New Technology Reviews!.: Router

CommandLineFu: Amazing Collection Of Command Line Gems [Linux & Mac]

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<img alt="linux command line" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/b8d8f47276u-icon.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/b8d8f47276u-icon.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />Browse an assortment of amazingly useful commands. Whether you’re an veteran system admin or a command-line neophyte striving to discover more, CommandLineFu is a vote-driven collection of commands that serves up thousands of ideas you should have thought of but didn’t.</div>
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Some see the command line as Linux’s weak point, the ultimate symbol of a system lacking ease of use. Others know the command line as one of Linux’s best features, giving learned users quick access to features most computer users don’t even know exist. There’s a reason even Mac OS X comes with a full-featured terminal. CommandLineFu is an encyclopedia of exactly those features. A database featuring over 8,000 unique commands, this site can seem overwhelming at first – just like the command line itself. Dig in though, and you will wonder just how you used a computer without the command line.</div>
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Sorry, Windows users – the majority of these commands only work on Linux. Some work on Mac OS X as well.</div>
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Browsing</h2>
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Head over to CommandLineFu to get started. You will immediately see the commands submitted most recently.</div>
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You can “grep” (read: search) the archive, if you want, or simply click “<em>All Time Greats</em>” to see the most popular commands. Or if you prefer, simply browse the massive tag cloud that makes up this sites right sidebar.</div>
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A Few Highlight Commands</h2>
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Experienced command line users will immediately find things they are interested in, but what about everyone else? Here is a quick list of my discoveries from this site.</div>
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Quick, Temporary Web Server</h3>
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Want to quickly share a file with someone? Set up your own web server in a few keystrokes with this handy command:</div>
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<code>python -m SimpleHTTPServer</code></div>
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Just like that, your current directory will be shared. Here’s what it looks like in a web browser:</div>
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Naturally, you’re going to need to set up your router properly if you want to share with someone outside your current network. A dedicated IP or a service like DynDNS will also be needed. Still, for local file sharing, it’s hard to beat the above command: it’s quick and easy. It worked for me on Ubuntu and OS X.</div>
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Run Preview Command As Sudo</h3>
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This one’s probably only useful for users of Ubuntu, or other systems utilizing sudo. It allows you to re-run the last command you executed as sudo, perfect if you forgot to add that vital preface.</div>
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<img alt="linux command line tools" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/8d7c94faeau-sudo.png.png" height="178" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/8d7c94faeau-sudo.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="580" /></div>
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See Your Unread Emails</h3>
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Want a quick rundown of your unread emails? this simple command can do the trick, provided your email client of choice is Gmail.</div>
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It worked for me on Ubuntu and OS X; Linux users should make sure “curl” is installed.</div>
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See Your Mounted Devices</h3>
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A mounted device is any storage drive plugged into your system and working. Need to see a full list of them? Simple.</div>
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Watch A Text Version of StarWars</h3>
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Okay, this one’s not useful. It is, however, awesome. Watch a text-only version of Star Wars, complete with ASCII animated characters:</div>
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The code for this is simple:</div>
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<code>telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl</code></div>
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3 Different Feeds</h2>
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Do you want to know every time a new awesome command is discovered? CommandLineFu offers three different Twitter and RSS feeds for just that purpose. Which one you use depends on how frequently you want updates; check them all out here.</div>
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Conclusion</h2>
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This site is awesome. Exploring it can teach you a great deal about not only the command line but also about computers in general.</div>
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Did you learn anything cool? Share links to your favorite commands in the comments below, or just list them yourself.</div>
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CommandLineFu: Amazing Collection Of Command Line Gems [Linux & Mac]

Browse an assortment of amazingly useful commands. Whether you’re an veteran system admin or a command-line neophyte striving to discover...

