Survey: Tell Us How You Feel About the NETGEAR WNR3500L

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Peter Redmer
Peter Redmer's picture
Survey: Tell Us How You Feel About the NETGEAR WNR3500L

We'd love to hear your feelings on the WNR3500L - including what enhancements you'd like to see, what you think of the current hardware platform, and the types of applications that would be useful for you.

Now's your chance to tell NETGEAR your thoughts and make your voice heard - perhaps your suggestion will be implemented in a newer product!

Take the Online Survey

Phylo
Phylo's picture
So far Im happy with the

So far Im happy with the router. I havent had a chance to really dig in and play with it yet though.

One of the things I would really like to see is a build of the firmware that has Asterik 1.8 built into it.. I think there are a lot of people that would love that.

gooffeyguy
gooffeyguy's picture
I've only had mine for about

I've only had mine for about a month and have played around with a couple different firmwares and have been pleased for my uses.

I have mine in the basement of a 2 story house where the cable enters along with the cable modem. I know it's not the optimum place for best reception. I have no N type devices yet, just B and G, and the signal strength isn't as good as my old G router with an external antenna. I (and I'm sure others) would like the option of hooking up external antenna/s to the unit. It'd be nice if it had jack/s either on top or in the back so those who wanted to could screw on antenna/s. Maybe it could be setup as to when the external antenna/s are connected the onboard ones are disconnected.

Jesper
Jesper's picture
Overall it seems to be a

Overall it seems to be a nicely fast router. My biggest concern is that (as far as I can tell from posts all over the internet) it can't run the Linux 2.6 kernel series because the wifi driver (by Broadcom) is not open source. Really, I feel that Netgear is doing false advertisement when they market the router as being open source friendly, while the most important part is proprietary. Considering that Netgears product line manager, Som Pal Choudhury, promised us Linux 2.6 support a year ago, I think it's about time to get it done. I mean, 2.6 has only been out for, what, 6 years..? See http://www.myopenrouter.com/forum/thread/14074/WNR3500L-The-debate-on-Op...

gooffeyguy
gooffeyguy's picture
?? @ Jesper....

?? @ Jesper....

As far as I knew, the newer builds of Tomato and DD-WRT are built on the 2.6 kernel with the newer Broadcom drivers that were released earlier this year.

EDIT: Yes, just verified. Go take a look at the downloads page and view the info on any of the newer firmwares.

Plus in my WNR3500L routers "about" page, it's running a K26 build with Linux kernel 2.6.22.19 and Broadcom Wireless Driver 5.10.56.46 updates

Jesper
Jesper's picture
@gooffeyguy

@gooffeyguy

If that's true, then that is really good news and I appreciate your correction. It's just that when I searched for information on this a few weeks ago, all I could find was that 2.6 wouldn't work, or at least that the Broadcom drivers were not open source.

Edit:
Indeed, here's the root of the good news: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel.wireless.general/55418

Kong
Kong's picture
For future models I would

For future models I would like to see:

- >= 16MB Flash Space
- integrated beeper that can be controlled via gpio

stin
stin's picture
So far I am pleased, I have

So far I am pleased, I have not put the open source DD-WRT firmware on it yet. I did put the latest firmware from netgear though.I need to read up and be careful, I have never did this before.I had a WRT54G v5 for long time,about 6 yrs with a older firmware that was the best for what I do,plus v5 won't let it use open source.

I upgraded my internet to 50.0 broadband has 5 up speed,with WRT54G I could only download at about 32-35 mbps and up at 5 give or take a bit.Now with this WNR-3500L I am getting over 50 DL everytime I check any speedtest site.Up has stayed the same.I wonder if there is any advantage to me putting the DD-WRT firmware on this router? I use 3 wired ports\My 2 pc's,one is mainly a utorrent server but only at a private place where not lots of people killing me,the other is for ftp and DL with premium acc and suffing\ 3rd wired is xbox 360-  2 wireless and a ipod every so often.

I have read so many different threads on other sites about this router loosing performance with the DD-WRT,then some who couldn't get by without it.I don't care about lots of other things other than performance.I do like how the web Gui looks like Linksys web page a little and netgears looks like crap!

Can anyone give me some good reasons to switch firmwares? I'm all ears!!

Jesper
Jesper's picture
We've now been using this

We've now been using this router at home for a good month or two with Netgears own firmware. One think I'm very positively surprised at is the integrated IPv6 support. What's not so good about it, is that it seems to crash the router frequently (to the point where routing dies, sometimes the webinterface dies, and sometimes wifi dies as well). For example I can consistently crash the router by downloading openarena for debian over IPv6 with automatic 6to4 enabled on the router. With IPv6 disabled everything works fine.

I've attempted to compile openwrt from svn trunk but have so far failed to make anything that the router would load. I see some openwrt patches here om myopenrouter.com, but since they're very old and don't apply cleanly to the later versions, they're pretty much out of the picture. So all in all I'm having trouble seeing the openwrt support except in the ads. Perhaps I've missed something? Guides or .config's are welcome!

