Netgear WGR614L Open Source Wireless-G Router (Compatible with Linux)

Amazon Customer Reviews

(4 out of 5)

Well Performing Device & Installation is a Snap

What does the "Open Source" in the name mean? Do you need to be a "techie"? Nope. It means the firmware is "open source" instead of proprietary code normally used in devices like this. There is no perceivable difference from a normal user's point of view. If you ARE a techie, it could open a lot of doors for customization.

Assuming you have just a bit of experience, installation is a snap. The manufacturer recommends first hooking it up via a cable to a standard Ethernet port in order to configure it then go wireless. I didn't with no problems (I went wireless from the get go). The only time for the cable is if you upgrade the firmware. This is standard on all routers I have ever used. If you are a bit unfamiliar with this type of device, they include very simple-to-use software to both install and configure. The included CD also has the user manual on it.

Configuration:
I have to say that the web interface is the nicest I have seen. The help for each page is printed right on the page next to the options and is very intuitive. The only thing I felt was out of the ordinary was the rather disjointed approach to filtering. All of the filtering was done on one page except access (I.E, MAC filters) is on another.

Performance:
Performance is also good. Moving a 50mb file was about 10% faster than on a similar D-Link device I own. The antenna is excellent. I was surprised at how good the signal strength was. I own two other routers and neither has the same reception quality.

Security:
Like every other device that I have worked with it, it's "open" (read NOT secure) out of the box. It can't be accessed from the Internet but every Tom, Dick and Harry within wireless range can access it, can attempt to access other computers using it and can intercept traffic. It has the usual suite of encryption and access security features. Be sure to take time to both learn about them and set them up.

Summary:
I give this device a 4 stars. For normal support you have Netgears website. For the techies, go to http://www.myopenrouter.com where you can download both updates and the source code (and the tools to compile them with). If you're up to it, you can make your own custom firmware. Try doing that with any other competing product.

(3 out of 5)

Trying To Be Objective

If you know nothing about wireless routers, I have a lot to tell you. I bought a condo a few years back and there was NO phone jack in the second bedroom/office (stupid, huh?). Because the floor was concrete and I shared the ceiling with a neighbor, no electrician would come out to install a phone jack or run a line into the room through the walls. So I bought a router. It was a LINKSYS, but it only lasted a year. So I bought this Netgear on some advice. The manual setup is easy. Open your desktop and install the card/antennae into any slot and close up the desktop. Find a phone jack in another room that is closest to your desktop (remember to avoid as many obstacles as possible, like walls and especially washer/dryers or any metal objects). Then plug your phone cord into the router. My closest connection was in the kitchen with one wall between the router and desktop antennae.

That was easy, but I had a lot of trouble setting up the software and spent hours on the phone with support from the Philippines (Have you dealt with support from the Philippines or India???). Then I had to talk to my phone company to get the codes correct (POP, STMP, etc.). It was a real headache. When it was finally working, the connectivity would vary and sometimes it was slow. I finally trashed it and ripped up the rug and now run my phone line under the carpet on the concrete along the walls. It's a direct connection.

If you are one of the lucky ones who can figure things out, this system is great for one reason, in that it can connect up to four separate computers, but I found with only one computer it was not worth the hassle. As I have mentioned in other reviews, although I enjoy electronics, I am not that technologically savvy. But that was just MY experience.

(4 out of 5)

