Netgear RT311 DSL/Cable Internet Gateway Router

Average customer rating: 4.5

Not a good choice for VPN
money wasted -- and bad support, too.
Easy to set up; if only it...
Great, but...
Wonderful Product for Beginners and Advanced Users alike!!

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Netgear RT311 DSL/Cable Internet Gateway Router

Manufacturer: Netgear
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B00004SYLI

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Product Description

NETGEAR's RT311 Gateway Router provides the dynamic Internet connection you need for maximum productivity. Usable to 253 clients at a time, this power-packed router conducts your Internet connection so that multiple PCs can use your DSL or cable modem. Share data locally or through the Internet. You'll pay for only one IP hookup for shared broadband access, yet you can also limit Internet availability, PC by PC. On top of that, the multi-functional RT311 can be configured as a DHCP server or client. And with web-based configuration capability, getting your system up and running is a snap! You can breathe easy - network address translation protects your internal network from hacker invasions. And NETGEAR's renowned engineering ensures smooth-running usability.

Amazon.com Product Description

Netgear's RT311 Internet access gateway router allows up to 32 users secure admission to the Internet from a single ISP (Internet service provider) account. It works in conjunction with DSL or cable modems for high-speed Internet access.

Compatible with 10/100 Mbps networks, the Netgear RT311 establishes a firewall that prevents hackers and unauthorized users from interfering in your business. NAT protocols hide the local IP addresses from outside Internet users. Port forwarding and customizable filters allow only authorized users to gain access to your site and files.

The Netgear RT311 is compatible with Internet conferencing, RealAudio, RealVideo, and most chat programs. FirstGear, a Windows-based configuration tool, enables simple installation. All the necessary cables are included, as is a setup guide.

Netgear provides a five-year warranty on parts and labor.

Customer Reviews:

Not a good choice for VPN.......2002-02-16

I have used this router for about 6 mos. Initially satisfied, but then tried inbound VPN access, and found that even with static port/address mappings, connection drops in 5 to 10 minutes. Wife uses DSL for outbound VPN to office, and connection will drop after about 10 minutes. Replaced with Linksys BEFSR41 (with no static maps, no special configuration) and VPN works fine. Netgear support says I need to open 3 ports, change her client DNS, etc. Didn't do any of this with Linksys.

money wasted -- and bad support, too........2001-10-31

I bought this router so I wouldn't monopolize the DSL line in our house when playing Everquest. The problem is that when I use this router Everquest always disconnects within 5 minutes. I made three calls to tech support without resolving the problem, though we did eventually narrow it down: the router seems to insist on holding onto a few port addresses that Everquest expects to use for itself.

After several long waits for short and unsuccessful conversations with tech support I tried using their web site to reach a resolution. I posted my case in July. Now it's October. I can still see my posting on the site, but I never received anything other than an automatic acknowledgement of the problem report.

The box won't do the one thing I need. The phone support is ineffective. The web support is non-existent. Money wasted.

Easy to set up; if only it..........2001-10-26

...if only it included a hub, or better yet a wireless hub!

I bought this almost a year ago, in late 2000. It was extremely easy item to set up. I followed the instructions, making only one mistake -- using a regular Ethernet cable instead of a rolled one. It worked right immediately (as I recall), or perhaps after one restart. Since then, I haven't ever had to use its Web-based administration. It sits in a corner of my basement, between the DSL modem and the hub with its wires leading off to various rooms.

Before I opened it I phoned NetGear to reconfirm that it was the right item for my needs. They answered quickly and accurately.

My only complaint is that the product doesn't include a hub -- who'd use it without one? Or, these days, a wireless hub. I figure that five stars shouldn't go to a product that requires you to buy another product too, but only to a full solution. Other than that, though, this has been great.

Great, but..........2001-08-08

Just wish the tcp established parameter worked. Not sure why but that seems broken, so a portscan reveals some closed ports above 1024. No big deal but worth noting. From what I hear this box isn't as user friendly as it's counterpart, the Linksys but I chose it since it supports syslog accounting. It's stable, supports DDNS, cheap, and pretty configurable.

Wonderful Product for Beginners and Advanced Users alike!!.......2001-07-17

I decided to write this because I read a less than wonderful review below and felt that it wasn't accurate.

I purchased the Netgear RT311 after purchasing and returning a Linksys DSL/Cable router. Despite several firmware updates to the Linksys unit, it would continually lock up and would require that I shut down the unit as well as every computer connected to it. Using Gamespy would lock it up immediately. This was completely unacceptable. Imagine that in a corporate envrionment! The internet gateway locking up requiring people to shut their computers off? Simply awful!

So on the advice of a friend, I picked up this router and a switch. Installation was very very simple. I was up and running within minutes. It's been in operation for over a year and has never locked up once. As far as configuration goes, the interface definitely isn't as slick as the Linksys product. There's two ways to set it up, however. One way is to install the windows software and configure it there. It's very easy and user friendly. The other method is to "telnet" into the router. This is also easy, but it might be a bit more confusing for the average user. I consider the average user to be someone that got DSL or Cable and simply wants to surf the net or play games online. If all you ever want is to surf, send email, play internet games (Quake, Half-Life, etc.) then you can take it out of the box, plug it up, and use the standard Windows program to configure it with your username and password for your ISP (it does PPPoE for you.) If you are a more advanced user and wish to set up, say, a DMZ and a web server, or would like to set up an FTP site or some other way of accessing your network from the Internet then you'll need to telnet into the router to set it up.

The firewall that is built into this thing is already configured at the factory and needs no adjustment for average users. You're completely protected yet you can still play games online.

I guess the think I like best about this router is that it covers a wide array of possible users. If you're just wanting simple stuff you simply take it out of the box, plug it up, and go. If you want to get more complex then this is also the box for you as it allows much more complicated filtering schemes and configuration options, if you want to get into it.

As far as DHCP goes, I've never had a problem. I had 4 computers and a print server connected to it and never had an IP problem. I'm not sure what the other individual was talking about as I've never had a problem.

All in all, I would buy this thing again in a heartbeat. The only thing to consider, I believe, is whether or not you want a built in switch to connect more computers to it. It has only two connections on it, one for the internet and one for an internal network, whether it's just one computer or one switch or hub. If you have a couple computers that you'd like to share the internet connection with, then you'll need to get a separate switch or hub, or you could consider getting the RT314 which has, I believe, four ports on it so you can connect four computers to it. I'm pretty sure that's the correct model number.

Enjoy!

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