November 30th, 2008

Netgear readying Digital Entertainer Elite EVA9000 media-streaming device

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 3:44 pm

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: Hard Drive, NetGear, Digital Entertainer Elite EVA9000, Home Networking, Ethernet, Networking, Personal Technology, Sean Portnoy

One of Netgear’s new products that it may announce at CES in January has leaked online, and it adds another networked media-streaming device to an already crowded field. The Digital Entertainer Elite EVA9000 has already reached the FCC for testing and approval, which Engadget
was able to sniff out on Friday.

The EVA9000 comes with every bell and whistle that you would expect from one of these units, including HDMI, optical and coaxial digital audio, and component-video outputs, 802.11n wireless (and Ethernet port for wired networking), a USB port, and an easily accessible hard drive bay. It handles DviX and Xvid files in addition to the usual audio and video formats, as well as surround-sound processing from Dolby True-HD, DTS 5.1, and DTS-HD Master Audio sources. It’s unclear whether it can handle any DVR functions with a hard drive installed on the unit.

Obviously, there are no pricing or availability details yet, but don’t be surprised if we find out in Vegas a few weeks from now.

November 24th, 2008

Black Friday deals on wireless networking gear

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 5:58 pm

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: Router, Network, IEEE 802.11g, Draft-N, Wireless Networking, NetGear, Routers & Switches, Home Networking, Network Technology, Networking

Deals on routers aren’t going to be drawing the early-morning crowds to stores on Black Friday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find them. Now that everyone’s ads have leaked to the Internet, here are some of the specials you can expect if you’re looking to upgrade your network (or on the off chance you’re buying Wi-Fi equipment as a present). I think you’ll see a pattern as to which products the stores/manufacturers are really trying to get rid of.

Best Buy
Linksys WRT110 802.11g router
$39.99 (normally $79.99)

Netgear WNR2000-100NAS Draft N router
$49.99 (normally $89.99)

Circuit City
D-Link DIR615 Draft N router
$39.99 with free adapter (either USB or desktop card)

Linksys WRT110 802.11g router
$39.99 (normally $79.99)

Netgear WNR2000-100NAS Draft N router
$49.99 (normally $89.99)

Dell.com
Linksys WRT110 802.11g router
$39.99 (normally $79.99)

Western Digital 1TB My Book World Edition Network Storage
$169.99 (normally $239.99)

Staples
D-Link WBR-2310 RangeBooster 802.11g router
$19.99 (normally $54.99)

Netgear RangeMAX Wireless-N USB or notebook adapter
$49.99 (normally $76.99)

Netgear WNR2000-100NAS Draft N router
$49.98 (normally $82.98)

November 18th, 2008

HomePlug revival continues with new Netgear Powerline gear

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 6:45 pm

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: NetGear, Powerline, HDXB111, Sean Portnoy

Remember when, not so long ago, home networking using power lines seemed down for the count due to slow throughput rates, especially as Draft N wireless devices entered the market? Thanks to improved technology, the HomePlug standard is staging a comeback, with big-name brands like Linksys releasing new kits using the updated HomePlug Turbo and HomePlug AV flavors. Netgear is now upgrading its offerings as well, finally releasing the new Powerline HD Plus Ethernet Adapter Kit (HDXB111) and Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (XAVB101) (which were first shown at CES in January).

Both kits come with two adapters that use a Powerline HD interface that is rated at 200Mbps maximum throughput, though Netgear is emphasizing the Quality of Service features of the HDXB111 that will prioritize video, gaming, and VoIP traffic. The HDXB111 adapters also come with built-in AC outlets, so you can plug in other devices while the adapter is plugged into the wall outlet. If you can live without those features, the XAVB101 will be a little cheaper ($149.99 versus $169.99 for the HDXB111).

As its name suggests, the HDXB111 is being touted for its ability to stream high-def content with minimal hiccups. We’ll have to see some reviews before we can be assured this is the case, but it’s encouraging to see that the convenience that power line networking offers hasn’t been tossed on the dustbin of history just yet.

