| Brand: | Netgear | ||
| Average Rating |
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Two simultaneous wireless networks deliver better connections with less interference, Greater bandwidth for high-quality media streaming and better online gaming, Push `N¿ Connect securely connects devices at the touch of a button, Automatic Quality of Service (QoS) for reliable Internet, voice and gaming applications, For use with ADSL broadband (through the telephone line). more info
Popularity: 5% [?]
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Works great, but noisy
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I ordered this combination DSL modem and wireless router as an update and replacement for my old Actiontec DSL modem and wireless G router for Qwest DSL service. Purchasing and shipment through Amazon was good as usual. The router was well packaged and included a power cable, CAT5 cable, a DSL line filter, and installation instructions on CD. Setup was easy, with options for manual set-up or to use a step by step setup wizard.
The router has a USB port to connect a network storage device, such as an external hard drive or flash drive, however the port was taped over and the ability to use this function was not present out of the box. Once connected, the router automatically searched for an update to its software, which was required before the NAS was functional.
The only complaint I have about this router is that it emits a very high-pitched electronic noise or squeal. I can hear the noise clear as day, however, other people have said they can not hear it. I will probably submit a complaint to Netgear as this is very annoying.
Besides this electronic noise, the router works as advertised and has great functionality for the price.
A good router in the making, firmware not quite ready as I write this
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Everything in a review of a device like this is really a review of the device firmware. And the firmware is still in development. Some features, like USB and file sharing, are just starting to work. If you are a Linux guru and want an advanced router, you can have some fun with this right now. If you are a less sophisticated user, it might be better to wait for a later firmware update.
As I write this, the router firmware release is V1.1.00.32_1.00.32NA. You can see if there is a later firmware release at Netgear’s web site. Router version v1 on that site is for the USA, v2 is for elsewhere.
This firmware release did not come in the box. I had to upgrade the firmware – actually, the device offered to upgrade itself when I visited its set-up web page after I’d gotten it working with my DSL connection.
The USB port had a black label glued over it, saying that it would work only with an upcoming firmware release. I peeled that off.
I am 11000 wire feet from the telephone office, which limits the speed I can get using DSL. This modem synced to my ATT ADSL at a rate higher than my my Zoom Telephonics XV6. 3008 KBPS at 6 dB s/n, vs. about 2600 at 6 dB for the Zoom, which was significantly more flaky at that rate. Actually, the command-line ADSL utility says it is synced at a “max” download rate a bit higher, and a “max” upload rate almost double – it could be that ATT is rate-limiting me, and I never reached their bandwidth cap while using the Zoom.
The “Guest” interface configuration for wifi wouldn’t work in this firmware version. This is supposed to allow you to provide an open wifi network that doesn’t have access to your internal LAN, while also providing a private wifi network for your use that has full LAN access. The USB storage device function wouldn’t work because the “create a folder” button was grayed out. Linux gurus will be able to work around this bug, I discuss how later in this review.
The box runs warm. You might get longer life by mounting the unit so that it has airflow on all sides.
Netgear’s release notes for this release are:
New Features & Bug Fixes
* USB support has been added. This feature can be accessed by clicking on the Basic and Advanced settings under USB Storage, with additional USB Settings available under the Advanced menu. For more details please see the ReadyShare document posted with this firmware release. You may remove the label over the USB port on the back of the unit to access the USB port.
* The Reference Manual has been updated and can be accessed by clicking on the Documentation link in the router management interface.
* A new Setup CD, version 1.2, has been released which adds Win 7 compatibility and fixes some default settings issues. The revised CD can be found at this link: [...]
* Fixed a problem where the WiFi speed limit didn’t seem to work with WN511B: Up to 130Mbps was reported as a higher speed by the client.
* Fixed a problem where some invalid IP addresses were allowed by router for Remote Management.
* Fixed a problem where Port scan attacks were not logged.
If you run setup.cgi?todo=debug from the router’s web interface, it will enable you to telnet into the router’s busybox shell. If you know Linux, you can then make the router do all of the things that the web interface isn’t ready to do, and more. For example, I mounted USB storage devices that, due to some bug, the web interface wouldn’t handle. I suspect that some very complex routing is possible from the command line.
The fact that this is a Linux router is interesting because of the potential for alternative firmware such as that provided by groups like DGTeam and DD-WRT. They enhance the features beyond those provided with the factory firmware, and continue to support the devices with new firmware after the manufacturer has lost interest in its old products. DGTeam does not provide firmware for this model, but DD-WRT supports a different model which is essentially this unit but without ADSL. With the software from both groups it should be possible to cobble together a working alternative firmware for this model. I am the original author of the “busybox” Open Source toolkit used in the router, so I might be able to do that. I bought a second, used unit for development.
The router is based on Broadcomm ICs. Broadcomm is known for not releasing Open Source drivers for some of its hardware, although many of their chips have been reverse-engineered and now do have Open Source drivers. We’re probably stuck with the proprietary driver for the ADSL modem chip unless someone does a whole lot of work, but I think the wifi chips and ethernet bridge now have open drivers.
