Showing posts with label mac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mac. Show all posts

3/30/2012

Hawking Wireless G USB Network Adapter with external SMA jack, Apple Compatible - HWUG1A Review

Hawking Wireless G USB Network Adapter with external SMA jack, Apple Compatible - HWUG1A
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I've been waiting a couple years now for a wireless manufacture to "get it" and realize there is a market for a USB wi-fi dongle with a detachable antenna. For all the PC Card versions out there with detachable antenna, it's taken forever for someone to come out with a USB equivalent. Finally, Hawking has, with the HWUG1.
The version I purchased is the Macintosh version (HWUG1A). This comes with a driver from a chip maker called Ralink. Ralink has been doing a public beta with this driver for a few years now, and I was already familiar with it. It's in pretty solid shape now. I guess you could say it's ready for prime time. And now that Ralink are actually getting money for it directly from OEMs like Hawking, MacSense and a couple of others, the driver is likely to be maintained and kept in good condition through OS X upgrades. This is an important consideration because, unlike some other nework interfaces, a wi-fi dongle requires a driver apart from anything that comes with the standard Mac OS X install.
The screw on antenna uses the popular and common SMA connector. Hawking sells several omni-directional and directional antennas that are compatible. I have also attached it to a Cantenna which works very well. But lately my favorite solution is to add a Tritium Flatenna reflector. I like the Flatenna because it packs so flat and slips right into my laptop case with my papers. Ironically, the Flatenna doesn't require a detachable antenna. But I still regard this feature as important.
Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase. I wish it had cost a bit less. I have been able to purchase D-Link wi-fi USB dongles, that I was previously using with the Ralink beta driver, for as little as $20. I paid over $50 for the Hawking. Also, the D-Link comes with a nice, weighted USB stand and extension cable. The Hawking does not. But with the included, foldable antenna, there is less need of a remote stand base.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hawking Wireless G USB Network Adapter with external SMA jack, Apple Compatible - HWUG1A

Wireless G USB Network Adapter w/ external SMA jack Apple Compatible

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3/27/2012

Hawking HWUG1 Wireless G USB Network Adapter with External SMA Jack Review

Hawking HWUG1 Wireless G USB Network Adapter with External SMA Jack
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This adapter works with Mac OS X, version 10.4, with a driver available from Ralink Technologies. I have tried this on both a Power PC (Powerbook G4) and an Intel machine (Imac). It worked on both.
To get the driver, go to ralinktech DOT com, navigate to support, then to Macintosh, and download the driver labelled RT2571...USB. Install the driver package, restart your machine, and then insert the adapter in a USB port. A "USB wireless utility" will then start. There is no documentation, but the utility is more or less self-explanatory. If you also have a built in airport card, it probably makes sense to turn off airport before using the adapter, just to be safe.
Out of the box, the sensitivity of this adapter seems to be at least as good as that of the built in airport card in my Powerbook. The adapter allows use of an external antenna. I expect that in situations where the built in airport cannot get an adequate signal, this adapter with an additional antenna could do better.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hawking HWUG1 Wireless G USB Network Adapter with External SMA Jack

Hawking Technology's HWUG1, 2.4Ghz Wireless-G USB 2.0 Network Adapter with removable antenna, packs the latest wireless technology into a compact unit, capable of transferring data at speeds up to 54Mbps and 108Mbps, capable when paired with the Hawking HWRGM1A Mimo Router. The external dipole antenna can easily be removed and upgraded to a Hawking Hi-Gain Antenna for extended wireless range. For piece-of-mind wireless security, the HWUG1 supports 64/128-bit WEP data encryption that protects your wireless network from eavesdropping. It also supports the WPA and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) security standards that combines IEEE 802.1x and TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) technologies. Client users are required to authorize before accessing to APs or AP Routers, and the data transmitted in the network is encrypted/decrypted by a dynamically changed secret key.

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D-Link Wireless G USB 2.0 Adapter 802.11g, 54Mbps Review

D-Link Wireless G USB 2.0 Adapter 802.11g, 54Mbps
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I like this little gem. I had a PCI wireless card for my desktop that was several years old and no longer supported by the manufacturer. I needed to upgrade, but I wanted a USB wireless adapter this time around. I wanted to get it out from the bottom of my desk so I could a better signal. I had certain requirements for my new purchase. It couldn't cost any more than $45. It had to be USB. And it had to have some sort of USB extention cable or cradle. It had to be reviewed by Windows Vista users. It also had to have excellent reception. I don't have a big house, but there were a lot of walls and electronics near and in between the Access Point and my computer.
After searching I found the DLink Wireless G adapater fit the bill. I picked it up for $30 (at least $10 less than local stores). All of the reviews talked about great reception, even indepent review sites. And it had the USB craddle I was looking for. I bought it and got free shipping along with it! What a Deal!
I've had this little gem installed for about one month now, I coudn't be happier. It gets great reception. This adapter runs absolutely great with Vista. I am also using the included connection software and it plays very well with Vista.
The only downside is the optional craddle. It requires either a direct computer USB port, or a powered USB hub with an external power supply. It draws more mA than a non-powered hub can handle (at least it did on mine). I had to use the power supply on my USB hub to get the craddle to work. This is the only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5.
I highly recommend this product. You will not be disappointed.

Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link Wireless G USB 2.0 Adapter 802.11g, 54Mbps

Connect to your wireless network from your desktop or notebook PC using the D-Link Wireless G USB Adapter (WUA-1340) and browse the web, check e-mail, and chat with friends and family online. The Wireless G USB Adapter offers simple network connectivity without the hassle of running a network cable.

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3/15/2012

Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes (M9470LL/A) Review

Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes (M9470LL/A)
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Yes, the directions stink, but there is hope for you Windows users. If you have the typical Windows wireless network setup (computer, router, laptop, access points, etc.), then follow these easy steps to get your AirPort up and running.
1. Before you go wireless, physically connect your AirPort to your router with an Ethernet cable. Plug in the AirPort, and wait until the LED turns solid green.
2. Start the AirPort Admin Utility for Windows. You now want to configure the AirPort to join your existing network "wirelessly". You should see the AirPort Base Station appear with its IP address in the Base Station Chooser.
3. In the lower right-hand corner, click on Configure... Click on the AirPort tab. In the "AirPort Network" section, Use base station to: "Join an Existing Wireless Network". Underneath that, type in your existing wireless "Network Name". You will be asked to change the password as well.
4. Click "Update" in the lower right-hand corner of the Configure window. Your AirPort will be restarted, and the LED should turn solid green again.
5. Finally, disconnect the AirPort from your router, and remove the connecting cable. You should NOW be able to plug in your AirPort anywhere to join your existing network.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple AirPort Express with Air Tunes (M9470LL/A)

Enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house. Share a single broadband Internet connection and USB printer without inconvenient and obtrusive cables. Create an instant wireless network on the go. Extend the range of your current wireless network. How many devices do you need to do all this? Just one.Presenting AirPort Express.Featuring AirTunes for playing your iTunes music wirelessly on your home stereo or powered speakers, AirPort Express brings not only the Internet but your music to wherever in your home you like to enjoy them most — whether you use a Mac or Windows PC. Unmatched in its ease of use, it delivers data rates up to 54 megabits per second, fits in the palm of your hand so you can take it wherever you go.

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3/01/2012

Apple MB763LL/A AirPort Extreme Dual-band Base Station Review

Apple MB763LL/A AirPort Extreme Dual-band Base Station
Average Reviews:

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Hi All,
True to my gadget envy, I acquired one of these dual band extreme base stations to see if they held up to the hype. Sure enough, Apple has improved an old mediocre product with a new more powerful hardware engine and improved software abilities.
Features:
802.11 A/B/G/N DUAL Band radios at 2.4ghz and 5ghz simultaneously.
Gigabit Ethernet ports 1x Wan and 3x Lan.
Guest wireless network.
Disk sharing via USB connected drive.
Access to shared disk via MobileMe (apple mobile me subscribers on os x).
The box comes with the router, the power cord, software cd, and documentation....limited documentation.
Time to test.
Setup: Setup of an apple base station is unlike any other in that you cannot access the setup portal via your web browser. You must install the Apple Airport utility (both mac and windows) in order to set the router up. The software is built very well and provides the typical ease of use known to MAC users. You simply walk through a setup wizard and define simple options for your internet connection, your wireless network, etc, etc. NOTE: When setting up your wireless networks you are able to hit the options button so that you can define a 5ghz network as well (example, main wireless network called wifi, the 5ghz is called wifi (5ghz)). Very easy to setup and get going. You are also able to easily define a SECURED (wpa/wpa2) guest wireless network....which simply means that if you have a visitor they can use wi-fi but not get to any of the computers on your home network. Very Secure....and a great feature to boot.
I was using the old Apple Base Station and kept switching between it and a d-link wireless n router.... I got one of these primarily due to dual band and guest access.
Yes, there are other routers out there that can do this for a bit of a lower cost...but the elegance of the Apple Airport Utility make this a router that can be setup without too much hassle. The software will also identify problems in the setup and have you correct them before it uploads them to the router. These abilities alone make this a router for the non-geeks to be able to setup a robust networking environment at home.
Wireless: As I mentioned before, I am comparing this to an older model apple base station that was single band and worked in the N range. Also compared this against a D-Link DIR-655 which is a 2.4ghz Wireless N router. The section on speed below will detail my wireless experience.
Speed: I have Comcast cable modem service which gives me about 15-25mbps down and 2mbps up....I live in an area where there are probably 5-10 subscribers...so my speed is generally GREAT and never experiences a slow down. The first thing I do when I play with a new router is do a speed test....the new base station is comparable to the others and gets the same exact download/upload speeds over ethernet. There is one exception....using the wireless on this unit yielded BETTER results then the older model and the d-link. Normally when doing a speed test over wireless I get about 12-15mbps and 2mbps up....with this router I was able to successfully hit the 20mbps mark and 2mbps UP. WIN WIN!!!! So I figured that this may be an anomaly and thus proceeded to test a download from Microsoft - a 3.4gb file - which normally downloads anywhere between 900kpbs and 1.2mbps. Surprise.....with the new base station I stayed at 1.3mbps and it did not hiccup even once. The same was true when downloading via a wireless connection, albeit the speed was 1.0mbps....faster then I have ever gotten before. WIN WIN again!
Disk Sharing - Not much to be said here...I attached a Western Digital USB hard drive 320gb and shared it. You simply go into the Airport Utility software and setup sharing of the hard drive and define which password should be used. You can either use the password for the router or setup a separate password to use with Disk Sharing. Speed is dependent upon wired or wireless. I tested while transferring 3 files...one was 2mb one was 100mb and one was a 2.5gb file. The two mb file of course went over before I could blink...the 100mb transferred over in about 3-4 minutes...the 2.5gb took about 15 minutes. The first transfer test was with ETHERNET connectivity. I did the same tests over wireless and found that the times doubled...naturally since wireless is a bit slower I expected that and had no issue with the times.
Mobile-Me - I have not tested the mobile me features just yet but will be testing them in the days ahead and post my results here.
So far I feel this router has hit perfection and will now find a permanent spot in my home...at least until something better hits.
Please do leave me comments with suggestions on the review and or any questions you may have.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple MB763LL/A AirPort Extreme Dual-band Base Station

