TRENDnet 5-Port Ethernet Switch (5 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX RJ-45 Ports) TE100-S5 (Blue)

Great product easy to use

I found this product while looking for a way to split the LAN at my job into two. We get one ethernet cord running to our desk and that's it. I was worried that my company would have some kind of block to not allow this to happen (they don't allow streaming video audio etc... so they block a lot of things). I found the unit on sell (about half price) and decided it was worth the price to try it. I tried it at home at first and it worked great (I have a router at home so don't really need this at home but just wanted to make sure it worked at home so if it didn't at the office then I'd know it wasn't the device). I unplugged the ethernet from one computer plugged this in and plugged in two computers. So basically there was one ethernet cord going from the router to the TRENDnet box and two computers branched off from there. Worked great - no set up needed just plug-n-play. So now for the big test: I took it to work. Worked with no big problems - same plug-n-play. The only thing is that when I plug my computer directly to the work LAN it says the connection at 1 GBPS but through this device it shows up as 100 MBPS. I can't really tell any problems so far with speed - everything is working as normal but now I have online access on both my work computer and my laptop. So for me this device works as advertised and meets my needs.



PS - sorry for my non-technical review but I'm no tech expert!



PPS - don't forget you'll need an additional ethernet cord to make this connection. I didn't think of it at first but luckily remembered before I finished my transaction and was able to pick up a cheap 3-footer.More detail ...

Apple Airport Express

Airport Express Set-up Instructions

August 22 2009 Update

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The software that comes with new Airport Expresses is much more user friendly. You may find going through the instructions listed below is not required.



Regards

S. Monroe



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The CD that comes with the Airport Express has been useless to me in setting up a Windows XP computer to work with an AE. The instructions below should get you up and running.



1. First download the latest version of both the Airport Update and Airport Express Firmware Updater from [...]



2. Run the latest version of the Airport Update (4.1 at the time of this writing)



3. Disable your firewalls plug in the Airport Express (AX) to an electrical outlet and attach it to your computer or router with an ethernet cable. The AX will have a steady or blinking yellow light.



4. Launch the Airport Admin Utility...it should detect the Airport Express in the "Base Station Chooser" within a minute or so and the light on the AX should turn green. You may have to hard reset the unit a few times by pushing the small reset button with a paperclip for about 10 seconds. If like mine it does not show up in the Airport Admin Utility leave the AX attached by ethernet and reboot launch the Airport Admin Utility and hopefully it will show up quickly.



5. As soon as it does show up launch the latest Airport Express Firmware Updater (I used 6.1.1) and update the AX...this seemed to make a significant difference in the ease of detection later. This will take a minute or so. The AX will reset and you may have to leave it attached by ethernet reboot and relaunch the Airport Admin Utility to detect it again.



6. Once detected by the Airport Admin Utility click the "Configure" button in the lower right hand corner.



7. A new set of tabs will pop up. Click on the "Airport" tab and select "Create Wireless Network" from the Airport Network dropdown box. This will be changed to "Join an Existing Wireless Network" later.



8. Now click on the "Network" tab and and check the "Distribute IP Addresses" the "Share a single IP address" button and from IP range drop down list choose the IP range for your router (192.168.x.x being the most common for Dlink lynksys Netgear and other non-Apple routers).



9. Go back to the "Airport" tab and change the "Create a Wireless Network" to "Join an Existing Wireless Network".



10. In the "Network Name" box type in the name of your wireless network (also called your SSID)



11. On the same page rename your AX to whatever you want it to be called in iTunes (often the physical location of the speakers the AX will be attached to ex: Living Room Bedroom Ambient Sound) give it a new password (required) and give it a location.



12. If you are using security click on the security button choose your encryption settings and add your WEP key or password etc. It might be handy to have your router security info open in a window so you can copy and paste the key right into the appropriate box.



13. If you now go back to the "Network" tab you will see everything is greyed out but now your new IP Range settings are visible.



14. With the AX still attached by etherlink click the "Update" button and wait a minute or so for the AX to update. The changes you made should be reflected in the Airport Admin Utility when the update is complete.



15. Now you can launch iTunes and you should see a button in the lower right hand corner that says "My Computer". Click this button and you will see you have the choice of your computers speakers or the AX. Any further changes you want to make to the configuration such as the name you see in that button are easiest done while attached by ethernet so try to get it the way you want it with further Airport Admin Utility updates before unplugging the ethernet cable. As long as your Airport Admin Utility can see the AX you can update without being connected too.



