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Cut the cord! The Brother HL-2170W is a compact Wi-Fi laser printer.

(Credit: Brother)

Remember the other day when I said some deals require you to jump through a few hoops? Here's one that's definitely worth it: Staples has the refurbished Brother HL-2170W Wi-Fi laser printer for $49.99.

Now, before you post a comment telling me the product page says $69.99, let's address the hoops.

First, that $69.99 price is after a $30 mail-in rebate, which comes in the form of a $30 prepaid Visa debit card. It's more or less the same as cash, but it's still a rebate. (At least with Staples it's a pretty safe bet you'll get your money.)

Second, and here's where it gets a tad tricky, you have to add something else to your order so you can apply one of these $20-off coupon codes (provided courtesy of DealNews).

I recommend this box of 100 paper clips for 79 cents. (If you find a cheaper "filler" item, name it in the comments.)

So, to recap: You add the printer to your cart, then add a dirt-cheap item to bump your total over $100. Then you apply one of the aforementioned coupon codes, which subtracts $20 from the order. Finally, you get the $30 Visa card in 4-6 weeks.

What's that? The printer? Oh, right. I've written about the HL-2170W before, back when it was a deal at $70. So hit that link if you want the full details.

Short version: I own this printer, love this printer, and will never buy another non-Wi-Fi printer. How about you?

It's probably unlikely that any of you reading this don't already have a wireless network at home. But hey, if you don't, it's not too late: I have some quick tips for you on how to get one up with the least amount of money.

The high-performance, low-budge Trendnet TEW 633GR router.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Go free
This is not always the case but a lot of Internet providers, such as AT&T, offer a free gateway (most likely after rebate). Take it. I have also learned that if you have been a long-time customer who originally got only the modem, you can call in and ask to exchange the modem for a gateway, which is a combination of modem plus wireless router. Obviously this only works on a case-by-case basis but a slight "threat" to switch the service sometimes can be a sufficient push.

Most free routers are Wireless-G. They are generally rather simple and without great performance or range, but for regular casual Internet and networking needs they are good enough.

Upgrade the current router
If your current router is not wireless-capable or a Wireless-G one, you can very easily upgrade it to Wireless-N by adding an access point. Some access points are very affordable, the Trendnet TEW-637AP Easy-N-Upgrader, for example, only costs around $30 and offers great Wireless-N speed and a good range.

Also about add-ons, if you buy a desktop and intend to use wireless networking with it, don't get a wireless card from the computer vendor. You can easily find an add-on wireless card from an online store, like NewEgg for much less than what the computer vendor would charge you for this upgrade.

The Belkin N+ router offers great performance at an affordable price.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Buy off-brand names
There are three major wireless networking vendors on the market including Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link. Routers made by these vendors tend to be more expensive than those made by Belkin or Trendnet. It varies by model, but some off-brand-name routers can be very good, too. Both the Belkin N+ and the Trendnet TEW 633GR got excellent ratings and cost less than $100.

Avoid fancy features
Generally, I like routers that offer everything including dual-band (both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz), USB port for printers and external storage, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi Protected Setup, and so on. However, most of the time you just need a 2.4Ghz Wireless-N functionality. A simple Wireless-N router can be had for just a bit more than $50. Example of these are the Trendnet Wireless N-Draft Router, TP-LINK TL-WR941ND, or any router on this list.

Buy used
Craiglist and eBay are good venues to find used routers that can cost just $20 or even less. Garage sales are good spots too. Just make sure you check CNET Reviews before you decide to make a purchase. Generally, routers are designed to work 24-7 so if you buy a router that have been released for a year or less, chances are it's as good as brand new. Make sure you upgrade the router to the latest firmware, which, along with the instructions, can be found at the vendor's Web site.

Share your hot spot
The best thing about wireless networking is the ability to easily share your Internet connection with your roommates or even neighbors, especially if you live in a condo. If your building is secluded and everybody agrees to pay their part, you can just leave the wireless network open. Otherwise, make sure you encrypt and only give the encryption key to those who agree to chip in with the monthly payment. Most routers can support more than 200 users at a time. Of course, this doesn't mean the bandwidth to the Internet is always enough for 200 heavy downloaders. So, pick carefully those you want to share it with.

That's it. Now you have no excuse not to tuck those wires away and make your computer corner a bit less cluttered. Happy (wireless) networking!

Look ma, no wires! The Brother HL-2170W prints wirelessly across your Wi-Fi network.

