Belkin F5D5130-5 Ethernet 5 Port Networking Switch Review

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(More customer reviews)The Belkin F5D5130-5 Ethernet 5 Port Networking Switch
by Belkin Components was one of the easiest installs I have experienced with Windows XP Home Networking. Belkin supplies all the software for your install. I have used other swithches that I ran into all kinds of problems with, but not with the Belkin F5D! This can save you a couple of hours!

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5-port network switch

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Netgear Powerline Ethernet Adapter (XE602) Review

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(More customer reviews)As an IT professional, I was skeptical like everyone else about this technology. We have a big problem with Wireless reception in the house (especially when using the cordless telephone) so I bought a pair of the Netgear XE602's to extend the DSL access downstairs.
I bought the Netgear over the Linksys after reading a review online showing the performance of a Netgear-to-Netgear powerline network runs circles around one that uses Linksys products.
Well I plugged it in, and it just started working. There is no configuration required-- there are no switches, buttons, knobs, software, or drivers required to make it work. No configuration screens, no clumsy web interfaces, no serial cables. You plug it in to the wall outlet, then plug it into your PC or hub, and that's it. We are getting multi-megabit speeds in a house where Wireless just wasn't reliable.
There is a lot of debate online about household devices that cause interference with Powerline networking. We have four computers, several TV's, air conditioning, etc. and have noticed no problems at all.
The Netgear is bundled with some security software that I haven't looked at. There is a concern that your Powerline network may bleed into your neighbor's house. I'm not too concerned and don't want the complexity anyway.
This is a very attractive alternative to Wireless if you don't need the roaming capability. The Netgear product is stylish, simple, and effective.

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No new wires - that's what NETGEAR's Powerline means to you. Powerline uses what's already there - your home's electrical outlets. Completely network your home by plugging in to the existing electrical outlets in every room, and then by plugging in to an available Ethernet port on your PC. Easily extend an existing Ethernet network to PCs in other rooms to maximize the use of all your peripherals. When combined with a Cable/DSL router, XE602 Powerline Ethernet Adapter makes high-speed Cable or DSL connection available at every outlet, in every room in your home. The Powerline network can be used to compliment your wireless network to provide network connection to the furthest reaches of your home. With a sleek and attractive silver casing, the XE602 complements your living environment and sports NETGEAR's new, easy-to-read icons.

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Netgear PS110 10/100 Print Server with 2 Parallel Ports Review

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(More customer reviews)The instructions don't mention Windows XP. The web site mentions it, barely, but wihhout instructions. I wasted an hour trying to do it myself, then an hour with tech support. Finally got it working, but only because I know about IP addresses, network configuration, etc. I imagine it would be easy to setup if they bothered to provide instructions for WIndows XP, and it may be easy with older versions of Windows. But XP users should stay away. And wonder why NetGear can't provide any attempt at instructions a year after XP's release.
Once I got it working, it works fine. The only hassle was setting it up.

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Netgear's PS-110 print server lets you share printers among all users on the network without complex configurations or having to dedicate a PC for printer serving. It connects directly to the network and can be placed anywhere for convenient access. With its built-in network hub, the Netgear PS110 provides connectivity solutions and file, print, and resource sharing. It can also connect two parallel printers, such as a color printer with a high-speed laser printer.
The Netgear PS110 attaches to a 10 or 100 Mbps hub or switch, providing seamless transition from Ethernet to Fast Ethernet. It has one speed-sensing 10/100 Mbps printer port and a pair of IEEE 1284 bidirectional parallel network ports. The extensive LED screen highlights all links and activities. The unit also provides simultaneous support for Unix, Windows, and NetWare clients. TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, and NetBEUI network protocols are supported as well.
FirstGear, a Windows-based configuration tool, enables simple installation. Flash EPROM lets you download upgrades as they become available.Netgear offers a five-year warranty on the print server, while the power adapter is covered for a year.

