Best Buy Ratings and Reviews
Shop Now At Best Buy
Product Reviews
NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Model number: WPN824 | SKU: 7061751

This wireless router enables speeds up to 108 Mbps and extended range, so the signal is strong anywhere in your home. Good-bye, dead spots! Take a product tour of the Netgear WPN824 RangeMax wireless router. (Flash demo)

Average Customer Rating: 3.799 3.8 out of 5 (179 Reviews)
130 of 179 (73%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.

Customer Reviews for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Review 21 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
2
2.0 5
 
Has some issues   09/12/2009
By flaMtneer from Orlando, Fl
Value for Price
3
3.0 5
 
Ease of Use
1
1.0 5
 
Performance
2
2.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
1
1.0 5
 

What's great about it: Generally works
What's not so great: NOT WII COMPATIBLE, Very slow to connect

"Bought this a couple months ago to replace a Linksys router that got fried in a lightning strike. Linksys was flawless. This router was a pain to get up and running - had to call tech support, Netgear software wouldn't even run. This router takes forever to initially establish a connection with my laptops - seriously like 2 or 3 mins. The Linksys was nearly instantaneous. My biggest issue is that in order to get our Wii to connect, I have to disable the router's firewall, which is unacceptable. I bought this because it was about $15 cheaper than the comparable Linksys. Not worth it!"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 22 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
1
1.0 5
 
Don't buy this router   09/11/2009
By MarcosBr from Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
Value for Price
1
1.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
2
2.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
1
1.0 5
 

What's great about it: Nothing
What's not so great: Range extender feature

"I bought this router to be used as a range extender. Chose this one insteady of one of Linksys models because it clearly advertised it could be configured for this purpose, with GREAT range. Well, information about how to configure it as a range extender is VERY poor and the unit is not working as intended. I tried to connect it directly, replacing my 3-year-old Linksys, expecting the "great" range would do the job. Forget it! The range is only very slightly greater than the Linksys."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 23 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
4
4.0 5
 
Works great if you want a wireless G connection.   09/09/2009
By Jono0055 from St. Petersburg, FL
Value for Price
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Use
4
4.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
5
5.0 5
 

What's great about it: Reliable connection at wireless G speeds.
What's not so great: No gigabit connection for LAN.

"It's a good router if you aren't expecting high speeds for your home network. Works great with Nintendo Wii wireless connection. Very reliable connection with the laptop, hardly ever drops internet connection."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 24 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
1
1.0 5
 
Great router, worst service ever   08/31/2009
By boonetgear from Boston, MA
Value for Price
1
1.0 5
 
Ease of Use
1
1.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
1
1.0 5
 

What's great about it: Great router, works wonderfully
What's not so great: Customer service is the worst I've ever experienced

"The router works great. It's range is good, is small, and is relatively reasonably priced. HOWEVER, if anything goes wrong that requires you contacting customer service, you might as well throw it in the trash. Out of the 5 people I spoke with at customer service, one was helpful, all were difficult to understand, and I was even hung up on. I know all the other router brands are just as bad as this one, so there really is no good alternative, but unless you want to spend several days on the phone and be hung up on by customer service, spend you money elsewhere."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 25 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
2
2.0 5
 
Good router if you can set it up   08/31/2009
By crizka from arlington,ma
Value for Price
3
3.0 5
 
Ease of Use
1
1.0 5
 
Performance
4
4.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
1
1.0 5
 

What's great about it: Good, inexpensive router
What's not so great: Difficult to set up, and terrible customer service

"This router is fine once you get past the tricky installation and uneducated customer service reps. We had the internet up and running and only needed help creating a username and password and the NEATGEAR people managed to disconnect our internet connection from the router and block us out of our own network. After three days of calling we finally redid the connection ourselves and managed to find an English- speaking rep. to help us finish the process.

