Drop, charge, and lose the cordsNetgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (Premium Edition)
Manufacturer: NetGear Inc. Part number: WNDR3700
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is a great dual-band router for networking enthusiasts who also want a quick and easy network storage solution.
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CNET editors' review
Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (Premium Edition) price range: $159.99 - $164.99
- Reviewed by: Dong Ngo
- Reviewed on: 09/23/2009
The good: The Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router supports true dual band, offers decent wireless performance, and has a useful set of networking features, including novelties such as a guest zone, network storage, and a traffic meter. Also, it's easy on the eyes and comes with an intuitive Web interface.
The bad: The Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router's network storage performance is very slow and its 5Ghz performance is disappointing as well. Its Traffic Meter feature isn't as robust as we'd like.
The bottom line: The Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is a great dual-band router for networking enthusiasts who also want a quick and easy network storage solution.
The new Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax is a great upgrade from the Netgear WNDR3300. It now supports true dual bands, offering simultaneous Wireless-N performance in both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands. The router also offers a decent network storage feature when coupled with a USB external hard drive. It includes a traffic meter feature, which is the first to be seen in wireless routers that we've reviewed. Like other high-end wireless routers, the WNDR3700 supports Gigabit Ethernet and guest networking, which means that you can create separate wireless networks for security purposes.
On the downside, its network storage performance is slow compared with other routers with the same feature, such as the Linksys WRT610N, or the Apple Time Capsule. Its 5Ghz band's range is shorter than what we expected.
Nonetheless, at around $160, the WNDR3700 is a good choice considering everything that it has to offer. If you just want a simple Wireless-N network and don't care much about dual bands or network storage, we'd recommend the D-link DIR 165 or the Netgear WNR2000; each is available for less than $100.
Design and setup
The Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax router is one of the sleekest routers in Netgear's RangeMax family, with a shiny black chassis, which also happens to be a fingerprint magnet. The router is designed to work in both horizontal and vertical positions. For the latter, it comes with a detachable base. It's also wall-mountable.
The router boasts an array of color-changing LED lights on its front that reflect the status of the Internet connection, the wireless network, and of the ports on the back. There are four LAN ports and one WAN port, and all are Gigabit. There's also a USB port on the back that can be used with an external hard drive to turn the router into a network-attached storage (NAS) device.
Like all RangeMax routers, the WNDR3700 has an internal antenna design, making it more compact and tidy than routers with external antennas; however, this is one of the largest RangeMax routers, about double the size of the WNR2000.
The router comes with a setup application that includes detailed step-by-step instructions. The instructions are so clear, in fact, that we think few would have a problem getting the router up and running. We were able to do so within 5 minutes, including the time getting the router out of the box.
Features
The WNDR3700 is Netgear's first true dual-band router we've reviewed. It's capable of simultaneously broadcasting Wireless-N signals in both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequencies. The 2.4Ghz is the popular wireless band shared with other home devices such as cordless phones and Bluetooth headsets. The 5Ghz band is somewhat more exclusive and therefore should offer better performance. By being a dual-band router, the WNDR3700 supports virtually all existing network clients.
Out of the box, the WNDR3700 has two wireless networks, one for each band. You can turn these networks on or off separately. Also, the router offers the option of another two guest networks--one for each band--which can also be turned on or off separately. Guest networks are useful if you want to offer free Internet access to guests while keeping them from accessing your local resourses, such as your printer or personal files; this is perfect for a cafe or restaurant. Some other high-end routers that also offer guest networking we've reviewed are the D-Link DIR 855, the D-Link DIR-825, the Linksys WRT610N, or the Apple Airport Extreme.
Also, like the WRT610N and the Airport Extreme, the WNDR3700 comes with a NAS function that requires an external USB hard drive (not included) to work. We tried it with a few external hard drives and were pleased with the results.
The router supports hard drives formatted in both NTFS and FAT32 file systems. This means you can just plug your current external hard drive with data already on it and share it with the rest of the network. The router can also power compact hard drives that are USB bus-powered.
Regarding file sharing, the WNDR3700 supports the Windows SMB protocol, which allows any computer in the network to access its storage using a network browser (such as Windows Explorer), without having any additional software installed. The router's only means of restricting access to its storage is via password. For example, you can set a password for read-only access and another for read/write access to a particular folder on the external hard drive. Once set, the restriction is applied to anyone wanting to access that folder. This is a primitive but effective way to manage network storage. Most NAS servers use more-advanced restriction protocols via user accounts. However, considering that this is primarily a router, we were happy with this level of restriction.
