routers

You are sitting at the airport and hooked up to the Internet via T-Mobile's Hotspot service that you've been paying $39.99/month for. It's great, and you can afford it. Well, good for you! What about your traveling companions though? You know, the ones who can't afford an extra Internet service and just sit there trying to make conversation with you while you surf through the latest stories at TMZ? Now there's a solution to the guilt of not talking to your companions, and it comes in a tiny package called the Windy31 Wireless … Read more

Recently, in the techie Q&A column in the New York Times, someone asked about changing the password in their router. Due to space limitations, the answer by J. D. Biersdorfer was short, too short. This is what you need to know.

Every router, wired or wireless, has an internal website used to make configuration changes. Accessing this internal website requires a userid/password, something totally independent of any wireless network passwords.

A year ago, in my prior blog, I discussed why it is so important to change the default router password (see Home routers can be dangerous. VERY dangerous). … Read more

Whenever you type an address into an Internet browser, that address is instantly resolved into the site's numerical Internet address by a DNS server located somewhere in the world. On Tuesday, Symantec announced that online criminals have started to remotely redirect your home network router's DNS server so that whenever you type in a financial institution or other trusted site, your browser will instead be redirected to a bogus or phishing Web site.

The practice, called pharming, usually attacks the DNS servers directly, but this latest attack brings it all home (if you are using broadband connectivity). Fortunately, … Read more

Linksys added two new Draft N routers to its Ultra RangePlus line that couldn't look more different from the company's tried-and-true design. The WRT160N and the WRT310N ditch the outdated Linksys blue facing and introduce curves to case, while also doing away with those pesky antennas (these MIMO routers use internal antennas). They boast a sleek look and are priced right. The WRT160N costs $100, while the WRT310N adds Gigabit Ethernet for a reasonable $130. The two routers will also begin shipping with an updated version of the Linksys EasyLink Advisor (LELA) configuration software, which helps end users … Read more

This post is brought to you by the letter G--as in 802.11g. No broadband-infused home is complete without a router, which lets Wi-Fi-equipped notebooks, cell phones, Zune players, and the like roam free within the walls. Now's your chance to scoop up a TrendNet 802.11g router for just 5 bucks (after $35' worth of mail-in rebates).

Granted, TrendNet's not exactly a household name, but the router appears to have all the prerequisite features and security goodness: four wired LAN ports, virtual server support, 64/128-bit WEP WPA/WPA2 encryption, and so on. And it scored 4.… Read more

T-Mobile may be extending its Hotspot@Home service to offer voice over IP for fixed-line users.

The company is working with Linksys to make a router that integrates home phone lines into the service along with providing VoIP service over cell phones, according to recently filed documents with the Federal Communications Commission.

In June, T-Mobile launched its Hotspot@Home service, which allows T-Mobile cell phone subscribers to transfer calls seamlessly between the T-Mobile cellular network and a Wi-Fi hot spot in the home. The service is being offered for an introductory rate of $9.99 for a single cell phone. … Read more

Apple announced today a new feature on its 802.11n-based Airport Extreme Base Station. Its Ethernet ports have all been upgraded to Gigabit Ethernet. Sadly, it still offers only three LAN ports, whereas most wireless routers offer four. Otherwise, it's basically the same product we reviewed, at the same price point.

Can't get on the Internet? Can't print to network printer? It's bound to happen sooner or later. Wired Ethernet networks are pretty reliable, wireless ones can be brutally finicky. But no matter what type you're using, it's good to be prepared for networking failures in the future.

When there is a networking problem, the knee jerk reaction may be that there is something wrong with the computer. Perfectly understandable.

But the first step in debugging a networking problem should not involve any of the computers. Rather, you should look at the lights on the box(… Read more

Robots might not be fighting wars by themselves yet, but they're doing their part among the support ranks in the battlefied. As equipment such as pocket-sized spy bots become increasingly common, other types of mobile equipment aren't far behind.

DARPA's "LANdroid" prototype, for instance, is a wireless network router mounted on treads that looks like a tiny tank. Like the ultra-portable spy bots, the palm-sized device is designed to be dropped by Army troops in the field, then autonomously find the best spot to station itself as a network hub, according to OhGizmo.

It's … Read more