Netgear WGR614 v9 Wireless Router Review

Jul 15

Netgear WGR614 v9 Wireless Router Review

Rajbir Singh |

Product- Netgear WGR614 v9 Wireless Router (Without ADSL modem)

Price- 1700 INR with bill & warranty.

Product rating-

Pros- Price, Signal range(in this price range), Looks, Data transfer speed.

Cons-The antenna can’t be detached as a result more powerful antenna can’t be used. However you can find various ways to increase the signal range on the internet which I am not going to discuss here.

Netgear WGR614 v9

The Netgear WGR614 v9 is a sleek device & the build quality is very good. It beats any other router in looks and boasts of some great features. It is a 802.11g compliant device. The router has web interface for setting up the Internet/LAN connection. The interface is clean & easy to understand. The device did not heat up & hung up as claimed in some reviews on the internet. In fact it was a little warm even after 24 hours of usage in summers. I am totally satisfied with Netgear WGR614 v9 & can’t find any reason to complain.

Setup:

Setting up of my broadband connection was a breeze with the setup wizard. I just had to enter the IP address, Gateway address & DNS addresses & it was ready. The router provides DHCP addressing to the clients which means absolute zero overhead of client configuration. The router has 4 Ethernet ports & supports unlimited wireless connections theoretically. You can view the connected devices in the web interface provided by the router. Port forwarding & triggering, Static routes and UPnP can be defined easily.

The router automatically checks for firmware updates after the login process and if an update is available a message is displayed to download the new version.

Security & Filtering:

You can secure your network with WEP, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK encryption technologies. Securing the network was also a breeze.

Sites & services can also be blocked and you can schedule the network connectivity too.

Wireless Connectivity Range:

The wireless signal range of this router is pretty good. It covers every nook & corner of 225 Sq. Yards home. A couple of points in the building had 1-2 bars of signal available but the internet speed did not suffer. The signal was also available across a 30 feet wide road outside the building. It transferred data at the speed of 2.5 – 3 MB/second when the signal meter had 4-5 bars on a Windows Vista based computer.

The range & data transfer rate is pretty good considering the price of the router.

Specifications:

Antenna- 2 dbi, internal antenna

Ports- 4 ports 10/100 Mbps (auto-sensing) Ethernet, RJ-45

Power switch- No

Detachable antenna- No

Wireless Network Speed- 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, & 54 Mbps (auto rate capable)

Modulation Types- 802.11b: DSSS, CCK, DBPSK, DQPSK, 802.11g: BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM

Protocols supported- TCP/IP, IPsec, L2TP, NAT, PPTP, PPPoE, DHCP (client & server)

Encryption Supported- Yes. 40-bit (also called 64-bit), 128-bit, WEP encryption, WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK

Firewall- Yes. Stateful packet inspection (SPI) and DoS attack protection

Dimensions- 28 x 175 x 118 mm (1.1 x 6.9 x 4.7 in)

Weight- 0.26 kg (0.57 lb)

Power Adaptor- Input: Country specific, Output: 12V, 1.0A

Package contents:

Wireless-G Router (WGR614v9)
Setup CD
Power adapter- Country specific
Ethernet cable
Vertical stand
Warranty/support information card

40 Responses

Great, nice review. So max range is 30 feet or you meant, signal is pretty good even at 30 feet ?

Also any comparison with Linksys ? Better ?

Offtopic

I clicked the second image to view it enlarged, and saw the ‘Tag’ there lol.
By Din on July 15th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Looks nice, my uncle had bought the Linksys one. he is quite happy with it, though for him range is not an issue. I have been planning to get one but waiting for the N-range prices to come down a bit. Then will go for it.

Nice review. A few steps on how to secure it would have helped, ‘coz that’s one thing everyone looks for.

Dugg.
By Manan on July 15th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Nice.. Helpful info… 1.7k is a reasonable price for this router…
By Ani on July 15th, 2008 at 10:17 am
@Din Sir- It covers the whole house of 225 sq. yards + you can get the signal outside the house. Signal is available in every room on ground floor & first floor. We have about 30 feet wide road & I can easily get the signal there. I haven’t checked the signal in the neighbours house across the road.

I don’t know much about Linksys. It costs more than the Netgear & I don’t think it’ll have more range than this Netgear. Infact in a test by Chip this Netgear performed better than the Linksys WRT54G. Anirudh has that model & if you want you can ask him.