November 16th, 2008

Maxtor introduces Central Axis Business Edition 2TB network-attached-storage device

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 6:07 pm

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: NAS, Maxtor Corp., Axis, Network-Attached Storage (NAS), Storage, Hardware, Sean Portnoy

Maxtor introduced the Central Axis as its flagship network-attached-storage (NAS) device a few months ago, and now it’s trying to extend the brand to the small business segment with its Central Axis Business Edition, which will come packed with 2TB of storage and can automatically back up 20 computers on a network.

You’ve given the option of using the full 2TB for storage across the two included hard drive or to duplicate the data over the drives (a.k.a. RAID Level 1 support), which the Central Axis can handle automatically. It includes two USB ports for additional storage (or to save the device’s files to an external drive for further security) or for connecting a printer to share on the network. It also comes with the usual assortment of features today’s NAS units offer: remote access via the Web, pass protection for select folders, UPnP support for media streaming, Windows and Mac compatibility, and so on. It even has some green credentials, as it’s packed in 100-percent recyclable materials.

The Central Axis Business Edition will sell for $479.99, and it’s currently available for pre-order from Maxtor’s online store.

November 13th, 2008

USA Today, Wall Street Journal review Autonet Mobile in-car Wi-Fi service

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 8:14 pm

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Sean Portnoy

We first wrote a few months ago about Chrysler announcing that it was offering a Wi-Fi option for its 2009 vehicles. Now the mainstream tech press has taken it for its first spin—and have given Autonet Mobile a tentative thumbs up.

The Autonet router costs $449, and can be purchased for other makes of cars, though it needs to be professionally installed, since it’s designed to be permanently affixed to the inside of your trunk. You pay $29 per month for wireless service up to 1GB of data, or $59 for 5GB. Autonet Mobile works by snatching a signal from nearby cell towers and converting it into a Wi-Fi signal. The company says the device includes technology that results in fewer signal dropouts on the move than users may experience with cell signals on their phones.

Both the Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg and USA Today’s Ed Baig found that Autonet’s claim was fairly accurate, with each writer able to use the network in his respective test vehicle without hiccups. The downside, though, was that the network’s speed topped out at 500Kbps, which is fine for e-mail or most Web browsing, but made viewing streaming video challenging at best.

Do you have any interest in the Autonet Mobile service? If not, what would it take to make you consider adding Wi-Fi to your car? Let us know in Talkback.

November 9th, 2008

Introducing the world's smallest 802.11n adapter

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 2:21 pm

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: WPA, Network, Adapter, IEEE 802.11n, GW-USMini2N, Wi-Fi, Networking, Wireless, Sean Portnoy

I’m not sure there was a groundswell of opinion asking networking manufacturers for tinier USB-based network adapter, but smaller is always better, right? At least that’s the thinking from Planex, which claims to have built the world’s smallest, lightest 802.11n adapter in the form of the GW-USMini2N. (See a comparison shot between it and a conventional D-Link adapter here.)

Besides being just 55.5 millimeters in length, the GW-USMini2N offers a “Software AP” feature that Planex says makes it easy for Nintendo DSs and Wiis, Sony PSPs, and iPod Touches/iPhones to connect to Wi-Fi networks. I’m not quite sure what makes the GW-USMini2N’s approach any easier than my current home network’s to let me access the network with my iPhone, but Planex apparently thinks it’s a pretty big deal. The GW-USMini2N is also compatible with Mac OS X, including support for XLink Kai’s online gaming community. It supports up-to-date security like WPA and WPA-2 encryption, though WPA isn’t what it’s cracked up to be these days. (Pun intended.)

The biggest problem you might have with the GW-USMini2N is finding it. It’s not available through Best Buy or other major retailers yet, though you can buy it on Amazon.com here.

November 6th, 2008

What does FCC's decision on white spaces spectrum mean for wireless?

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 7:37 pm

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: FCC, Network, Broadband, Spectrum, Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Federal Government, Wireless, WiMAX, Network Technology

Despite Dolly Parton’s best efforts, the FCC voted unanimously yesterday to open up the unlicensed white spaces spectrum to companies hoping to build wireless devices that can make use of the spectrum, which currently sits unused between TV channels. (A PDF version of the official press release is here.) Because that spectrum can travel through walls and over long distances, it could pave the way for a new generation of wireless networking gear that could combine Wi-Fi and WiMAX.

