| NETGEAR WNR834B RangeMax Next Wireless-N Router |
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Model: WNR834B-100NAS
Brand: Netgear
Manufacturer: Netgear
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 40
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft), IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
Wireless-N router offers an easy way to set up a fast network with wired and wireless connections
Delivers up to 300 Mbps of wireless throughput
Four RJ-45 Ethernet ports allow for wired connections to the network
Enhanced security includes a double firewall, and WPA and 128-bit WEP encryption
Device measures 8.9 x 1.5 x 6.8 inches (WxHxD) |
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| Description: |
| The Netgear WNR834B RangeMax NEXT Wireless Router extends the power & possibilities of your wireless home network. This next-generation wireless standard utilizes advanced MIMO (Multi-In, Multi-Out) technology, delivering speed and range. It provides wireless interoperability at the highest speeds with other products, with Intensi-fi. Create and maintain enough bandwidth to go online, make Internet calls, share files, play network games, stream videos and more -- all simultaneously. Unit Dimensions - 8.9 x 6.8 x 1.5 (225.5 x 172 x 39 mm) Weight - 1.2 lbs. (.56 Kg) Recommended for use with WN311B or WN511B RangeMax NEXT Wireless Adapter |
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| User Reviews (40 total): |
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So far, so great (running DD-WRT), August 8, 2008
By Habitual Googler (California)
I was really skeptical of this router (given the bad reviews), but I picked this router up today at Fry's as a refurbished/open box special for $42. I planned on putting DD-WRT onto the router. DD-WRT is a 3rd party firmware that changes how this (and many other routers) run. I wanted this router to run as a repeater, ie to boost the signal of another router.
I brought it home, plugged it in, spent 2 minutes putting the new firmware on. I followed the instructions on DD-WRT's website to get it up and running as a repeater. It was much easier than cracking my old Linksys WRT54G v5 for DD-WRT.
It's been running for around 4 hours now perfectly. It repeats the signal of the other router beautifully, even though the other router only has 25% signal strength where I have this router installed. My whole house is now blanketed without any problems.
Putting DD-WRT on this was a breeze, and with DD-WRT, this router works wonderfully so far. Highly recommend it, especially with DD-WRT. I bought another one for my parents, who are in need of a new router. I'm not sure why others were having so many problems, but perhaps Netgear has shoddy quality control.
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Very poor range - serious PO, May 26, 2008
By Actualsizeaudio (Hartford, CT)
I replaced my "old" wireless G router with this one because the sales rep at staples promised it would boost my effective range (I needed another 30ft without adding another router.
Well, I set it up and it does work......but it has half the range of my old netgear wireless G router.
I then went on a business trip and when I got back tried to return it......30 days was up. Now I'm stuck with it.
P.O.S.
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Pretty Happy so far, May 25, 2008
By cmyth007 (Albany, Oregon United States)
It was time for a router upgrade and I went with this model. It was recently marked down to only 80 bucks at Circuit City, so I went for it. First, the negatives... it was not easy to set up and I am very saavy when it comes to networks. The wizard was terrible and I actually had to call tech support. I was only on hold for 30 seconds! Wow, what a nice surprise. On the flip side, I could barely understand him due to his heavy accent, but he had me up and running in a few short minutes.
That aside, the product works fantastic. I have it hooked up to a laptop and two Xbox 360's and it runs like a champ so far. Screaming fast speeds and no signal problems yet, although I do have a pretty small home. The automatic firmware upgrade feature is VERY nice and updated in just a few minutes.
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POS, 2 dead in less than a year, May 21, 2008
By Andyboy (Oakland, California)
Setup wasn't great, but not terrible. I have had two die on me in less than a year. Indian tech support guys are the politest people on earth, but not very helpful. The last Netgear router I had before those two died on me after a year too. A waste of a lot of time and money.
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I'd like to meet the novice, March 28, 2008
By mateo (State College, Pa.)
I doubt I have ever had as much indecision in arriving at what I consider to be the most appropriate star rating for any item I've reviewed. I do not claim to be a networking savant however I do have enough of a background that I felt confident that I could create a security-enabled network with only a moderate degree of frustration. And, if I thought through the process, I could have, but that blurb on the box about easy setup lured me in. Step one to achieving that objective would have been to dispense with any attempt to find documentation and then setting aside the resource CD. Even if you are acquainted with networking, just call technical support from the outset, endure the requisite hold time and allow the support personnel to walk you through the installation. Yes, telephone support is outsourced to India however my impression is in this instance they are quite helpful, probably from plenty of practice.
