Powerful, Pretty, and Piece of Cake to Install

INTRODUCTION:
I finally jumped into the modern world and got high-speed internet and my wife wanted to be able to roam the house with her laptop computer. So i found a great deal on amazon.com: $90 for this item in a package with the WG511T PC wireless PC card, with a $35 rebate.

I researched a while for a wireless router, mainly focusing on the big three: Linksys, D-Link, and Netgear. All of them seemed like quality products. The deal that I got was the main reason I went with Netgear along with the fact that I had been using a Netgear wired network product with no problems at all.

BASICS:
If you've been researching this product at all, you'll know that it'll support wireless 802.11 B, G, and Super-G. If you haven't seen pictures of the back of the product, it has 4 ports for wired connections.

From the box itself:
Security Advantages
-Double firewall with SPI and NAT
-Powerful encryption (40/64- or 128-bit)
-MAC Address Control
-Content filtering
Performance Advantages:
-Share one broadband connection amongst all your computers
-Compatible with standard 802.11g and 802.11b
-Router works with PCs, Macs, and virtually all ethernet devices

WHAT'S IN THE BOX? (remember, this is the combined package with the pc card)
-wireless router (WGT624)
-wireless card (WG511T)
-installation cd for the router
-installation cd for the pc card
-installation guide for the router
-installation guide for the pc card
-AC/DC adapter
-vertical stand
-ethernet cable!
-warranty card
-special installation notice for XP users.
-promotional flyer for rhapsody

SETUP:
Setting up the wireless network was much easier than I thought it would be. I already had set up my broadband connection through a wired router, so I had a head start. After setting up the wiring, I turned on the units in the following order: (1) cable modem, (2) router, then (3) computer.

After the physical setup, configuring the settings is done through an internet browser. Firefox 1.0 worked for me. The setup wizard steps through the settings and wa la! Wireless network was up. However, you need to know what you're doing here because it doesn't explain everything that a novice/beginner needs to know, such as how many characters a WEP password needs to be (and depending on your encryption level) and the differences between the security options.

FIRMWARE UPDATE:
What I discovered during the firmware update is that there are two hardware versions of the WGT624. There are two versions: WGT624v1 and WGT624v2, and the label on my router confirmed that it was a v2. If you go to the Netgear support website, there are different sections for the two different hardware versions. From what I can gather from the website, the difference between the two are chipsets.

You are able to update the firmware through the setup menu via internet browser, but you can also download the firmware file and install it from your hard drive. If you have XP SP2 installed, you should get the latest firmware (although the latest is beta and unsupported) or you may run in the famous "Limited or no connectivity" problems.

GETTING 104Mbps:
Netgear uses Super-G technology to reach 104Mbps - read about it here (http://www.netgear.com/pdf_docs/108Mbps_SuperG_WhitePaper_29Apr2004.pdf). However, you can only use this technology on channel 6, so if you live in a densely populated area, channel 6 may be occupied, so might run into problems.

REAL-WORLD PERFORMANCE:
I live in a 2400 sq ft. house and I have an excellent connection throughout the house even though my router is located at a corner of the house. I guess the best test is streaming data. Streaming video from the internet work great on the laptop, one floor below the router. I can listen to music on my desktop with my laptop through iTunes music sharing without missing a beat.

DESIGN:
The Netgear WGT624 is pretty. I set it up on my desk and now has a home there because it just looks nice. I can't imagine doing the same with the boxy, purple linksys router. It sits upright up with the vertical stand and the flickering lights let me know that the wireless network is up and running.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Be sure to change your password on your router log-in and secure your network. With the range of this product, potentially your entire block will be able to spot your network and you wouldn't want anyone snooping in on you.