Tutorial: How to build your own router

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/Linux%20Format/LXF%20139/LXF139.tut_routers.router2-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>Linux is built on networking. It's at the core of the operating system, not a bolted on extension. This means that if you want to build an internet appliance, Linux is the obvious choice. </P><br /><P><br /><P>The most popular internet appliance is a router and most homes have one these days, translating your DSL or cable internet connection into Ethernet or wireless to be used by your computer. If you have more than one computer, such a device is even more important because it enables them to use the internet at the same time without getting their packets in a twist.</P><br /><P>If you do have a number of computers, it's possible you have at least one that's neglected and gathering dust in a cupboard somewhere because it's no longer considered powerful enough for current needs. You've probably thought about putting it on Ebay, but a combination of apathy and the rapidly diminishing value of older hardware means you never got round to it. </P><br /><P>Well, you can give this box a new lease of life as an internet gateway. You may be asking why you would want to do this instead of using a pre-packaged modem/router. </P><br /><P>One reason is that you can have far more control over exactly what goes on in the box, what functions it has and who can do what. Another reason for doing it is because it's a fun way of learning about such things, rather than just leaving it all to a magic black (or, more likely, white or silver) box. </P><br /><P>There are two ways of approaching this task; the first is to use a distro specifically designed for the job, already set up with the packages you need. The other is to build it entirely yourself, using a minimal Linux installation and adding the software you need to do what you want. </P><br /><P>This month, we'll look at the first path, but we'll cover the full DIY approach in the next issue. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Pick a distro </STRONG></P><br /><P>There are quite a few distros intended for use on firewall appliances, and some of them are based on FreeBSD rather than Linux. The distros can be divided into two groups, those that provide a dedicated firewall/router and those that comprise a more complete internet gateway, including things like print, mail, file and even web servers. </P><br /><P>For this tutorial, we are concentrating on a pure gateway, a more flexible and powerful alternative to an off-the-shelf modem/router and one that enables the other services to be run more securely behind the firewall. </P><br /><P>The distro that we've picked for this example is <a href="http://www.ipcop.org/">IPCop</A>. We are using the stable 1.4.21 release, although the more adventurous might consider the 1.9 version. </P><br /><P>You will also need a computer, obviously. Just about anything modern enough to be powered by electricity should be acceptable. An i586 or later box can handle the internet requirements of a medium-sized network. </P><br /><P>There's no desktop with IPCop – after installation, everything is done remotely via a web browser, so memory requirements on the hardware are minimal. You will need a keyboard and monitor for installation, but these can be removed once the system has rebooted. </P><br /><P>The computer will need at least two network interfaces: Ethernet for the local network and whatever your internet connection needs. This could be a PCI DSL modem card, another Ethernet card to connect to a standard cable or DSL modem or even just a USB port if you have no wired connection and are using a 3G dongle. </P><br /><P>If you want to set up a demilitarised zone (DMZ) you'll need another Ethernet card, and you'll need a wireless card if you want this box to also act as a Wi-Fi access point. An Ethernet switch or hub plugged into the green Ethernet port will enable multiple computers to be connected to the network. </P><br /><P>Installation Boot from the IPCop CD to get into the text-based installer. If you have only used the graphical installers of the likes of OpenSUSE, Mandriva and Ubuntu, this may come as a bit of a shock – use the cursor keys to move around, the Space bar to select options and Enter to proceed. </P><br /><P>Heed the warning early on: this installer will wipe your hard drive. You can't dual boot your router with Windows – this is a one-shot machine. </P><br /><P>The lack of partitioning or package choices means there's very little for you to do prior to installation. Select Skip at the restore screen. The next step is to pick the Ethernet interface to use for the green network; the other interface(s) will be set up later. </P><br /><P><img alt="step 1" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/Linux%20Format/LXF%20139/LXF139.tut_routers.router1-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Letting the installer probe for a suitable