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Actiontec unveils range-extending Wireless FMC Router for mobile / WiFi hybrid phones
For those of you who happen to be in the predicament of owning a svelte hybrid cellular / WiFi phone, yet can't get cellphone service back in the boondocks where you reside, Actiontec is kicking out a range-extending router to help you make and receive calls on your mobile handset via WiFi. Touted as a "world's first," the Wireless FMC Router acts a standard four-port 802.11b/g/n router, supports WPA2 / WEP, and comes with a rather robust firewall to keep your conversations guarded from snoopers. Additionally, it facilitates call switching between the mobile and home WiFi networks as users move in and out of the house, giving you the option to connect via your cellular network or over VoIP with the same handset and same number. Aside from acting as a "middleman between the broadband and cellular networks," it can connect / drop from the WiFi / mobile networks on-the-fly while conversing, and can purportedly support "all major carriers" as well. So if you're thinking of consolidating the amount of phone numbers attached to your name, and don't mind picking up a hybrid handset, this multifaceted router will be able to simplify your conversations for $179.99 when it lands in Q2.
Buffalo intros USB-equipped AirStation Nfiniti Giga draft-N router
Aside from the fact that Buffalo has nearly worn its own AirStation moniker thin with all these router releases, the reviewers say it's got a good thing going, so we've no qualms with it busting out yet another offering in the Nfiniti lineup. The AirStation Nfiniti Giga sports the same basic design and feature set as the, um, non-Gigafied version, but boasts a USB port for retro machines (or stripped ultraportables) that lack at Ethernet port. Still, the unit reportedly supports the draft-spec of 802.11n as well as 802.11b/g, packs a built-in 4-port Ethernet "hub," and claims to offer "up to 80Mbps" through the air. So if you're digging the trio of antennas and need a USB port to boot, you can pick up this router later this month for a surprisingly high ¥34,800 ($295).[Via Akihabara News]
AlphaShield announces WiFi router with 1.2M square foot coverage
Canadian company AlphaShield has taken the wraps off its new AS-8800 wireless router, promising a mighty 1.2 million square feet of coverage (in ideal conditions, no doubt). Supposedly, the router's Power-G technology (not to be confused with Super-G, Xtreme-G, or Kenny G) gives it up to 20 times more power than traditional routers, allowing for the wireless signal to pass through concrete walls with ease and giving you speeds up to 108Mbps over a distance of 1,200 feet indoors and 3,900 feet outdoors. To round out the package, AlphaShield's also outfitted the router with no less than five Gigabet Ethernet ports, as well as a firewall, USB print server, and VPN support, among other standard router features. You'll have to wait a bit to put all that range to the test yourself, however, with the router set to launch in January for $250.
Apple Support doc on Intel Macs and 3rd party routers: "just restart it"
Well this doesn't sound like any fun: enough Intel Macs running 10.4.8 must be having a problem connecting wirelessly to some 3rd party routers that Apple had to publish a support doc on the topic. As icing on the cake, Apple's solution isn't a pretty one either. If your Intel Mac is having this problem, here's Apple's solution: restart the router. If that doesn't fix the problem, Apple then recommends calling the router's manufacturer to spend 45 minutes on hold, getting tossed around between operators who probably dish out the same troubleshooting technique, just like the books taught 'em.Not exactly the most effective solution I've ever heard to a problem like this, but I guess one must take what one can get - at least until one can download Mac OS X 10.4.9.
I-O Data's WN-GDN/R-S does the 802.11n thing
Now that we've finished drooling on I-O Data's new RHD2-U RAID, they've busted out an equally shiny -- if slightly less monolithic -- 802.11n router for Japan, the WN-GDN/R-S. The WN-GDN/CB PCMCIA card which accompanies the router appears to be a cardboard cutout in the picture above, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence, but the router sounds just fine, with a 130Mbps theoretical peak speed, plus all sorts of pretty acronyms like IPv, DMZ, UPnP, VPN and SPI. The router also includes a USB port, but there doesn't seem to be any related functionality, such as the insta-NAS capabilities of competing routers. We're not too hot for the pricetag either, at 30,975 yen (about $267 US) for the router and 12,075 yen (about $104 US) for the slip of cardboard laptop card, but we're sure the market will smooth those over before long.