And you mean the watermarked logo or someting else?

@Manan- Well I shall write about securing the network in another article. Thanks for the idea

@Ani- Thanks!
By Rajbir Singh on July 15th, 2008 at 11:18 am
LOL, no, not the water mark. You didn’t get it ?

Zoom the pic and guess what ?

Made in China
By Din on July 16th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Oh okay

Yeah I was thinking about the Made in China thingy when I took the photo
By Rajbir Singh on July 16th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I have this thing and it doesn’t nearly cover my three-story house. Not even close. Even my Time Capsule doesn’t cover the whole house, though it does a slightly better job than the NETGEAR.

It beats any other router in looks

You, my friend, have never seen an AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule.
By Aayush Arya on July 19th, 2008 at 9:21 am
@Aayush:

I have this thing and it doesn’t nearly cover my three-story house. Not even close. Even my Time Capsule doesn’t cover the whole house, though it does a slightly better job than the NETGEAR.

Oh well you need to follow some basic rules. Hope you now have shifted it away from other electronic devices. I guess you said on the forum that this Netgear has better reception than Apple Time Capsule (in 802.11g mode). :-/

You, my friend, have never seen an AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule.

I’ve seen TC in pictures & in reality as well. To be very frank I like Netgear in looks. I know now you’ll say that you hate that antenna

I admit, at the time of writing Apple TC wasn’t even in my mind & I compared Netgear’s looks to other available models.

Also TC isn’t actually just a Wireless router it’s more like a backup device. Who’ll buy TC for using it just as a wireless router at that hefty price tag!
By Rajbir Singh on July 19th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
The AirPort Extreme is just a router and it looks much better than the Netgear as well. Apple used polycarbonate and Netgear uses plastic. That alone makes a significant difference. And then you have Apple’s minimalist, clean approach to hardware design—straight lines, smooth curves, no flashy lights, hidden ports and no external antenna(e). Pure class!

However, that’s not to say the Netgear’s design is bad or anything—it’s pretty good. And at the price it commands, this router is practically a steal, man. I do not disagree with you one bit. Sure, Apple’s routers are sexier but even Apple’s cheapest router is at least twice as expensive as this one. Go figure.

—————-

Now, have you heard about the DD-WRT open firmware? It’s supposed to be awesome. Lifehacker has an article on it: Hack Attack: Turn your $60 router into a $600 router. Unfortunately, I have v7 of the device and the firmware can only be installed on v8 and v9 devices.

But you’re in luck. If you decide to try it out and it turns out to be awesome, be sure to thank me in the post you write about it. :p
By Aayush Arya on July 19th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Thanks for the info, Aayush.

Can I switch back to the original firmware if I don’t like that modded firmware?
By Rajbir Singh on July 20th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Yes, you can.

I just pointed it out because it seems to be very promising and there are a lot of rave reviews. Plus, it’s software based so there are no ugly tin foils involved and you run no risk of voiding your warranty.

The geek in me would definitely want to try to get this up and running one Sunday.
By Aayush Arya on July 20th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Thanks, I’ll take a look and report back if I decide to try it.
By Rajbir Singh on July 21st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
nice review…looks sleek.

Guess I need an excuse to buy these things but currently there are none :p
By T on August 4th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
username and password is not working
By dee on December 30th, 2008 at 3:25 am
Hi Dee!
Default username is- admin
Default password is- password

If these don’t work for you then you’ll have to reset the router by pressing the reset/restore factory settings button near the antenna (it’s the one with round top) using a pen or a pin for ten seconds.

Disconnect it from mains power and computer before resetting it.

Resetting the router will erase your custom internet settings and you’ll have to enter them again manually.
By Rajbir Singh on December 30th, 2008 at 10:11 am
I have the version 9 Netgear. I was wondering if you can install a repeater function through the firmware. Thanks.
By Eric on January 1st, 2009 at 3:11 am
Unreliable connection . Returned it and bought a Linksys and now no problems .
By Pete on January 29th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
[quote]I have the version 9 Netgear. I was wondering if you can install a repeater function through the firmware. Thanks.[/quote]

You don’t need to install any 3rd party firmware for this. The WGR614v9 supports behaving as a “wireless repeater” already, as part of its default set of features.
By noname on February 2nd, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Ihave 1 router but i can’t install,can you send for me the cd please,thank you so much.
By juanita on May 2nd, 2009 at 8:42 am
Hi!