The WNDR3700's network storage also offers media streaming to DLNA-enabled devices, such as the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. This feature automatically scans the attached external hard drive for digital content, making it available to devices within the network. Also, the router can automatically scan for new content when new files are added or repeatedly over a period time. We tried this out and it worked as intended.
The router's NAS feature can also handle other NAS functions such as an FTP and an HTTP server. You can also set up remote connections to access the data remotely via the Internet. To do this, however, you will need to use a dynamic DNS service, such as Dyndns.org, unless your connection to the Internet has a static IP address.
We really liked the WNDR3700's traffic meter, which allows you to control the router's bandwidth. For example, you can set the router to disconnect from the Internet if a certain amount of data has been downloaded (or uploaded, or both) over a certain period of time. This is useful when you have a limited quota and don't want to go over. Unfortunately, the traffic meter doesn't offer the bandwidth control down to each computer, so you can't use it to restrict one individual from downloading too much.
Like most RangeMax routers, the WNDR3700 also has a very intuitive and responsive Web interface, which makes managing the router pretty easy to do. The router also has many other features found in most RangeMax routers, such as content filtering (this lets you block certain Web sites or services), port forwarding, quality of service, and universal plug and play.
For security, the router supports all existing wireless-encryption methods including WEP, WPA, and WPA2. It also comes with Wi-Fi protected setup features that allow you to add a new client to the network at the press of a button, instead of having to type in the encryption key manually.
Performance
The Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router offered mixed performance in our testing. We tested the router in dual-band mode, and also tested it the way we test other NAS servers.
The router's wireless performance was generally good, though we wished its 5Ghz performance was better, especially the range, which was about 250 feet. The router's 2.4Ghz band's range, however, was very good in our tests. We were able to hold a stable connection in this band from up to 300 feet away. It's important to note that our test environment is a typical office building and is not necessarily optimized for wireless range.
On CNET Labs' max throughput test, where the router is 15 feet from the client, the WND3700's 5Ghz performance was slightly disappointing. It was the slowest of the 5Ghz routers we tested with a score of 60Mbps, compared with the 64.8Mbps score that the Linksys WRT610N achieved, and the 66.48Mbps score from the Apple Airport Extreme. Note that this is the real-world sustained throughput. At this speed the WNDR3700 could finish transmitting 500MB of data in about 66 seconds. In our range test, where we set the router 100 feet away from the client, in 5Ghz, the router moved up on the charts, scoring 40Mbps. This was faster than the 36.48Mbps achieved by the D-Link DIR 825.
In 2.4Ghz frequency tests, the WNDR3700 did much better. It scored 54.8Mbps in max throughput and 38.6Mbps in range. In our mixed-mode test, where the router was configured to work with both Wireless-N and legacy Wireless-G and Wireless-B clients, the WNDR3700 registered 41.8Mbps. All of its 2.4Ghz numbers are within the top three of the fastest Wireless routers.
Overall we wish the WNDR3700's 5Ghz performance was better; however, even at its current performance level, it's still one of the fastest routers on the market.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Mixed mode | |
Range | |
Throughput |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Range | |
Throughput |
It's a completely different story when it comes to the WNDR3700's network storage performance. We tested the router the way we test NAS servers, and its scores were slow, even compared with those of routers with similar features. The WNDR3700 scored 17.8Mbps in our write test and 40.9Mbps in our read test. The D-Link DIR-685, our previous slowest NAS router, was faster at 46.6Mbps and 76.5Mbps for the write and read test, respectively.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Read | |
Write |
The NAS function of the router was tested using its wired Gigabit connection to make sure it was not the wireless connection that was the bottleneck of the throughput. With this kind of performance, the WNDR3700 is suited for light and basic network storage tasks, where only one or two users access the drive at the same time. If you want to use the storage for more concurrent users and transfer a lot of data, you will need a dedicated NAS server.
Service and support
Netgear ships the Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with a one-year warranty; this is standard for routers these days. The support pages on Netgear's site are somewhat elusive (you have to click on many layers of links to get to where you want) but nonetheless offers lots of support information, including troubleshooting, a knowledge base, firmware, drivers, and manual downloads.
