Netgear Rangemax 240 is garbage?!?

Ok, after reviewing range/throughput numbers on the net, I decided on a Netgear Rangemax 240 router. Yeah, I know N will be in the next year or so, but I wanted this to get by for now as my linksys has constant disconnects (sometimes).

I purchased one and configured it off network. Took it downstairs and hooked it into the wired portion of my network and it was indeed about 2x faster with downloads over 11g than my Linksys.

However, the SSID disappeared after about 5 minutes. I connected to the Linksys SSID and couldn't even see the router via ping over the wired portion of the network (RDP into a wired computer, ping from that computer to eliminate any wireless)

Take the router back to the store and get another one.

Second router, exact same issue.

I could understand the possibility of wireless interference with my linksys, but there is no excuse for wired access to take a dump on me.

I have also tried different channels (8 for the linksys, 1, 6 10, and 11 for the NetGear). Firmware is upgraded to the latest.

I'm about ready to take this one back but really want the range and throughput it gives me.

However, I need a BIT more than five minutes of connectivity at a time, if you know what I mean.

Oh, and the connectivity issue happens with a WUSB11, two internal 3245's (one in a Sony SZ with older drivers, one in a Dell 1705 with the latest drivers) and a dell 1370. The SSID disappears from all wireless monitors including Net Stumbler.

 

Hi,
Are you using the rangemax as the main DHCP server or just the wireless bridge??
If so have you disabled the wireless on the linksys - i would do this just to test.

With the rangemax 240 i believe you need a netgear rangemax 240 reciever aswell, otherwise you will get compatibility issues. To see if this is the case, disable the rangemax option (or boost option) what ever its called, and run it under standard 54g, and see if you still get the issues. If you dont, then it looks like you will need to get a 240 reciever aswell, to run it in the 240N mode.

gethin

 

Well, then I'll have to take it back because it has to run with more than one type of adapter. That's pretty silly (not you, Netgear) to create a router than can run with only one type of adapter.

I am using it as a wireless bridge. It's going upstairs via a cat 5 run to my office, with the linksys staying downstairs as a g/b network. Maximize throughput on the Netgear and use the linksys as a catchall for b devices.

And I still can't figure out why I can't see the router via IP ping (on the internal network of course) over the wired portion of the network.

Thanks for your help....

Oh, and I'll try the G only access...

 

Well its not that the router is only designed to work with one type of adapter, but the boost option (the 240 bit) is. Due to the fact that all of these technologies are "pre-N" then they are not designed to work with other manufacturers "pre-n" technology, only their own.


If you wait untill the N standard comes out then you will be able to use different adapters and recievers.

Gethin

 

Oh, I'm aware of that. But if it's going to drop connections with anything BUT the 240 adapter, it's junk in my book. I want flexibility and it doesn't look like I'm going to get it with this adapter.

Man, it gets a good signal though.

Net Stumbler shows -36db and the linksys has -55db...until the SSID disappears

I'll try a few more things, including using it as a router rather than just a bridge and see if that makes a difference

 

I ended up returning it. I'm going to pick up the Belkin Pre-N router (less than 100 bucks even) as it seems to get good reviews.