interface is generally best, although there are manual configuration options should your network adaptor need special module options passed to it. Because the router will also act as a DHCP server for your network, it must have its address assigned statically. If in doubt what to put here, 192.168.1.1 is a good choice. </P><br /><P>You are now given the web address for configuration, so make a note of this. The network configuration type is one of the most important choices during installation; the historical default is to use Ethernet for green and a modem for the red network. If your modem connects via Ethernet, change this to GREEN + RED. </P><br /><P>Choose the option that includes ORANGE or BLUE if you also want a DMZ or wireless sector in your network – you can change this later if you would rather keep it simple and just set up the red and green networks to start with. </P><br /><P>You then need to tell IPCop what to use for the extra interfaces in the Drivers And Card Assignments section. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Address configuration </STRONG></P><br /><P>The DNS and Gateway section can be left blank if your modem gets this information from your ISP with DHCP, but the DHCP configuration section relates to the addresses that IPCop gives out over the green and blue networks. You specify a range of addresses from which IPCop can choose, but leave some for any computer that may use static addressing.</P><br /><P>I generally start the DHCP range at 100 (192.168.1.100 if you used 192.168.1.1 for IPCop itself) and use lower addresses for any static allocations, for no other reason than it makes it immediately obvious whether an address has been given by DHCP. </P><br /><P>You must also enable the DHCP server here. The primary DNS server can be left at the address of the IPCop computer, which means IPCop will act as a DNS cache, speeding up lookups when the same domain is referenced by more than one computer – how many computers on your network don't look up www.google.com or www.linuxformat.com? </P><br /><P><img alt="step 2" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/Linux%20Format/LXF%20139/LXF139.tut_routers.router3-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Finally, you need to set passwords for three users. The root user is not normally used, unless you want to log in directly on the router, the admin user is the user of the web interface, which you will normally use for configuration, and the backup user. Now you can remove the installation CD and reboot. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Starting up </STRONG></P><br /><P>The computer will reboot to an unhelpful-looking login prompt, but you won't be using this. Open a browser on another computer on the green network and go to https://192.168.1.1:445, replacing the IP address with whatever you set in the installation. </P><br /><P>If the computer you're connecting from had its network started after rebooting the router, you can use the hostname set in the installation instead; the default is ipcop (https://ipcop:445). Your browser will probably complain about an untrusted certificate when connecting, which you can tell it to accept. </P><br /><P>This is because IPCop is using a self-generated certificate, so your browser can't check its trustworthiness. Since you've just installed it, you know you can trust it. </P><br /><P><img alt="Step 3" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/Linux%20Format/LXF%20139/LXF139.tut_routers.router2-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Remember the admin user's password you set up during installation? IPCop enables you to view the home page without it, but selecting anything pops up a password requester. </P><br /><P>The first link you should select is System > Updates since the home page will have told you there are updates available. Press the Download button, which doesn't appear to do much, but the description of the updates should appear in the section below, so press Apply Now. </P><br /><P>If you see an error that this is not an authorised update, your hardware clock is probably way out. This isn't uncommon on hardware that has not been used for years or had a BIOS reset. </P><br /><P>Go to Services > Time server and set the time manually. Then tick the box to use a network time server and press Save. You have to set the time manually first because NTP will not change the time if the jump is too great. </P><br /><P>The web interface is where you do everything from now on. If you want, you can now power down the router, disconnect the keyboard and monitor and tuck it away somewhere out of sight and sound before switching back on (but make sure it has enough air to cool itself). </P><br /><P>Your new router should now be providing DHCP and DNS services to your local network and giving access to the internet, so it's time to start exploring the options. </P><br /><P>Your first stop should be System > Backup, where you can create a DAT file containing all