When summer rolls around, our thoughts turn to lazy days at the beach or pool, stomach-churning rides on amusement park roller coasters, and weekend camping trips to a state park. However, kids must have a way to keep in touch with their parents or chaperones when on these outings.

Cell phones, as convenient as they are, aren’t necessarily the answer. For one thing, their network may not extend to the places you or your kids like to go. You may also not want to pay monthly fees for cell phone service for your kids or even grant them the privilege of having a phone. Under these circumstances, a better option might be two-way radios.

These radios offer kids and adults the security of instant communication and ease of use.

A number of manufacturers make two-way radios, including Cobra, Insignia, Midland, and Motorola. the Midland LXT420VP3 and the Motorola Talkabout T5500R to give you an idea of how two-way radios work. Two radios are included in each set.

Both sets work on two types of wireless channels: FRS (Family Radio Service) and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service).

Anyone can communicate on FRS channels free, but talking on GMRS channels requires an FCC license. The Midland radio set is rugged and water resistant. The radios can communicate up to 16 miles apart (depending on the terrain). With the included belt clips and voice activation feature, you can use the radios hands-free. In addition, you can get updates from a channel that dispenses weather information 24/7, and a backlight lets you see the display easily at night.

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“User-friendly” isn’t a term we’d apply to most routers, but Belkin’s N1 merits it. It’s backed by stellar support, is simple to set up, and has front-panel status icons that are easy to understand. Like other Draft N devices, however, its performance fails to impress.

If you’re not holding out for 802.11n, but still want a router that has long range and fast throughput, check out the WPN824. This 802.11g device supports MIMO and gives you better performance than you’d get from an 802.11b router, at a reasonable price.

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Tired of being wired to your broadband Internet connection? Create a high speed wireless network by placing a Wireless router in your network. Here is what you need to know to select the suitable device for your home or small office.

Wireless Standard
The current standard for home networks is 802.11g. It’s backward-compatible, so you can use an 802.11g router with older 802.11b equipment. Routers based on the not-yet-finalized “Draft N” version of the upcoming 802.11n spec are now available, and they work with 802.11b/g devices. But these early models aren’t delivering the exceptional range and performance their makers have been touting, and they can cost twice as much as 802.11g units.

Security
Look for a router that supports Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption, or the newer WPA2. Either is more secure than the ubiquitous Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). Also, look for a built-in hardware firewall, for protecting all the PCs on your network.

Throughput
Measured in megabits per second (Mbps), throughput refers to the speed of data transfer a router can provide. Each networking standard has a theoretical maximum throughput, but individual routers will each have their own real-world speeds. The latest Draft N models, for example, promise top throughputs of 540Mbps, but actual results are likely to be far less.

Range
Range is the maximum distance from the router that a wireless-enabled device can receive a signal. Obstacles such as walls, or interference sources such as cordless phones, can reduce the range. If you need extended wireless coverage, routers that support multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) technology offer the best range. To take full advantage of MIMO, however, the receiving end has to be MIMO-enabled, too.

Because your home office may share an Internet connection with other equipment in the house such as your kid’s bedroom PC or your spouse’s laptop a wireless router is an easy way to eliminate many messy cables. Also, if you’re using a notebook with built-in wireless connectivity, Wi-Fi is great for you, too.

While considerable buzz surrounds next-generation Draft N (802.11n) Wi-Fi routers, we recommend sticking with 802.11g for the present. Unless you need to stream video or other bandwidth hogging data, you can save a bundle by settling for a model that supports just 802.11g. As its name implies, Draft N is not been officially ratified. Unsurprisingly, most Draft N-based routers fall short of their theoretical throughputs and don’t warrant their premium prices.

The Belkin’s Wireless G Plus MIMO Router is best. It has four Ethernet ports for hardwiring equipment next to the router or for connecting your desktop if it lacks wireless. As an access point, the router delivers suitable throughput of 27.6Mbps in a mixed-use environment. Belkin also offers excellent documentation and simple startup guides that are easy to follow.

Related Links:
Belkin F5D9230-4 Wireless-G Plus MIMO Router

Belkin 4-Port Wireless-N Broadband Router 802.11n

Belkin N1 Wireless PCI Card 802.11n Network Adapater

The elegant airport extreme base station is a Windows/Mac wireless router that’s easy to set up and use. For Mac users who own current Intel-based Apple desktops and laptops, the AirPort Extreme’s compatibility and features are worth the $179. Windows-only users (especially those with older 802.11a/b/g wireless clients), on the other hand, can find less-expensive Windows-based options.

Setup is simple. Those inexperienced at setting up a wireless network will want to peruse the user guide, if only to make sure everything gets correctly connected. On the router’s back are three 10/100Mbps Ethernet LAN ports and a USB 2.0 port that you can use to network a printer or an external hard drive or both, if you connect a USB hub to the port.

Although all Draft N routers and access points aren’t delivering the maximum performance they claim on the box, the AirPort Extreme did achieve better results. Reception was strong in both mixed and Draft N-only modes at up to a 50-foot range in real world testing environment. The router was able to service multiple clients accessing files from two different sources with no difficulties. When pushed out past 50 feet, signal strength steadily degraded, maxing out at roughly 100 feet.

In the timing tests, transferring a 100MB file took 36 seconds in a mixed environment, while a 500MB file took 2 minutes and 50 seconds. The numbers improved when shifted to the 5GHz 802.11n frequency, with a 100MB file taking just 17 seconds to transfer, and a 500MB one 1 minute and 46 seconds.

Link:
Apple MA073LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station

Many people go to the trouble of setting up a wireless home network but don’t secure it. This means any neighbour or passer-by in the street with a wireless laptop can find and access your home network. If you’re feeling generous you can leave it unsecured for your neighbours to use. But if you’re using a broadband service with usage limits, letting others gain access means that you may reach your monthly limit more quickly. More importantly, an unsecured network makes it easier for hackers to access your computer.

There are five simple steps to get basic security on your wireless home network:

Buy a Router with a Built-in Firewall
A firewall monitors traffic flowing from the Internet to your home network. Check the product specifications of your router to see if it has a built-in firewall. Alternatively you can install a firewall on each of the computers in your home network.

Change the SSID
Your router will have its own default name (SSID). Hackers know what default manufacturer settings are, so you need to change the SSID to prevent them gaining access.

Disable the SSID Broadcast
An SSID broadcast sends a signal to nearby computers to tell them you have a wireless network, so it is important to switch it off to keep your network hidden.

Change Your Router’s User Name and Password
On your router set-up page it will also have a default user name and password. Hackers know the default user names and passwords.

Enable WEP Security
WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy and you can ask Windows XP to automatically turn it on. It encrypts your wireless broadband signal to prevent anyone snooping on it.