router

If you live in a house that's either huge or has many thick walls or both, even the most powerful home wireless router probably won't be able to broadcast the signal to every corner. In this case, it's a good idea to also equip the property with power-line networking via kits such as the WD Livewire or the Linksys PLK300. In this case, it's more convenient to get yourself an all-in-one router that has built-in support for both Wi-Fi and power-line technologies.

The first example of this new type of networking device is the D-Link DHP-1320 Wireless N PowerLine Router.

The DHP-1320 looks similar to other wireless routers, except it's noticeably thicker. This is because its power adapter is housed inside the chassis and doubles as a power-line adapter. When plugged into the wall, the power cable will also work as a data cable for the first end of a power-line connection. All you have to do is plug other HomePlug AV Powerline adapters into other power sockets around the house and you'll have yourself a complete power-line network, which turns the home's electrical wiring into network cables.… Read more

Three-stream (3x3) Wireless-N routers capable of offering the new 450Mbps speed (as opposed to the 300Mbps of most N routers) have been available for a while (examples: the Linksys E4200 or the Trendnet TEW-691GR ). But unless you have a laptop with a built-in Intel 6300/5300 Ultimate N adapter, you can't take advantage of this faster speed. Until now.

Trendnet announced today that it's shipping what it calls the first USB 3x3 Wireless-N adapter on the market: the 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N USB Adapter (model TEW-684UB). The device lets you upgrade your computer to support the faster wireless speed.

Like most recent N devices, the adapter features advanced multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology. Its antennas, however, can handle three streams, instead of two, and therefore generate a maximum wireless throughput of 450Mbps. The device is dual-band, meaning it can work with both 2.4GHz or 5GHz wireless networks, and incorporates Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) that allows for connecting to wireless networks with the touch of a button.

Unlike most wireless adapters, which are shaped like a thumbdrive, the Trendnet TEW-684UB is much larger, about the size of a mini router and requires a separate USB cable to connect to a computer. This design means it's better suited for desktop computers than laptops. Apart from 450Mbps wireless networks, it's also compatible with existing regular 300Mbps and lower speed Wireless-N routers.

The 450 Mbps Dual Band Wireless N USB Adapter TEW-684UB adapter comes with a three-year warranty. It's available now and estimated to cost around $80.… Read more

It looks like D-Link wants to offer a competitor to Cisco's new Linksys E1500 budget router

According to D-Link, this new single-band router features multiple intelligent antennas, and supports Intelligent Quality of Service, which aids in optimizing Internet traffic for services such as VoIP or gaming.

Most significant, however, is the fact that D-Link's new router supports Gigabit Ethernet, which the E1500 doesn't. This means wired clients can enjoy network speeds of up to 1000Mbps, and those with a home server can enjoy media streaming to multiple devices without worrying about clogging their networks.

Like most wireless routers, the DIR-651 comes with four LAN ports and one WAN port. For security, the router also supports all variations of WPA and WPA2 standards. In addition, it supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), so you can add WPS-enabled clients to the network with the push of a button.

The DIR-651 Wireless N 300 Gigabit Router is slated to be available next month for an estimated price of $90, about the same as that of the Linksys E1500.… Read more

If you travel alone with your laptop, a 4G modem like the Clear 4G+ Mobile or the LG VL600 LTE will more than take care of your Internet needs. But if you're in a group, or carry along with your laptop other Internet-enabled devices, such as mobile phones or tablets, you'll find those modems painfully lacking as they have no Internet-sharing capability.

What you need in this case is something that can offer Internet connections to multiple devices simultaneously. And this is when mobile cellular routers, like Sprint's MiFi 4082 3G/4G Hotspot, come into play.

The … Read more

If you have read the review of the Linksys E4200 router and decided to move on, thinking "It's just so sweet but it's too expensive, plus I don't want all the bells and whistles anyway," perhaps you don't need to walk away. As it turns out, the E4200 is just a teaser of an entire new generation in the Linksys E series that Cisco announced today.

Apart from the E4200, the new generation includes four new routers: E1200, E1500, E2500, and E3200. Except for the E1500, which is a new tier of its own, … Read more

Verizon Communications plans to upgrade segments of its U.S. Internet backbone to 100 Gigabit Ethernet by the end of the second quarter, the carrier said today.

The upgrade to 100G will happen in three segments: Chicago to New York, Sacramento to Los Angeles, and Minneapolis to Kansas City.

The upgraded network can offer backbone speeds of 100 gigabits per second, up to 10 times faster than is generally now available. Verizon said the upgrade can benefit business customers that increasingly depend on video streaming, cloud-based applications, and other bandwidth-intensive services.

Internet backbones use high-speed fiber-optic networks to send data … Read more

This is an update of a deal I posted last year.

The CloudEngines Pogoplug is a seriously cool gadget that turns one or more USB hard drives into network-attached storage. And not just network-attached, but also Web-accessible. And phone-accessible. The key word here? "Accessible."

It originally sold for $129, but the second-generation Pogoplug is on sale at B&H Photo for just $49.95 shipped. The only catch: You'll have to accept the eye-searing pink design.

Here's how the gizmo works: you plug up to four USB hard drives into the Pogoplug, then connect the … Read more

How many times has this happened to you? You check into your hotel, only to find it doesn't have Wi-Fi. Or charges extra for it. Or the signal in your room is too weak to be of any use.

What you need is a travel router, a portable gizmo you can connect to the room's Ethernet cable to create your own speedy, potentially free Wi-Fi hot spot. (Some hotels charge for Internet access regardless of how you connect, but others offer the Ethernet variety free.)

Newegg has the TrendNet TEW-654TR Wireless N Travel Router Kit for $19.99 shipped. … Read more

Verizon this week successfully deployed a 100G Ethernet network on a large section of one of its Internet backbones in Europe.

This deployment makes Verizon the first backbone carrier to deploy the new Ethernet standard with speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second, according to Verizon. The company was able to establish the 100-Gigabit Ethernet network between routers on a 555-mile stretch between Paris and Frankfurt.

In Verizon's words, this marks the first "standards-based, multivendor 100G Ethernet link for an IP backbone," and it will increase capacity for business customers and organizations that tap into the … Read more