Check Point intros ZoneAlarm Z100G wireless router
The security-minded folks at ZoneAlarm are branching out from their cozy nook in the software space into the wild world of hardware, with parent company Check Point announcing its first ZoneAlarm-branded wireless router. While it sure ain't pretty, the Z100G should keep you relatively safe behind its variety of security measures, including firewall, antivirus, and intrusion prevention, in addition to remote access VPN and secure remote desktop features. The router itself is a Super G number, promising speeds up to 108 Mpbs while still, of course, remaining compatible with regular 802.11b and 802.11g-based options, with a promised range of 984 feet indoors (right). Not surprisingly, you'll have to pay a bit of a premium over your run-of-the-mill router to get this one to watch your back, with the Z100G coming in at the $199 price point, although Check Point's knocked that down to $149 'till the end of December. Or you could, you know, buy a dd-wrt or OpenWRT compatible router and save yourself a bundle. Something tells us you're gonna be every bit as safe.[Via eHomeUpgrade]
Corega brings its ugly stick to 802.11n party
Nothing much to see here, just Corega doing its thing with a no-frills 802.11n router and PC card. The CG-WLBARGE router and CG-WLCB144GE card both sport XSPAN technology for multiplex usage of the MIMO antennas, resulting in some fancy "3x3 communication," which sounds no different than what you'll be getting from any other recent 802.11n offering. What is lacking is that fancy guarantee ASUS has for its new draft-n products, meaning late-in-the-game IEEE revisions could render your setup obsolete in a few months. But with looks like these, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.[Via Akihabara]
ZyXEL jumps into the Draft-n game with new MIMO router
Most of the big names have already busted out their own MIMO Draft-802.11n routers, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of room for the minor players to give Draft-n a shot, and ZyXEL's new NBG-415N Wireless Broadband Router sounds like a decent offering from the Taiwan-based company. They're claiming speeds of up to 300mbps for the $160 unit, and they've got some "StreamEngine" tech from Ubicom to prioritize certain types of data. The router also packs a USB port for WCN connectivity of printers, media players and the like. We should be seeing this one near the end of the month, along with laptop (PCMCIA) and desktop (PCI) versions: the NWD-170N and NWD-370N which go for $100 and $120 respectively.
Ruckus Wireless teams with Slim for 2825 MediaFlex router
Sure, your standard old WiFi router might serve up the internets with little hesitation, and should work just fine with the 802.11b/g Squeezebox, but if you want to crank your multimedia streaming chops up a notch, Slim Devices has teamed up with Ruckus Wireless to build a new MediaFlex multimedia router that does your generic box one better. The router includes fancy tech that purportedly will deliver "longer range and unprecedented Wi-Fi stability by directing signals over the best path through the air at any given time." We can't be certain of how these magiks are performed, but we've got a photo of their special antenna, which can be viewed after the break. The 2825 MediaFlex router is also designed to prioritize audio streaming over other traffic, so you should get a steady stream, no matter what interference or BitTorrent action may come. If you've got the smarts, and Squeezebox isn't your game, it's also possible to set video streams as a top priority, or even data if you're a torrent fiend. All of this is to ensure you can keep your media streams hic-up free, which can sometimes be rather difficult with normal WiFi routers, though it's your call as to whether to problem warrants a specialized $159 router. The MediaFlex is available now by its lonesome or as a bundle with a Squeezebox .
Vonage and D-Link spawn the VWR VoIP router
Vonage you dirty, dirty minx you. Introducing the D-Link VWR four-in-one home networking and VoIP solution. This broadband router packs in an 802.11b/g WiFi access point, 4 port Ethernet switch, and two standard phone jacks to connect a multi-line phone to Vonage's service. Nothing we haven't seen before from the likes of Thomson, ZyXel and others blanketing similar territories only without the boost of Vonage's brand recognition. Of course, Vonage was in bed with Linksys back in the 2004 VoIP heyday with the nearly identical WRT54GP2 VoIP WiFi router. With the freshman fat gone, we guess the ol' girl's prowling the mean VoIP streets for tricks again. So go ahead, take her home for a mere $60 bucks for the box plus another $10 for shipping and $30 for activation -- hell, best just offer her a $Benjamin or move along.[Via Slashphone]
ASUS WL-700gE media server and BitTorrent client, whodathunk?
