Geared up for the wireless age

Having moved back into a friend's house recently, I found myself in the unusual position of living in a household with three PCs. And a lap top. And a Nintendo Wii. With all of this computing power and a mere hard wired 'net connection shared between two of the PCs, it was clear the card of change was due to be played. So what to do?

Admittedly, our decision was lent significant bias by the existence of a USB receiver sitting lonely and unused in the back room, but it's not a decision I can say I have any regret for at all. If anything I'd give credit to the man who now sits at home sans an adapter with which to make the most of his router.

Their 'range' was much more defined. That is to say it was limited solely to this, for Virgin (although it was still listed as ntl:telewest), or another model for BT's ADSL connection. That made the decision a fairly easy one and having passed some cash to the talkative, ageing strumpet behind the counter we walked from the shop, expectful men.

This Netgear router comes in a relatively sturdy card box, clearly marked to explain the contents, with a picture of the router on front and various instructional information around the sides and back. The box measures approximately 340 x 220 x 110 mm, making it easy enough to transport. Please note that the measurements given are the result of considered guesswork, and should not be taken as exact. Inside the box is a moulded cardboard container which houses the equipment.

Standards: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, 2.4 GHz
Dimensions: 223 x 153 x 31 mm
Weight: 0.5 kg
MIMO: G
Available bandwidth: 108 Mbps

Broadband (cable, DSL) internet connection and modem with Ethernet connectivity
Windows 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP, Mac OS, Netware, UNIX or Linux
Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 4.7 or higher

The box includes everything required to get things going with a single hard-wired connection and an additional wireless one. Upon opening you'll find the RangeMax Wireless Router (WPN824v2), a 12 V, 1.0 A power adapter, a RangeMax USB Adapter, an Ethernet cable, a vertical stand (to save space, presumably), a setup guide, the setup CDs for both pieces of hardware and the warranty card.

This is where the fun begins. I have a fairly good understanding of the rudimentary workings of PCs, so aside from a few hic-ups I've never really had much trouble with installing new software or equipment. That aside, I have to say that this little beauty was probably the easiest thing I've had the pleasure of working with.

You'll be asked if you want to set a password, so that other unscrupulous individuals can't pirate your connection. This is generally a good idea, especially if you intend to carry out online banking activity, or other activities which involve sharing personal or sensitive data. Setting a password ensures that data transfer is encrypted, and should act to protect your private particulars from prying eyes.

Many laptops now come with wi-fi connectivity as standard. In those cases the laptop will already have the capability of connecting with the router, and no extra installation is necessary.

The Netgear WPN824 RangeMax Wireless Router is well designed and incredibly easy to install and use. Its connectivity is excellent, and provides the means to easily operate up to four wireless internet connections at any one time. Its price is comparable to that of any similar or equivalent model and, value for money, for this reason, can be described as good. Anyone looking to purchase a means to access their broadband internet connection wirelessly would be advised to consider this make and model, for the ease with which it is installed, if nothing else.