router

Netgear announced today the availability of its top-of-the-line true dual-band router, the N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router Premium Edition (model WNDR3800).

Introduced at CES 2011, the WNDR3800 is an upgrade to the company's existing WNDR3700. Netgear says it's the first home router to offer the Clear Channel Selector feature and also the first that's capable of creating private cloud file sharing through Netgear's new ReadyShare Cloud service.

Clear Channel Selector, which the company says is generally available only in expensive wireless routers for businesses, "automatically detects when the Wi-Fi channel currently in use becomes … Read more

The Linksys E2500 is the third true dual-band router in the new Cisco E series, after the top-notch 450Mbps E4200 and the Gigabit E3200. Compared with the specs of these two, the E2500 is inferior because it lacks Gigabit Ethernet, 450Mbps Wi-Fi standard, and a USB port to host an external hard drive. It is, however, much more affordable at just around $70.

In our testing, the Linksys E2500 was indeed much behind the other two in terms of throughput performance and range. Like the other routers, it is very easy to use, thanks to the Cisco Connect support that'… Read more

You remember the Pogoplug, right? It's the gizmo that turns one or more USB hard drives into network-attached and Web-accessible storage.

The Cloud Engines Pogoplug Pro is the third-generation version of the device, notable mostly for the addition of built-in Wi-Fi. That means it doesn't have to sit right next to your router, but can instead reside just about anywhere in your home, office, or home office.

From now through August 26, or until supplies run out, my very own CNET overlords (in partnership with Cloud Engines) are offering the Pogoplug Pro for just $29.99, plus $10 $… Read more

If you're looking for a mobile Internet solution and travel within Clear's 4G coverage, then look no further than the Clear Spot 4G Apollo. All things considered, this is the best mobile router we've seen.

This is a compact device, though not the most compact of its kind, that offers superfast cellular Internet access for up to eight Wi-Fi clients at a time. It has average speeds of around 9Mbps for download and 5Mbps for upload as tested in the San Francisco Bay Area. At these speeds, you can download a full 1080p high-definition movie (some 10GB … Read more

The HD Media Router 1000, model DIR-657, is the first in the Media router series that D-Link introduced at CES 2011, and it's a totally new router. At least on the outside.

Unlike previous routers, such as the DIR-655, DIR-825, and DIR-855, the DIR-657 doesn't have external antennas that stick up from its back anymore. Following the lead of Cisco and other vendors, D-Link now uses the internal antenna design, making the new router seem much more compact than previous models. The router's chassis is as sleek as many other new routers, and attracts fingerprints very easily. … Read more

D-Link announced today the integration of OpenDNS technology into its select routers, which will enable you to block unsafe and inappropriate Web content, such as adult and phishing Web sites.

The company says that with OpenDNS technology, D-Link routers offer consumers the ability to mange content filtering and security services from anywhere over the Internet.

The new feature is called OpenDNS parental controls. It divides Web sites into more than 50 categories, allowing parents to choose their desired filtering level from "high" to "minimal." This can also be further customized to include certain categories of sites … Read more

Apple's latest refresh to its AirPort Extreme Base Station does little to set it apart from the previous model from back in December 2009. It borrows the same unobtrusive design, with an all-white housing and internal antennas that visually complements other Apple products, but if you value price and performance over simple aesthetics, we recommend the Editors' Choice-winning Asus RT-N56U router instead.

The new Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station offers faster networking performance than the older model, with few changes otherwise. The two share a physical resemblance, and they both feature the same simple installation, true dual-band connectivity, guest … Read more

Well, I was hoping to round out this week of freebies with one last $0 deal, but nothing really jumped out. I mean, hey, there's always OpenOffice.org, the awesome free alternative to Microsoft Office, right?

Today's official deal isn't free, but it's downright dirt-cheap. Newegg has the Asus RT-N10+ 802.11b/g/n wireless router for $14.99 shipped. That's the price after redeeming a $10 mail-in rebate (PDF).

Update: Sorry folks, it's already sold out. But OpenOffice isn't! And neither is LibreOffice, which several commenters have noted is even better.

I … Read more

Generally, getting a VPN for your business that allows remote users to access the local network via the Internet as though they were physically at the office means you'd need a real server or a relatively expensive VPN router. It doesn't have to be that way anymore with the RV110W Wireless-N VPN Firewall that Cisco announced today.

This is a router designed specifically for small businesses of five employees or fewer. Its built-in PPTP VPN server is limited to supporting up to five concurrent remote users. The good news is that the router is very easy to use … Read more