The sleek, easy-to-use AirPort Extreme Base Station with simultaneous dual-band support is the perfect wireless access point for home, school, or small business. It offers fast, 802.11n Wi-Fi access for Mac computers, PCs, and Wi-Fi devices such as iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV.

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2/22/2012

Apple Time Capsule MB764LL/A 500GB Review

Apple Time Capsule MB764LL/A  500GB
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Hi All,
Please take a look at my review of the Dual Band Airport Extreme: Apple MB763LL/A AirPort Extreme Dual-band Base Station I have pasted it below this review for your convenience.
Since I have already reviewed the airport extreme, I will not go into details on the routing/wireless/speed options of this time capsule...they are the exact same product and I assure you, you can get great details from my review below.
Time Capsule remains as an exciting niche product that houses a hard drive in its body. The capsule can be purchased with a 500gb and or a 1TB hard drive. Note: the hard drive is not user servicable.
The primary reason for this device to exist was so that MAC users could easily backup their OS X machines using time machine directly to the router. For that it is the ultimate product.
Why then do I give it a 4 out of 5?
Simply because my experience with the hard drive has been that it regularly disconnects and drops connected users....which to me is a flaw when Time Machine is trying to backup my computer. Yes, I have restarted from scratch, reloaded the firmware, etc...but to no avail. I have also spoken to applecare and will be trying a replacement capsule in the days ahead to see if the problem can be alleviated.
I still give this a 4/5 due to my belief in the routing engine and software that sets up and maintains these devices. My review on the airport extreme base station will solidify my 4/5 reviews.
This product is worthy of a 5/5 review once the hard drive issues are ironed out. I hope I am alone in this problematic situation but time will tell. Ironically, my older time capsule has been running for about a year without any issues....so I am hopeful I have a one off problem.
As always, please leave me comments with suggestions, questions, etc.
Below is my review of the dual band Airport Extreme Base Station:
Hi All,
True to my gadget envy, I acquired one of these dual band extreme base stations to see if they held up to the hype. Sure enough, Apple has improved an old mediocre product with a new more powerful hardware engine and improved software abilities.
Features:
802.11 A/B/G/N DUAL Band radios at 2.4ghz and 5ghz simultaneously.
Gigabit Ethernet ports 1x Wan and 4x Lan.
Guest wireless network.
Disk sharing via USB connected drive.
Access to shared disk via MobileMe (apple mobile me subscribers on os x).
The box comes with the router, the power cord, software cd, and documentation....limited documentation.
Time to test.
Setup: Setup of an apple base station is unlike any other in that you cannot access the setup portal via your web browser. You must install the Apple Airport utility (both mac and windows) in order to set the router up. The software is built very well and provides the typical ease of use known to MAC users. You simply walk through a setup wizard and define simple options for your internet connection, your wireless network, etc, etc. NOTE: When setting up your wireless networks you are able to hit the options button so that you can define a 5ghz network as well (example, main wireless network called wifi, the 5ghz is called wifi (5ghz)). Very easy to setup and get going. You are also able to easily define a SECURED (wpa/wpa2) guest wireless network....which simply means that if you have a visitor they can use wi-fi but not get to any of the computers on your home network. Very Secure....and a great feature to boot.
I was using the old Apple Base Station and kept switching between it and a d-link wireless n router.... I got one of these primarily due to dual band and guest access.
Yes, there are other routers out there that can do this for a bit of a lower cost...but the elegance of the Apple Airport Utility make this a router that can be setup without too much hassle. The software will also identify problems in the setup and have you correct them before it uploads them to the router. These abilities alone make this a router for the non-geeks to be able to setup a robust networking environment at home.
Wireless: As I mentioned before, I am comparing this to an older model apple base station that was single band and worked in the N range. Also compared this against a D-Link DIR-655 which is a 2.4ghz Wireless N router. The section on speed below will detail my wireless experience.
