Product At-a-Glance

This time last year we took a look at the WNDR3400 wireless-N router from Netgear, giving it good overall marks. This time around we’re taking a look at Netgear’s new Gigabit sporting model, the WNDR4000. Besides an overall increase in speed, what’s different? Not too much. Is it still a good router? Definitely.

With Cisco not having released a router trumping the WRT54G yet, it’s about time for other router manufacturers to step up to the plate. Netgear has been one of the big hitters alongside D-Link, producing plenty of solid offerings for home users. The WNDR4000 is no exception.

The construction of the WNDR4000 is what is expected of a router aimed at home use. Moving away from the ostentatious, illuminated, usage-indicating ring on the top of the router in favor of more typical indicator lights is welcoming. Now it’s a more serious looking device, complete with a plastic stand to allow for vertical mounting of the router.

All of this is a good start, and the upgrade from 100M Fast Ethernet to full Gigabit is another step in the right direction. Pair that with the dual-band wireless that supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks simultaneously, and you have a strong feature list working for you. This means that on a wired connection, you can get up to 1000 Mbps theoretically, and on wireless, up to 450 Mbps.

For the dual-band settings, you can run the 2.4 GHz band at 54 Mbps, 145 Mbps, or 300 Mbps; this must be set to the speed of your slowest device that you’re going to be connecting to the network. For the 5 GHz network, you can select from 54, 217, or the full 450 Mbps. Keep in mind that not all wireless cards have support for 5 GHz networks, so you might be limited to the 2.4 GHz band. As a note, Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro have support for 5 GHz networks, so if you’re using that to connect, you’ll be good to go.

In testing, we topped out on a wired connection at just below 800 Mbps (transferring between two wired computers). On 2.4 GHz wireless set at 300 Mbps, we managed a steady 170 Mbps. Finally, on 5 GHz set at 450 Mbps, we managed around 250 Mbps, which is very respectable. Bear in mind that these tests were conducted at normally operating distances (ie: 1 floor above the router), so they reflect more real-world circumstances.

In our range-testing, we found it to be consistent with other models. We received strong signal with 2 floors separating the router, and even a few hundred feet away with minimal obstacles.

Now that you have the facts about the raw speed and range of the router, let’s dig a little deeper into the feature-set. As with other Netgear models, you get a ReadySHARE USB port, meaning you can connect a hard drive or flash drive to the router’s USB port, and have its contents immediately shared to the rest of the network (and potentially the Internet) over Samba and it’s own built-in web server. It’s easy to set up and very practical to use if you need shared network storage for your family.

You also get the ability to create multiple wireless guest networks (both 2.4 and 5 GHz), complete with restricted access to the local network. So when your not-so-computer-savvy friend comes over to mooch WiFi, you can give him your guest network credentials without worrying about him transferring a virus to your machines.

You also get more typical features like parental controls, which allow router-level blocking of sites on a keyword basis (and can even schedule when the restrictions are in place). Similarly, you get Quality of Service (QoS) filtering, making sure that your streaming videos take priority over your BitTorrent downloads.

My overall experience with the WNDR4000 was a good one. The feature set is by no means lacking. One downfall that Netgear hasn’t fully rectified yet is its lacking control panel. Many users have grown to love Linksys/Cisco’s control panel due to its ease of use and reliability. Sadly, the same can’t be said for Netgear’s. Sometimes you will get 404 errors for no clear reason, sometimes applying settings takes far too long, and sometimes checking for updates from Netgear is a painstakingly long process. All of this makes for an unpleasant experience while configuring your router, but if you’re not the type to be bothered with constantly tweaking settings, I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

All things considered, the WNDR4000 is a good choice for anyone looking for a solid, fast, and capable multimedia router. It’s packed full of features, is easy to setup, and will provide bandwidth capable of any multimedia streaming you need to do. The Netgear WNDR4000 is available from Amazon.com for $139.99.

