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NETGEAR® ProSafe™ Wireless Access Point Receives Government Computer News Reviewer’s Choice Designation in Round-Up of 802.11g Access Points


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ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point (WG102), Praised for Speed, Security and Affordability, Is Declared “Clear Winner” in Performance Comparison of Eight Wireless Access Points

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – March 24, 2006 – NETGEAR, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTGR) a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking products, today announced the award of the Reviewer’s Choice designation by the Government Computer News (GCN) Lab to the ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point (WG102) in a product roundup published in the March 6, 2006 issue of GCN.

The article, which compared 802.11g wireless access points from eight vendors (NETGEAR, Linksys, 3Com, USRobotics, SMC, D-Link, Bountiful, and Buffalo), declared the NETGEAR WG102 and the NETGEAR 108 Mbps Wireless PC Card (WG511T) the overall winners in both the PC Card and access point tests. Receiving the best overall rating out of all the access points tested, the WG102 received ratings of “A” for performance, “A-“ for features, and “A” for value.

The WG102 supports both multiple BSSIDs and multiple VLANs and incorporates IntelliFi™ cognitive RF management capabilities to enable the access point to automatically avoid co-channel interference and adjust radio transmission power to optimum levels. According to the article, the WG102 outperformed the competition delivering impressive throughput speeds at 140 feet. “At that distance, most of the other APs lost contact with their preferred PC Cards and had extremely slow connections to the internal chip,” wrote GCN reviewers John Breeden II and Greg Crowe. “But the ProSafe turned in rates of 4.58 Mbps and 6.98 Mbps for the NETGEAR PC Card and internal radio, respectively. That’s speedy, considering the distance.

“When all was said and done, the NETGEAR was a clear winner – fast, secure and very affordable ($161), especially considering it features power over Ethernet, which is handy for stringing up multiple APs. For a high-performance AP with PoE support, the ProSafe’s price is definitely right.”

“We’re pleased to receive the validation that the Reviewer’s Choice designation from GCN provides to our ProSafe wireless access point, but we’re not surprised by the fact that our product performed so well against all of the competing products,” explained Vivek Chugh, NETGEAR Product Line Manager for ProSafe wireless and firewall products. “Our ProSafe product line is designed to meet the demanding requirements of SMB and mid-market companies that need an affordable wireless solution that delivers versatility, reliability and functionality in addition to best-in-class performance. As GCN has recognized, the WG102 delivers an unbeatable combination of all of those aspects in a total solution that includes robust security, integrated RF management technology and integrated Power-over-Ethernet support.” The ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point (WG102), which utilizes a detachable 5 dBi antenna, delivers universal Wi-Fi access to support all standards-based IEEE 802.11b/g clients and is capable of providing data speeds up to 108 Mbps. The Wi-Fi certified WG102 complies with industry security standards for wireless data encryption and user authentication with support for WPA2-Enterprise, 802.11i, 802.1x RADIUS support with EAP TLS, TTLS and PEAP, MAC address filtering with Access Control Lists (ACL), and VPN pass-through. Compatible with NETGEAR’s ProSafe 2.4 GHz antennas, the plenum-rated WG102 integrates IEEE 802.3af PoE and is appropriate for placement above drop-down ceilings and under raised floors. NETGEAR’s ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point (WG102) is backed by a three-year warranty, 90 day free 24/7 technical support for basic functionality, and is covered by extended NETGEAR ProSupport optional support offerings, including advanced technical support (OnCall 24x7) and next business day hardware replacement (XPressHW). The WG102 is available now via leading direct marketers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers at a list price of $208.

About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR (Nasdaq: NTGR) designs technologically advanced, branded networking products that address the specific needs of small and medium business and home users. The Company’s product offerings enable users to share Internet access, peripherals, files, digital multimedia content and applications among multiple personal computers and other Internet-enabled devices. NETGEAR is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.netgear.com or call (408) 907-8000.

© 2006 NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR, the NETGEAR Logo ,IntelliFi and ProSafe are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Linksys is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved. Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for NETGEAR, Inc.:
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements concerning the expected performance characteristics, specifications, market acceptance, market growth, specific uses, user feedback and market position of NETGEAR’s ProSafe™ family of products and technology are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the following: the actual price, performance and ease of use of NETGEAR’s ProSafe family of products may not met the price, performance and ease of use requirements of customers, product performance may be adversely affected by real world operating conditions, new viruses or Internet threats may develop that challenge the effectiveness of security features in NETGEAR’s products, the ability of NETGEAR to market and sell its products and technology, the impact and pricing of competing products and the introduction of alternative technological solutions. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect NETGEAR and its business are detailed in the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors”, pages 10 through 20, in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2005, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2006. NETGEAR undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.



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