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Swapnil_1989's avatar
Swapnil_1989
Aspirant
Feb 21, 2017
Solved

Inconsistency observed in information provided for Netgear router WNDR3400 on Netgear webpage,

I wanted to buy a budget wifi router,while searching on internet i came across Netgear WNDR3400 router. When i saw USB port support is also provided i decided to buy the product but the USB port displayed in image is in Blue color and as per standards Blue color USB port represent USB 3.0, in your product description Netgear have mentioned it as USB 2.0(Black Color Port). I have seen various images of this product from end user in which i can see the USB port provided for WNDR3400 is Black color (USB 2.0).
 
I have attached a image which will clear your confusions. Basic thing is that in Netgear web page u have displayed Netgear WNDR3400 with Blue USB port which mean it supports USB 3.0. But when we scroll down in technical specification it shows it has 2.0 USB (Black Port). Its totally like wrong advertisement.
  
Please let me know the point which i have pointed out is valid or not.
 
Netgear WNDR3400 Router.jpg
  • Hi ElaineM as it was as major issue which I found out can I expect a compensation (gift) for the same ?

    As it was a defect which your QA team forgot to identify.

26 Replies

  • The wndr3400 was designed before the usb 3 standard was even designed on paper I know today usb ports are color coded but when usb 2 was new and placed into  electronic devices such issues of color was not important now days the ports on the devices we use are changing ever few years it seems.

  • But on each and every online shopping sites also it's showing blue USB port image of router which directly says the perticular model supports USB 3.0
    • William10a's avatar
      William10a
      Master

      Most of the people who write the information on their web sites never lived through the changes of the serial port into the usb1 then2 now 3.0 and 3.1 even being replaced now on paper by faster standards and just repeat a scape. Color means little when yellow is ground and black is signal line by some wiring codes .

    • StephenB's avatar
      StephenB
      Guru

      Swapnil_1989 wrote:
      But on each and every online shopping sites also it's showing blue USB port image of router which directly says the perticular model supports USB 3.0

      USB 3.0 mandates the blue insert color, but USB 2.0 was silent on that.  So a USB 2-only product is compliant with the original USB 2 spec even if it uses the blue color.  The purpose of the color change was to make it easy for users to see which ports within the same product were USB 3 and which were not.  It wasn't intended to advertise that the model itself supported USB 3.

       

      The WNDR3400v1 goes back to 2010, and the WNDR3400v2 was introduced in 2011 - well before the USB 3.0 spec was published in 2013.  So both would be clearly USB 2.0 compliant (even if they used blue inserts) at the time they were introduced.  

       

      The artwork currently on Netgear's site shows a black insert color on the WNDR3400v3, and the diagrams all clearly say USB 2.0 port.  But resellers use whatever art work they want, and in my experience it often doesn't match the shipped product - especially in a case like this, where you have three different hardware changes over the lifetime of the product..  

       

      You could of course return/exchange the router for a newer one - and if you purchased a WNDR3400v1 or v2, I suggest you do that, since the products were built in 2014 or earlier.  

       

      Since you care about the speed of the router storage, I suggest you check out the router reviews before purchase (smallnetbuilder.com measures storage speed in all their reviews).  Even with USB 3.0 connectors, the router storage can be limited by other factors, including the disk format, and the router's CPU performance and the network speed.

      • William10a's avatar
        William10a
        Master

        If the speed of storage is important a nas server would give the best possible speed.

  • USB 2 port is in black color right ?? And to show if USB port is 3.0 blue color is used right ?? Then why in netgear webpage the router is displayed with blue color port . I know it has 2.0 USB port . But then in image also they should display black port only saying it's 2.0 USB.

    For a new person it's hard to get as after seeing blue port he will think it's usb3 port and after purchasing router he will think he is cheated .

    Even on many website ur router image is displayed with blue color USB port instead of black.
    • William10a's avatar
      William10a
      Master

      I have seen the pictures you were looking at the wndr3400v1 even has a blue usb port. What do you need the router to do?

      The color blue even has a value of 6 on the color code chart for resistors so it is all in how you look at it.

  • See basically my question is that why blue color port is displayed for USB 2.0 port. And now we have standards for USB port color code then netgear should update the images of router on webpage to avoide such confusion . I have not purchased this router till now . But netgear should update the images on netgear site too .

    If the product getting delivered to customer is black USB port then on webpage it should display black only not blue . Blue USB port says it's USB 3.0 port
  • But on Netgear site it's showing blue color USB port and even on other online selling sites showing blue color port . See for current phase u know and I know blue color port determines it's a USB 3.0 port. At least as netgear to update the images and post the current standard USB 2.0 black port displaying image.

    And on many site I have seen they are displaying as USB port is present but they are not mentioning it's USB 2.0 port where as user sees it's a blue port by which enduser thinks wnbr3400 router has 3.0 USB port.

    And if u say netgear old router had blue color port at start then it's ok but company should update the images on webpage too to make sure we are not providing wrong information
    • StephenB's avatar
      StephenB
      Guru

      No one on this thread so far works for Netgear.  I've forwarded the link to a Netgear Mod, so maybe they will follow up here.

  • Why? Because there is nothing wrong. Completely legal, completely correct. Matter of fact many vendors (even the SoC makers sample boards) used the blue ones.

    Still, the fact that you think blue is USB 3.0 is wrong. Only the specs are relevant. Nobody will update pictures in this consumer class market. Even less, no reseller or retailer will update his online offering.

    Years ago, a NAS vendor has introduced an "updated" Mk.II or "plus" model of an existing product - along with a newer SoC two of the four USB ports were updated to USB 3.0. The marketing images remained the same.

     

    It's a budget box. The performance of the processor is much to limited anyway to make use of the USB 3.0 bandwidth - there would not be any advantage. Buy it, or leave it. 

  • Hi ElaineM as it was as major issue which I found out can I expect a compensation (gift) for the same ?

    As it was a defect which your QA team forgot to identify.
    • ElaineM's avatar
      ElaineM
      NETGEAR Employee Retired

      Let me forward a request to the management team.