Speed: I have Comcast cable modem service which gives me about 15-25mbps down and 2mbps up....I live in an area where there are probably 5-10 subscribers...so my speed is generally GREAT and never experiences a slow down. The first thing I do when I play with a new router is do a speed test....the new base station is comparable to the others and gets the same exact download/upload speeds over ethernet. There is one exception....using the wireless on this unit yielded BETTER results then the older model and the d-link. Normally when doing a speed test over wireless I get about 12-15mbps and 2mbps up....with this router I was able to successfully hit the 20mbps mark and 2mbps UP. WIN WIN!!!! So I figured that this may be an anomaly and thus proceeded to test a download from Microsoft - a 3.4gb file - which normally downloads anywhere between 900kpbs and 1.2mbps. Surprise.....with the new base station I stayed at 1.3mbps and it did not hiccup even once. The same was true when downloading via a wireless connection, albeit the speed was 1.0mbps....faster then I have ever gotten before. WIN WIN again!
Disk Sharing - Not much to be said here...I attached a Western Digital USB hard drive 320gb and shared it. You simply go into the Airport Utility software and setup sharing of the hard drive and define which password should be used. You can either use the password for the router or setup a separate password to use with Disk Sharing. Speed is dependent upon wired or wireless. I tested while transferring 3 files...one was 2mb one was 100mb and one was a 2.5gb file. The two mb file of course went over before I could blink...the 100mb transferred over in about 3-4 minutes...the 2.5gb took about 15 minutes. The first transfer test was with ETHERNET connectivity. I did the same tests over wireless and found that the times doubled...naturally since wireless is a bit slower I expected that and had no issue with the times.
Mobile-Me - I have not tested the mobile me features just yet but will be testing them in the days ahead and post my results here.
So far I feel this router has hit perfection and will now find a permanent spot in my home...at least until something better hits.
Please do leave me comments with suggestions on the review and or any questions you may have.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple Time Capsule MB764LL/A 500GB

Wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. It's also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station Time Capsule works with Mac computers, PCs, iPhone, iPod touch, Apple TV, and virtually all 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless devices all at the same time Protect yourself with the built-in firewall and industry-standard encryption technologies including WPA/WPA2 and 128-bit WEP System Requirements - For Time Machine backup -Mac with Mac OS X Leopard / For setup and administration -Mac computer with Mac OS X v.10.4 or later, CD drive, and Ethernet or wireless networking capability; PC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista, CD drive, and Ethernet or wireless networking capability / For wireless client access -Mac with AirPort or AirPort Extreme wireless capability; PC with 802.11a/b/g/n / For shared hard drive -Mac with Mac OS X v10.4.8 or later; PC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista; Bonjour

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2/16/2012

U.S. Robotics USR8022 Wireless Cable/DSL Router (22 Mbps) Review

U.S. Robotics USR8022 Wireless Cable/DSL Router (22 Mbps)
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I have been using this router over a month now and it has not given me one single problem in terms of network connection. The wireless range is far much better than the SMC Barricade 7004AWBR. I initially bought the SMC 7004AWBR because it has been out on the market much longer and most people have given thumbs up to it. But it literally keeps locking up on me when I tried to transfer a 120MB file from one computer to another over the wired connection. The U.S. Robotics, however, never gave me one single problem. The setup was fast and painless (like 10 minutes or so) and everything just work.
The only slight issue I have with this router is that the printer server does not behave as I expected. If I turn the printer off, the admin screen will show "Device Printer" error and sometimes I have to reset the router. Also, the router only comes with only 2 wired LAN connection, whereas most other ones come with either 3 or 4.

Click Here to see more reviews about: U.S. Robotics USR8022 Wireless Cable/DSL Router (22 Mbps)

U.S. Robotics makes wireless networking easy. Its 22Mbps Wireless Cable/DSL Router is easy to set up and use - it installs in three simple steps. Wireless convenience and ease of use means you can share your high-speed Internet connection across multiple computers - get everyone online at the same time. The U.S. Robotics family of 22Mbps wireless networking products provides double the transmission speed, greater range, and better area coverage than existing 11Mbps products.