The 834B employs 802.11n draft standards and is backwards compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g as well as Ethernet connectivity. My installation utilizes "g" and Ethernet. Marketing documents claims include transmission speeds of up to 270Mbps and accommodation of security protocols WEP, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK. For some devices, security may be constrained to the base standard of WEP due to connectivity and wish I had known that before I started. In any event, with the protocol I finally ended up with, a passphrase of between 8-63 characters is required and clear definition of with security key to be used must be designated at Netgear's router configuration site. Obviously, one also has to select a network name, define a channel and hope for the best. And then do it all over again when that channel fails to be recognized and you are locked into local connectivity only. It's likely that you will have to go through search and seek scenario three times before success in realized, assuming the chosen security option is valid, the passphrase is correctly constructed and all of your devices are supported. The "Smart Wizard" interface from the CD will get you the site but from there you're pretty much on your own and the site itself is not very intuitive. So, as mentioned above, unless you are familiar with all of the nuances, sublimate the ego and just make the call. For me, the time I would have saved outweighs the satisfaction of completing the installation without assistance.
My ambiguity on the rating is predicated my experience in getting the network up and running. Thus far (3 months), I couldn't be more pleased with the hardware. I rate it 5 stars. I do not encounter any significant episodes of signal loss, line drops or disconnects. I have two PCs communicating via 3rd party wireless adapters and another linked by Ethernet to a Netgear access point/Bridge. For the same reason, I can't accurately estimate the broadcast range of the router exclusively, but for those who might be interested, the NETGEAR HD/Gaming 5 GHz Wireless-N Networking Kit (WNHDEB111) is impressive AND, easy to install on an existing network. The documentation and support material resident on the CD is near to worthless, I rate it "1" star because "0" is not an option. Customer Technical support rates "3" stars as the technicians seem to know their stuff but you will spend more than a few minutes on hold. So, I end up with an overall rating of "4" since in my view, the reliability of the hardware is the primary concern.
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Works great, easy to set up, February 8, 2008
By Networking nut (Los Angeles, CA USA)
I recently purchased a NETGEAR WNR834B Router as it was referred to me by a friend. I read some mixed reviews but he assured me the product worked great. After doing some research I found out that the lastest version now automatically downloads the most current firmware and NETGEAR added QOS which prioritizes gaming and other critical traffic like VOIP which I set up as I use Skype and play games :)
Their website mentioned a new installation wizard which worked great and I get a signal across by 2900 sq ft. house. I stream video from my office upstairs to my TV downstairs and play photo albums wirelessly for the parents. Seems like the newest version has all the kinks worked out.
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Set-up is a challenge, February 2, 2008
By D. Green (Louisiana)
Having set up wireless routers in the past, I was able to get this one up and running pretty quickly. However, if you have never done it before, look somewhere else. The set-up "Wizard" is not too smart. Finally, I abandoned the Wizard and did the set-up manually and it worked fine. I also had to update the wireless LAN card driver in one of my older computers to work correctly with this router. The USB wirless adapter I bought to go with this router did instal with no trouble. I'm not a network technician, but I think the knowledge necessary to get this router working is probably beyond the average home user who simply wants to get wirless going in the house. The router does give me very high speed with the wireless N adapter, which is why I bought it. So, if you can get it to work, its probably a fine peiece of equipment.
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Good for PC, Bad for MacBook Pro, January 22, 2008
By gadget junky (Mountain View, CA)
I bought this router without research (last time I do that). I tried to use the setup software on the cd provided with the router, but could not get it to work through the PC or MAC. So I went through the router's IP interface to setup the security. My PCs had no trouble connecting to the wireless G. My PS3 connected with no issues through the ethernet. However, my MacBook Pro (Airport Extreme N) would connect and disconnect through the wireless N connection.
I am not sure who to blame. I suppose this is the risk you take for buying something called 802.11N draft. I tried a variety of settings on the router and could not resolve the connect/disconnect on the MacBook Pro. This is speculation, but I think it is a matter of each company has an interpretation of the N draft and they do not match.
I am returning this router and getting the Airport Extreme N router from Apple. It is more expensive, but if I can maintain N speed connection without issue, then great. Plus there are features in the Apple router I will use that do not come with the Netgear or other routers in the price range. Such as printing wirelessly...
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Died on me twice: 2 months, then 14 months, December 16, 2007
By pkvyrio (Tucson, AZ)
This product died twice on me in less than 14 months. The first time it was replaced under warranty and the second time it died shortly after the warranty expired. Aside from that there were no issues with multiple PCs (up to 6) plus several wireless devices. Naturally I'm unhappy with the longevity so replaced it with a non-Netgear product.
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Great security, difficult set-up, especially for MACs, December 14, 2007
By JaneConsumer (Philadelphia, PA United States)
The physical setup of the router - connecting the cables, plugging it in, and configuring it with a wired connection - is a breeze. I accomplished it in under 10 minutes. Then I spent the next 4 hours getting our wireless computers to connect.