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Brother MFC-420CN Color Inkjet Network Multifunction Review

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(More customer reviews)Update: Now I've had the Brother for over a year and a half, and I see that others have had bad luck with theirs. I will temper my original joy with the comment that my first unit did go bad (just wouldn't print), but Brother replaced it with a new one during the warranty period. They are so inexpensive that I bought another one to see me through the two weeks of repair/replacement time. That was less than great, but now I have a backup, for still less than $300.
I've never experienced much in the way of paper jams, so I would guess that at this price point, Brother just isn't providing consistent build quality. That's too bad, because the prospect of a bad unit is a real disincentive. I'm still satisfied overall, but recognize that not everyone is having the same experience. And of course the downtime resulting in purchase of a second unit was a drag. I would consider a different printer, but Epson and HP have both been such poor experiences for me (with far inferior support), that I will still probably prioritize a new Brother model when I need to upgrade. No sign of that happening any time soon though.
August 30, 2006
---------------
Ok, I have only had this all-in-one for a little over a week. But after years of being a slave to the HP ink needle, I am so happy with it I want to dance.
I have never really seriously considered Brother in the past, and now I feel like I have been living in the wrong world. Like if someone told you "My new car does 0-60 in 5 seconds, gets 70 mpg, and cost $1500. What, you didn't know about those?"
For less than $150, I now have a very compact printer with 10baseT ethernet (goodbye nightmarishly technical HP JetDirect 300x external network box), separate ink tanks for all colors, more advanced features than my 3 year old HP that cost around $1000 with the JetDirect, sharper printing, and best of all, real, honest-to-goodness Mac OS X support. Their software and documentation shows an absolute commitment to doing Mac right. (It took a year and a half for HP to get the Mac drivers for my OfficeJet to be minimally functional, and never did manage to handle things like scanning from the unit to a computer on the network.) Brother has earned a long-term customer here, and I am telling everyone I know.
Like any AIO, the quality of printing and scanning is probably not up to what you can get in stand alone units. But for general small office/home office use, it is more than fine. If you want the highest photo quality, get a specialized photo printer with a 6-color head. But actually, the photo quality on this unit is still far better than you could get at any price only a few short years ago. It's just that we have gotten spoiled at the truly amazing quality of photo inkjets in the last couple of years.
I will probably get one of the Olympus dye-subs for photos eventually, but in the meanwhile, prints from this on photo paper are plenty good enough for posting on my refrigerator door. And the resolution and appearance of business graphics, while again possibly not up to what current stand-alones will do, are the best of any printer I have ever owned, and leagues ahead of the older HP OfficeJet I just gave away.
And the best part is, it could fall apart in 6 months, and still not cost much more to replace than I have been spending on HP ink cartridges. My OfficeJet sucked down ink like a storm drain, and the cartridges were EXPENSIVE. It became clear in short order that their business model was built around bleeding you dry on consumable costs. Those guys have quite a racket, but I'm happy to say I am out from under it.
Thanks Brother, I will sing your praises to the skies.

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MFC-420cn Inkjet Flatbed Color Fax Printer/Copier/Scanner/PC Fax (BRTMFC420CN)

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Cisco-Linksys USBVPN1 USB BPN and Firewall Adapter Review

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(More customer reviews)Easy to setup, personal firewall. Tunnel was easy to setup and utilize. Works with the older and newer Linksys VPN products.
Would like to see the device made smaller but still easy to port.

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Let the Linksys USB VPN and Firewall Adapter protect your PC and your communications wherever you go. This easy-to-pack, lightweight, network interface with advanced safety and security features connects you to the Internet through any broadband connection (cable, DSL, or your hotels fast Internet service), and protects your PC from most known Internet attacks with a powerful Stateful Packet Inspection firewall. You can also optionally block Java, Active X, and Cookies -- known points of entry for hackers. The Adapter connects to virtually any PC through the USB port, and requires no external power supply. Once youre connected, you can establish a Virtual Private Network tunnel from your PC to a corporate network using the popular IPSec VPN standard, and your transmitted data will be protected by government-spec DES or Triple-DES encryption. Its also a perfect traveling companion to the Linksys Firewall Router (BEFSX41) or VPN Router (BEFVP41) on your home or small office network. You can securely connect to your home resources to retrieve files, or check your local email. Once youre connected over VPN, its just like being attached to the local network. With the Linksys USB VPN and Firewall Adapter protecting your PC and communications, youll have one less thing to worry about when youre traveling.

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Toshiba PCX2500-DAZ8821F-B 43Mbps USB Cable Modem Review

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(More customer reviews)I use RCN broadband and this modem is rock solid. It has never locked up on me, and does not require frequent reboots. About once a month or so I'll cycle the power on it just because my cable provider says to do so. But I have absolutely no complaints about the modem itself. I've had it for 2 years, and never had any troubles with it.
The highest speed I've gotten from my connection using this modem is 755kb/5500kb