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2/12/2012

Apple Time Capsule MB765LL/A 1TB Review

Apple Time Capsule MB765LL/A  1TB
Average Reviews:

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I've owned the Apple Time Capsule 1TB model for several months now.
Pros:
1. Very large 1TB hard drive
2. Very fast WiFi connections
3. Easily sets up with your network (what Mac product doesn't?)
4. Much faster on my DSL network than the DSL wireless router I had previously connected
Cons:
1. Extremely SLOW data transfer. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took 15hrs to backup a wired connection with about 250gb of data to transfer...... wireless backup of that amount of data wasn't even reasonable, it was going to be several days.
2. I had wanted to use it for my iTunes library. To share my library on several devices when my Macbook was not available. Turns out the transfer speed is too slow for this purpose and I had to scratch that idea.
3. At times, it's been too slow to even use for Time Machine. The problem lies with the hard drive it seems since the wireless connection is extremely fast. Maybe there is some issue with the way the Time Capsule communicates with it's hard drive? I don't know, I only know it's painfully slow.
lf this can only be used as a wireless network hub and painfully slow backups, then there are better options out there. If Apple can somehow get this thing to work as advertised, then it might be worth a look. The way it is now... NOT RECOMMENDED!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Apple Time Capsule MB765LL/A 1TB

Wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. It's also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station Time Capsule works with Mac computers, PCs, iPhone, iPod touch, Apple TV, and virtually all 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless devices all at the same time Protect yourself with the built-in firewall and industry-standard encryption technologies including WPA/WPA2 and 128-bit WEP System Requirements - For Time Machine backup -Mac with Mac OS X Leopard / For setup and administration -Mac computer with Mac OS X v.10.4 or later, CD drive, and Ethernet or wireless networking capability; PC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista, CD drive, and Ethernet or wireless networking capability / For wireless client access -Mac with AirPort or AirPort Extreme wireless capability; PC with 802.11a/b/g/n / For shared hard drive -Mac with Mac OS X v10.4.8 or later; PC with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista; Bonjour

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2/11/2012

Efficient Networks 120-5871-002 Speedstream Business Class DSL Router Review

Efficient Networks 120-5871-002 Speedstream Business Class DSL Router
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Although the vendor provided excellent shipping performance and support, it turned out that the router is not accessible and consequently not configurable. There is a reset button on the back of the router which will reset the IP address to factory default, for a period of about 10 minutes. However, the router password cannot be reset, and the method of using the serial number as password (as recommended on some internet support forums) did not work, so there is no way to configure the router. I did not try to access the router via Telnet and serial cable, as this requires a special cable for just this router, which was not supplied and cannot be purchased from Siemens. Siemens does not provide any kind of technical support for routers which are older than one year, they did not even bother to respond to an e-mail.
The vendor of the router has shipped, free of charge, two additional devices immediately after I have explained the access problems. But the problem is exactly the same with all of the routers, no access if you don't know the password!
So unless someone knows someone of the Siemens support team, you will not be able to use the device as a router. But if you are looking for a nice coffee cup warmer, go for it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Efficient Networks 120-5871-002 Speedstream Business Class DSL Router

