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ZyXEL Wireless N 450 Mbps Concurrent Dual-Band Gigabit Router (NBG5715) Review
***Added 11-11-11*** I've had a few issues with the router, but nothing that cripples it. I've not had to reboot it at all yet and it's been very stable overall while under heavy load.
Current Issues I've encountered:
1. It doesn't currently support 'Loopback/hairpin NAT' this means I can't resolve to DDNS domain names from inside my network unless I adjust the host file on each of my computers. You can't adjust the host file on a mobile device. So it's been a hassle. I've informed their tech support and they have put in a request to include this in the next firmware build, so hopefully it will get included. It's a very basic feature that most consumer routers have that support DDNS. I use DDNS for a Minecraft server and for my WHS 2011.
2. My Windows Home Server doesn't like this router much, when it comes to Remote Web Access, everything else works great. I've forwarded the necessary ports (80, 4125, 443) but it's hit or miss whether it wants to let me in or not. This could be because the WHS is trying to use UPNP.
3. Adding Port Triggering rules doesn't seem to work at all. I've tried adding rules a number of times with no success. Even after a re-flash of the current firmware they just never get saved.
4. Random log outs from the web interface in the middle of doing something happen sometimes and at times you need to login at least twice for it to actually log you in. I've set the admin timeout for 15 min, but it should only time out after 15 min of no activity, not whenever it wants.
5. Remote administration works intermittently. At times it times out when trying to login when done through remote administration; 192.168.1.1:8080
6. My firmware is reported as being NBG5715_1.00(AAAG.0)b10 but the most recent online is reported as being NBG5715_V1.00(AAAG.0)C0 The difference is mine is "b10" and the one online is improperly labeled "C0", unless this is some internal naming convention. I still think it's a little strange because I've flashed with the C0 firmware but my router still reports a b10 build. So the file is either labeled wrong or that's how they do it at Zyxel. I'm probably just me over analyzing things.
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A Comparison of Routers:
Routers in general are some of the most finicky pieces of hardware on any network...or rather wireless routers. Wireless tends to be really straight forward and yet many of the wireless routers on the Market are hit or miss and plagued with weak wireless output or intermittent connectivity issues. I've tried (owned) all the major brands for extended periods of time: Linksys (Cisco), D-Link, Netgear, Belkin, Asus, Buffalo and every brand has some amazing offerings. Even within a certain model there are hardware revisions almost annually, which can resolve or create issues for that given Router Model. Most recently my favorite has been the Netgear N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700, not because it's a Netgear, but because it has been extremely reliable and it looks great.
Most routers don't offer some of the features that the NBG5715 has by default, which made me want to try it out. I've been told that the NBG5715 has two separate CPUs, but I can't remember where I heard this or if it's actually true, so I'm guessing it's not true. I've used some of Zyxel's Firewalls in the past like the ZyXEL ZyWALL USG100 Unified Security Gateway Firewall w/50 VPN Tunnels, SSL VPN, 7 Gigabit Ports, and High Availability and have been very pleased with them. So I thought, why not...lets give Zyxel another shot. I'm pleased with the outcome.
***Pros:
1. Stable Wireless with no Connectivity issues (yet, hopefully never). I've been using it for a little over a week now with no disconnects or any issues. The Firmware seems stable, but can only get better with new releases in the coming months.
2. Sale Price $149. I wouldn't have paid $250 for this thing, not because it's not worth it, but because I didn't want to put out $250. The normal price on Amazon has fluctuated between $176-$186 over the past few weeks.
3. 450 Mbps per wireless channel when using 40Mhz on 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz channels. Because not all devices support 40 MHz channels, I've selected the Auto 20/40MHz to allow the NBG5715 to adjust the channel bandwidth automatically. Getting 450 Mbps is going to depend on if your client is capable of those speeds. You'll also want to use WPA2 with AES encryption to maximize speeds.
4. Non Standard features some of which are: **Wireless output power management, **5 IPSec VPN Tunnels for Site to Site VPN only (but you can get client to site working, but it's not currently supported and a hassle), **Advanced Firewall Management/Rule Creation (can create individual rules for clients on your network), **NetUSB for Printer, Scanner and Hard/Flash Drive (nothing new but most routers don't this), **Wall Mountable (lots of routers are nowadays).
5. Physical buttons to turn on\off: Power, LEDs, and Wireless Output.
6. External Antenna are upgradable. External Antenna don't necessarily mean that you'll get better wireless coverage, but if you want to improve your coverage you can put on some higher Gain Antenna. The three default Antenna are 2dBi.
7. It has an Integrated check for firmware upgrades. So you don't have to go to their website or ftp server every time there is a firmware update.
***Cons:
1. The LED Management Lights are all the same color and are nothing close to the traditional way of interpreting connection status. It's almost counter intuitive at first until you get used to it, or if you every get used to it.