I work with computers every day, this shouldn't be this hard for me.
"


Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 26 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
3
3.0 5
 
Basic and colorful   08/20/2009
By Madhatter845 from NY, Wappingers Falls
Value for Price
2
2.0 5
 
Ease of Use
3
3.0 5
 
Performance
3
3.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
5
5.0 5
 

What's great about it: Ease for a simple person
What's not so great: why settle for G

"I bought this product for my office. Very simple to use but after 4 computers, things get lag and stop working, I suggest not to purchase this product if you are going to go online for games or watch shows"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 27 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
4
4.0 5
 
Netgear works great   08/18/2009
By stoocs from Rochester, NY
Value for Price
4
4.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
4
4.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
5
5.0 5
 

What's great about it: Very easy to set up, it took less 15 minutes.
What's not so great: Nothing yet, performance seems to be very good.

"Using one Mac now with no problems, a laptop will be added in a few days so we'll see if the performance changes. Signal strength seems very strong right now in our 2000 sq.ft. house."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 28 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
3
3.0 5
 
Don't be fooled by the 'RangeMax'   08/14/2009
By DunedinDragon from Dunedin, FL
Value for Price
3
3.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
4
4.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
4
4.0 5
 

What's great about it: You can can use it as a wireless extender with a second unit
What's not so great: It doesn't extend your range in any way I can measure

"I replaced my Linksys with this unit hoping it would overcome some of the wireless dead spots I have in my house. There was literally no difference whatsoever in terms of it's range. It's odd that they actually call it RangeMax...more hype than performance there from what I can tell. Were this unit to actually have external antennaes I could have added a more powerful one and maybe fixed my problem. I was going to take it back, but I do like the fact it takes up less room standing upright than my old one did, so I kept it.

It has one feature that I haven't used yet, but probably will to fix my range problem. The unit can be paired with another unit to make the second unit into a wireless range extender. What this means is I can get a second unit, place it somewhere in the house before the dead spots, and it will effectively route all wireless signals to the main unit...basically solving my dead spot problem. To be honest, I haven't done this yet, but probably will in another week or so.

If you live in a place that is either very large and you tend to lose your signal, or that has quite a few walls/floors the signal has to move through, this can be a pretty good answer for that if youi're willing to buy two of these units rather than just one.
"


Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 29 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
2
2.0 5
 
Not the best   08/13/2009
By buttercupyellow from SF Bay Area
Value for Price
3
3.0 5
 
Ease of Use
1
1.0 5
 
Performance
3
3.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
1
1.0 5
 

What's great about it: It works once installed
What's not so great: Terrible user interface - overly complex

"I spent 2.5 hours on the phone with India Tech Support to get this thing installed with my Comcast ISP. They never could get it to work with the security feature enabled. I had to use it without a security lock. Also, I could never get my iPhone to connect to it even though the phone recognized its existence. Who needs that kind of frustration? I wanted something simple and easy. I opted for the Linksys WPN160N WiFi router. It was a pleasure to install, is user friendly, and has thoughtful details. Forget the Netgear!"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 30 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
5
5.0 5
 
GREAT ROUTER.. SO FAR!   08/12/2009
By Babygurl09711 from NYC
Value for Price
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
3
3.0 5
 

What's great about it: range, fair price, design
What's not so great: it took me a little while to install

"I just bought this router yesterday so maybe my review won't count as much as you'd like. So far this router is Great! I have never installed a router nor a wireless connection in my home, however I managed to do it myself. I've had it on all the time and still have not lost connection once. Internet is pretty fast which is a surprise because i thought wireless networks are supposed to be slower than DSL because it converts the speeds or something like that. Anyways, I would recommend you to try this router, works with Windows Vista too (many routers are not compatible)."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 31 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
5
5.0 5
 
Great Router; Awesome   07/19/2009
By Rayd70 from Ocala, Fl
Value for Price
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
5
5.0 5
 

