Going Through Channels

If you're used to 802.11b routers, you've felt free to switch channels (Wi-Fi signals are sent over channels numbered 1 to 11) to find the best reception free of local interference. With multiple wireless nets in the vicinity, it's best to use channels 1, 6 and 11 to maximize channel separation (you can see which channels are being used by your neighbors with a wireless sniffer like Stumbler or MacStumbler).

That all changes with 108Mbps routers, which use dual-band techniques to achieve their greater performance. In effect, the only way to get 108Mbps performance is to use Channel 6, and any other networks in the vicinity, even those at channels 1 and 11, may overlap due to the wide spread of 108Mps operation. This doesn't mean you can't use the NetGear in multiple router situations. It just means you may not get the performance you expect (and neither will your neighbors).

You can check the channel being used by your router in the NetGear status panel, which also has a lot of other useful information, such as the firmware version.

Strategic Blocking

Want your kids to spend less time playing Quake or other networked games, but don't want to block them entirely? Ration out usage with the NetGear's service blocking and scheduling functions. You can give them extra time on weekends or in return for chores well done!

Internet Stakeout

The WGT624 can also be set to send alerts and logs via email automatically. This may sound big brotherish, but it's a great way to keep tabs on your network without having to remember to check logs manually. Alerts can be for things like port scans and attacks, or administrator logins.

Thorny Issues

When we were testing our NetGear WGT624, we spent many hours scratching our heads as to why we couldn't connect to the Internet. No matter what we tried, fiddling with settings, switching from straight-through to crossover Ethernet cables between the router and our DSL modem, switching computers, etc., we just could not get a connection to the Internet, although the local wired and wireless networks worked fine.

Finally giving up and contacting NetGear tech support via email, we first received an automated response telling us to do all the things we had already tried. Replying to that email got us a real person who diagnosed our problem correctly two days later, although he had to refer us to yet another person to get the cable to solve it.

So what was the big mystery? Essentially, some new auto sensing ports in both the NetGear WGT624 and the D-Link DI-624 (with which we had the same problem) don't negotiate properly with older Alcatel DSL modems, which is what we had, being the first on our block to get DSL back in 1998. These Alcatel modems are in wide use all over the country, however; so if you have one and can't get connected, call NetGear tech support to request a special "reverse polarity" cable, which magically solves the problem. You can also find these at Radio Shack, if you don't want to wait ...