Mindach
Mindach's picture
Hi I have had one in my

Hi I have had one in my office for 6 months, with a big speed improvement over the linksys 54gl. It has been stable with stock firmware but I am anxious to try Tomato (I had great luck with it earlier on several client's systems). But the first time I tried it on the 3500l it refused to install beyond the "basic" dd-wrt.

Factory stuff is fast and stable w/updated factory firmware.

Anyone, is there firmware that is a real upgrade? I keep reading about the performance issues. I don't use the USB but I might if it was available.

Don

21 April, 2011 update
I later found the answers real (below)
http://www.mindach.com/WNR3500L-Netgear/default.htm

cralesich
cralesich's picture
Just got mine, and I have to

Just got mine, and I have to say it is a solid performer, I put Tomato USB on it.
If they would just make this same router with external antennas it would be so much nicer, the internal antennas are pretty weak. Also I have noticed that both Broadcom chips get pretty hot. I would recommend putting heat sinks on them as I will soon.

Mindach
Mindach's picture
cralesich said: Just got mine

cralesich said: Just got mine, and I have to say it is a solid performer, I put Tomato USB on it. If they would just make this same router with external antennas it would be so much nicer, the internal antennas are pretty weak. Also I have noticed that both Broadcom chips get pretty hot. I would recommend putting heat sinks on them as I will soon.

I am planning the total hack with heat syncs, Tomato, and the external antenas. the only hard part is finding the connectors. Here are some links;

sjansse
sjansse's picture
Got mine in today and set it

Got mine in today and set it up in about 15 minutes including new firmware.
My wireless speed was 15 Mbit/sec with the Eminent EM4050.
With this one its 21.5 Mbits/sec.

Very Happy until now.

Mindach
Mindach's picture
I am amazed at the Netgear

I am amazed at the Netgear WNR3500L now, so far an A+ rating in all aspects.

I hope this helps others (my link below), as I found it difficult to get a complete step-by-step install procedure with versions required, so I started one. My experience with "Tomato" made me want it on better/faster hardware.

Note to others; Don't overdo the wireless power tweak. It is so powerful it drowns out the inbound signals. But real improvements can be made with some experimenting. Remember you can't boost the receive signal unless you have another router set as a repeater.

http://www.mindach.com/WNR3500L-Netgear/

Be careful and you should have good luck with this unit!

kmol
kmol's picture
I have just bought the

I have just bought the WNR3500L and it seems a good router for me. For the time being I am exploring the updated factory firmware and I hope some day will go to other firmware.

It would have been very nice if it had external antennas.

Mindach
Mindach's picture
Wait till you try Tomato on

Wait till you try Tomato on the WNR3500L. And yes it would be nice to have external antennas but that too is possible.

I have info on my site http://www.mindach.com/WNR3500L-Netgear/default.htm on how t set up the firmware.

Good luck.

Don

Mercury Joe
Mercury Joe's picture
Hardware wise, the premise of

Hardware wise, the premise of the WNR3500L router as an 'open source' commidity is sound. If you look at it from the bang/$$ ratio is it a steal.

However, I find that the people who are 'into' this sort of hardware/software want the latest and greatest. We want to push the boundaries so to speak. We want to really push things to the limit.

I feel that an open source router should be cutting edge hgardware wise. Something like the current WNDR3700 should be the basis of an open source router. The fast processor, the dual band radio's, and everything that is in that router should be the basis of 'cutting edge'. Let the open source community work on the firmware and show you what you can do when you have the hardware to play with.

If you did that, you have the open source community that can do your software development FOR you. You take what they do, and due to the GPL, you can work that back into your own in house firmware for the more generic router users.

I, for one, would have NO problem paying for the bigger, better, faster hardware.

If there is ONE thing I would like to see in the WNR3500L it would be the ability to EASILY add external anntennas. Yes, you CAN add them but you have to know what you are doing.

I find that the antenna configuration, as it stands now, is INFERIOR to my OLD STOCK WRT54G v2.2. If I put them on the SAME self at the SAME power, I can see the WRT FAR FAR farther away. I am tested this by using my laptop with InSIDDer running and I can SEE the differences in the B/G bands on signal strength.

Brandon C
Brandon C's picture
You can install DD-Wrt on a

You can install DD-Wrt on a WNDR3700 according to their wiki. http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Netgear_WNDR3700

I wish I had one to play with. :)

buddee
buddee's picture
What i would like to see is

What i would like to see is very simple, stop using part of the flash rom to store board info and give us all the advertised available space that is there, right now, the 3500L and many other netgear routers for that matter, if it has 8MB flash can ONLY run the BIG build, no mega, because of how their board programming is, so to me, it should be advertised as a 7.5MB flash space, because thats all you get!

A better solution would be as Kong suggested and up the amount to 16MB, but to advertise 8MB flash ROM and it not really being available is to me somewhat false advertising.

