Microsoft MN-700 Wireless 802.11g Base Station Router

Experience wireless freedom at lightning-fast speed with a state-of-the-art 802.11g wireless network. The new standard in wireless lets you share files, printers, and a single broadband Internet connection with unmatched performance and security. Enjoy fast file swapping, printer sharing, and multiplayer gaming throughout your home or small office.

1 Check your settings
Was getting dropped wireless connection every couple of minutes until I tried this:

To disable 802.1x authentication in Windows XP

1. Click Start, point to Connect To, click Show all connections, and then double-click your wireless network.
2. On the General tab, click Properties.
3. Click the Wireless Networks tab.
4. Under Preferred Networks, click your home network, and then click Properties.
5. Click the Authentication tab, and then click to clear the Enable IEEE 802.1x authentication for this network check box, if it is selected. If you cannot click this check box, then you are not using 802.1x authentication or wireless security.

Seems ok now ... now to get the workgroup working.

2 not reliable
this is not a reliable router. it kept on disconnecting and sometimes randomly acts as a rogue server over the modem port.

3 Stay away from this product
I purchased it one month ago. I connected to Internet using a DSL ethernet modem D-Link DSL-300 T. After a couple of weeks it froze. I was hardly able to make it work again and then, after few days frozen again. I relied upon Microsoft, but i read MN 700 comments only AFTER I purchased it: big mistake.

4 STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT
Microsoft does NOT make this or any other router product anymore. I bought this and it only worked for 2 minutes. I had to go thru hoops to get my money back. Go with LinkSys.

5 Cable length is important
I purchased this as a replacement for a Linksys BEFSR41 for two reasons; the Linksys did not maintain a connection with my ReplayTV 4500, and I got a Wi-Fi laptop.
Setup of the MN-700 was easy and the LAN connections were fast and stable. The problem was that the MN-700 would not link up with my Toshiba PCX2200 cable modem. The 3' Cat 5 I had been using with the Linksys did not work. Neither did a couple of 6 footers that worked elsewhere. It was not until I connected the two with a 10' Cat 5 that I got a link. Not sure why this is, but it appears cable length is important.

6 Excellent product, more excellent price
Since these have been discontinued, it may be moot to recommend it, but you can find them on the clearance sites and refurb dumpers. I've had mine for about 3 months, smoothest hardware installation I've had in years, and has run like a champ since. I've had ZERO problems related to the router. As always, if your machine isn't maintained well or you run buggy software (warez, cracked, etc.) all bets are off.

7 DONT BUY THIS...FOR U WILL LOSE UR MONEY!!
I am all about XBOX and wanted to get wireless with MS products. You think MS will always come up w/ great products. WRONNNNNNNNNG!!!!! This router just sucks!! I mean, I got my cable internet and the router the same day. So I tried the router. Well, the internet connection fell at least TWICE a day!!! I blamed the ISP because I trusted MS. Wrong again. Its just the router. Horrible connection!! Dont always trust MS. I strongly recommend the LINKSYS!!! Very reliable they are.

8 If you are smart pick anything else
I have had this router for 5 months and every week I kick myself for not buying a replacement the week before. I have seen other complaints that are the same issues that I am having, dropped connections, having to unplug the unit wait plug it back in check to see if the wireless is working...it's not...repeat. You can unplug the unit then plug it back in and it will reboot but the unit will tell you, by the ready light, that the wireless is not up. ...it tells you it is broke.... most of the time the "it's broke" feature is broke. I would not buy anything that breaks so often that it needs a broke indicator.

9 I love it
I have read everyone's descriptions of this product and although I am not a computer genius, I still feel that this is the best product on the market. I have been using this for about 4 months now and have had no problems what so ever. The signal strength is great and I had no problems hooking it up to my computer, laptop, and xbox. I highly recommend this product.

10 Very solid wireless router - problem free
I purchased the Microsoft MN-700 wireless router and a Microsoft 802.11g WiFi card for my laptop back in April. I've had it running since then, and I have absolutely no complaints. The installation and setup were incredibly simple. I had never set up a wireless network before, but it took me only about 5 minutes (seriously) to set up a wireless network with this product. And both the router and the WiFi card have worked flawlessly since installation. I have never had one single dropped connection. And in my two bedroom apartment, I always get full 54mbps throughput. Both the Microsoft router and the Microsoft WiFi card are very solid, reasonably priced items. I highly recommend them.

11 Drops connection all the time.
I bought it because it was cheap and from microsoft. The next day they discontinued it. Now, I have all kinds of problems with the thing not being able to renew the ip address. I have a strong signal but nothing. The software to set up the hardware is useless. You have to be a power user to set the thing up and still will spend days debugging. The router works super great once the "rarely working" connection is established.

12 Failed after 2 1/2 months
The router could not be set up with out help from tech service in India. After a month or so of good service it required occasiona restarting to work and then finally quit working all together. I tried to get the unit replaced but was told it is discontinued, however the store I bought it from will refund the purchase price.

13 Stay away from this product at all means possible!
Where do I start? The thing cannot keep a wireless connection to save it's life. I have my PC hooked up via ethernet, and my laptop using the wireless card. My laptop has been disconnected from the internet more than it has had a connection. When it finally does connect to the base station it will hold a connection anywhere from an hour to just a minute or two. The latter is the more common of the two. When there is a connection, the transmission speeds might indicate 54 Mbps...but actual throughput is only about 2000 Mbps testing from sites like dslreports.com. That is only utilizing about half of what my actual connection speeds are. My PC consistantly gets what I pay for from my ISP. By the way...my laptop is only about two and a half feet from the base station...so distance is not a factor here. So far we have slow internet performance, and it's almost as if the thing refuses to connect to the base station. From there we go to Microsoft's customer support. I spent 4.5 hours on the phone one day with their customer support concerning file and printer sharing. I guess if I could understand what the tech was saying it might have been a little smoother...but seeing as how he was from India it made it very hard to understand him. On a last ditch effort before he was going to send my case to the research team, it was figured out. All it was is a simple little box that needed to be checked. Shouldn't have taken 4.5 hours to get to that point...and it was just an option in the TCP/IP settings. That should have been one of the first things they should have checked in my opinion. Later on that day I spent another 3 hours on the phone with another non-English speaking person trying to figure out why I cannot keep my laptop connected to the network (base station). Nothing was ever resolved...still cannot keep it connected worth a darn. This product isn't worth the $80 I paid for it. $80 is very cheap for both a wireless router and notebook card...but you get what you pay for. Cheap. Do not get this product...avoid it all all costs! Go for a D Link product...that's what I'm returning this junk for.

14 Great tool for 1st time wireless users
I recently purchased the MN-700 and MN-710 (wireless USB 2.0 adaptor). Installation is quick and easy. Directions are clear and concise. They even provide a floppy for you to format and retain your network settings. This allows you to quickly and easily get other machines up and running. The Broadband Network Management Utility is great to troubleshoot any problems.

I like the fact you have options from no encryption all the way up to 256 bit, and your choice of WEP or WPA.

One word of warning here, if you have any firewall software on (XP's, Norton, or freeware such as ZoneAlarm), you MUST disable them before installation. I, in fact, had some serious issues as I tried networking an additional PC and was unaware a firewall was enabled on the machine. As soon as I uninstalled it, I got it working in less than 5 minutes. The MN-700 has a built in firewall, so you don't really need anything else, but you can always add more.

The USB adaptor is a lot easier to handle than the PCI card. Just install the software, plug the device in and your off. Only question so far is signal strength appears to vary, but it might be interferance from my 2.4 GHz wireless phone.