easy to setup, works well with WinTel machines

Prior to using the Netgear WGE614L, I have been using a cheap DLink WiFi router at home with my cable internet connection and various Windows XP-based laptops/desktops. I haven't had any issues with the old DLink except every once in a while, the router would act up and requires a power-cycle. When the new Netgear router arrived, it took me all but 10 minutes to set it up and replace out the old DLink. The entire unboxing/setting up process was intuitive and straightforward, without any needs to refer to any of the included documentations. I've been running off the new Netgear router for almost three weeks now, and so far I haven't had any need to power-cycle the router. I'm a relatively heavy internet users, often have at least six devices connected and accessing the network concurrently - a desktop used primarily for file-sharing and downloading, a work laptop, my wife's laptop, a WiFi printer, and a Nintendo Wii. And occasionally, I will have additional devices hooked to the network, including a WiFi enabled PDA phone and a Nintendo DS. I'm very impressed with the fact that this router handle all these concurrent devices without any glitches. To be honest, I haven't really looked into the "Open Source" nature of this router too much, nor do I have any particular need or interest to get any customized firmware running on the router anytime soon. However, it's good knowing that the options for doing so are there. So in conclusion, I would recommend this product to folks who are shopping for a router. Sure, a lot of us may never use the fancy features like customizing the firmware or any thing of that nature, but this product is priced reasonably and easy to use to novice and experts and alike, so why not go for it even if have no immediate need for the extra capabilities?

(4 out of 5)

If You've Got a Billy Next Door, the Netgear WGR614L Router Might Just be for You

Okay, I got my router, what next? Open the box, of course. Found a CD inside. Put it in my iMac, figured out to click on index.htm all by myself, maybe the little Safari icon helped a bit. Was confronted with PDF page on my screen, clicked on English from all the language choices, page changed, gave me four more choices, clicked on Setup Manual.

I was good to go with the first couple topics, Getting to Know Your Wireless Router, Unpacking Your New Router, the front and back panel etc, but as soon as I got to the next topic after unpacking the thing, I was lost. The topic was called, "What You Need Before You Begin". I needed to know my host and domain names, my internet login name and password (frequently an e-mail address and password), Domain Name Server (DNS) addresses, Fixed or static IP address. I'm a Mac person, so of course I didn't know that stuff. But no worries, the directions told me I could call my ISP and they would provide it.

No, no, no. Did I say I was a Mac person. I don't know an ISP from a VFW and I don't want to. I just want things to work when I plug them in. So I went to Netgear's website, called their support number and after having to go through a bunch of recordings got connected to a guy in a foreign country who I barely understood. I certainly didn't understand him well enough to follow any directions, so I let him ramble for a bit, told him I got it when I didn't. He asked me to wait for a case number. I did and after he hung up and went next door and got Billy. He's sixteen and there is nothing about computers he does not know.

He got me set up and now everything works fine, not any better than my Airport did, which I was able to set up all by myself, but fine. This is a good product if you aren't a silly woman like me who just wants things to work. If you've got a Billy next door, then this might just be the product for you. If you don't, well.

(5 out of 5)

A router as easy or as complex as you want it to be.

A great router that lets you set up a wireless network in your home and share a single internet connection with everyone in your house or office at speeds up to 54 Mbps. Now even Grandma can set up a wireless network. I had it up and running in a few minutes. Just plug the included Ethernet cable from your internet connection into the router and insert the included CD into any computer on the network, which shows step-by-step instructions. It uses a website style interface for configuration, and will automatically do the initial setup by getting your DNS settings and determining your IP address. The firmware is also upgradeable via the web interface so you will always be up-to-date. Supporting the 802.11g standard, this router offers wireless data speeds of up to 54 Mbps, making it possible to share a broadband internet connection, stream music without hiccups, watch videos with less load time, and videoconference without problems. Downloading files is up to five times faster than it was with 802.11b. There are also four 10/100 Mbps RJ-45 Ethernet ports in the back for connecting computers to the network via a faster, wired connection. Many security options to ensure your data is private. Double firewall protection keeps your network shielded from outside attacks. Both 40/64-bit, 128-bit, and 152-bit (802.11g only) WEP encryption is available, as well as WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). You can also use MAC address authentication to allow only authorized users onto the network.

It's priced lower than it's competition, the Linksys WRT54GL and yet more powerful hardware for Open source firmwares. Linux Open Source Compatible hardware, WPS PIN Support and easy Secure Wireless Configuration, Secure WPA2 standards, Stable and reliable performance, a helpful open source community at www.myopenrouter.com and DD-WRT and Tomato firmware compatible. It's as complex as you would like it to be, or ready to use out of the box.