D-Link DI-624 or Netgear DG834G?

dahamsta

Anyone used both of these? Which is better? What's the content filtering like on them? Any other similarly-specced recommendations?

adam

BigEejit

I dont know much about those products ... just my 2c about Netgear ... I used to be a netgear fanboi, but that soon wore off after I ran in trouble .....you WONT be able to get onto a phone to anyone... you WONT get your emails answered. I used their web support thing (type in problem and email and press send) and got a automatic "did you try this..." I replied like it asked and never heard anything again.... in other words, if its simple youre ok, if its difficult youre fucked

dahamsta

I had an issue with a WGT624 meself that was dropping packets, and you're right, Netgear's support was pretty crap -- I ended up going through DSL Warehouse, who replaced it with no argument (with a Buffalo Airstation I still don't bloody want instead). However I'm not sure I'd expect any better from D-Link or any of the other suppliers these days -- it's pretty woeful across the board as far as I can see.

adam

neokenzo

Originally posted by dahamsta
I had an issue with a WGT624 meself that was dropping packets

How do you check whether is is dropping packets?

I have the DG834G and I think its great. But occasionally it wont connect to my isp. I dont know whether this is the router's fault or it is my setting. I'm new in this so I may have the set up wrongly.

dahamsta

Just ping a host. But you'd know if it was dropping a lot of packets, because your connection would suck. Your issue is likely something else.

adam

Aepos

I have the DG834G and I think its great. But occasionally it wont connect to my isp.

I had the same problem but updated the formware to version 1.03.07 its here:-

http://www.htff.co.uk/netgear/index.html


seems to be great since no probs reconnects every time, I'm on UTV so that is very necessary!!!

Ae

Ro-76

I'm using the DI-624, and have had zero problems.

Ro

Hugh_C

Originally posted by dahamsta
Anyone used both of these? Which is better? What's the content filtering like on them? Any other similarly-specced recommendations?

adam

I have the DG834G which I use with a Mac network ot 3 machines, two wirelessly and one wired. It's a snap to set up with Eircom BB, the wizard just, uhhhhh, works!

Content filtering is achieved by blocking either keywords or domain names or both. It seems to be relatively effective, although for the keywords to be blocked, they have to be part of the URL, as I understand it, not part of the text on the page. There is a facility for allowing universal access to a "trusted" IP, but YMMV if you're using DHCP.

hth

HC

dahamsta

Thanks everyone for the replies so far. Anyone know if either of these support regex content-filtering?

adam

Gerry

I'd personally prefer to use an ipcop ( linux ) machine for content filtering. You can get plugins to allow you to automatically update blacklists, and all config of the content filtering can be done through a web gui. You end up with a far more flexible solution.

Hugh_C

Originally posted by dahamsta
Thanks everyone for the replies so far. Anyone know if either of these support regex content-filtering?

adam

Netgear doesn't

dahamsta

I currently have a Smoothwall rig running AdZapper Gerry, but I need to minimise my network so I'm repurposing it. Errah, I'd say hostname/IP/keyword filtering will do me for the moment.

adam

rymus

Regarding Netgear Support; My router (WGR614) crapped out on me a few weeks ago and I had to make a 30min phone call to the UK to get a replacement. In that 30 mins I had to recite my full name, address & phone number to no fewer than 5 different people/departments to get them to send out the new router.

What they actually sent me is a WGR614v2, which will not accept firmware updates (the .chk files on netgears website). I'm currently working up to making another phone call to them and trying to explain to some Asian chaps (who at the best of times are completely impossible to understand) whats going on. I know if I email in my problem I'll get the standard "reset router, restore to factory settings" which I have done several times.

The content filtering on the router is basic, a website or keyword block is provided along with the facility to block services. The logging is awful, nothing more comprehensive than connection time and disconnection time is available from what I can see.

BigEejit

Originally posted by rymus
Regarding Netgear Support; My router (WGR614) crapped out on me a few weeks ago and I had to make a 30min phone call to the UK to get a replacement. In that 30 mins I had to recite my full name, address & phone number to no fewer than 5 different people/departments to get them to send out the new router.

God bless us they have improved loads so ... I spent the guts of 2 hours on the phone to them and never got to a human at all ... You could say they are 5 times better :rolleyes:

dahamsta

Got the Netgear this morning, nice piece of kit. Back on the net in a minute flat.

adam

Hugh_C

Originally posted by dahamsta
Got the Netgear this morning, nice piece of kit. Back on the net in a minute flat.

adam

Easy to press the wizard button!

I've wall-mounted mine, which seems to give/get better reception; admittedly I'm using an internal Airport card in a PowerBook G4 which has limited range anyway, but the Netgear mounted vertically seems to work betterer.

hc

zod

The Dlink router - DI-614/DI-624 do not contain an integrated adsl modem and will NOT interface with a USB ADSL modem provided by most resellers.. although the Eircom Netopia does provide an ethernet interface.

The equivalent Dlink product is a DSL-604+ which (in my opinion is flaky) you can see the various issues on the expansys website - I've experienced both PPP stop errors and VPN fragmentation problems on 2 different routers.

http://www.expansys.com/forum.asp?code=DSL-604GPLUS

I have used the DI-614 and found it very stable.

The Netgear DG834G is a superior product IMO and allows you to change the MTU size for the router which if your using CLickSilver (UTV) is a must.