Product At-a-Glance

Not too long ago, we took a look at some gear from the Netgear ProSafe switch line. This time around, we got our hands on one of the newest offerings from Netgear, the GS110TP Gigabit PoE smart switch.

This switch is definitely aimed towards small to midsized businesses, or perhaps the odd prosumer who needs dual Gigabit fiber SFP uplinks. If you’re a typical consumer looking for a new Gigabit switch, this one isn’t quite your cup of tea.

With that being said, the GS110TP is an excellent option for smaller businesses looking for a cheap fiber to Ethernet networking solution. The Gigabit SFP uplinks are aimed towards long distance connections, while the Gigabit Ethernet ports serve local computers using their PoE technology.

This PoE power management operates in the most energy efficient way possible. By detecting cable lengths and network device power requirements, only the necessary amount of power is sent, thereby decreasing power consumption significantly. According to Netgear’s testing, the GS110TP uses 70% less power than it’s non-green companion.

Power is dynamically distributed to the Ethernet ports. If at any point the power available for network allocation is overdrawn, LED indicators make it quite clear that no power is available to power up additional ports.

As with the previous Netgear professional models we tested, the GS110TP features advanced QoS (Quality of Service) management, which is configurable through their included software. This makes it simple to prioritize mission critical applications, such as network telephony.

In addition to QoS, the GS110TP makes advances in security, such as being able to blacklist (or whitelist) traffic based on MAC or IP addresses. While switches are not typically a point of intrusion, this Netgear product allows for extra security.

As far as practicality is concerned, setup was incredibly easy, and management is made very simple through the use of their included control panel software. Using PoE to power a small IP camera was simple, and setup was dealt with in a matter of minutes.

For small to midsized business environments, the Netgear GS110TP makes for an excellent PoE Gigabit switch. With an extensive feature set, easy setup, and an advanced control panel, the GS110TP makes a perfectly viable option for your powered switching needs.

Product At-a-Glance

Summer is quickly drawing to a close, school is starting, and college students everywhere are moving into their dorms or apartments. With the new laptop, iPhone, and Xbox 360 that’s coming back to school, wireless networking is a necessity. The only question is, can the Netgear WNDR3400 survive the college life?

Like most new routers, the WNDR3400 is a dual-band wireless-N router, meaning that you can get speeds up to 300 Mb/s without wires. Obviously in practice, those speeds are significantly lower. However, this speed is still much improved from the old wireless-G standard, allowing for quick file transfers, lag-free gaming, and streaming HD video all without wires.

With the WNDR3400, you also get 4 Ethernet ports for standard wired connections. You might expect with wireless-N networking that the WNDR3400 would come with Gigabit Ethernet, but sadly, it falls a bit short. 10/100 Mbps ports line the back of the router, which are a bit disappointing. You can achieve faster transfer rates over wireless than with wired networking, which is a bit backwards. However, if your devices are primarily wireless, this shouldn’t prove to be much of a problem for you.

As far as router features are concerned, you get a USB port that allows for network sharing of a storage device. For example, you can plug a simple USB flash drive into the router, and it’ll share the contents of that device with the entire network. The same concept works with USB hard drives, allowing for easy setup of network attached storage.

With its dual-band wireless, you can create two different SSIDs, one for your B/G network and one for your wireless-N network. Similarly, different passwords and authentication settings can be assigned for each of the networks.

You can also setup a guest network (again with two SSIDs to differentiate the network speeds) that creates a separate virtual network for guest users. This way, you can allow your friend on your network without giving them your password. You can also choose whether guest users should be allowed to get access to the local network, so shared network files can be hidden from guests if so desired.

Standard service and site blocking is available, with the ability to whitelist certain IP addresses on the network. Similarly, you get your typical port forwarding setup and dynamic DNS options.

On the more advanced side of things, you can monitor your bandwidth usage as well as setup Quality of Service (QoS) filtering. QoS allows certain services to receive preferential treatment when bandwidth is scarce. The WNDR3400 also has a wireless repeating functionality, which can provide the ability to repeat a router’s signal using the WNDR3400.

