Your Guide To Wireless

Three tips for Wi-Fi on the go

1. Charge up that battery Wi-Fi sucks up battery juice quickly. Couple that with a 3G data link and you will find your battery-powered MiFi gizmo or Android phone running out of juice after a few hours of heavy use. So make sure you charge your batteries before heading out. Or, if you expect a long day of surfing ahead, get a portable USB battery charger like the Zagg Sparq (www.zagg.com/accessories/zaggsparq.php). 2. Secure your Wi-Fi This seems like a no-brainer, but in the rush to...

Huawei E5830

Uplink: 7.2Mb/s Downlink: 5.76Mb/s Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g Encryption: WEP, WPA, WPA2 Capacity: Five users USB type: Micro Although Huawei E5830 looks exactly like the E5832, they have different radio receivers. The E5830 supports fewer radio frequencies. This could mean limited overseas connectivity - something to consider if you plan to travel with the E5830 and use it for data roaming. The device has excellent battery life. Checkout the specification: Huawei Wi...

Vodafone 2352

Uplink: 7.2Mb/s Downlink: 5.76Mb/s Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g Encryption: WEP, WPA, WPA2 Capacity: Five users USB type: Micro Vodafone 2352 looks like a multi-card flash memory reader and easily fits into a shirt pocket. As with the Huawei E5832, I do not recommend keeping it in the pocket as it gets quite hot during use. It comes with a micro-USB port - different from mini-USB - for charging and tethering. There is no real benefit in choosing one type of USB over the o...

Aztech HL280E Ethernet adapter

At some situation, installing wireless router may not be the ideal solution. One solution is use powerline. Powerline adapters may not be new in the market, but one that promises Gigabit speed of 1Gbps is certainly a step up from the more common 200Mbps ones. This adapter also has eco-friendly features. When connected to devices that are on stand-by, the adapter will 'sleep'. This can help users save at least 80 per cent in power consumption. No additional software installation is r...

Huawei E5832

Uplink: 7.2Mb/s Downlink: 5.76Mb/s Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g Encryption: WEP, WPA, WPA2 Capacity: Five users USB type: Mini Huawei E5832 is small enough to fit into a shirt pocket, but I would not suggest putting it there because it gets quite hot during use and it may not be a good idea to put your body so near to the antennas of Wi-Fi and 3G radios. The E5832 delivers good and consistent connectivity. My main quibble is its energy-saving sleep mode, which disengages all t...

Wi-Fi Tethering

Besides using a portable 3G-enabled router, there is another way to get connected on the go. Your Android smartphone can be turned into a portable wireless hot spot through what is known as Wi-Fi tethering. Essentially, your phone becomes a Wi-Fi router with which you can connect other devices to the Net through its 3G link. Wi-Fi tethering is part of the latest Android 2.2 operating system (OS). Google Nexus One users who have upgraded to this OS can activate this feature in Settings> Wir...

Zyxel NBG4115

Bulkier than both the Edimax 3G-6210N and D-Link DAP-1350, this Wireless N device from Zyxel looks more like regular-sized router than a portable one. While it comes with a 'compact' moniker, it is more for the home than for travelling. It has a built-in USB port that lets you hook up a 3G modem. What strikes me about this plain-looking router is its ease of use. Like the Edimax device, it quickly allowed me to connect to the Internet once I plugged in Huawei USB modem. No set up was ...