your settings, enabling you to roll back if your changes don't work out as intended. Do this before you start experimenting. You can even use the Export button to transfer this to a USB stick for safe keeping. </P><br /><P><img alt="STep 4" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/Linux%20Format/LXF%20139/LXF139.tut_routers.router4-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><STRONG>Explore the features </STRONG></P><br /><P>IPCop provides a number of services that are not enabled by default but are worth investigating and turning on. </P><br /><P>These can be found in the Services menu and include a web proxy, to reduce traffic and response times for commonly used pages, a time server, a dynamic DNS feature to update your IP address on services like www.dyndns.org, intrusion detection with Snort and traffic shaping. The last is useful with several machines sharing limited bandwidth, you don't want someone's BitTorrent download of the latest Ubuntu ISO image to slow down your browsing of the Fedora forums. </P><br /><P>By setting various port ranges to High for email ports such 25, 110 and 143, Medium for web ports 80 and 443, and Low for FTP (21) and BitTorrent (6881–6999) you can stop file downloads from slowing down browsing by too much while making sure that email always gets through. </P><br /><P>We said that you can add a network post-installation, so how do you do this when there doesn't appear to be an option in the web interface? The answer is that this has to be done on the command line, either directly on your IPCop box (assuming it still has a keyboard and monitor) or via an SSH connection from the green network. For the latter, you need to enable SSH access from the System menu, then connect to it with: ssh -p 222 root@ipcop </P><br /><P>Then run setup to get a curses GUI similar to the installer from where you can change choices made at that time. Go into Networking > Change Network Type and pick GREEN + ORANGE + RED to add a DMZ, or add a BLUE for a wireless sector. Either way, you must have a suitable network card already installed in the computer. </P><br /><P><img alt="Step 5" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/Linux%20Format/LXF%20139/LXF139.tut_routers.router5-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Go to Drivers And Card Assignments to pick the card for the new network, then use Address Settings to pick an address for the new network's interface. This must be on a different subnet, so if you used 192.168.1.1 for green, use 192.168.2.1 for orange. </P><br /><P>Once you have done this, turn off SSH for security. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Setting up the DMZ </STRONG></P><br /><P>Now that you have a DMZ, you can begin setting it up. There is no DHCP server on the orange network, so any computer you add here should have a static address, which is a good thing if you're providing access from outside because you need to forward traffic to a specific address. </P><br /><P>To set up access to a web server with the address of 192.168.2.2, the first step is to set up port forwarding, just as you would on a standard modem/router, except here we are forwarding to the server on the DMZ. </P><br /><P>Go to Firewall > Port Forwarding page. The Source IP Or Network box is normally left blank, to enable access from all external addresses, but you can restrict access to a specific address or range if you wanted your server to only be accessible from one location (although a VPN may be a more suitable approach in this situation). </P><br /><P>Set the source and destination ports to 80 (HTTP) and the Destination IP to 192.168.2.2, press Add to see the rule appear in the list below. Now hit Reset and repeat the process for port 443 (HTTPS). </P><br /><P>Now you have a web server that is accessible from the internet and from your LAN (the green network), but it cannot access your green network. This means that if the server, or perhaps some PHP code it is running, is exploited, it can only harm itself, not the rest of your computers. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Poking holes </STRONG></P><br /><P>There may be times when your web server needs to communicate with a machine on the green network, for example sending a backup of its MySQL tables. </P><br /><P><img alt="STep 6" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/Linux%20Format/LXF%20139/LXF139.tut_routers.router6-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>IPCop has a feature called a DMZ pinhole that provides restricted access from one computer in the orange network to one port on one computer in the green network. This is set up in Firewall > DMZ Pinholes but use this option only when you have to, because it partially compromises the security provided by the DMZ. </P><br /><P>There is lots more you can do with IPCop, but we've given you enough to get started. Browse around the web interface and read the associated documents on the IPCop website for more information.</P>