User reviews
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Great router with excellent speed and signal.
by lindseybp on September 9, 2009
Pros: Great signal strength, easy to setup, simultaneous dual bands, no drops yet.
Cons: Nothing yet.
Summary: I have had this router for about a week and it has performed flawlessly. Signal strength is excellent. We have three laptops, a PS3, an ipod touch, an HP wireless ...
Summary: I have had this router for about a week and it has performed flawlessly. Signal strength is excellent. We have three laptops, a PS3, an ipod touch, an HP wireless printer and a Wii using the wireless signal and it has performed flawlessly for all. Not a single drop and no complaints so far.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Router
by grgnv on August 31, 2009
Pros: F A S T
Web Based Setup - EZ for mac & linux usersCons: none yet...
Summary: I just upgraded from the WNDR3300. The 3300 was a really good and reliable router for me, but I ended up giving it to my dad who needed a new ...
Summary: I just upgraded from the WNDR3300. The 3300 was a really good and reliable router for me, but I ended up giving it to my dad who needed a new router in a pinch. I liked the web interface of the 3300 and thought I would try the 3700 and get the USB expansion. Sets up very easy, just like the 3300, but the 3700 has more features.
First impression is it is F A S T fast on the 5ghz N band. I'll update this if my impression changes over time. But for now, this is one great router.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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HD to the max
by miguelmo23 on October 8, 2009
Pros: Best router i have own, ps3,.xbox,.wii and apple tv blazing speed!!!!
Cons: none at this time,still looking?
Summary: I was looking for a gaming router and i download hd movies from itunes to apple tv wirelessN 5GHZ AMAZING router.THANKS NETGEAR FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK IT PAID ...
Summary: I was looking for a gaming router and i download hd movies from itunes to apple tv wirelessN 5GHZ AMAZING router.THANKS NETGEAR FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK IT PAID OFF !!!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Was the long wait for this router worth it?
by gherman87 on September 9, 2009
Pros: Very fast wireless router with no drops yet. The signal strength is phenomenal. A lot of settings to play around with to optimize your performance. Sharing an usb drive is a breeze on both mac and pc.
Cons: There is no usb printer support which is a complete letdown for me. It is a finger print magnet like the ps3. I would of given it a 5 star rating but without any usb printer support I simply can't.
Summary: I have been waiting for this router to come out and it is finally here after the many delays. This router has all the bells and whistles which any gamer ...
Summary: I have been waiting for this router to come out and it is finally here after the many delays. This router has all the bells and whistles which any gamer or computer tech savvy guy or gal would want. It is fast and has an excellent signal which can be adjusted on both 5ghz and 2.4ghz to save money on the electric bill if you want. There are so many settings you can mess around with, to optimize the performance for your needs. This router is a must for those of us who live in an apartment building with a lot of wireless networks in the building and a lot of wireless devices to go off of your network. I have a ps3, xbox 360, wii , two iphones, psp and macbook pro connected to my wireless network with no drops yet. Games and other downloads on my game systems seem to download faster. Videos on the Internet like youtube are playing simultaneously with very little buffering or none at all on my Macbook pro. It also has an Internet traffic counter to let you know how many gbs you are downloading every month. Which is key especially with Internet providers like Comcast who is going to start having a 250gb cap on the Internet every month starting in October. I can go on and on about this router because of all it has. There is one big problem for me though. I was under the impression that this router would have usb printer support so you can share your usb printer throughout your network but once I tried to hook up my printer it was a no go. I am very disappointed about this because I was looking forward to have both an external harddrive and my usb printer on my network. One more thing that bothers me is it is a finger print magnet like the ps3 but other then that I would highly recommend this router.
After a week of using this router I ran into a problem with the traffic meter. The traffic meter does not seem to be very accurate. I check it every day and it seems to reset itself every day or every couple of days instead of once a month like it is suppose to do. Today for instants I checked the traffic status add it says I used 1385 mbs this month so far and yesterday it said 3234 mbs used. This is not right because the total mbs used should be higher today not smaller. This is quite annoying because this feature is one of the reasons why I bought the router and it does not work right. I have the most up to date firmware so it is not a out of date firmware problem. I just hope Netgear fixes this problem before next month because Comcast is going to start using caps every month and it sure would be nice to have this tool working right, by then.