Once you get into the command-line environment, there’s a whole lot of functionality that is not exposed to the less sophisticated user. You can also figure out what the hidden web screens are. There’s one to configure IPV6 at ipv6.htm, and one to diagnose ADSL at adsl_test.htm . There is a command-line program to tweak the ADSL parameters and read out ADSL statistics. It’s not documented, but you can figure it out, and probably the most important information is:
adslctl configure –mod {option} (where option is a, d, l, t, 2, p or e)
* d sets the modem mode to G.DMT – adsl1
* l sets the modem mode to G.lite – adsl1
* t sets the modem mode to T1.413 – adsl1
* 2 sets the modem mode to ADSL2
* p sets the modem mode to ADSL2+
Here is a list of commands available from the shell prompt:
[ iptables radvd adslctl kill rc
ash killall rc.sh atm_monitor klogd reboot atmarp lash restore_config.cgi atmarpd led_app ripd atmctl lld2 rm bcmupnp ln rmmod bftpd login robocfg br2684ctl ls route brctl lsmod rt2684d busybox lsof scfgmgr bwping md5sum setup.cgi cat mini_httpd setupwizard.cgi chmod miniupnpd sh cmd_agent_ap mkdir sleep conf mknod smbd cp mknod_sd smbmnt
crond mlabel smbmount dd more smbpasswd df mount smbstatus dhcp6s mount.ntfs-fuse smtpc dmesg multi_pb_app syslogd dnrd mv tc dsldiagd naptd test eapd nas touch echo nbtscan true ez-ipupdate netgear_ntp udhcpc false nmbd udhcpd fdisk ntfslabel umount find ntfsmount upgrade_flash.cgi free nvram utelnetd ftpget passwd vconfig grep ping wget ifconfig pot wizard igmp potcounter wlctl import_ca.cgi pppd wps_ap init pppoe wps_det insmod pppoe-relay wps_enr ip pptp wps_monitor ip6tables ps zebra
All in all, it looks like this line of devices has potential. Indeed, it looks a lot more exciting than the “Open Source Router” line that Netgear promotes, and has no fewer proprietary issues than that line. With the reverse engineering that’s happened so far, it looks like the only spoiler is the Broadcomm proprietary modem driver, and I guess I’ll cross my fingers and hope someone with a lot more signal-processing competence than me spends some time fixing that.
Bruce Perens (bruce at perens dot com)
DSL Modem and router-works with ATT
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My old Gateway 2wire broke last Friday after the 2 year warranty expired. I called ATT tech support which took forever only to find out that the reason the failure was with the power supply.
I needed a modem and router that night so I went up and picked up one from a place called _RY’s(just add the 6th letter of alphabet to fill in the blank) to test it out Took some time to find the old email address and password and finally signed on using the enclosed CD. After about 30 minutes I was online again. It worked for me all weekend like a charm. Hit the middle button on it to turn off the cool LED lights though
I decided to try buying one from Amazon and low and behold it was cheaper and I decided to saved some serious cash. I saved 13.5 percent!. I saved 8.75 percent only by not paying California Sales tax.
The modem and router arrived today. I installed the Router/modem from Amazon and returned the other one to the store for a full refund. I saved some money shopping from Amazon and the next person buying my store bought version will save some money too as the store version is going back on the refurbished shelf.
So far so good. The laptops, desktops, and gaming consoles work really well.
I hope
Netgear DGND3300 Rangemax Dual Band Wireless-N router with Built-in DSL modem
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This modem is a replacement for a 2wire 2701 HGB modem sent to me from ATT. The 3rd one finally bit the dust with constant disconnects after one year! I installed this modem in about 30 minutes. I had to use the 2 wire phone line because the one that came with the modem wasn’t long enough.But that was no problem. I plugged everything in installed the software walked through the steps and then I was online. I connected to the wireless by using the passkey> very easy even for a grandma like me. So far I have twice the speed I had on the 2 wire( I have ATT elite service suppose to get 6000mbps download and 768 upload) It has never reached those speeds using the 2wire. It isn’t reaching them with this but it must be caching pages faster because every thing is faster even on my wireless Sony laptop which I use in the family room and there are two rooms between me and the modem. I am very happy with this modem and I like the user interface which gives me everything I ever used on the 2 wire interface. It is also Window 7 compatible. I downloaded the newest software from netgear and it is flawless so far. It has nice calming blue lights. I do not find them offensive in the least. In fact I love the one that lights up on the side of the modem/router. Every computer on my network shows up. I will update latter after I have used it for awhile.
Nothing works as advertised
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I recently decided to pick up a new Router/DSL modem to replace my old 2WIRE SBC Global modem. I decided to go with the NETGEAR DGN3300. I wanted to make sure and pick up a router with the new N technology. Needless to say none of the advertised extra’s seem to work with this product. While both the N and G networks seem to broadcast fine but the N 5G channel seems to give a VERY poor signal. Unless your device it literally 4-5 feet from the router it barely registers 1 bar for signal strength, so I’ve ended up using the G channel for all my WIFI devices.