16. When you are satisfied with the configuration and the AX is updated and is showing up in iTunes go ahead and unplug the ethernet cable. Now you can move The AX to your chosen locations electrical outlet and hook up the audio cable. The AX light will blink yellow for a few minutes while being detected and then turn green. You can now choose your AX in iTunes and start playing your music as normal. Itunes will show it is busy connecting to the AX for about 30 seconds and then hopefully you will hear your music played from your remote speakers. I hope pulling this information together helps someone a little. Let me know if I missed something and I will update asap. Good Luck!More detail ...

Netgear Rangemax WNDR3700 Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (Black)

NETGEAR RANGEMAX WNDR3700 - Fast easy-to-use and rock solid

This router is fast easy to set-up and smartly engineered. Although this is a high-end feature-rich consumer router out of the box I had this running in just a few minutes. Using the simple color-coded 1-2-3 step setup process an expert or a novice can have this router up and running very quickly.



Modifying the two dual band networks for different names and passwords is straight forward and I preferred to do it manually. After logging into the firmware the screens are divided into three panels. The left panel is the list of the feature sets such as "wireless settings" or "guest network" settings; the middle panel has the pick list of options for the feature set; and the right panel on the screen explains in the easiest of terms what the features and options mean. There is little need to refer to the product manual or other help. Everything is in one place and in the right place.



I attained maximum speeds with each of the dual bands when my laptops were in close proximity to the router. My throughput on the 5 Ghertz band using the "n" protocol was a blazing 300 Mbps. With my previous router I was never able to achieve anything faster than 130 Mbps. As is the case with the 5 Ghertz channel this speed drops off quickly as I moved my laptop away from the router. By 30 feet I was down to 100 Mbps a second but still relatively fast when compared to the legacy "g" speeds. On the 2.4 Ghertz band using the "g" protocol I saw very little degradation within 50 feet of the router.



I streamed a Netflix movie to an HD television flawlessly through a Toshiba laptop and an HDMI cable. There was no stutter in the picture and the picture quality was excellent. Unlike past video streaming I did not experience a dropped picture while waiting for the video buffer to reload.



I connected a USB disk drive to the router and shared it among three laptops without incident. I established read and read/write passwords for various file folders on the disk drive. I also made the drive available for access through the Internet and again this process was straightforward in creating. I plan on backing up the three laptops to the USB drive on the router as well as sharing photos and other files with family and friends by having them access the password protected IP address of my new network-based disk drive.



In total you can establish four networks on this router. One for each of the dual bands and two more as guest networks for each of the dual bands as well. The guest networks are nice as they can completely isolate guests from accessing sensitive information on other PCs or devices on the network. (Or you can open up the guest networks to everything on the network.)



Some other features worth noting are the automatic checking for firmware updates every time you log into the router; the "traffic meter" that shows daily weekly and monthly internet usage that can be configured to throttle it; and the ability to backup personalized firmware settings in case of an emergency restore. With regard to the latter it would be nice to also get a saved PDF file of what the settings are for each of the backed-up firmware configurations.



The Netgear WNDR3700 replaced two Linksys routers that I had connected together to essentially create a "dual band" environment. One was an older "g" unit while the other was a newer "n" router. Together they got the job done in a mixed environment of video and Internet surfing. But the WNDR3700 takes routing to a newer level with faster processors driving the dual bands to faster speeds and better range; and a big feature set that is easy to use understand and configure.





SIX-MONTH UPDATE - This router has been powered up constantly for six months now and it continues to run flawlessly. During this time two firmware updates have been automatically flagged and applied without incident.



I use many of the key features of this router across the three laptops that are connected wirelessly to the dual bands. Video streaming from Netflix and other Internet sites continues to work smoothly.



Being able to connect a USB disk drive to the router has become a heavily-used feature. The router-based disk drive is the central location for backing up the data from the three laptops. I can backup these laptops locally or from anywhere using the Internet. When traveling with a camera and a laptop I am able to easily backup digital pictures to the router's USB disk drive. It is another way to save and protect files when away.



This router is my third and best to date.





More detail ...

D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Wireless Router

Best Wireless Router I Have Ever Owned...By FAR

Im sitting on this thing right now. Man oh man...im getting a "very good" signal where my connection used to be dropping...



