What is the Difference Between NETGEAR Home and Business Products?

Home products emphasize:

• Ease of installation and configuration
• Ease of use
• Low cost
• Utility for small networks that do not require managing large numbers of users

Business products emphasize:

• Advanced features, particularly advanced security features such as VPN
• Large feature set allowing use in complicated networks
• Low cost compared to other business alternatives
• Support for 10s and 100s of users
• Features for network professionals and administrators

Why Would I want a Business Products for a Home Network?

Many people do use business products in their home or small office. Although business products cost more, they also have better performance, along with better security and wider features. You can "grow into" the features of a business product; with a home product, if you develop more demanding needs, you may end up replacing equipment entirely. The hardware warranties for business products are generally much longer.

Why Would I not Want a Business Product?

Typically you buy a home product to get the lowest cost, and so that equipment can be set up in a matter of a few minutes. Many features of business products are considered "Advanced", and NETGEAR does not give free support for them. If you go so far as to buy a Managed Switch, only fee-based support is available. Although entry-level business products have manuals similar to home products, the manuals for the highest end business products sometimes assume considerable technical experience.

Can I Mix Home and Business Products?

Generally, yes, but you should always make sure that any networking products are compatible with one another before buying them. Typically, mixing a high-end product with a low-end one results in reducing the performance to the level of the low-end, and eliminating features the low-end equipment doesn't support. Some products, such as a 802.11 g (only) device, and a 802.11 b (only) device, won't work together at all.

Where Can I Buy Business Products?

Online. Also, many stores that are consumer-oriented also carry some business products. NETGEAR business products are always in square blue metal cases — home products never are.

N101517.asp Aug. 16, 2005