Netgear WNDR4500 N900 Wireless Router Review

Netgear WNDR 4500 N900 Dual-Band Wireless Router

Netgear has been a favorite manufacturer of computer networking devices for computer users and enthusiasts worldwide since they were formed back in 1996. Since then, they have become a trusted name in wireless technology and have been hanging their hat on their currently flagship router, the N900 WNDR4500 Dual-Band wireless router. In terms of speed, this router is designed for speeds of up to 900 Mbps (hence the N900) which eliminates such annoyances such as a slow loading pages or choppy streaming video.

For those who have their networked devices connected far from the router, the Netgear WNDR 4500 runs both 2.4 and 5GHz simultaneously along with six internal antennas in order to increase range and reduce WiFi interference. Netgears use of dual channeling is used reduce the potential bottleneck between the CPU and memory controller and to double WiFi bandwidth. This dual-band design should provide gamers with less lag while gaming on line or streaming 3D movies, HD videos. The Netgear WNDR 4500 N900 is also optimized for transferring media to USB hard drives, and wirelessly print from a USB connected printer.

We should also point out that the Netgear WDNT4500 N900 is the companies flagship 802.11n wireless router!

Powered by a Broadcom BCM4718 processor, the WNDR 4500 contains 128mb of RAM to give it some of the most robust processing power on the market. The N900 router uses the Netgear Genie which makes home networking fast and simple. The Netgear Genie gives the user and easy to navigate dashboard to control, monitor, and repair your home network.

Since the Netgear WNDR 4500 N900 wireless router was designed and built to be Netgears flagship router, it contains every bell and whistle that we have ever seen on a consumer-level router. Besides being able to operate up to a theoretical speed of 900 Mbps and improved wireless coverage over a dual-band wireless network, the WNDR4500 has 4 Gigabit wired connections and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) media sharing capabilities.

The N900 router also features ReadySHARE Printer and USB Access to wirelessly access and share your USB printer or hard drive. Netgear has also built in Parental Controls that include Web filtering for any device connected to the router. The user can set up their own Guest Wireless Network on either 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz band. Even though this router is feature-rich, you aren’t exactly breaking the bank when you go out an purchase one. As of today, you can find the Netgear WNDR 4500 N900 on Amazon or Newegg for under $160 – a significant savings off of the MSRP of $199.99.

Netgear WNDR 4500 N900 Features

• Wireless N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router with WiFi Speeds up to 900 Mbps (450 + 450) ideal for HD video streaming and other demanding applications
• Security – Best in class (WPA/WPA2/PSK) and WEP and Push N Connect ensures a quick and secure network connection using WiFi Protected Setup (WPS)
• NETGEAR Genie Easy dashboard control to manage, monitor and repair your home network
• WiFi Range – Simultaneous Dual Band doubles bandwidth while reducing WiFi interference and is ideal for larger homes with many conneted devices
• Five (5) 10/100/1000 (1 WAN and 4 LAN) Gigabit Ethernet ports with auto-sensing technology
• Create a powerful home network for applications: streaming 3DHD video and multiplayer gaming.
• New N900 wireless provides up to 450 + 450 Mbps speed and with simultaneous dual band technology avoids interference ensuring top WiFi speeds.
• ReadySHARE USB – easily share media stored on USB thumbdrives and hard drives with any DLNA device on your network, ReadySHARE Printer – wirelessly print from your computer to a connected USB printer
• The NETGEAR N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router delivers the ultimate in WiFi performance and range.
  Opening the Netgear box we see nothing amazing in the packaging, or in the contents. In the box we find the N900 wireless router with its stand already attached along with an Ethernet cable, power adapter, power cord, Installation Guide, and WNDR4500 user Guide.

The Netgear router comes already attached to a mount that keeps it upright. The N900 is designed to operate in a vertical configuration which can affect how well your wireless network works (more on that a little later). The router measures roughly 11.5 x 3.5 x 13 and finished in a glossy black and has only one button the On/Off button on the body.

The front of the WNDR4500 gives the user plenty of visual evidence on the status of the router. The top button is the WPS indicator for one-touch secure connection of your wireless devices. Below that is a WiFi status indicator, power status, internet connection, 2.4Ghz/5Ghz radio status, 4-LAN ports, and 2 USB indicators. Many of these indicators will change color or flash depending on the state the device is in. Overall, it is a pretty clean and efficient way of displaying information and users didnt find the indicators annoying or flashy as we used the device.

Over on the back you can easily see the two USB ports, 4 Ethernet LAN ports, WAN port, reset button, DC power plug, and On/Off push button. This, of course, is standard for most home routers, but after looking at the Western Digital My Net N900 router with 7 LAN ports, it makes you want a little bit more flash.

On the pages to follow we will set up the router and take speed tests of the WiFi to see just how well the router functions in a real-world test.