Ultimately, the WNDR3400 is a feature-filled router that is easy to setup and manage. Will it work well at college? Absolutely. Will it work well at home? Sure. If wired connectivity is important to you, there are better routers out there, but if you’re just looking for a simple wireless-N router, the WNDR3400 is a great option for you.

We recently got a chance to look at a few models from the Netgear ProSafe line, a business-oriented line of Ethernet switches. It’s not every day that we take a look at the professional side of networking, but this is an exception. Let’s be honest. I can guarantee that many of our readers can agree with one of these two statements: 1) “I work in network administration and am always looking for better and more efficient networking solutions.” or more commonly 2) “I have more network devices than Ethernet jacks on my router…”

In either case, the ProSafe series from Netgear offers solutions to these situations. I personally got my hands on both the JGS516 and the JFS524E, both unmanaged network switches. Both are Ethernet switches featuring the ability to be rackmounted, minimum of 10/100 Mbps speed, and low power consumption. The JGS516 features 16 Gigabit ports while the JFS524E features 24 fast Ethernet ports. To really see what makes these switches unique, let’s take a look at each separately.

Firstly, the JFS524E ProSafe Plus switch. Released earlier this year, the ProSafe Plus line features more advanced packet switching than the JGS516. Featuring advanced QoS (quality of service) configuration, the JFS524E allows for prioritizing certain port ranges and applications above others to guarantee that mission-critical services aren’t interfered with. In testing, this works relatively well for prioritizing, for example, web traffic over BitTorrent data. In addition, the ProSafe Plus series features Virtual LAN support to separate network traffic into smaller more easily manageable network segments. As a note, the device’s maximum bandwidth throughput is 4.8 Gbps, which is equal to every one of the 24 ports transmitting at 200 Mbps.

Beyond packet and bandwidth management, the JFS524E is marketed as a “green” network appliance. Using 63% less power than other similar unmanaged devices, the ProSafe Plus series does prove to be a more energy-efficient solution for switching. By determining the length of the attached Ethernet cable, power is reduced based on the energy required to efficiently transmit the data. Simply put, this means less power usage for devices attached with shorter cables. No fans are needed to cool the device, leading to a further decrease in power consumption. Even the package it’s shipped in is made from recycled goods.

The only drawback would we could find is that the ProSafe Plus series is only available in 10/100 Mbps options. In a world where Gigabit connections will be coming to the home, this seems a bit odd. At any rate, this brings us to the JGS516 ProSafe series, a true Gigabit switch.

While slightly less power-efficient than the JFS524E series, the JGS516 offers full Gigabit switching with slightly fewer ports (16) than the JFS524E. However, being a somewhat older product, the JGS516 doesn’t offer the same level of traffic shaping and management as its newer cousin the JFS524E. While this won’t necessarily be a problem for most users, some might be disappointed that these advanced features are missing. We didn’t find it a major drawback in our testing, but built-in support for QoS and VLANs is not something included.

Setup was not a problem on either of the devices. Both the JFS524E and the JGS516 plugged into our network and began switching seamlessly without any configuration on our end. The JFS524E comes with a configuration CD for managing its traffic shaping capabilities if you desire to take advantage of them. Otherwise, plug them in and you’re ready to route.

In the end, we would definitely recommend either switch to either the professional or prosumer looking for server grade switches. Priced at $115 for the JFS524E and $190 for the JGS516, both are great switches that performed extremely well in our testing. They feel solid, are made to last (estimated in the decades / centuries before need for replacement), and are a power and cost-effective solution for small business or home networking.

