A photo frame that's more than a pretty picture
MOST DIGITAL PHOTO FRAMES leave little to talk about: Plug in a memory card, turn it on, and watch it go. With its $250 Wireless Internet Photo Frame (DSM-210), however,
D-Link ups the ante in the photo-frame market by adding a slew of features that work really well.
The DSM-210 features a 10-inch wide-screen display capable of 800x480 resolution. In our tests, the display was vivid and bright, but we wish there were controls to adjust brightness and contrast to suit your tastes and viewing environment. We also felt that a wide aspect ratio was an odd choice for a photo frame, considering that photos are
not captured in 16-to-9 format.
In terms of connectivity, the DSM-210 supports wired 10/100Mbps Ethernet and wireless 802.11g connections. It has 1GB of built-in storage and also accepts auxiliary storage via USB and flash-memory cards. The DSM-210 has a simple, easy-to-use interface
with large and easy-to-understand icons. The unit is primarily controlled by the included
wireless remote.
What is unique about the DSM-210 is its networking capability. Once you connect to your home network, the DSM-210 can stream
photos from a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) server. You can browse a media sewer's folders and stream photos to the frame.
Taking it one step further, the Frame-Channel component offers an absolute wealth of photo-sharing opportunities. Here, you can set up "channels" that interface with popular photo-sharing Web sites. D-Link has also rolled out additional channels such as weather, NFL scores and standings, and even one for Getty Images. You can also set up RSS feeds to stream to
your frame. —Rich Greech
www.dlink.com
Computer Shopper January 2009
December 31, 2008
D-Link Wireless Internet Photo Frame
logear Wireless USB-to-VGA Kit
Easy streaming from PC to external monitor
IOGEAR'S WIRELESS USB-TO-VGA KIT lets you display your laptop content on an external monitor—an HDTV in particulat without cables. But the unit carries a steep $229.95 price tag, so if you're looking to economize, you might be better off plugging yout laptop directly into the TV and using a wireless keyboard.
Setup is simple: Connecting the two wireless dongles to their respective devices (one lot your laptop, the other lot the external display) takes just a couple of minutes, and once everything is plugged in, your laptop should see the external display and you can drag any applications right onto the screen. Unfortunately, the device doesn't support full-HD resolution at 1080p, but its
maximum 1,680x1,050 (or 1,600x1,200 resolution is enough for most tasks,
including watching HD content in 720p resolution. In our tests, the Wireless USB-to-VGA Kit had no problems streaming Web content to an external monitor from a
netbook, and the signal was glitch-free until we wandered more than 30 feet away. When we walked back into signal range, the external monitor automatically reconnected after a delay of about 10 seconds. If you want to stream 720p video, you'll have to stay
within 15 feet, but that's more than enough range for most living rooms.
We found the screw-on antenna annoying, as it makes the USB dongle sticking out of your laptop larger and more unwieldy. Out other gripe is the price. You're better off with a Media Center keyboard with a built-in mouse control, but if $229.95 doesn't put a dent in your wallet, logears Wireless USB-to-VGA Kit is a great way to get your PC to yout TV without wires. —Matt Safford
www.iogear.com
Computer Shopper January 2009
Accessories, Iogear, Iogear Accessories, Iogear Wireless USB-TO-VGA KIT
Netgear XAVB101 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit
Extend your home network with existing wiring
IF A WIRELESS NETWORKING setup isn't feasible in your home, and you want to bring wired-network connectivity to other parts of the house without having to run new Ethernet cable, consider Netgear's XAVB101 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit ($149.99).
Power-line networking uses your house's electrical wiring to connect to your existing network. In other words, any power outlet becomes a network port.The XAVB1O1's adapters are compatible with HomePlug AV and can deliver speeds of up to 200Mbps, which allows you to stream HD video and transfer large files without choking the network degrading video quality.
You'll need a router to use the XAVB101 kit, which consists of two bulky Powerline Ethernet adapters (additional ones cost $79.99 each) and two Ethernet cables to connect to your computer and router.
Setting up the Powerline network couldn't be easier; we plugged one adapter into a wall outlet next to our router and plugged the other adapter into an outlet on the other side of the house. A Powerline network was immediately established and the laptop obtained an IP address horn the
router within 30 seconds. The entire process took less than a minute and did not require any sort of software installation or interaction with our existing Touter.
In our tests, it took 15 minutes and 35 seconds to transfer a 4GB video file from out laptop to a desktop on the network.
The same file took 22 minutes and 50 seconds via our 802.11n Wi-Fi network. We had no trouble streaming video from the Internet or from our host PC.- J.R.D.
www.netgear.com
Computer Shopper January 2009
Network, Netgear, Netgear Network, Netgear XAVB101
ZyXel NSA220
Home server is a breeze to set up, but pricey
ZYXEL'S NSA220 IS A VERSATILE network-storage device that does more than let you store and share files across a network. It also offers built-in FTP. HTTP, and BitTorrent download services; acts as a media server and a print server; and features built-in RAID capabilities. Its price-per-gigabyte ratio is off the charts, however.
