I don't leave reviews very often. But I wanted to use this to flag with people comparing products that this is VASTLY easier to set up than the equivalently priced BT Wifi Extender.
I'm a software engineer who spent several years working for a large hosting company doing third line support. I was a system admin and network admin. I had access to a huge datacentre and most of the kit in it. I know about IP address, DNS, Ethernet protocols, TCP vs UDP, ports, etc. I KNOW MY STUFF. And the BT device I tried out before this one basically wasted about 3 hours of my life: I tried reconfiguring my main router, I tried updating the firmware on the device (the update failed, and the BT support thread basically said if you don't like it then take it back and get a refund, which I did). The BT device had a band switch on it to select 2.4 or 5GHz, and the switch did nothing: the device would only scan for 5GHz networks. And when I DID finally bully the thing into getting connected it took out the network - presumably with some kind of IP conflict. In any case, I wasn't going to hang around trying to fix it when I couldn't even update the firmware, so I took it back.
Disillusioned with the whole idea of extending the range of my network, I tried one of these NetGear EX3700 AC750's. Plugged it in. Connected an iPad. Stepped through the set up. It was informative. It was simple. It discovered all the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks in the neighborhood and gave me enough options that I could set it up as I liked without me really having to know anything more than the basics about networks. Once set up, I unplugged it, moved it to a location further from the router, and it came back up serving me excellent WiFi to the previously-dark areas of my house.
So...basically...if you're looking at options and the list of options includes BT and NetGear: trust an expert and cross BT off now. This is the thing you need!
| Brand | NETGEAR |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 5.52 x 6.72 x 3.9 cm; 130 g |
| Item model number | EX3700-100UKS |
| Manufacturer | Netgear |
| Series | EX3700-100UKS |
| Colour | White |
| Processor Socket | Socket AM2 |
| Memory Technology | SO-RIMM |
| Connectivity Type | Yes |
| Wireless Type | 802.11n, 802.11b, 802.11g |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 130 g |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
