 UGATE 3300 Cable/DSL Broadband
Router and Wireless Access
Point
 Review Type: Hands
ON
Reviewer: Chris Kaminski
Date: Feb 26, 2001
UGate is OUT OF BUSINESS. I have
archived the Ugate
/ MaxGate firmware in case their site goes
down. Firmware for all router versions and their manuals have been
archived
 The Ugate 3300 consolidates
four networking devices into a single, easy
to manage unit. The 3300 is a capable cable/dsl broadband router, a Wireless
Ethernet access point, a network bridge and a network print server. Right
out of the box, the Ugate 3300 looks and acts like a mature product. We
give the UGAte-3300 a thumbs-up. Broadband Router
|
Firewall Note |
The 3300 scored a perfect zero on our firewall tests. See the results.
| As a broadband router, the Ugate-3300 does an
admirable job. Like other broadband routers it supports all the features
you would expect like IPSec, PPPoE, and PPPtP and provides a basic
firewall through its use of NAT. Additionally, it sports features like a
DMZ that allows the router to ‘expose’ one of your computers completely to
the Internet and a string based url filter. Using this new filter feature,
you could filter out any url containing particular ‘phrases’ or ‘strings’
like ‘/ad/popup/’. In this case, any url that contains the phrase
‘/ad/popup/’ would be blocked. Side note: The 3300 scored a perfect zero on our
firewall tests. See the results.
Wireless Access Point
As a wireless access point, the Ugate-3300 worked
flawlessly for me. The maximum range is quoted at 150 feet – enough for
most applications. Lets hope that MaxGate comes out with an external
antenna that will push this range up. The configuration screen for the
wireless Ethernet segment was easy and worked the first time out. The 3300
supports both 64 bit and 128 bit encryption for environments where
wireless security is essential like apartment buildings and
dorms.
Network Bridge
One of the best features of the 3300 is the
built in network bridge. This allows your wired Ethernet network and your
wireless Ethernet segment to essentially be on the same LAN. The two
network segments share the same IP schema and talk flawlessly with each
other. Computers from both segments show up in your network neighborhood
just like they were on the exact same lan!
Print Server
As a network print server, the
Ugate 3300 provides the same level of print serving as the others in this
class of device. **INCORRECT** The 3300’s print server can only be
utilized by Windows based computers. While this works for many people,
Macintosh or Linux users are unable to take advantage of the print server
feature in the 3300. **INCORRECT**
(6/26/2001) As
Mike N. points out, the 3300 implements the LPR standard for for its print
services. These are natively supported unlder Linux/Unix/Mac
OSX. Support can easly be added to Mac OS9 types. See this FAQ for more info -
thanks for the tip Mike! Web based management
The 3300’s web based management system is much
improved over the 3200’s. The most noticeable improvement is in the
configuration of ‘virtual servers’ and ‘special applications. The screen
layout is both intuitive and easier to understand. The incoming and
outgoing access logs, although basic, are a welcome addition.
ADVANCED UGATE-3300 NOTES:
Ethernet Notes
The 3300 has two 10/100 Ethernet
ports on the back. One is labeled HUB and the other is labeled PC. I would
have expected only a single port to be active at a time BUT they are BOTH
active. By using a crossover cable in the HUB port, it is possible to
connect two 10/100 Ethernet PC’s to the 3300 without an external HUB or
switch. This could be a money saver for many people. Click here for a diagram
. IP Schema
The IP Schema in the 3300 is now dynamic. Where the
3000/3200 would only 192.168.0.X address’, the 3300 lets you use any
schema you want.
Wireless Ethernet, 802.11b standards 
The 3300 has a PCMCIA card slot in the back for a
wireless Ethernet adapter. The 802.11b card included card is a Intersil
PRISM. This is the same chipset that ZOOM and Linksys uses for their
wireless products. It is fully Wi-Fi and WECA compliant.
Final Notes
The only thing lacking in the 3300 is an external
antenna. We keep our routers under and behind desks. These
areas are notorious for having poor wireless reception because of all
the power cables, UPS's, transformers, etc. We
hope MaxGate offers one soon!
| 
UGate 3300
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