TV with DVR & Internet: $89.90/moWG602 802.11b/g 54Mbps Wireless Access Point
Manufacturer: NetGear Inc. Part number: WG602
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- With its outstanding performance and compatibility with 802.11b gear, Netgear's WG602 delivers on the promise of the upcoming 802.11g standard.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | In stock Order Now-Ships Today | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
 | | In stock Try Free Amazon Prime for one Month | as of 12/08/2009 | |
 Dell Home and Home Office | | In stock Free Shipping on Orders over $129 | as of 12/08/2009 | |
 | | In stock Order Now-Ships Today | as of 12/08/2009 | |
| Amazon.com Marketplace | | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 | |
 | | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 | |
 | | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 | |
 | | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 | |
| Directron.com | Not yet rated | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 | |
 | | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
WG602 802.11b/g 54Mbps Wireless Access Point price range: $49.99 - $75.00
- Reviewed by: Allen Fear
- Reviewed on: 03/30/2003
- Updated on:04/03/2003
- Released on: 03/12/2003
The good: Easy setup; great performance; 24/7 phone support; detachable antenna.
The bad: Firmware upgrades required; no wireless bridging capability.
The bottom line: With its outstanding performance and compatibility with 802.11b gear, Netgear's WG602 delivers on the promise of the upcoming 802.11g standard.
This product was released prior to the final ratification of the 802.11g standard, but firmware upgrades for most 802.11g draft-based products are now available that bring older products up to the final spec. Often these upgrades include other enhancements, such as improved security features for stronger encryption. Check the manufacturer's support site for firmware upgrades and look for firmware posted after June 15, the date that 802.11g was ratified.
User reviews
-
-
Piece of cake
by trcolley on May 4, 2005
Pros: Easy setup, cheap, nice looking
Cons: None found so far
Summary: Plugged it in, typed in the IP address on the bottom, setup MAC filtering, SSID, and WEP all without looking at the CD or the quick start guide. Worked perfectly ...
Summary: Plugged it in, typed in the IP address on the bottom, setup MAC filtering, SSID, and WEP all without looking at the CD or the quick start guide. Worked perfectly right out of the box. Good speed, incredible range (from basement to second floor). Best thirty bucks I ever spent on networking gear.
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
This AP is terrible
by kramer2718 on February 27, 2005
Pros: It worked for a little while
Cons: WEP just doesn't work
Summary: It worked fine at first-authentication, encryption, and access control. Then when I changed the settings, it quit working. I was able to get it to work with all security turned ...
Summary: It worked fine at first-authentication, encryption, and access control. Then when I changed the settings, it quit working. I was able to get it to work with all security turned off, but who wants that? The netgear website gave very little troubleshooting tips (all of which I followed to no avail). I tried to get phone support, but the router that I purchased was refurbished. I would totally avoid any Netgear products in the future.
8 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
The rush doesn't last
Pros: Easy to setup, detachable antenna, good initial performance
Cons: False advertising - the box (version 1) said it would be upgradable for 802.11x support but no such upgrade was offered. Latest firmware is buggy, performance drags to a crawl after a few days of use. Netgear has basically abandoned the version 1 product,
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Easy to use, fast and problem free
by s1975 on May 16, 2005
Pros: Easy to link together
Cons: Can't think of any
Summary: I used four Netgear WG602 access points to create a wi-fi hotspot for hotel with six levels. This was the first wireless network I had created and found the whole ...
Summary: I used four Netgear WG602 access points to create a wi-fi hotspot for hotel with six levels. This was the first wireless network I had created and found the whole process of using these access points simple, quick and extremely effective.
Network security wasn't a priority as I just wanted to limit unauthorised access as much as possible so WEP was sufficient.
Although they offer WPA encryption, the way that the network was set up meant this facility wasn't available.
The wireless net has been running for around six months now and I haven't had to maintain or reconfigure any of the access points.
Will be using these in my next project.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
good functionality, horrible horrible technical support
by cs_expert on August 26, 2005
Pros: when it works its great
Cons: if you have a problem, they won't help you unless you pay
Summary: Please go to the netgear product support pages to see that they want to charge you lots of money for phone technical support starting 90 days after you have bought ...
Summary: Please go to the netgear product support pages to see that they want to charge you lots of money for phone technical support starting 90 days after you have bought the product. I think this is horrible.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Easy to setup, worked first time
by PCHPlayer on April 18, 2005
Pros: Easy setup, good range
Cons: DHCP client enabled by default causing IP address change
Summary: Purchased the WG602 V3 2 days ago, setup within 5 minutes. Was able to access internet using an old 802.11b card. Changed SSID, disabled SSID broadcast, added MAC filtering ...
Summary: Purchased the WG602 V3 2 days ago, setup within 5 minutes. Was able to access internet using an old 802.11b card. Changed SSID, disabled SSID broadcast, added MAC filtering and enabled WEP protection all without looking at the documentation. All operations worked flawlessly. Accessed using Netgear 802.11g card and got fantastic range. Currently running 1.0.4 firmware.
The only issue I had was with the DHCP client setup. My router changed the IP address of the AP so I had to query the router to find out what IP address was assigned to the AP. Once I assigned a static IP to the AP everything was fine.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Performs real well, instructions stink.
