Super-G DG834GT does the job but don’t thrill me
I received my Netgear DG834GT 108Mbps wireless ADSL router free with my Sky Broadband unlimited download package; when I learnt I would be receiving a free wireless router I was quite excited as I already had a router I had purchased for my ... Read review
Five products in one, the DG834GT combines an ADSL modem, router, 10/100 LAN switch, 108 ... more
Mbps Super G access point and SPI Double Firewall. It gives you untethered continuous connectivity to your network resources and the Internet and allows you to sh...
Postage & Packaging: £4.87 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Five products in one, the DG834GT combines an ADSL modem, router, 10/100 LAN switch, 108 ... more
Mbps Super G access point and SPI Double Firewall. It gives you untethered continuous connectivity to your network resources and the Internet and allows you to sh...
Postage & Packaging: £4.87 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
...me
I received my Netgear DG834GT 108Mbps wireless ADSL router free with my Sky Broadband unlimited download package; when I learnt I would be receiving a free wireless router I was quite excited as I already had a router I had purchased for my previous network with another ISP before I moved. However I decided to go with Sky in my new home and awaited my free Router.
What you get
When it arrived I unpacked it; it is an ... ...Sky you will receive a Netgear resource CD and Installation guide and also a Warranty/Support Information Card, the last items is not provided from Sky, however I find that the model does in fact have a 2 year manufacturers warranty, which is comforting however it is one year less then my previous model.
I also noticed it does not have a option to wall mount as did my previous model did which disappointed me greatly as I did utilise this feature. ... more
Super-G DG834GT does the job but don’t thrill me I received my Netgear DG834GT 108Mbps wireless ADSL router free with my Sky Broadband unlimited download package; when I learnt I would be receiving a free wireless router I was quite excited as I already had a router I had purchased for my previous network with another ISP before I moved. However I decided to go with Sky in my new home and awaited my free Router.
What you get When it arrived I unpacked it; it is an attractive looking device however does not easily fit in with my décor with its white casing, silver display panel and white antennae it looks a bit like a spaceship. It came with three microfilters, an Ethernet cable, a Power Adapter, a Phone Cable, a Vertical Stand to stand the router side ways so it can slip it into narrow spaces or simply just to look flash, and a Sky a setup disc and guide; if you do not obtain your router through Sky you will receive a Netgear resource CD and Installation guide and also a Warranty/Support Information Card, the last items is not provided from Sky, however I find that the model does in fact have a 2 year manufacturers warranty, which is comforting however it is one year less then my previous model. I also noticed it does not have a option to wall mount as did my previous model did which disappointed me greatly as I did utilise this feature.
The DG834GT has four Ethernet ports to connect Pc, Laptops or other devices via cable at 100Mbps which is standard for most ADSL routers, but the DG834GT runs at 108Mbps which is faster than the old 802.11b which runs at 11Mbps and faster than my previous 802.11G model which ran at 54Mbps so this was a bonus for me it also has four times the coverage and supports Macs unlike my old router. It is an ADSL router so it cannot be used with cable supplied internet such as NTL, it has an internal modem which connects straight into the phone line via a microfilter. This model also has ADSL2 capability so if your ISP provides an ADSL2 service or is going to do so in the future you have this feature.
Setup The set up was so easy using the setup CD, you just follow the on screen instructions, which show you how to connect all the cables to the router, Pc and Mains power, then it installs some software, tests and enables a connection. The setup with Sky does not allow you to choose an SSID as this is already programmed into the box and it is already set to WPA encryption with a programmed network key, WPA is my preferred choice of encryption as opposed to WEP as it is more secure and harder to hack so I recommend that when you setup your wireless network you do use this type of encryption if all your adapters are compatible. The disc asks you if you would like to connect to the internet and away you go, so the set up the wireless adapter with the SSID and WPA network key are configured for you because when I disconnected the Ethernet cable and went wireless my connection to the internet remained. So now I am impressed, no need to log into a web based interface to set up the router settings, which can easily be set up with small errors and a nightmare for a novice .
