We move computers around quite a bit in our house, and we sure have the gamut here. I have been using a Ubuntu Linux workstation in my office for about 5 years now. Downstairs in the living room we’ve had Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Vista, some NetTop PC’s, a Macbook, an iPad or two floating around, and a dual boot laptop. For some reason, we always seen to have problems with our wireless adapters for wifi in the house – we that is, we seem to go through a lot of them. Probably because they’re usually USB and often go between PC’s.

So I put together a new PC today with Ubuntu – and having gone through the whole drawer of wifi adapters, I found a broken Wireless G and 2 broken Wireless N, and one broken laptop wifi card. If I want to get this box online without an ethernet cable I have to use an adapter. Most of the bookmarks I had on file for supported Ubuntu hardware were outdated. One thing I should say is that if you use Ubuntu Linux – always make the official Ubuntu Forums your first stop for tech support. One trip there, and in about 30 seconds I found that there’s an Official Supported Wireless Network section of Ubuntu Help.

There’s a complete list of supported wireless cards for Ubuntu there (both new and old). I’m not a networking expert by any means, but I do know that for best use you don’t want to get a wifi adapter that uses ndiswrapper if you can help it (because it actually uses a Windows wrapper). What you want is a wireless adapter that has native support IN UBUNTU for the wireless chipset.

So, having perused the list myself, here is my recommendation. You’d be surprised how cheap you can get some of this stuff on eBay used, secondhand, and refurb.

My #1 choice for best wireless N adapter for Ubuntu Linux is the D-Link DWA-160 Dual Band “extreme N” wifi adapter. It’s USB, with native chipset support, and should work out of the box! Guess what – if you search hard enough you should be able to get one for around $30 used!

Dlink DWA-160 Xtreme N Dual Band USB Adapter - Brand New
	USD 33.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 01:26:39
D-LINK XTREME DUO 802.11N DWA-160 (Lot of 10)
	USD 100.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 00:58:24
D-Link Xtreme N DUO Dualband Draft 802.11n USB Adapter DWA160
	USD 25.85 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 00:47:35
DWA-160 Xtreme N Dual Band USB Adapter
	USD 29.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 06:15:23
DLink DWA-160 Xtreme N Duo USB Adapter
	USD 78.31 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 03:13:53
D-LINK XTREME N DUAL BAND ADAPTER (MODEL #DWA 160)
	USD 14.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 05:24:13
D-LINK DWA-160, RangeBooster N DualBand USB 2.0/1.1 adapter is 802.11n
	USD 45.66 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 21:08:52
NEW D-LINK DWA-160 XTREME N DUO USB ADAPTER XP/VISTA
	USD / 55.26 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 15:08:47
DLINK DWA-160 XTREME N USB CONVERTER OMNIDIRECTIONAL
	USD / 56.26 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 05:58:06
D-LINK DWA-160 XTREME N DUAL BAND USB ADAPTER WIFI 11N
	USD 53.81 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 13:48:27

The new price for the DWA-160 used is about $47:

Are there other supported cards? Yes, plenty – but I wanted one that had been listed as working in 2011 with native chipset support (for a reasonable price), and this was the best one. Also, for my needs on this project I wanted a wifi N USB adapter for Linux because if I dump this box I don’t want to open it to get the PCI card out, and I want an adapter that will work on a desktop, laptop, whatever we have. I’m glad we found this – it works well for us on this system.

Need external storage that’s extremely portable? I’ve wished for an external hard drive enclosure that’s wireless, and my wireless hard drive review guide will show you the in’s and out’s of what’s currently available!

This post of part of The Smorgasbord Tech Reviews series!

*Update* – this is a repost from the archives with new info, since wireless hard drives are more affordable and cheaper than ever nowadays…

I’ve blogged a lot off an on about making your home entertainment network more user friend, and the gadgets that can help you get it done. Yesterday we were talking at home about the value of maybe getting a big external hard drive and hooking it up (wired) to one PC so the entire household could store their media on it. We’d maybe start it off with one big USB 2.0 external 500GB disk. You can get one new for around $120 less than $50 now online. I’ve written about the wireless USB hub and how you could connect multiple external hard drives or enclosures that way, and I’ve also posted about the value of a good network storage drive. But now they’re coming out with wireless hard drives that may start to change all of that…

What is a Wireless Hard Drive?

You have to be very careful when you’re shopping for a wireless hard drive, because devices that may appear to do the same thing may not. There are many, many flavors that may do many many different things – pay attention to what your needs are, the price, and value for the money. I’m going to show you some different kinds of wireless hard drives and enclosures:

The Iomega 33349 StorCenter has 1 Terabyte (1,000 GB) 2 or 4 Terabyte (2-4,000 GB) of storage and is a “Network Storage Device” – meaning you can plug it into your router or switch on your home or business network for everyone to share (without having it hooked to one dedicated computer). The StorCenter is “wireless” as well as wired, so all laptops and mobile devices can access it. Imagine having one device that could be accessed by PC’s, laptops, cell phones, PDA, iPhone, iTouch, or even your PSP or other mobile devices. There’s a price to be paid for all this technology, and around $200 (as of this writing).