Main concern is signal strength, but only time will tell. Overall, a very good tool for novice-intermediate network guru's. Don't be intimidated by trying to set this up. Microsoft's 24/7 technical assistance is also available and I highly recommend it if problems occur. They helped me out on some compatibility issues that occured (again, ended up being a conflict between the router and a hidden firewall program.)

If your helping somebody out, fully understand all the software on their machine prior to installation. Will save you hours.

15 Horrible Horrible Performance
I bought this router based on some of the good reviews that I'd seen on amazon. My goal was simple - to hook up ONLY my laptop wirelessly so I didn't have to be tethered to the room the internet was in.

I got the wireless to work pretty quickly, but kept losing connection every three to five minutes. It turns out there's a quirk with XP where you need to reset something so it doesn't do that. Ok fine.

I went online found the fix and was able to go online.

Great I thought as I surfed wirelessly in my livingroom.

The next day I turned on my computer. No signal. Weird. So I fiddled, and fiddled for an HOUR still no signal. and not just no signal but the base station couldn't 'find' the internet. I gave up went to bed. Next day turned it on...everything worked perfectly. The day after that nothing. I write this post tethered to my land line and really really annoyed at Microsoft. The base station stops work for NO REASON. I mean I didn't touch the settings, nothing. Sometimes I turn on my computer and it work, sometimes I turn it off and it doesn't work.

Also Micrososft's customer service is HORRIBLE. You have to talk to one person who takes down all your information before transfering you to a tech person who then takes down all your information. I was on the phone FIFTEEN MINUTES before anyone asked what my problem was. Ridiculous.

I'm refunding it and I advise you to all STAY FAR FAR AWAY.

16 signal is okay, setup should be better
this is another wireless class g router used as ap
the manual has the instruction how to set it as ap
however, once I follow the manual, I lost the access, forced to hard reset
if you'd like to use it as ap, do the following:
login
go to wireless, give it SSID, pick a favorite channel
go to LAN, MAKE SURE GIVE IT AN IP, and disable DHCP
after that, connect any LAN port to router, connect in wireless to test
the signal is okay, but not better than SMC 2804, and there's a disadvantage over SMC is the antenna is not removable, that unable to use hi gain antenna without breaking down
another shortcoming is WPA setup do not have hex, only passphrase, that there may be a chance to "guess" wrong
for my opinion, SMC 2804 is better on wireless part, and somewhat misleading manual and setup to make it fall short

17 MS MN-700 Wireless G Base Station Router
Purchased before reading that MS has announced plans to discontinue their Broadband product offerings. However, they will provide two years free 24/7 tech service and support. The MN-700 base station has four Erhernet connections and an Ethernet modem connection. Rated at 54 Mbps and acheives that rating over the 20 foot distence covered by my simple network. Typically bulky power adaptor.

Fairly painless setup in combination with the MN-710 wireless USB adaptor. Uses a reasonably easy to follow wizard, but I found myself scurrying back and forth between PC's to ensure that all settings were the same.

After connecting the Ethernet DSL router supplied by AOL, found out that AOL does not support Microsoft products, specifically their routers. Contacted MS tech support who walked me through the process of setting up a PPoE connection to AOL which is now accessed via Internet Explorer on either PC. Process is more awkward than using the sign-on screen (and I don't have access to my AOL Favorites), but works flawlessly.

Bottom line -- works well and the discounted price is right. With two remaining years of tech support, the product will probably last until the end of its design curve anyway.

18 plain awful.
difficult to install, very inconsistant with connection. again, very difficult to install, and i'm a multi computer user. it is awful, stay away, and get a regular router.

19 Buyer Beware!!
I bought this from Costco because its was only $40 for a Wireless G router and it was from Microsoft.

I am now going to return it because it is just an awful router. Not only is the signal reception poor, but my connection on the wired port gets dropped all the time! Yes I have all the driver updates etc. Come on, WIRED port experiences this problem!

I read on CNET from people experiencing the same problems. What will happen is you will encounter periods (lasting from 3-10 minutes) where you just get no Internet connection. It is sooo annoying.

Let me tell you, if you play any type of online games.. dont even consider this router. Like me you will probably be doing well in your game.. then BAM! Out of no where you get disconnected and you die, have to reconnect, or whatever. If you dont care about having a continuous connection, I still wouldnt recommend this. Just go for another product from Linksys or something; you probably could get something for around the same price.

I will say that setting it up wasnt too difficult, although I dont like the fact that I have to install a bunch of MSFT software to make it work. Simple software interface, but unfortunately the thing doesnt work well so this time the nice GUI doesnt help!

20 Excellent wireless router!
Great product AND an affordale price!
I use the 265kbps MSN-Qwest DSL at home.
I previously struggled endlessly with Linksys and D-Link Wireless G routers to get the network parameters right. I had to shutdown and restart my DSL modem, my router and my computer more than 2-3 times to even get the router to serve 1 computer. The moment I hooked on a second machine, the connection would die.

I must say that the software that comes with this router does an excellent job of configuring TCP/IP parameters. All I had to do was to insert the CD, install the software and follow the instructions. AND THEY ACTUALLY WORKED! To hook up my laptop, I had to copy the encryption key to my network adapter settings and it worked immediately. Full credit to Microsoft for a great and affordable product!

21 Excellent router choice for network newbie!
I recently bought my first laptop PC and thought it would be very handy to have a home network to connect to my desktop -- to share the high-speed Internet connection, print, make data backups, etc. I chose the Microsoft MN-700 base station, and I'm very glad I did!

I don't know much about networks, but the Microsoft software set-up makes it a snap. The software walks you through each step of the set-up process, and nothing is very difficult to do. Eg, you have to give a name (anything you want) to the base station, to the network itself, etc. You do need to pay careful attention to the instructions on the screen, because if you jump the gun and do something out-of-order, it may ruin the set-up process.

I did have one bump during the installation procedure. For some reason, when the software was trying to verify the settings that I had input and write them to the base station, it kept failing -- I think it was trying to access the Internet to do something, but I'm not sure. I did have restart the set-up process a few times, and finally, inexplicably, one of my attempts worked! I don't know what I did differently, if anything, during the set-up attempt that "took" but with a little persistence, it worked okay.

I didn't understand about WEP keys, but I chose 128-bit encryption to protect my network. The set-up doesn't make it plain that you need to write down the 26-character encryption key that it generates, because you'll need to input that same string of 26 characters into your laptop when it tries to authenticate for the first time. BTW, I have Windows XP Home Edition on my home computer and laptop.

Once I figured out that I had to transpose the 26-character WEP encryption key to my laptop, but laptop was able to connect to the Internet just fine!

I had a problem with file sharing and printing. I run Symantec's Norton Internet Security (NIS) 2004, and the personal firewall is turned on. In NIS, I had to run the Home Networking wizard so NIS would configure the firewall for my home network. Once that happened, I could print and share files on my network.

If you're running NIS (or another software firewall), you have to turn-off Windows XP firewall -- the setup procedures will give you this chance, so be sure to disable Windows XP firewall.

Also, you have to make sure to turn on file sharing on both the laptop and the desktop. Right click on a folder, choose Properties, then click the Sharing tab to enable folder sharing.

If you're a newbie like me, you CAN setup your own network without too much difficulty. Plan on making at least one phone call to a techie friend or to tech support to get over some hurdle you encounter.

Since I've installed everything, my network runs very smoothly and reliably. For less than $50, this router is an unbelievable deal.

Note: Microsoft is going out of the wireless router business, so don't plan on future hardware upgrades and probably minimal support for firmware updates. But if you get your network up and running, you won't likely be affected by this Microsoft business decision.

