Date: Sat, 10 May 2003 18:35:23 -0400 From: madodel at ptdprolog.net Subject: [VOICENWS] HW: Tim's Warped Bargains: Wireless Routers From: Timothy Sipples Dear Bargain Hunters: Wireless networking is very inexpensive now, and there have been some excellent articles on the subject in the VOICE newsletter ( http://www.os2voice.org ). Wireless routers are handy when you want to share a high-speed home or small office Internet connection, such as a DSL or cable modem.(*) They vary a bit in features, though. I've found a pair of "super wireless routers" that have more features than most, and they're both available for under $50 each. Both have two fairly uncommon but terribly useful features: a printer port and a serial port. The serial port is used to connect an optional external modem for dial-up to a backup Internet provider. Both have a built-in LPD-style print server, and both are administered using any web browser. So they work great with eComStation and OS/2 Warp. Here are the two links: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?sku=S199-1012%20P http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?sku=U13-4054 I bought the USR model only because I like the flat top (for stacking my DSL modem), but the Speedstream model is a slightly better deal because there's no rebate to worry about. They aren't the cheapest wireless routers. (CompUSA has one for $29.99 plus shipping as I write this.) However, I think the extra $10 or so is well worth the extra features. You may see wireless routers advertised with higher speeds (22 Mbps, 54 Mbps, etc.) In my opinion, that's not a major advantage, considering that a DSL or cable modem runs much slower than 11 Mbps. Granted, you always get less than rated speed, but 11 Mbps produces entirely adequate results for me at least. Don't want to use wireless networking? No problem. Both these routers have three ethernet ports, so you can use them as ordinary ethernet routers. Regardless, do make sure you follow recommendations for securing your wireless router. There's a pretty good FAQ here: http://www.iss.net/wireless/WLAN_FAQ.php I have no affiliation with any of these companies. Offer ends on the USR router May 31, 2003, and possibly sooner for both. (*) Check your DSL or cable modem provider for terms and conditions. Some, such as AOL Broadband and Comcast (formerly AT&T) Cable, use address locking and other techniques to prevent sharing of Internet connections, even for personal home use. Last I checked, Comcast charged a fee for changing their MAC address in their routers, and AOL Broadband required special AOL-specific routers. You can investigate the policies of your high speed Internet provider at this web site: http://www.broadbandreports.com - - - - - Timothy F. Sipples PGP Public Key: http://wwwkeys.pgp.net:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x45D3DE3E [Moderator's note: Because of the incredible increase in SPAM lately I will now endeavor to add DESPAM to email addresses in all posts to the News list. If you wish to send a response to someone listed in the post be sure to remove the "DESPAM" from the email address.] -- To unsubscribe yourself from this list, send the following message to majormajor at os2voice.org unsubscribe news end If you have an announcement you would like posted to the VOICE News list, please send it to submit at os2voice.org. Please include a valid reply address and a real contact name. If you wish to comment on this post, please reply to feedback at os2voice.org