Cisco's sleek new router gives cost-conscious business owners another option in the crowded (and competitive) Wireless-N level router market.
Networking and communications giant Cisco Systems announced
an update to the Linux-powered WRT54GL router, the Linksys by Cisco WRT160NL
Wireless-N router. The router is currently available and retails for
$119.
Among the features is Wireless-Ns Multiple In, Multiple Out Mimo technology, which
uses the signal reflections that confuse wireless technologies to boost range
and reduce dead spots. A Storage Link
feature lets users connect a hard drive or flash-based USB storage device
directly to your network and add gigabytes of storage from anywhere in the
network. A built-in DLNA 1.5 compatible media server also streams to PCs or
UPnP AV digital media adapters.
Four 10/100 Ethernet ports let users connect printers, networked storage
drives, and other Ethernet-enabled devices to your network, and the router
supports up to 128-bit encryption. Specifications include a 400 MHz processor
with 32MB of DDRAM inside, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) push button security,
and dual antennasthough Cisco admits the second antenna is purely aesthetic.
Resource Library:
The WRT54G was notable for being the first consumer-level
network device that had its firmware source code released to satisfy the
obligations of the GNU operating system and the General Public License (GPL)
software license, which allows programmers to modify the firmware to change or
add functionality to the device.
For small business owners looking for a router upgrade,
Ciscos Linksys family offers a plethora of options, including the
EtherFast Cable/DSL VPN Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch, which is capable of supporting up to 50 simultaneous users and iscompatible
with other VPN devices
and software as well as major operating systems and standards. Additionally, a built-in IPSec coprocessor from Hifn allows
for data privacy for the access and exchange of sensitive data from a users
corporate network or between remote branch offices, without the additional cost
of IPSec VPN client software for each computer.
As popular as the Linksys by Cisco product line is, however,
it isnt the only option for business owners on a budget. Netgears N150
wireless routers and gateways increase the maximum speed of wireless up to 150
Mbps, and Nortel offers a range of routers and switches aimed at small to medium-size
businesses (SMBs).
The companys Business
Secure Router 252, for example, supports hundreds of calling, voice messaging
and unified messaging and will prioritize VoIP calls over e-mails and faxes.
The 252 also includes a firewall and supports as many as 10 IPsec ((Internet
Protocol Security) tunnels
simultaneously.
I use 4 of the WRT54GL routers at home and it works great. I also use them in the classroom with sudents. It's a great tool to learn how to use more...
They really need to upgrade the ports to 1G speeds especially if they think the user is going to plug in any kind of SAN. 100 might work at home but...
