OfficeConnect ADSL 11g Firewall Router

Style isn’t normally a word you’d associate with ADSL modems or routers, but 3Com has made more of an effort than most with the OfficeConnect. The slim lines, smoothly curved top and fluted edges help ensure that it’ll fit comfortably into the most image-conscious of offices. Build quality is good, too. The OfficeConnect may look like just another beige box in the photo, but in person it feels solid and ready to withstand whatever bumps and drops it might face.

The end result is a product that looks good enough to sit on top of your tower system, or that you can leave on a shelf somewhere. The alternative is to mount it on the wall, which may result in a better signal, although this does mean that you won’t easily be able to see the LEDs (and the cables must be attached from the top).

The paper documentation is a little sparse, with only a single installation sheet to get you started. The information on that is a little out of date, too! you’re urged to ‘enable WEP encryption’ to improve security, for instance, even though WPA (which the OfficeConnect supports) is a much safer option. Still, there’s always the Startup wizard, launched from your browser, but this has its problems, too. It stopped once with a blank screen for no apparent reason and contains plenty of jargon to confuse the beginner.

Once you do get everything figured out, the OfficeConnect proved to be a capable modem / router. There are plenty of security features, both wireless and wired performance is excellent, and it’s available at an absolute bargain price.