eShop USA > Electronics > SMC7004VWBR Barricade Cable/DSL router w/ 4-port 10/100Mbps and 802.11b 11 Mbps Access Point
SMC7004VWBR Barricade Cable/DSL router w/ 4-port 10/100Mbps and 802.11b 11 Mbps Access Point
Features:- Share your Cable/DSL connection
- 802.11b High Speed Wireless Lan connection
- 4 port 10/100 Mbps switch
- Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) Firewall
- 64-bit or 128-bit WEP encryption and MAC address filtering
Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Don't buy SMC
Completely random blocking of functionality- sometimes I can click a link and it works sometimes I can't, sometimes I can send an email sometimes I can't. Problem goes away when not using SMC router. Repeated emails to customer support are repeatedly IGNORED. Would NEVER buy from them again.
Rating:  - GET SOMETHING ELSE!
I saw some of the reviews on Amazon and thought that this router may be worth a shot.. So I got it.
Installation was a hassle, and I still can't get it to setup right. I have DSL, the router doesnt like to work for anything but "Cable".. I have my DSL running as "cable" with a bunch of tweaks just to get it to even see my modem. It works now, just not very well.
The settings were as basic as it gets, with no real 'power user' setup (what I want). Their "advanced" setup is nothing more than more wizards and generic settings. For most users, this would be nice, but if you are a power user, you will be disappointed with how generic the settings are.
Onto usage. Well, It seems to be great for my wired connections. My ethernet connections haven't dropped, and the router itself hasn't needed to be booted in the butt (or rebooted, if you will).
Now, wireless... Well, if you are looking at this router for wireless connectivity and not much else, then hit "back" right now. This router is a wireless flop. My laptop is sitting in it's recharging area (about 7 feet from the router).. I'm picking up a signal of 78%.
When I first installed the card in my laptop and 'refreshed' the list of wireless networks, where was my network? Here? No. There? No. Apparently the 'auto' channel selector doesnt work right, after setting the channel to 11, it picked up the faint signal. As for interference or maybe crosstalk, no. I only own 1 other 2.4ghz device, and thats my PC-TV transmitter. I turn that off when I'm not using it. I live about half a mile from any neighbors, so thats not the problem. I have tried all of the channels I have, and all of them show a poor signal.
While the signal quality lacks horribly, the signal length is somewhat better. I walked around outside for a while with my laptop, and at 80 feet, I dropped down to 1mbit. I held 1mbit for a while as I walked further. I made it around 400 feet before it dropped (it was sitting next to my opened window at the time). Not the greatest, but still can be much better.
Bottom line: If you want a good wired router and dont mind poor installation, this is a nice router. While the maintainance is too simplistic for power users, its great for most people. If you want a good router for your wireless devices, look elsewhere, because sadly, the SMC lacks horribly in this area.
Rating:  - Makes a nice space heater!
I have now tried two SMC wireless Barricades (this unit and it's newer version, and both have "crapped out" after a few months.
Unfortunately, I also had problems with their older, wired router. Although I have ensured that there is adequate air circulation, and the ambient temperature never exceeds 70 degrees, it appears that these units are prone to overheating. (...)I found that my internet access was getting slower and slower, and my FTPs were aborting more and more frequently.
Also, be aware that if you upgrade the firmware, you WILL lose all your settings (you [cannot] read the old .bin file back in!)
[Be sure] to write down ALL your current settings [before] doing an upgrade!
It's too bad, since I have been a proponent of SMC ever since they marketed one of the first high speed UARTs many years ago!
Rating:  - Great value
I've had this SMC7004VWBR running for over a year on my home network. I share a DSL broadband connection with several home PC's. The Windows XP and Windows 98 PC's have worked very well connecting thru the router.
This is not a perfect product but the value and features it offers for the price is hard to beat. I am impressed with the ability to configure the firewall. I use the browser based console to disable my son's internet access by time of day. I also use the URL blocking feature to filter out domains that I don't want access to. The time-of-day feature could be beefed-up to provide more flexibility, but again, this is a feature that use to be in firewalls a few years ago that cost thousands of dollars.
Make sure you upgrade to the latest version of the firmware before you spend any time configuring the device. Generally speaking I can go months without having to reset the router. I haven't had problems with the wireless range or interference from cordless phones, but YMMV.
If I were to purchase a new wireless router I would consider the "g" version since that gives you Wifi Protected Access (WPA) as opposed to WEP (which can be hacked). If you are very concerned about security and someone stealing your bandwith or hacking onto your network, then you want a product that offers WPA. Then restrict access to the MAC address of your PC's and you'll be virtually hack-proof.
Rating:  - No problem with installation
I was concerned with some of the comments, but decided to take the risk with the low price. I was able to set it up with little knowledge. It has been about a week and have had no problem. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get set up with a wireless router.
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