While it may not be as litigiously bold as that Dutch LamaBox peer-to-peer server, we're sure that ASUS' WL-700gE will catch the eye of the MPAA and RIAA all the same. Seemingly, the WL-700gE is just another digital media server packing 802.11b/g WiFi, a 3.5-inch 160GB internal disk drive, 4 x wired Ethernet ports, 3 x USB 2.0 jacks, a built-in firewall, and plenty of on-board apps to serve-up data via Web browser, FTP, Samba, and UPnP/DLNA. It'll even share USB tethered webcams, speakers, and printers across your net. But did you know that buried in the product details (which might explain how we missed the product announcement earlier this year) is support for computer-less BitTorrenting directly over the box's WAN port? That little nugget not only frees-up your in-home bandwidth but allows you to put your computer to sleep as that sweet, sweet media rolls in overnight. So go ahead, pick up the roughly $250 box as priced on-line, slap on a few 750GB drives and put down a retainer for a good trial lawyer, you know, just in case you get carried away.[Via dailywireless]
TRENDnet announces upcoming pre-n gear
All of the controversy, delays, and performance concerns surrounding the IEEE's notorious pre-802.11n wireless networking spec haven't deterred TRENDnet from being the latest to announce a new family of products based on the non-final version of the MIMO-powered, next-gen WiFi standard. As you'll recall, there's been no small amount of concern that pre-n gear won't play nicely with legacy 802.11a/b/g equipment, which is why TRENDnet goes it out of its way to stress the "good neighbor behavior" exhibited by its WPA and SPI-protected TEW-631BRP router and TEW-621PC PC card -- both of which use Atheros' XSPAN technology to supposedly ensure interoperability in mixed-network environments. TRENDnet promises real-world speeds of between 150Mbps and 180Mbps , which in theory should be enough to stream around a little HD content and download some torrents while you're chatting on your wireless VoIP handset about that great post you're reading on Engadget. Both new products, along with a $150 access point and a $100 PCI adapter, are scheduled to ship on July 25th, with the router priced at $130 and the card going for an even $100.
Buffalo pre-N AirStation Nfiniti reviewed
Not one to let a little thing like standards acceptance get in their way, Buffalo has forged ahead (like so many others) and released their pre-N router, the AirStation Nfiniti. In case you're wondering how it actually performs, the good folks at TrustedReviews got their hands on a unit to see if it lives up to Buffalo's claims. Which are indeed pretty impressive, touting 300 Mbps for dual channel products and a blazing 600 Mbps for products taking advantage of all four spatial data streams. Unfortunately, TrustedReviews found those numbers to be too good to be true, receiving a much more modest 75 Mbps under ideal conditions, and testing real world performance they found that drop further to 46 Mbps. Still not too shabby, but you'll have to decide if it's worth the $200 US price tag and potential obsolescence whenever the final 802.11n standard is actually ratified by the IEEE.
Linksys touts draft 802.11n gear interoperability
Despite earlier concerns voiced by chipset manufacturer Airgo that draft 802.11n gear will "degrade" or "disable," current 802.11b/g networks, Linksys claims that it has tested and approved its upcoming suite of draft-n routers and adapters for interoperability with current products on the market. Since 802.11n relies on the multiple channel MIMO technology to deliver higher bandwidths, there has been some speculation that pre-N networks would dominate the spectrum designated for 802.11 communications, even though the draft specification specifically requires so-called mixed mode operation. While it's certainly reassuring to know that Linksys has been working with multiple vendors to ensure that current WiFi gear will perform at "peak levels" in the presence of 802.11n signals, the real test will come when we start seeing actual real-world deployment of these speedy new networks.
