Only for the technically inclined !
Written: Jan 22 '08 (Updated Jul 12 '08)
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Pros: Cheap, QOS for VOIP, strong wireless signal
Cons: Bear to configure, no Netgear support, documentation spotty, VPN didn't work
The Bottom Line: Buy if you have substantial networking experience and confidence to flash. Hardware is good, but support is terrible
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| leisure_larry's Full Review: Netgear WGR613V 54Mbps Wireless G Router with VoIP... |
This review covers Netgear WGR613V (WGR613VAL) and it's use with Sipgate.
I had my VOIP Grandstream ATA 486 die a sudden death and was looking for another VOIP adapter that I could use with the German provider Sipgate. I found the Netgear WGR613VAL at megamacs.com for a cheap 29 USD. Several companies offer this product over ebay and other outlets.
Buyer beware!
The WGR613VAL is a locked router. The edition I bought was left over from AOL's unsuccessful attempt at entering the VOIP market. The WGR613V is an unlocked router, that can be basically configured to work with any SIP type phone service. (At least in theory).
If you buy a VAL version, make sure that the seller supplies you with the unlock code. These are serial number specific and you won't find a 'generic' unlock key anywhere on the web. Also make sure you get the setup disk, it contains the manual. You won't find the manual on the web!
Neither one of the 613V versions is being supported by Netgear anymore. There is no documentation, no firmware, no NOTHING on their website or any of their affiliate websites, that will give you any support. (C- for Netgear for pulling the firmware and other documentation. They should stand behind their products, even the flopped ones !)
There were no good instructions on the web either on how to make this router work, so I went through major trial and error to get there. Since I have benefited from many other people that have hacked their way through difficult configurations, I figured I put my recommendations up here. Otherwise you will find this unit to be a real b...tch to work with.
Find the unlocked firmware here: This is the ONLY internet site I could find this at.
http://forums.blueface.ie/showthread.php?t=200
They also have some information on how to access the locked portion of the router and how to flash it.
I recommend you get the unlocked firmware right away, instead of trying to make it work through other suggestions.
Before you do anything with the router or try to configure:
- Upgrade to the new firmware.
- Change password ! (I highly recommend this, otherwise you will have the annoying situation, where the router asks you every single page you access for your password, where you either have to type in 'admin' and 'password' or admin' and 'access code delivered to you', eg. if you want to change VOIP settings. Highly annoying !)
- Then configure your router for access to internet with your cable modem
- Then configure your voip account. For Sipgate out of Germany, use the configuration files for the Netgear 612V,provided on their support site.
It works in THIS ORDER described above.
Let me tell you how NOT to do it (which is what I did)
Try to get it work with the original firmware.
I couldn't get the unit register with Comcast through my Motorola Surfboard modem initially. So I changed the Mac address to the one of my Zyxel router. That got it to register. Then I went into the VOIP settings with the password provided and started changing around to the Sipgate profile. Except the VAL version had no GR for German region and not the right Voice codec 711a@20ms. I ended up with having the unit register with Sipgate, but couldn't get a dial tone. Tried switching off the firewall, messed around with pinging.. alas to no result.
Then the unit couldn't keep the connection with Comcast. I was close to sending it back. Finally I said what the heck, I'll flash it, if it dies it dies... ( It didn't and the unit actually has a recovery process build in, in case the flashing goes bad).
Went back in and expected the unit to be wiped clean. It wasn't, all the configuration files were still there.
First piece of good news. It now registered with Comcast.
Bad news.. whenever I navigated the menu, I still had to put passwords in at every page, with an annoying message 'user 168.192.1.4 is managing this unit' popping up every once in a while,denying access Well that address was my computers IP address, so I was blocking myself ???. AGGRAVATING as hell !
I finally decided to change the password in the menu. Put old one in ('admin' and 'password') and selected new one. Now it asked me for which account. (I picked my hotmail name, which showed up for whatever strange reason). Rebooted and hurrayyy!!! One password for ALL pages and I only got asked ONCE !
Thus encouraged, i ventured to make VOIP work with Sipgate.
The unit would offer me the choice to change to GR for country, but not offer the G711a@20ms (Europe preferred codec )configuration, only the G711u@20ms (US preferred).After changing the settings the unit would reboot and set itself back to USA as region.
Strangely enough I could call the 10000 and 10005 numbers of Sipgate and everything worked fine. I also could dial with the G711u codec, but while I had a dial tone, I had no calling ring tone and then it would show a connection but nothing could be heard. I was mucking around with other voice codecs, but ended up getting not even the free line signal anymore.
Finally in an act of desperation I reset the VOIP configuration in the router menu and rebooted. Then I configured it cleanly (with the exact same parameters) and VOILA !! All of a sudden I could choose the region and the right codecs.. And now VOIP WORKS!!! Outgoing calls anyway. Haven't had a chance to test incoming.
Following threads on the net, I can see why many people do not recommend this router. Netgear support is non existent.
The way the menus work and how you set yourself up for trouble is frustrating.
So, now that it works some early comments on the router and the VOIP.
What's to like:
Price
VOIP in the router not behind it
QOS configuration available, which will slow other connections down to give your phone priority for clear calls (don't enable it with a value of zero, your internet connection shuts down !I used 512 seems to work well with comcast)
Wireless signal very strong (much better then my Zyxel 330W)
Seems to hold connection better then the Zyxel router. The old one had a tendency to drop connection and needed hard reset every 3-5 days...
What is not to like:
- VPN configuration tricky and NOT documented at all !
Supposedly the router passes through VPN. Not so with Nortel contivity. I had to put my work laptop on assigned IP and then put the IP address into DMZ to make it work. Could not figure out how to do it behind the router.
- Opening ports not well documented
- Locked version a bear to work with unless you flash it.
- Runs hot
- Still having trouble getting MSN messenger to work. (Update: Thanks to the internet. Some guy figured out that the MTU size at the WAN setup page needs to be 1400, that fixed it !, note all speed test recommend 1500 which is what my unit autoconfigured to..)
It does work with Slingbox UPnP , Torrent file sharing, and an IP webcam server. Ah yes and also Sipgate.. which was the primary reason I bought it....
Update: So I had to change it to work behind my Zyxel Router as the Netgear didn't support my company VPN Extranet. Was a bear again to configure. Tried to get it operational behind the firewall with port forwarding etc. etc. worked spotty. Quite often it would dial, but instead of a ring tone it would go silent. On the other side they would hear it ringing but when picking it up no connection.
Well long story short. I changed TWO things:
Instead of having a fixed IP adress programmed into the netgear, I had an address reserved for it at my main Zyxel Router. That fixed a problem where my Netgear all of a sudden would not connect at all to Sipgate anymore. After that I could dial numbers OUTSIDE Germany but not inside or directly to another SIP phone (Test 10005 call would yield the silent treatment again). Strangely enough I could call my phone in the US though and did get a connection. Then I placed it into the DMZ of my Zyxel and VOILA, now it is working again like a charm...
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 29
Driver Availability: Don't Know
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Epinions.com ID:
leisure_larry
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Member: Leisure Larry
Location: US
Reviews written: 57
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Electrical Engineer. Engaged Computer User. Hobby photographer.
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