Although ZyXEL markets the ZyXEL Prestige 334W for home use, its feature set is more suited to small businesses. The router's installation, which requires a working knowledge of networking, also makes us a bit leery about recommending it for the home market.

Initial Configuration and Documentation

While experienced computer and networking enthusiasts will breeze through its responsive installation wizard and interface, average home users might find themselves stumped at times. Documentation is limited to the included CD. We encountered a serious glitch once we had the router running: Client PC Cards could not reconnect to the router once they lost their connection; as with the GigaFast router, a reboot of the router was required.

Management and Features

RADIUS accounting, built-in IPsec VPN services, an internal user database, and advanced NAT support are not found in any of the other products in this roundup. Such features, combined with WPA support, easily make the 334W a low-cost alternative to small-business products from companies such as SonicWall and WatchGuard.

Security

The 334W offers ample security, supporting all common authentication schemes, protocols, and standards. Content filtering and URL blocking are also included. The URL-blocking feature, however, is limited to manually specified URLs.

Performance