Wireless Routers and Access Points
Wireless access points are the hubs that
allow a wireless network to be established between several wireless capable
devices. While it is possible to buy a stand-alone access point, it’s normally
better value to buy a router with access point capabilities routers share an
internet connection between the devices on a network, and it’s a safe bet that
any home user who needs a wireless access point will also require a router to go
with it.
Wireless
access points are the hubs that allow a wireless network to be established
between several wireless capable devices
For that reason, buying a combined
router/access point is a money saver in itself, but as discussed earlier, you
can further save money by buying a wireless G access point instead of a
wireless N One. If you’re really trying to scrimp, it’s possible to run any
wireless capable Windows PC as a wireless access point and router, but that
does mean the system in question needs to be switched on for other networked
devices to use the internet, which is often an inconvenience.
Be careful of spending too little on a
router, however. Cheap and unbranded access points have a tendency to be
unreliable and are often difficult to configure, which is something that can
grind quickly. More pertinently, they underperform in terms of speed and range
as well. Low quality components can result in an inconsistent wireless signal,
and that means slow communication and shorter range.
TP-Link
TD-W8961ND
It is possible to buy functioning wireless
routers as cheap as $17, but it’s questionable whether you’d actually want to.
If you’re after a good one, be prepared to spend $48 at the absolute minimum.
Network Alternatives
Although it’s by far the most popular form
of networking, we accept that wireless networking isn’t to everyone’s tastes.
If you’re more comfortable with physical networks, there are a couple of
alternatives you could explore.
The obvious one is wired Ethernet, in
either its 100 Mbit or gigabit standards. Wired routers tend to be a
substantial amount cheaper than wireless ones, and Ethernet-based adaptors are
already present in most modern systems (tablets and ultra-thin laptops are the
notable exceptions to this rule).
However, wired Ethernet arguably presents a
false economy, in that it requires you to buy and install fixed network cables
to set up a permanent network to every computer you want to connect, no less.
These extra costs mean that you save very little money when the process is
compared to setting a wireless network, and what the resulting connections gain
in speed and security, they lack in convenience and portability.
HomePlug
networking is a viable alternative to wireless
If you’re not keen on Ethernet, a
reasonable alternative to both wireless and traditional wired Ethernet might be
HomePlug networking. For the uninitiated, HomePlug is a network technology
which uses the existing electrical wiring in your house to transmit data
between any Ethernet-capable devices, using simple pass through filters that
combine and separate a signal in a similar manner similar, to an ADSL filter
separating audio and data signals on a phone line.
The HomePlug name encompasses several
specifications. The most recent are capable of speeds comparable to a high speed
wireless network, while others are targeted at specifically low-power or low throughput
use. With no drilling or professional installation required, HomePlug
networking can offer all of the benefits of a wired network without the
inconveniences or expenses of installing network cables.
The most recent version of the technology,
HomePlug AV2, operates at speeds up to a maximum of 500 Mbit/s (on typical
powerlines) or 700Mbps (on coax wiring) and is fully compatible with the earlier
HomePlug AV standard. If you want even faster speeds, it is possible to buy
HomePlug gigabit devices, but these are proprietary and not necessarily
compatible with other devices.
It’s worth noting that HomePlug networking
is far from perfect. Speeds are often vastly lower than those quoted due to multiple
factors, both physical interference, aging, potentially poor materials or
installation and logical (strong security causes lower speeds when tested using
actual data). However, the technology is reliable and the security is stronger
than wireless by any assessment. If all goes well, it’s even easier to set up, an
almost literal ‘plug and play’ situation. It is these factors, rather than
speeds, which tends to attract people.
HomePlug Networking Mini-guide
Best Budget HomePlug Networking -
TP-Link TL-PA211 ($45)
TP-Link’s 2-socket adaptor kit is the
cheapest on the market right now, and while that’s visible in its standard -
it supports 200Mbps HomePlug AV, rather than the substantially faster
HomePlug AV2 - it’s by far the best budget entry into the world of HomePlug
networking.
The HomePlug AV standard is designed to
be fast enough for video streaming, and the support for 300 metre line length
means there should be no problems running it at home. Built-in AES encryption
ensures a secure connection. All you need to get it up and running is two
Ethernet devices and this kit, which includes two Powerline Ethernet adaptors
and two short lengths of RJ45 cable to connect the adaptor to your system.
Couldn’t be simpler.
Best Value - TRENDnet TPL-401E2K
($104)
It’s a bit of a leap price-wise, but if
you want HomePlug AV2, your wallet simply has to take the hit. This is the
cheapest HomePlug AV2 system available. Luckily, the TRENDnet TPL-401E2K
delivers some of the fastest speeds of any HomePlug networking system, so you
will get your money’s worth even if it’s typically well short of the 500Mbps
advertised for the AV2 standard.
It’s still a fairly budget adaptor, with
only a single Ethernet port and no pass-through socket, but there’s nothing
lacking when compared to all except the most expensive HomePlug systems.
Encryption, a software based configuration application and hardware reset
button/security activation give it a full range of features. At this price,
it’s hard to recommend HomePlug against the much cheaper wireless/wired
Ethernet solutions, but if neither of those work for you, this is the one
we’d go for.
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