You can setup the router without the CD. Simply login to your router at- routerlogin.net & enter username & password. After you’ve logged in you can use the setup wizard for setting up the router.
By Rajbir Singh on May 2nd, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I thought for sure when I ordered this I was getting a router for a 64 bit system. I think it was in the hundreds of reviews I read at Newegg, that it would work with Vista 64 bit. But the CD says 32 bit OR to read documentation, but I don’t see anything in the manual. Anyone know if it can be configured manually for 64 bit? Thanks.
By Sophie on July 27th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Hello Sophie!

It is fully compatible with 64 bit Vista systems & I’ve myself used it with 64 bit Vista. You don’t need setup CD at all for the setup. Just connect to the router & open internet browser. Enter routerlogin.net. Now enter user name & password. Default user name is admin & password is either password or admin. Try both.

Now start the Setup Wizard (on top – left sidebar). Enter the details & that’s it.

Good luck!
By Rajbir Singh on July 27th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Thank you very much. I had jotted down all the settings from my old computer’s linksys and was able to find where enough of them went in this setup to make it work. It’s now secured and working properly.
By Sophie on July 28th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Not recommended if you are a gamer. Having constant issues with Steam. Server List does not refresh properly and if you click refesh too many times, the connection just drops. Never had any problems with my very old Actiontec router, too bad that I had to replace it due to the wireless signal on it keep disconnecting. Will get a Linksys router from now on.
By Sam on August 18th, 2009 at 3:54 am
Hey everyone
Anyone have an idea as to how to reapply a password so that no one else can leech my wireless connection? I’ve been using this for over a yr now with no complaints – except the password is gone for some reason. And I can’t remember how to get to that spot to add it again hehe
By Heidi on September 18th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Works out of the box, just plug in and run. Firewall is pre-enabled, the only thing you need to change is wireless security and you’re good to go.
By Dave on February 5th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Set it up in 3-story townhouse. No “button” to push as instructed in setup to connect to a second computer, but somehow I seemed to get it connected. Took other computer to basement from 3rd floor & it worked for awhile, then disconnected and I couldn’t get it back. I’m returning it for a heavier-dutier model. Like the design.
By Ann on March 18th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
my defaults wont work even though i reset it

so i cannot logn default user and pass
By chris on June 7th, 2010 at 11:18 am
i have not use it yet but your review forcing me to have a deep look on it.
By core 2 duo on June 23rd, 2010 at 12:17 am
what is last price of the product.
By amit on June 25th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Hi everyone I have a special question for all of you that has being comment on this site.

how do you put router password specially netgear ?
By Malae on August 14th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Hi everyone I have a special question for all of you that has being comment on this site.

how do you put router password specially netgear ?

If know that please reply to this mail. malaesuai@gmail.com
By Malae on August 14th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Okay, so I’m wondering, if someone reset the default username and password if resetting the router would work to get back to the defaults? I’m not terribly versed in routers, but someone installed one for a family member and then didn’t give the usernames and passwords to them, so I want to make sure I can get this secure. I do not have this type of router, nor do I have any of the packaging for it this one… looking online to get all my information so I can secure the network for my family member.

Thanks!
By TLM on October 5th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
@Malae:
You can login to netgear at:
routerlogin.net

@TLM:
Resetting the router will remove all the user set passwords and seetings. Default login username is admin and password is password.
By Rajbir Singh on October 6th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
SVP Je cherche le pilote de

Netgear WGR614 v9 Wireless Router (Without ADSL modem)
By denzel on January 15th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
You don’t need drivers at all. Just type routerlogin.net in your browser (internet explorer or whatever it is). Username is admin and default password is password (caps off).
By Rajbir Singh on January 15th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
I just want to open a routerlogin.net but as i instructed i type defult username admin and password password but it doesnot work …what to do??
By bikash on January 17th, 2011 at 3:45 am
if i used a reset button shall i set up my all internet connection and security password again…
By bikash on January 17th, 2011 at 3:47 am
If you’ve forgotten your password then you have no option but to reset the router.
By Rajbir Singh on January 17th, 2011 at 11:05 am
i reset my router but still it doesn’t work .. i switched off my router and click the reset button. after that i tried for routerlogin.net again unauthorized login even i type on username admin and password password . i don’t know what happen plz help me out.. thanks
By bikash on January 24th, 2011 at 12:40 am