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The PCX2500 offers the highest performance in cable data modem technology today, providing residential and business users with one of the fastest two-way interfaces to the Internet. As the first "production" cable modem certified under DOCSIS 1.1, the PCX2500 is a new standard for DOCSIS cable modems.The Toshiba PCX2500 DOCSIS Cable Modem has been CableLabs Certified to meet the rigorous interoperability requirements of the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 1 .1 standard. This assures you that the Toshiba PCX2500 DOCSIS Cable Modem will work seamlessly with any DOCSIS network no matter where you are.The cable modem is easy to install using either USB or a standard Ethernet 10/100 connection to your PC or to the network hub in a small business. With support for up to 16 PCs, the Toshiba PCX2500 DOCSIS Cable Modem is ideal for SOHO environments where secured, shared Internet access is a requirement. For MSOs, Toshiba's PCX2500 DOCSIS Cable Modem includes such advanced features as a customizable self-installation wizard, remote and local diagnostic capability, remote firmware download and SNMP support.

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Cisco-Linksys EFAH05W EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Workgroup Hub Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this hub a while back, and it has been working great ever since. I've been using it with my DSL modem to share the connection with multiple computers.

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The EtherFast 5-Port 10/100 Auto-Sensing Hub from Linksys is the quickest way to build or expand a Fast Ethernet network. Each port automatically detects and negotiates 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps connections (dual speed per port). You can mix 10BaseT and 100BaseTX hardware on the same hub without using a switch or any additional network hardware. The EtherFast 5-Port 10/100 Auto-Sensing Hub is perfect for small workgroups interested in expanding as their networking needs grow. You can easily connect to other hubs and switches by using the shared uplink port. When all ports on the hub are running at 100 Mbps, the uplink port becomes capable of sending data up to 100 meters (328 feet) at a blazing 100Mbps.

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NETGEAR HDX101 Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been looking for a way to avoid running network cabling around my entire home. I tried the wireless route, and did not find the technology quite there yet for VoIP, Online Gaming and HD Streaming. When I stumbled upon the new PowerLine HD products. While this technology has been around for a while, this was the first time it looked mature enough to be "acceptable" in my network. After a little research I settled on the NetGear HDX101's.
This product has performed marvelously. I am using them to bridge various local LANs (PC/Gaming, 360/Entertainment Center)I have in my home to the broadband router. At each HDX101 I am getting at least 100Mbs tx and rx. I then use a switch for each local network to connect all of the networked devices at that location. VoIP, online gaming and normal web surfing all going on at the same time worked great. Streaming media to the 360 from the PC, flawless.
I heartily recommend this product to anyone who wants a fast network and doesn't want to bother running cable through the house.

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The NETGEAR HDX101 Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter turns any electrical power outlet into a network connection. If you're looking for a fast, easy way to provide Ethernet connectivity to just about any device in your home, then this handy adapter is an excellent solution. The HDX101 gives you the bandwidth you need for high-quality video streaming, gaming, and VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), without the headaches of running expensive Ethernet cables all over your home.With simple plug-and-play installation, this device turns any electrical outlet into a network connection. This compact, handy device delivers up to 200 Mbps to any outlet, and with no software required, you'll be ready to network your home right out of the box.
This is an ideal solution for connecting PCs, game consoles, digital media adapters such as NETGEAR's EVA8000, or a Skype cordless phone such as NETGEAR's SPH200D to your home network. Here's how it works: plug one HDX101 into your router and a nearby electrical socket, then plug a second HDX101 into any electrical socket that is conveniently located near the device you want to network. Each HDX101 has a built-in Quality of Service (QoS) that enables smooth streaming, awesome gaming performance, and uninterrupted VoIP telephone calls. The bottom line is, you get a powerful, seamless home network that runs on your existing wiring.
Please note that this product comes with only one HDX101 adapter. You'll need to buy at least two adapters to start your network, or you can purchase the NETGEAR HDXB101 Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter Kit which comes equipped with two HDX101 adapters. The Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter makes it a breeze to transfer large files to a network storage device, such as the NETGEAR Storage Central Turbo SC101 or the ReadyNAS NV+ RND4250. It supports up to 16 HDX101 units on one home network; and it easily coexists with a host of NETGEAR's HomePlug compatible products.
System requirements include a device for connection, e.g. an available RJ-45 Ethernet port, and Microsoft Windows Vista, XP or 2000 to modify encryption and settings. Microsoft Vista drivers are available at www.netgear.com/vista.
Note: Although the HDX101 may coexist with HomePlug 1.0 products, it is not compatible or interoperable with NETGEAR's XE104, XEPS103, XE103, XE102, or WGXB102 Powerline products.
In addition, this device can deliver up to 200 Mbps of throughput. The actual data throughput will vary depending on network conditions and environmental factors, such as network traffic volume, building material and construction, and network overhead.
What's in the Box One NETGEAR HDX101 Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter, Ethernet cable, installation guide, setup CD, warranty card, and support and information card.

