Netgear WGU624 (XR)

The dual-band technology on the Netgear WGU624 provides a way to get consistent and clean throughput with 802.11a and broad compatibility with 802.11g. The router delivered good throughput that fell behind the D-Link DI-784, running at a top speed of 32 Mbps (which is more than adequate for most video chores on a home network). The router provides two simultaneous streams, but only 802.11a ran consistently at 50 feet. The 802.11g stream ran faster but not as cleanly.

The WGU624 did not work smoothly with a Linksys Media Extender, even though this 802.11a/g product is designed to work with the Microsoft Extender technology. (A Media Extender streams music, movies, and photos from a Media Center 2005 PC to your television.) At 200 feet, the live television signal dropped out ten times in a minute, even though the same product worked fine with the matching Linksys A+G router. The WGU624 did work flawlessly with Xbox Live, though, thanks to dedicated DMZ support.

The router also supports WPA-PSK encryption and provides Extended Range technology, although the XR feature is a bit impractical: it only works if you disable 108 Mbps high-speed mode and only adds about 50 feet of coverage.