Review on 🔒 ProSafe FM114P Wireless Firewall with 4-Port Connectivity by NETGEAR by Danny Zapata

I bought the Revain FM114P router and MA-410 wireless PCMCIA card (see separate review). FM114P worked right out of the box, with no installation or configuration required. I took the internet cable from my computer, connected it to the FM114P and connected the internet cable (supplied) from my cable modem to the FM114P. It worked perfectly. I would recommend unplugging the cable modem and plugging it back in about 5-10 seconds later. Some cable modems require this reset after a configuration change. The MA-401 installed in 5 minutes, so I had a wireless network in less than 10 minutes after opening the box. In addition to the wireless laptop, another computer was connected to the router. No further action is REQUIRED for basic wired and wireless operation, but if you want to enable encryption and other privacy features, you must configure your router. The configuration is relatively easy. After starting Internet Explorer or Netscape, enter the router address (192.168.0.1). The router then displays a login window (default admin/password). After logging in to the router, three columns are displayed. Left = selection of setting options (e.g. WiFi, password, protocols, etc.); medium=parameters to change for each function; right=Help information for each parameter. There is a separate procedure for setting up a printer port; a bit fiddly, but after setting it up it worked. The FM114P's wireless capabilities combined with the MA-401 are great for my home (2500 square feet plus basement). The MA-401 received a good signal from every room in the house, including the basement, and worked up to 40-50 feet outside. FM114P is on the first floor. I don't have 2.4Ghz phones so can't say if there will be a problem (D-Link has a problem with that but otherwise fine; Linksys seems to have serious problems with wireless usage) . The download speed over the wireless connection was the same as a wired connection to the router. Based on professional reviews, the firewall is up to date for routers in this price range and allows you to email the log hourly to weekly if you want to take security measures. With the new firmware (see below) you can log all traffic if you want (I don't!). The router ships with firmware version 1.1, release 0; Version 1.3 Release 5 (released September 2002) is now available for download from the Netgear website. I downloaded the latest firmware from the instructions on their website. It took a few minutes and everything worked. I haven't noticed any improvements or degradations, but it's always good to have the latest version, especially if you ever need to contact tech support for help. I can highly recommend the combination of FM114P and MA-401.