NETGEAR WiFi USB 2.0 Adapter

1. This is a review of my experience with the Netgear R6300 dual band 802.11ac router (NETGEAR Wireless Router - AC 1750 Dual Band Gigabit (R6300)) and the related Netgear A6200 USB Wi-Fi adapter (Netgear WiFi USB Adapter - AC Dual Band (A6200)), which is available separately. 2. For reference, I see that CNET has a review dated 1-22-2013 of five "Best 802.11ac Routers," here: CNET > Reviews > Networking and Wi-Fi > Buying Guide > 2. Top five cutting-edge routers. They seem to give top billing to the Netgear & Asus models. I tried the Asus RT-AC66U router before the Netgear R6300, but it would not install properly at all. Something about an IP address conflict with my modem I found out later, after I had returned it. The Netgear R6300 router installed without a fuss: it simply advised me of the IP address conflict and fixed it automatically. The A6200 adapter also installed without problems. 3. I think I'm right in saying that at this time there's not much point in getting an ac router without an ac adapter, since almost no devices except routers or adapters are yet on the market that are compatible with the 802.11ac standard, probably because the standard itself has not been finalized in stone or bits or whatever and won't be until later this year. In tandem the router & adapter work to deliver an 802.11ac Wi-Fi signal to your current non-802.11ac-compatible computer. Without the adapter your non-ac-compatible computer will only receive the R6300 router's 802.11n signal, which is no better than simply using an n router (i.e., no faster or stronger Wi-Fi signal). Both the router and adapter are backward compatible with the previous 802.11n Wi-Fi standard and earlier, now outdated, 802.11 standards. The R6300 broadcasts on the 2.4 GHz band (802.11n) and the 5 GHz band (802.11ac & 802.11n), while the A6200 adapter receives these signals on both bands. My understanding is that the R6300, like other high-end n and ac routers, is actually sending out a number of different signals or "streams" at different strengths on both frequencies. Your adapter sorts this all out (so you don't have to), and your adapter's software will only show the two bands as available. The adapter then connects to the best stream that your device is able to use from those available on the band you've chosen. 4. FYI, I'm retired and run Windows 7 on a high-end Lenovo laptop at home here in the U.S., along with several mobile devices. I'm not that technically savvy, but I have been using PC's literally and truly since the first one came out. My ISP is AT&T. I use their U-verse service in the U.S., which gives me actual download speed of about 11.5 mbps (I pay for 12) and upload speed of about 1.5 mbps (I pay for 1.6, I believe). The modem is supplied by AT&T and is a 2Wire 3800HGV-B with 802.11g Wi-Fi. 5. Following Netgear's instructions, the router & adapter were installed and up and running in about one half hour. Additional time will be necessary to change SSID's, network passwords etc. Installation of the router was pretty standard. You connect the router's WAN port to a LAN port on the modem, then connect a LAN port on the router to your computer. Finally, start your browser, log in to the router with its "Netgear Genie" program and change router settings if desired. As I mentioned above, the installation program detected an IP address conflict with my modem and automatically fixed it, unlike the Asus router I tried. Installation of the adapter was also simple. In fact it was so simple I can't remember much about it. Truly "plug and play" I guess. In the end both router and adapter work fine together with my PC, whether connected by wire or wirelessly. The improvement in speed of the Wi-Fi signal is remarkable in comparison to that of my old n routers (see "UPDATE" below). 6. I noticed that the two devices each have their own versions of Netgear's "Netgear Genie" software. The router's Netgear Genie runs via your browser to adjust the router's settings to sign in to a Wi-Fi band. The adapter's Netgear Genie runs as software on your desktop rather than via your browser and allows you to sign in to a Wi-Fi band or set up using WPS. UPDATE: 1. I've been using the Netgear R6300 ac router along with their A6200 USB Wi-Fi adapter for about 10 days now without any significant problems. 2. Until I got the new ac router & adapter I used three 802.11n routers here at home, as follows: a) A Netgear N900 n router upstairs, to cover the house b) A Linksy E4200 n router in the kitchen wired into the N900 upstairs, to cover the back yard c) A D-Link DIR-655 n router in the living room wired into the N900 upstairs, to cover the front yard d) The PC had a built-in 802.11n adapter Even with all this the Wi-Fi could be slow at the extremes of the property. 3. With the new Netgear 802.11ac router and adapter setup, and with the other routers turned off, I now get excellent Wi-Fi speed in all parts of the property on the 5 GHz ac band. Informal tests (using SpeedTest.net, inSSider and inSSider 3) show that even where the 5 GHz signal is weak I still get the maximum Wi-Fi throughput (11.5 mbps) I can reasonably expect from my ISP. I'm amazed to be able to replace three n routers with one ac router and still get a boost in Wi-Fi performance much greater than I expected. I've read that in practice the ac signal should be about twice as fast as the old n signal. The ac signal range is actually not as good as the 2.4 GHz n band, but the speed of the 5 GHz ac signal is so much greater it doesn't matter. 4. On the other hand, while I didn't test it, I believe that the R6300 router should not provide a significant improvement over older n routers on the 2.4 GHz band. A top n router like the Netgear N900 should offer about the same performance as the new R6300 on the lower frequency band. The limitation is the 802.11n standard, not the routers. This means that if you have a good n router now, you probably shouldn't buy an ac router unless you have devices you know can use the 5GHz ac signal, which at this point requires an ac adapter. Which brings me full circle to the point I made in paragraph 3 at the top of this review. 5. One last point. If you get an ac router or adapter, or any other router for that matter, to set it up right you may want to download MetaGeek's inSSIDer and/or inSSIDer 3. These programs are free and will help you to see what other competing Wi-Fi signals are in your vicinity so you can select the best channels for your router to broadcast on or where to best locate devices etc. They won't help you identify other potential sources of RF interference around you, but the company sells other products that will do that if you can afford them. The two programs are great free dividends available to the average Joe (or Judy) from a company that sells its commercial products to professional Wi-Fi network designers. Hope this helps.