Available through the distribution channel, the unit can be purchased without drives, or with up to 2TB of storage. Our review unit lists for $299.99 and was configured with two Western Digital drives for a total of 410GB of storage, which is expensive considering many new home-NAS chives cost less and offer 1TB of storage.
The NSA220 has two USB ports for transferring up to 10GB of data horn a USB device, or for print-server functionality. But we were disappointed by the lack of support for eSATA devices.
Setup was a breeze, thanks to helpful tutorials. Bundled software includes a DLNA (Digital Living Netwot k Alliance) program that ensures the NSA220 will work with approved digital home components for media serving, plus the popular Memeo Instant Backup application. The NSA220 was preconfigured for RAID 1 (mirrored drives for
backup), but you can set it for RAID 0 (data striped across both drives).
Performance was above average in the RAID 1 configuration.The NSA220 required 15 minutes and 49 seconds to write a 10GB file and 16 minutes and 30 seconds to read it. That's much faster than many of the NAS products we've reviewed. Plus, if you configure the device for RAID 0, you'll see even faster transfer speeds. —John It Delaney
www.zyxel.com
Computer Shopper January 2009
Networking, Zyxel, Zyxel Networking, Zyxel NSA220
December 01, 2008
Netgear Wireless N Upgrade Kit (WNEB3100)
The easiest way yet to upgrade to dual-band Draft N
IF YOU'RE CURRENTLY RUNNING A 802.11b/g network and want to make the switch to the faster 5GHz Draft 802.11n standard without starting from scratch, the Netgear Wireless N Upgrade Kit (WNEB3100) is an easy way to make everyone in your home happy. It plugs into your existing router, adding a new 5GHz network alongside your old 802.11b/g network while creating a dual-band scenario where adapters of all ages can connect wirelessly to the network. Netgear also includes a dual-band USB network adapeter, but even though the access point works with Windows, Mac, and Linux, the USB adapter works only in Windows.
The WNEB3100 is basically Netgear's HD/Gaming 5GHz kit with just one access point instead of two. The kit includes the unit, which can serve as either an access point or a bridge, and a dual-band USB adapter. The unit's front features activity lights (which can be turned off) and a Wi-Fi Proteced Setup button. On the rear are two Fast Ethernet ports. a mode switch (bridge, access point, or auto), and a factory reset button.
Netgear preconfigures the kit to make installation simpler, and we admit that this was one of the esaiest-if not the easiest- installtions we've ever experienced. We simply connected the unit to our existing 802.11g router with the provided Ethernet cable and waited a few minutes. (These instructions were printed on a foldout card inside the box.) Then we went to our PC and ran a detection utility from the included CD; it found the device on our network. We double-clicked the device name, and it automatically opened the browser-based administration utility. You usually have to enter the browser window to configure the network, but we quickly discovered that Netgear had already set everything up for us. Not only did our network have name, but Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2) security was also already in place, and our router even had a preselected password that was printed on the back of the device. The whole setup took about five minutes-blissfully fsat as most network-configuration tasks go-and we give Netgear kudos for streamlining the installation process.
Poking around in the Web-based administration window, we noted the WNEB3100's advanded features,which include Media Access Control (MAC) filtering, Wireless Intelligent Stream Handling (WISH) for prioritizing network traffic, and the ability to lock your wireless settings to prevent miscreants from changing them. All of the standard control ra available, too, such as viewing connected clients and looking at IP addresses. You also get a wizard if you want to change the stock settings. The WNEB3100 is missing features such as port forwarding, VPN pass through, and a firewall, but since it's attached to another router, that router would need to suply these anyway.
Next, we headed over to our laptop and ran the installation CD for the USB 802.11n adapter. After we installed the drivers and the network monitoring utility, we inserted the device. It detected both our new 5GHz network and our old network.
To test the WNEB3100's speed, we performed our standard file-transfer tests at both 50 and 100 feet. The unit's 5GHz performance was about average, but it was significantly faster than the lsat N upgrade kit we tested, the Trendnet 300Mbps Wireless Easy N-Upgrader. From 50 feet away, the WNEB3100 took 21 seconds to transfer 100MB of data, and 1 minute and 54 seconds to transfer 500MB. For comparison, a standard dual-band router like the LinkSys Simultaenous Dual-N Band router took 49 seconds for 100MB, and 3 minutes and 5 seconds for 500MB, so the WNEB3100 is faster in this close-range scenario. At 100 feet, the kit took 39 seconds for 100MB, and 3 minutes and 16 seconds for 500MB, which is so-so.
Its 5GHz range was also average; we were able to stream media from up to 100 feet away, but once we moved about 10 feet far that, we coulnd't stream anymore, though we could still surf the Web. another 10 feet and we lost the signal completely. Bexause 5Ghz routers are always a bit finicky past 100 feet, our experience with the WNEB3100 was typical.