Speed, connection and Range The speed and connection seemed pretty good. Compared to my old 54Mbps Wireless Router when using a 54Mbps adapter I do not notice a difference, apart from the wireless connection which I noticed never drops below 54Mbps, as did my old router, however sluggish my internet connection seems to get. I installed a 108Mbps adapter in another Pc and noticed the difference immediately the internet connection is great and loading Internet explorer is instantaneous, pity my boyfriend has the faster adapter. The range is great but I live in a small flat and the furthest I can get from the router is 40 meters so it is not a great test. I have noticed that after having the router running for over a week, the internet connection can become sluggish. I found a tip which is to unplug the router for an hour once a week to let it cool down, it seems to do the trick.
Minor micro filter issues I had some problems with equipment functionality when a month later I lost my internet connection, I tested the connections to no avail and although I could connect to the Router and could see the network broadcasting I could not connect to the internet, In the end I swapped the microfilter and within minutes the router kicked into gear and the internet connection was back up thank God it came with three filters.
Major Router issue The routers connection and remained satisfactory until about a month later when I returned home from work to find no internet connection again but this time no connection to the router at all, I went through all the processes I did this time nothing helped. I tried to connect Via Ethernet but could not even access the routers login screen as I could when I connected my old 54Mbps router in the same way, so I knew there was a problem with the router. Once it was established that the router was faulty I received a new router in 3-5 days due to the 2 year manufacturer’s warranty, I received the new router and it was setup with the same ease as the first time around. This router has not proved a problem since, so it seems that the problem was isolated that box.
Security You can access the router using internet explorer and typing the IP address into the address bar, which is generally 192.168.0.1, you enter a username and password which is specified in the documentation. You can view the router status and apply security features such as applying MAC address filtering so only PCs you specify can connect to the router wirelessly, you can also disable your SSID from broadcasting so no one else sees your wireless network is running so they don’t try to connect to it and use your broadband like someone I know did for 3 months to some unfortunate soul. It also has a double firewall, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), Intrusion logging and reporting, Network Address translation (NAT), and Denial of Service (DoS) protection, so if you are a techie there is plenty for you to do to tighten up security.
Conclusion A thumbs up to the Netgear DG834GT Super-G Wireless Modem router, the range and speed are more than adequate. Security is great with a double firewall, it has other wireless security features, and is not too bad to look at. My only gripe is that it does not have a wall mount which I suppose is quite minor. I have not seen any other reports of this model router with the same problems I experienced so on the current model I have I would say I say it is a good model, easy to access and setup, I am not as enthusiastic about it as I am of other models but it isn’t bad it is a good reputable brand and does the job. I wouldn’t recommend someone not to buy it.
melly2bad 29.05.2007 (29.05.2007)
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Review of NETGEAR DG834GT 108 Mbps Super G Wireless ADSL Router - wireless router
Advantages: Easy to use, good security features, lots of extras for thse who want to use them Disadvantages: Not the cheapest, documentation might not be great in the event of problems
I bought the Netgear DG834GT after having been a happy customer of the non-wireless DG834 for many years. I needed to upgrade to wireless after buying a Nintendo DS and a Sony PSP.
I was hoping that my previous good experiences with the DG834 would carry on with the DG834GT and I was not disappointed. The web interface is simple to use and very similar to the one I was used to on the older model. Setting up was just a few simple clicks. I chose ... ...So whether you've used previous Netgear routers like I had or are new to them, I think the Netgear DG834GT is very good product at a reasonable price. And if you're a fan of playing videogames like I am you might like to know that the router works fine with the Nintendo DS, the Sony PSP and the Microsoft XBox 360 all of which I had up and running within half an hour of unpacking the router.
The only downside is that it might not be the cheapest ...
GarryDH 03.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of NETGEAR DG834GT 108 Mbps Super G Wireless ADSL Router - wireless router
Advantages: Small footprint, 802.11b, g and pre-n supported, easy to use and customise Disadvantages: Control panel can appear daunting at first, help provided could be more concise
...in the form of this Netgear WGR 614 Wireless Router.
When I first took the router out of the box I was impressed to see the number of ADSL splitters I got with it, (three in total) but for now I only needed the one. Setup was what I would call 'normal' - Plug in the mains power and plug in the supplied RJ11 phone cable to the splitter. Then either hook up a computer via an Ethernet cable or hook up through a wireless connection. Another few mins ... ...then don't be afraid as Netgear set all the defaults to recommended settings and you'll never really have a need to get deeply involved.