Pros

• Both are power and cost-effective
• Rackmountable and industrial grade construction
• Extensive traffic management available on the JFS524E
• Gigabit connectivity on the JGS516
• Easy setup

Cons

• No traffic management capabilities on the JGS516
• Only 10/100 Mbps ports on the ProSafe Plus models

The WNDR3700 is flexible enough to be compatible with almost every device on your network. From that aging old Pentium 4 notebook to your new netbook, the router supports it. Thanks to the dual-band support, you can simultaneously have a 2.4GHz wireless-N network, compatible with older 802.11b/g devices, and a 5GHz wireless-N network that supports the newest 802.11n devices. And for those desktop computers and hard-wired devices, Netgear has built-in a gigabit ethernet switch for reliability.

The dual-band functionality also lends itself to many tasks. For example, you can have all of your standard internet traffic on the older 2.4GHz band, while reserving the faster 5GHz band for streaming HD video and transferring files over the network. Operating on the 5GHz band also eliminates interference from cordless phones and microwave ovens that run on the older frequency.

The WNDR3700 also features technologies such as Universal Plug-n-Play, or UPnP that support media streaming devices right out of the box, without complicated setup tools. This feature worked seamlessly with devices in our labs such as the SqueezeBox Boom from Logitech and the Sonos ZonePlayer we reviewed earlier this year.

Another really useful feature that the WNDR3700 router has is guest networking. Have you ever had a guest come over to your home who wants to browse the web on his or her own laptop? Were you hesitant to give them your network password because you were afraid they would access content on your own private network shares? Well now you can create a separate guest network with access only to computers on that particular network. This feature works great and adds an extra layer of security to your personal data and network traffic.

If you have a ton of media that needs to be shared across the network, with this router you can simply throw all your files on a external USB hard drive and plug it into the USB port on the back. All the files are shared instantly, using the ReadyShare technology that takes cues from Netgear’s ReadyNAS network attached storage line. The file sharing functionality is fairly basic however, with not nearly enough control as a NAS, so if you’re primary goal is to get files shared within an all-in-one device, you may want to look elsewhere. One thing it can’t do with the USB port however is share a printer over the network to other computers. With such an advanced router, why did Netgear bother to leave something so simple out?

The internals of the router are enclosed in a sleek, black enclosure and although it is a fingerprint magnet, it does rid of the ugly antennas sticking out of the enclosure, which is a plus in our book. It also comes with a stand for setting it in a vertical position. Setting up the Netgear RangeMax Dual Band router was fairly simple, and once we got it going we setup the dual-band mode with two separate wireless networks. Network performance was pretty fast, to say the least. We were able to stream 720p HD video over the network from computer-to-computer without any hiccups, using the separate 5GHz network with the “Video Network” mode enabled. Throughput on standard network transfers with both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz network was exceptional.

The Netgear WNDR3700 is one of the best and most feature-packed routers we’ve seen thus far, and it is highly recommendable to any power user looking to get the most out of their network. It offers greater throughput and performance than older 802.11n routers like the D-Link DIR-655. The router can be purchased at Amazon.com for $159.99 as of press time.

Pros

• Fast throughput on both bands.
• Dual-band functionality.
• Guest network feature adds extra layer of security and privacy for peeping guests.
• Many different options in administration interface.

Cons

• Lack-luster feature set for file sharing.
• No printer sharing capabilities.
• Black glossy enclosure can collect fingerprints fast.

Are you regretting neglecting wiring your house with Ethernet when you built it? Just don’t want to deal with the hassle of cutting holes in your walls? Read on to find what may be the perfect solution for you.

When thinking of networking, most people think about a traditional hardwire and wireless connectivity. One reason for this is due to the lackluster performance of the original powerline adapters. While the original powerline technology was slow and unreliable, the Actiontec MegaPlug AV Powerline Gaming Kit crushes any preconceptions you may have of powerline Ethernet networking.

The MegaPlug AV works with a two unit system. First you plug a transmitter into your router, and then an open power outlet nearby. (Note, Actiontec recommends that this is not plugged into a surge protector to insure optimal performance, which may create problems for some power users’ setups.) Next, the receiver unit is plugged in wherever you chose, and the Ethernet is plugged into your device nearby, and you are ready to be connected to the Internet, no complicated setup necessary. The connection is then routed using the preexisting powerline infrastructure in your house, which eliminates the need to route Ethernet wires through your walls, which can be expensive and very time consuming.