22 Microsoft will not leave the wireless business
I don't own the MN700 base station. But I own the microsoft USB wireless receiver. I read the review of the last writer regarding Microsoft will leave the wireless business. WRONG ! Absolute incorrect. Do not listen to the word from the circuit city salesman. Guys! Think! Wireless will be the future of another great money making business. Wi-Fi will become more and more popular. Do you think Bill Gate will surrender in this big market? Don't be fool! Wireless is the trend of this computer world in next era. I have no doubt that Microsoft will invest more in the wireless market. I think you should worry about Microsoft will become a monopoly in this wireless world again.

23 Potential Warning
I was told by a salesman at Circuit City last night that Microsoft announced last week that they are getting out of the router/wireless networking business. I tried to confirm this info by searching the internet today, but couldn't locate anything (doesn't mean it's not true though). Perhaps consider LinkSys or D-Link instead?

Because the included firewall is not configurable (with the exception of using Port Forwarding), I've had difficulties with the things I've needed to do. Microsoft Online Support works well for questions, and they were able to walk me thru what I had to do to get the webcam that we host working, but they couldn't get the Windows XP Pro Remote Desktop feature to come through their firewall. They said it might be because my router is faulty, so they are replacing it. I am not optimistic that this will fix my Remote Desktop issue. It's most likely a problem related to the unconfigurable firewall.

If I could just start over, I'd probably go with the LinkSys router and wireless adapter.

24 Very Easy setup, If u've problems, reinstall the software.
Well, I read all the reviews on Amazon and was almost on the verge of concluding that ONLY LINKSYS is the real wireless router and the others are just cheap imitations. Thankfully i didn't rush to buy a $100 router and bought this cheap router from "unreliable" microsoft as many would put it. Its nice looking too instead of looking like an alien with two long antennae. The setup is easy if you read the instructions first!! I hooked to the ethernet connection of my computer for setup. i think its just better that way. I had a hiccup in the beginning coz the software probably didn't load correctly. happens, its Microsoft. so i uninstalled it, rebooted and reloaded the software where in the options it showed me the basestation setup option. it wasn't available on first attempt. i think my compy had a grudge then. anyway, the setup is easy, asks you what you want to do, how to setup and all that. I had the mixed mode default for wireless. It has MAC Filtering (is that an option??) and 128/256 bit encryption that i use from my notebook to the basestation just in case some peeping tom wants to see what i do. A thing to note though, when you try getting that key from the base station utility, the textbox doesn't show the whole damn key so i fought for about an hour on my notebook blaming everyone and everything around me and in this world for the mess till i read that the key is 26 characters and the one i had was smaller. Now i started blaming myself and yes, Microsoft. anyways, i connect perfectly. even when you run that utility, it will tell u your IP, your base station, whether you are connected to the internet and yes, any other network shared devices. i have two desktops on the ethernet connections and a laptop and i share the printer on one of the desktops, fax software on the other. so am pretty happy and content with the setup. the speed is pretty good too. i copied a huge file, about 600MB from my laptop to my desktop and it was pretty fast. I use an Asante FriendlyLAN 802.11G card for
my notebook FYI.
Update: I had dropped connection problems too but then i found them to be with my wireless card since I use it at work too sometimes. I figured that i have to use its own software to choose the profile instead of allowing windows to automatically connect since Windows tries to be oversmart and disconnects often.

25 Nice features, easy install, 2-yr tech support
Got it 2 weeks ago, from amazon.com for under $44...looks like it raised the price already.

I was very careful in following the instruction--knowing that the order of installation is paramount in making installation go smoothly... and it all worked well, nearly the first time.
1) make sure cable modem is first working.
2) then install router, then make sure all still works,
3) then install software to each wired and wireless clients,
4) then install the wireless connection, WEP key.
All went fairly smoothly....if you follow the directions, carefully....

The wired connection 100Mbps is obviously good, and the wireless connection is stable, and fairly fast...I get 54Mbps when I am nearly the router, and even near top speed when I am on second floor, have not tried from the basement; From outside the garage, about 50 feet away from the router, the speed decreased to about 1/2, which is still good enough, given that the cable modem gives me max 2Mbps anyway.

I finally was playing around the configuration and messed up the configuration, so that my wireless connection was lost....called MS, and was told I have 24-hour support for 2 years... and talked to an 'offshore' tech support.... At first he tried to pass me off as HW problem, and ask me to talk to PC vendor...but after some convincing, he stayed on and tried several other fixes, and finally fixed the problem....(I had accidently changed my laptop to act as a brideg instead of just being a client). So, so far so good....the price is great. The product works, the connection is good, and support is there.... Recommended!

26 Reboot router every day or forget it
Bad Product / Four Reasons :
1) Wizard setup forces you to broadcast SSID / security hazard
2) Router drops wireless connections / must reboot router
3) Tech support asks you to reboot / no long-term fix
4) WPA support only for patched Windows XP

27 Firmware Update Resolved Lost Connections
ALL PROBLEMS RESOLVED - RECOMMEND PRODUCT - I was about ready to return the MN-700 because I could not keep a connection for more than a minute or two. With a Customer Support person on the line, the connection problem was completely resolved once I was able to stay connected long enough (with the base station utility running) to download and install the latest firmware update. I earlier had used my broadband connection to download the update, but bypassed the router because of the connection problem. However, it turns out that in doing that, only he MN-700 Broadband Software utility was updated and not the firmware. Secondly, prior to resolving the dropped connections problem, Customer Support was very patient and persistent in also helping me to resolve the preliminary issue of my network adapter card not being recognized by the MN-700 installation utility which it turns out was my problem and not the MN-700's because the "winipcfg" command (Windows 98 IP Configuration viewing command) also was not showing it even though it was installed and I had been using it for 6 months with my DSL connection. The recognition problem was resolved by completely uninstalling my network card as well as the dial-up modem card and reinstalling them. Regarding Customer Service, I had mostly very good experience. In the 5 or so calls I made to Customer Service, I was never on hold for more than 1-3 minutes and the calls were very professional, with a case number being assigned on the first call. The only negatives with Customer Service were that one time a representative was to call me back, but did not and another time a telephone connection was lost while talking to a representative. However, I am glad that I did not return the product!!

28 Easy set up, but mysterious drops
I decided to move up to g from b, from linksys to MS. No setup problems, ran great straight out of the box. But, and this is the reason for three stars, the router just drops connections at random. I read an earlier review that mentioned the same thing. I've looked for fixes on the MS site, but no mention of the issue when I last looked (I'm in Iraq for another four months, so maybe by the time I get back, there will be a firm ware fix). If you don't mind resetting your router anywhere from once a day to several times a day, no issues. If,like me, you find it annoying, stay away.

29 Hardware works, but instructions need rewriting
I bought the MN-700 wireless router because it's much cheaper than the other brands. I followed the instructions per the foldout guide and couldn't get the router to recognize my cable modem. Also, the documentation stated I would get prompts for certain things and I never got these prompts. After an hour or so of reviewing the documentation, I decided to follow my gut and rebooted my computer, turned off the cable modem and router and restarted everything. After that, everything worked fine. I don't have any connection drops and getting my laptop to recognize the wireless was very easy.

30 You should expect more from a wireless router...
One big issue I have is intermittent disconnects, maybe once or twice an hour. Not a big deal for the average surf the web, read some email user, but as an multi-player gamer, I can't stand being disconnected. I don't know what the router is doing when it drops, I imagine a firmware update may fix this (one day). I have 2 PC's connected, and they both drop, so it's definately the router. I've had experiences with MANY different wireless routers, and I wish I listened to the little voice inside my head when I bought this one. I wanted to try Microsoft, I was curious how their entry into the hardware market would play out. As they say, curiousity killed the cat, and Microsoft belongs in software. If you don't mind a disconnect here or there, and you really want to save $30...then buy Microsoft...otherwise, stick with the network hardware companies...Linksys, Netgear, Belkin. So does anyone want to buy a slightly-used MN-700 wireless router?

