Review on NETGEAR Wi Fi Range Extender EX8000 by Brent Cole

When I received my Netgear EX8000, I set it up. Setting up your wireless network devices has become very easy and only takes a few minutes. It did exactly what you would expect from a range extender. The range was better than I expected and covered a larger area than other extensions I have used or installed for clients. Literally after 2 months I noticed a significant drop in signal strength. Looking at the EX8000, I noticed that all of the lights were blinking green at the same time. Then I tried to connect a computer to it via a wired connection to restart it via the interface. The page did not load. I then tried pressing the reset button, which didn't do anything (not even a single change in the way the lights blinked). As a last resort, I unplugged it for over a minute and plugged it back in. I came back 5 minutes later and all the lights were still flashing green. I then unplugged and plugged it back in overnight. This time I watched the lights for a good 7 minutes. Not once did the lights change their flashing mode. After several attempts over the next few days, it turned out that the EX8000 was "bricked". This seems very odd for a device that exists on the market as the EX8000 should be out of sale in less than 2 months. It was stored in a room that was kept at 78 degrees (Fahrenheit) with plenty of space around it. This experience made me recommend Netgear even for my customers' home networks. Any device should work for years, not months. In all my years of working with computers, upgrades have only been necessary for faster, more powerful hardware. I have a lot of old equipment that is 10-20 years old and still works for many customers with less demanding needs. I've heard of disposable gear but this is ridiculous!