Review on NETGEAR Wireless Desktop Access WAX218PA by John Blanco

I needed to install a pair of wireless access points in a retail store. The goal was pretty simple. The AT&T router/WAP combo was on the front door but couldn't reach the back pantry. The plan was to move the router to the back, where it connects locally to the fiber-to-copper media converter, and reuse the CAT5 lane up front for one of the NETGEAR WAX214 wireless access points. I then placed another one next to the camp and then turned off the Wi-Fi on the router. just right? I usually use Ubiquiti WAPs as I've used them in my last two homes, but I don't have a PC to install the utility to manage in store. So between that and a few bucks saved, I settled on two WAX214s. You will receive a base box with the WAX214, a mounting plate and a small hardware bag. Unfortunately, the mounting plate wasn't suitable for false ceilings (another point in Ubiquiti's favour), so I attached my two tiles to the wall just below the ceiling. I used a pair of keyhole shaped slots (mounted in metal) on the back of the wall mount access point. The device looks good. I used a cheap Cisco PoE switch, although you can use any active PoE switch or injector with these devices. The initial negotiation takes about 3-4 seconds, the full download takes about 20 seconds. Bandwidth, connection stability and device reliability seem fine although I haven't tested Chariot on devices. It should also be noted that my devices were delivered with firmware 1.0.1.0. I heard it's bullshit and updated my version to version 2.0.1.3 (that's what my observations are based on). As you would expect from devices that allow for a non-centralized configuration, the WAX214 is very similar to any consumer access point. You can connect to the configuration SSID, or just put it on your network, see what DHCP lease it got, and then connect to that IP address from any computer on the local network. Either way, you'll be asked to set an administrator password (there are security rules you can't disable) and a Wi-Fi passphrase. These are all the settings you need to make. I updated the firmware. This process is terrible as the device has no way of knowing if a newer firmware is available and certainly won't download and apply it. Instead you download it to your phone/computer/whatever and then upload it to WAP. I had expected that with my old WRT54G. I don't understand why the process hasn't improved after a decade. After that I edited my wireless networks and created one for business and one for clients. I marked the client wifi as "guest network", enabled dhcp server, NAT and kept routes outside of your "normal" LAN. Nothing fancy here, but it's easy to set up. Another thing I did was set the client's wifi to have an availability schedule. This is a nice feature that not all providers have. Oh, and you change almost EVERY setting at any time? Reload. Pooh. At least it restarts fairly quickly. As for the rest of the possibilities, the device is quite simple. Basically, it's just a plug-and-play affair, without the detailed settings and flexibility of more serious solutions. And that's exactly what the Netgear WAX214 is. Cheap wap business. If you need to set up more than a few WAPs, I'd definitely suggest Ubiquiti instead, if only for easier management. However, if you only need an access point or two, the WAX214 isn't bad, and the price seems fair for what you're getting - just make sure you upgrade the firmware. Conditionally recommended