Netgear WNDR3800 Router

[oldthor]

Well I've been reading all the hype surrounding this router and I'm wondering , has anyone actually purchased one and critiqued it yet? While I don't really NEED a new router I like the fact that it's designed to be played with so I might taker the plunge if the it turns out to be a decent wireless router. How about it anyone get there hands on one yet????

 

[Aussie]

Check this forum

You may want to check this forum which has a lot of information on the 3800.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1353236

 

[RogerSC]

Now I'm reading about the WNDR4500 (N900)...be interesting to see this one reviewed, as well as the WNDR3800.

Sounds like some choices are coming along from Netgear. Amazon now has the WNDR3800 for sale, "In Stock".

 

[thiggins]

If you want to play, fine. Otherwise if your current router is working for you, leave well enough alone.

Three stream wireless isn't worth it at this point and requires three stream clients to achieve any benefit, which you'll see only with strong signal levels. See
Three Stream N Performance: A First Look
Three Stream N Performance: Two More

 

[RogerSC]

Just window shopping *smile*.

Actually, I'm in the computer business, and like to know what's new out there, and how new products stack up against each other, what new features are available, and so on.

And if new features come along that I've been waiting for, then I might try them out. As long as I have a solid fallback in case things don't work out, since I work from home frequently and my home network has to work.

 

[thiggins]

As long as you know what you're getting into, knock yourself out!

 

[vinnie97]

The WNDR4500 looks to be available for purchase now. This explains why Best Buy is receiving no more shipments of the 4000 as of this month. Other than an upgrade to two USB ports (still revision 2.0), I'm not clear on how this improves upon the 4000 model.

EDIT: It looks like there's another radio added to the 5 GHz band. The WNDR3800 has the clear channel feature that supposedly improves bandwidth in the busy 2.4 GHz range. The WNDR4XXX routers don't have this.

 

[claykin]

WNDR4500 is 3x3 radio on both bands. WNDR4000 is 3x3 only on 5Ghz band.

based on Netgear's WNDR4500 webpage, it seems to have at least some firmware features of the 3800. Netgear seems to be billing this as their long range router. Look forward to Tim trying to verify that claim.

http://www.netgear.com/home/products/wirelessrouters/ultimate-performance/WNDR4500.aspx

 

[RogerSC]

Probably be a while for the WNDR4500 since Amazon says "available for pre-ordering" and that it will be released 9/20/2011. I'm also looking forward to reading a review to see if it lives up to the hype *smile*.

 

[thiggins]

I expect you will be disappointed. Three stream N is not worth it at this point.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...31547-three-stream-n-performance-a-first-look

 

[claykin]

Tim

Have you seen this avsforum entry?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=20950230

 

[thiggins]

No, I hadn't, Claykin.

I seriously doubt the part about allocating radios to clients. I'll check with NETGEAR just to make sure.

 

[RogerSC]

The other part about radios looks wrong to me, too. It says that the WNDR4000 is 3-stream on 2.4GHz. and 2-stream on 5GHz. Then he says that the WNDR4500 adds one more stream for 5GHz. My understanding is that the WNDR4000 is like the Linksys E4200, 3-stream on 5GHz., 2-stream on 2.4GHz. And the WNDR4500 adds a third stream on 2.4GHz.

So, unless I'm a really bad reader (possible *smile*), I'm a little leary of anything that he says. Doubling checking is a good idea.

 

[thiggins]

Thanks, Roger. I missed the error on the WNDR4000 bands. Yes, 5 GHz is 3 stream, not 2.4 GHz.

I heard back from NETGEAR. The WNDR4500 uses standard 802.11n technologies. So the radio-to-client assignment ability the AVForums poster describes doesn't exist.

 

[bimmerdriver]

I expect you will be disappointed. Three stream N is not worth it at this point.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...31547-three-stream-n-performance-a-first-look

I hope you will review one of them soon so we can see if their new approach makes any difference.