I have used the DG834G for almost a year now having purchased it when I upgraded to a broadband internet connection. So far, once setup - I have had few problems with it. The Netgear DG834G is a reliable and cost-effective option backed by a 1 year 24/7 Netgear warranty.

Packaging:
The current DG834G is cosmetically different from the first model (which is a slate grey) but is otherwise identical in all other aspects.

My model is the v1.

The DG834G should be differentiated from the other Netgear products including the DG834 (no wireless) and the MIMO models/108mbps models.

The latter offer extended range and speed but ONLY WHEN USED WITH COMPATIBLE NETGEAR PRODUCTS SPECIFIC TO THEM. Whereas the Netgear DG834G uses the standardised 802.11g/b standards and would be compatible with almost all wireless devices/laptops/peripherals sold today.

Setup:
Novice users or experienced users alike who simply wish to connect to their broadband internet provider should have little problems setting this modem up in under 5 minutes.

Simply plug it into the power point.
Plug the telephone cable into your telephone jack / back of the modem.
Power it up.
Plug in your computer using the supplied ethernet cable into one of the 4 ethernet jacks at the back.

With WinXP, networking is primarily plug and play. Don't bother running network wizards. If you go start - run - command and type IPCONFIG you should see it allocate an IP to you 192.168.x.x

Enter the DG834G login page by typing 192.168.0.1 into the address bar in internet explorer. Enter the default username/password (which you should change ASAP) and is located in the manual. For security reasons I won't post the default settings here.

Then in the basic setup - enter your details (most of which can be left as default) as provided by your ISP and you should connect in short order!

If you're using a wireless connection, setup your wireless card as per manufacturer instructions.

It is recommended users enable basic wireless encryption (e.g. WPA-PSK or WEP) which I will not discuss here. This makes the network much more secure but will require the user setup their wireless device with compatible settings.

I strongly recommend users go to www.netgear.com and download the latest firmware updates for this model for full ADSL2 and VPN functionality as well as solving some stability issues. When upgrading the firmware, you should upgrade via ETHERNET CABLE to reduce any risk of corruption from wireless dropouts.

Use:
With the latest firmware, which is stable unless one is a long way from their ADSL exchange (causing frequent dropouts) the modem / router performs admirably. Wireless range is acceptable >10-15m (range of an average sized single house) and limited mainly by concrete walls and the power of the wireless receiver of your computer.

The latest firmware also provides much improved functionality for advanced users including WPA/ADSL2/VPN support.

The Netgear DG834G compares admirably to other ADSL wireless modem/routers as it sells for a very reasonable price yet provides functionality enough to satisfy most small-business or home users.

Users should note that at increased range, file transfer speeds are far less than 54mbps which is the norm. This should not affect internet browsing as it uses less bandwidth but may slow down file transfers between networked computers. At 15 metres with line of sight, I have an excellent connection with the router but only transfer files at 4mbps over the wireless. Note that this depends on the wireless card, not only the router. I am using it with a Netgear WG121.

People having range problems / wireless dropouts should consider:
1. Repositioning the router or the computer antenna closer to each other, preferably line-of-sight.
2. Rotating the router/antenna as well as increasing the height. Not as effective as option 1.
3. Buy a wireless card (e.g. USB dongle) and attach it to a 5 metre USB cable which allows you to put it somewhere with line-of-sight.
4. Upgrade the antenna on the router with any other higher gain r-sma compatible antenna.

The Netgear DG834G is capable of connecting to 4 users via ethernet simulataneously and up to >250 users on a wireless connection.

Warranty:
As far as I'm aware, Netgear offers a 1 year warranty on this product with phone support outsourced to India afterhours. They can assist in setting up your network if you have further problems. Although frustrating at times, i've generally found them to be moderately helpful if one has enough patience.



Recommended: Yes