TRENDnet introduces the TEW-654TR, the world’s smallest 300Mbps Wireless N Travel Router Kit. The TEW-654TR router kit comes with a carrying case. Inside the case you can find the Ultra Compact 300Mbps Wireless N Travel Router, a thin 3-foot Ethernet cable, an electrical adapter, a handy alternate USB cable to power the router from a computer.
Measures 6.4 x 8.2 x 1.9cm, the TEW-654TR Wireless N Travel Router has a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port and features advanced Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology.
Anyone who deals with networking and wireless products would definitely have chanced upon the name D-Link, and recently D-Link Middle East has a new wireless router for the masses – the DIR-412 3.5G Wireless Router. For those who are in the market for a new wireless router, why not consider the D-Link brand if you’ve been using other names so far? That is, assuming you are having problems with the other marques, of course, otherwise there is no need to reinvent the wheel in such a case. The DIR-412 comes across as a diminutive 3.5G router which enables users to share a 3.5G Internet connection via a secure, high-speed wireless network whenever one hooks up a 3.5G USB adapter to it. This ought to get those frequent travelers sitting upright at such news, since it offers unprecedented connectivity options regardless of where you go – just make sure your 3.5G data-enabled account has unlimited data and the cheapest roaming charges around beforehand.
The DIR-412 comes with integrated Wireless N 150 technology, boasting increased speed and range while enabling one to hook to a DSL/cable modem in order for it to function as a primary or backup link. Apart from that, the DIR-412 also supports WAN failover to ensure uninterrupted connection by connecting users to a 3.5G network automatically in the event where the WAN connection is lost or dropped.
According to Harrison Albert, Regional Sales Director at D-Link Middle East, “The DIR-412 is excellent for situations where conventional forms of network access are less than convenient. With the transition to wireless, this device provides users with an affordable 3.5G option that is also highly dependable.”
Security-wise, you need not fret too much as the DIR-412 boasts advanced network security with WPA/WPA2 encryption, while offering flexible coverage with multiple frequency support. Setting up the device in terms of security is but a simple affair, where all you need to do is press the WPS button which is located conveniently above the router to get seucrity up and running. In addition, D-Link has thrown in dual-active firewalls (SPI and NAT) to prevent potential attacks and intrusions from across the Internet in the DIR-412. Sounds like a dream device, eh?
Maybe there was a time, in the distant-past, when it was okay to plug your broadband modem (cable or DSL or fiber or satellite, whatever you've got) directly into your computer. Maybe. But doing that today is tantamount to leaving your front door wide open for malicious jerks to deposit trash in your foyer while stealing your hard-earned cash.
There should always be something between you and your broadband for protection: a router. Here's why you need one for safety, plus all the other benefits a router provides.
1)
It's an Internet Splitter
First and foremost, you have multiple devices. They all want—nay, NEED—Internet connectivity. The router is the "splitter" that makes that happens. By plugging the broadband into the WAN port, you can then get Internet out to all the other devices, both wired and wireless.
2)
It Networks All Devices
The ultimate reason to have a router: you have multiple computers, phones, and other devices, not to mention multiple peripherals (printers, etc.). Wouldn't it be nice if they all talked to each other? The router is the heart of all that communication.
The modern "wireless router" does more than hand only Internet traffic. It has a built in Ethernet switch (those are the Ethernet ports for the wired devices on the network) as well as an access point for wireless. That term seems to be falling out of vogue these days, but never-the-less the AP is the part that handles all the Wi-Fi traffic and security. A wireless router just ties all these functions into one neat package.
Even without broadband, the switch/AP can still get every device on the network talking. (We won't pretend that actually setting up a network is a breeze for the layman, but the days of directly connecting a couple of computers are gone. Don't even try it. A router, even a cheap one, makes all the difference.)
3)
It Provides PC Safety
Routers typically have two built in firewalls. The first is simple NAT for network address translation, which isn't so much for protection as it is for simply making the Internet connection work to all your computers. The second is SPI or stateful packet inspection. Most modern routers have SPI, which keeps extra track of data in network packets and makes sure it's kosher (i.e., you requested it), protecting both the router and your computers by filtering out the bad.
Note that these are not a replacement for software firewalls on your PC—every computer should have one running. Windows comes with a weak firewall built in, but you can always get a freebie from Comodo.
Other security you get from a router is: limiting a network to just computers you trust with MAC address filtering, secure wireless transmission, parental controls, web site filters, and more.
4)
It Gives You Wireless Freedom
Why be tied to one place with your computer or phone? Modern Wi-Fi is the brand name for a technology called 802.11, which comes in many flavors, all with different speeds and ranges. Buy 802.11n products, especially if they're dual-band, and you'll be covered. They're slightly more expensive, but you get what you pay for. In this case, you'll have speed almost as good as a wired network, with extended range. Even the performance is improved in spots where signals used to get hung up. All that means is: you can move around and stay connected, even in your own home or office.