I used to have a few problems with WiFi. The first problem was obviously the range...as I said a few moments ago the DIR-655 fixed that...I mean even though it claims 6x range but I was going to be happy with just a 25% improvement...I seriously think that this router increased my range 50-75%!



I used to always be frustrated with the lack of settings in many routers. Some would have QoS (Quality of Service...something that can prioritize important internet activity like Voice Over IP...internet phone) but it didnt really work. Some would be lacking in semi-advanced routing features...others would barely have any non-novice features at all...This one has plenty of options for the advanced user to have a lot of fun screwing with settings. The most beautiful thing about it though is that there is a wizard in the interface so that even the most novice of users can set up a great network with strong security. It also has context sensitive online help...what that is is when you are trying to adjust settings and you dont know what something means there is a little help button right there that you can click to get an explanation right then and there! Its kinda like the Yin-Yang of routers...



I want to mention that I have been looking at draft-N routers for a few weeks now and have been reading the reviews. The reason that I am writing this review is that it was so hard for me to find a good review on this router. Cnet doesnt even have an official review (as of 2/13/07) but it does have very positive user comments. From my homework though (user reviews and more importantly official reviews from Cnet engadget etc) every Draft-N wireless router has some kind of problem. Some dont work well in environments with more than a couple neighboring networks some dont have good throughput and some dont have better range. Again I didn't want to buy this one because I couldn't find any solid review on it. After going through a couple of different Draft-N routers Let me help you out. This is the one.



BTW...im not running an "N" wireless adapter...this thing even increases the range of "B" and "G" signals. GREAT JOB D-LINK!More detail ...

Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router

Open NAT for xbox 360!

This was very easy to set up. It took about 5 minutes total to set up the router and have a wireless connection to my desktop. I have an excellent reception to my desktop that sits about 30 feet away in another room. Also I have my desktop and laptop (both running vista) xbox 360 and ps3 connected to it wirelessly. the xbox 360 NAT is open and the ps3 NAT is type 2. I'm not sure what that stuff means technically but in normal person terms it means that I can connect to others with no problems. The back of the router has 4 10/100 ethernet connections on it as well if you want a wired connection.



The design of this router is really excellent. The antennas are built into the router and the dimensions of it are really small and thin! This gives you more flexibility of where the router can be placed.



Streaming recorded TV music and pictures from my desktop to xbox (using media center) work well for both being connected wireless with no reduction in picture quality.



With the release of the new Xbox 360 dashboard I am able to stream HD video from Netflix wirelessly through my 360 with this router. The wait time for video to start is short and the picture quality of HD shows like Heroes and 30 Rock is great.



*Update* I have had the 20" 2.66ghz iMac since May 08 and connecting it to my linksys was as simple as selecting the network and typing in my password. The router has been up and running several months now with no resets or connection issues. This is a very stable router that requires little to no maintenance. Now my connections to this router are a laptop with Vista every now and then Mac with OS X 10.5 ps3 360 and 2 iPhones. There are no problems when 2 or more devices are using the connection. I am connected to a 6mbps cable connection.



Recently I got the new unibody MacBook and an eyeTV hybrid 2009 model. I use it to record TV (mainly the HD shows sent via QAM from comcast) on my iMac. I want to stream a HD show like The Office from my iMac to my macbook that is connected my my 46" samsung (lnt-4665) but I have found that "g" is not fast enough to stream a show recorded in HD. It is fast enough to stream a show recorded in SD so I need an "N" router if I want to stream wirelessly.More detail ...

Roku HD Player

Amazing product and brilliant bang-for-your-buck

I purchased this in January 2009 to add some additional value to my Netflix subscription. It has far surpassed my expectations and has proven to be one of the best $100 I have spent in a long time. This is true especially in a down economy.



Here are the pluses and the minuses I have seen in the product after 2 months of daily use



Pluses:

1) Huge money saver: Having this box has allowed me to drop from 3 disks unlimited to 1 disk unlimited as well as drop cable entirely. The addition of Amazon on Demand is an even bigger value in that newly released movies will also be in abundant supply.

2) Ease of Set-up and use: I am a die hard apple fan because of their ease of use and the set-up process was the easiest I have ever experienced. In less than 4 minutes I was watching a Netflix stream on my Sony HD TV. Also the user interface is as straightforward as possible. A lot of thought went into it and it shows. Bravo for one of the simplest interfaces I have ever utilized.

