To expand the reach of your WiFi connection, you need a reliable router that can cover even the toughest to reach spots in your home.
Netgear has been creating smart wireless routers since the late 90s. Adding to the list of their merchandise that we'll be reviewing is that the Netgear N300 wireless router.
It’s one amongst those older routers by Netgear however still supports a 2.4GHz WiFi. it's also been selling for pretty low costs on e-commerce sites like Amazon.
We would say it’s quite spectacular for those trying to find budget but reliable routers.
The Netgear N300 Wifi Router is one of the earliest routers manufactured by Netgear.
It is comparatively cheaper than any of the routers in the market but also comes with limited options.
However, these options are still relevant to today’s standards.
In this part of the article, we'll go through a number of each to help you choose if this router is correct for you.
2.4GHz 802.11n WiFi
The Netgear N300 Wifi Router comes with a 2.4Ghz wireless frequency. while most routers currently already begin shipping with a 5GHz band alongside the 2.4GHz, some people still like the 2.4GHz because of its higher space coverage.
While it’s slower than the 5GHz frequency band in terms of download speed, the 2.4GHz has ok speed for a bigger space area, reaching up to 300Mbps for the Netgear N300.
LED lights
The Netgear N300 comes with a LED light-weight indicator to create it easier to troubleshoot the device should users encounter some issues.
This is a basic feature for Netgear routers; therefore, almost each Netgear router is formatted with an equivalent LED indicator signals.
The following can indicate the router’s status via LED:
Power LED
Off – if the ability LED on your router is off, then it's additional likely not receiving power.
Solid green – if the power LED on your router is lighting solid green, this means that it's prepared.
Solid amber – after you apply power to the router, the power LED lights should flip solid amber for many seconds. this means that it's powering on and is running a self-test.
Blinking green – a blinking green power LED either means that your router’s firmware is upgrading or the push button was pressed.
Internet LED
Off – if the web LED is turned off, no ethernet cable is connected between the router and the modem.
Solid green – if the web LED lights solid green, this means the web connection is ready.
Solid amber – if the web LED lights solid amber, this means the router detected an ethernet cable connected to the modem.
WiFi LED
Off – if the LAN LED is turned off, this means the wireless radio is off.
Solid green – if it's just solid green, then the LAN radio is working successfully.
Enter the router username and password. By default for Netgear N300, the username is “admin”, while the default password is “password”. Note username and password are case-sensitive.
After successfully logging in, the basic Home screen will show.
From there, choose Parental Controls, and click on either the Windows Users or mac Users button.
Just follow the on-screen directions to download and install the NETGEAR Live Parental Controls management utility. Don’t worry, it's free and it comes with your Netgear N300.
After installation, launch the Live Parental Controls, though in some cases, it'll automatically launch.
Click the next button, and read the note. Click the next button again to proceed.
Because Live Parental Controls uses free OpenDNS accounts, you're prompted to log in or create a free account.
Select a radio button as follows:
If you have already got an OpenDNS account, leave the yes radio button selected.
If you do not have an OpenDNS account, choose the No radio button.
After that, click the next button.
To continue, complete all the fields and click on the Next button. after you go online or create your account, and will show different filtering levels.
High – Netgear protects against all adult-websites, illegal activity, social websites, video sites, phishing attacks, and general time-waster.
Moderate – protects against all adult-sites, illegal activity, and phishing attacks.
Low – Netgear protects against pornography and phishing attacks.
Minimal – protects only against phishing sites.
None – nothing blocked.
Select a filtering level and click on the Next button. Wait till the Setup is Complete screen displays.
Parental controls are now set up for the Netgear N300 router.
The Netgear N300 genie BASIC Home screen displays Parental Controls as Enabled.
Features plenty of ports.
Just like any other Netgear routers, the Netgear N300 offers a whole set of ports. it's four LAN ports at the rear and one network port.
You can easily connect up to four devices on the LAN ports sort of a computer, laptop, and different client gadgets like video game consoles, Google Chromecast, and tv.
Pros
It is quick and easy to install
Comes with free Parental Controls software (to block websites for specific devices).
While the Netgear N300 is an old WiFi router, it's several options that still work in today’s standard. The 2.4GHz WiFi, while susceptible to interference, still works simply fine, given you place it on the proper spot.
We also love the free Parental Controls dashboard, that lets users track and block websites their kids’ access in real-time. but I feel the best thing about the router is that it's available anywhere online for less than $50!
If that’s not a steal, we don’t know what's. Yes, it’s previous and fussy, but it works just fine. perfect for those that need a new router but don’t want to spend more than $100.
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