You can get the latest price by following these links.

Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 – 2 TB Network Attached Storage 34481 (Black)

Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 – 2 TB Network Attached Storage 34481 (Black)

Iomega StorCenter ix2 dual sata drive NAS with Raid 1000 Mbit
	USD 60.99 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 23:48:23
New Iomega 4TB StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage, Cloud Edition 35430 LOOK
	USD 349.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 13:48:20
iomega 35430 4TB StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage
	USD / 329.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 21:20:41
Iomega StorCenter ix4-200d 8TB 4 x 2TB Network Storage Cloud Edition 35439 LOOK
	USD 849.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 13:53:10
Iomega 35427 StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage Server
	USD 331.93 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 04:02:32
iomega 35430 StorCenter ix2-200 -AS IS (No Hard Drives)
	USD / 3.25 (2 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 20:38:12
Iomega 35427 StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage Server
	USD 331.93 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 04:11:31
Iomega 35436 StorCenter ix4-200d Network Storage Server
	USD 749.29 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 03:26:34
Iomega 35436 StorCenter ix4-200d Network Storage Server
	USD 749.29 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 03:21:22
Iomega 34678 StorCenter ix12-300r Drive Expansion Pack 8TB Serial ATA Hard Drive
	USD 1159.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 07:39:07

You have some products that proclaim to be a “Wireless Media Player” like the MG-M2TVD and MG-M2TVDW Media Players by Mediagate. This is just fancy hard drive enclosure – since the device comes sans hard drive. It does proclaim so pretty boasty features, like the ability to stream HD video via wireless up to 1920 x 1080p. It’s got all kinds of fancy connections, like L/R stereo out, and composite, component, and S-video out. This particular unit can stream video from an internal hard drive or a PC on the network and even has a remote control. So you can see that this unit (as a wireless hard drive) is very different in that it can be a set-top box OR a media gateway to access (from networked PC’s). *update* the features of these are a bit different now, but they are still “media player” devices where you plugin external drives…

Follow these links to find more out about this device:

Noah Company MediaGate MG-M2TVDW Network Wireless N HD Media Player HDMI Full 1080P with DTS 2.0 Digital Audio Out (Piano Black)

Noah Company MediaGate MG-M2TVD Digital Media Player HDMI Full 1080P with DTS 2.0 Digital Audio Out (Black)

MEDIAGATE MG-M2TVDW 1080P HD Digital Media Player - BRAND NEW IN BOX
	USD 60.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 05:13:38

You might be interested in an Asus Wireless Storage Router which has an internal 250GB hard drive. It has a USB connector so you can connect other (wired) storage devices to it for sharing, and it even has the ability to download files from the Internet when your PC is turned off. The specs say you can download up to 7 bitTorrent files or 10 FTP/HTTP files simultaneously. For what it does, this wireless hard drive is a pretty good at half the price (and storage) as the StorCenter. You can get the wireless storage router through these links:

Wireless Storage Router

If you a have a hard drive lying around, you might be able to stick in a wireless hard drive enclosure box and put it on your network (wirelessly) that way. You can get one pretty reasonably, but the two I found were only for 2.5″ drives. I hope we see more (and a 3.5″ version) on eBay soon:

3.5 SATA Serial ATA HDD Hard Drive Disk Case Enclosure
	USD 16.70 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 06:56:47
USB 2.0 Enclosure Case for Laptop 2.5" SATA Hard Drive
	USD 7.09 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 20:05:45
USB 2.0 Enclosure Case for Laptop 2.5" SATA Hard Drive
	USD 7.09 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 20:08:32
Rocketfish Hard Drive Enclosure Kit 3.5" PATA RF-PHD35
	USD 15.97 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 14:36:11
NEW USB 2.0 2.5 HARD DRIVE SATA EXTERNAL CASE ENCLOSURE
	USD 7.09 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 20:11:51
3.5" IDE Aluminum Hard Drive Enclosure IDE USB 2.0 Black nice Supports Windows
	USD 13.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 02:28:42
3.5 IDE HDD HARD DRIVE ENCLOSURE CASE USB BLACK
	USD 8.03 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 20:25:12
2.5" SATA Hard Drive Disk HDD External Case Enclosure Box USB 2.0 Laptop PC
	USD 0.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 20:37:35
Black External 3.5" IDE Hard Drive Enclosure HDD Case USB 2.0
	USD 13.79 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 18:42:02
USB 2.0 Enclosure Case for Laptop 2.5" SATA Hard Drive
	USD 7.09 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 20:45:40

You can actually make any external hard drive enclosure wireless by using the Linksys Storage Link for USB Disk Drives. Just like many other devices Linksys makes to connect computer hardware to your home or business network, they make a Storage Link that will connect any 2 USB storage devices to your wireless local network. The thing that’s always sucked about external hard drives is that they have to be attached to a physical computer via USB to work, and then you have to access them through that computer on the network. If that computer is turned off or locked up – you can’t access those drives. With a Linksys Storage Link, you can put up to 2 USB storage devices on your network independant of all your PC’s. Just plug it into your router or hub (or switch) to work. Oh – you can even stick a flash memory stick or drive into one of the USB slots to share it on the network as well. This is not only great for file sharing, but an easy way to connect with many mobile devices!