What's great about it: Easy to setup and great price & great for the Xbox 360

"I was looking for a router that would work with Xbox 360 Live and found this one. I wanted one that I didn't have to make any changes on it to open ports for the Xbox to work correctly and this one worked great. The installation was very easy. I do know about computers but the install disc just walks you right through it all that you don't have to know anything about computers to get it working. Now for the ones that are having trouble with there Xbox Live in connectng or being able to host games and you have DSL through Embarq, you might want to check the modem because it might also be a router. This will cause it to block the ports that the Xbox needs to work correctly. A quick way to check is connect the Xbox straight to the modem and if you get a strict connection than you have a modem/router and you need to call Embarq to get that fixed. It's easy to do but I would suggest you call. Once that is done this router will be great and your gaming experience will be awesome along with other computers connected to it whether it be wired or wireless. Great distance on it too."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 32 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
5
5.0 5
 
Great Wireless Router   07/18/2009
By Csheerer from Philly
Value for Price
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Use
4
4.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
3
3.0 5
 

What's great about it: Easy to secure
What's not so great: Old firmware

"At first it didn't connect and I was about ready to bring it back but I used someone WiFi in the building to connect and installed it online which took about 10 minutes. Hook up my desktop, Wii console and my Laptop and everything come online, then secure my WiFi with my Mac addresses."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 33 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
5
5.0 5
 
Great For Gaming   07/15/2009
By Kearnage from Factoryville,PA
Value for Price
4
4.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
2
2.0 5
 

What's great about it: It is great for gaming and fast on the computer
What's not so great: installation takes a little bit too long

"i got this router because it was fit for my house because i have a decent size house and i knew i need some range on it. so i got it spent like an hour on installation but was so worth it becuase i am a big gamer and i can go on youtube or anything and will have good connnections so.. thats good. i lagged so bad with those stupid linksys routers. so overall if you have enough patience to install this and play online games then purchase this router. :D"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 34 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
1
1.0 5
 
1 year warranty is a joke!!!!!!!   07/15/2009
By LCFD from Kentucky
Value for Price
1
1.0 5
 
Ease of Use
1
1.0 5
 
Performance
1
1.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
1
1.0 5
 

What's not so great: The whole thing is junk!!!!

"I purchased this 3 months ago and it took two calls to netgear to get it set up. Now it has started locking up on me so i called them after three phone calls they told me it would cost me $30 for them to ship me out a referb. unit. i tried to speak to a supervisor and i was told NO. Then they hung up on me.So don't waste your money!!"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 35 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
4
4.0 5
 
Good router!   07/07/2009
By QuickDrawMagraw from Gig Harbor, WA
Value for Price
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
4
4.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
4
4.0 5
 

What's great about it: Easy setup, decent range
What's not so great: Limited router management features

"Great range for a b/g router. The router has been on 24/7 for 4 months and I have yet to lose connectivity with any of our 4 networked PCs. It's a snap to setup (if you have some basic knowledge fo networking)."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 36 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
1
1.0 5
 
Junk   06/26/2009
By Knoc213 from Minnesota
Value for Price
3
3.0 5
 
Ease of Use
3
3.0 5
 
Performance
1
1.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
5
5.0 5
 

What's great about it: Easy to install, cool flashy lights
What's not so great: The reception, the fact it works half the time

"I used a Access point with a port switch box for my wi-fi for years. Then got netflix and Xbox live and thought a new router would be a good idea since it had been a while. So I picked up this router. being unlucky, I didnt get a sale price, so I got to pay the awesome price of $70. Anyway, this router has been complete junk since the day I got it. Yeah it looks cool with all its flashy little disco lights (not the reason I bought it) but the performance of this router is horrible. What attracted me to this router was the "Long range" it claimed. I found out that is complete BS. I actually get WORSE range than I did with my $20 access point that was made in 2001. Not to mention I get disconnected every 4-5 minutes, than have to sit and twittle my thumbs until it desides to re-connect. This happens no matter if Im in the same room as the router or am in a different room. I have called netgear 3 times and have been put on hold 3 times and "accidently" hung up 3 times. My next router will NOT be a netgear."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 37 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
4
4.0 5
 
Nice..except the BLUE light.   06/25/2009
By NYTechGurl from NYC
Value for Price
4
4.0 5
 
Ease of Use
4
4.0 5
 
Performance
3
3.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
4
4.0 5
 

What's great about it: price,design
What's not so great: So far pretty good.

