Netgear Aims New Wireless Router At Broadband Users

As one of the first devices on the market to combine the 802.11a wireless standard with a cable/DSL router, Netgear hopes to outpace the competition.

The 802.11a standard (also referred to as Wi-Fi5) supports data rates as high as

54 Mbps, a fivefold increase over 802.11b (Wi-Fi) networking. Netgear furthers the unit's wireless speed

by including a "turbo" mode, which in theory boosts speeds to 72 Mbps. Although that optional mode strays from the 802.11a standard, solution providers choosing wireless networking products based upon the Atheros (AR5000) WLAN chipset will find enabling the turbo mode worthwhile.

Sites looking to support the now-common 802.11b standard will have to add hardware to the mix. Backward compatibility can be accomplished by simply plugging in an 802.11b access point into one of the four 10/100 Ethernet ports on the HR314.

CRN Test Center engineers connected the HR314 to a Motorola cable modem for testing purposes. The test environment also included a custom-built desktop PC using an Intel 10/100 NIC connected to one of the 10/100 Ethernet ports on the HR314. Wireless connectivity was tested via two Hewlett-Packard notebooks sporting both an Intel 802.11a card and a Netgear 802.11a card.

Initial setup was quick, thanks to Netgear's Smart Setup Wizard, which automatically configures most of the product settings. The Smart Setup Wizard is an integrated component of the browser-based management console.

To access the management console, administrators simply point an attached PC's browser to the internal IP address of the HR314. Administrators will find the management console intuitive, easing most setup chores.

Solution providers will find wireless integration equally easy. All of the 802.11a settings are clearly labeled. The unit's context-sensitive help further eases setup tasks, and is available on all of the setup and management screens.

For sites looking to host Web services or employ advanced security, the HR314 boasts integrated features such as a DMZ (demilitarized zone), port forwarding, Dynamic DNS, content filtering, packet filtering, VPN pass-through and logging.

Solution providers will find the HR314 a completely painless way to bring shared broadband connectivity to offices looking to embrace 802.11a wireless networking.