So you may be thinking, “This is great, but how well does it actually work?” In my tests, I found the difference between being hardwired into a router, and the MegaPlug AV adapter to be none at all. When using my Xbox 360 on the MegaPlug AV kit, I could not tell any latency or speed decrease from what I am used to with my standard wired setup.

While the MegaPlug AV is not marketed for this use, I have also tested this kit on a computer, and could not tell any difference. When running a speedtest from my computer, it returned a result that was exactly the same as my hardwire or WiFi setups. Also, transferring files over the Internet was fast, at around 100mbit, due to constrictions with my PC hardware, where as the adapter supports up to 200mbit. I even took the extreme of having 2 computers, and my 360 all connected at once using a switch, and I have seen no noticeable difference in surfing the Internet and other normal daily tasks.

At an average price of $150 online, it is more expensive than the Xbox 360 wireless adapter, but performs much better than it in my testing.

Pros

• Fast 200mbit speed.
• Easy setup.
• No need to run wires in wall.

Cons

• Price.
• Cannot be plugged into surge protector.

Have you ever wanted to backup all your Windows PCs including your music, movies, and irreplaceable photos? What about storing all of your iTunes music in a central place so that every PC (and Mac) could access it? Want to access your content away from home, from any PC using an internet connection? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, the HP MediaSmart Server is for you.

The HP MediaSmart Server comes in two versions, a 500GB and 1TB version, and can be expandable up to 4TB using hard drives currently available. We received the 1TB version over a month ago, and have been using it in our day-to-day workflow ever since. After unboxing the MediaSmart Server, we were surprised at how small and compact the unit was. It looks like a very small mini-tower, contrary to the rack-mount servers we all think about when we hear the word “server”. It runs Windows Home Server, Microsoft’s stripped down operating system designed to backup PCs on your network. Think of the Windows Home Server as a “set it and forget it” scenario. Plug it in, set it up, and leave it running somewhere in a closet or out of sight.

On the front of the MediaSmart Server, is a single USB port, and behind the door are 4 drive bays. On the back are 3 USB ports, an eSATA port, a Gigabit Ethernet connection, a Kensington lock slot, and a power button. You’ll notice that there’s no monitor, keyboard, or mouse connection. That’s because the whole setup process happens on the first PC you’ll setup with the server.

Setup wasn’t the easiest process for me, since there were some problems with my router (a D-Link DIR-655). Paul Thurott has a list of the recommended routers here. Once I got the server working properly with my network however, everything worked without a hitch. The Home Server Console software that’s installed in the setup process offers a slew of different customizations and features from user privileges to shared folders.

I backed up two PCs to the server, one running Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1, and one running Windows XP Professional with SP3 both connected via Gigabit Ethernet to my router. File transfer performance was excellent, and both PCs were backed up in less than two hours. Plus, instead of backing up the same redundant operating system files, the MediaSmart Server keeps one copy of the operating system files (say, for Windows Vista) and retains a master image of those files and backs up data that is different across all systems. One of my favorite features is the ability to back up your complete iTunes library onto the server, and access them from any PC or Mac computer, regardless of DRM.

All in all, the MediaSmart Server is a perfect way for a entirely Windows-based network to be backed up and stored in a central area so that all your precious memories are safe. The HP MediaSmart Server is available in both 500GB and 1TB versions for $559.99 and $709.99 respectively from Amazon.com.

Pros

• Easy setup.
• Expandable up to 4TB using current drives.
• External expansion with USB and eSATA.
• Fast Gigabit Ethernet connection.
• Ability to back up iTunes library.

Cons

• None.

There are a lot of voice-over-IP services and providers on the market today: Vonage, Packet8, Comcast Digital Voice, and Phone Power just to name a few. One you may not have heard of is Ooma. With its unique features, Ooma sets itself apart from all the others. Read on to find out why.