(Credit: CNET)

Happiness is a wireless printer. Seriously. I just beamed a document to the Wi-Fi laser in my closet, and I've never been happier. (Says a lot about my psyche, huh?)

Anyway, Staples has the recertified Brother HL-2170W laser printer for $69.98 shipped. That's pretty fantastic, given the printer's $149.99 list price.

Two catches. First, it's a refurb. But according to the Staples product page, you get a full one-year warranty from Brother, so that's hardly a catch at all. Second, that price is after a $30 mail-in rebate, which actually comes in the form of a Visa debit card.

Me, I have no problem with that. But I know some buyers detest rebates, so I'll understand if you want to give this a pass. Before you click away, however, I gotta profess my love for this printer: the Brother HL-2170W is the very model sitting in my aforementioned closet.

Yep, I own one. (Paid way more than $70, too. Dangit!) And, as I've said here many times before, Wi-Fi printers kick butt. You can stick 'em anywhere there's an electrical outlet and a decent signal from your router.

The impressively compact HL-2170W fits nearly any nook or cranny, yet it sports a 250-sheet paper tray and churns out nearly 18 pages per minute. That's according to CNET's review of the HL-2170W, which includes about a dozen user ratings: 4 stars out of 5 on average.

Consumables? I paid about $39 for my last toner cartridge, though I've since seen them selling for as little as $30. That's about as good as it gets for any laser printer.

Maybe I'm overselling this a bit, but the HL-2170W has been a great little printer for my home office, and I'm loving it at this price (yes, even with the rebate). If you're in the market, this is hard to pass up!

The Easy-N-Upgrader brings Draft-N performance to your home network.

(Credit: TrendNet)

A while ago, I replaced my 802.11g router with an 802.11n model. Much as I love the faster performance and better range, it saddens me that the old router is collecting dust on a shelf. (Yes, I'm easily saddened.)

To avoid consigning your own router to the same fate, consider an inexpensive upgrade instead of a pricey replacement. Newegg has the Trendnet Easy-N-Upgrader TEW-637AP for just $24.99 shipped.

Designed to piggyback on an existing router, the Easy-N-Upgrader bumps your network's Wi-Fi performance to Draft-N levels (up to 12 times faster than 802.11g, according to Trendnet). It also promises better range, meaning that it may help overcome Wi-Fi "dead spots" in your house.

CNET hasn't covered the Easy-N-Upgrader, but you'll definitely want to read Maximum PC's review. It's quite positive overall (as are the user reviews on Newegg), citing mediocre range as the only real shortcoming.

These are new units, not refurbs, and you don't have to deal with any rebates. If you've been pining for 802.11n performance but didn't want to spend upwards of $100 or more on a new router, this looks to be a terrific solution.

CNET readers and my friends often ask me if they should upgrade their home network to a Wireless-N (802.11n) router or wait till the current Draft N 2.0 specification is ratified by the IEEE.

The logo you should look for on a router.

(Credit: Wi-Fi Alliance)

The answer is: there's no reason to wait, and here's why.

Wireless-N routers offer much better throughput performance than Wireless-G routers (up to 300Mps as opposed to 54Mbps). They are also offer significantly longer range and better signal stability. Most importantly, they are backward compatible with existing wireless adapters.

What you should make sure, though, is that the router has the Wi-Fi certification, a sign that it has been tested and certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance for interoperability.

To be certified, a wireless network device has to go through hundreds of tests to make sure that it offers security, protocol, and performance adherence. This means it will not have any problem working well with any other Wi-Fi-certified products, from any vendor.

So far, the Wi-Fi Alliance has tested and certified over 5000 products. According to the organization, the majority of wireless network equipment on the market is now Wi-Fi certified, and about 50 percent of those are based on Draft N 2.0 specifications.

It's rumored that the final 802.11n standard will be ratified by mid-2009 or early 2010, though personally, I wouldn't bank on this. By that time, it's highly likely that existing Wi-Fi-certified routers will be upgradable to the final specification via a firmware upgrade.

Last but not least, Wireless-N routers are also much more affordable than they were a year ago. You can get one for less than $100. Go check out our Top 5 Wireless-N routers and transform your wireless network.

At the beginning of the each year, I get out my crystal ball and prognosticate on what to expect in the networking and security industries. On the networking side, I predicted that 2008 would be a banner year for the latest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11n. To geek out a bit, the current standard is 802.11g with maximum throughput of 54 megabits per second. In comparison, 802.11n bolsters performance all the way to 248 megabits per second.