31 OK but be aware of critical software setting for IIb laptops
The Microsoft MN-700 Wireless 802.11g router was my first experience with wireless. Installation was easy, and the NetGear IIg PC card in my Sony laptop recognized the router immediately, and worked perfectly.

The Netgear IIb USB device in my wife's Toshiba laptop recognized the router, but would not work. Of course, I suspected the IIb USB device. After days of calling, updating, swapping devices and reinstalling software, I found an option in the router's Base Station software that was set at "IIg (faster)". As soon as I changed the setting to "IIg plus IIb (slower)", the Netgear IIb device worked fine.

So, Microsoft's hardware is great, the software is great. But the lack of clear simple communications caused me distress.

If MN-700s are preset to "IIg only", then documentation should be presented that reads "The Base station is preset at the faster IIg speed. If your laptop has a IIb device, use Base Station software to select the slower option."

I suspect that a good number of the poor reviews for this product at Amazon may be attributed to this issue.

32 Excellent Wireless Router
A terrific product, very dependable and easy to set up. Great two year product support. Highly recommended!!!

33 Stick to software Microsoft
I unpacked the box and followed the instructions to load the supplied software. That part went easily. Then I cabled the router to the cable modem and to the PC, and switched on. The software wizard failed to find the router and refused to proceed. I tried turning things on and off, rebooted my PC several times, removed my firewall software because the help said that could be the issue. Eventually I removed it from the cable modem and tried to connect it just to my PC. Still no joy.

So I took it back and bought a NetGear Router. WOW NetGear know how to make stuff. It took 5 minutes to get it going and another 5 to setup my security and preferences. No software needed. I then plugged my Vonage VoIP box into the setup and it all worked perfectly.

Microsoft stick to making software leave hardware to the people who know how to do it.

34 Totally Dependable
I was petrified at the thought of disconnecting my existing modem and installing this unknown quantity. But the installation was a breeze. My DSL was back up within seconds. And the wireless adaptor for my daughters' computer was even easier to install. We had a wireless network up and running in half an hour. We don't notice any loss of speed in loading/streaming. As much as I hate to admit it, you can count on Microsoft!

35 So-so Wi-fi
I haven't used other wireless routers but this one was not an ideal solution. The biggest problems are the disconnects and the speed in that order. It wasn't really simple to set up either though not overwhelmingly difficult. I have a D-link 704 which is wired but connects much faster than the mn700 even when both are wired. There is a half-1 second delay on the mn700 to bring up pages. Plus the most annoying factor is that the router drops connection at varying times.

36 Wireless connection and DHCP has problems....
I get this MN-700 to replace MN-500, what a mistake!

1. DHCP sometimes hand out IPs out of the setting range.
2. Wireless keeps on droping and reconnecting. That makes downloading large files almost impossible.
3. In b/g mix mode, b mode client may not be able to connect.

I know people will argue that interferrence (from 2.4GHz appliances) is the cause of disconnection, but my MN-500 never has the same problem. Microsoft seems slow (or not at all) release the fixes for this model. :(

37 Beats Linksys any day
Hi,
I had Linksys in as their Cable/DSL Gateway and their Wireless Access Product and it just had far too many problems. My Internet interface was available only about 55 percent of the time.

I tried the MN-700 and it works great. 100% internet connection, better signal for the same distance from the node, less interference from wireless phones and the microwave. I've now replace all my Linksys equipment with these and have excellent coverage, no drop outs, consistent connection etc.

What a great product!

38 Get anything but this one
Man does this router really suck, tried to set this up for a friend and the first one was defective, ok maybe i just got unlucky, so he returns it.
Then we get everything running on the 2nd one, no problem, after installing the software for 30mins.
Then all of a sudden it just stops working so we go into the settings and the base station isnt even showing up.
Long story short go with a linksys, had it up and running in 2 minutes, the guy i was installing it for was like thats it? dont we have to go through some long installation process?

39 Technical Literacy and Common Sense
If you are technically literate install it yourself, if you are not, have someone that is install it. This product is great for the money. What it comes down to is either you can use technical know how with common sense to figure out your installation or you will be whining like these babies. Obviously, they cannot write a manual with every possible setup scenario in it! Buy and enjoy your computer where you want to. It is great to be wireless!

40 Absolutely dreadful
My first advice to anyone considering purchasing this router would be to go to the Microsoft website and read through the community newsgroups (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/broadbandnetworking/10_Newsgroups.mspx). The number of users experiencing problems with this unit should give you a good idea about the quality of this product.

I bought the MN-700 for use in my home office and my first impression of it was that it seemed very clumsy to set up and use compared to my non-wireless Linksys router I've been using. The documentation was very sparse and somewhat confusing. The setup program also reset my computer's network settings without my permission, which really iritates me. Eventually, though, I was able to get my ethernet clients on the Internet, but I was never able to get my wireless clients connected, nor was I able to get the port forwarding to work. I didn't bother to contact tech support because (as you'll read in the newsgroups) the support for this product has been outsourced to India and appears to be pretty useless.

I get the feeling after using this router that it's designed to be fairly plug-and-play for non-technical home users, but I think that might be its greatest problem. It tries to configure everything itself and does not provide enough control or technical documentation to the end user. So when something doesn't work right, its much more difficult to figure out the problem.

41 Great for Wireless... Not so Great as a Router
I'll start by saying that I really did my research before buying this and I still think it was a good purchase. In terms of bang-for-your-buck, this device tops the list. The SPI Firewall, WPA support, and easy setup make this a great choice for the casual home user. Add to that the great help menus, the industry's best support site, and the oh-so Microsoft intuitive wizards and you've got yourself an easy best-buy.

So why I'm only giving it three stars? In short, I'm dissapointed in the router performace and functionality. This is really only going to impact those of us who like to tinker with things like this, so for those of you who don't know your DMZs from your DHCPs, go ahead - this is probably a very good choice. The wireless aspects work great!

Here is my beef: As a router, it's quite limited and I find the NAT and firewall to be sluggish. Also, you can't disable the firewall without shutting down the routing functionality altogether (switching it over to Access Point mode). Which, of course, disables NAT and DHCP as well. This is fine if you only have one PC on the network and are running WinXP firewall but not so great if you want to share the connection without messing around with ICS.

In router mode, it seems to make for slow page loads with new DNS lookups and/or when loading a page with multiple DNS redirected images. If I bypass the router and connect to my ISP directly with the Windows XP PPPoE client and XP firewall, I get much faster page loads. However, java speed tests are exactly the same with either config so for file downloads and VPN connections (tunneling through the firewall) it works perfect.

If MS doesn't release an upgraded firmware soon, adding more functionality to the router, I'll probably buy a stand-alone firewall and keep the MN-700 as a great WAP.

So, in short, if you need strong router performance, look elsewhere but keep this in mind for a great, inexpensive home WAP.

42 Easy set up and great support
I'm running a Sony VAIO TR3A and an older Micron Desktop. I also have a Playstation 2 using the network with linksys wireless bridge. I was able to get it all set up and running on all three systems in about 2 hours. Ran into some problems with my laptop which MS support was able to help me with. So far I'm pleased with it and it's doing everything that I need. Tip: If you have a network bridge on your laptop, delete it, that was the problem with my SONY VAIO which would not let me connect to the internet.