3) Clarity of picture: Unsrupassed and almost full HD. Often forget we are streaming over the internet.

4) It just works as advertised!

5) Customer Service: Video was skipping and contacted the customer service. You would never believe that a real live person answered the phone within 5 minutes on a Sunday night. Turns out it was a nework problem (see below). Amazing customer service!



Minuses:

1) The quality of your picture is tied to your internet speed. This has only been an issue once. My Charter Cable modem service averages above 4 meg downstream but every once in a while the network performance drops. A call to charter fixed it. This is in no way an issue with the device just something to be aware of. Check with your service provider on your speed before buying.

2) Direct Ethernet connection recommended for best picture: This is a limitation of my wireless network but you may also have a similar set-up. My laptop has a G wireless card and when it gets online the whole network slows down and wireless video quality suffered. Solved it by using a direct ethernet connection and recommend for everyone who is able to. Much more stable and very limited intereference.



That is my review to date. If you have Netflix and want to get Amazon on Demand there are few things that will be a pleasure to use and that will provide as much bang for your limited dollars. Thank you Roku Netflix and Amazon for such a wonderful product.More detail ...

Cisco-Linksys E3000 High-Performance Wireless-N Router

Perfect router for home user

Okay my 6 year old WRT54G finally died this week. I was sad to see it go so after looking at all the various manufacturers routers I found myself going to LinkSys (i.e. Cisco) once again. Getting a dual band wireless-N 4-port wired and USB external storage router for $149?? I can't really complain about that (especially since the previous version of this router was $199 and plagued with a lot of issues). Happily Cisco/Linksys has fixed these (well so far it seems that way)



PROS:



Overall I am very pleased with this router. I have a fairly extensive home network system (3 desktops and 2 laptops [using a mix of 32-bit WinXP and 64-bit Win 7 Ultimate] a wireless TiVo Premier (the new Series 4 HD one) a wireless LG BD590 blu-ray player and my wife and I each have a iPhone 3GS). This router handles all this beautifully. All my streaming downloading etc is flawless and all my devices talk to the router and each other without any connectivity drops etc.



BASIC set-up of the router was very easy (for all my devices) and ANY average user should not have any trouble getting everything connected and talking to the router and each other. For the average user having a basic/average network at home this is the router for you! A more advanced user (like myself) may find some areas/features a little lacking





CONS:



The biggest issues I have with this router:



1) we still get the same old web interface that LinkSys has had for years and years. while it is a VERY effective interface for accessing the router I was hoping for something a little less cumbersome and more quick to respond to changes etc (this is where the competition is excelling!). And any more than basic router changes you make will generally eliminate you being able to use the "Cisco Connect" program (this is a basic average user software interface for making very basic router changes). Even merely changing the SSID and password that is created when you install the router will negate Cisco Connect. For me not a big deal since I an a fairly advanced user and know what advanced changes I want to make and don't care about Cisco Connect anyway. But for the basic/average user this might cause some trouble for them.



2) the unit is poorly designed when it comes to heat dissipation. The router has no "feet" to raise it off the surface it sits on and it does get hot. I eliminated this issue by going to Home Depot and buying four rubber bottle stoppers (think black rubber wine bottle corks). They are down the nuts and bolts aisle and cost $1.29 each. They are about 3/4" tall and I use them as "feet" and keep the router stable. They raise my router just high enough to allow heat dissipation under the unit to keep it as cool as my old WRT54G - just warm now definitely not hot. Try this well worth the $5 or so.



3) Not really an issue but a little annoying: it is flat but wide so it takes up a lot of "real estate". I have a very large L-shaped hutch/desk/cabinet combo so I have plenty of room to spare - just wanted to mention to you - could be a problem for some. This wide flat design does lend itself to collect dust - never a good thing for an always on electronic device.



4)the FTP is slow. Even after exhaustive settings changes testing the changes and doing more changes has so far not really improved this. If anyone has figured this out let me know!



I have NOT used the media server portion of the router. Don't really need to because of my TiVo and blu-ray player --they have their own media servers that perform wonderfully so just no need to enable and set-up the E3000's media server. Nor do I have a PS3 or XBox so I can't comment on those uses either. I have read both pros and cons at other sites for PS3/XBox use - check those out for more information.



Hope this helps! Enjoy the router if you get one. well worth your money.More detail ...