Tutorial: How to build your own router

Linux is built on networking. It's at the core of the operating system, not a bolted on extension. This means that if you want to build ...

What is a Wireless Router and What Are Its Benefits?

With the onset of advanced technology and communications, more terms have come up to define and refer to the systems and processes. With interconnection changing the landscape of the world and Internet phenomenon, our lives are more connected with each other. But there is the need to provide security against those elements that would seek to destroy our systems and processes. One of these is a wireless router and this refers to a device located in a wireless local area network that identifies what is the next network point to which a packet should be transferred towards its planned destination. A wireless router has the same function and work as that of a hard-wired home or business local area network but the difference is that a wireless router actually provides a greater movement or mobility for laptops, notebook and other portable computer. This is because the individual computers are installed with wireless trans-receivers that can be inserted to a USB port or a PC Card slot.<br />
Another function of a wireless router is that wireless router actually provides for a hardware firewall for those computer with high speed Internet connections, either for a home or business use and even if the home or business only has one computer. It was also believed that the use of this wireless router guarantees a higher protection against the possibility of hacking because when one has individual computer, the IP addresses are not exposed to the Internet.<br />
Another thing is that a wireless router does not eat up the resources of a computer unlike a firewall. The past years, the technology of a wireless router developed, allowing for more connection of different computers to a LAN. Specifically, the newer wireless router provides a specification of 802.11g and this allows for greater transmission over shorter distances up to 54 megabits compare with the earlier standard.<br />
Further, wireless routers can allow greater connectivity inside various enterprises and the internet and inside what is called as Internet Service Providers and larger routers are used in very large enterprise networks and the small ones are for the connectivity for small and home offices. So the size of your wireless router would depend on how extensive the use would be.<br />
The question arises on whether there is the need to have a wireless router and the answer is in the affirmative. This is because most home users would want to connect all their computers to the Internet without the need to pay broadband service for each of the computers. In several instances, an ISP will permit you to use a wireless router and connect various computers to an Internet connection and simply pay a small fee. The price of wireless router would depend on the brand but the price range is from $40 to $73.

What is a Wireless Router and What Are Its Benefits?

With the onset of advanced technology and communications, more terms have come up to define and refer to the systems and processes. With int...

How to Get the AT&T Communication Manager to Feed a Wireless Router

<P>Download and install the AT&T Communications Manager. You can download the software free from AT&T's website. It's compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. Once it's installed on your <a class="StrongLink" href="http://www.ehow.com/computers/">computer</A>, open the Communications Manager.</P><P>Locate your wireless network on the list of available networks in the Communications Manager. You should see the network name, or SSID, or your wireless network listed in the main window of the Communications Manager. The Manager should indicate you are connected to it by glowing orange and showing an orange "Disconnect" button.</P><P>Monitor your wireless network connection. The Communications Manager shows a timer that indicates how long you have been connected to the network. It also shows you your data transfer rate and other important connection information. For as long as you remain connected to your At&t wireless router, you can continue to use the Communications Manager to monitor your connection status.</P>

How to Get the AT&T Communication Manager to Feed a Wireless Router

Download and install the AT&T Communications Manager. You can download the software free from AT&T's website. It's compatib...

Features of a Wireless Router

<br />		<p>Most electronic gadgets are trying to adopt the wireless technology in order to give greater mobility to the user. Wires make movement difficult and the user is chained to his seat while working. With wireless technology the user can access the internet without the modem and connectivity of the cable. There is a built in DHCP server provided. The antenna is integrated into the system to support the different protocols.</p><p>It is light weight and easy to carry around. There is both speed and security assured for the user. The data transfer rate can be speeded up to 54Mbps. The firewall security takes care of all kinds of virus. The WPA PSK is another important feature which gives additional overall security to the system. There is also effective protection against the attack of hackers. This is a much needed security measure in the light of the increased and ever present threat of hacking for the internet user.</p><p>Essentially the transmission takes place from the server to multiple clients. There is virtually a private network pass through which works very well in an office with multiple users. Thus online access can be shared with all the others in the office ensuring a very smooth operation for the staff. Connectivity is instantaneous and the efficiency of the work force is guaranteed. Some have a network address translation which helps to maintain a special address for your network. Installation is very easy and the load balancing is very effective. Some devices also have content filters to disallow unwanted web pages from appearing.</p><p>For such a small device it is surprisingly powerful in transmitting data at very high speeds. It can support two protocols. Some also have voice ports. Some routers have four built in 10/100ports. There is also the port forwarding or server mapping facility. There is both web based and remote configuration. The operating frequency ranges from 2400 to 2484 .5MHz.</p><p>The user can download any form of the web content whether in the form of a text, image, picture, photograph or even an audio or video file. This is amazingly versatile for such a compact little device.</p><p>There is a new kind of difficulty that users have to contend with and that is the Denial of Service (DOS).  In order to address this problem, a new device has been installed as a preventive measure.</p><p>Some brands promise other features like, over bandwidth consumption, traffic shaping, IGMP snooping multicast and a maximum of four priority queues. There are various transmission rates offered like, 11, 5.5, 2 and 1Mbps.</p><p>Wireless routers have become a must buy option for the regular internet user. In the long run it is a very economical package with network connections.</p>	<br />	<br />		<br />			<br />				<br />					<br /><br />						<p>Read reviews on <a href="http://www.wireless-routers.org.uk/category/belkin/" target="_new">Belkin Wireless Routers</a>, D-Link and Netgear at <a href="http://www.wireless-routers.org.uk/" target="_new">wireless routers reviews</a> website.</p>					<br />