THE Push button PBC option for connecting to other WIFI devices doesn’t work either so it seems the main two reason i went with this item were just selling points that Netgear couldn’t deliver. However the G channel gets good signal strength with this device and it doesn’t seem to loose it’s connection like others have experienced but all in all I am quite disappointed with this product. It can’t even close to deliver to it’s advertising promises.
A Sweet Modem Router
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I found that my Westell 327W just wasn’t cutting the mustard anymore, especially since I have added a variety of wireless devices around the house. I hesitated to purchase this because of some of the complaints I read. However, other comparable routers seemed to have even more problems. I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to install this using the accompanying software with no problems whatsoever. All you need is your IP ID and password. I immediately noticed faster downloads. The NWS enhanced radar image loop that used to take over a minute to download now takes about 10 seconds. None of my wireless devices have dropouts now. This is using a standard Verizon DSL service and Windows XP Pro.
Works great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I replaced a 2wire wireless router/DSL modem with this. It installed just fine on ATT DSL service. It works great and both wireless g and n speeds seem good. N signal strength is better than g, presumably with it using the 5Ghz band. I use two macbook pros on the n network and a Wii and ipod touch on the g network. The latest firmware update enables the USB storage port to connect an external USB harddrive. There were a few features missing that I was used to with the 2wire router such as port remapping (forward an external port x to internal port y) and local DNS lookups for devices connected on the local network. These are minor features that generally aren’t present on consumer routers so this is not a big deal.
Download the updated setup CD if using Windows 7!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I liked the idea of having a combination one device instead of a separate modem & router to eliminate a couple of extra wires, and I liked the idea that it might be faster and have less interference on the 2.4 ghz band. Okay on the first, but otherwise no improvement over my old wireless-G network. If you already have a wireless-G setup, then don’t bother with this.
I knew I was going to be installing Windows 7 from Vista, so I thought it would be smart to install this first, before I upgraded to Windows 7 to try and avoid problems. It was indeed very easy to install. However, after upgrading Windows 7, I could not connect to the internet. Several hours and a couple of aspirin later, I discovered that Netgear has a new installation CD for Windows 7 that you have to download. Once I re-installed using this new setup CD, it worked fine.
Netgear DGND3300
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am very pleased with the item I purchased. I like the idea of it having both router/modem in one unit.
ReadyShare USB NAS is useless for streaming.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I’m leaving this review to warn potential buyers interested in the ReadyShare USB functionality. The router has a USB port which allows you to connect an external storage device (hard drive, thumb drive, etc.) and share the contents between all networked computers. HOWEVER, the router’s design limits the transfer speed to around 2 MB/sec. I confirmed this limitation with tech support after numerous tests. This transfer speed is useless for streaming any high data rate files (for example, viewing movies). I purchased this router specifically for this ability, and unfortunately, Netgear fails to inform the consumer of this device limitation.
Netgear DGND3300 – MPEG stream dropping
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Re: Netgear DGND3300 – MPEG stream dropping
I just installed a Netgear DGND3300 wireless router/DSL modem. I have an IP webcam on my LAN, the webcam streaming video as MPEG. The DGND3300 keeps dropping the MPEG stream. I get about 40 seconds of the stream before it stops (leaving the browser screen with the last video frame, and no more sound). It’s not clear what is causing the stream to be interrupted, but the Westell router/DSL modem I was using previously did not have this problem.
Apart from the above, the DGND3300 seems to be working well. The setup was very easy. I was hoping to see a speed increase on my MacBook Pro when going to 802.11n, but Speakeasy’s speed test does not indicate any significant change.
Works amazing with Verizon DSL
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
At first it took a little help to get this modem setup with my verizon dsl. After that, this modem and router is absolutely by far worth the money. I have vonage….yuck I know…internet phone and with the automatic quality of service on this modem, my vonage works better than my land line phone ever did. Great product, would absolutely recommend especially with internet phone.
Unlucky purchase
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
It was broken out of box, and I am returning it to Amazon. I appreciate Amazon’s return policy, but it is a shame for Netgear that you get a broken unit.
Don’t believe the savings
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Amazon claims the list price is $205, to make you think that you’re saving $71.
Netgear’s MSRP is $139.99. So it’s more like a $7 discount here.
Do you’re research because Amazon works pricing HARD.
so far so good
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I went to buy this today @BB after my 2wire died on Thanksgiving Day. It is almost $30 cheaper on Amazon, so if you can wait for the shipping I would get it thru here. I already had one day without internet so I just braved the loonies and the lines and bought it.
I consider myself to be of average tech skill and had no problems at all with setup on sbc/att dsl. The ease of setup was amazing (pop in the cd and go), the wireless signal is strong and I love the N wireless. I would definitely recommend this product. I also use the netgear powerline adapters so I have had positive experiences with netgear to this point on all products.