December 20, 2004

Manufacturer: Netgear
Price: $55.99
Requirements: Mac or PC, Broadband Connection

Like many broadband users with multiple computers, we decided to invest in a wireless broadband router to share our internet connection with all of our computers. There are many options for broadband routers, and we spent some time considering the Apple Airport Basestation and Airport Express options. We decided on the Netgear WGR614, advertised as cross-platform capable and significantly less expensive than the Apple offerings.

Installation

According to the installation instructions, setting up the Netgear WGR614 is extremely simple...

This is the extent of the installation instructions, and this is where all of the installation problems began. After over a dozen attempts, we were unable to access the router setup pages. Instead both the broadband modem and Netgear router locked up.

The first of the problems occurred because the computer plugged into the router was still using the PPPoE settings to connect directly to the broadband modem. This froze the router. The interactive installation wizard on CD specified that the computer settings should be changed AFTER the router had been activated, but even after following these instructions the router was still frozen. The solution is to change the computer settings BEFORE activating the router.

Further reading in the CD Reference Manual informed us about a hidden button on the back of the router used to reset to the factory default settings. Using a large paperclip, we reset to defaults.

After following the installation instructions again, essentially “rebooting” all of the equipment in the specified order, we were able to access the router’s setup wizard through the web browser.

We clicked OK on the Welcome screen and were told to wait while the router detected our broadband modem and connection. And then we waited, and waited... and waited. The router was frozen again. Several attempts were made, resetting the router and re-accessing this page, but the router continually locked up.

More reading through the CD Reference didn’t help, until we finally found one line obscurely buried that offered a solution. It is possible to skip the configuration wizard and setup the router manually by accessing http://www.routerlogin.net/basicsetting.htm.

Apparently one reason the router kept locking up is that our ISP requires a password (as do all internet providers that we have experience with). Until the router was specifically configured with this password, it kept trying to automatically connect to the ISP without a password — which would freeze both the router and broadband modem.

We reset the router (again), and this time left the broadband modem turned off. With http://www.routerlogin.net/basicsetting.htm as the browser address, the router finally responded with usable configuration pages.

Using these webpages, we were able to setup our router with passwords for the ISP, wireless network names and security, firewall settings, and everything else necessary to get things working correctly.

Because of the lack of clear documentation, it took several hours to get the router working correctly. Researching the web found that many other people have experienced similar issues with installation. To prevent this from happening to you, we present revised instructions for the Netgear WGR614 router installation.

Results: Good

Some of the more pleasant surprises in this router’s features include logging with email notifications, blocking sites and services with optional scheduling, router status with statistics, remote management, and many other useful goodies that are great for more complex networking environments.

The router displays hardware status using yellow and green lights on the front of the unit. These lights indicate power, wireless access, broadband access, and activity on the four Ethernet ports. An additional light for a hardware check is only lit during the first minute when the router is initially turned on.

After a week of use, we have found the Netgear WGR614 to be reliable with no problems. Previously we were using a computer to share our wireless broadband connection, and the router has significantly improved the wireless network speeds.

Once installation is complete, this Netgear router performs admirably. Unfortunately the oversimplified installation instructions make the initial experiences with the product frustrating at best. If this product had better installation documentation, we would give it a higher rating.