2. Slow Interface. The Basic Interface is annoying and always comes up first (it's called "Easy Mode" and I can't yet find a way to disable it and just default to "Expert Mode"). The Expert Mode is Functional, but not speedy by any means.
3. The entire thing is a fingerprint magnet. I foresee it getting scratched easily if it's in an area where it will get bumped or nudged. If you never come near your router than this won't be a problem.
4. Fairly Big. It's definitely not a small Router, this could be a problem for some people. Just make sure you look at all the physical dimension before you buy and find it doesn't fit where you need it to go.
5. It must be used in a vertical position. I don't really care either way, but some people won't buy it because of this. The WNDR3700 by Netgear can be used vertically or horizontally because of the cable connections. I like using the NBG5715 vertically more than I do the WNDR3700 because the cables connect near the bottom of the NBG5715 so they are out of the way (not jutting out the side) when used vertically. On the flip side, I have always liked the streamline look of a Router that's cables are low to the base, but connected on the outer back side so the router can be placed flat wherever it's located.
6. Wall mounting will be kinda strange with the positioning of cables on the NBG5715. I don't know if the base is removable.
7. When Remote Administration is enabled you can only access the router via 192.168.1.1:8080 whether it be internally or externally. This is done by design in the release firmware. Other routers on the market don't do this, which is preferred in my opinion.
***Performance:
(10/31/11) I'm going to run some real life performance test when I get a chance this week. I have additional networking equipment in my home, but I'll turn all other access points off and use only the NBG5715. I'll see how many Bluray (ISO) HD Streams it can handle while I max out my Internet connection with downloads, Multiplayer Gaming and Netflix, Hulu and Youtube Streaming. We have 4 iPhones, 2 HP TouchPads, 2 PCs and 2 Macs, 3 Sonos Players, 1 Xbox 360, 1 Playstion 3, 1 Popcorn Hour A-110, 1 Popcorn Hour C-200, 1 Samsung Smart TV, VOIP Phone service and other gadgets. Lets see what this thing can handle. I'll try to have every device in my home actively using it then list off what device was doing what and if it was wired or wireless (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz)
***Overall:
I have had no issues with setup, performance, wireless range, connectivity, or reliability/stability. Our family is big into Streaming and sharing multimedia over our network among multiple NAS devices and Networked Players. It is placed in the center of my home on the second of three levels (stories). I've been able to provide coverage to all my home this way. On the Extreme ends of the home 1-2 bars are lost, but our home is large and this hasn't hampered performance much at all. It's form factor is different, but I've already gotten used to it. If the price stays this low and you need a new Router I highly recommend it for it's advanced feature set and reliability. Time will tell if things will continue to work well. I'll update my review if I experience issue with the NBG5715.
***My Wishlist of features and/or additions (i know this is a consumer product and there is only enough memory for certain fetures, but it's one of if not the most expensive consumer router on the market so i think it should have some sweet features):
1. Loopback/hairpin NAT support
2. True Client to Site VPN over IPSec or even just PPTP so I can use a computer or iPhone to connect to my local network when away from home.
3. A software restart from within the web interface...Read more›
ZyXEL Wireless N 450 Mbps Concurrent Dual-Band Gigabit Router (NBG5715) Overview
Deploy the ultimate router solution for all your heavy multimedia networking needs. Having three dual-band antennas with MIMO technology generates extremely fast data transfer rate of up to 450 Mbps, the dual-band NBG5715 provides you ideal home network with high performance wireless Internet access for HD videos streaming, gaming and data transfer simultaneously. You can surf the web over common 2.4 GHz band and watch HD videos or play online games over interference-free 5 GHz band at the same time with smooth playback. Even better, the QoS will help you to enjoy smooth gaming or multimedia streaming. Equipped with the beam forming technology, the NBG5715 effectively extends wireless coverage to allow you to enjoy high-quality multimedia streaming in every room. With two NetUSB ports of the NBG5715, it allows you to easily share printer or media files stored in USB flash drives wirelessly with your friends and family everywhere at home. With four Gigabit Ethernet ports, the NBG5715 is designed for reliable high-performance video streaming with speeds 10 times faster than typical Ethernet connections and makes it easy to connect multiple wired devices. The Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) technology employed by the NBG5715 automatically prioritizes different network traffic types to optimize performance for enhanced audio, video and voice experience over wireless networks. In addition, as the configurable QoS technology ensures smooth delivery of gaming, video streaming, VoIP and downloading, your most important requests receive the best priority given. Thanks to the beam forming technology, the NBG5715 provides effective wireless coverage by transmitting wireless signals directly to other wireless network devices, such as tablet PC, laptop, and game console. You can enjoy digital entertainment content without dead spots in every room at your home.
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