Linksys Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives NSLU2

Linksys NSLU2 Network Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives
	USD 27.00 (3 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 17:31:02
Linksys Cisco WRT350N 4 Port Gigabit Wireless N Router with Storage Link
	USD 114.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 23:27:13
Linksys WRT350N 270 Mbps 4-Port Gigabit Wireless N Router + STORAGE LINK
	USD 79.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 20:02:06
AC power adapter Linksys Network Storage Link NSLU2
	USD 9.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 03:06:38
LINKSYS WRT350N WIRELESS-N GIGABIT ROUTER WITH STORAGE LINK - MINT
	USD / 19.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 21:52:39
Linksys Wireless-N GB Router w/Storage Link
	USD 75.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 20:09:44
Cisco Linksys Network Storage Link - Model NSLU2 for USB 2.0 Disk Drives
	USD 24.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 22:20:43
AC Power Charger For Network Storage Linksys Link NSLU2
	USD 7.59 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 15:05:53
Linksys WRT350N 270 Mbps 4-Port Gigabit Wireless N Router + STORAGE LINK
	USD 0.99 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 04:39:45

Wireless Hard Drive Auctions

Products and listings change on eBay all the time, so here’s the lastest auctions for “wireless hard drive” on eBay right now!

Synology USB Station 3 in 1 wireless print server printer or hard drive hub
	USD 44.99 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 22:20:51
Toshiba Mini NB205 Hard drive /wireless COVER door pane
	USD 5.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 19:25:07
XBOX W/ RED RING HARD DRIVE WIRELESS WI FI BUNDLE FOR PARTS/ 4GAMES
	USD 45.00 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 22:36:51
ASUS K52F Hard Drive Wifi Wireless RAM Memory Cover Door 13GNXM1AP050-3
	USD 39.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 19:35:42
Apple Time Capsule 500 GB Hard Drive and 802.11 Wireless Router
	USD 81.00 (10 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 03:50:14
*BRAND NEW* Seagate GoFlex Satellite 500 GB ,External wireless Hard Drive
	USD 159.50 (16 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 01:50:55
HP G70 COMPAQ CQ70 Memory Wireless Hard Drive Cover Set 489112-001
	USD 11.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 14:22:01
KARAOKE SYSTEM PROFESSIONAL HARD DRIVE CAVS SCDG MP3 DJ PA WIRELESS MICROPHONES
	USD 1299.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 03:48:54
Toshiba A355D Memory RAM Wireless Wifi Hard Drive Cover Door
	USD 9.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 21:36:50
Windows 7 Media Center Computer Micro Size Wireless N 1 TB Hard Drive HTPC HDMI
	USD 150.00 (13 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 04:14:33

Background: I’ve been working repairing and upgrading computers for 15 years, and I work online about 12 or more hours per day from my home office. We have a 16 mbit connection to the web, and there are 3 computers, 3 laptops, one netbook, an entertainment PC, an Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and various portable devices connected to the Internet. The router is probably one of the most important pieces of equipment in the entire house, since the Internet is in constant use.

I have used Linksys routers for years. It’s probably force of habit since I worked in corporate IT for 10 years, and that’s always what was used at work, and it’s what you see in all the big box stores. In addition – the company is owned by Cisco – a known industry networking leader.

Years ago I had a Linksys Wireless B router. It worked great, but was too slow. I bought a Microsoft wireless G router online in some clearance sale for $25, and we used that for almost 5 years with no issues. Microsoft no longer makes routers. About a year ago it got to the point where we were having to reset the MS router multiple times per day – so I broke down and bought the Linksys WRT54G wireless G router. It lasted about one year before it died. By “died”, I mean – all the lights won’t even come on anymore.

I usually exclusively buy all my electronics and gadgets online. I haven’t bought anything like that in a big box store like Wal-Mart, Staples, Best But, etc. – in years. My wife and I were out and about shopping when my son called and said the router died. He’s going to school for networking, so when he said it was “dead”, I knew it was. The way we use the Internet – I knew that I had to buy a new router while I was out, or there would be no web access when I returned home.

