My Second Router (Netgear DG834G 54 Mbps Wireless ADSL Firewall Router)

Member Name: bhayanid

Product:	Netgear DG834G 54 Mbps Wireless ADSL Firewall Router
Date:	15/03/09 (98 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Easy Installation and No Faults So Far

Disadvantages: May Have Incompatible Software

The Netgear dg834g is the second router that I have purchased after my last Linksys router lasted me a good three years. The Linksys was a good router and served me well over the years, but I do feel that its signal was not strong enough to reach all rooms of the house and the direct connection port to my computer on the router had started to malfunction so it was clearly time now to look for a new router.


Now I typed the router name into Dooyoo to check which other reviews are available and there was just a 154 word review that was really rubbish to be honest. That's the main reason I want to give a more useful review that can properly help people make up their mind if they are considering purchasing this router.


This router is the next in the series of router from Netgear and specifically an update on the dg834. This dg834g has wireless capability which means that you can connect up any device with a wireless connection. In a house like mine where there are two laptops and one desktop the wireless capability is a must so this is always the first aspect I look at when purchasing a new router.


For anyone who is computer illiterate and looking at routers the easiest way to tell if one is wireless is to check to see if it has an antenna. I am not saying that there are not any wireless routers without an antenna out there, but the majority of them do have antennas.


In terms of installation it is pretty simple. A disk is provided which takes you through step by step how to set up the router. For any one familiar with computers it will only take ten minutes or so, but for others it could take up to thirty minutes. Either way it is very straightforward. The only problem I had was with my network card which needed an update, but one this was completed it was smooth sailing all the way.


Once setting up the router I would recommend configuring a WPA key. This is straightforward with the providing Netgear instructions and basically what this feature does is to let you set up a password or key in this case. With this key only the people who know the key will be able to wireless connect up to the router. This will stop free riders in neighbouring houses from stealing your internet connection.


However in relation to the above paragraph there are people out there who will not have cards capable of supporting WPA and in this case just set a simple WEP encryption. Again this is straightforward and you can set up to four different passwords, so maybe temporarily create one for any guests or others who need to use your internet for a while and then delete that password once it is not needed anymore. This is slightly less secure, but only a professional hacker would be able to get into your connection and really the chances of this are minimal.


To improve performance you can update the firmware. This means that it will have the latest settings created by Netgear, however in some cases this may mess around with your settings and you may need to then downgrade your firmware. My general rule is that if something is not broken then do not try and fix it. So if my internet is working perfectly there is no need to try and fix it. This really is down to the individual though and in most cases this will work completely fine but be warned!


Depending on your internet connection, you can download very fast with this router, but the router just provides a base and at the end of the day it is your internet connection which will determine how fast you can access webpages, download and upload files.


This router is not perfect though, however there are faults which are yet to be determined. By this I mean I have not figured out whether they are problems with the computer or problems with the router. So keep any eye for any updates to this review as once I have figured out the problem I will definitely update this page.


Overall this is a great all round router, that is suitable for one computer or many different devices, including desktops, computers, mobiles and gaming devices like the PS3. In terms of features and usability from my experience this router is one of the best, however having only experienced two routers I can not say this is the best on the market. It does come at a great price though at £50 on play.com, and Netgear is one of the top router brands out there. Definitely a router that should be considered by internet users.

Summary: A Very Good Router for Home Use

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