Articles by Kelvyn Taylor
D-Link DIR-657 Wireless N HD Media Router
Users are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a new or replacement router, with models to suit pretty much every budget and whim. D-Link’s new DIR-657 is a mid-range model with a rather odd mix of advanced and basic features. The bad and the good With every router manufacturer falling over each other…
Devolo dLAN 500 AVplus Starter Kit
The popularity of Homeplug networking over power-lines continues to grow, with more and more manufacturers moving to the 500AV standard, which offers link speeds of up to 500Mbps. Devolo’s latest product, the dLAN 500 AVplus, has a ‘piggyback’ design, with a filtered pass-through mains socket that means you don’t have to sacrifice a power point….
Synology Diskstation DS212j
Network storage has come a long way in recent years, with advanced features now on offer – from even modest devices. Synology’s Diskstation DS212j is another good example, offering some industrial-strength capabilities, in an affordable two-bay enclosure. With its white all-plastic case, it looks quite stylish, but it needs to be dismantled in order…
Zyxel WAP3205 access point/repeater
Getting a Wi-Fi signal to every corner of a home or office can be a nightmare. Zyxel’s WAP3205 is an access point that can also operate as a universal repeater in order to improve the range of a wireless network. Multiple functions A universal repeater is a combined access point and wireless client – it…
Belkin Play N750 DB (F9K1103) router
Belkin’s latest top-of-the-range wireless router, the Play N750 DB, has dropped most of the unimpressive third-party add-ons that we met in last year’s Play Max model, but introduces some clever (and rather more useful) new antenna technology to improve wireless range. The N750 DB is available for use with either cable/BT Infinity or ADSL2+ connections,…
Solwise 4-port Homeplug 500AV adapter (PL-500AV-4PE)
Homeplug networking over the mains is very convenient when cables or Wi-Fi are not an option, but if you have more than one device at the remote end of a connection you will also need to add a switch. Solwise’s latest Homeplug 500AV adapter, the PL-500AV-4PE, solves this problem by incorporating a four-port Gigabit switch…
Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus
Many antivirus products include some cloud-based elements, but most simply use the cloud as an extra tool in their armoury, gathering information from their user base, or to allow rapid responses to new threats. Webroot’s SecureAnywhere takes the next logical step, dispensing with traditional local signature-based protection altogether to give a fully cloud-based solution (when…
ZyXEL NSA310 1-bay Media Server
It never ceases to amaze us what gets crammed into even the smallest NAS devices, and ZyXEL’s new NSA310 1-bay Media Server is a good example. Available as an empty enclosure for £59.99 (inc. VAT) or populated with a 2TB drive for around £140, it offers many features more usually associated with larger multi-bay models….
Lenovo IdeaCentre A320
Whether it’s due to iMac-envy or simply perceived ease of use, all-in-one PCs seem to be enjoying a bit of a revival at the moment. Aimed more at the style-conscious than at performance freaks, Lenovo’s IdeaCentre A320 features some unique design touches that make it stand out from the crowd Divide and conquerMost all-in-ones are…
HP LaserJet 100 M175nw Colour MFP
Multifunction devices may be convenient, but they can also be space hogs. HP’s latest colour laser model, the LaserJet 100 Color MFP M175nw, is the company’s smallest model to date, and is intended for smaller businesses who don’t need high-volume print, scan or copy functions. Small but perfectly connectedThe ‘nw’ in the HP’s product number…