43 Seems as "You Luv it or you hate it"
I replaced a wired homenetwork of 4 PC's running Win98se on 2PC's, Win XP and Win2K on dual boot machine(connected to cable modem), and finally a WinXP Pro box with MN-720 adapter. I only run wireless on the one XP Pro box but setup was easy and all machines works fine.
One reason that I believe DSL connection problems with this base station and the occasional cable modem problem is the quality of the broadband connection. First off DSL is flakey in my book and dependent on a lot of factors hinging around phone lines. Cable is superior conduit for data depending upon reliability of cable provider. That said, I have had zero lost connections for the two months of operation and connection at 54mbps 95% of the time. It is true that the software interface with the base station takes a pretty long time refreshing network components, but this is only a minor inconvenience. I was astounded at how easy the dual boot machine configured. I was initially worried that after install in the XP partition that booting into the Win2K partition was going to be a nightmare, but no problem! I suggest for those who give bad reviews to check the status and reliability of their broadband connection before blaming the hardware. I left a wired network primarily due to the Linksys router having tremendous difficulty with port forwarding setup to facilitate netcam sessions in MSN Messenger. I now regularly netcam with family all across the country without a hitch! I love it!

44 Worst router I've ever configured
I am a consultant. I tried setting this up at a client with Verizon DSL. The WAN (DSL) connection would drop after 30 seconds each time. Resetting everything didn't help, and neither did getting a new DSL Modem nor anything else. Verizon had me do a number of exotic troubleshooting steps that no home user wants to do, nor needs to do as shown by the following.

I left and came back with my own old DI-614+ 802.11b router and it worked like a charm - no need to configure the DSL Modem or anything else - all it needed was to put PPPoE in the router and put in the verizon user name and password in the router as well, and everything worked perfectly. Incidentally, Verizon DSL only supports Linksys routers specifically, but will give you general instructions for any router, in my experience.

Also, avoid the software utility if you can - it's better to configure it via the web interface.

The LAN part works fine, so if that's all you need, it'll be OK.

Bottom Line: Avoid this one and get a D-Link or Netgear instead - if not, a linksys may work, too, though I've had some bad experiences with the quality of the WRT-54G router as well.

45 Up and running in no time!
After 2 days and many hours on the phone with Gateway & MSN tech support (help in setting up a Gateway brand router with MSN Broadband), I finally gave up and purchased the MN-700. I was so pleased. Set up was a breeze. Both wired and wireless computers working flawlessly. Haven't lost connectivity yet.

46 Router not a finished product yet
This router has several serious bugs, the main one being it keeps loosing the internet connection through a cable modem. About every 5-10 minutes you have to reset both modems to regain the connection. A widespread and consistant problem, amoung others. See: microsoft.public.broadbandnet.hardware newgroup before you buy! No word from MS on a fix, don't seem to care.

47 I thought I'd be safe buying Microsoft..I was wrong
the router did not work correctly from the start. Approximately an hour after installing it, connected to a Microsoft USD Adapter M510, it quit all-together. I immediately called Microsoft Product Support. What a waste of time. After going through getting a case number I was eventually connected to a "router expert". The gentleman was very courteous but, unfortunately, had an extremely thick accent and I had some difficulty understanding him. (Another American job gone overseas) We spent almost an hour of my running between the base station (where the router was) and the slave (where the adapter was) Suddenly the telephone connection to support went dead. I had used up the power in my portable telephone. After a reasonable interval I received a call back from support and we continued to work on the problem. Unfortunately, with no success. The line went dead again. This time, at no fault of my own. There was no call back. I called support again and using my case number got a new gentleman, with less of an accent. We had to go through the entire procedure again and again, no success. After about two hours with the "router experts" I was told it was Microsoft XP that was the culprit and he asked me to hold on to be transferred to a "XP Expert"...he never came back. Nor did I. I chucked the router and adapter, drilled a hole through my wall and hooked up to a replacement wired router. (not microsoft's). All is well now.

48 Not ready for release
Bought this router 2 weeks ago to replace wired network. I have 2 wired connections from desktop computers and one wireless from laptop.
Here are some observations:
1) 2-3 sec delay when openning the page with browser
2) Setup was not that easy (my configuration was not described in the manual)- had to call tech support 2 times
3) Even though download speeds measure OK, overall impression is that this thing is sooooooo S-L-O-W (possibly due to 2-3 sec lag).
4) Can not disable the farewall

5) Wouldn't work with PPPoE (DSL) at all without firmware upgrade - would randomly drop connection
6) When open the browser after turning computer on, have to reload the page few times just to get DHCP working
7) Loses wireless connection from 2.4 GHz phones
8) Some pictures are not displayed in the browser - was told to clear the cache (???). Hm, never had that issue with wired router before

Overall, I am very dissatisfied with the product, considering the fact that at least I am able to surf the net and download files. Look first on microsoft's website to find disscusion groups on this router and see for yourself what to expect before buying it.
I would give it a 1 star but at least I was able to get it "working".
I noticed some positive reviews here too. Did you try to connect directly to the net to see if there is a difference in speed?

49 Does not work with DSL
The router does not work with Bellsouth DSL. I spent two hours on the phone with tech support without resloution. There is a probelm with this router dropping off while using the PPPoE. Tried configuring dynamically but could not. All my research told me the same assumption: IF YOU HAVE DSL AND WANT A ROUTER THAT WORKS WELL, FORGET MICROSOFT!!!!!!
Thankfully i still had my receipt. I took it back and got a Linkys router instead.

50 Worked great first time, every time
I am using this router and running 2 laptops and a desktop with it. Set-up was fairly easy (I did some manual configurations)and, since I am not using Microsoft wireless adapters, I had to manually configure the computers. I am running an 4 yr old IBM Thinkpad with a Netgear MA111 adapter and also a Dell 3800 laptop (about 2 or 3 yrs old) with the same adapter (802.11b). No problems at all once I configured the WEP security keys,etc. The desktop is an H-P running Windows 98SE, also no problems. When my daughter was here with her new Dell with a 802.11G card, she seemed to have even faster connections.

The farthest I have taken the laptops is out on my deck which is 2 or 3 walls and maybe 50 feet from the router. I have the router conncected to my Comcast cable modem and am surfing the net usually at 1.2-1.7 meg per sec. I would recommend this as a simple, effective way to set up wi-fi at home.

51 A Novice get it to work on the first try
This is my first introduction to wireless networking. I just got this router in January of 2004 and have no disconnection problem reported by other users. I did do an update during setup. It has worked in every way I expected to be. I picked MS MN-700 over the competition, because I heard it is very easy to use.

The setup,
I am a novice and didn't want to be hassles by a lot of informational inputs. This device worked on the first try with Wizard setup. I first plugged it straight to a network card with a cable it worked fine. I have a window 98 and a win2000 computer on. I am using Linksys's Dual band A&G on my XP laptop and all I had to do is enter the network key on the card and it will work. You might have to plug the router with an ethernet cable before you can set up the wireless connection; that is what I did.

Conclusion,
I read that you can not extend the range with a wireless bridge with the MN-700 and I was a little bum (never had to also). If you want to compare performances with this device to other go to CNET first. This is a simple device, which doesn't have much configuration to play with. The exterior design is nice; I like how it looks standing up or sideway on my desk. Most of my friends said go with D-link, but I am happy with this pick.

52 the one that i bought is being returned soon
I got this one for my girlfriend for Christmas. She was really excited to get it up and running in her apartment - oops.

The stability of the .g version versus the .b version is inexplicable. I have had my .b up and running for MONTHS - never had a problem. I couldn't get this .g router to be stable for more then 20 minutes at a time. I did all the updates, ran through the setup just like MS said to do - nada, nothin.