Updated on Sep 12, 20091 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent Wireless Router
by tonyburke on November 20, 2009
Pros: Simple to set up including security, fast, excellent coverage, Gigabit router
Cons: 5GHZ portion weak, cannot install using set up disc with Windows Vista 64 bit or Windows 7 64 bit. Pricey.
Summary: Installation was simple including setting up security. Just run the installation disc, follow the simple instructions and the disc does the rest. Up and running in 5 minutes on two ...
Summary: Installation was simple including setting up security. Just run the installation disc, follow the simple instructions and the disc does the rest. Up and running in 5 minutes on two laptops, an HP 7280 wireless printer and iPhone. Great coverage throughout my home using 2.4 GHZ network.Only short-coming would be if you have Windows Vista 64 bit or Windows 7 with 64 bit; you have to do a manual install instead of using installation disc. No need to fear installing a wirerless network using this router. Highly recommended.
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The best router ...ever.
by briMurph on November 10, 2009
Pros: It sets up easily with a step by step CD coach.
Two multi-Gig bands deliver enormous speed and bandwidth
Ideal for streaming videos
Ideal for gaming
Handsome designCons: I can't find a single thing wrong with this unit.
Summary: I am not really a technical guy, although I've been around computers since 1980. But here is my reaction:
You cannot appreciate what a really good router can do ...Summary: I am not really a technical guy, although I've been around computers since 1980. But here is my reaction:
You cannot appreciate what a really good router can do until you actually own one. Now I do own one.
My wife's Dell laptop seems completely rejuvenated with websites that seemed to take forever loading in the blink of an eye and the signal strength indicator at five green bars. You need a wireless connection like this to really take advantage of the advanced processors in today's laptops! With the Netgear WNDR3700, that two-year old Dell is downloading streaming content at a blistering pace and making all internet-related tasks a pleasure.
I am using this router with my LG BD390 Blu-ray networking player. Streaming files from Vudu, YouTube and Netflix that used to stall when playing or which took minutes to load now load in just a few seconds, at the highest possible quality, and play uninterrupted --even when the file is 1080p - quality video. The player had to reconnect to my weak router signal after each streaming video...which involved turning the player off and then on again to regain the signal. There is no signal loss now with the Netgear WNDR3700.
The signal strength of the unit is very strong. I live in a small 1940's cottage of wood and plaster. With my old g-band router there were hot spots and dead spots. My whole house is now a hot spot with a very strong signal in every room. I can even lounge in the yard with my laptop and still get a solid and fast signal.
This may have been the best $150 I've ever spent on a piece of hardware. I have spent the last two weeks being happy --even smug-- about my purchase. This is a classic piece of equipment that you've got to own if you want your wireless devices to live up to their full potential. -
satisfied this
Pros: stable,easy setup, http/ftp to usb drive, 4 wifi ssid, good and strong signal, automatically update firmware
Cons: low transfer rate between usb drive and computer
no chinese web GUI
expensiveSummary: stable(gaming no lag)
easy setup(setup without read menu)
internet http/ftp to usb drive (surprise and good idea, it is useful for me.)
4 wifi ssid (2.4g,...Summary: stable(gaming no lag)
low transfer rate between usb drive and computer(wired about 13~14m/s, wireless about 3.7m/s)
easy setup(setup without read menu)
internet http/ftp to usb drive (surprise and good idea, it is useful for me.)
4 wifi ssid (2.4g,5g client.2.4g,5g guest)
good and strong signal(better than what it tried before several w/r)
low transfer rate between usb drive and computer(about 13~14m/s)
sum up conclusion
be cheaper and enchance transfer rate on usb drive
Updated on Nov 10, 2009 -
woeful support and first two products didn't work
by gr11zzly on November 6, 2009
Pros: Good router, concurrent dual band, USB drive support
Cons: USB drives with more than 1GB of music files stop router.
Firewall features ineffective
Took 4 hours on the phone for NETGEAR support to realise they didn't know the product and that it was "not fit for purpose'Summary: The product seems to have been released without sufficient burn in to remove infant mortality issues and without adequate support system training. many support "engineers" told me this product didn'...
Summary: The product seems to have been released without sufficient burn in to remove infant mortality issues and without adequate support system training. many support "engineers" told me this product didn't have a firewall then went away for 5 minutes to read the manual to tell me I must have not set it up correctly.
Here is yesterday's Phone log for the replacement router.