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NETGEAR Xbox 360 Internet Connection Kit XETB10GM Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are like me, you have some form of high-speed internet coming into your house. You probably have Cable or DSL or something else, and then a "main" router where there the Internet comes from "out there" to "in here". You probably then have it served up with a wireless router. Me? I have Comcast cable piped into a NETGEAR WNR2000 Wireless-N Router. From there, I send the wires out to three computers in the room for my wife and kids. I then use the wireless with my notebook around Works pretty well.
But I have an office upstairs, and I wanted to put a server up there as well as a notebook on a desk for my use. That's two computers. Now the notebook has a wireless care built in, but the server doesn't, and I loathed the idea of putting a wireless card in a desktop. I could run a wire up through the house, but what a pain in the butt. So I needed to figure out how to get my wireless signal up to a router in my office.
I went to Best Buy and I got a Linksys Bridge. It was a bit tricky to set up, but I did, and it worked pretty well. It was somewhat intermittent, but I was able to have switch up in my office with connectivity to any number of machines.
But then, out of nowhere, the thing stopped working. It just bricked itself. No lights, no power, no nothing. Great. So, off to Best Buy again, with a determination not buy that Linksys Bridge again. So the nice sales gal there pointed me to a NetGear Gaming router that is basically a wireless bridge. I guess that these things are very popular for gaming consoles so they market them mostly to gamers. So I'm slowly walking out, and this other guy comes up to me and says "That will work for what you want, but I can show you something that is faster and more reliable".
Well, I don't know about you, but I am into faster and more reliable, so I followed him, and he showed me this kit.
I was a bit hesitant at first, as it seemed a bit strange to pump my connection through my household power lines and the box explicitly calls it an "XBox 360" kit (that gaming thing again), but the guy said it works perfectly for a regular network and that he'd personally take my return if it didn't work exactly like I wanted.
Well, as far as I can tell, he'll never see me again. This thing worked like a charm. It was pathetically easy to install - network cable out of my router, into device, which I plugged into the wall. Then, up in the office, I plug in the other one, with a network cable out of it into my switch. Simple, clean, and easy. It worked immediately, and the total setup time (hardware only, no software to configure) was literally five minutes.
So far, it's working great. I now want to find out if I can buy one of these things and use it in yet another room. That would be even cooler, as we have a renter who'd really appreciate that.
All in all, a purchase that I'm really happy with.

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Play with and against your friends on Xbox Live, Works for online PS2, PS3 and PC Gaming, Plug and Play-no CD required, Fast and reliable, lag-free response, Connect to Netflix, Facebook, Twitter and your personal media collection

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Cisco SD208 8-port 10/100 Switch Review

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(More customer reviews)I had two of these fail in the last week. Both are about a year old. The first one has a couple of ports that stopped working, and the second completely died overnight. They're plugged into UPS's, so power surges didn't cause the problem. I'm really dissapointed!

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This newly-redesigned Linksys 8-Port 10/100 Switch can significantly increase your network traffics speed. A switch serves the same function as a hub in a network design -- tying your network equipment together. But unlike a simple-minded hub which divides the networks bandwidth among all the attached devices, a switch delivers full network speeds at each port. Installing this cost-effective 8-Port 10/100 Switch can potentially increase your network speed by eight times. It is the perfect way of integrating 10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet devices, too. All eight ports are auto speed negotiating, and have automatic MDI/MDI-X crossover detection, so you do not have to worry about the cable type.

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Belkin F5D4071 Powerline Networking Adapter Starter Kit (White) Review

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(More customer reviews)The only thing with this device is that you need to plug it directly into a wall socket, not a multi-outlet device. With that caveat, the device works great. I was having problems with my wireless N signal cutting out on me and it was driving me nuts. I looked at all of these devices available on Amazon and decided to go with one of the least expensive to see if it would work. Not only is it working, the status indicator shows a throughput speed of 100 Mbps. I don't have any way to check that, but it certainly seems to be better than my average wireless N connection (I would occasionally see throughput numbers over 110 Mbps with the N connection but not consistantly). It has also increased my download speed at least 4x what I was getting with the unreliable wireless connection. I am a happy laptop user now.

