From the manufacturer: “The Barricade g 2.4GHz 54Mbps Wireless Cable/DSL Broadband router (SMC2804WBR) is the perfect networking solution for any home and business user that is looking for a simple, all-in-one network product. This platform independent multi-functional router combines a 4-port 10/100 Mbps dual-speed switch with Automatic MDI-MDIX feature, a high speed 54Mbps wireless access point, two detachable antennas, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall security, network management, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) passthrough support into one convenient device. The new Barricade g offers a high data rate that is up to 5 times faster than the widely used 802.11b wireless LAN and is backward compatible with existing 802.11b network devices.”
Wow, so many features in such a small package! After opening it up, the router is about the size of your average 8-port hub/switch. It does have some weight to it, so I’d imagine it’s packed full of hardware. My personal router/firewall is an old PC running on Linux, so to think that much of what it does can now be accomplished by a tiny product like this is pretty cool if you think about it. Included with the router is two antennas, an install CD, a setup guide, a power cord, and six feet of cat-5 ethernet cable. For so little hardware, they sure do use a lot of packaging!
Taking a closer look at the router it is very compact, and the included antennas are only about four inches long. On the back we see two antenna connector points, four ethernet ports, and a WAN port (where you would hook in your DSL or Cable modem).
Installation was a snap. Plug in the power cord, hook up your modem to the WAN port, and that’s about it! Config takes a bit more effort – but I’ll get to that a little later on in the review.
