Netgear DGN2000 wireless modem router

The Netgear DGN2000's compact size and low-key black and grey finish, make it pleasantly unobtrusive for home use, while its large status indicators make it easy to see exactly what's going on.

To the side of the Netgear DGN2000 you'll find a handy button for turning the wireless network on or off. You can use this to turn off Wi-Fi when you go out, providing maximum security for your network. Next to it, a Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS) button enabled simple wireless setup without the need to remember passwords.

The back of the Netgear DGN2000 houses a standard 100Mbps four-port switch, along with two external antennas; however, these aren't detachable and interchangeable like those on the Billion BiPac 7402NX or DrayTek Vigor 2820Vn.

On the base of the Netgear DGN2000 is a label containing useful information including the default network configuration. It also tells you what all the indicator lights mean and how to reset the device should you lose the instruction manual.

The Netgear DGN2000 has quite a basic feature set: not only does it lack features such as VoIP, 3G and support for USB devices, but it also lacks the network prioritisation features needed to ensure that your most important internet applications aren't slowed down by others, for example by large downloads. It does however offer good parental control setup including the ability to block undesirable URLs and record logs of surfing activities.

In our performance test, the Netgear DGN2000 delivered reasonably good short-range performance, delivering 68Mbps, however this tailed off dramatically over a longer distance, dropping right down to 7Mbps - three to four times slower than the best.