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The Belkin F5D4071 Powerline Networking Adapter Starter Kit allows you to easily create a network or extend a network connection in your home using existing electrical outlets. You no longer have to worry about tripping over your long Ethernet cables, or suffer through problems with wireless reception or interference. Just plug a Powerline Networking Adapter into an outlet, and you have a new network connection.
Quick and Easy Setup By taking advantage of the existing electrical wiring in your house, you don't have to perform any complicated wiring to create a robust Ethernet-based home network. The Powerline Networking Adapter turns your existing electrical wiring into a home network. Simply plug one Adapter into a wall outlet and connect it to your router with the included Ethernet cable. Then, wherever you need a network port, just plug another Adapter into an available wall outlet, and--presto!--you've created a new network connection. In your living room, for instance, you can easily connect your broadband TV, and your Xbox or other gaming console; in your home office, you can connect your computers. If you need a connection in your attic--no problem!
This kit includes two Adapters, letting you create one network port wherever you have an outlet. The kit affords you a couple of placement options: you can either plug the Adapters directly into the wall with the wall-plug Adapter, or you can place the adapter farther away from the wall with the power cable.
Fast, Secure, and Stable Network Connection The Belkin Powerline Networking Adapter runs at speeds of up to 85 Mbps, letting you quickly download information, stream music and movies, and make Internet phone calls. (Actual speed and distance will vary depending on interference, network traffic, building materials, and other conditions.) The Powerline Networking Adapter is HomePlug 1.0 certified, can coexist with HomePlug AV, and is compliant with the 802.3/802.3u standards.
Unlike a wireless network, which can often come and go depending on interference from appliances and other household items, the Powerline Networking Adapter creates a stable connection that is not affected by external factors. It also features a 56-bit DES link encryption with key management for secure communication, keeping your personal information safe from intruding eyes.
The included installation software requires Windows 2000, XP or Vista 32-bit. The Belkin Powerline Networking Adapter Starter Kit is backed by a lifetime warranty.
What's in the Box Two Powerline Networking Adapters, two Ethernet cables, two power cords, two wall plug adapters, quick installation guide, and CD with installation software and user manual.

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NETGEAR HDXB101 Powerline HD Ethernet Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought a pair of HDXB101 boxes in the hope that they might offer a reliable replacement for the 802.11g boxes I'm currently using. Boy was I disappointed.I live in a recently refurbished apartment, with all new electrical wiring. In principle, this should offer an optimal environment for powerline networking.
While setup was as easy as the box claimed - it was literally a matter of plugging the two boxes into the wall, and everything worked immediately - it quickly became clear that the performance was not going to work out.
A quick word of caution before I continue: please read most of the positive reviews of this device, and notice that they are doing very unchallenging things, like streaming music. Music streaming is extremely tolerant of both poor bandwidth (bytes per second) and high latency (time it takes data to get from A to B). If all you want to do is stream MP3s and browse the web, this hardware is perfectly decent.
However, for even the most slightly challenging application, the performance is horrifying. I measured the latency between my two HDXB101 boxes, and it was consistently atrocious, even when the two were plugged into two sockets of a paired wallmount.
To give you an idea of "atrocious", my 802.11g network consistently gives a latency of 1.2 milliseconds. My gigabit ethernet network is more like 0.1 milliseconds. The *best* number I got out of the Netgear hardware was 3.5 milliseconds, and the *average* was 55 milliseconds. Holy cow! That means my bedroom and living room are as far apart, in terms of latency, as California and Germany! This is an amazingly bad number.
But what's much worse is that the number is extremely jittery. There were constant stalls of up to one second in duration, with delays of 150 milliseconds or more happening several times a second. This is the sort of thing you won't notice at all if you're playing music or viewing web pages, but it makes gaming incredibly frustrating.
The unpredictable latency has a strong negative effect on bandwidth, too.The box advertises 200 megabits per second. At no time have I measured more than 3.3 megabits per second, slightly over 1.5% of the advertised peak performance. This isn't even enough to saturate my DSL line, and is perhaps 50% slower than my wireless network. Needless to say, there's no way you're going to stream anything more than Youtube-quality video (i.e. really cheesy low bitrate) over a link like this.
In case you're interested in tinkering with configuration options to improve performance, forget about it: there are no tunable options to tweak.
In summary, the bandwidth and latency on this hardware are just shockingly bad. Unless you live in a house with lead-lined rooms and have literally no other option for getting a network signal from one place to another, you should avoid this hardware like the plague.

