TechMate

In my last post I talked about Netgear WGR614 54mbps Wireless Router so that it might help some of you to make a better choice and get a value for your money. I am writing this post for those of you who have already picked up a Netgear WGR614v7 and are having a tough time configuring it (even though it is meant to be a cakewalk) for your existing broadband connection . I actually never looked at the setup guide in the beginning and tried configuring the wireless router by going through few online forums which were of least help. Later I to referred to the Netgear knowledge base and managed to successfully configure the router (it is actually a cakewalk) with UT300R2U provided by my ISP (BSNL). Although I am referring to UTSTARCOM model UT300R2U in this post, steps for configuring Netgear WGR614 wireless router would hold good with any other model of modem which you might be using. I assume that your modem is already configured and you have a working broadband connection. Follow the steps and victory shall be yours:

1. Remove all wired connections between your modem (UT300R2U), router (WGR614R2U) and the PC. Power up your modem and wait for the DSL/ADSL LED on your modem to become stable.
2. Using the ethernet cable, connect the LAN port of your modem to the WAN port of your wireless router. Power up your wireless router and wait for all theLEDs on the front panel of the router to become stable. At this stage, only the power LED and Internet LED should be glowing.
3. Now using another ethernet cable, connect any one of the LAN ports of your router to the LAN interface your PC. The complete connection would look something like this:

4. Open network connections by following the path "Start-->Control Panel-->Network Connections" for Microsoft Windows XP and following the path "Start-->Control Panel-->Network and Sharing Center" for Microsoft Windows Vista. For any other operating system that you might be using, refer to the help manual.
5. Click on the option "Manage Network Connections" from the options provided on the left hand side of the window. Right click the "Local Area Connection" icon and select "Properties".
6. Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" from the options and click on "Properties" button.
7. In the "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties" window, select "Obtain an IP address automatically" & "obtain DNS server address automatically" and click on "Ok" button.
8. Close all the windows and open a new browser window. Open the link "http://www.routerlogin.com" to access the wireless router. Provide the username and password details ( default username=admin and password=password) and click on "Ok" button". This would initialize the setup wizard which would like something like this:

9. Select the first option and click on the "Next" button. Setup wizard will try to detect your type of internet connection. Once your type of internet connection has been detected by the setup wizard, click on "Next button" to proceed.

10. In the next window, enter the login details for your broadband connection provided by your ISP. For internet IP Address, choose an option suitably (whichever is applicable), provide the details and click on "Next" button.

11. In order to configure the wireless access, select your region in the next window and click on "Next" button.

12. In the proceeding window, provide a name for your wireless network and click on the "Next" button.

13. Follow the instructions further to configure the wireless security and complete the router setup. You are ready to surf the internet and enjoy the wireless connectivity to world wide web !
14. If at any point, you encounter an error page which looks something like this

repeat step (1) through step (13).


I hope this post helped you to configure your Netgear WGR614 wireless router with your existing broadband connection. But if you continue to have problems with the router configuration, kindly drop a comment and I will get back to you.

It has been a good experience using Netgear WGR614v7 54mbps Wireless Router for the past 7 months. In the line of some exceptional seasoned products from Netgear, WGR614v7 lives up to the legacy with outstanding features and terrific performance. I happened to have picked up this router as an alternative to other expensive wireless routers available in the market and have been smiling since day one.


Features

Netgear WGR614v7 is a splendid choice for home networking. Having dimensions of 28 x 175 x 118 mm (1.1 x 6.9 x 4.7 in), it weighs only 0.26 kg (0.57 lb). It is equipped with one 10/100 Mbps (auto-sensing) Ethernet, RJ-45 WAN port and four 10/100 Mbps (auto-sensing) Ethernet, RJ-45 LAN ports which are sufficient in number to facilitate network connection to all essential resources like printer/scanner, desktop, Skype phone.

Netgear WGR614v7 provides a simple and secure way to share your high-speed Internet connection with various encryptions like 40-bit (also called 64-bit), 128-bit, WEP encryption, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK. It provided a double firewall protection from external hackers attacks (Stateful packet inspection (SPI) and DoS attack protection). WGR614v7 is compatible with any operating system running a TCP/IP network which includes Microsoft® Windows® Vista™, XP, 2000, NT, 98, Me, Apple Mac OS and Linux as well. It works with most Internet gaming and instant messaging applications. With all the great features, marvelous design and ease of use, Netgear WGR614 is priced at around INR 2300.00 in India.

Setup

The router is easy to install with the setup wizard doing all the hard work. It takes a little more than ten minutes to configure the router for any existing broadband connection. The Smart Wizard® detects the type of internet connection, captures ISP's DNS settings and also simplifies setting up the wireless security. Configuring the router to specific settings like Opening ports, blocking sites and services is much easier than other wireless routers. Netgear's HTML resource manual and Knowledgebase includes plenty of information about initial router configuration and reduces any chance of getting lost in an unknown paradise.

Performance

Netgear WGR614v7 offers great performance and a very long operating range. It is equipped with a Second internal antenna which improves the range and helps it score over other wireless routers in its category. The biggest drawback of WGR614v7 is drops in wireless connections when a cordless phone of same frequency (2.4GHz) is used in the vicinity of the wireless hub (router or laptop). If the cordless phone usage is not much, then wireless connection drops is not a concern. Though there have been some complains comprising router overheating and dropping connections by other users, my experience for the last 7 months has been really good. Netgear WGR614v7 has shown good sustainability for long durations without causing any overheating and connection drops. On my level I have been turning it off for maximum of 3hrs in 2 days, which I guess rules out other people’s complaints.

Some people do have issues with Netgear services and support as it is mandatory to register in order to avail them. But I registered my product the first time I called for support and it hardly takes 2 minutes. From my personal experience I would confer that call support & e-mail support provided by Netgear for the product is great, with a very low time from trouble to resolution.

Product Ratings

Design and Features – 9 out of 10 – sleek design, highly compact, features all the features that a wireless router for home networking should possess

Setup – 8.5 out of 10 – setting up WGR614v7 is a cakewalk with Netgear’s Smart Wizard®, HTML resource manual and extensive product knowledgebase.

Performance – 8.5 out of 10 – great performance, long operating range and excellent speed

Service and Technical Support – 9 out of 10 – Good call support and e-mail support, extensive product knowledgebase and web resources, regular patches and upgrades

My overall rating for Netgear WGR614v7 – 8.75 out of 10 – has proved to be an excellent product for the money that I paid for it. Personally have not been able to diagnose any major drawback in the product based on my usage but then there is always room for improvement. In my opinion, WGR614 wireless router is the best deal keeping home networking in mind. It’s a great performer for both testing and practical conditions. It’s certainly a thumb up for Netgear WGR614.