Though the WNEB3100 isn't as fast as some stand-alone dual-band routers, its performance is still respectable. Factor in its sublimely simple setup and configuration process, and you have an upgrade we highly recommend. -Josh Norem
Computer Shopper November 2008
www.netgear.com
October 22, 2008
D-Link RangeBooster N Dual Band Router (DIR-628)
Fast, cheap and dual-band device
D-LINK'S NEW RANGEBOOSTER N Dual Band Router (DIR-628) is available from online retailers for less than $100, making it the least expensive dual-band model we've ever tested. Despite its low price, it's also the fastest Draft N router we've ever tested, and it has all the high-end features one would expect from a unit that costs twice as much.
The DIR-628's setup wizard is flawless and very easy to follow; we had no trouble replacing our old router. Once you've finished setup, you can administer your network via a Web browser. While we perfer a program like the one Linksys uses, the D-Link tools are easy to handle, and they provide wizards for almost everything (unless you want to manually configure your settings). And though you can't run 2.4Ghz and GHz networks simultaneously, you can run a "mixed" mode that works with 802.11b/g/n adapters.
For a budget-oriented router, the DIR-628's extraordinary speed is amazing. At 50 feet in 5GHz mode, we transfered a 100MB file in 17 seconds, and a 500MB file in 1 minute and 22 seconds, which is record-breaking. It was equally fast in 2.4GHz mode, and its range of 175 feet is top of the charts, too.
The D-Link does have a few flaws: It doesn't offer print-server capabilities, Gigabit Thernet ports, or the ability to add USB storage to the network. Despite those drawbacks, however, the DIR-628 still exceeded our expectations by a country mile.-J.N.
source: Computer Shopper October 2008.
www.dlink.com
September 08, 2008
Trendnet 300Mbps Wireless Easy-N-Upgrader (TEW0637AP)
Trendnet 300Mbps Wireless Easy-N-Upgrader (TEW0637AP)
Plug-and-play way to upgrade to 802.11n
IF YOU'RE CURRENTLY RUNNING an 802.11b/g network and are considering upgrading your equipment to the upcoming 802.11n standard, consider keeping your gear and just plugging in the $63.99 Trendnet Wireless Easy-N-Upgrader kit (TEW-637AP). It adds a much faster Draft N network to your existing network, and it can accommodate legacy 802.11b/g adapters as wel. Although it doesn't quite offer the range and speed we've seen with other Draft N routers, the kit costs about half as much, and its sublimely simple setup makes upgrading to Draft N a truly painless experience.
Despite its smal size it's still full-featured, and offers Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) that allows you to add compatible wireless clients to the network just by pressing a button. Security options include Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) as well as the newer, more secure Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2).
The setup process is incredibly simple-it's as easy as connecting the unit to your existing router via the provided Ethernet cable. Our only gripe is that once it's set up, you have to refer to the manual to figure out how to acccess the Web-based controls.
For testing, we compared the unit to our existing 802.11g network as well as to previous Draft N routers we've reviewed. In general, the Trendnet kit's Draft N network was about twice as fast for file transfers as our existing 802.11g network, but slower than other Draft N routers. The Draft N network was capable of streaming media at 100 feet but not much farther, where other N routers can stream to distances of 150 feet and beyond.-J.N.
source: Computer Shopper September 2008.
www.trendnet.com
Linksys Simultaenous Dual-N Band Wireless Router (WRT610N)
Linksys Simultaenous Dual-N Band Wireless Router (WRT610N)
Draft N for networking newbies
LINKSYS' NEW dual-band Draft N router, the Simultaenous Dual-N Band Wireless Router (WRT610N for short), is capable of broadcasting 802.11n networks at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies at the same time. The WRT610N isn't the fastest router we've seen, but it's solid: It performs well, has good range, and is easy to set up and administer.
The router has four Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as a WAN port and a USB port for adding storage to the network, but it lacks a print server. The front of th eunit features a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button that allows you to add wireless clients to the network by pressing a button-a handy feature indeed.
The setup wizard on the included CD was easy to use, but it left out one step-power-cycling our cable modem. Once we were up and running, it installed the LinkSys Easy Link Advisor (LELA), a wonderful program that makes it simple for even a casual, inexperienced user to monitor and tweak a network. Advanced users can still adjust settings via a browser-based utility, and sadlyhyou have to use the Web interface to administer USB storage as the function doesn't show up in LELA.
In our speed and range tests, the WRT610N network performed decently. Its 2.4GHz performance was midpack, but its 5GHz performance was very good, especially at 100 feet. The 5GHz network was able to stream media at that distance, but the 2.4GHz network pushed the signal out beyond 150 feet, which is impressive. - Josh Norem
source: Computer Shopper September 2008.
www.linksys.com
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