Netgear WNDR3700 N600 Dual Band Wireless Gigabit Router is the best overall router you can get at around ₹6000. Its feature packed with good support.

The router has a great range, speeds, support, features & build quality. Overall this is a good one 🙂

Unboxing & My Set Up

If you’re Anti-Google, watch it in Vimeo. YouTube is also embedded.

Netgear WNDR3700 N600 Dual Band Wireless Gigabit Router from Karthikeyan on Vimeo.

Range

2.4Ghz & 5Ghz both are good. As the standard goes, 5Ghz range is obviously a little lower than the 2.4Ghz. My home is a medium sized one and this covers all the corners. Even the 5Ghz gives 2 bars at the very last corner from the router which is placed in the center & I have objects blocking the signal everywhere. I can’t relocate my home and the stuff in it for the router you see.. The next time I change my home, I will calculate/plan for the placement of WiFi first and then will build the home around it 😀

Speeds

I have an ACT Fiber with 20Mbps. I’m getting the exact same speed in my wireless devices and wired too. Unable to test the true full speeds as I do not have anything other than my PC. If I had a laptop in addition, I’d have tested the real and fully capable speeds of this router using wireless file transfers within the network.

Support

The latest firmware version is 1.0.1.52 and its from 2014 🙂 Checking, updating, backing up ROM settings is fairly straight forward and easy. Its 128MB ROM/RAM by the way.

It also has USB stuff which you can use as a Mini NAS and share files within the network with a flash drive or external hard drive. Instead connect a printer and print wirelessly. exFat is not supported, all FAT and NTFS are supported, not sure about the Linux file formats.

It has simultaneous dual-band for both home and guest networks. You can isolate the guest wirelessly and also through LAN as well.

You can schedule the router to turn off at set times. Turn off wireless radio alone and turn it back on with a touch of a button. WPS for connecting capable devices. Vertical and horizontal positioning freedom.

It stays cool all the time, during my testing. The provided stand for having the router vertically placed holds the router in place solidly with firm grip.

Some random images of the UI. It can be accessed through routerlogin.net or whatever you specify, default being 12.168.1.1.

Feature     v4
CPU          Atheros AR9344 560MHz
RAM         128MB
Flash        128MB
Switch       Atheros AR9344
Radios      Atheros AR9344 / Atheros AR9582
Max TX     26 dBm / 22 dBm

DD-WRT Firmware can be found here.

Qualcomm Atheros – What it is?

And this is the DNS I use in the manner of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary,

Just know about the F & J Root servers. Thank me later.

202.83.24.2 / 203.124.230.12 / 59.144.127.17

[Atria Convergence Technologies Pvt Ltd (ACT)
202.83.24.2: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=62
Minimum = 1ms, Maximum = 2ms, Average = 1ms

TATA Communications formerly VSNL
203.124.230.12: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=58
Minimum = 23ms, Maximum = 27ms, Average = 24ms

Bharti Airtel Ltd.
59.144.127.17: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=247
Minimum = 27ms, Maximum = 28ms, Average = 27ms]

DNS is something that makes or breaks the connection speed and whether you’ll be able to visit a website or not. For more information click here.

This is how I chose my Primary & Secondary DNS.. I pinged the IP via Command Prompt 😀 Namebench is for losers!

218.248.240.181

ping 218.248.240.181

Pinging 218.248.240.181 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 218.248.240.181: bytes=32 time=66ms TTL=248
Reply from 218.248.240.181: bytes=32 time=56ms TTL=248
Reply from 218.248.240.181: bytes=32 time=56ms TTL=248
Reply from 218.248.240.181: bytes=32 time=56ms TTL=248

Ping statistics for 218.248.240.181:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 56ms, Maximum = 66ms, Average = 58ms

202.83.24.2

Pinging 202.83.24.2 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 202.83.24.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=62
Reply from 202.83.24.2: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=62
Reply from 202.83.24.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=62
Reply from 202.83.24.2: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=62

Ping statistics for 202.83.24.2:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 1ms, Maximum = 2ms, Average = 1ms