Belkin's N1 pre-N WiFi line
Not afraid of the big bad (somewhat uncertain) upgrade path? More 802.11n-draft wireless networking gear, coming through today, this time from Belkin. Say hello to their N1 line of gear based on Atheros XSPAN chipsets, which come in the form of a $99.99 PC card (sorry, no ExpressCard yet), $119.99 PCI card with antennae (F5D8001), USB adapter (F5D8051) later this year, and pleasantly affordable $149.99 router (F5D8231-4). Of course, we're making no claims whatsoever that you should run out and grab these if it's 300Mbps wireless you're after; but if you're ready to take the plunge these could be as good as any, and seem to stand an equal chance of actually being compliant with 802.11n when it's approved by the IEEE some time in 2015.
How-To: Rackmount your gear for cheap
Our simple network rack is an easy project that can really clean up a home network installation. Just a few square feet of floor space now keeps our cable modem firewall, Ethernet switch, server, wireless AP, KVM, monitor, keyboard and UPS neatly tucked away -- in a (decently well ventilated) closet, for example. It's also built to support rack mount hardware of shallow depth, like a router (the real kind) or network switch, so if you want to clear off that folding table in the basement, check out today's how-to.
Danish server admin exposes D-Link's "NTP vandalism"
It seems that incompetence on the part of the coders who write network hardware manufacturing giant D-Link's router firmware, and possibly even more insidious willful ignorance at higher levels of the company, may force Denmark's only networked time server to permanently shut down its vital public service. Apparently thousands of Danish servers use Poul-Henning Kamp's pro bono publico NTP server to sync their own clocks -- which is hosted for free by the Danish Internet Exchange (DIX) with the understanding that it is restricted to server-level access, but whose address D-Link hard coded into their device firmware without ever having asked Kamp's permission. The traffic from D-Link devices consists of well over 75% of the packets that the server handles, and has caused DIX to hit Kamp with an $8,800 per year connection fee that may mean the end of the free service and extra work for those thousands of Danish admins, not to mention the embarrassment Danes will have to face when mocked for living in an NTP-free technological backwater (despite their army's snazzy MP3 pillows). Kamp claims that although D-Link is well aware of the issue (they've since updated some, but not all, of the firmware on their site), but instead of fixing their mistake and encouraging customers to upgrade their firmware, the company simply offered Kamp an unspecified amount of "hush" money that doesn't even cover his most direct expenses. Hey D-Link, please drop us a press release if and when you decide to address this issue, because we think your "NTP vandalism" isn't very cool.[Via The Inquirer]
Sprint announces EV-DO router and USB dongle
Instead sitting back and frowning on bandwidth hogging EV-DO to WiFi routers, Sprint has decided to jump into the game themselves with a new device made by Linksys. Accompanying the new router -- which, like current solutions, merely hosts existing PCMCIA EV-DO cards -- is a new USB dongle that brings EV-DO functionality to owners of laptops that lack PC card slots, or adventurous desktop users. Both products are due in the second half of this year, with the router going for "slightly under $200." The USB dongle still lacks a price, but we imagine it will be rather popular, especially for MacBook Pro owners with their incredibly functionless ExpressCard slots.[Thanks, Michael]
Netgear intros RangeMax Next "draft spec" 802.11n products
We're not sure how this is much different than all those pre-n routers that have been floating around for a while, since a device that holds to the draft specifications of 802.11n still has quite a slim chance to actually work with official 802.11n devices. But that's not stopping Netgear from releasing a new line of RangeMax Next wireless products, which tout 300Mbps speeds and HD video streaming power. The WNR854T router supports gigabit Ethernet, while both the router and WN511T use MIMO (multi-in, multi-out) to reach those 802.11n speeds. It seems we've waited so long for 802.11n products that it has lost a lot of its appeal, but we're sure Netgear will find a way to keep busy.
Wireless networking tips for HD streaming
Jake Ludington has a post up detailing the method he used to get HD video streaming wirelessly, without interruptions. His method involves using two routers to isolate the connection between the Media Center PC and the Xbox 360:"Each wireless access point creates the equivalent of a single wired connection to your router. The more computers you connect to a single access point, the more you fill up the available connection, potentially resulting in an overloaded connection. By putting the Xbox 360 on it's own access point, you are providing the full capacity of that access point's available bandwidth."It apparently works for him; he's streaming 1080p HD content "without any hiccups." Showoff.[Thanks, Jake]
