Firewall/Router/Wireless All-in-One ?

[K G G]

Hi All,

I am thinking of replacing my current and dated hardware firewall (Netgear FR114P) and Wireless AP (Netgear WG602v3) with a single unit to reduce components and increase speed.
(I won't be missing the print server of the FR114P)

I am looking at the Netgear WNDR3400 (N600) but I am unclear as to whether this is actually a complete hardware firewall solution.

The FR114P has a lot more "security" features listed if I compare technical specs, but I think a lot of it could be marketing talk.

What do y'all think?

Cheers
KGG

[jdc2000]

The WNDR3800 (N600) was announced at the CES this month. It should be available later this year (Q2?). It has more features, but if you really need a lot of firewall features, you might want to look at Netgear's small business product line.

[SuperSparks]

Definitely look at the Netgear ProSafe range, you get a serious firewall, they are built like tanks, and don't cost all that much more than the consumer range. Also, you get an unlimited lifetime warranty

One thing to watch, if you are likely to have fibre broadband or high-speed cable now, or in the future, then check the WAN to LAN throughput. Many firewalls are surprisingly limited in that regard.

[K G G]

Thanks Guys.

I am looking to update my home network after our move south... cable speed is just under 15Mbps, more than enough for surfing and Internet TV I think. My bottleneck is the AP that tops out at 54 in the best case and triggered my replacing idea.

As long as I can configure it with my own IP settings, strong PW, create a guest network etc I feel comfortable... plus it can't break the bank.

[SpywareDr]

54Mbps is 3.6 times faster than 15Mbps.

[K G G]

Perhaps I am getting the units mixed up?

[SpywareDr]

802.11a and 802.11g are up to 54Mbps (theoretical).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11

--

Mbps = Megabits per second
MBps = MegaBytes per second
(There are 8-bits in a Byte. A Byte = a single character).

[SuperSparks]

In theory the a or g WiFi standards ought to be more than enough for a 15 Mb connection, as Doc says it is more than 3 times as fast. However, in the real world, the actual throughput that you get with WiFi can be woefully short of the theoretical speed, and that could be what is happening in your case.

If you are getting very low WiFi speeds, the first thing to do is to start trying to investigate why, as a new router may help, but it could also be a complete waste of money. This article may help:

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/de...eless-networks

[K G G]

Hmmm... I may have screwed up and believed the Comcast installer too easily... he said I won't get full speed with the gear I have... now it looks like I won't actually get any speed increase on my network then with the new equipment... :-o
(I will have one less device and added options, like guest network etc though).

Much more to learn for me about networking and tying in all these gadgets at home, making it secure etc.

[K G G]

Excellent link to Netgear SuperSparks - Thanks. I will go through that thoroughly and learn!

SpywareDr - 1 Byte = 8 bits and 1 bit = a single character yes (typo above?)

BTW - the new router crapped out on firmware update and is being RMA'd as we speak

[jdc2000]

From what I have been reading, it seems that Netgear firmware updates often have problems.

[K G G]

Hi jdc,
I have had no issues thus far with Netgear updates.. actually just did 3 other devices before this new one and they went flawless, even keeping the custom settings perfectly.
Only difference here is I ran it via web update. The "good" ones were done with d/l files.
Cheers
KGG

[SuperSparks]

Same here, I've been a Netgear fan for years, and I've never had any problems at all with firmware. Nor do I see many issues at all on the Netgear forums. It is important to follow the recommended procedure though, and always do a reset to defaults before the upgrade.

The nice thing about the ProSafe range, is that if you do manage to brick the thing Netgear will still replace it

[SpywareDr]

SpywareDr - 1 Byte = 8 bits and 1 bit = a single character yes (typo above?)

No. A bit is the basic unit of information storage. It's a single binary digit that is either 0 or 1. (A magnetic signal that is either Off/On). For example, the binary representation for the letter "A" is the eight bits "01000001".

[K G G]

Yes of course SpywareDr - my bet.
My brain bytes (or bits) weren't properly charged yesterday