203.124.230.12

Pinging 203.124.230.12 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 203.124.230.12: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=58
Reply from 203.124.230.12: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=58
Reply from 203.124.230.12: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=58
Reply from 203.124.230.12: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=58

Ping statistics for 203.124.230.12:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 23ms, Maximum = 27ms, Average = 24ms

202.56.215.28

Pinging 202.56.215.28 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 202.56.215.28: bytes=32 time=59ms TTL=248
Reply from 202.56.215.28: bytes=32 time=58ms TTL=248
Reply from 202.56.215.28: bytes=32 time=49ms TTL=248
Reply from 202.56.215.28: bytes=32 time=56ms TTL=248

Ping statistics for 202.56.215.28:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 49ms, Maximum = 59ms, Average = 55ms

202.56.215.29
Pinging 202.56.215.29 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 202.56.215.29: bytes=32 time=48ms TTL=246
Reply from 202.56.215.29: bytes=32 time=57ms TTL=246
Reply from 202.56.215.29: bytes=32 time=50ms TTL=246
Reply from 202.56.215.29: bytes=32 time=48ms TTL=246

Ping statistics for 202.56.215.29:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 48ms, Maximum = 57ms, Average = 50ms

59.144.127.16

Pinging 59.144.127.16 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 59.144.127.16: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=247
Reply from 59.144.127.16: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=247
Reply from 59.144.127.16: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=247
Reply from 59.144.127.16: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=247

Ping statistics for 59.144.127.16:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 28ms, Maximum = 31ms, Average = 29ms

59.144.127.17

Pinging 59.144.127.17 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 59.144.127.17: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=247
Reply from 59.144.127.17: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=247
Reply from 59.144.127.17: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=247
Reply from 59.144.127.17: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=247

Ping statistics for 59.144.127.17:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 27ms, Maximum = 28ms, Average = 27ms

8.8.8.8

Pinging 8.8.8.8 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=48
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=48
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=48
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=48

Ping statistics for 8.8.8.8:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 34ms, Maximum = 35ms, Average = 34ms

8.8.4.4
Pinging 8.8.4.4 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 8.8.4.4: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=48
Reply from 8.8.4.4: bytes=32 time=44ms TTL=48
Reply from 8.8.4.4: bytes=32 time=44ms TTL=48
Reply from 8.8.4.4: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=48

Ping statistics for 8.8.4.4:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 33ms, Maximum = 44ms, Average = 38ms

Okay, here you go.. A more sane and readable version of the same.

218.248.240.181: bytes=32 time=66ms TTL=248
Minimum = 56ms, Maximum = 66ms, Average = 58ms

202.83.24.2: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=62
Minimum = 1ms, Maximum = 2ms, Average = 1ms

203.124.230.12: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=58
Minimum = 23ms, Maximum = 27ms, Average = 24ms

202.56.215.28: bytes=32 time=56ms TTL=248
Minimum = 49ms, Maximum = 59ms, Average = 55ms

202.56.215.29: bytes=32 time=48ms TTL=246
Minimum = 48ms, Maximum = 57ms, Average = 50ms

59.144.127.16: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=247
Minimum = 28ms, Maximum = 31ms, Average = 29ms

59.144.127.17: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=247
Minimum = 27ms, Maximum = 28ms, Average = 27ms

8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=48
Minimum = 34ms, Maximum = 35ms, Average = 34ms

8.8.4.4: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=48
Minimum = 33ms, Maximum = 44ms, Average = 38ms

DNS Server locations in India:

ACT – Bangalore

TATA – Mumbai

Airtel – Delhi

BSNL – New Delhi

Overall

Netgear WNDR3700 N600 Dual Band Wireless Gigabit Router is the best mid-high router period.

Netgear WNDR3700 N600 Dual Band Wireless Gigabit Router is the best mid-high router period. STFU and get it here ASAP 😛

Amazon – http://j.mp/1uqCfmT
Flipkart – http://j.mp/1x8KNeZ

Official Page:

Netgear N600  – http://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/wndr3700.aspx