Apps for N300 and should I get a new one?

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BerlinGoodMan wrote:

 

Which app can I use now to check settings, speed, etc.? Or is there another way to get support for this product? I bought this back in 2013.

 

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The WNR2200 is, as you say, ancient. First released in 2010, it dates back to the era of the mobile genie.That router might not even work with the genie.

Netgear ditched that some years ago in favour of the Nighthawk app. But that needed firmware changes to get it to work on routers. Sadly, your router was already "EOL" by then and didn't get the firmware update.

If you are enough of a propeller head, you can still find the Android APK for the genie:

APKMirror - Free APK Downloads - Free and safe Android APK downloads

But you don't need the app to manage your router.

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Which app can I use now to check settings, speed, etc.? Or is there another way to get support for this product? I bought this back in 2013.

 

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Speed is best measured with something like speedtest.net.

Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test

To manage the router you can use the 'browser graphical user interface (GUI). Many experienced users prefer that over apps because it has more things you can control.

How do I log in to my NETGEAR wireless router? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

You can read up on this approach in the manual.

Visit the support pages:

Support | NETGEAR

Feed in your model number and check the documentation for your hardware.

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Also, I’m updating my service to a faster data speed. Must I update to a new router too?

 

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A new router is almost certainly going to be essential.The specifications of the WNR2200 are really 20th century.

According to Netgear's manual for this device, the LAN and WAN ports support only 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX. That makes it slower than many newer internet services and most modern network hardware. It will hobble you if you sign up for faster Internet, anything faster than 100 Mbps is a waste of your money.

It also slows down whatever is going on in your local network. Newer devices support at least 1000BASE-TX.

The wifi may is not up to much. It does not even support 5 GHz wifi.

Your router is many generations behind the latest technology and probably lacks many of the security features you need to stay safe in this era of the cyberbandit.

When you know what your new service is, you can look for a router that is more in keeping with the Internet technology you get.