1205871001 5871 ROUTER

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2/08/2012

Panasonic BL-C210A Internet Security Camera Review

Panasonic BL-C210A Internet Security Camera
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Bought this camera through one of Amazon's Gold Box Deals for $130. For the price, it's a great camera. This is my second Panasonic network camera. A few years ago I bought their BL-C1A model Panasonic Network Camera and Pet Cam (BLC1A). The BL-C210A is a much nicer camera. The picture image is several times better, especially when motion is involved. You have the option of pan and tilt to look around. You can disable the indicator lights on the camera that lets you know the camera is on. You can also disable or override the privacy mode button on top of the camera. You can configure the camera to email you a picture when it detects motion in your house. Now how's that for peace of mind while you're away? And my favorite is that the camera is powered through the network cable which eliminates the need for a power outlet near the camera. The camera has a threaded mounting hole in the back that can be used to mount the camera to a standard tripod or an optional wall mount. The cube design is nice because it allows you to just set the camera on a shelf or table. The camera is light, so a tug on the network cable can bring it crashing down if it's not secured.
There are limitations with the camera. If you want to view an entire room, you'll need to mount the camera in a corner. It can only pan 41 degrees to the left or right, 10 degrees up and 32 degrees down. The camera is powered through the network cable, but it doesn't support the industry standard PoE. Luckily it comes with its own power injector. You'll need to purchase two network cables to use this camera. One cable connects the camera to the power injector and the other connects the power injector to your router/switch. The cable between the camera and power injector must be shorter than 98 feet. The box says you can only view still images from a cell phone. The website says you can't listen to audio with a cell phone. I haven't tried either. The software works pretty good, although I have found a few minor bugs in it. You have the option of viewing multiple cameras on one screen, but the max resolution for multiple cameras is only 320x240 and not the 640x480 max camera resolution. You don't need a computer onsite to use the camera, but you'll need one to do the initial setup.
Panasonic has nicer cameras than this model, but the prices also get outrageous. $185 (current Amazon price) is not bad for one camera. But after you buy one, you'll want more so you can monitor the rest of the house. That's when $185 per camera starts adding up. If the price drops again, I'll definitely buy another.
Note: The zoom function is not obvious. There are buttons on the screen to do everything but zoom. I discovered you can right-click on the top half of the video to zoom in and right-click on the lower half to zoom out. You can also use the wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out.
Update (March 9, 2010): I did a little research on the camera model (BL-C111A) that the BL-C210A replaced. This camera has a larger CMOS sensor but the same resolution. The old model can pan 50 degrees to the left or right while this model can only pan 41 degrees. The old model can tilt down 40 degrees while this model can only tilt down 32 degrees. The old model had a 10x digital zoom while this model only has a 3x digital zoom. The digital zoom is not very good. If you have a need to zoom in on objects, you'll want a camera with an optical zoom. Some new features added are SSL data encryption for secure viewing over the Internet, power through the network cable, H.264 video compression, and the ability to operate the camera with some models of Panasonic flat screen TV's.
I bought another camera from Amazon to monitor the back door and kitchen area. It comes with mounting holes on the back of the camera so you can slide it down on a couple of screw heads. It frustrates me that you can't mount it flat on a wall and pan 90 degrees to the left and right. I ended up purchasing mounting brackets VideoSecu Ceiling Mount Bracket for CCTV CCD Box Body Pro Camera 2-6 inch Adjustable MCB1w 1A2 so I can mount the cameras in a corner. Again, I really like the ability to power this camera through the network cable. I have the cameras and my network equipment all plugged into the same UPS. This way I can still monitor my house in the event of a power failure. If you're looking for a camera to monitor the baby's room, this is not it. You can't see much with only a night light on in the room. You're better off with a dedicated baby camera. We've had good luck with a baby camera made by Astak Astak 2.4 GHz Pan & Tilt Baby Camera with 2.5" LCD Color Handheld Monitor with Night Vision. It can pan and tilt to see the whole room, can see very well in the dark even with no lights on, and comes with a handheld color monitor. The monitor eats batteries so we just turn it on when we hear something or want to check up on the kids. It also comes with an AC adaptor for continuous monitoring. Another reason why a baby camera works better for monitoring babies than this camera is that you don't have to fire up your computer in the middle of the night to see if your child is awake. A word of warning, many baby camera's operate on the same frequencies as your wireless network. You might need to play around with the channels on both the baby camera and your wireless network until they don't interfere with each other.

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Panasonic BL-C210A Internet Security Camera

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1/18/2012

Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Gigabit) MB053LL/A Review

Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Gigabit) MB053LL/A
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I own an iMac G5, a Nintendo Wii, an Airport Express, a Nintendo DS, a HP Printer, and an XBox 360, and this thing works flawlessly with all of them. I can't speak for Windows based PC's, but the Airport Extreme was a breeze to setup on the Mac. The new Airport layout does most of the work for you and all you have to do is click when it tells you to. So simple a caveman could...well, you know.
*One note: If you install it, it says its working, but you're still not on the internet, then restart your cable provider's box and when it comes back on you'll be up and running. This didn't happen to me, but it did happen to a friend of mine. Just thought I'd pass the word.

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AirPort Extreme Base Station - now with Gigabit Ethernet. Blazingly fast and secure, the Wi-Fi base station offers the perfect solution for home, school, and business. It sets up in minutes on Mac computers or PCs, and even supports your Wi-Fi devices such as iPhone and Apple TV, so you can surf the web, send email, exchange photos, and share a printer or hard drive. Featuring next-generation 802.11n wireless technology, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the range of networks created with the earlier 802.11g standard. The AirPort Extreme Base Station is based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification and is compatible with IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network, and other factors. Range will vary with site conditions.

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12/10/2011

Siemens SpeedStream® 2614 Cable/DSL Router w/Built-in 4-Port Switch Review

Siemens SpeedStream® 2614 Cable/DSL Router w/Built-in 4-Port Switch
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I've owned this router for about 6 or 7 months now and I cannot say that I am impressed with it. While the installation was very easy, and it works, it constantly needs to be reset. As a result of constantly resetting it, I've had to call tech support to get help on how to fix it (security settings, resetting the router thoroughtly, etc). They've been helpful both times I've called, but it's irritating that I have to call at all. If I can get the thing up and running (for months, mind you), why can't it STAY up and running??? Oh, and I've never gotten the print server to work. I had very little interest in it doing so, so I didn't try too hard.

