Abstract

1-Page summary of the full report. Released before the full report was available.

2Wire, Inc. commissioned The Tolly Group to evaluate the firewall security of the 2Wire HomePortal 100W and to compare the results with those of The Linksys Group, Inc. BEFSR41 and a NETGEAR Cable/DSL RT314. The Tolly Group evaluated the capability of each device to detect and to protect user home networks from Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. Moreover, testing was designed to reveal the security differences between application-layer gateway (ALG) and demilitarized zone (DMZ) mode for hosting applications on the home network.

Summary:

The 2Wire HomePortal 100W Wireless Residential Gateway was benchmarked by The Tolly Group in 2001 against two competing devices: the Linksys BEFSR41 and the NETGEAR RT314. The evaluation focused on three key performance areas: single PC throughput, multiple concurrent PC throughput, and zero-loss packet transmission. The 2Wire device integrated Ethernet, USB, HPNA, and Wi-Fi (802.11b), offering a broad range of connectivity options for home users.

In the tests, the 2Wire HomePortal significantly outperformed its competitors. With a single PC, it achieved 9.1 Mbit/s throughput—131% higher than the Linksys router and 46% better than NETGEAR. In the five-PC scenario, it delivered 8.2 Mbit/s, outperforming Linksys by 163% and NETGEAR by 92%. The 2Wire device also achieved 100% of theoretical maximum throughput for 512- and 1,518-byte packets, whereas the competing devices fell short, especially the Linksys router. However, all devices showed degraded performance with 64-byte packets, with Linksys slightly ahead.

The report concludes that the 2Wire HomePortal 100W is a strong choice for broadband households, particularly those with multiple users. Its superior performance suggests that it can handle both current and future broadband demands without becoming a bottleneck. The comprehensive testing, conducted with industry-standard tools and methodologies, reinforces 2Wire’s position as a leader in residential networking at the time.

Note: 2Wire was founded in 1998. It was acquired by UK-based Pace plc in 2010.