Introduction

I have to admit that I have not been the biggest fan of Pre-N routers so far, firstly – why release a router based on a draft wireless format anyway when it’s going to change and be edited and updated, by which time the router you are left with won’t be compatible with full N rated hardware. Secondly, most of the routers released thus far haven’t been anywhere near as good at range, speed or features that we should be expecting them to be.

Step in NETGEAR's WNR834B RangeMax™ NEXT wireless router which we hope will provides us with maximum coverage and bandwidth, enabling you and your entire household to simultaneously connect to multiple Internet services and online media.

• Steady, constant connection, with:
• Consistent bandwidth to stream, download & transfer files
• Simultaneous connect to multiple Internet services & online media
• Whole home coverage & bandwidth
• Speeds of up to 270 mbps**
• As always, with NETGEAR's Smart Wizard™ installation is easy
• Touchless™ WiFi security easily 'locks-down' your network
• Complies with Draft 802.11n specification*
• Works with existing wireless network devices (802.11g & b)
• Includes 4-port 10/100 (Fast Ethernet) network switch

The first thing you will notice with the NETGEAR WNR834B router is the stylish look it has about itself, its sleek and white and look very smart sitting here on my desk next to my Mac and my PC. The next thing you may not notice, but is important is that in what is a step forward for Draft N routers, the WNR834B hides all of its antennas inside the casing; it has three of these inside there. This means you can’t adjust them to gain a better signal – but the good thing I have to report here is that not once have I had to. Some people may not like the fact that you can’t adjust the Antennas, but I have to say that thanks to the excellent range this router has shown in our tests I haven’t missed getting frustrated when fiddling around with them.

The WNR834B includes the usual power port on the back of the device, along with four LAN jacks, one WAN jack and a small pinhole reset button. On the front we have the green lights for power, LAN/WAN and a blue light to show that it is sending out a wireless signal around your house. The device also has its own stand which means you can easily sit it on a desk or on a nearby shelf.

Installation of the WNR834B router was a breeze thanks to a good setup procedure from NETGEAR. Once you open the box you will see a labelled CD that states that you must “Start Here”, once you load up the disc into your computer you can click on a link to read the manual. From then on you can install the router using either the excellent setup wizard which helps novices get started easily or configure it manually for those who know a bit more about networking.

To configure the router you need to connect to the Router’s Web-Based tool, this is very easy thanks to Netgear enabling a easy to remember www.routerlogin.net address for you to use, or you can simply just use the devices IP address (192.168.1.1), or if you have just installed vista, click on your Networking area and you will see the router show up and you can go to the setup page from there.

Once you have done all that, you can use the web page to change settings such as Firewalls, MAC addresses, DMZ and more. Good news for Xbox 360 users is that the router is certified for 360 use and it works perfectly, opening up NAT for the console without any configuring needed by the user which is a godsend.
NETGEAR have decided to go with Broadcom’s Intensi-fi chipset, this means that the WNR834B router should be able to achieve throughput of 270Mbs, but our tests showed that it never really came close to hitting that, getting a throughput of 73 Mbps. Overall though it’s still clear that none of the pre-n routers are hitting the speeds they are stating they should do which is a real shame.

Tests: Maximum Throughput Tests

• NetGear WNR834B RangeMax Router: 73 Mbps
• Linksys WRT300N Router: 71 Mbps
• Belkin Pre-N Router: 45 Mbps

Tests: Long Range Tests (200 Feet Indoors)

• NetGear WNR834B RangeMax Router: 32 Mbps
• Belkin Pre-N Router: 30 Mbps
• Linksys WRT300N Router: 16 Mbps

Other pieces of interest are that the warranty lasts for one year, which is pretty average for most routers around at the moment. Netgear also have free phone support too which is very good news for anyone who is buying a router right now. Firmware updates have come out quite regularly for the router, whether you feel this is a good or bad thing I don’t know, personally I’m all for them fixing bugs and improving performance, but some people will say things shouldn’t need fixing in the first place.

The WNR834B is one of the better Draft N products we have seen so far, but this doesn’t mean everything is smelling of roses, firstly no Draft N product has lived up to expectations or the promise of 802.11n and the NETGEAR one is no different, but it is the best of the bunch and the range of the signal has been superb in our setup and it has become my main router which I use for my full house setup...that is one Mac (Wi-Fi), One PC (LAN), Xbox 360 (Wi-Fi) and our Laptop (Wi-Fi) and the performance when all of them has been in use has been very good.

Conclusion

Overall I can recommend the NETGEAR WNR834B Router, especially for those in a large house thanks to the signal, it’s also very easy for novices to setup and to make their wireless network secure as I am still amazed by how many open Wireless connections there are around our area, it is vital families start to secure themselves and NETGEAR has made it a lot easier for them.

Feel free to comment on the review here.