Other than that, and yes that's from a developers aspect, netgear 3500L is a great unit.

ljq200
ljq200's picture
I think it's ram up to 128MB

I think it's ram up to 128MB,just like ASUS's N16,will be better.

Mindach
Mindach's picture
With Tomato version 1.28 and

With Tomato version 1.28 and up and after config and setup the WNR3500L is the best general purpose router I have ever used! DD-WRT was slow (as is tomato in default) but after QOS experiments w/speedtest.net Tomato on the Netgear proved faster than anything else I have tried on several networks.

I have deployed several to date with the same results! I have not used the USB to date (no reason on the system I have, yet) but I do use the USB Tomato version.

My versions are available at http://www.mindach.com/WNR3500L-Netgear/default.htm

Itheria
Itheria's picture
First of it would be nice if

First of it would be nice if the router at least managed to keep wired contact for more than 15 minutes. 15 days would be nice, 15 weeks great.

Second I would like to see it shipped with tomato or something similar as it would save a lot of time for many of us (why ship something with an inferior firmware?)

/Itheria

ctm555
ctm555's picture
There should definitely be

There should definitely be more USB-ports! :) Atleast 2.

Mindach
Mindach's picture
Hey Guys,

Hey Guys,

Be real this is a wireless router not a computer. Multi USB ports and ram arguments? What would you do with a router USB port? A network drive or printer is all I can think of to use, and all draw power from the router's board (use a USB powered hub and write a script to load your drivers).

I can't find anything better at just doing a router's main job of firewall, wireless, and port forwarding, for the money involved. If you need more, build a PC box with these features, and a lot more if you like it is not at all that hard or pricey, but if you do, you will still need a wireless radio like this one.

I say keep it fast, cheap, and simple!

Paladin45
Paladin45's picture
Mindach said: With Tomato

Mindach said: With Tomato version 1.28 and up and after config and setup the WNR3500L is the best general purpose router I have ever used! DD-WRT was slow (as is tomato in default) but after QOS experiments w/speedtest.net Tomato on the Netgear proved faster than anything else I have tried on several networks. I have deployed several to date with the same results! I have not used the USB to date (no reason on the system I have, yet) but I do use the USB Tomato version. My versions are available at http://www.mindach.com/WNR3500L-Netgear/default.htm

Thank you, Mindach.

I just bought this router a couple of days ago. I flashed it this morning, using your instructions and the .zip file you specified.

I'm running Ubuntu 11.04 (64-bit) with Firefox 4 as the default browser. The initial flash went fine, but loading the Big dd-wrt failed. After about an hour of frustration, I found a suggestion that Firefox may be incompatible. I fired up Chromium and completed the remaining flashes with no problems.

I haven't done anything with QoS yet, since it's running blazingly fast as is. I also haven't tried the USB port but probably will get around to that later today. My TOR relay is happier than it was under stock.

replabrobin
replabrobin's picture
I would like an open source

I would like an open source adsl2 wifi n router. It sucks That I have to use a pathetic tp-link adsl modem tu use proper open source software.

Mindach
Mindach's picture
Paladin45;

Paladin45;

You are very welcome.

Sorry you had problems with using Firefox for flashing. I had that mentioned in a footnote on my website but few see it. If you flush the cache in Firefox the problem disappears.

Anyway, let us know what you think after you have setup the QOS, you will be even more amazed how fast it preforms. What I like is the video is never notchy, and I tried sever other units on the same network for comparison.

Rayfloyd
Rayfloyd's picture
I really hate it at the

I really hate it at the moment. It really dosn't work well in my house. 10-20% packet loss on my computer at ALL time. When I connect on WOW I'm at 50 ms, 5 mins later I'm at 600 ms and then I disconnect. Once I reconnect it just goes back to 50 ms and start back again.

Next time I go by a Future Shop I'm brining this one back (second one) and getting a LinkSys.

I did try to get support (also from here) and never got any. Phone support was just pure crap.

mypupdaisy
mypupdaisy's picture
I really like it so far, yet

I really like it so far, yet I'm still using the standard OS. Have not made a decission yet on what I would like to use.

It would be cool if something like IPCop or IPTables was included in the OS.

Thanks

Jzzzzzzz
Jzzzzzzz's picture
I bought one of these

I bought one of these recently and managed to brick it (solid orange power light and no pings after a couple of seconds) by installing the 'big' DD-WRT that's listed on the 3500L page of the router database. I unbricked successfully using the short circuit I found in the forums here (http://www.myopenrouter.com/article/13859/How-To-Debrick-Your-NETGEAR-WN...) and then installed the build recommended here - http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Netgear_WNR3500L

I'm happy enough with it so far. I have a big USB disk shared off the back and OpenVPN connecting to my server in the US - I'm in China so use it to tunnel under the great firewall.

Jzzzzzzz
Jzzzzzzz's picture
mypupdaisy said: It would be

mypupdaisy said: It would be cool if something like IPCop or IPTables was included in the OS. Thanks

You are probably already aware but iptables is available in the standard dd-wrt and tomato builds.

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