! I highly recommend this for power and novice wireless users! I'm going to try to buy some stock in Netgear. They are champs.
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Not one bit better than old MR814, July 5, 2005
By maxvideo (Philipsburg, PA United States)
I tried this out in a 3-story house built in the late 1800s, with thick walls. I have an old NetGear MR814 v1 (the original one with the removable antenna) on the THIRD FLOOR (yes, I know, not a good spot, but it's where I can get to the DSL connection).
The MR814 covered the whole house acceptably, except for one dead area in one room. I was hoping that this router would improve things.
Forget it. The signal strength is not one bit better, at any location in the house, than it was with the old router. I am using all legacy 802.11b devices on it, but so what? It's supposed to improve those as well, and it does not.
Bottom line: It works, but it's absolutely no better than my old router. Also, I often use this network with live high-speed (like 500kbps - 1Mbps) videoconferencing streams. They work fine through this router, but no better than through the old one.
People need to step back and think about this obsession with faster and faster wireless networks. Even if you have a really fast cable modem or DSL connection to the internet, getting you 2 MBps, that's still way slower than old 802.11b. Unless you are trying to copy files between multiple machines inside your house, or you have something like 5 computers simultaneously connected to the router, you will gain NOTHING by going to g, or "Plus" or any other wireless standard, because 802.11b is still way faster than your internet connection is.
I was only interested in this router for increased range, and it doesn't live up to its promise.
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Not all it's cracked up to be, July 4, 2005
By JAM (Gillette, NJ USA)
We've had problems getting a wireless connection in the family room in our house. Our office is set up in a spare bedroom upstairs and the family room is downstairs on the opposite side of the house. I have an old Netgear wireless router. I'd say its about 3 or 4 years old, that I used in my apartment. It worked fine for my purposes in the apartment but once we bought the house, I couldn't get wireless in the family room where I spend most of my time.
I went to the local Best Buy and they recommended I update my router to the Netgear Range Max model. They said it would improve the range and speed that I had with my current router. The fellow said it would probably send a signal to my basement and the family room would be no problem. I set it up which wasn't difficult at all. However, it provided nothing better as far as the wireless signal then my old router. I paid over $150 bucks for it and it did nothing different, I was sorely disappointed.
It does flash like disco ball as one of the other reviews stated and really provided me nothing extra. I promptly packed it back up and returned it and purchased the Netgear WGXB102 54Mbps Wall-Plugged Wireless Range Extender Kit and have never been happier. It works just fine with my old router and I'm typing this from my family room now with a full signal. Save your money and invest in the range extender kit, it's the same price but it actually works.
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Solves the range problem, July 4, 2005
By Terry (Seattle, WA)
I had issues with my old wifi router when I tried to connect in the kitchen. Maybe its the microwave oven, maybe the refrigerator, I don't know. But anytime I brought the laptop into the kitchen, I couldn't get a connection.
I got the RangeMax and it solves the problem. I also like the fact that it doesn't have lots of antennas hanging out which from experience I know break easily. This one has the antennas inside the router somehow. Also, its pretty cool looking.
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Hunk of Junk, June 26, 2005
By M. Lamb (Twin Cities, MN)
I bought this wireless router and returned it in disgust after two weeks. Not only does it light up like a disco ball constantly, it lost my ISDN consistently forcing me to reboot it as well as my ISDN modem. I've made no formal measurements but its range seems no better than the non-MIMO wireless router I replaced it with. My recommendation: save your money and stay away from this one.
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Kinda Pricey, But if you need range..., June 11, 2005
By Tariq Ahmed (Tracy, CA USA)
So I've had one of NetGear's first routers, the MR814 and haven't been too impressed. The NG's wireless card that I got back in the day was so bad I returned it. In my house which is 3200sq ft and the walls are filled with insulation, getting range is a huge problem.
So I did a lot of research and read various articles and for range it comes down to Belkin's Pre-N or NG's RangeMax router. From the comparisons if you want just sheer raw speed and maximum distance the Belkin was the way to go as long as you also used their Pre-N cards. I don't care for N, I've got 3 laptops with internal wireless cards, 2 PCs, and an Xbox in the house and the NetGear RangeMax wins when it comes to extending range for existing b and g devices. At the extreme end of my house where the TV is (compared with the location of the router) I could barely maintain a signal with the 802.11b router I had, 1Mbps connection at best. With the RangeMax at this same location my signal strength drops to only 80%, everywhere else is a full 100%.
The other thing is VPN. I've found with some routers, specifically the MR814, some VPN software (e.g Nortel's client) has troubles making a connection to the vpn gateway, and even if you do connect to it (wirelessly) the speed isn't that great. I found with the RangeMax my VPN issues went away; it was like having the speed of when I'm at work. I also found that XBOX games are very sensitive to settings; I used to have to endlessly tweak my other router to prevent choppiness. With the RangeMax it worked perfectly out of the box.
So I'm a happy camper. The main drawback I found was setup. It's designed for a total newbie/non technical person. For hard core tech users you'll find it frustrating getting past it's huge desire to make you run their setup wizards. Even though you can go directly to the admin screen, it still wants to do a bunch of detection nonsense, when I'd prefer to just set all the settings myself because I know what they have to be.
My friend with the Belkin Pre-N said his setup was a breeze. But really you have only two choices if you want to do the multiple antenna MIMO route. The Routers using the AirGo Wireless chips (Belkin, LinkSys), or the Video54 chips (NetGear RangeMax). Realistically who cares about 108Mbps when your internet connection at home is 4Mbps at best (380Kbps-754Kbps for most people).