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR HDXB101 Powerline HD Ethernet Kit

The NETGEAR HDXB101 Powerline HD Network Kit turns any electrical power outlet into a network connection. This kit comes equipped with two HDX101 Powerline HD Ethernet Adapters. If you're looking for a fast, easy way to provide Ethernet connectivity to just about any device in your home, then this handy adapter is an excellent solution. The HDXB101 gives you the bandwidth you need for high-quality video streaming, gaming, and VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), without the headaches of running expensive Ethernet cables all over your home.With simple plug-and-play installation, this device turns any electrical outlet into a network connection. This compact, handy device delivers up to 200 Mbps to any outlet, and with no software required, you'll be ready to network your home right out of the box.
This is an ideal solution for connecting PCs, game consoles, digital media adapters such as NETGEAR's EVA8000 to your home network. Here's how it works: plug one HDX101 into your router and a nearby electrical socket, then plug the second HDX101 into any electrical socket that is conveniently located near the device you want to network. Each HDX101 has a built-in Quality of Service (QoS) that enables smooth streaming, awesome gaming performance, and uninterrupted VoIP telephone calls. The bottom line is, you get a powerful, seamless home network that runs on your existing wiring.
The Powerline HD Network Kit makes it a breeze to transfer large files to a network storage device, such as the NETGEAR Storage Central Turbo SC101 or the ReadyNAS NV+ RND4250. It supports up to 16 HDX101 units on one home network; and it easily coexists with a host of NETGEAR's HomePlug compatible products. Additional HDX101 units are available and can be purchased separately.
System requirements include a device for connection, e.g. an available RJ-45 Ethernet port, and Microsoft Windows Vista, XP or 2000 to modify encryption and settings. Microsoft Vista drivers are available at www.netgear.com/vista.
Note: Although the HDXB101 may coexist with HomePlug 1.0 products, it is not compatible or interoperable with NETGEAR's XE104, XEPS103, XE103, XE102, or WGXB102 Powerline products.
In addition, this device can deliver up to 200 Mbps of throughput. The actual data throughput will vary depending on network conditions and environmental factors, such as network traffic volume, building material and construction, and network overhead.
What's in the Box Two NETGEAR HDX101 Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter, Ethernet cable, installation guide, setup CD, warranty card, and support and information card.