Grudgingly, I went to Staples because I live in a small town, and I knew they would have the most routers on hand. Since the Linksys WRT54G died after just one year, I knew I didn’t want another Linksys. I also knew that NetGear is usually the bottom of the barrel, so the thought was “let’s try Belkin!”. I bought the best router they have, the Play Max dual band Wireless N router – and as you read in my last review, it was the worst wireless N router money can buy. It was horrible, every page online took 3-5 seconds to load, some never loaded – the router had to be reset all the time, it was complete and utter garbage. My son actually read online at the Belkin web site in their FAQ’s that they recommend rebooting the router every 4 hours for “optimal usage” – WTF is that? When the company making the router says you have to reboot it 6 times a day for best use – you KNOW it’s crap!

How to Pick the best Wireless N Router

If you’re not very technical (or even if you are), I’m going to give you some things you should be looking for when buying a router.

DOES THE ROUTER HAVE…

- are the antennas internal or external? (external are of course better)
- how many antennas does the router have?
- what is the speed of the processor?
- how much memory does it have?
- how much flash memory does it have?
- does it have external connectivity for USB storage and printers?

You may not have thought about it this way – but a router is a miniature computer. It has a CPU, and it has memory. Now – think about this for a second – that means that the more CPU power it has, and the more memory it has, the faster it’s going to work. So you’re not only looking for the wireless N router with the best features, you’re looking for the one with the most POWER.

Comparing Wireless N Routers

Belkin Play Max
- antennas: internal
- CPU: info not found anywhere
- Memory: tech sites list as 64MB
- Flash Memory: tech sites list it as 8MB
- external support: print and USB storage

Linksys WRT320N
- antennas: internal
- CPU: BCM4717A 354MHz
- Memory: 32MB
- Flash Memory: 8MB
- external support: NO

*Note: regardless of pricepoint, antenna, and external support – nearly all Linksys wireless N routers seem to have 32MB memory, 8MB flash, and smaller CPI

NetGear RangeMax
- antennas: internal
- CPU: 680 MHz 32-bit processor
- Memory: 64MB
- Flash Memory: 8MB
- external support: print and USB storage

D-Link Xtreme
- antennas: 3 external
- CPU: 275 Mhz
- Memory: 16MB
- Flash Memory: 4MB
- external support: print and USB storage

Asus RT-N16
- antennas: 3 external
- CPU: Broadcom BCM4718 533MHZ
- Memory: 128MB
- Flash Memory: 32MB
- external support: print and USB storage

My Choice for Best Wireless N Router

If you go buy specs above from the list above, it’s very plain that as far as CPU and memory horsepower, the D-Link is the bottom of the barrel. The next worst would be Linksys. The NetGear has the most powerful processor, but only by a hare (533Mhz vs. 680 Mhz). The Asus has double the memory, and 4 times as much the flash memory. Also – the Asus has 3 external antennas

For those of you who have never heard of the ASUS company (AsusTek), they are primarily known for making motherboards for computers. Those of us that have been building computers for years know that name well, because ASUS has not only always meant quality – but they have long since been the “Cadillac” of motherboard makers. Most “tech guys” know the ASUS name from parts we buy online – again, not a name you would normally see in the “big box” stores.

We purchased the Asus RT-N16 Wireless N router based on the specs above, but also because of the 4-5 star reviews on nearly every site we could find a review on. We paid about $90US, and had it shipped overnight via Amazon Prime.

This is a pic of the router:

When I received the router – I took it out of the box and connected it to my cable modem, and my main computer via hardwire. I brought up the management interface at http://192.168.1.1/. The first thing you need to do is turn off your router while you plugin everything in (remove the battery if it has battery backup – like the comcast routers with VOIP phones). Then turn the cable modem on first, 30 seconds later turn on the router, and then bring up the management interface. I believe the only tweak we really made, was to turn the firewall off. We used WPA2-Personal with a network key, and seconds later – we were up and running!

The difference between our Linksys wireless G, the Belkin Playmax, and the Asus RT-N16 was astounding. With the extra memory and flash (and bigger processer) – web pages load like lightning! After you type a URL and hit enter, just say “BAM!” as fast as you can, and the web page is already loaded.

Now you may think that it’s just this fast from my hard wired computer, but loading YouTube videos and flash-laden pages from a 7 year old 1.0 Ghz Pentium III with 512MB Ram and 40GB hard drive, with a USB Wireless N adapter is just about as fast as the hard wired computer. It’s fast as hell!

This is the fastest router I’ve owned, setup was effortless, and it has the most external antennas and largest horsepower of any wireless N router I could find. I know that wireless N has a broader range, but when I had the Belkin Play Max installed (upstairs), my devices downstairs were connecting to the network with only 1 or 2 bars (out of 5, even though it was wireless N). My ASUS RT-N16 has had consistent 5 bar connections with EVERY device in my home since I installed it from day 1. That’s the best wifi connection hotspot I’ve ever had installed anywhere (and I’ve setup dozens of routers for family, friends, and clients). From now on – Asus is the only wireless router I will buy.