Also for those that complain about not being able to replace the antenna. Ya that's a strategy used for single antenna routers. The RangeMax has 7 antennas (internal).. so if you had your way you'd add 7 powered antennas?!? On the AirGo routers like the Belkin you'd have to replace 3... that's adding a lot more wires (from A/C adapters) when you're trying to be wireless.
But once you get past that you're rock'n and roll'n. Plus it has this funky blue dome on the top with an array of LEDs that blink with activity.. It's all star trek like n stuff, kinda cool in the dark to watch when you're really bored. :)
Summary: Max Range + Max Speed + Max Budget - use the Belkin Pre-N router and replace all your wireless cards with Belkin Pre-N ones.
OR
Max Range on 802.11b/g cards - use the NetGear RangeMax.
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Dont even bother, June 9, 2005
By Wanna be Critic (Boston, MA)
I brought this thing mostly because of the glitz and glamour on the front cover of the box-which was stupid. Yes, it did intially solve my problem - no ordinary router had signal strength powerful enough to get to one specific section of the house. Well after I plugged this guy in I did get a nice signal everywhere.
However the problems with this router immediately surfaced the next day. Basically, if the router was inactive for too long, it would drop the RCN broadband connection, forcing one to have to reboot the entire setup daily. In case you arent aware, this includes all of the following: cable modem, (netgear) router, and sometimes even reboot all/some of the computers.
I updated this thing with the latest firmware, turned a setting on to accept pings from the outside, spoofed the MAC address of the main computer in the house, downgraded the firmware...basically I tried everything. Netgear tech support was useless. But in all honesty is it their fault? The product is a piece of junk.
After weeks of frustration, including taking it back to the store and exchanging it for another one...I gave up, and was forced to ultimately eat the ~$150 or so I spent.
I eventually went with an equivalent DLINK model, and knock on wood, 4 weeks later, no reboots and no problems whatsoever. Go DLINK!!!!!!!
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AWESOME PRODUCT, June 3, 2005
By unknown
This is a great router easy instal and set up great range Recommended for anyone
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Thumbs up - twice, May 28, 2005
By wildbird123 (The beautiful Garden State)
I have had great success covering houses that have the router on one side and the notebook/pc on the others side about 60ft+ and on different floors. Here are a couple of hints though:
1 - do not use the installation disk, just hook up a pc to the router and follow the instructions in the quick-install sheet.
2 - do the firmware upgrade, most of them ship with 1.0.3 and now there is 1.0.10
3 - enable the xr feature under "advanced wireless"
4 - use the corresponding notebook/desktop card: while strongewr than most routers, MIMO needs an intelligent counterpart. So if you cant get a signal where you need it, drop the money on the card the resukts are great - in one case I was able to connect through 60ft of house and into a yard an additional 150 more feet away and downhill!!!
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Works fine but just not worth the additional cost, May 15, 2005
By Dilum Ranatunga (Austin, TX. USA)
This router works fine, but I don't think it is worth the $100 plus. I use centrino laptop(s) for wireless access, and enjoy their powersaving characteristics enough that I won't use additional wireless adapters on them for the additional bandwidth.
In addition, my TIVO communicates over wireless using an 802.11b adapter. The documentation for this product is very unclear about what the performance would be when some of the machines use the old-school 'B' standard.
So the enhancements over a run-of-the-mill 'G' are lost on me.
As another reviewer had mentioned, the lights are absurdly bright distracting. I taped some cardboard over it -- yes, I spend too much money on geeky stuff; let's not remind my wife everytime she walks by.
The one positive thing -- over the couple of days I tried the router, the *wired* network download over broadband was over 520KB/s, as opposed to approx 470KB/s I used to get with an SMC Barricade. The WPN824 either has better tweaked internals, or this was just an anormaly in my broadband connection.
I will be returning this and going to a more middle of the road router.
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Very disappointed, May 13, 2005
By Kefer (Irvine, CA USA)
I have been a long time netgear user and generally like their products very much. But this will be the very first one that I returned.
1. Bought the wpn824 to replace my netgear 802.11g router because of a weak signal problem in my daugther's bedroom. Suprisingly, the signal is even weaker with this router. I haven't tried a "rangemax" antenna on her computer yet, but I would have expected the signal to be at least as good as the old router.
And contrary to others comments here who quoted my review, Netgear does state in their advertising that: "RangeMax is 100% compatible with your existing 802.11b/g products and will boost their range and speed by up to 50%". I have found that to absolutely NOT be the case - my coverage has in fact dropped with 802.11g clients. I will update after I have tried a "rangemax" adapter.
2. The blue lights are really, really annoying. They constantly cycle on and off like a disco ball, and are very bright. No way to turn the light show off, either. We have the router in our family room, you would swear the aliens from close encounters were landing. Really over done.
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A nice improvement, April 25, 2005
By M. Balt (Baltimore, Maryland, USA)
My previous wireless setup in a two story 1920s house, with thick walls and floors, required the use of a range extender to get a signal downstairs from the wired computer and a Netgear MR814 router upstairs.
The antenna technology of this router provides a fine signal throughout the house. I can use WPA security now, which I could not use with the MR814 & range extender combination. Also it uses flash memory for firmware updates (no need for executables).
I use Mac OS X and could not make use of the "Smart Wizard" set up CD. Even the alternative set up files (a bunch of html files) for "other" operating systems were of no use (pages weren't found, tried several browsers). Fortunately having set up a Netgear router before I could figure it out, but others may want to check the Netgear site and download the 175 page reference manual for this product for better information than the quick start guide provides.
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Quantum Leap, April 24, 2005
By B. McPherson (Los Angeles)
Finally replaced my three year old 80211b Netgear router - this baby TROUNCES the old one in terms of coverage and security. Also now can stream my ITunes flawlessly using my AirPort Express. Not cheap but a great product for those experiencing coverage problems.
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