Features of a Wireless Router

Most electronic gadgets are trying to adopt the wireless technology in order to give greater mobility to the user. Wires make movement di...

The Advantages of a Dual Band Router

<P><a title="#jsArticleStepImageCredit1 rel=thinbox><IMG title="></A></P><br /><P>Fotolia.com</A>">For accessing <a class="StrongLink"" href="http://www.ehow.com/internet/">the Internet</A> at your home or business, a wireless router is an essential way to transmit your internet signal to multiple devices. When shopping for a router there are many options to consider, one of which is whether to purchase a single or dual-band router. Though single-band routers are less expensive, dual-band routers offer several important benefits.Faster File Sharing and StreamingAccording Samara Lynn, a writer for PCmag.com, a dual-band (i.e., 2.4- and 5-GHz) router facilitates faster throughput (communication) for demanding tasks such as sharing files and streaming video within a network. Single band routers do not offer the 5-GHz band, which information technology experts such as Lynn argue is the most efficient for sharing and streaming large media files and gaming.Separate Internet TasksA dual-band router enables the user to separate high band width tasks such as streaming high definition movies and other media from checking email and browsing the Internet. The user can efficiently browse the Internet on the 2.4-GHz band, while simultaneously streaming media on the 5-GHz band.Prevent Interference with Other NetworksAccording to Becky Waring, of PCworld.com, switching to a dual band router with a 5-GHz option could help with interference problems. By connecting your devices through the 5-GHz band you can avoid interference from neighboring Wi-Fi networks. Tim Higgins, of Smallnetbuilder.com, also points out that the "5-GHz band also has more non-overlapping channels than 2.4 GHz." This means that you have a higher chance of "finding a channel that doesn't interfere with neighboring networks."Prevent Interference with Home AppliancesTim Higgins also points out that small home appliances, "including some cordless phones, intercoms, baby monitors and microwave ovens" also run on the 2.4-GHz band. He argues that "the more of these devices that are in range of your wireless network, the lower and less consistent your speed will be." This means that if your network is in a really crowded area, such as an apartment building, the signals from other devices could cause your signal to drop or decrease in speed if you have a router with only the 2.4-GHz band. References <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2347539,00.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PCMag: How to Buy a Wireless Router</A> <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2366262,00.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PCMag: How To Set Up a Home or Small Business Network</A> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10103870-1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CNET: Are dual-band routers must-haves?</A> <a href="http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-basics/30905-how-to-buy-a-wireless-router-short-version" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Smallnetbuilder: How To Buy a Wireless Router: The Short Version</A> <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/product/30900/review/linksys_by_cisco_dualband_wirelessn_gigabit_router_with_storage_link.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PCWorld: Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router</A></P>

The Advantages of a Dual Band Router

Fotolia.com ">For accessing the Internet at your home or business, a wireless router is an essential way to transmit your internet ...

