Your Guide To Wireless

Aztech HomePlug AV Wireless 802.11n Router/Extender

Powerline technology that using the electrical grid within the home to extend Internet coverage has been around for a while. It is relatively cheap and does away with the need for additional wiring. But while WLAN might well extend reach, it often cannot penetrate thick walls, whereas the electrical grid covers an entire house. Now powerline has also gone wireless. Aztech's HL109RN HomePlug 4-port Wireless N router has a built-in 200Mbps powerline chip. This means while it can connect to o...

NetGear Open-Source Router

NetGear has released what’s being called the world‘s first native open source consumer router. Officially,the router is known as the Open Source Wireless-G WGR614L, and NetGear writes that the router is aimed at Linux developers and open-source experts and includes a comprehensive open-source guide available for developers. To that end, NetGear accompanied the release of the WGR614L with the launch of a My Open Router Web site that provides its community members with scads of config...

Trendnet Easy-N-Upgrader TEW-637AP

If you can't afford to upgrade your network to 802.11n Draft N 2.0, you might consider purchasing Trendnet's Easy-N-Upgrader TEW-637AP. Instead of throwing your existing router in the trash, plug it into the Easy-N-Upgrader access point to gain many of the benefits of a Draft N router for about half the price. True dual-band routers operate one radio on the 2.4GHz band and the other on the 5GHz band, the ones we've tested have built-in gigabit switches. Trendnet's device, however, ...

Linksys WRT600N Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router

The Linksys WRT600N is the first 802.11n draft 2.0 router that can operate on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands simultaneously. It’s also the most expensive Wi-Fi router so far. The router at its default settings: The 5GHz radio operating in 802.11n-only mode and the 2.4GHz radio operating in mixed 802.11b/g/n mode. Both radios have access to the same integrated four-port gigabit switch. The latter was used for data and the former for streaming media to Linksys's DMA2200. The r...

US Robotics Wireless NDX ADSL2+ Gateway

Along with Belkin�s N1 Wireless Router, the Ndx from US Robotics is one of the few wireless routers to provide decent support for Mac users. The manual includes instructions specifically for Mac users, and the Easy Configurator software included on the CD runs on Macs too. You have to start by connecting your Mac to the router with an ordinary Ethernet cable, some people might find this inconvenient if the router and Mac are in different rooms, but it�s a common feature with several of these routers. You then run the Easy Configurator program and enter the account details provided by your ISP before moving on to activate the wireless networking options. We had the router up and running in less than 10 minutes, so US Robotics gets big brownie points for providing decent Mac support for a change.

D-Link RangeBooster N650 Gigabit Router

Several of these wireless routers actually require you to use a wired Ethernet connection when you initially set them up, which is annoying as the whole point of a wireless network is to avoid trailing wires from room to room. So we were pleasantly surprised when, upon plugging in the D-Link RangeBooster for the first time, the computer immediately detected the wireless network and allowed us to join it straight away. Unfortunately, things went downhill from that point onwards. In order to set up a password to protect your new wireless network you have to configure the router through its built-in web page.However, that web page didn�t work properly with the Safari browser so we had to use Firefox instead. Ten minutes of testing with a Mac would have allowed D-Link to avoid this problem, and it�s hard to recommend the RangeBooster to Mac users if it doesn�t work properly with the standard Mac web browser. Click on the image to view details

LinkSys Wireless-N ADSL2+ Gateway

Like the Netgear RangeMax router, the Wireless-N router from LinkSys has a handy slimline design that lets you stand it on its side so that it doesn�t take up too much space. The plus point is that it showed up on your computer�s menu the moment the cable is plugged it in, so there was no need to much about with Ethernet cables in order to set the router up. However, like so many of these routers, the Wireless-N was marred by its lack of decent software or manual for Mac users, but perfect for PC users. The installation software on the CD only works on PCs, so Mac users are left to wing it on their own. You can connect to the router�s built-in web page easily enough, but this is full of technical jargon and settings that will confuse anyone who isn�t fairly knowledgeable about networks. So, poor Mac support scuppers another router�s chances. Click on the image to view product details.