NETGEAR WNHDEB111-100NAS Wireless N Access Point by Netgear
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Our Price: $149.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of NETGEAR WNHDEB111-100NAS Wireless N Access Point
Digital camera Review: Some issues, great performance
Summary: 4 Stars
I installed this on 3/8/2008.
First off, I did have disconnects but found through Google that not using Auto mode helped, and once the Access Point was set to AP and the bridge to, ummm, Bridge, the disconnects became far far fewer.
Using the Configuration utility to connect to each box checks for new firmware unless you disable it, and there was a 2/28 firmware update. Most of my experience has been with that so I'm not sure how much was fixed. However, the bridge side did crash when logging into it after the update, but just once so far. And while I did pull off updating the firmware in the bridge without a wired connection, Netgear says wire it up.
Speed is wonderful compared to 802.11G. Standard definition (SD) video streams to my Xbox 360 far FAR better than before. I'm going to be looking for HD content and test that soon.
Once the connection reliability issues go away, this will be a really great purchase. Right now, it's just very good. Just don't use Auto...
Digital camera Review: Streams HD to the PS3 perfectly!!
Summary: 5 Stars
You will absolutely be happy with the speed of this unit. I have it going through two walls and into an enclosed entertainment center and it is still fast as heck. I can easily stream HD videos with DTS audio to my PS3 using PS3 Media Server a free program.Digital camera Review: Unbelievably Easy To Install!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I spent less than 15 minutes setting this set up, which afterwards was great! Works well with my Wii, has much greater range with no deadspots. This is my first N network, and it's amazing! Great job, NetGear!!Digital camera Review: Unbelievably Simple
Summary: 5 Stars
It's been a long time coming, getting everything *just so* on my home network, and the Netgear WNHDEB111 - 100NAS Wireless N Access Point has been a perfect finishing touch. I use this device specifically for my PS3 because the built-in wireless connection on the PS3 is too slow to properly stream high-resolution media, and my physical connection to the Internet is too far away from the PS3 to use a cable.
The way this product is designed, it's actually just a bundle of two identical Access Points (APs). However these APs are smart: when you plug the first one into your Router, it says, "I am an Access Point" and starts sending out a signal. When you plug the second one into another device (such as my console), it says, "I am a Bridge" and starts looking for the first. They find each other, handshake, and all is good--easy as pressing a button (details below).
I've not logged a ton of hours on the Netgear yet, but here's what I can tell you:
- My neighborhood is drowning in a ridiculous number of wireless networks of all types. This setup is designed to dedicate the unit that is connected on my PS3 to the unit that is connected to the Router--in effect, this means ignores all the outsiders. It can be secured to prevent nosy neighbors from tapping it as well.
- Many people who bought the unit earlier had lots of problems with signal strength. I am pleased to say that the problem appears to be fixed: my wireless signal has to cross the house, pass through 2 walls, a floor and my TV, and ignore the 5N band I already have on my router in order to get to the PS3, tuning out the neighbors along the way. I used this unit out of the box, with no need for firmware updates, and I have a strong signal with no dropouts.
- Setup really was one of the simplest things I've ever had to do:
1) Connect one adapter to your router but don't plug it on or turn it on. Make sure the switch on the back of it is set to "Auto"
2) Connect the other adapter to your device (in my case, the PS3) but don't plug it in or turn it on. Make sure the switch on the back of it is set to "Auto"
3) Plug in the first adapter and turn it on.
4) Plug in the second adapter and turn it on.
5) Press the button on the front of the first adapter, then step over to the second adapter and press the button on it.
Within less than a minute, they locked on to each other and were ready to go. Amazing. I've pushed it to its limits, using multiple large HD videos on my home server (one of which came from a PAL DVD) and making it fast-forward, rewind, and jump back and forth at different speeds: it behaves just like a DVD would if it were in the player, with no hiccups or freezes waiting on the network to catch up. I can't wait to try gaming!
If you have an older Wireless Router that's not N-speeds, this pair will give that router N-speed access for all the devices on your network. The additional AP can take a slower device and give it a nice fast upgrade that is easy to use. As an added bonus, both devices have a second Ethernet plug, allowing you to physically connect a second device if you wish. If you have a newer N router, the Netgear does a nice job of mapping around it. What this means in my case is that my LinkSys WRT610N gives variable-speed access to anything I want it to, up to N. Then I have a high-speed 5N network for my newest machines...and thanks to the Netgear, I have an entirely separate high-speed channel that can stream to my TV uninterrupted and with no traffic.
Digital camera Review: Unstable behavior cripples potentially useful product
Summary: 2 Stars
Decided to give these a try as they appeared to work well for some people, unfortunately I'm having the problem reported by some others here and on the Netgear forums: installation is straightforward, connection speeds are excellent, and after a few minutes the connection starts randomly dropping.
The problem persists irrespective of signal strength - you can place the units within a few feet of each other and get the same result - it was present during trouble shooting attemps with with three different XP Pro SP3 clients, and was not solved by any of the various configuration tweaks suggested here and on the Netgear forums. Likely the the problem is somewhere in the bridge firmware, when I swapped units the problem followed the designation as a bridge while both units worked reliably as an access points.
Netgear tech support was clueless to the point of having me pounding the desk in frustration as a substitute for abusing the tech support reps, in both cases in rapidly became all too clear that once you had wandered off the edge of their flowcharts you were rapidly going down into the quicksand of typical Netgear tech "support" - I'm long used to this from vendors of inexpensive consumer products, but that doesn't make it noticeably less frustrating.
Why some users have this problem and others don't remains a mystery to Netgear, and the only suggestion I can make is to do what I've done: give these a try, and if they don't work for you, put them back in the box and return them for a refund.
It's really a shame as this product could fill a valuable niche.