After struggling through this on a Wednesday night and Thursday morning I bought her a .b to replace it on Saturday. Got that one running and working fine in about 15 minutes and haven't had a problem since. Sticking this one in the mail in the next few days to return it.

I really don't know what the hell the problem is between these two but MS has a homerun with the first one and this one pretty much blows.

53 Easy and reliable
First, a disclaimer - I am an ex-Microsoft employee (but not in this area). I bought this at retail after I had left, so my experience is as a normal customer.

I bought this to replace a Linksys wireless router that I had set up on an existing network as a wireless access point for my wife's laptop (which wasn't located in a spot convenient to our Ethernet connections).

The Linksys was very unreliable as an access point and I am not a networking expert. So I decided to try the MS solution (where I knew the focus was on ease of installation). Since I was upgrading anyway, I bumped up to G.

Installation went completely by the book (including an auto update after I installed the base software). Within 30 minutes, I had the hardware set up, the software installed, the new notebook adaptor in my wife's laptop and the connections made.

It has worked flawlessly for 6 weeks since then. I also have a Dell laptop with the Centrino B wireless adaptor built in and it connects easily and reliably as well.

I also like the vertical setup over the Linksys. It looks better and is more space efficient. And the status lights are visible from more angles.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily this setup and how well it has worked. Recommended.

54 Easy and reliable
First, a disclaimer - I am an ex-Microsoft employee (but not in this area). I bought this at retail after I had left, so my experience is as a normal customer.

It has worked flawlessly for 6 weeks since then. I also have a Dell laptop with the Centrino B wireless adaptor built in and it connects easily and reliably as well.

I also like the vertical setup over the Linksys. It looks better and is more space efficient. And the status lights are visible from more angles.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily this setup and how well it has worked. Recommended.

55 Some problem as the nov2 review
Yep...the base station kept on disconnecting. I was able to update the software, fairly easily...after a few tries. (you can download it on your desktop and install it later) but you have to be online to update the firmware from 207.something to 208.something. While it was searching for updates, it would sometimes discconect, instead of canceling, I kept unplugging and re-plugging the base station (this resets the connection)...I was about to take it back but I decided to give it one more chance....hmmmm...maybe it responds to threats better....><

56 Trouble-free installation
This router (bought bundled with the wireless laptop card) was purchased to replace a D-Link with which we weren't satisfied because we were never able to network our two home computers.

The documentation that came packaged in the Microsoft box was outstanding. Detailed and easy-to-follow steps were laid out in a straight-forward manner. Anyone who is only minimally familiar with computers and computer hardware/software can navigate through the instructions with realative confidence.

The device came with its own setup wizard which, of course, was perfectly compatible with Windows XP! The wizard, in conjunction with the instruction manual, explained exactly what to do and when to do it. It was never ambiguous. The wizard detected and used our original ISP settings/information by itself. It instructed us when to disconnect our previous router and connect our new router. Microsoft even included a blank floppy to be used for saving our connection settings and then transferrring these same settings to our other computer to be networked. The instructions stepped us through setting up the home network on all home computers.

As said before, installation was quick and easy. The instructions were clear and detailed. Our two computers were wirelessly networked without a hitch. It also seems that the wireless adapter card maintains MUCH better connection with the base (I haven't noticed any interruptions in the connection).

Microsoft is big because they've earned it! I'm more than happy to give them my money when they give me products like this in exchange!

57 A nice wifi router/firewall
I bought this router to replace an SMC router after my roomate left with it. I have Windows XP and a cable modem. Got it up and running in 5 minutes, but fine tuning the security features took an extra hour or so.

Pros:
- The Price, so cheap with all the good features, couldn't pass it up
- Nice install wizard, handled my cable modem really well
- Great security features: NAT, WEP, MAC filter, Port Filter, etc.
- Configuration tool has a nice user interface
- I like that it automatically patches it self.

Cons:
- The documentation that is included is not very good. Amazing how many pages they spend on stupid stuff (this is what you power cord looks like... Instead of This is how you can increase security in your wireless network set by step.)

Tips:
- Be careful turning on the MAC filtering, make sure you put your desktop MAC address in first, or you might get locked out :) found out the hard way.
- Make sure you block the ICMP Ping so hackers/crackers can't find you easily on the network
- Make sure that you select "share files and printers" in the wizards, because it is super difficult to find these settings to change your mind later. It probably isn't a good idea to "share my whole computer" though. Should someone actually break into your network...
- It is a pain in the butt to copy down that long WEP key, on all of your wireless laptops, but once you have done it, you can rest assured that you are pretty darn secure.

All in all, I have no regrets with losing the SMC wireless router.

58 Great router !
This router really seems to perform flawlessly ! I am getting great speeds, and reliability. My only complaint and reason for the four stars and not five, is the setup software would not run properly. This caused me to contact Microsoft tech support, and a manual setup of the router. The tech support was great, and all is well. As usual with my experiences with Microsoft products, they are always GOOD !

59 Microsoft MN-700 in 15 easy minutes
Just received my Microsoft MN-700 today and was up and running in 15 minutes. The installation quick start is very easy and the only problem I had was to unplug the cable modem power and reconnect. This was in the installation wizard during the problem when the router tried to connect to Comcast. I've experienced this when switching between the desktop and laptop connection with the cable modem, so it wasn't a problem associcated with the router, it's with the cable modem.
The router works flawlessly and notified me of updates that I applied after the original installation.

60 Doesn't work well with PPP networks!
I do consider myself tech savvy, and yet spent an unsuccessful 5 hours diagnosing why it wouldn't play well with a PPPoE DSL account. Finally gave up and will have to bite the bullet on Comp USA's crappy 15% restocking fee.

Perhaps an option NOT to use the "Wizard"? Microsoft, are you listening? Putting stickers everywhere to "MAKE SURE YOU INSTALL THE SOFTWARE FIRST" is a real turn off!

61 What a mistake
I had set up wired networks before and wanted to add a wireless laptop to my home wired network. I down-loaded the MBN user's guide, read it and learned on page 46 it promised to do exactly that. I purchased the MN-500 and bought Microsoft's notebook adaptor too, because there might be a need to contact customer support and two vendors complicate things.

Out of the box, the stuff did not work. I attempted this on PC with Windows XP, a PC with Windows ME. Same bad story. The India tech-support is useless. It turns out the drivers simply do not work with PPPoE.

But, what a mess the set-up created! The Microsoft set-up disk ruined a perfectly good laptop that is used for PowerPoint presentations for two weeks. The set-up installed hidden spy-ware that kept attempting to access the non-functioning wireless network at home and blocked access to the corporate networks used for presentations. It took hours of rooting through the registry and using removal software (thanks EarthLink) before it worked again.

My story is not unique check the wireless forums on the internet. I have never posted a review here before, but I felt it was important to do a user's review of this product.

62 Microsoft Wireless LAN
Although I've worked in the computer industry for 30 years, I just recently stepped up to broadband and a home wireless network. I bought microsoft's MN-700, 802.11g wireless base & MN-720, 802.11g PCMCIA notebook adapter. In about a hour (including a large ... 14MB ... firmware update) I was up and running. Simple to install and operate. Couldn't be happier. I'm not going to "stress" test it, but for printer/files/broadband acess sharing, it's great. The reasonable price and great security are addtional bonuses. I highly recommend the product.

63 Easy Setup, Great Range and Performance
It took a few minutes to get this setup and working from my cable modem. Compared to my previous router (SMC 7004AWBR), this one has better range and supports UPnP - critical if you like to use MSN Messenger and the advanced features. Before trying this one I tried to get a Netgear model working and had no luck getting an IP address. After spending hours on the phone and trying everything, the Netgear rep told me to return it. I am glad I chose this router in the end.

