The Prismiq Commander IWR-5010 router is like an Internet control system that monitors the network and restricts access to questionable content. Its Internet Warning and Control Software (IWACS) not only lets you see who is connected, it also lets you watch incoming and outgoing traffic. For anxious parents and employers, the unique ability to monitor instant messages through the three major services (AOL, Yahoo, and MSN) is priceless--though your kids and employees won't share that opinion. We hit one snag during start-up, though: the router couldn't connect with the IWACS interface. Updating the router's software solved the problem. IWACS provides excellent logs, and its main screen provides a great at-a-glance view of the network action, but we were dismayed by its lack of a help section to assist with its many features.
The Prismiq Commander IWR-5010 router lacks the high-performance potential of competing MIMO routers, but it has a smaller price tag as well. In testing, the router performed adequately but lagged behind even the 802.11b/g competition, producing a maximum throughput of 19.8Mbps at 10 feet--well off the Netgear's WGU624's 42.1Mbps mark and a little better than half the speed offered by Belkin's MIMO-based Pre-N router. In mixed-mode operations, the top speed dropped to 10.4Mbps. In the long-range test, the Prismiq IWR-5010 reached 11.9Mbps at 200 feet, but that's still behind the U.S. Robotics' 19Mbps, and it pales in comparison with the performance of the MIMO devices we've tested, which stay connected for nearly 400 feet.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Prismiq provides a middle-of-the-road two-year warranty for the Commander IWR-5010 router, which is the same as Hawking Technology's warranty but can't compare to the lifetime coverage that Belkin provides. Phone support is free, but the help desk is open only Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. Unfortunately, the phone help desk never returned our message. Online help was better. While the company lacks an online chat room, tech-support reps replied to e-mail within 10 minutes. We quickly diagnosed a problem and fixed it with four rapid-fire e-mail messages from tech support that were right on target. The company's Web site provides downloads of the latest software and electronic copies of quick-start documents and manuals. Unfortunately, the FAQs are more concerned with the IWR 50010's purpose and design than with its actual operations.
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