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(More customer reviews)First, let's get a few things out of the way: I am not a newbie, I am not bitter, and I have absolutely no incentive to bash any company - Netgear included. I am writing this review because I want to prevent anyone else from making the mistake of buying this product. Why? Because it is a defective design - and, more importantly, Netgear has no idea what is wrong with it. What does that mean to you as a consumer? Your device will most likely fail. And Netgear is not likely to make it right. Here's the story:
After between 3 and 6 months of your router working perfectly, you will wake up one day and only the green power light will be on. The wireless light will no longer blink actively and the network lights will all be dead. Why you ask? Because your router has just bitten the dust. You'll unplug the router several times to reboot it, but nothing will change. Then, you'll press and hold the reset button on the back for 10 seconds or longer - just like the manual tells you to. But that won't fix it either. After a few more tries, you'll finally suspect that the thing is dead and, if you're like me, you'll go to Netgear's site and find no documentation of the problem in their knowledgebase. Then, you'll go to the trusty forums where they can't hide their problems, and you'll see hundreds - yes, hundreds - of posts by users just like you and I who are having the exact same problem. And those are only the small percentage of troubled users who actually bothered to write about it. They'll share stories of nightmare phone calls with Netgear, and some will tell you about the same problem happening to 2, and sometimes 3 replacement routers. Frustrated before you even begin, you'll probably call Netgear to confirm it all and to see if maybe you're reading outdated posts. Certainly the problem must be fixed by now. So you'll call them and get placed on hold for anywhere between 10-45 minutes while you're treated to a selection of awful music, paused only by a shameless pre-recorded message telling you how much Netgear cares about you. Yeah, right. Finally, one of the interruptions will actually end up being a real-live person. What you'll have reached is a tech support agent (friendly, but fairly useless) who will confirm the problem (but only if you're saavy enough to tell them that you already read about it online) and then they'll offer you three return options - all of which have you, as the victim, paying to ship the unit back to them (provided you are still within the 1 year warranty period). Option 1 is for you to ship it and get a replacement within 5-7 business days. The second option is for them to ship you a replacement for $16 within 5-7 business days, along with a prepaid shipping label. This way, I guess, you don't have to bother with choosing the shipping company. And, unbelievably, the third option is to have them expedite you a new unit within 2 days, for the bargain price of a brand new router. How this option is helpful to us, I have yet to figure out. But, it will be presented to you as an option nonetheless. It seems they are making a tidy little business out of selling us defective units.
After all of this, hopefully, you are still calm, cool, and collected enough to ask if they have actually fixed the problem - a logical question to be certain since you don't want to pay to replace a bad router with another bad router. And then, if you get an honest person - as I did - they'll tell you that they actually have no idea what the problem is and that the replacement router will be no different from the one you are returning. So, although I haven't quite made it this far, I'm certain that you'll be doing the whole thing over again in another 3-6 months.
So what can we learn from this little story: 1) This router is sick; 2) There is no cure; 3) Netgear doesn't care; 4) Your time is worth more than all of this.
Stand up for yourself and, if you would be so kind, for me as well. Don't buy this item. Believe me, you will regret your purchase. Remember, this is not an opinion. It is a factual account of what happened to me and to hundreds of other consumers. Don't let it happen to you too.
Thanks for listening...
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NETGEAR WNR854T RangeMax Next Wireless-N Router Gigabit EditionThe NETGEAR WNR854T RangeMax Next Wireless-N Router Gigabit Edition lets you easily set up a wireless network in your home so you can share a single internet connection with everyone in your household at speeds up to 300 Mbps. You can stream music and video, make internet phone calls, videoconference, and surf the web, all at the same time.
Easy Setup The WNR854T makes it easy for even a novice to set up a wireless network: just plug the included Ethernet cable from your LAN into the device and insert the included CD into any computer on the network, which will provide step-by-step instructions. The WNR854T includes a stand for vertical placement.
The WNR854T employs a web-based interface for configuration for compatibility with any computer with a web browser. The firmware is also upgradeable via the web interface so you can be sure your router will always be up-to-date.
New Technology Means Blazing Speeds and Backwards Compatibility The WNR854T complies with the latest 802.11n draft specification which allows for speeds up to 300 Mbps; this maximum speed can be achieved when used with other TopDog devices. By utilizing MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) technology, the WNR854T has speed and range far surpassing the older 802.11g standard. The preset internal antennas ensure that the device is always tuned for optimal performance, and NETGEAR's Wi-Fi Multimedia technology optimizes audio, video, and voice applications.
If you still have computers that use 802.11g or 802.11b, don't fret as the router is backwards compatible with the older wireless standards and can be set so all your computers can connect to the network. The WNR854T will automatically figure out the connection type and work accordingly.
By using Gigabit Ethernet for the backend, you'll be certain that the router is receiving data at the highest possible speeds. The router also has four Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet ports in the back for connecting computers to the network via a wired connection that will give the fastest performance.
Security Made Easy The WNR854T offers many security options to ensure your data is private. Double firewall protection keeps your network shielded from outside attacks. It also prevents Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.
NETGEAR's Touchless WiFi Security makes it quick and easy to set up network security on a WiFi network by asking for a passphrase from the user. The WNR854T supports WiFi Protected Access (WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK), and 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption for 802.11b/g networks. Additionally, you can set security through MAC address authentication, allowing only authorized users onto the network.
The NETGEAR WNR854T RangeMax Next Wireless-N Router Gigabit Edition is backed by a 1-year warranty.
What's in the Box WNR854T RangeMax Next Wireless-N Router Gigabit Edition, power adapter, Ethernet cable, stand, setup CD, warranty/support information card.
Click here for more information about NETGEAR WNR854T RangeMax Next Wireless-N Router Gigabit Edition