One tip: Get everyone - wired and wireless - connected before you configure the security. In this way, all the networked computers will recognize the new router without any hindrances. Then go back into the setup program and configure the security.
We have several Windows PCs and one MAC. The MAC was the most difficult to connect. The box says MAC OS compatible, so I was quite put out when Netgear customer service told me to call Apple to resolve the problem.
Fortunately, I insisted on speaking with a supervisor. This individual stuck with me for the next hour and half until we got the MAC connected.
This is what worked for me, but YMMV. At lower level security - WEP and WPA1 - the MAC needs a dollar sign ($) entered preceding the password, like this: $password, when you connect it to the network. At the higher level WPA2 security, it does not take the dollar sign.
While I succeeded in connecting the MAC, the user reports that he is experiencing interruption of the wireless connection to a greater degree than previously experienced. The Windows PCs have not experienced any loss of performance.
I purchased Netgear mostly because, with the exception of the MAC, the PCs all have Netgear wireless ethernet cards. This is because we've had Netgear routers for years. However, on average the routers last about a year. Next year, should the occasion call for it, I'll risk another brand.
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A fire hazard... certainly burns your money from the start, November 27, 2007
By A. Spence (Australia)
Not only do the performance issues seem to be of real concern, but the bloody thing is a fire hazard too. Mine smalls like it's about to blow up. Reviews I have read since buying it reveal many have had the same issue, replacing it three or four times only to have it overheat and die. I have replaced mine, it's a fire hazard.
Easy to set up though and quite good performance, but not worth the strong smoke in my house and need to keep a fire extinguisher near by.
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Couldn't believe the first one could be so bad - so I bought a second :(, November 20, 2007
By S. Kingsley-Jones (San Jose, CA)
I did not have any performance problems as indicated by several reviewers. The V2 version of the product set up well and the firmware update utility worked well. Nor did I have any trouble with the operation of the wired and wireless networks.
Instead the device fried itself after two weeks of operation. Completely dead and unrecoverable in any way. Looks like it may have a heat issue.
Upon returning this unit, I obtained another one, thinking that the first must have been a fluke. Two weeks later, the second one fried itself as well. Not a good pattern. Given that this unit was not used intensely, and located in a cold spot, there is definitely an inherent manufacturing flaw.
Do not buy this product. I have had success with other Netgear products in the past, but I guess their quality has gone down.
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OK, November 18, 2007
By L. Martin (Antioch, TN United States)
Range works well. Biggest problem is that I have had to have tech support to walk me through re-configuring it three times in the last four weeks. It seems as though this is a common issue because the tech support told me this happens. The other down side is tech support is only free for the first ninety days and then the want you to pay for assistance.
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Poor product, backed by unacceptably weak tech support, September 17, 2007
By Nick (New Jersey)
I purchased the WNR834B to set up a wifi hotspot at a local community organization. The router has been defective since day one: every 3-to-15 minutes it drops all wireless signals and resets itself. As a computer engineer by trade, I knew to try a variety of tricks, such as changing the router's location, avoiding any possible EMF interference, trying different channels, upgrading the firmware, etc. The router is simply defective.
Even the best tech companies sometimes ship a defective product, so at first I wasn't too perturbed. I called Netgear, politely allowed the tech rep to walk through a number of basic troubleshooting steps to verify the router was indeed malfunctioning, and expected to be given an RMA (Return Materials Authorization) number to get the product exchanged.
Unfortunately, no. Netgear's offshore tech group seems to have been given one and only one set of marching orders: avoid RMAs at all costs. Two months and three or four calls later, the defective router is still sitting on my desk beside me as I type this review. Netgear repeatedly "escalates" my case, has me re-run the same tests over and over at each step, and instructs me to run extended tests that most networking experts would agree have little chance of unearthing any useful data. My case has been escalated yet again, and I am now waiting for a technician to call me back sometime in the next few days -- Netgear can't estimate when. All to avoid an exchange of a $100 router.
It goes without saying that I can't recommend anyone purchase this product. Tech support for most low-end commercial electronics and technology products is notoriously poor, but Netgear has remarkably managed to lower the bar. As I note from reading the online reviews of this and other Netgear products, mine is hardly an isolated horror story. As such, and until the corporation changes its ways, I must recommend you avoid all Netgear products.
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A lot better than people have said, September 14, 2007
By Joshua Scott (Arlington, VA)
First let me say that have Verizon FIOS service outside Washington DC. We've been relatively impressed with the service (30/5), especially in our wired computers. I've been less than impressed however with my wireless laptop connection. The Verizon-provided Actiontec router sucks with wireless so I made the decison to upgrade to this Netgear router for wireless because of the speed. The setup was completely simple and Verizon even helped me out with it which was great. I am using the USB connection for my laptop and the speed difference is unbelievable. I am seeing virtually no degredation in the speed over the wireless from the wired. Before I was seeing at least a 50% drop. I would highly recommend this router.