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The SpeedStream 4-port DSL/Cable router is the powerful one-box networking solution. This affordable, easy-to-use device converts any existing broadband connection into an advanced residential/SOHO network environment. Combining a robust router with a fast, 4-port 10/100 switch, it provides vital firewall security, IP sharing capabilities, and essential routing features, letting all your PCs share the connection without confusing complexity or technical compromise. An intuitive, browser-based, interface makes it easy to configure network access control, while application-aware NAT tunneling permits use of important applications such as video and IP telephony.The SpeedStream 4-port DSL/Cable router is the simply powerful network in powerfully simple package. Get a SpeedStream 4-port DSL/Cable router and empower your broadband life!

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12/02/2011

NETGEAR WG111 Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter (54 Mbps) Review

NETGEAR WG111 Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter (54 Mbps)
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I bought the Netgear USB wireless G adapter to enable me to network my Tivo Series 2 and take advantage of its home media capabilities. I could not be happier with the Netgear's performance. Once my Tivo had downloaded new firmware (its software version 7 is required), I simply plugged the Netgear into the USB slot. Boo-bam, worked like a charm. No configuring, no dropped signals. Good throughput. I am using a Belkin Pre-N wireless router. I was a little leery of USB wireless adapters, but the Netgear worked perfectly with no configuration.

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As home wireless networking continues to evolve, the need for increasingly faster speeds and greater range becomes more attractive. New applications like video-streaming, while not possible with 802.11b, are attainable at higher speeds, prompting users to seek the most powerful available solution for their networking needs.NETGEAR's WG111 54 Mbps Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter enables this. At 54 Mbps, it is up to 5x faster than 802.11b, and has greater range than 802.11b wireless products. The USB 2.0 interface allows the full throughput of 802.11g to be available, simply by plugging this into the external USB slot of your desktop or notebook PC. New antenna technology has increased range beyond what was ever possible with previous generation Wi-Fi adapters. Keep your network private with WEP encryption, upgradeable to even more secure WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). Setup is now made quick and easy with our Smart Wizard install assistant. The WG111 has a compact pocket-sized casing and with the included 5 ft. USB cable, it can easily be placed anywhere near your computer for optimal signal strength for best performance.

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11/25/2011

Siemens SS2604 4-Port Ethernet DSL/Cable Router with Print Server Review

Siemens SS2604 4-Port Ethernet DSL/Cable Router with Print Server
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Worked fine for a couple years - a lot better than my previous (different brand) router - then a few days ago (May 2005), it just stopped working.
Now the Status and Print Err lights remain red (I never had a printer connected to it), and the Power and Print Act lights remain green, and any ports with computers connected just flash slowly. I tried holding in the reset button for a long time, and I even tried letting is sit completely unplugged for a few days, then resetting again, but it is still dead.
I have my router and cable modem connected to my UPS, and there were no power problems the day, so I don't think it was a power surge that caused it to die.
I see that one other person had this exact same problem. I would love to know what the problem is, so contact me if you have an idea (It's pretty simple to find my web site).
Fortunately, I already had another good router (3rd brand) to replace it with, so I'm still online. And I just bought an additional router (4th brand), at a very good sale price, to have as a backup.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Siemens SS2604 4-Port Ethernet DSL/Cable Router with Print Server

Get this SpeedStream 4-port DSL/cable router from Siemens. It's affordable, easy-to-use, and converts any existing broadband connection into an advanced residential/SOHO network environment. Combining powerful routing functions, such as DHCP and NAT, and a fast 4-port 10/100 switch, it will provide enhanced firewall security, IP sharing capabilities, and essential routing features, while letting all your PCs share the connection.

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9/15/2011

Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - Wireless router - 4-port switch - 802.11b/g - desktop Review

Belkin Wireless G Router F5D7230-4 - Wireless router - 4-port switch - 802.11b/g - desktop
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I use a slightly different model (F5D7231-4) for three years now. I use it only with wire connections and with those connections it's rock solid. And I mean, rock solid: often you forget about its existence for many months. Its just working without problems. I use all router ports and more (via additional 4 ports switch) so this is heavy load environment.
I periodically download 4G DVDs with linux images and never has interruptions due to router failure. Never. I also use YouTube and never have any problems with streaming media.
Previously I used two Linksys routers: one wireless and one regular. Both were unstable with wire connections and disconnected once in a week or so. One wwas pretty hostile to YouTube. Also often both of them were unable to obtain DHCP address from [...] that I use as a provider. That was tremendous hassle.
I think most negative reviews for this router are about stability of the wireless connections. I agree that the defualt settins are stable with wireless connections. But wireless part of the router can be tuned using very helpful review of other Belkin model ([...]) written by ChurchOfJesusChrist.Net on Sep 27, 2007 (it has most helpful votes and is the first review for this router). The recommendation is to turn off any non standard modes (in wireless settings set turbo mode to off and set protected mode to off). That really improves stability.
In any case if you need wired connections it is probably one of the best low cost router you can get.
It has some sophisticated features. You can have "infinite" DHCP leases, essentially static IP assignment with flexibility of DHCP; Linksys cannot do that. You can also put one computer on "DMZ" before firewall and test the application. This way you can detect which ports the applications uses and then open them in firewall. My Linksys models were unable to do this. Ability to put one server in DNZ make it usable with Asterisk and other VOIP PBXes.