Wireless Router Reviews - Advice on Choosing Your Next Wireless Router

<br />		<p>Wireless router just packed up? Tired of endless <strong>wireless router reviews</strong>? Maybe you just got faster Internet access and want a beefier device for all those must have movies, new tracks and everything else. Relax - in this article I'm going to give you some pointers on looking for the right piece of kit at the right price.</p><p>Did you know the best wireless router is not necessarily the cheapest? I'll show you the quickest and most economical way to achieve those lightning quick movie streaming and faster iPod downloads without any hassle.</p><p>So where do we start? What is a wireless router and why do I need it? It's not rocket science - a wireless router allows you to access the Internet via your broadband Internet connection and your (yours, your partners, your family / flat-mates etc), laptop, PC, Mac, iPod, PS3, Wii, iPad or whatever you want to connect.</p><p>Making that happen quickly, hassle-free and reliably is our goal however I'm sure you won't want just anyone able to grab your connection, maybe impersonate you, nab your credit card details, personal details or whatever you hold most dear on your computer so we need to ensure that up-to-date security is a must have. Questions I won't be answering in this article are those from a technical perspective such as "how do I configure routers?" - there are plenty of articles on that if you really want it.</p><p>So what is the first step? Well good quality reviews from the coal-face are a must as well as some pointers to the best products and where to get them. It's hard to imagine a world without wireless routers and networking now but not so long ago it was the stuff of science fiction and the technology continues to develop quickly - it doesn't means its easy to pick the right one.</p><p>There are many different types of router on the market for different needs - we'll concentrate for now on the home / small office market. As with most things in life there is a range of prices depending on requirements - everything from "get going quickly" to models that will back up your data and probably wash your car... for a price.</p><p>In order to stay above the wave of hype we can start by looking at your usage. Are you just wanting to surf in the living room or on the deck? Do you want easy set up or are you prepared to wade in? Are you a gamer or run a business? Features such as traffic prioritisation, virtual servers or VPN support will appeal more but may have a higher price tag (not always though!).</p><p>A basic yardstick though is that the more features a router has the more expensive it will be to buy. At the bottom end if you have older laptops with maybe 802.11b or g wireless cards (more than 3 years old likely) you are likely to probably only need a basic router. E.g. Tenda Wireless-N150 could be a quick option with just b or g connectivity turned on.</p><p>A slight bit of technical knowledge - don't worry its painless and may save you a few pennies! Older 802.11b and 802.11g devices use the 2.4GHz wireless bandwidth while newer 802.11n can use 2.4 and 5 Ghz bands - the latter band is better for throughput-intensive networking such as gaming or movie streaming. End of technical bit.</p><p>Your basic laptop will not benefit from a flashy new router but can get away with a single band 2.43Ghz N router - it is backwards compatible - I'll show you a quick way to set it all up in a later article - something like the Cisco E1000 may fill this niche. However if you have a new laptops then looking at one that handles both bands is a better bet (don't worry the DLink DIR-825 can do all this for you!).</p><p>If you have a Mac, iPad etc though looking at an Apple router may be a good bet.</p><p><strong>Security</strong></p><p>Next I'll be looking at security and a few other features you need and some you don't! As we saw previously it is not too hard to get up and running with a wireless router but what about the bad guys out to hack our credit cards and infect our PCs? How do we stop them? Do I really want to let my neighbour leech all my bandwidth? What if my credit card details go missing? How do I stop it before it happens?</p><p>Well it certainly can happen - I secured the wireless network for a friend - not long afterward his neighbour said "looks like we'd better get our own broadband connection now...". A little can take you a long way - security need not be a hassle by following these simple tips: -<br /><br>Ensure you set a password for your wireless network - the router setup on your device should prompt you for a password - ensure you enter something only you would know and always follow good security password advice - Google "good passwords" for more information.<br />Don't connect your router to the Internet until you have set the password!<br />If you wish to set access control for your children ensure you buy a router with access controls - for example DLink DIR-825. Access controls could restrict what sites certain users can look at as well as what times of day they can use the Internet (stopping bleary eyed teens staying up for an all-nighter on Call of Duty!)<br />Guest access is a great feature for home and small business users - you can give access to the Internet (but not your files ) to visitors.