If you like the specs and want to try the ASUS RT-N16, you can buy it on Amazon here:

You can also find it new or used on eBay:

ASUS TeK RT-N16 300 Mbps Gigabit Wireless N Router WITH TOMATOUSB
	USD 53.00 (11 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 03:34:47
ASUS RT-N16 Wireless Router N /w Printer Server/P2P/BT
	USD 78.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 01:29:26
ASUS NETWORK DEVICE RT-N16 WIRELESS-N GIGABIT ROUTER RE
	USD / 114.75 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 01:05:35
Asus RT-N16 Wireless-N Gigabit Router
	USD 129.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 17:45:05
ASUS RT-N16 GIGABIT WIFI N HIGH POWER ROUTER REPEATER DD-WRT MEGA
	USD 159.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 04:23:07
RT-N16 WLAN SECURE HOME GATEWA Asus 90-IG0D002M01-01P0Z B997359
	USD 167.23 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 13:10:53
ASUS RT-N16 MULTI-FUNCTIONAL GIGABIT WIRELESS N ROUTER
	USD 112.53 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 20:40:01
★NEW★ ASUS RT-N16 802.11b/g/n Router Open Source
	USD 122.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 03:48:06

Originally submitted at Staples

Dual-Band N technology gives you the fastest, most reliable speeds for video, music and gaming Dual-plane antennas and MIMO technology provides the best coverage for demanding home usage MIMO technology provides maximum coverage for demanding home usage Security settings are preset to get you up an…

Belkin Play Max Wireless-N Router

Worst Router EVER MADE!!

Pros: none

Cons: GArbage, Unreliable, Slow

Best Uses: none

Describe Yourself: High bandwidth user

Primary use: Business

The Belkin Play Max router is the worst router ever made. I have been repairing and fixing computers for 15 years, so my experience level is advanced – and I’ve owned a half dozen routers and setup hundreds of networks. I purchased this router to try and get away from my linksys for once, since my last router died after only a year.

The setup is awful on this router, as it has an internal firewall that is “on” by default (slowing all traffic). You would think that this wireless N router is wireless b with that thing on (even through a wired connection it’s slow). When you unplug it for 15 seconds or more, it seems to forget it’s WPA password, and WPS is on by default also.

Even once I got this router setup the way that I wanted, it’s slower than all bejeezus. It’s constantly dropping packets, browsers connected directly via hardwire say “resolving host” and take 5 seconds to bring up things like google and eBay.

This router is the worst piece of garbage I’ve ever owned, and the 3 days I used it (before returning it) were the worst Internet usage days of my life since dialup. Goodbye Belkin router – I will never buy your products again…

(legalese)

We doing business with “the beast” there have been lots of issues of course – going back to when Comcast would “hijack” packets when people were filesharing or using peer to peer networks, to bandwidth caps, and all kinds of other things. There have been many times when web sites would hang (or be really slow) – but when I ping them from another data center they were just fine. Lately, the thing I really don’t like is the fact that Comcast now participates in “DNS hijacking”. When you mistype a URL that doesn’t exist, instead of giving you a “not found” page – they give you targeted ads! I guess other ISP’s do it too, and it’s called “DNS Redirection Advertising“. I call it BS.

So, when google announced “google public DNS” today – I about peed myself! Everyone knows google’s data centers are fast as hell and very redundant (all over the world). They are faster, more powerful, and probably more secure than Comcast will ever be – and they don’t filter a damn thing! No ads, no BS – woohoo! You can use google’s public DNS whether you are on Windows, Ubuntu, or Mac! It’s easy and quick to make the change, google has directions on using pubic DNS here.

If you’re using Ubuntu (like me), just to go to “System -> Network Connections” and “edit” whatever connection you’re using (Wireless, Wired, etc), and then go to the “IPv4″ tab:

Just enter their public server addresses like I did:
8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4

(make sure there is a space between the 2 sets of numbers).

I have to say – I noticed an IMMEDIATE improvement and MUCH FASTER speed! I LOVE it!!!

Sidenote – if you want to continue to use Comcast DNS – they apparently a DNS Health Portal, where you can use “opt out” servers for the DNS redirection. I’m sure nearly no one knows about this (or uses it) – AND it’s STILL slower than google! Some people use Open DNS because they have filtering options – might be good for families with younger kids, or protection against malware. Me – I now prefer the lightning quick speed on Google’s Open DNS!!

Can you get Dual Band Wireless N, both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz at the same time from one router? Is a dual band router twice as fast? Let’s find out!

Just about everyone who has multiple computers in their home have a wireless router. Most of those people bought theirs on a recommendation from [insert big box store here]. For most people these routers do their job and don’t give there “operator” any problems until it clunks out and you buy a new one. Well why not get educated on the new guy in the router game, IEEE 802.11n-2009, also known by its common name, “Wireless N”. The best way to take advantage of this technology are dual band routers as two is always better than one, right?