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Brother HL-5250DN Refurbished Network Ready Laser Printer with Duplex Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the Brother HL-5250DN printer from Amazon for five reasons:
1) fast monochrome (black and white) printer.
2) network capability.
3) automatic duplexing (printing on both sides of the paper).
4) Enclosed paper tray.
5) Price (and the one-year manufacturer's warranty is nice, even on the refurbished product).
I also like the low toner, paper, and drum replacement indicator lights on the printer. The cost of the toner cartridges is about the same with other printers I've seen.
What comes in the box:
Printer, drum and toner assembly, AC power cord, paper Quick Setup Guide, CD-ROM. The CD-ROM has the drivers, entire Owner's Manual, and animated installation guide.
Note: No cables are provided.
If you are going to connect the printer to a wireless router, you will need an Ethernet cable.
If you are going to connect the printer directly to one computer, you will need either a USB or parallel cable. The printer has connections for both.
Setup
The setup did not go as easily as I hoped.
I had two problems with installation and setup:
1) I was not sure which network to use (peer to peer or shared).
2) After installation, I could not print from one of the two computers on the network.
After easily removing some shipping adhesive tape, inserting the drum/toner assembly (looks like a full toner cartridge, not a starter cartridge) and paper tray, I was ready to proceed with installing the software drivers.
The Quick Setup Guide presents you with choices for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP: USB interface, parallel interface, and network interface. There are also choices if using Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Macintosh. The manufacturer's website indicates Microsoft Vista has "built-in" drivers but Brother drivers are also available on the website.
Upon clicking "Install Printer Driver" from CD-ROM menu, I was presented with three choices: USB cable users, Parallel cable users, and Network cable users. I chose the network cable users since I wanted to add the printer to my wireless network router. I was presented with a license agreement that I accepted. I then had to choose between "Brother Peer-to-Peer Network Printer" or "Network Shared Printer". I chose peer-to-peer to print directly to the printer over the network rather than to a central server on a shared printer. On Step 8 I had to choose "LPR" or "NetBios". I had no idea which one to choose and I didn't find any useful information to help with the decision. I chose LPR and clicked Next. The printer was recognized. Make sure to write down the IP Node Address (for a wireless router it is something like 192.xxx.xx.x).
Now, I needed to access the printer from my wireless computer running Microsoft Vista. I went to the Control Panel and double clicked on Printers. I then chose "Add a Printer" and selected "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer". The computer searched for and found the printer. A couple more clicks and I was successfully printing from the wireless computer.
Printing from the desktop computer running Windows XP, connected to the router with an Ethernet cable, would not be as simple. The computer recognized the printer but would not send any data to the printer. I went to Control Panel, Printer and Faxes, right clicked on Properties. The General tab did not have the Location of the printer. I added 192.xxx.xx.x and clicked OK and tried printing a document but I was not successful. After two hours of dealing with it and looking at the company's website, I called the company (toll-free phone number right on the box). The company was closed; I called the next morning just after the company opened at 9 a.m. Eastern. I went through a very brief voice prompt menu and I was connected to Robby in all of about two minutes. He was polite but he was not able to solve my problem. He told me second level support would call me within 24 hours. Just over two hours later I got a call from Debbie, who was in Memphis, Tennessee. She was very helpful and quickly identified the problem. When hovering over the printer icon in the Printer and Faxes folder, the little popup message indicated the printer was offline. I don't know how I missed that. To correct the problem all I had to do was right click the printer and select "Use Printer Online". After a few seconds the printer was in Ready status. Problem resolved.
Summary
This is my first Brother printer and I am very favorably impressed. I don't think there is another printer on the market with these features at such a low price, at least at the time of this writing.
The product is shipped in the manufacturer's box, not an Amazon box, so all your neighbors will know what's in the box on your doorstep. The box looks like the box for a new printer, listing many features of the printer but it is clearly marked "Factory Refurbished". The printer itself has a sticker on the back with "Re-manufactured Product". My printer was originally manufactured in September 2005. I bought it in May 2007.
My experience with Brother International has been very positive. I got a great printer with excellent features, a full-size toner cartridge TN-550 (not a starter toner cartridge!), and a one-year warranty. From idle/sleep, the first page took only 20 seconds to print and the text quality is great. The icing on the cake was the technical support provided by Americans. Their promptness and knowledge was impressive. This was easily the best technical support experience I have ever had!Update December 4, 2007:
I am still very pleased with the printer but it is noisy when printing and it does make "tick, tick, tick" noises sometimes. Neither of these issues has effected performance. The only annoyance I've experienced is with envelope printing - the envelope always crinkles. This isn't a big deal for me but it is something to consider if envelope printing is important to you.
Update October 7, 2008:
I purchased another refurbished HL-5250. The toner and drum are also factory refurbished. The drum unit (DR-520) has life expectancy of 22,500 pages, about 90% of new. The toner cartridge (TN-550) has an expected yield of 3,150 pages at 5% coverage. A new toner cartridge has an expected yield of 3,500 pages.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Brother HL-5250DN Refurbished Network Ready Laser Printer with Duplex

The EHL-5250DN is a 30ppm network-ready monochrome laser printer with a built-in duplex feature. Designed for busy offices and small workgroups, it is a smart and versatile choice.

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NETGEAR DS108 8 Port 10/100 Mbps Dual Speed Hub Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Net gear is owned by by Bay Networks, which does not make rinky dink equipment.
This hub has solid metal construction, sockets in the front, and lots of flickering lights that show the tranfer speed, and show who is connecting at either 10 or 100 Mbs. We use it to share one (adelphia 2-way cable) internet connection among 6 PCs, along with files and printing. No problems so far.
This hub handles the standard hub task with ease, and with a utilitarian aesthetic quality that you won't see in 3com's white plastic. 3Coms tries to disguise their hub as an external modem- why?
(p.s. I'm confused as to why 3Com's 8-port 10/100 hub costs over twice as much)

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR DS108 8 Port 10/100 Mbps Dual Speed Hub

The Netgear DS-108 10/100Mbps Dual Speed Hub connects multiple PCs to share printers, files, Internet access, and e-mail communications. You can mix and match 10 and 100 Mbps PCs, servers, and peripherals with this hub, all without any configuration required. The DS100 family combines many capabilities in a compact package and is designed for cost-conscious small-business users.
Each unit has a built-in self-learning bridge that provides the communications link between the 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps network devices. The intelligent bridge automatically manages network traffic so that 100 Mbps traffic and 10 Mpbs traffic do not unnecessarily crowd each other.