Ooma is a different kind of voice-over-IP service, it uses P2P (peer-to-peer) technology to give you unlimited calling throughout the United States (sorry Canada). For example, let’s say you have an Ooma Hub setup in San Francisco. If you have a friend in New York and want to call them, Ooma looks for another Hub in New York, and then routes the call from that Hub. This way, it appears to be a local call originating from that area – keeping costs down.

You will however, have to plunk down $399 for the Hub and $39 for each additional Scout. The Scout allows you to use the Ooma service throughout your home over your existing phone connection.

A few unique features to Ooma include the Instant Second Line, allowing you to have two phone lines at one number without additional fees. One of our favorites is the one-touch do not disturb button, allowing you to get the “killer nap” according to Ooma.

Now you may be asking, how exactly is the performance of Ooma in terms of call quality and latency? We tested the Ooma using a Comcast cable internet connection in our home network. You can place the Ooma anywhere on your network, though it is recommended that you place it between your cable modem and router to ensure the best quality.

Surprisingly, call quality isn’t too shabby and sounded pretty good. The only downside to Ooma and most VoIP services is in case of a power outage, you’re out of phone service if this is a full replacement for your landline. The high upfront cost may drive some away, but it’s well worth the money. Another caveat is that there is no display on the Hub or the Scout, and the only way to diagnose problems with the service is through the light-up buttons on top of the unit itself. Tricky, but you’ll get the hang of it.

The Ooma Hub & Scout are available today from both Ooma’s website and Amazon.com.

Pros

• Easy setup.
• Good call quality.
• Many extra features like Instant Second Line.
• Scout allows you to extend the service without extra wiring.

Cons

• No display for diagnostics.
• High upfront cost could drive potential users away.

Final Verdict
4.5 out of 5 stars.

On the downside, the buttons on the front of the N1 are somewhat hard to press. It’s slow throughput speeds make it hard to recommend, on top of the expensive price of $179. You may want to look around for other options available in the 802.11n market.

Final Verdict
4 out of 5 stars.

EVDO is a godsend, and helped many people this past month at both the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and Macworld Expo 2008 just this past week. More and more EVDO modems are being introduced, whether they be USB, ExpressCard, or PCMCIA. I recently got my hands on the Sprint Ovation U727 by Novatel Wireless USB EVDO modem, here’s what I thought.

First of all, the U727 is a very tiny modem compared to Sprint’s previous USB offering, the U720 which we reviewed last January. The U727 also comes with a few accessories including a notebook monitor clip, USB cable, and a carrying pouch. The U727 isn’t just a modem either, Novatel decided to throw in a MicroSD slot for on-the-go storage which can come in handy if you only have one or two USB ports like on a notebook, though no MicroSD card is included to start you off.

I tested the speed of the Sprint EVDO data network using the Speedtest.net broadband speed test on both Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating systems. After selecting the server closest to my region (in this case, San Francisco, CA), I happened to get a nice ~1000 kbps down, and a nice ~650 kbps up which is a great improvement over the 900 kbps down and 350 kbps up I received with the U720.

The U727 also has GPS, which works wonderfully, and the Sprint applications included allow you to find the nearest coffee shops, gas stations, and restaurants at the click of a mouse.

The Sprint Ovation U727 by Novatel Wireless is available today from Sprint for $79.99 after instant savings, mail-in rebate, and a two-year service agreement. Plans start at $39.99 for 40 MB of usage, or $59.99 for unlimited usage. Any EVDO service is great for areas who cannot receive DSL or cable service, and for frequent business travelers.

Pros

• Fast network speeds from the Sprint network.
• Smaller and lighter form-factor.
• MicroSD slot for storage on-the-go.
• Great for business travelers.

Cons

• No MicroSD card included for starters.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

Need a way to watch what’s going on outside your house on multiple computers at a time? Traditionally with USB webcams you would have to go to one computer that’s connected to the camera. With the D-Link DCS-3220, you don’t.