If you're looking to set up a wireless network for your home or small business I can strongly recommend this piece of kit. It has a small footprint, is silent in operation and doesn't get too hot. Easy to configure, quick to get going from being switched off and so far it's never lost its connection or dropped ...
sosull 01.06.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of NETGEAR DG834GT 108 Mbps Super G Wireless ADSL Router - wireless router
...gives you added protection against hackers and viruses/spyware.
CONCLUSION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have no complaints about the Netgear DG834GT Router. It does exactly what it is suppposed to and can be set up effortlessly. I have had no problems with it and would recommend it to others. ...
sear69 03.07.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of NETGEAR DG834GT 108 Mbps Super G Wireless ADSL Router - wireless router
Advantages: Good quality, easy to configure, plenty of features Disadvantages: Did not get the speeds expected
...at the time chose the Netgear DG834G (please see my review on this model for full information). Having bought around 100 of these models we have now had 5 fail for various reasons. At this point I thought it would be prudent to have another look at some of the other models available. As well as this Netgear model I have also been looking at the Linksys WAG54G (again a separate review).
What I was hoping to achieve from this review was something ... ...with a combination of a Netgear WH511T card in my laptop I have never reached any speed above 54 Mbps. On checking the Netgear support web site it mentions that you can only achieve this speed by using channel 6 on the router (there are 11 channels available). This is not mentioned anywhere else. For me it still didn't work anyway. I am certainly not claiming here that you cannot get this to work - only I could couldn't with equipment that should ...
Pookie_Rabbit 20.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of NETGEAR DG834GT 108 Mbps Super G Wireless ADSL Router - wireless router
Advantages: Looks Stylish, Easy to set up, comprehensive accesories supplied Disadvantages: Poor Performance, Auto 108MB mode very poor
...connections we been onto the netgear user forums where other owners of this router have reported similar problems of dropped connections - there is one particular post on this subject which has over 35 pages of people complaining about this problem since this unit was first released in early 2005. Some people have found that not hiding network name, choosing an lower speed, lowering encryption security seems to help but I'm of the opinion that it ... ...see that Netgear still have produced a newer firmware upgrade to fix these issues.
The final nail in the coffin for this product is that fact that you cannot easily achieve the 108MB transfer that this router promises. As my wife's laptop is only rated to the 802.11g standard is it only capable of transfer speeds of up to 54MBs. My desktop PC uses the supplied adapter so should be capable of transfer speeds of 108MBs. The router allows you to set ...
ucjtckc 20.01.2006 (22.01.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of NETGEAR DG834GT 108 Mbps Super G Wireless ADSL Router - wireless router
Product Information for "NETGEAR DG834GT 108 Mbps Super G Wireless ADSL Router - wireless router" »
Manufacturer's product description
The DG834GT Super G 108 Mbps Wireless ADSL modem router provides continuous, untethered access to network resources and the Internet. The DG834GT allows you to share your hi-speed ADSL broadband connection wirelessly with all the desktop PC's, laptops and games consoles in the household or small office. Featuring 802.11g and Super G wireless capability, the DG834GT wireless router is up to ten times faster than 802.11b wireless networking devices. This technology allows you to download large files, videoconference, distribute and play high quality digital movies, photos and stream MP3 music over extended range quicker than ever. The built-in True Firewall features Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) and Denial of Service (DOS), which operate as your first line of attack against intruders. The DG834GT provides both WEP and WPA-PSK wireless encryption standards to protect your network from eavesdroppers and bandwidth pinchers! Content filtering lets you control access to inappropriate websites and limit usage by time of day. To be ultimately secure you can limit access to designated computers using their unique ID, called a MAC address. The DG834GT 108 Mbps wireless router is simple to use - it plugs directly into your ADSL line, no need for a separate modem. Set-up could not be easier; NETGEAR's Smart Wizard install assistant automatically detects and makes the best connection to your ISP (Internet Service Provider). It is also easy to change the settings of your DG834GT wireless router via a web-browser interface.
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