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3 routers--3 failures--in only 3 months, September 10, 2007
By hestamm (Pocatello, ID United States)
We first got this router in June 2007, following the failure of a D-Link wireless router. We have two desktop computers, an all-in-one printer, and 2 (or more) wireless laptops on our home network, all XP. Our ISP comes via a 2ghz wireless transmission. I ignored the CD, since we are on a static IP and I know how to input the numbers. First problem was that the router wouldn't accept Firefox input; I had to switch to IE. Once up & running, however, it worked wonderfully well--very fast on the wired computers, with solid connections for the wireless laptops throughout our 3-story house.
Then in mid-July we left on vacation. Upon return, we discovered the router had completely lost the capability to deliver a wireless signal, despite reboots. So, we exchanged it for another. This one set up flawlessly in Firefox. Again, we were happy campers--for two weeks. Another out-of-town trip and another failure (mid-August now). This time, the home network & wireless signal continued functioning, but it could not connect to the WAN, despite numerous reboots.
We exchanged once again (we were dealing with Staples, which was to our benefit at least), although the router had to be dropped shipped to us--meaning a delay of about 3 days. This time, I remembered that manually entering the IP numbers required IE. But, it didn't take! So, I switched to Firefox--no luck. Back to IE again--third try worked and again we got the fast, stable performance we expected--but only for one more week. At the end of the first week of Sept, our valley experienced some heavy rains & lightning. After one strike across the valley, the router blinked (despite being on back-up power & surge protection) and we lost the internet signal again. Wireless & home network still worked, however.
That was enough. Back to the store, exchanged for a Linksys WRT350N, and we're up & running again. The Linksys does not seem quite as fast, but it's stable and manually configuring the router was a breeze.
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Works great even in advanced setups., August 8, 2007
By P. Szalay
I got two of these routers to bridge my livingroom to my office where my cable modem comes in. My last network was supposed to be an upgrade to a/b/g so that I could stream media to my 360 and PS3 more reliably. Unfortunately, the Linksys hardware I bought was horrible.
I got the two Netgear routers and bridged them together so that one resides in my livingroom and is wired to my media center PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.
The setup was fairly straight forward and I found the information I needed on the Netgear support forums.
Speed is great and I have had zero need to reset either of my routers.
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Setup freezes. Frequent restarts., July 17, 2007
By C. Moschini (Boston, MA USA)
The NetGear RangeMax Next wifi router was a serious disappointment. You begin by inserting the CD which they say over and over. This CD loads a page in your browser; if that browser is Internet Explorer it pegs your CPU at 100% and generally freaks out. It doesn't technically "freeze," but it does slow your computer to a crawl and causes setup to never finish.
Moving into Firefox with the same URL, setup runs but in my case ultimately couldn't get me online. This isn't user error - my SMC Barricade I was upgrading from connected just fine to Comcast, who have an extremely simple Internet arrangement (no locked MAC address, no user/pass, no static IP - just connect to it). After I returned this Netgear I got a Linksys WRT54G instead and that connected in less than 5 minutes, as part of its setup process. The Netgear setup software is horribly broken.
Back to the Netgear process. I had to kill setup and browse to the configuration URL, 192.168.1.1. After serious reconfiguration of the Router I finally got it to connect to Comcast. This took over an hour, caused partly by the fact that every time you make a change to the Router's settings, you get a wait screen. The router completely shuts down, causing you to lose your connection. 30 seconds to a minute later it comes back. Then you can make your next change and sit around another minute.
Do not buy this router. The programmers writing this router software didn't waste their time making it work well for you. Don't waste your time or money on their shoddy product.
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Great Router - Little less than perfect setup, July 11, 2007
By Ozzie (New Jersey)
When I installed this router, I had to have an internet connection to update the software and to continue the installation. I guess they assume you are upgrading the router from another model so you have an existing connection. I have Cablevision Optimum Online and I am getting about 28 mbps which is pretty fast. The router was pretty easy to install and the wizard helped you out for simpler stuff. If you go into more advanced functions, you can setup wireless, firewall, DHCP, etc. through their easy to use menus. So far it's working perfectly 24/7 and no dropped connections or loss in speed. Definitely would recommend this router to anybody even if it is still draft N standard.
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why didn't I trust others review, July 10, 2007
By Naimesh Patel
Nothing but a headache. Completely undependable, have to replug several times daily and after 2 weeks stop working.
Please remember Netgear does not support Refurbished routers.
should have bought a different router
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