5)
It Shares Your Connection with Others
You learned this in Kindergarten: it's nice to share with friends and neighbors. The right router can let you do that with your own Internet connection. You effectively get two networks, one that's just for you and one for guest access. That way outsiders can use the Web and e-mail, but can't see your stuff. Small retail establishments can use this to be a free hotspot for customers. Offices can use it for visitors in for meetings. And everyone will leave happy they had access.
The new Check Point ZoneAlarm Z100G is a secure wireless router that promises enterprise level protection for home wireless networks. It’s release was announced by Check Point yesterday. Version 8.0 of the Z100G endeavors to make home wireless networks hacker-proof.
The Z100G is presented as a Unified Threat Management (UTM) device meant for the consumer market. It enables both wired and wireless web surfing and at the same time guards home PCs against threats from hackers, identity thieves, etc.
The new Z100G features VStream antispam technology that offers three layers of protection against spam. A firewall monitor logs events and details them so users can understand them better. You can access a network in a protected environment because of the built-in DNS server. View relevant data on the status dashboard, find out information on memory status, CPU usage, and more. Xbox LIVE support is a neat feature that allows users to host online games in a secure environment. The Z100G can also establish a VPN
enabling users to access network devices from a remote location.
D-Link have just released their new DIR-628 RangeBooster N Dual-Band Router which is aimed at home users looking to implement high-speed, secure wireless networks in offering both 2.5GHz and 5GHz band wireless connectivity billed as being ideal for streaming everything from digital imagery, music and VoiP cbased communications right up to HD movies courtesy of a data transfer speeds of up to 12x faster (and offering up to 4x greater range) than standard 802.11g based routers.
D-Link’s DIR-628 RangeBooster N Dual-Band Router comes complete with WPA and WPA2 WiFi encryption standards to ensure network security and, should you be looking to hook up the device with gaming consoles and digital media players its reassuring to know that the DIR-628 also offers 802.11g backwards compatibility.
D-Link DIR-628 RangeBooster N Dual-Band Router Features:
Engin's oneHub is a colossus amongst routers. Sure, there's an argument that a device that combines ADSL2+ modem, wireless router and cordless phone hub is going to need to take up some space, but the oneHub's actual hub is still pretty big by anyone's estimates.
When you first unpack the oneHub, a small set-up poster falls on your lap. It's to engin's credit that they do live up to the simplicity tag with this poster, especially if you're an engin ADSL2+ customer. You don't have to do much more than connect up the oneHub to your phone and ADSL2+ lines and power on the case. Engin will permit non-engin ADSL2+ customers to use the oneHub, although you'll have to do a touch of manual configuration via oneHub's web interface.
The actual modem/router is, as noted, large, with default lights for its functions running along the top. The rear houses a clipped in cover that goes over the unit's ports. Aside from phone and ADSL, you also get two 10/100 Ethernet ports, and rubber-sealed USB type A and B ports, which were non-functional on our review model.
Along with the router, engin also supplies a single wireless Thomson handset which connects wirelessly to the oneHub. Additional handsets may be purchased and synchronisation with the oneHub was, in our tests, immediate.
Features
So far, so good on the simplicity front. However, there are some downsides. The oneHub is only an 802.11b/g capable router, for a start. That's exacerbated by the relative dearth of Ethernet ports available on the rear of the unit, a choice made all the more baffling by the non-functional USB ports.
If you're the tinkering type, you won't be all that fond of the oneHub either, as, similar to many locked-down provider-specific units, many key router functions aren't available from the web interface. If you were taking on the oneHub with an engin 24-month ADSL2+ contract (where they'll only charge you AU$99) this would be somewhat understandable — but for a unit that they will sell at full price, it's much less compelling. As an example, the default IP address for the router is set, and we couldn't find any way of changing it short of — from what we could research using the OEM's original notes on this router model — using a CLI approach to manually talk to the router, a step that's going to be way above the comfort level of the oneHub's audience.
One plus with the oneHub is that it ships with WPA security pre-enabled and printed on the side of the router, and you're advised to change it as soon as you've finished set-up.
Performance
On the phone handset side, the oneHub's single supplied handset worked quite well. In common with many cheaper cordless handsets, the buttons are squishy and the screen is quite indistinct, but as a basic telephony tool there's nothing wrong with it.
On the network side, we had a few more problems. At first, we couldn't get the oneHub to activate its Ethernet ports, something that was only fixed with a reboot. With 802.11b/g only on-board, wireless signal was less than solid but not surprising in our test environment. Throughput was a little higher than we've seen from many 802.11g routers, but still fell predictably low at distance, with an average of 8Mbps real-time throughput on a file copy test.
There's clearly a market for a product like the oneHub. If you're an engin customer and planning to be one for some time, the AU$99 two-year contract isn't a terrible price to pay for the convenience of the model. At the same time, the truly difficult interface, locked down nature of the router and limitations of 802.11g may mean that in two years time, you'll feel solidly left behind.