FYI only
Device arrived yesterday and was used in its basic configuration after firmware updates as a router only.
Used the device for mail and browsing without noticeable issues.
Tried Bit Torrent and noticed that McAfee firewall was very active filtering out pings and unsolicited connection attempts that should have been caught by the Router firewall. Verified that the settings were right and also that the old D-link router stopped this traffic.
12:30pm Called Netgear support was led through irrelevant questions about the number of computers I had and what operating systems?was told that this was a windows problem and this router didn't have a firewall???
12:45 on hold for lvl2 support was again led through same process of verification
13:30 having tried everything the operator insisted that I reload the firmware from a particular URL and asked to reload and call back if the problem persisted.
14:00 completed the ?instructions? above for the 3 rd time even though the router verifies that it has the latest FW on power up
Lunch ran exhaustive tests including USB connection---USB drive works provided the # files is small ( I used a 500GB drive with about 100 files all OK) Router never came back to life after I had loaded 30GB of photo and music files.
15:00 Called Netgear with the case number. Was passed to lvl 2 support then transferred to a higher level?
15:10 seem the ?higher level of support was OPTUS?? Hung up and redialed
15:12 Back into the netgear voice filter then lvl 1 support
15:18 Being transferred to ??
15:21 Being transferred to Gearhead
15:25 Being transferred back to Netgear??
15:26 Line went dead?? I called back
15:32 on hold
15:38 transferred wo notice to?? On hold
15:41 Transferred from gearhead to?? Computer filter provided options that didn?t fit?chose RMA,didn?t work. Chose tech support
15:45 on hold at tech support while they worked out what to do
16:00 Hung up with the understanding I would call my vendor for a refund of a product that was NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE -
Almost everything, FAST, EASY, USB, Dual Band N smokes!
by One_Eyed_Pony on October 23, 2009
Pros: Everything is great on this new wireless dual band N router.
Very Fast, great range. simultaneous dual band big plus, MIMO, has almost all you needCons: Could be cheaper...
Piano Black finish - finger prints / dust
Firewire port for faster storage access
NO dd-wrt compatibilitySummary: It's fast in 5Ghz band... video is smokin good, easy to configure, latest encryptions.
nice LEDs
User interface is easy
No DD-WRT OS upgrade compatibility.... BIG BUMMERSummary: It's fast in 5Ghz band... video is smokin good, easy to configure, latest encryptions.
nice LEDs
User interface is easy
No DD-WRT OS upgrade compatibility.... BIG BUMMER -
Instant gratification
by Fouler on October 22, 2009
Pros: Gigabit speed is apparent. Setup was easy. Fantastic wireless connection throughout home
Cons: Setup disk doesn't work on 64bit Vista systems (why bother?). Not much after that
Summary: If you are looking to really get the bandwidth you are paying for, ditch your 10/100 old school router NOW. This router make me happy....
Summary: If you are looking to really get the bandwidth you are paying for, ditch your 10/100 old school router NOW. This router make me happy....
Specifications
- Manufacturer: NetGear Inc.
- Part number: WNDR3700
- Bottom Line: The Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is a great dual-band router for networking enthusiasts who also want a quick and easy network storage solution.
General
- Device Type Wireless router
- Form Factor External
- Width 8.8 in
- Depth 6 in
- Height 1.2 in
- Weight 1.1 lbs
Processor
- Type MIPS 680 MHz
Memory
- RAM 64 MB
- Flash Memory 8 MB
Networking
- Connectivity Technology Wired, Wireless
- Integrated Switch 4-port switch
- Data Link Protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)
- Switching Protocol Ethernet
- Remote Management Protocol HTTP
- Features Firewall protection, DoS attack prevention, Quality of Service (QoS), Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
- Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)
Antenna
- Antenna Internal integrated
- Antenna Qty 8
Communications
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Interfaces 4 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45, 1 x USB - 4 pin USB Type A
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Vertical stand
- Cables (Details) 1 x Network cable
- Encryption Algorithm WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Software / System Requirements
- Software Included Drivers & Utilities
- OS Required UNIX, Linux, Apple MacOS, Microsoft Windows 2000 / ME / XP/ Vista
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Manufacturer info
- NetGear Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse NetGear Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.netgear.com/
- Address:
4500 Great America Pkwy.
Santa Clara, CA 95054 - Phone: 408-907-8000
- Email: support@netgear.com
- Fax: 408-907-8097
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