Pros: Installed 12/04 for use with Dell laptop. Small footprint and constructed seemingly well. Has performed as advertised and provides good range throughout my house (2000 sq ft). Surfing speeds are good, although I have not attempted any significant file dow
Cons: Written instructions and CD's made no sense whatsoever, especially for a newbee like me and I am somewhat technical. Called tech service after a fruitless frustrating hour of trying to install myself. Call center was helpful, and was able to get me up wit
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
With DD-WRT v24 firmware works well
by raulitech on June 24, 2008
Pros: Small and tidy looking
Cons: Found the manufacturer provided firmware to be unreliable but using DD-WRT solved the problem.
Summary: When I first used this router it could not sustain a reliable connection with my Netgear WG311 or WG111 wireless adapters. It would connect at 54mbits then creep down and ...
Summary: When I first used this router it could not sustain a reliable connection with my Netgear WG311 or WG111 wireless adapters. It would connect at 54mbits then creep down and after about 10 minutes of use I would get disconnections. I put the router into a box and did not use it for another 6months and returned to using network cables. Then I learned about third party firmware DD-WRT v24 micro edition which is free.
Previously I had the latest firmware from Netgear version 1.2.5, using the install procedure for the DD-WRT provided I could not get it to install, then I downgraded the Netgear firmware to 1.2.2 realizing Netgear made their latest firmware to stop installing DD-WRT since they do not want this poor quality wireless AP to work like a router costing more money. I then installed the DD-WRT v24 over the Netgear 1.2.2 firmware. It has been 3 weeks and the router (yes it works as a router, client or accesspoint now) has not needed a restart, a reset and I get no disconnections or other weird behaviour. The only downside to this solution is installing the DD-WRT firmware is difficult to do for the average user. -
Very Nice Product
by ku4hx on March 8, 2008
Pros: Stability and reliability very high
Cons: Setup is a bit confusing. You must follow the instructions precisely.
Summary: Once past setup, the unit has been perfect in home use. The range for 54Mbps is limited to about 100' but that should be fine for most home installations. The ...
Summary: Once past setup, the unit has been perfect in home use. The range for 54Mbps is limited to about 100' but that should be fine for most home installations. The first one I had failed during setup and I didn't realize that for a long while; I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. Netgear replaced the failed unit quickly with no questions. The second unit has been the perfect one. It's also pretty rugged as I've dropped it a couple of times with no ill effects. If you're new to these devices, follow the setup instructions EXACTLY. Do this even if you're an old hand at it.
-
Worked great for 11 months, then crapped out.
by deucefive on February 28, 2008
Pros: Worked really well for 11 months
Cons: Broke after 11 months. Tech support horrible.
Summary: This product worked flawlessly when I first bought it. I had perfect uninterrupted service all over my house and in the back yard. Then one day it just stopped working. ...
Summary: This product worked flawlessly when I first bought it. I had perfect uninterrupted service all over my house and in the back yard. Then one day it just stopped working. The antenna light went out. There was no more signal. Hooking it directly thru a network cable to the computer also did not work. You could not access it at all. I called Netgear and they had me on the phone for 1 hour and 30 minutes verifying that it was actually broken. This was a total waste of my time. I would never buy anything from Netgear again. I had to argue with them to honor the one year warranty and now they are telling me from the time I send the broken unit back, it will take a month to receive the new replacement.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: NetGear Inc.
- Part number: WG602
- Description: NETGEAR's WG602 Wireless Access Point lets you add IEEE 802.11g wireless access to your network. With its high-speed data transmission of up to 54 Mbps network users can share a broadband Internet connection, access e-mail, download large files, videoconference, and distribute and play digital images, videos, and MP3 files. Easy to set up and use, NETGEAR's Smart Wizard install assistant makes installations a cinch. And with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA-PSK) security, you can rest assured that your wireless network communications are private. Simultaneously supports both IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g standard devices and networks. This dual mode capability protects your 802.11b wireless investment and, at the same time, has you ready for the up to five times faster 802.11g. Provides connectivity to a wired or wireless network for expanded bandwidth. Higher speeds expedite large file downloads and facilitate videoconferencing and the distribution and playing of high-quality multimedia content.
General
- Device Type Wireless access point
- Width 6.9 in
- Depth 4.6 in
- Height 1.1 in
- Weight 0.7 lbs
Networking
- Form factor External
- Connectivity technology Wireless
- Data transfer rate 54 Mbps
- Line coding format CCK, BPSK, OFDM, QPSK, DBPSK, DQPSK, 16 QAM, 64 QAM
- Data link protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet
- Bandwidth 2.4 GHz
- Encryption Algorithm 40-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP
- Networking standards IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Processor Memory / Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Optical Storage None
- Storage Removable None
Antenna
- Antenna External detachable
- Antenna Quantity 1
Communications
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Bays Total (Free) None
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) None
- Interfaces 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x Network cable
- Compliant Standards CE, FCC Class B certified
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery
- Type None
Software / System Requirements
- Software type Drivers & Utilities
- Min Operating system Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition / Windows ME
- Min Processor Type Intel Pentium
Environmental Parameters
- Min operating temperature 32 °F
- Max operating temperature 140 °F
- Operating humidity range 5 - 95%
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support NETGEAR lifetime warranty
Manufacturer info
- NetGear Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse NetGear Inc. products on Shopper.com
-
- 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
