NETGEAR WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router
The new Netgear WNDR3700 is an upgrade from its predecessor, the Netgear WNDR3300, and supports true dual band with simultaneous Wireless-N performance in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
Design
The system is small, measuring 8.8” x 6” x 1.2” and weighs a mere 1.1lbs. It features a dual-band radio that enables operations on two networks with different frequency bands, a USB port to connect the shared storage, the ability to establish two guest networks, and support for the IEEE 802.11n standard. The glossy black finish is really impressive too.
There are some features unique to this router. It can monitor and limit the amount of data being transpired to and from the Internet, a great function if you would like to tally up your usage at the end of the month to see if your Internet service provider has overcharged you. However, this wonderful router does not support sharing of a printer over the network.
Setting up the WNDR3700
Setting up is easy, as the WNDR3700 is useful for most operating systems out there, including UNIX, Linux, Apple MacOS, and Microsoft Windows 2000/ME/XP/Vista. Purchase includes software for drivers and utilities, and on the hardware, a vertical stand is included. There is one network cable, and it supports the popular encryption algorithms including WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, WPA-Enterprise and WPA2-Enterprise.
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Performance
The dual-band radio allows one to operate in the increasingly overcrowded 2.4GHz frequency and the other works for the 5GHz, however the 5GHz is not really something to shout about. Users may appreciate having these two to separate different works, the lower frequency for work and the higher maybe for purpose of streaming video, without competing for bandwidth with each other.
Besides these two conventional wireless networks, the WNDR3700 also supports guest networks on each frequency band. This is useful for offices where there will always be clients and suppliers making presentations with their laptop or Wi-Fi enabled cell phones, going online with or without a password, yet still locking them out of any other computers on your network. There is an option to either restrict the guests solely to Internet usage or to give them access to other computers operating on the guest network.
At close range of approximately 20ft from the router, it can deliver an impressive average throughput of 100 Mb/sec. However, the manufacturer advertised its theoretical maximum of 300 Mb/sec without taking into consideration factors such as TCP/IP throughput, so the actual count is a far cry from the ideal. However, at 102 Mb/sec, it is already quite fast. At 60ft range, it went down to an average of 40 Mb/sec.
However, users will not want to put it inside a home theater because the design of such a room-within-a-room will make it difficult for the wireless router to penetrate through.
Pros and Cons
The system supports true dual band, offers decent wireless performance and comes with a useful set of networking features. These features include novelties such as a guest zone, network storage and a traffic meter. The design is also attractive and the Web interface is also user friendly.
The network storage performance is very slow, and the 5GHz performance is not something to celebrate. The Traffic Meter feature needs more improvement. Also, the WPS may fail to work for some users, between the router and a matching Netgear USB Dual-Band N receiver. Some users may also experience some LAN problems and it is not compatible with some external drives. Also, it is quite expensive, and still does not support network printer sharing.
Conclusion
The Netgear WNDR 3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is basically used for its dual-band routing function for networking purposes, with a quick and easy network storage. Overall, it offers great features and very good performance compared to other routers with almost similar features. Even with signals passing through obstacles such as insulated interior walls, plywood cabinets and other furnishing at a range of 85ft, the system is able to deliver a throughput of an average 5.0Mb/sec. Worth buying, if users sees the value of this speed over the high price it charges.
Price At Amazon.com: Too low to display
Average User Rating: 3.0
No of Reviews: 87
Click Below To Buy at Amazon.com NETGEAR WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router
Tags: NETGEAR,NETGEAR wireless router,NETGEAR WNDR3700
Andrew I. Metheny
17 Dec, 2009
tried installing a 3500 over a week ago. The problem occurred during installation when my desk top screen went blue. I keep getting the error message now that Windows cannot start. I am able to boot up in safe mode but I have not been able to connect to the internet either via wireless or hardwire connection.
Customer support was a joke, they blamed the computer, which was working flawlessly with the old router.
I have to agree with the other one-star ratings (and I wish I had read them before making the purchase). This is a product to avoid.
User Rating: 1 / 5
-Bryan
17 Dec, 2009
I bought this device and it didn’t work. The CD software failed to install because it only works on 32-bit laptops and computers.
ALL new laptops and computers are now 64-bit. That means I couldn’t install the CD that is required to use the device. (You can’t use the device until you use the CD)
I have to return it. It wasted my time and delayed may access to the internet by several days.
Boycott NetGear because it is incompetent to ship software without supporting 64-bit laptops/computers.
User Rating: 1 / 5
James Briggs
17 Dec, 2009
I subscribed the Gearhead and they are great but the router has never worked for more then two weeks and I have had the product for about a year, I only wish I could find the name of a good router.
User Rating: 1 / 5
atticus finch
17 Dec, 2009
I bought this router to replace a WNR854T and it exhibited the same problem after 3 weeks–power light on, nothing working, dead router. Yes, I am a fool for trying Netgear again. The WNR854T at least lasted 6 or 7 months. I returned this one and got a Linksys.
No more Netgear products for me ever again. And I have purchased Netgear products for the last 5 years or so.
Don’t buy this routher.
User Rating: 1 / 5
Whit R. Joralemon
17 Dec, 2009
This router works fine for Internet access…Where it falls short is on Remote access into the LAN side of the network.
I am unable to access the LAN side of my network at all from the Internet, no VNC, no PCAnywhere, no torrents, no REMOTE CONTROL, FTP server – none of it can be accessed from the Internet.
This is despite multiple calls to the free tech support, which always comes back to me with, “contact your software representative” OR “your computer hardware manufacturer”
That is not what’s wrong, all of these worked fine with the Linksys router and a Cisco 817 router – but as soon as I put the NetGear in, these applications failed to get through the router. The tech support verified my setup and said it was my software, but of course, the software didn’t change, only the router did.
Note : The free tech support wasn’t very good or technical.
If you require an Internet router, this works fine for NAT. If you require access to the LAN side of your network through the router, please look elsewhere, that includes playing games etc.
User Rating: 2 / 5