NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server

by Netgear

Product Details

Product Manual [7.65mb PDF]

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Data Sheet [610kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 4.9 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches ; 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000DIWW2
• Item model number: FWG114P
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 25, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The NETGEAR FWG114P offers: An all-in-one solution for businesses looking to create a local network. An 802.11g wireless access point. Stateful Packet Inspection firewall and NAT for security. Built-in USB print server.

The NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server is a mouthful to say but provides your business with a router, switch, print server, wireless access point, and firewall. Instead of multiple devices and a tangle of wires, the FWG114P is all you need.

A print server allows users on the network to share a printer. View larger.

Wired and Wireless Connectivity
The FWG114P can connect up to 253 users onto the LAN, including 64 wireless users, to share a single broadband connection. Built in to the router is a 4-port 10/100 switch for up to four connections, as well as an 802.11g wireless access point. The wireless network supports speeds up to 54 Mbps and there is a detachable 5 dBi antenna included.

A USB port allows you to connect a printer to the network that multiple users can share simultaneously. An RS-232 serial port provides a backup connection in case the main network connection fails. A row of LED lets you know the status of the network at a glance.

High-class Security
For more security than just a simple NAT router, the FVG318 offers significantly more protection. It provides: a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall to prevent Denial of Service attacks, an Intrusion Detection System (IDS), the ability to block Java/URL/ActiveX based on extension, and FTP/SMTP/RPC program filtering.

The FWG114P supports two simultaneous VPN tunnels to protect links between remote locations, encrypting the data between them. The wireless network is protected by 40/64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption as well as WPA.

Easy Setup
Even with all the functionality the FWG114P provides, NETGEAR makes setup a breeze with the intuitive Smart Wizard that automatically detects the ISP connection and adjusts your configuration accordingly.

The NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server is backed by a 3-year warranty.

What's in the Box
FWG114P, AC power adapter, ethernet cable, installation guide, resource CD, warranty/support information card.

Product Description

FWG114P PRO SAFE 802.11G Wireless FW with USB

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Home Office Firewall, January 13, 2004

By 

"mn_daffyduck" (Eden Prairie, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server (Personal Computers)

I've applied the new flash upgrade, and performance is still quite good. Most of my comments from January still apply. Setup is quick, Citrix & terminal services work without modification, and I can connect to my main office via Cisco VPN client. Games are still working too.

As with most vendors, I suspect you'll have better compatibility if you use a Netgear WiFi NIC with this unit. I can get it to work with a Cisco Aironet NIC, but I cannot get WPA encryption to work. WEP (for what it's worth) works, but I'll probably have to spring for the corresponding Netgear NIC if I want to move to WPA.

The print server took a hit with the flash upgrade, however. Now it will only work as long as the PCs using it never reboot. If they do, you lose the connection to the print server until the firewall is rebooted. Tech support has been, um, less than helpful in resolving the issue. For that reason, my rating still stands at 4 stars. I strongly recommend you check the printer compatibility list on Netgear's site before you count on this as a print server.

A couple of other notes:
- The firewall is solid. I'm a networking guy, and I've tried to hack my way in a couple of times. Nothing's perfect, but this is a good solution in the home or very small business market. The worst I've been able to do against this unit is a denial of service, which disabled the Internet connection to my home network until I rebooted the unit.
- If you plan to use MSN Messenger 6.2 and/or Windows XP's Remote Assistance, you'll need to enable UPnP on this unit, which is a bit annoying, but more of a Microsoft issue.
- The e-mail logging is VASTLY improved over that of the previous flash. My logs are much more manageable, and the number of false-positive security alert messages is minimal.
- You can now create up to two remote access VPN tunnels with the new flash. I tried it and it works, although as a home user I can't imagine ever needing that feature. Difficult to set up, though, so unless you have a solid understanding of IPSEC VPN protocols, good luck.

Still, I believe this is a good unit for a home office. For me, combining the functions of print server, wireless access point, and hardware firewall into a single device make it worth the price.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better now that there is a firmware upgrade, December 24, 2003

By 

Eric J. Fridman "ejf302" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server (Personal Computers)

Back in November, I tried version 1 of this product. And I wrote a review saying that many of its features just did not work.

In addition I wrote that Netgear tech support never responded to any of my email requests for support, and that was six months ago. Their website said allow one day.

Anyway, they have now released a firmware update. And all the problems I previously complained about are gone now. For example, it now works with Citrix and the error messages are now in "better" English

Product seems to work fine out of the box. No complaints. I give it 4 stars and not 5 because the print server part of this product is pretty useless unless you happen one of the few printers it supports. And because of their continued horrible tech support.

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Print Server does not support Multifunction Printers, November 19, 2003

By 

M. Jones - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server (Personal Computers)

I recently upgraded from the WGR614 to this. From a router and wireless standpoint, this unit is MUCH better than the previous Netgear routers I had. The pretty silver units are nice for consumers, but I needed more options and more range. This unit does it all.

However, and it is a BIG however, the Print Server (which was the main reason to spring for the total upgrade) does not support my HP PSC 2410 nor my EPSON Stylus CX5200. Those two things in themselves make it impossible for me to recommend the router overall. None of the Netgear products support this, and it makes no sense, since most people buy small multifunctions for their homes now.