</p><p>All this can be undone if you fail to follow basic guidelines on connected wireless devices, e.g. regular anti-virus updates, keeping up to date with security patches (e.g. for Windows machines using Windows Update) and never writing down your password on a post-it on the laptop!</p><p>So to summarise in those immortal words - "Don't Panic" but don't close your eyes and you should be fine.</p><p><strong>Range</strong></p><p>Want to surf in your garden? Get iTunes in the kitchen? Watch films in the bath? Well maybe you do want to stream movies in the bath?</p><p>What should you look at when selecting a router to meet this criteria? Routers can only work as far as they can project their wireless signals - this is major issue if you choose the a router with poor performance in this area (unless you live in a small flat of course!). If access in your favourite location for surging (garden, potting shed etc) is out because you scrimped on features then it could be money down the drain.</p><p>Look at range as a key feature if you have thick walls or a couple of floors between you and your favoured surf spot - key to range is the router aerials (antennas to US readers) these are either external (sticks poking out of the back of the trouter) or internal - external usually is much better but internal looks better and is improving all the time. For example, Sitecom WL-341 has no external aerials whereas the DLink DIR-655 has 4.</p><p>Since you won't - probably - be displaying the router on your mantelpiece choose the router with the best performance rather than on looks. What use a photo frame if you can't get reliable access? If you have a small residence with plasterboard walls then an internal antenna may well be sufficient - key is to make sure of your vendors return policy if trouble develops - sites such as Amazon and JohnLewis.com excel in this score. Is it really worth saving a little if they won't give a refund or exchange?</p><p>Whilst external aerials mounted on a wall can be used they will be expensive compared to your router - a better option may be to look at wireless devices using your home electric network (or powerline networking) e.g. Netgear WGXB102 (many other similar brands available) - just hook a cable from your router into this and plug it into the wall - plug another device into your desired area and - voila - you have wireless access.</p><p><strong>Features</strong></p><p>Look at any wireless router review and you will see new features touted as if they will make you better looking and re-grow hair - if only you just spend that extra 30 ($50)! You tell yourself that feature X or widget Y will really make things easier - but how often is that really the case?</p><p>As I mentioned earlier you will see many features listed - the key is knowing when to spend and when to say "that gizmo looks really cool but I'll use it once"<br /><br>Do you really need a digital photo frame built into your router? The one sitting behind the printer or behind the sofa? Well if like getting a crick in your neck looking at images of little Johhny then maybe...<br />What about fallback connectivity if your DSL or cable goes down? Would a 3G slot for your USB 3G card help?<br />Ask yourself what do I really do on a regular basis - for example avid gamers may well benefit from features such as port forwarding to allow online gaming without that annoying delay,<br />a built in BitTorrent file-sharing client could be a great feature to schedule those video downloads and avoid leaving your laptop on all night<br />Access control and VPN features could allow your employees to securely work from customer locations, on the move or even allow you upload holiday shots from Orlando back to home when the memory card nears capacity e.g. Billion BiPAC 7402GX.<br />Newer features such as the ability to connect external storage to your router may well be a great idea if you can't to keep all your music or those downloaded movies in a central location fro replay from to your PS3 in the living room, laptop in the garden or just in the bath.</p><p>At the end of the day it's not feature creep if you value it and use it - just be in control. For more information use wireless router reviews as a search in Google. Final word - "Don't Panic!"</p>	<br />	<br />		<br />			<br />				<br />					<br /><br />						<p>Richard is an avid user of wireless routers as well as a busy entrepreneur. He is keen to ensure that key selection and basic set-up knowledge is widely distributed. Oh and that everyone has a good time and doesn't notice the wireless router except when the power is switched off!</p><p><a href="http://ewirelessrouterreviews.com/" target="_new">http://ewirelessrouterreviews.com/</a></p><p><a href="http://ewirelessrouterreviews.com/wireless-router-reviews/wireless-router-reviews-%E2%80%93-getting-the-best-deals" target="_new">http://ewirelessrouterreviews.com/wireless-router-reviews/wireless-router-reviews-%E2%80%93-getting-the-best-deals</a></p>					<br />

Wireless Router Reviews - Advice on Choosing Your Next Wireless Router

Wireless router just packed up? Tired of endless wireless router reviews ? Maybe you just got faster Internet access and want a beefier d...