While tech giants like Microsoft and Google pushed for the FCC’s decision against broadcasters, the theater industry (which feared that its wireless microphones would be affected), and even the queen of country music. Nonetheless, it’s Dell that is jumping out front to support white spaces potential, saying that it would add white-spaces radios into future Dell laptops, though it hasn’t specified a date when that will happen. According to GigaOm, Fujitsu and Intel are working on chips that would combine Wi-Fi and WiMAX radios with the idea that a device could use Wi-Fi locally and latch onto a long-distance broadband signal when away from a Wi-Fi network.

Of course, Google and Microsoft are most interested in the spectrum for cell/smart phones, as the U.S. trails most of its economic competitors in the speed of its mobile networks. Importantly, white spaces remain unlicensed, which allows any network provider the ability to make use of them. As the ability of companies like Verizon to battle with cable companies with its fiber-optic technology has shown, we need more good old-fashioned American competition when it comes to our broadband options.

November 4th, 2008

New wireless chip promises to kick Wi-Fi's butt in data transmission

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 5:14 pm

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: Wireless Chip, Chip, Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Semiconductors, Wireless, Network Technology, Processors, Hardware, Networking

If you’re waiting for the technology that will make Wi-Fi seem as quaint as a black-and-white TV, you’ll be excited by the news from National Taiwan University, where a team of researchers have developed a wireless chip that can transmit data at up to 100 times the rate that Wi-Fi devices. Just how fast is that? At its maximum rate—5GBps—the chip can download a 4GB video file in about 10 seconds, compared to the two hours it would take over Wi-Fi.

Remarkably, the team also claims that the system-on-a-chip they’ve developed is just a tenth of the size of other wireless chips and could cost just a tenth of the amount to produce (eventually about $1). Of course, since this breakthrough hasn’t yet left the lab, it’s hard to dispute the researchers’ claims. Nonetheless, according to the Taiwan News, research on a similar solution has been going on at IBM and Cal-Berkeley’s labs, so these results aren’t completely out of the blue.

As much as Wi-Fi is starting to be integrated into any and all products these days (as regular readers of this blog will already know), you could imagine how far-reaching the impact would be if this chip could be successfully manufactured with this performance, size, and cost. I guess the fitting name for it would be 5G.

Photo credit: Central News Agency (Taiwan)

November 2nd, 2008

Survey reveals favorite ISPs around the United States. None of them is Comcast.

Posted by Sean Portnoy @ 7:28 am

Categories: SOHO Networking

Tags: J.D. Power Associates, EarthLink Inc., Comcast Corp., Internet Service Provider, Survey, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Cable, Network Technology, Internet, Telecommunications

The heart of any wireless network is its Internet connection, since sharing Web access among multiple computers is one of its most (if not the most) important tasks. While its best known for conducting user surveys among car buyers, J.D. Power also measures user satisfaction with broadband ISPs around the country. And Comcast may not want to take a look at the results.

Since ISPs are often regional cable or phone companies, J.D. Power divides the country into four sections for its poll: East, North Central, South, and West. Companies are then rated (on a one-to-five scale) on billing, cost, customer service, offerings and promotions, performance and reliability, and overall satisfaction. In the East, Cablevision was the winner, with Earthlink close behind. In the North Central, WOW! posted straight fives across the board, with Cox, Earthlink, and Insight also polling well.

In the South, Insight continued to do well, as did Verizon, but RoadRunner topped them both. Out West, Cox earned straight fives, with Earthlink again doing well. While ISPs in multiple zones tended to vary a bit from region to region in their scoring, Comcast consistently finished toward the bottom, receiving mostly two-out-of-five scores. The cable giant has been fighting its reputation for below-average customer service, while also causing controversy with its attempts to reign in the bandwidth being used over its network for peer-to-peer file-sharing traffic.

J.D. Power’s study also found a slight shift toward DSL and away from cable broadband since last year, with 41 percent of respondents using a cable broadband ISP (down from 43 percent), while 30 percent are using DSL (up from 28 percent). Yes, that leaves a sizable minority of people still relying on dial-up access. The survey also found dial-up users preferred Earthlink’s service compared to competitors like AT&T Yahoo and MSN.

You can find the full results here. Do you agree with the findings? What do you think about your ISP? Let us know in our Talkback section.