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Belkin F5D7230V4 802.11g Wireless Cable/DSL Gateway Router - This device is a must if you have multiple computers and a hi-speed Cable or DSL Internet connection. With a built-in 4-Port Ethernet switch and support for 802.11g technology, you can share files, peripherals, or the Internet - with or without wires!DMZ Hosting Configures easily with any web browser or Easy Install Wizard 64- and 128-bit WEP data encryption Stackable enclosure and vertical stand (included) helps reduce the desktop footprint Includes -power supply, manual, quick install guide, RJ45 networking cable, & software CD

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8/08/2011

SMC2804WBR Barricade g 2.4GHz 54 Mbps Wireless Cable/DSL Broadband Router Review

SMC2804WBR Barricade g 2.4GHz 54 Mbps Wireless Cable/DSL Broadband Router
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I have been using the 2804WBR for several months now, and it has worked flawlessly. The difference in throughput between it and our 802.11b base stations is quite obvious.
Some observations on the other reviews of this product:
1. Current product does not appear to have any unresolved bugs, and should new firmware be released, the firmware upgrade process is extremely easy, requiring only a web browser.
2. The statement that the 2804 "cannot act as an access point" is simply incorrect. If you do not connect anything to the WAN port on the 2804, all it can do is act as an access point, and unremarkably, that's all it does. Mine is doing just that -- we have two other 802.11b routers on our network, one of which is our internet gateway and the other (an original Apple Airport base station) is acting as an AP.
Note that if you are going to use the 2804 as an access point, you probably want to turn off its DHCP server, because you probably already have another one operating.
One of the unheralded features of the 2804 (and all recent SMC routers) is that the router does not have to be rebooted for configuration changes to take effect -- you just press a button on the appropriate configuration page, and the change is saved and active. This means that in a multi-user environment you don't trash other users' connectivity when making configuration changes. Very cool, and fairly rare in consumer-grade routers.
All configuration is via web-browser, with separate "easy" and "pro" configuration systems. The 2804 configures and operates flawlessly with Macs as well as PCs, and presumably Linux boxes also.
The 2804 also has removable antennas, making it possible to add an external antenna without breaking out a soldering iron or cracking the case.
I would recommend the 2804 to anyone who needs its capabilities -- it is economical, simple to configure, and yet offers sophisticated capabilities if you want to delve into the settings a little.
The only criticism that I have of the unit is that it does not directly support dyndns.org -- but since that can be handled by a free client daemon on your computer, that is of little consequence.

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The Barricade g 2.4GHz 54Mbps Wireless Cable/DSL Broadband Router (SMC2804WBR) is the perfect networking solution for any home and business user that is looking for a simple, all-in-one network product. This platform independent multi-functional router combines a 4-port 10/100 Mbps dual-speed switch with Automatic MDI-MDIX feature, a high speed 54Mbps wireless access point, two detachable antennas, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall security, network management, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) passthrough support into one convenient device. The new Barricade g offers a high data rate that is up to 5 times faster than the widely used 802.11b wireless LAN and is backward compatible with existing 802.11b network devices. The high performance Barricade g Wireless Cable/DSL Broadband Router offers an integrated Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall. This firewall provides protection against hacker invasions, such as Denial of Service (DoS) attacks by analyzing individual data packets, as they pass through the Barricade g, to ensure that only authorized packets are allowed access to the network.

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7/13/2011

Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Simultaneous Dual-Band) (MC340LL/A) Review

Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Simultaneous Dual-Band) (MC340LL/A)
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Ah jeez, what can I say. I can do most anything with a computer, Apple or PC, but when I try to configure a network, gremlins keep any of it from working. When my Netgear "lost its settings" spontaneously, they were kind enough at technical support to offer to fix it for me for 99 bucks. When I declined they offered up that I might go to their website for support tips. But I had spent too many hours when I first bought that router, I was done. So I purchased this router and it is just like other reviewers have said: plug it in, stick in the disk, answer a few simple questions, and it's done. THIS is how consumers LIKE computers to work. Bemoan the higher price tag if you want, but I will pay a little extra for things that just do their dang job and don't aggravate me NEEDLESLY!

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The sleek, easy-to-use AirPort Extreme Base Station with simultaneous dual-band support is the perfect wireless access point for home, school, or small business. It offers fast, 802.11n Wi-Fi access for Mac computers, PCs, and Wi-Fi devices such as iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV.

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