One of the fastest growing industries in India today, is the broadband market. Ever since the Indian government made 256k a mandatory speed requirement for every broadband operator in the country, the number of customers migrating to broadband and the influx of new customers connecting to the internet has increased dramatically. To meet this increased demand, telecom operators such as BSNL, MTNL and private players like Airtel have started offering internet services via ADSL2. ADSL2 as compared to other forms of connectivity such as Cable in India enjoys one main advantage. This advantage is the fact, that ADSL utilizes the existing copper-wire networks that telephones have worked on for the last several decades, to deliver internet. This takes care of a major problem of last mile connectivity, as it substantially reduces the cost of setting up a dedicated internet delivery system.
With ADSL driving the broadband market forward, some new problems have arisen in urban centers. An increasing number of household in A & B class cities have started using more than a single PC at home. Quite a few urban households today apart from the standard PC have laptops. This can cause quite a problem, of how these machines are to be connected to the internet and have their resources shared. The answer lies in setting up a Wi-Fi network to share resources. This eliminates the need for messy cabling. However this gives rise to another problem. Most ADSL2 providers utilize standard routers which offer just a single Ethernet port for connectivity to a single machine. To get around this problem, one is forced to purchase a separate Wi-Fi router for sharing the Internet. This just adds an extra device to your network setup and it often becomes complicated to try and setup a WI-FI network for the average user.

Thankfully all is not lost. Quite a few companies recognizing this problem have started manufacturing hybrid routers. These routers are referred to as Internet gateways, feature ADSL2 + support, have Wi-Fi networking support built right in and even manage to throw in a 4 port network switch. These gateways are now commonly available and offer an intriguing alternative to the traditional setups.

Here is a list of 3 such routers.

Netgear has been around a long time and has built its reputation on making cost –effective home/SoHo networking equipment. The Netgear DG834G is one such device which comes with a comprehensive set of features with support for ADSL2,Wi-FI ( 802.11a/b/g), 4 port network switch, a comprehensive Stateful inspection firewall and a very well-designed user interface which allows everyone from a starter to an experienced user to setup their network according to their preferences.

Priced at Rs. 4,250 this Netgear router offers a good balance of features at a very good price.