Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH

Setting up the Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH for the first time is easy using the bundled CD, which contains the user manual and configuration tool. Thereafter, you can wall mount or stand it up using the stand provided, and manage it through its web interface.

The web interface is sufficiently well featured that an enthusiast won't feel the need to install a third party firmware (such as DD-WRT or Tomato), but it is not the easiest one seen. Our Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH unit required an update since the firmware it originally shipped with was a beta that had quite a few issues that were stabilised by the newest version.

Another weird issue was that the Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH would automatically go into Access Point mode (which rendered itself inaccessible) after making contact with the DSL modem, which was solved by forcing it into router mode using the external switch.

The wireless signal coverage and file transfer speed was acceptable, remaining usable at 30 percent strength from a distance of 50 feet for a Wireless-G device (18 Mbps), and 130 feet for a Wireless-N laptop (40 Mbps, meaning 5 MegaBytes/sec). Closer range and lower encryption levels increased the speed, to an actual maximum of 140 Mbps (when the laptop said it was "Connected at 270 Mbps"). Wired Gigabit speeds were as expected, with 920 Mbps (115MB/s) at the maximum when transferring large files.

The VPN, firewall and QoS to prioritise data packets are as good as that offered by any consumer router. If you connect a USB storage device, you can use the built-in bittorrent client. It's a pity this router doesn't allow for connecting a printer to the USB port, and that there are no LEDs to help you find out which ethernet ports are in use.

The two antennae can be positioned or folded-in as per coverage/space requirements. But be careful while tweaking these antennae around (which almost look like floppy ears) as their flimsy connectors can break easily. With its sweet price, the Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH is a good router to buy currently, even if it supports operation only in the 2.4GHz spectrum and not in the 5GHz range. Buffalo offers a warranty of two years on this router.