The DCS-3220 is a 10/100 Ethernet connected Internet camera that includes some nice features including 2-way audio and built-in motion detection. Installation was easy, plug in the power, and connect it to your network – then run the setup wizard on the software disc and you’re good to go.

One thing we realized when we got the device, was that it works only on Windows and only in Internet Explorer since it uses an ActiveX control. There are some third-party applications that allow you to use it on other operating systems such as Security Spy on Mac OS X. The included software was somewhat hard to use and we had to break out the manual.

Video quality was generally good, though the image was somewhat washed out by the sun reflecting into the camera’s lens. Audio quality was nice and the 2-way audio feature was a nice touch.

Although it won’t work out of the box with other operating systems, many applications in the software world can connect to D-Link’s SecuriCam line of products. It is expensive at $249 though, since other network cameras can be purchased for only $50 more with compatibility for all operating systems.

Pros

• Easy to setup.
• Hard to use monitoring software.
• 2-way audio functionality.

Cons

• Windows and IE only.
• Image quality isn’t the best.

Final Verdict
4 out of 5 stars.

At the beginning of this year I tested out the Sprint Novatel U720 Mobile Broadband Modem. Verizon recently launched their version of this device and here’s what I had to say.

The USB720 is no different from the U720 that Sprint offers, it has the same design and mostly the same internals give or take a few. Since it has the same design, one problem I had with both models was that it blocked up the second USB port on our MacBook notebook. You may not have the same problem on other notebooks, but it would have been great if the device was slimmer. The included Y-adapter that I mentioned in the Sprint review does help though.

I received speeds around 800kbps down and 200kbps up using the Verizon EVDO network which was similar to the 700kbps down and 350kbps up I got using the Sprint network. Wireless reception was great and I had a constant full signal of service.

Since the Sprint Novatel U720 was released though, Apple released a Mac OS X update that has built-in support for both the U720 and the USB720 modems. No need to download drivers for both XP/Vista and Mac OS X.

As was the Sprint Novatel U720, the USB720 from Verizon is a viable option for those who cannot get cable or DSL high-speed Internet in their area. It is $60+ for an unlimited data plan, though Verizon apparently terminates your contract if you exceed 5GB transfer within one month – so heavy Internet users beware. For the device only, it will cost you $99 with a 2 year contract.

Pros

• Excellent broadband speeds.
• Good reception.

Cons

• May block USB ports due to it’s size.

Final Verdict
4.5 out of 5 stars.

D-Link and just about every other wireless networking manufacturer has begun producing wireless 802.11n routers using the Draft-N standard. The Draft-N standard provides users with blazing fast speeds, way faster than 802.11b/g and almost 2X farther range than 802.11g.

Does the device perform like it promises? Today, we take a look at one of the two 802.11n routers we will be reviewing this month, the DIR-655 Xtreme-N Gigabit router.

The DIR-655 has an Apple-like design, the shell being a shiny gloss white plastic, black highlights, with glowing blue LED’s producing a bright, but cool looking design. The router also includes a stand for positioning the unit upright and of course, a power adapter.

Performance with the DIR-655 was excellent, and performed way better than our previous favorite, the Linksys WRT54G, claimed by many to be the best bang for your buck. Using the Xtreme-N PC card we received from D-Link, we achieved great, G-killer speeds. Range was about as good as the WRT54G as well. On the contrary, when using the device with mixed 802.11ng, and 802.11g, we received abysmal speeds, although better performance than the WRT54G still, thanks to the included gigabit ports.

Continuing with the good side of things, the web administration interface was excellent, and showed off really how easy it is to setup the router, including wizards to setup your internet connection, wireless network security, and more. In fact, compared to our de-facto standard WRT54G, we found the interface more visually pleasing.

Overall, the D-Link Xtreme-N Gigabit Router (DIR-655) was an excellent performer, but it does use the draft-N standard of the 802.11 protocol, which means it may not be compatible with future N products once the standard is ratified.