64 No Problems
1st time wireless user and big surprise...no problems, set up base station , and 2 remote computers (notebook & kids PC) in about 15-20 mins, use a cable modem, have XP on all machines with Norton firewall and Antivirus. All up and running and no signal drops etc. PS just to be safe I downloaded the base station patch before beginning the install. Cheers

65 After 2 hours with tech support it worked for 2 minutes
Used a new computer with XP. I spent a total of 12 hours and finally gave up

66 It is wow!
I got it installed within an hour including applying a huge patch for the base station. I was uncomfortable abt the fact that microsoft might want to issue patches now and then as usual and we have to keep patching it up.
Pros:
1 Easy to install
2 Works as wired and wireless
3 With wifi pda it would be real fun(not tried)
4 No wire clutter
5 Has WPA which is next thing in wifi
6 Wifi certified
7 Feeling of sitting with a laptop in any room is awesome
8 Good speed though might diminish with distance
Cons:
1 The network adapters for computers costs as much as base station
2 The xp and windows 2000 interface for the network card is different and might be confusing at the beginning though the base is same.
3 If wep or wpa is not configured by the user any one can use the network and access the shared files folders
4 Microsot might keep sending patches and one has to install it diligently
5 Concern about creating more radio waves in your environment without knowing the effects on ones health - phones work on similar frequency but they are for short conversations and not running 24 hrs
6 Not much flexibility in setting up of the firewall

I havn't tried any more esotoric options in the networking workd like vpn etc. I did download files while cooking and watching the download. I havn't tried any distances more than the 1000 ft apt area. Prospects of checking email in the restroom is awesome - onestep closer to microsoft's plans to bring computers to public toilets.

Bottomline is I am keeping my wifi. 4 stars instead of 5 because of fear of many more patches coming down the way though some will be nice upgrade and some for bug fixes.

Disclaimer:
I am not related to the company in anyway except as a customer. Every user may not have same experience as me. All persons reading this review read it and deceide for themselves their choices.

67 YOU CAN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE!
I have been around the globe and back searching for the right networking. I told myself that I would want it for internet, network printing, and sharing files. I read tons of reviews and listened to stories from my friends and relatives about many companies. Being the gullible person that I am, I bought D-link. I thought I had a one in a million chance of having to return it considering the fact that they are the #1 leading company for networking. Well I had a four day weekend from work to set it up to enjoy and admire the wonderful technology. That was my dream, not my reality. The "quick installation guide" shouldn't even come with it because it won't do you any good. The service is pointless because they don't have a clue about setting it up. I called 11 times total. You can tell the technician 1 level has people just reading the words off paper because they all were the same. AFTER 3 DAYS of pure torture, it was working. *Problem*: It worked every 30 seconds. I spent another day fixing it and got to know every tech's name there: Mark, Carlos,etc (now you know that is a problem right there).

So I returned the waste of space and purchased this Microsoft MN-700 with of course the network adapter for my laptop. From the reviews I read I heard it worked and was easy. I couldn't believe that because the D-link ratings are higher than this for some very odd reason. Keep in mine I am a tech person and work with computers constantly. So I bought it after talking with a friend who told me that she had it and it was perfect. The first feature I noticed that was different was that right on the box it said you could network for printing and transferring files. With the D-link, it didn't say it on the box and from every single option on the D-link webpage, I don't think there is a way to do that which isn't at all what I truly wanted. Plus if they are the same price, why not get more for your buck.

Now all the other reviews said it only took 15 minutes. I definetely disagree with them because that is false advertisement. It only took 10 minutes :) . I had *2* laptops and a desktop running at the speed of light in 10 minuts. The setup was absolutely amazing from where I was coming from. First of all, YOU GET REAL SOFTWARE!!! With D-link, you are praying that you can access your own personal website for your system. That is BS because if you needed help then obviously the web isn't looking good. The interface is wonderful and nicely setup. You can view detailed specs of your system. When you setup their quick installation guide (which actually works) follow it exactly and carefully and there is no way to come to any problems. It is very fast. In fact, I am typing this review ON MY LAPTOP.

I am able to send my docs. directly to the printer wirelessly! No more saving to floppy disk and bringing over, etc. I can share my documents with other computers and I think music files. Still trying out all the features. KEEP IN MIND that you can't share everything!!! Program files is locked and some other files are too. Plus, even files that are allowed to share won't let you share even if you can access one's computer from another computer.

They have a nice customer service considering I only called them once with a miniscule problem. For the curious, the question was: How do I share files with other computers? See they tell you a little about that in the wonderful big manual that comes with it (that D-link doesn't have), but you have a 1 in 20 chance of picking a folder that matches the information in the book. See each folder is different. If you right click on one folder it might be a major folder where the option would be *Sharing and Security* whereas the minor folders don't have one. Of course I was clicking on the minor so I wasn't doing it right. ***Remember when you call, you have started the first day of the 2 years you can call for free!*** I didn't care because I know I wouldn't use them again because the whole product is so simple and if there ever was a problem, I just would take the software off and start over again.

Well this is my review and I am sure you can trust my help. This product you WILL NOT be dissapointed of. This is wonderful and works like it is suppose to. I am running windows XP so that I am sure this will work. Thank you for reading.

68 Superb Product
Microsoft delivers another great wireless networking product! Installation was amazingly easy and performance is great. I've used their earlier MN-500 wireless-B router for the past year and recently upgraded to this G version. Even with my 802.11b Dell laptop with the latest Intel Centrino technology, speed and distance are improved over the earlier router.

I can't say enough good things about this product. The radio signal is very strong (more than 6Mbps) throughout my 5000sqft+ home with no dead spots. I don't know how the Microsoft engineers did it. The Linksys WRT54G that I tried for a week was a poor performer compared to this Microsoft unit.

Microsoft may be known for their software products, but this unit should give them solid recognition in the hardware category. Highly recommended!

69 So many problems installing on Win ME
Opened box and attempted install. Software keeps locking up...Internet Extorter won't open when connected to router (works fine when connected to cable modem directly). After much fussing about, got the software to configure and load correctly but requires unplugging network cable from computer first. Also, compared to other router products I've used, the web interface is SLOWWWWWWWW...noticed this device is running WinCE...hmmm.

Works ok with win2k, but can't connect my Orinoco Silver (802.11b) to the router (may be a card issue rather than router).

Highly recommend investigating other choices from established netoworking companies that don't release beta products!

70 Works like a trooper
The MSFT base station router works like a charm. While I work in the software industry, I am *clueless* about network setup issues. I deal with software, not hardware. Anyway, the setup was quick and painless. I've had none of the problems indicated by others. The connection is fast, strong throughout the house. I do have an occasional drop, but this is infrequent. Note that I only have one laptop at the house. Chapter 2 of the extended setup guide (not the quick-start) details how to do this, and it is really quite easy to set up. A friend of mine is also running the same hub (with 802.11b cards, however) and has had experience similar to mine.

71 Now working OK
The router shipped with a major software bug in the PPPoE connection - it randomly disconnects from your ISP. Fortunately, there is a patch that fixed the problem that is available to download. It is difficult downloading a patch for a router that must be connected to the internet for the auto update to allow you access to the patch, but keeps on disconnecting you. The manual download did not work due to Microsoft's web page errors. After many attempts, the auto update download worked, and fixed the PPPoE problem. The router now works well and does have a good signal, like other reviewers report.