First off, if you go by CNET reviews (and I always do), no dual band wireless N router currently has above a 3 out of 5 rating, which if you’re not familiar with their system is only ‘good’. Okay, now that is out of the way, I rarely go with new technology or recommend it to others until it is completely fool-proof. I think that it just may be getting there now. Here are my recommendations of the best Dual-Band Wireless N routers.

Airport Extreme Review

Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station 802.11n ($175, although you could get it cheaper) – Don’t call me crazy until you have read all the features this little Apple that could offers. It has all the features of comparable features of routers of this type, but offer the ease that apple offers with all their products. If you run a mixed mac and pc network this router is perfect, if you however run all windows machines then you can find something a little cheaper with all the same features (it just may not be as fast). Believe it or not, you can use this Apple product as a router – even if you have no Apple computers in your house (it works just fine with Windows). This is a “true dual band” wireless N router, meaning it won’t make you choose between 2.5 and 5 GHz – you can actually use both. It will support printers and network storage, but it’s pick about USB external hard drives. It only supports 50 clients, which is more than enough for most households, just be forewarned there is a limit. Bottom line, I think most Windows users (advanced ones) will want more features).

Apple Airport Extreme Base Station A1143 Wireless Router
	USD 66.00 (11 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 00:30:37
Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station 10/100 USB Wireless G Router A1034 & Modem
	USD 29.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 06:00:43
Apple A1143 AirPort Extreme WI-Fi Wireless base station pc router
	USD 70.00 (10 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 01:00:54
Apple AirPort Extreme Base 4-Port 10/100 Wireless N Router (MA073LL/A)
	USD 49.99 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 01:34:05
Apple Airport Extreme Wi-Fi 802.11N 3-Port Router A1408 For Parts Not Working A
	USD 39.99 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 04:06:03
Apple AirPort Extreme 3-Port Gigabit Wireless N Router MC340LL/A
	USD 75.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 04:06:59
Apple Airport Base Station Extreme WIFI Router A1034 w/ AC adapters (Lot of 2)
	USD / 20.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 20:23:29
New Apple Airport Extreme.802.11n Wi-Fi MD031LL - 3-Port Wireless N Router
	USD 108.50 (16 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 06:49:32
Apple Airport Extreme N Router A1301 SIM Dualband
	USD 15.50 (2 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 18:15:50
Apple AirPort Extreme 3-Port Gigabit Wireless N Router (A1143)
	USD 7.38 (4 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 20:34:06

Linksys WRT400N Review

Linksys WRT400N ($120-149.99 just look around) – In our home we have almost exclusively used Linksys routers since we got our first high speed internet connection many years ago. They have always been easy to use and maintain and have that weird little purple-blue look to them. Well the WRT400N sports a new design but works as well as you would a expect a Linksys should. This router has true dual band support, but no Gigabit or USB support. The 5 GHz speed is a bit lacking.

Cisco-Linksys WRT400N 300 Mbps 4-Port 10/100 Wireless N Router WRT-400
	USD 14.99 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 00:20:41
LINKSYS WRT400N DUAL BAND WIFI N 300Mbps ROUTER & REPEATER W/ DD-WRT
	USD 69.98 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 01:16:38
Cisco-Linksys Simultaneous Dual-band Wireless-N Router
	USD 20.51 (9 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 17:22:09
Linksys WRT400N 4-Port 10/100 Wireless N Router
	USD 39.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 13:58:22
LINKSYS WRT400N SIMULTANEOUS DUALBAND WIRELESS-N ROUTER
	USD / 4.14 (4 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 01:21:18
Cisco-Linksys WRT400N Simultaneous Dual-Band Wireless Router w/ DD-WRT installed
	USD 69.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 02:57:08
Linksys WRT400N Dual-Band Wireless N (g,b,a) Router
	USD 56.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 17:28:14
Linksys WRT400N 300 Mbps 4-Port 10/100 Wireless N Router - Used, all accessories
	USD 1.25 (2 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 01:17:52
Used Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Router WRT400N
	USD 59.98 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 02:00:10
Linksys WRT400N 300 Mbps 4-Port 10/100 Wireless N Router
	USD 1.50 (2 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 17:21:39

Linksys WRT610N Review

Linksys WRT610N ($160.99-199.99 again look around) – This one is the next model up from the previous Linksys. The routers only major complaint is that the warranty is too short. Sounds like a good problem to have, meaning at least the complaints were performance related. The router offers a single mode, mix mode and simultaneous mode for sending the signal out. It support both 2.5 GHz and 5.0 GHz at the same time. You can attach storage devices to it, and on this one the mixed-mode throughput could be better. Other than that, it may be the best of the bunch, especially if you have external storage you want to make wireless.

