CNET editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 02/18/2004
- Released on: 10/01/2003
An antenna that swivels 360 degrees lets you tune in the best signal. There are LEDs for the power, the wireless connections, the Internet connection, and each of the Ethernet ports. Oddly, the port activity lights don't correspond to the placement of the RJ-45 jacks in the back (port one lines up with the light for port four), which makes monitoring and troubleshooting a little confusing. Unlike many of its peers, the WBR-100 doesn't have a stand for vertical positioning, but it does come with hardware for screwing the unit into a wall. A recessed reset button on the back panel lets you return the device to its default settings so that you can access the router should you forget your password.
The 86-page installation guide is thorough and detailed, providing all you'll need to set up and optimize your network, and a setup wizard graces the router's browser-based configuration tool. After plugging in everything and accessing the Wizard through a standard browser, the WBR-100 tests the connection and walks you through a few onscreen prompts. In less than five minutes, the network is up and running.Although it touts easy setup and a nice combination of features, Gateway's WBR-100 wireless router is a couple of steps behind the competition in the latter category. The WBR-100 can function as a virtual server, relaying traffic to e-mail or Web servers on your local network. It also displays a list of connected computers on your network, which can come in handy if you want to monitor who is on the network.
Unfortunately, the WBR-100 is slow for a wireless router, offering a total throughput of only about 5Mbps--about five times less throughput than an 802.11g router, which is a better solution if you plan to support more than four wireless clients simultaneously. The WBR-100 also lacks WDS support, which means that it can't connect wirelessly to other access points. If you want to connect the WBR-100 to another access point to expand your coverage area, you'll need to connect the two via an Ethernet cable. Luckily, the removable antenna on the WBR-100 lets you attach another antenna to increase your range.
 |
 The WBR-100 is designed to let you attach another antenna to increase your range. |
Gamers will be happy that the WBR-100 includes a DMZ for applications that need an unhindered Internet connection. Parents will also be pleased that the WBR-100 can block access to the Internet based on a particular client (say, the computer in the kids' room) or URL (that is, a specific site that a parent does not want a child to visit).The Gateway WBR-100 wireless router delivered reliable throughput and range over the course of a week of intensive use in CNET Labs, but its performance lagged behind that of other broadband routers we've tested. CNET Labs clocked the WBR-100's maximum wireless throughput at 5.2Mbps, well behind 802.11g routers, such as the Motorola WR850G and the D-Link DI-624. With a range of 150 feet, the WBR-100 falls well short of the DI-624 and the Netgear WGT624.
CNET Labs maximum throughput tests (Longer bars indicate better performance)
|
||||||||||||
|