Note that the technical support is only free for 2 years, after which they charge you per call, at present. It is very disappointing that Microsoft reports 24 hours tech support, but conveniently omits the charges you're in store for if you need it in the future. The tech support people are very polite - absolutely worthless, but very polite about it.

Overall, the router is working well with the patch, but when considering the whole experience to get there (that I had to figure out by myself), it gets 3 stars for average.

72 One of the Best routers available
I am not sure what people are complaining about other than microsoft bashing. The original MN-500 router and this one have PHENOMENAL signal strength, and WHEN PROPERLY SET-UP it does not EVER drop connection from what I have seen. I have had a Linksys, SMC, Netgear, and Dell, and The Dell and Microsoft are the tops, and Microsofts signal strength pushes it over the top for me.

73 Great product
the router i got came with instrution about the possible flaw - possible inconsistent connection and the solution to it.

that is to disable the 802.1 verification check box... once that is done.. the connection works fine. i had the same problem with a linksys wireless router... so returned that and got this instead. same prob at first the only difference is that the linksys didn't not document the issue. microsoft did.

microsoft released a fix couple of days ago... via windows update... but since it was already working fine... i won't know the difference.

in comparison with the linksys... it seems to work better with stronger signal within my place. the signal is stronger... and the connection stayed on for longer even with the problem mentioned above...

so far... have not had any prob since

on top the setup was much easier with the microsoft router... much more user friendly.

i think the price was reasonable..... in comparison

74 Joining the chorus -- this product has real problems
Reading some of these other reviews, I felt like I had written them, given our common experiences: 1. The base station continually disconnects from the internet and drops its connection with the computer; 2. The Microsoft tech service people are very nice (that's worth a star) but don't have a clue what the problem is; 2. They sent me a new unit and that doesn't work either. Linksys, here I come.

75 Working Fine
I just installed the MN-700 in my home network, replacing 3 Cisco Aironet 340/350 PCI cards in an ad-hoc network. I have one PC with Win2K Pro and two WinXP boxes. The installation of the BNU software was smooth. I hardwired my Win2K Pro PC to the router using the included ethernet cable and installed the MN-730 PCI cards in the XP PCs. The network was up and running very quickly. I did encounter one problem. Whenever I brought one of the XP PCs on the network - it crashed the network. Turns out I had the W32.Welchia.Worm on that PC. Once that was removed - its been working great! I gave it four instead of five stars because according to the microsoft broadband newsgroup, they are having with trouble WPA security, but since I use WEP I didn't have a problem.

76 waiting for the third version
the first and second versions of Microsoft stuff sucks, right? I guess we need to wait for the third version, because this one isn't working. Friendly telephone support, though.

77 yeesh. what a headache
Works for about three minutes at a time. Actually, it works as long as I don't actually use the Internet. Nice tech support folks, though.

78 nice interface, if only it worked
Everything went smoothly, except that thing where it cuts out every three minutes. Microsoft says they'll send me another. We'll see.

79 did MS test this product?
Shouldn't have been released to market.

5 stars for: Asthetic design, functional web-based interface, good range, price

If unit worked as it should, it would get 5 stars.

3 star deduction for: working for 5 minutes and then failing, broadcasting SSID but not accepting connections (wired or wirelessly) due to non-responsive DHCP server, technically support that has too many layers (open a case, call back on case to confirm issues, then a call from a technician), transformer at end of plug, inability of tech support to resolve issues. Basically said they were aware of the issues and have a firmware update in testing, e.t.d. 2-3 weeks.

Tried 3 units without success. Wait for updated firmware before buying.

80 Very good product.
Easy setup, inexpensive, reliable, and Wi-Fi certified. Very good range when combined with D-Link's DWL-G650 card (Microsoft's MN-720 card has shorter range).

81 Plenty bad
Really, really sad. Trying to setup by myself for 3 hours, then 2 hours and 31 minutes on the phone with a very helpful person who was unable to help. Won't respond, computer (running ME) won't recognize the router. Deleted my SW, modified their settings, ran through all the ideas, rebooted 7 times on the phone.... Still nothing - next step, a Microsoft expert calls within 3 days..... When they call (at 3 days) it is to set up an appointment to call in TWO WEEKS. They call this service???

Update -- I took this back and bought a Linksys WRT54G -- installed and fully operational during a commercial break while watching "Survivor" the other night. Hours and weeks of work for the MN-700, less than 5 mins for the Linksys...

82 This Unit Seems To Run As Solid As It's Predacessors...
I read the other reviews, and I admit I was a bit apprehensive in buying the G verison of the Microsoft's Wireless Base Station. But after having so many problems trying to get the one from Linksys running, and how great Microsoft's Wired Base Station worked out for me, I threw caution to the wind and purchased one (just don't let my wife know).

Just like the wired version, the setup of this wireless Base Station is easy. It only took 5 minutes to get setup and running. Kudos to Microsoft for getting this right.

As far as hang-ups and connections problems, I have been spared of this. I have two XP machines connected via ethernet, and an older XP laptop connected via Microsoft's Wireless G card, and having downloaded various XP and Office service packs, and the AOL 9.0 update (all of which took longer than 3 to 5 minutes mind you), I have yet to experience any problems.

The only complaint that I have is that the laptop connection is sluggish, but compared to 100mps, a max of 54 would be I suppose.

Now if only I can get the Win 98 machine to setup as easily... but that is another question...

83 NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
Indeed, installing MN 700 is very simple. Except, after it is installed, it does not work. My network and Internet drops after 2-3 minutes. All the free advice on Microsoft webside is worth every penny of the cost. I spent over two hours with a technician who tried to be very helpful. One problem, she was unable to resolve my issues.

84 Buggy & seems like a Beta......MS Support has no answers.
I purchased the MN-700 and found that setup was seamless, however after functioning for a few minutes, the router stopped responding to all machines on the network (wired, wireless, XP, ME and 98) - no internet, no network, no response from router. The only way to correct this was to either go through the setup process again, hard reset the router or unplug and plug the router. And then the router would stop responding again...

I exchanged this for a new one and found I had the same problem. During a 3 hour call with MS support I got an initial response that the problem was software and that I would need to speak to the OS folks (hey isn't that Microsoft). She eventually figured out (after me telling her numerous times) that the problem was hardware as all my machines could not talk to the router. I then asked what are the chances that I get two exact hardware problems on two different routers? She told me this was common and that she has seen it on three routers for some users!!! What does this tell you????

Then when I called for a new one, the MS rep told me that they could not send me a new one because the MN-700 hadn't been released yet. Well then how is it available online and also at major electronics retailers? They said they had to check and get back to me. Not the answer I was looking for.

One last thing, take a look at MS's support site and look at the support page. You'll find that there are many entries on the site with the same problem. The official MS response is to refer you to another email address that deals with bugs.

Bottom line is that MS should not have released this until they got all of the bugs out. Buyer beware.

85 Perfect for first time networker.
This was my first wireless network setup. I was worried that it was going to be a long tedious setup process & require tons of tweaking before I could actually use it....BOY was I pleasantly surprised! Out the box; plain simple instructions Step1.Install software before you install hardware. Step2. Follow directions on screen. After 3 or four easy steps my base station was installed in 10 minutes!!! Next I installed the wireless adapter on my 2nd pc in under 20 minutes with the same degree of ease (took me longest to open up the PC & install the card, but once that was done the software pare took 10 min). With both pieces of hardware up & running, the software simply walked me right through configuring the network; ACTUALLY IT did ALL the work while I sat & watched as it basically set my network up on autopilot. I highly recommend this to everyone thinking about seting up a wireless network at home. The software interface works seemlessly with Windows XP as most microsoft products are designed to do. I trust that everyone will be as pleased with this product as I am.