Linksys WRT610N gigabit router - needs to be unbricked
	USD 30.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 01:34:31
NEW Linksys Cisco WRT610N Wireless N Router with DD-WRT - Version 2
	USD 98.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 08:58:38
Linksys WRT610N 270 Mbps 4-Port Gigabit Wireless N Router
	USD 48.88 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 03:36:57
*New* Linksys - WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Router
	USD 99.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 00:01:24
Linksys WRT610N V2 4-Port Gigabit Wireless N Router (WRT610N)
	USD 10.50 (4 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 17:06:05
Linksys WRT610N 270 Mbps 4-Port Gigabit Wireless N Router
	USD / 18.89 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 21:05:35
Cisco-Linksys WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router
	USD 49.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 17:56:33
WRT610N Ver.2 Linksys Simultaneous Dual-Band Wireless N 4-Port Gigabit Router
	USD 5.00 (3 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 01:30:42
LINKSYS WRT610N DUAL BAND WIFI N ROUTER & REPEATER W/ DD-WRT MEGA WRT600N
	USD 78.97 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 01:41:41
Linksys WRT610N 270 Mbps 4-Port Gigabit Wireless N Router
	USD 40.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 19:48:06

I know most of these routers are more expensive than most routers you will find at Wal-Mart but as they say, you gotta pay for quality. One final note if your computer, laptop or wireless capable device is only wireless G compliant you have a few choices. First you could just stick with what you have as your new wireless N router does accept all incoming signals. Next you could buy wireless n adapters which are usb enabled, work as they should and are relatively expensive. The final choice is yours, the consumer.

With the new models out, you can find some great deals on the old 2GB versions – as well as deals on the new share and explore Eye-FI versions in auctions ending soon:

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I mean, you could build a cantenna. It costs less than $5, what do you have to lose? You can make one out of an old soup can – and it’s probably better than one you could buy from the store anyway.

You could also get a second router and use it as a switch or access point. What?! You didn’t know that? Of course you can. You can setup a second router anywhere in your house, and the first one will be the gateway and the second just an access point. You might even have a second router lying around you can use already.

Did you know you could change your router’s channel? Sure you can, and you probably just left it on the same channel it was defaulted to (like all your neighbors). If you’re all on channel 5 don’t you think there will be some interference? Log into your router admin screen and change it to something different, all you can do is IMPROVE the performance!

You could even make your own antenna extender for about 5 cents. I came across this video that shows you how to do it in about 10 minutes (awesome!):

If none of that works, or your just not the homebrew type – you can just buy a long range wifi antenna….here’s a bunch for sale right now:

RTL8187L Long Range 16DBI Antenna Wifi USB Adapter Card
	USD 29.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 03:19:50
40dBm Outdoor Indoor Long Range WIFI Booster Antenna 1000mW FREE INTERNET 802.11
	USD 71.98 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 19:22:05
Quad Grabber II *USB & Wifi *Double Bi Quad *Long Range Wireless Antenna
	USD 55.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 18:46:24
ALFA ANTENNA AWUS036NEH USB 5dbi b g n WIFI network 1000mW Long range Internet
	USD 10.50 (8 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 03:00:43
USB 37dBm WIRELESS WIFI Long Range Extender Antenna
	USD 133.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 04:23:14
Marine RV 36dBm Omni 360 USB WIFI Wireless Outdoor Long Range Antenna 1000mW
	USD 116.10 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 00:08:37
Long Range Yagi Wireless WLAN WiFi Antenna 16dBi RP-SMA
	USD 18.04 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 15:59:34
Mars_A2414N Long Range 44dBm Outdoor USB adapter antenna for WIFI 802.11b/g/n
	USD 58.46 (6 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 21:17:22
15dBi 2.4GHz Super Long Range Outdoor Omni Antenna for WiFi 802.11b/g/n
	USD / 99.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 18:56:03
Long Range Omni Antenna +800mW WIFI Network USB Adapter For RV Trailer Sailer
	USD 98.10 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 04:14:00

The Panasonic BL-PA100KTA is an HD-PLC device, or High Definition Power Line Communication. Basically you get an Internet connection through ordinary AC power outlets. This particular device comes with 2 adapters, and one connects to your router and a power outlet, and then other plugs in any outlet in the house making your electrical wiring a network to connect to the Internet through. Error correction and encryption is available, and the devices can be used up to 490 physical feet. Here’s are some great deals on Panasonic Internet power adapters right now:

2 Sets of Panasonic HD-PLC Powerline Network Starter Packs - 4 units BL-PA300KTA
	USD 60.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 23:03:01
Original 2pcs Panasonic 200Mbps Power Line Communication Adapter/U
	USD 99.98 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 07:49:11
4 Panasonic BL-PA100A HD-PLC Powerline Ethernet Network Adapters
	USD 49.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 18:36:37
Original 2pcs Panasonic 200Mbps Power Line Communication Adapter/U
	USD 99.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 07:09:21
Panasonic BL-PA100KTA HD-PLC HIgh Speed Powerline Network Adapter Starter 2 Pack
	USD / 49.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 20:19:58
Original 2pcs Panasonic 200Mbps Power Line Communication Adapter/K
	USD 157.98 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 08:29:25
Panasonic BL-PA100A HD-PLC Ethernet Power Line Network Adapter
	USD 19.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 14:23:28
Original 2pcs Panasonic 200Mbps Power Line Communication Adapter/K
	USD 157.97 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 08:32:43
Panasonic BL-PA100A HD-PLC Ethernet Power Line Network Adapter
	USD 19.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 14:24:21