Pros

• Excellent range when using 802.11n products only.
• Visually pleasing web administration interface.
• Very sleek design.
• Easy to setup.

Cons

• Mixed performance with the mixed-802.11ng mode.
• May not be worth it in the long term.

Final Verdict
4 out of 5 stars.

Mobile broadband has become a godsend within the past couple of years, from the slow days of GPRS, to the latest in EVDO and EDGE wireless technologies. The latest mobile broadband modems have been particularly interesting. Today, I take a look at the Sprint Novatel U720 USB Mobile Broadband modem.

Starting off, this isn’t any dongle; it’s huge for a dongle, seriously folks. Plugged into my MacBook (we’ll get into this later), I was worried that someone could just knock it straight out of the USB port, since it sticks out just over 3 inches from the side, but alas, it held up fine. The U720 also comes with a USB Y-adapter in case your notebook doesn’t provide enough power to the device. I was a bit bugged by the fact that it blocked the 2nd USB port on my MacBook, you may not have the same problem, but the Y-adapter helps solve this problem.

Getting to the point, EVDO is the fastest mobile broadband technology, providing up to 900kbps (kilobytes per second) down, and up to 400kbps up. I got an average of 700+ kbps down, and around 350kbps up, not the fastest, but it’s a heck of a lot better than dial-up.

Installing the card was seamless on Windows XP, just pop in the installation CD, and get going. On OS X there are hacked drivers available, which I won’t get into, but let’s just say, Google?

Overall, the Novatel U720 from Sprint is excellent, and is a great alternative for areas not accessible by DSL or cable internet. It’s quite pricey though, at around $60-70 a month for the service depending on your plan. The device runs for about $49.99 at the time of writing with mail-in rebate.

Pros

• Fast, broadband-like speeds.
• Easy installation.

Cons

• May block up other USB ports.
• Plans for mobile broadband may be pricey.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

Note: This product was previously featured as part of Connect’s Holiday Gift Guide.

The SlingBox was first introduced as a single device in 2005, now it is a family of products designed to allow you to watch your TV anywhere, anytime. Today, we take a look at the SlingBox AV from Sling Media.

“The Slingbox AV is the perfect companion for your DVR, digital cable, or satellite receiver. The Slingbox AV allows you to watch and control live TV, or any other TV entertainment you have, anywhere you go. Using an Internet connected computer or wireless mobile device, you can watch and control your home TV, DVR, digital cable box, or satellite receiver around town or around the globe. With a Slingbox AV you will never be separated from your favorite TV shows, sports broadcasts, breaking news stories, digital video recordings, or video on demand.” – Sling Media

The setup of the SlingBox AV is very simple, plug in power, ethernet, and video from your set-top box or DVR and your good to go. Sling Media was kind enough to send me their SlingLink product which eliminates the need to string ethernet across your house, and transfers the data over your electrical wiring. Again, the setup of this device was virtually painless. Big thumbs up for ease-of-use.

Installing the software on my PC and Mac couldn’t have been easier, just insert the CD or in my case, download the software for the Mac. Although the interface isn’t exactly Mac-like per say, they’re trying really hard. I just wish it would be a native Cocoa application like all the other Mac apps, but I digress.

Quality of the video and audio was generally good, but I haven’t been able to test it outside of my own network, so expect a follow-up review sometime soon if I have the time. Some minor problems with video, but that was to be expected. By the way, this device is a must-have for people on the road.

Overall, I can recommend this SlingBox to anyone, whether it be a consumer or a techie, and if you don’t have cable, be sure to check out their other product, SlingBox Tuner. If you have HD or want to hook up more than 1 source, check out the SlingBox Pro.

Pros

• Very easy to setup.
• Great for traveling.

Cons

• Minor issues with video quality.

Final Verdict

4.5 out of 5 stars.

You can find this product, and all of our reviewed products at Shopzilla, the best resource for checking prices on things online.