Currently a Computer Science student at Sheffield Unviersity. Interests include Computers, Hiking, C...
Currently a Computer Science student at Sheffield Unviersity. Interests include Computers, Hiking, Climbing and Scuba Diving!
Member since:22.06.2004
Reviews:3
Wireless components have been gradually creeping down and down in price over the last few months, to a point where I feel they are now completely accessible to the home market.
The Linksys Broadband Router is ideal for anyone who wants to share their broadband connection to multiple computers in the home, without the hassle of hanging network cables out of windows or pulling all the floorboards up!
Straight out the box the unit is aesthetically pleasing and contains everything to get you started. A word of warning however, the product contains a quick start guide which shows you the bare minimum to get the unit up and running, the actual manual is presented in a electronic format on CD-ROM. Unless you want everyone else in your neighbourhood who has a wireless card accessing your internet connection I would recommend reading the full manual and looking at one of the many guides to Wireless Networking that are freely available on the internet.
Your Cable Modem plugs straight into a specific port (labelled WAN) on the router via a normal Ethernet cable, the router contains a facility called MAC address cloning, so if you already had your broadband connected to a single PC you will not need to phone your ISP to get this changed. (There are plenty of instructions on this in the manual if I’m confusing you!)
There are also 4 normal Ethernet ports on the back, so if you have a PC sitting right next to the router and cable modem you can plug it straight in without splashing out on another Wireless Network Card.
I found the setup for the product a little time consuming and is not for the faint hearted, prepare to immerse you self into a world of acronyms such as WEP, PPT etc. etc. but this is the IT industry we are talking about!!! The installation takes place through a Web Page interface and you will need to physically connect the product to a PC to perform this (it can’t be done wirelessly, although once its set up you won’t need a physical connection). As I said earlier make sure you read an online guide to Wireless Security so that you do not leave the SSID broadcasting for all to see and your network will be nice and secure.
Once this is over however the Router really comes into its own, you’ll never need to change another setting again. Connect normal PC’s with PCI Wireless Cards, PDA’s, Tablet PC’s and laptops with built in wireless, you’ll probably even be able to connect your fridge in the future so that it can re-order your shopping. It is also worth noting that the product is backward compatible with Wireless-B products (an earlier standard) too.
Signal strength has never been an issue and I’ve not had a problem connecting in my reasonably large house, I can even take my PDA out to the bottom of the garden to check my e-mails and write Ciao reviews!
I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who wishes to share their internet connection throughout their house, without the hassle of running network cable everywhere, please bear in mind however that for every computer that is not already wireless enabled you will need to purchase a wireless card (for optimum speed and performance with this router they recommend a Linksys card)
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I bought this unit about a month ago, its far more easier to set up than the Tornado, I did find it rather intelligent to pick up most if not all the settings that I required, but I've wired the house on Cat 5, but want the flexibility of the wireless as I bought the Netgeat MP 3 player that relies on the PC to act as a server for it, so maybe I never encountered the same issues that you had. Good review though
mw2870 22.06.2004 17:21
£58.62 on Amazon, although you may be able to find one 2ndhand on e-bay.
patriciat 22.06.2004 17:16
If I could ever figure out how to get it up and running, it sounds just what we need. How much is it? Pat.t
Wireless-G is the upcoming 54Mbps wireless networking standard that's almost five times ... more
faster than the widely deployed Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes businesses and public wireless hotspots around the country - but since they share the...
Postage & Packaging: £4.87 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Jun 22nd, 2004
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