You could also use the Netgear HDX101, which can be purchased as a single adapter to connect to the Internet (very popular for DVR boxes and XBox 360′s). You can use this device in up to a 5,000 sq foot home! Get speeds up to 200Mbps over a your power lines and transfer large files. This is a great little device at a very reasonable price. Find one now:

Netgear XET1001 85Mbps Power Line Powerline Ethernet Adapter TWO
	USD 42.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 02:24:08
Netgear Powerline Adapter Kit XAV101 With Ethernet Cables XAV 101
	USD 42.00 (2 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 20:06:31
Netgear HDX111 Powerline network adapter
	USD 23.50 (12 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 20:58:10
Lot of 12 NETGEAR XET1001 85mbps Powerline Adapter
	USD 240.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 21:57:30
Netgear 85Mbps Powerline Network Adapter XET1001-100NAR
	USD 23.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-04 23:34:46
2x Netgear XET1001-100NAR Powerline Network Adapter
	USD 39.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 03:29:37
Netgear XE104 PowerLine Kit 3 switches each with 4 ethernet ports 85 MBPS
	USD 79.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 05:30:37
NETGEAR XAVB2001 200Mbps POWERLINE AV 200 ULTRA NETWORK ADAPTER KIT - Fast ship
	USD 47.99 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 06:10:36
NETGEAR XAV2001 Powerline AV200 Ethernet Bridge Adapter
	USD 29.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 05:08:18
Two NETGEAR XAV2001 POWERLINE AV 200 NETWORK ADAPTER 200Mbps
	USD 46.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 06:11:21

The Sling Link Home Plug has been one of the most popular and affordable power outlet ethernet solutions over the last 18 months or so:

DISH NETWORK SLINGLINK TURBO W1 HOME PLUG TO ETHERNET ADAPTER SLING LINK
	USD 9.99 (1 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 23:31:18
G100 9/32 COUPLING LINK TOW SHACKLE CLEVIS SLING CHAIN
	USD 21.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 16:39:13
Slinglink Turbo W1 Home Plug to Ethernet Adapter Sling Link to use with Slingbox
	USD 8.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 03:20:37
DISH NETWORK SLINGLINK HOME PLUG TO ETHERNET ADAPTER SLING LINK
	USD 9.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 04:01:31
GRM 1" Web Round Sling Connector Link WLL 47700 NEW
	USD 39.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 16:13:49
DISH NETWORK SLING LINK ETHERNET ADAPTER NEW
	USD 9.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-06 22:28:21
Sling Link Turbo SL 150-100 Network Interface for SlingBox
	USD / 49.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 23:14:35
Sling-Link Mast System, Ten 2' Links, 1" Wide--Tensile Strength: 7500lbs
	USD 135.49 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-05 21:22:59
DISH NETWORK SLINGLINK TURBO W1 HOME PLUG TO ETHERNET ADAPTER SLING LINK
	USD 26.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 00:54:11
NEW SLINGBOX Solo & Sling Link Turbo Bundle-CHEAP
	USD 105.00 (7 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-07 11:31:43

This post of part of The Smorgasbord Tech Reviews series!

Enter the “Eye-Fi”. Inside this flash memory card are some tiny electronics that will astound you. This SD memory card can connect to your WiFi network, without cables, or cradles – or anything! It can automatically upload all your pics to any PC on your network OR even upload them to Flickr, Fotki, Shutterfly, Webshots, Photobucket, Kodak Gallery, Sharpcast, Wal-mart, Snapfish, Phanfare, Picase Web Albums, TypePad, VOX, Smugmug, or Facebook! It can even resize photos before submission if you wish! What an unbelievably handy gadget to have!

This could possibly be one of the coolest gift ideas for just about anyone! Imagine giving this to Mom or Grandma – or anyone that hates having to get the cable or usb adapter out just to transfer the pictures every time!

Eye-Fi Wireless 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card SD
Price: $99.99
Photos should not be trapped in your camera. Set them free effortlessly and wirelessly. The Eye-Fi Card is a wireless SD memory card for your digital camera. It stores pictures like a standard SD memory card, but also uses your home Wi-Fi network to automatically transfer images from inside your camera to your PC or Mac and to your favorite photo or social networking website for sharing or printing. No cables, no cradles, no fuss.

You might be able to find a really good new or used eye-fi in one of these auctions as well:

[nms:eye-fi,5,0,0,smorgas.eyefi]