Netgear NEXT Wireless Router WNR834B

Setup/Ease of Use Netgear has always offered a setup program that is easier to understand than what the competition provides. The Netgear NEXT setup, while similar to previous Netgear routers, doesn’t force proprietary terms on you such as SES or AOSS just to get your laptop connected to the Web, relying on simple explanations. Yet, the Belkin N1 configuration program is still a bit easier to use; the Netgear NEXT took just a few minutes longer to set up. 

 

Features The Netgear NEXT uses signal stabilization tricks such as Steady-Stream and Netgear InteNsi-fi to make sure your Wi-Fi stays clean and not as susceptible to interference. The new NEXT router design is boxier than the rounded RangeMax line, so it’s perhaps a bit more technical in its design and doesn’t mimic the Apple aesthetic quite as much. Other features, such as WPA2 security, match the RangeMax line. The NEXT lacks a one-touch security system that you’ll find on the Buffalo Nfiniti and Linksys WRT300N routers and PC Cards.

 

Performance Of all the 802.11n routers we tested, the Netgear NEXT was the poorest performer, never quite hitting the expected 120 Mbps of throughput and coming up just short of casting its signal beyond 1,000 feet. It was also disappointing to discover that the Netgear NEXT router could not provide a steady signal for video and Skype voice calls, as we experienced some drop-outs and other quality problems.

 

Verdict Not only does the Netgear NEXT look less appealing than the RangeMax line, its signal doesn’t run as fast or as far as other draft 802.11n routers.