So how accurate was my prediction? Judging by the Interop meetings I attended last week with Enterprise Strategy Group networking stud Bob Laliberte, spot on. Aruba Networks, Cisco, Meru, and Trapeze are shipping products and closing big deals. Large universities are installing thousands of new wireless access points providing network access to students and faculty across large geographic campuses. Hospitals are embracing wireless networking for user authentication, network access, and asset tracking. In fact, one of the most intriguing things about this market is that it seems to be driven by business applications rather than technology refresh. Manufacturing companies, insurance agencies, government bureaus, and defense agencies are all using wireless for brand new business processes. Pretty cool stuff.

Several more companies on Monday agreed to sign their names to the Long Term Evolution (LTE) framework for the next generation of wireless technology.

The largest handset maker in the world, Nokia, was joined by Sony Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, NEC, and NextWave Wireless. Part of the agreement on LTE means the companies will agree to license their patents "on fair and reasonable terms," which means keeping royalties for handset patents below 10 percent of the handset sale price.

"Today's announcement is a step towards establishing more predictable and transparent licensing costs in a manner that enables faster adoption of new technologies," Nokia's Ilkka Rahnasto said in a statement.

These five are only the latest to join as the emerging LTE technology gains momentum. In November at the Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, the GSM Association threw its support behind LTE. A few weeks later, Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 wireless operator in the U.S., said it would use LTE for its 4G wireless network. AT&T, the largest mobile operator in the U.S., also has indicated it will use LTE.

News.com's Marguerite Reardon contributed to this report.

We have a lot of geeky labels in our industry, and one of my new favorites is IEEE 802.11n. Just what do these letters and numbers mean? Simply stated, 802.11n is the latest revision of the wireless networking standard. Heck, it's so new that the standard hasn't even been ratified. That hasn't stopped the vendors from getting products to market. Aruba, Cisco Systems, Meru, and Trapeze are already shipping 802.11n-compliant Access Points (APs) and controllers.

Without going into technical detail, 802.11n drastically increases wireless data rates from 54 megabits per second (delivered by the existing 802.11g standard) to 248 megabits per second. Great in itself, but technology always gets better, faster, and cheaper so this isn't earth-shattering. The real news is that 802.11n represents a wireless "perfect storm" in that 802.11n equipment will marry fast wireless networking with quality of service, network identity, security, and application support. What's more, 802.11n will fit neatly with cellular and WiMax to form a seamless mobile WAN architecture. Think secure connectivity from any device, any network, and any location.

This makes 802.11n a potential big deal. Unlike earlier Wi-Fi standards, 802.11n could be a game changer in several ways:

1. The "all wireless network." With 802.11n, there may be no need for wired Ethernet edge switches anymore. This could make pure plays like Aruba, Meru, and Trapeze into very big companies over the next five years.

2. As 802.11n merges with cellular and WiMax networks, it could really create new service provider/enterprise opportunities for vendors like Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, and Nortel Networks. This is another reason why Cisco grabbed WiMax start-up Navini Networks in October.

3. Margin-hungry service providers like AT&T, Level 3, and Verizon could offer a number of new managed services for a seamless mobile access network in the enterprise. The transition to 802.11n may be their ticket in the enterprise door.

Let me be the first, or at least an early industry insider, to put 802.11n on the list of "technologies to watch in 2008." Yes, mobility and hot spots are great, but 802.11n may be the wireless standard that turns the enterprise networking market on its head.

The N1 Vision router lets you view the status of your network right on the router.

(Credit: Belkin)

Belkin announced today the newest member of its N1 family of 802.11n-based networking products--the N1 Vision. Belkin broke the mold of usability with its original N1 router, but the N1 Vision takes it a step further: mounted on the front of the sleek, black router is an interactive network display. The graphical LCD displays information such as your upload/download speed, network bandwidth usage, the number of connected devices on your network, the guest access network key, and the date and time. A four-way rocker key lets you navigate through the available information.

The N1 Vision is compliant with draft 2.0 of the 802.11n spec, which means it's guaranteed to be interoperable with 11n products from other networking vendors and backward compatible with 11g/b products. According to Belkin, setup is "CD-less" and plug-and-play, but as we haven't gotten our hands on the router, we can't comment on that yet. It offers Gigabit Ethernet ports and the latest in wireless security, including WPA and WPA2. The $200 price tag may seem a bit steep, but with other 11n routers such as the D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit router and Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station coming in at $180, it's not too bad considering the extra user-friendly features. The router will be available in late July. Expect to see a review of it shortly after.