NETGEAR N300 Wireless WiFi Router (WNR2000) - High-Speed Internet for Home & Small Office | Perfect for Streaming, Gaming & Remote Work

This is my first wireless router which I got to use with a new tablet. I have had it almost four months now. I chose this model for two reasons: 1. affordable price and 2. the wireless on/off button which few routers have. I felt the latter would reduce the possibility of intruders and also help save energy when wireless service is not needed. I routinely turn the wireless signal off when I go to bed, and only turn it on again when I actually need it.Overall, it works well. Setup was a cinch, and using the router to get my tablet talking to my printer didn't require busting any brain cells, either. The signal range is adequate for our 800 square foot house, but even in our small home the signal is fairly weak on the opposite side of the house. However, my tablet performs equally well anywhere within the transmitter's range, so that's not a problem for me.The lights on the front panel indicate power is on, there is a live internet connection, a wireless signal, and lights numbered 1-4 indicate which, if any, wired devices are attached and turned on. Most of the lights are green when fully functional, or amber when the router is booting up. The only exception is the wireless light, which is blue.When the wireless signal is turned on, the blue wireless light flashes once to indicate a secure connection, then remains steady. If it doesn't flash once, but just comes on steady, the connection is NOT secure. This is important, because this is where the glitch comes in. I discovered that if the router is rebooted for any reason (by being turned off and on, because of a power failure, or a firmware update) the router security settings revert to "None." Further confusing the issue, the Netgear Genie, where you make your security and other settings, will still have the security setting of WPA2-PSK checked as if it was still active. However, I can verify that the security settings are deactivated by checking the wireless security status on my tablet.I found a workaround to the problem, simply by going into the Netgear Genie and changing the security setting to something else (anything will do), clicking "Apply," then clicking WPA2-PSK and hitting "Apply" again. After doing that the wireless signal remains secure indefinitely unless the router is booted again. Fortunately, I do not have to do this often.Netgear technical support was useless in resolving this problem. After three calls, each lasting more than 30 minutes, and each one running me through the exact same diagnostic procedures as the one before, the problem was still unresolved. When each call began they promised to either fix the problem or replace the router, but each call ended with them saying "try that for awhile" leaving me in limbo with no resolution and no opportunity to get a replacement (though I suspect a replacement would have the same problem). I finally decided that my workaround was far easier than dealing with Netgear, so I gave up trying to get it fixed. I'm hoping the next firmware update will fix it.I would give this router 5 stars for ease of use, convenient features, and the fact that it generally performs quite well. But I'm knocking off one for the glitch and another star for lousy tech support (which is only free for 90 days), leaving it with a solid 3 stars.I did a lot of shopping and reading product reviews before deciding on the NetGear WNR2000. I was attracted by the rave reviews of the ease of setup, the current wireless standard as well as support for older standards, and the reasonable price for a new-in-box router. Now I just had to decide whether I wanted to pay new box price or get the more economical OEM packaging. The only difference was that the OEM did not come with an installation CD. One forum member said that you could download everything from NetGear's website. That did it. I bought the very modestly priced OEM router from a great seller.Before hooking it up to my XP desktop and Win 7 laptop, with Surfboard SB6120 cable modem, I went to the website. Looked at the documentation for the router, then glanced at the KB. There was no software to download. This is absolutely my favorite feature of this router so far: all the software is ON THE ROUTER. I just logged in to the router, clicked on the Setup Wizard button, and I was up and surfing in 5 minutes (maybe less, really--I took my time going through the setup options). I was stunned. I tested the connection on both computers and, yes, indeed, I had both wired and wireless connections. Absolutely amazing!Note: I did have to disconnect and reconnect the power cord to the modem before I was able to establish internet access.Performance so far: only had it running for 1 day, so take this with a grain of salt. A lot of people have commented that the range is easily interfered with by obstacles. I haven't experienced that. I can take my laptop out to a metal outbuilding about 30 feet from where the router is positioned in the house. The signal passes through 3 walls, including the metal one. I get four bars at the far end of the building, about 40 feet from the router. My husband has been uploading long videos to YouTube at lightning speed from outside.All-in-all, this is a very well-designed router for the casual home user, and the price is hard to beat. NetGear makes excellent products and this one is no exception.My son, who is an active Gamer, used this same make and model of router while living in Oklahoma and said that it was plenty fast enough for his super fast cable DSL up there. So....when I was looking for a router to connect 2 computers in different bedrooms, using a 100ft. cable, I decided to give it a try. I bought this unit via Amazon.com, but the seller, who is NOT Amazon.com, misrepresented my unit as NEW, but in fact it was used, but I needed it right away, so kept it and hooked it up. My son and I can download movies at the same time or he can game and I do my thing at the same time WITHOUT any slowdown. MY Highspeed DSL is over AT&T telephone line with a speed of 6 Mbytes down and 512 kbts up. This unit does not hesitate at all. It is a good machine and I'd order another one from Amazon.com,......but NOT from the same specific seller as the first time. I have not used the wi-fi capability yet, but may in the near future when I get my mother a laptop. I'll set it up for wi=fi and don't foresee any problems.I would recommend this unit to anyone.EDIT: I wish to update my original comment about this router and it's seller. I replaced the original N300 with another one bought locally. It's a excellent unit. Now, I want to correct my first comment about the seller. When I contacted him about getting a refund, he was very fast in answering and working with me. He told me that my "new" router was indeed a used one that was SUPPOSED to have been shipped to another customer, but was,in fact sent to me by mistake. He not only paid for the return shipment cost, but also refunded all original shipping and handling costs plus made an immediate refund of the price I paid for the unit. I accepted his explanation and would do business with him again, if he has any products I need.Works well, esp. like its flexible router controls such as parental etc.Great WIFI range, initial setup/boot took a little bit but just be patient, works as advertisedeasy to set upNice.Starts failing after a month or so...