I have had the DG834N NETGEAR Modem Router for some months now. I bought it hoping to get greater  wireless range, however while it provides a better quality connection, I did not really get much of a boost in range. This is disappointing as the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology is meant to radically improve wireless range and quality. Also I had to wait for and install the latest firmware on my unit before it would work correctly with Windows Vista (After spending an hour talking to the support guy! who couldn’t fix the problem or tell me an update was on the way).

The Good:

• Better quality connection.
• Integrated modem/router/wireless access means less clutter of cables.
• Can handle bit-torrent traffic without freezing.
• Has all the standard features you would expect on a Modem/Router (UPnP, Firewall, MAC Access Control, WPA2 etc.).

The Bad:

• Firmware upgrade required for Windows Vista (If you buy it now this probably isn’t necessary).
• Adding firewall rules is a little confusing (you have to setup a ‘service’ first then attach open ports/IPs to it).
• Expensive when the MIMO technology doesn’t really provide much extra range.
• Must be used in upright position (see picture).

In conclusion the DG834N is reliable, easy to use and looks quite good. However if you are a ‘power user’ you will probably feel a little underwhelmed. There is a ‘gaming’ version I think so that might be the go if the DGN834N lacks any features you think you will need such as Quality of Service (QoS).