"I can be online(via Road Runner) and on my 360(xbox) live! Pretty sweet couldn't w/ previous Linksys. Customer service helpful..hard to understand a bit(language) barrier."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 38 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
5
5.0 5
 
Easy Setup   06/15/2009
By Elizabeth333 from McAllen TX
Value for Price
4
4.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
5
5.0 5
 

What's great about it: Easy to setup
What's not so great: Very bright light

"I just returned a Linksys router since I could never set it up. Not even their technical support could help. This router was super easy to set up and the cd helped a lot. Overall the setup took about 20 to 30 minutes since I had to setup 2 laptops. My internet is going a lot faster now since I previously had a very old linksys. All I can say is so far so good and I hope I have no problems with it."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 39 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Customer Rating
5
5.0 5
 
Solid Performance   06/07/2009
By Kotor from Orlando, FL
Value for Price
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
5
5.0 5
 

What's great about it: Fast, easy set-up. Reliable performance.
What's not so great: None so far.

"Very simple set-up that took about 15 minutes. Great range and signal strength in my two-story house. Works as advertised. I have no complaints."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs

Review 40 for NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router

Top 25 Contributor Top 25 Contributor
Customer Rating
5
5.0 5
 
great   06/05/2009
By william09 from joplin, mo
Value for Price
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Use
5
5.0 5
 
Performance
5
5.0 5
 
Ease of Installation
5
5.0 5
 

What's great about it: connectivity, speed, set up
What's not so great: nothing

"the first router i purchased was an expensive lynksis (spelling?) for around $180 for my playstation 3, after about 3 days and being disconnected 2000 times i took it back to the store and got this cheap router and 2 games. i took it home and installed it which took some time due to system set-up, updates, but since it was installed i havent messed with it, i use it to play games on ps3 online and have no issues or lag at all on any game i play. also the ps3 downloads are fast, i never get disconnected and i enjoy a lag free experiance unless the hosts connection is just terrible, which doesnt happen to often, but it has happened in games like call of duty 5.
my computer has since been reformatted 2 and upgraded, and i have yet to have to re-install the software for the router (which makes me wonder why i had to install it to begin with). i use this with my Cable One motorolla surfboard modem for cable internet. my internet speed doesnt suffer at all on my playstation 3. i have my set up wierd compared to most people, i have my computer upstairs, and my playstation 3 is downstairs in a house that is around 30-50 years old, so the signal isnt as great is newer, flimsier houses with thin walls and floors. i have my router connected to my modem and computer with 25ft ethernet cables and i have my router sitting on my stairway to the basement.
i have it set up this way for 1, when the router was upstairs my connection for my ps3 was only around 85% and i am ocd about connection speeds since lag is a gamers enemy, and 2 the light on it makes it to where we dont have to turn on lights to see down the stairs at night (the router comes with a funky blue light that you can turn on and off, the light flashes in various patterns, a nightlight if you will) over all this router proves more expensive isnt better..i did have this router upstairs for a month before i bought 2 25ft ethernet cables to bring it closer to the basement, and it did work fine upstairs and i had no lag, like i said, i am just ocd and want 100% connection which is what i get...and i am about 30 feet away from the router and it is on the other side of the wall that seperates the stairwell from the room the ps3 is in, there are also some pipes from the bathroom upstairs that run down the same wall that in sence block the router as well.
great router, i am sure there are better, but dont judge an item by its price, this is definatly a great deal and recommend it over the previous router i had.
"


Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes
Share this Review: Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Reddit StumbleUpon DelIcioUs
Previous Reviews   21-40 of 179    More Reviews for  NETGEAR RangeMax 802.11g Wireless Router