Click here for more information about NETGEAR DS108 8 Port 10/100 Mbps Dual Speed Hub

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D-Link DP-301U 10/100TX 1-USB Port Print Server Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Check this site to see if it is compatible:
http://support.dlink.com/faq/view.asp?prod_id=1263&question=DP-300U%20/%20DP-311U%20/%20DP-301U%20/%20DI-704UP%20/%20DI-824VUP%20/%20DP-311U_revB


Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link DP-301U 10/100TX 1-USB Port Print Server

D-Link DP-301U 10/100TX 1-USB Port Print Server

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Netgear DS104 4-Port 10/100 Dual Speed Hub with Uplink Button Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this hub as part of a network starter kit (2 PCI ethernet cards + hub) and had no problems installing it. I run both Unix/Linux and Windoze machines and wanted all machines to be networked even with a mix of operating systems running at the same time -- and that meant simultaneous internet access, multi-player games, shared printers, etc. Basically, I wanted the network to do everything, so that any family member could sit down at a machine and do what they needed to do.
The DS-104 hub delivered from the time I installed it until the day I replaced it with a router (RT-314, also from Netgear). Installation was a snap, and as soon as I turned it on, I never had a moment's trouble from the DS-104.
So why did I switch? In two words, performance and price. Although the DS-104 is a fine product, its multiuser performance simply can't compare to a switch (which was built-in to the RT-314 router I replaced it with). I noticed that performance suffered when all of us wanted to use the computers simultaneously, which got me thinking about alternatives to improve performance. I initially intended to replace the DS-104 with a switch. After checking prices, I realized that I could actually purchase a router (switch + hardware firewall) for less than the cost of a switch alone. I eventually went that route, after receiving outstanding service from the DS-104 hub.
So was this purchase a throw-away? Hardly. The DS-104 did what it promised to do, reliably and without fuss. It handles both 10 and 100 Mbps connections transparently, so you don't even need to know the speed of whatever you're connecting. It's well-constructed (metal case instead of plastic) and absolutely reliable. Although I've replaced the DS-104 with a router, I haven't gotten rid of it -- I'm saving it for the day when I need to add several machines to the network and I'm out of ports on my router.
The DS-104 is solid, dependable networking at a very reasonable price. Recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Netgear DS104 4-Port 10/100 Dual Speed Hub with Uplink Button

The Netgear DS-104 4-Port 10/100Mbps Dual Speed Hub connects multiple PCs to share printers, files, Internet access, and e-mail communications. You can mix and match 10 and 100 Mbps PCs, servers, and peripherals with this hub, all without any configuration required. The DS100 family combines many capabilities in a compact package and is designed for cost-conscious small-business users.
Each unit has a built-in self-learning bridge that provides the communications link between the 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps network devices. The intelligent bridge automatically manages network traffic so that 100 Mbps traffic and 10 Mpbs traffic do not unnecessarily crowd each other.

Click here for more information about Netgear DS104 4-Port 10/100 Dual Speed Hub with Uplink Button

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Hitachi SimpleNET NAS Head USB 2.0 Portable Dongle SNET (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hatachi SimpleNet NAS USB to Ethernet promises a truly simple way to connect a USB storage device to your home network via wired Ethernet connected to your home router. Setup and control is managed through an internal web server accessible through Apple's Bonjour (zero configuration networking) software. No MAC (Media Access Control) address in included on the box so installation of Bonjour for windows ([...]) is mandatory. Apple Mac users have Bonjour built-in to OS X through Safari.
All of this innovation as well as the small form factor induced me to purchase the device and set it up for use with both USB thumb drives as well as a Western Digital external USB storage device.
As promised SimpleNet connected to the disk / flash subsystems and made the storage accessible over my home network via Bonjour. However in about 10 minutes the plastic box housing SimpleNet became very warm. At that time the disk / flash subsystems were no longer network accessible. The internal web broswer's setup pages then became blank and no longer displayed information.
Removing the power (supplied through an included 5 volt adapter) for twenty minutes to permit the device to cool again allowed me to connect to my storage, but only after repeating the setup process. Clearly this became tedious.
Note that no paper manual is provided and the mini disk containing the manual and Bonjour for Windows software is only compatible with tray drives CD readers.
Sadly it's back to the store with this device. It would have been a great way to create a NAS (Network Attached Storage) system to a home or small business network. I hope they try again, but first do the beta testing in the lab.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hitachi SimpleNET NAS Head USB 2.0 Portable Dongle SNET (Black)

SimpleNET is the easiest way to make your existing USB drive even more valuable!Share its contents across your network, quickly and easily!SimpleNET is a small network adapter that enables you to share and access existing USB hard drives over a network.Simply plug a USB hard drive into SimpleNET and then plug SimpleNet into an Ethernet network. The drive then appears as a network drive on the network.Easy to install, easy to use! SimpleNet is extremely cost effective too!Why pay more for a new hard disk drive?Make your investments pay off by sharing music, photos, videos or documents in minutes!No configuration necessary, no additional drives to buy.

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