ZyXEL X550NH 802.11n High-Gain Wireless Gigabit Router

Comment: The router setup was not easy. If you want an easy router to setup then use Linksys or D-link.
The issue with setting up this router was that the specified IP address the directions said to use was not operational on the router. The router, right our of the box was using a completely different IP address that wasn't documented. I had to reset the router 3 times before the memory let go of the settings and reset the router and the IP address.
This wasted 3 hours. Linksys or D-link could be setup in under 10 mins.

Wireless connection to the router is sporadic. My laptop sits 3 feet away from the wireless antenna yet the connection between the router and the laptop is lost almost every hour. This same issue occurs regardless of the distance from the router. The router is set for the maximum signal power and there are no other wireless signals or other disruptions in the area. I'm thinking this is more of a concern of poor programming than actual hardware failure.

As for distance of the signal it's fantastic. In my testing the signal strength and distance is much greater than any other mid-grade or low-grade router I've tried thus far. The signal cuts through various thickness and multitude of walls and still comes out strong up 20 feet away. This router has a far better signal than other routers I've tried.

This would be a fantastic router if the setup directions were correct and if the router stopped dropping the signal so frequently.

Comment: I recently purchased the X550NH router from Amazon because of the following additional features:
- 802.11 n (v2.0)
- 4+1 Gigabit LAN (4 LAN + 1 WAN)
- External antenna
- VPN tunneling

I have 3Com Office Connect router that I was planning to replace with this X550NH.

Benefits:
- Good functions (IPTV full support, VPN Server, Gigabit LAN, Wi-Fi with full N support)
- Nice the external high gain antenna
- Good uptime (like Cisco & 3Com only)

Shortcomings:
- No updated firmware available
- Admin GUI for VPN settings is much better with the devices, like f.e. 3Com.
- No PPTP server support for VPN tunneling (IPSec only)

Comment: I was recently asked to recommend a wireless router to a family member and, after directing her to this router, I was shocked to see that it hasn't been more favorably rated. I have owned the X550NH for over a year and believe it to be the best wireless router I have ever owned. I have previously owned 3 Netgear wireless routers, 2 Linksys, and a Belkin. This is by far the most reliable of the bunch - all of the others underperformed or continually required a reboot. It was easy to set-up and, over the year since I've owned it, have only had to restart it once - and for anyone who has ever owned a wireless router, that's pretty good. At any given time, my X550NH has 2 cell phones, 2 laptops, a desktop, a Wii and 2 printers connected to it without any problems whatsoever. If you are looking for a wireless router that provides consistent speed, performance and excellent range, in my opinion you can't go wrong with the X550NH.

Comment: I recently purchased the X550NH router from Amazon because of the following additional features that my current Draft N Zyxel router did not have:
-802.11 n (v2.0)
-GLAN ports (4 LAN + 1 WAN)
-External high gain designer antenna
-Scheduled WLAN on/off
-VPN tunneling

I have other ZyXEL devices including an NBG-415N router that I was planning to replace with this X550NH. I also own a DSL_ modem and a VOIP box from ZyXEL. I am giving it only two stars because the router is not functioning as it should.

Benefits:
-The design & size (looks good and does not take much space)
-Nice the external high gain antenna

Shortcomings:
-The admin GUI is much better with the older device (NBG-415N). The X550NH does not offer a help screen and has fewer options.
-It appears to be VERY slow (slow response time for the management web interface as well as the navigating the Web)
-PC disconnects frequently from router, even though signal strength seems at max (i.e. I need to refresh web pages often).
-No updated firmware available