Computer Shopper - UK (2020-01)

56 JANUARY2020|COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE383

NETWORKS

BTComplete

Wi-Fi

★★★★★

£5 per month•www.bt.com

TP-LINKArcherC5400

★★★★★

£240•www.currys.co.uk

TP-LINK DecoM5

★★★★★

£166 (triple pack)•www.amzn.to/2L05q

D-LINKDIR-1960

★★★★★

£113•uk.insight.com

There are

better-feature

mesh systems available,but theCompleteWi-Fi is

decently quick on both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands, and is well

worth it forBTPluscustomers in particular.

Although this isn’t

the fastest £200-plus

router,it’s still speedy,

and comes with an impressive arrayof

features, from parental controls and

filters to BT YouViewsupport and smart home integration.

Provided you’re willing

to tinker with afew

settings, the Deco M5 is

the most feature-rich mesh Wi-Fi system

even if it’s not strictly the fastest. Get the

pack forthe best coverage throughout thehouse.

The DIR-1960 is asimple

yet speedy router that can

optionally be turned intoa

mesh system (provided you buy the additi

satellites, of course). Either way, youcana

advantage of built-in Alexa and Google Assistant controls.

WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED1,733Mbit/s(5GHz), 385Mbit/s(2.4GHz)•

USBPORTS (^1) • WALLMOUNTABLENo•WARRANTYUnder rental contract•
PARTCODEBT Complete Wi-Fi•FULLREVIEWMar2019
MODEMGigabitEthernet•WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED2x 2,167Mbit/s(5GHz),
2x 1,000MBit/s (2.4GHz)•USBPORTS1x USB2, 1x USB3•WALLMOUNTABLEYes•
WARRANTYOneyearRTB•PARTCODEC5400•FULLREVIEWMay2018
MODEMGigabitEthernet•WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED867Mbit/s(5GHz),
400Mbit/s (2.4GHz)•USBPORTS (^0) • WALLMOUNTABLENo•WARRANTYThreeyears RTB•
DETAILSwww.tp-link.com•PARTCODE (^210380) • FULLREVIEWDec 2017
MODEMGigabitEthernet•WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED1,300Mbit/s(5GHz),
600Mbit/s (2.4GHz)•USBPORTS1x USB2•WALLMOUNTABLEYes•WARRANTYTwoyears
RTB•DETAILSwwww.d-link.com•PARTCODEDIR-1960•FULLREVIEWNov2019
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01

Wireless routers each use anumber

of Wi-Fi standards, so you shouldn’t

have any trouble connecting your computer

or phone wirelessly if you get an 802.11n or

802.11ac router.Nearly all routers support

802.11n, so even acheap model should

provide decent performance.

Youcan expect atransferspeed of around

40Mbit/s at adistance of 10m from any

modern 802.11n router.The very latest

routers use the 802.11ac standard, which

provides tremendously fast transfer

speeds. Some devices still don’t support

the 802.11ac standard, so check the

specifications before you buy.

02

If you subscribe to an ADSL

broadband service,you should buy

Choosinga... Wirelessrouter

awireless router that has abuilt-in ADSL

modem. This will cost more than the

equivalent cable router,but it allows you

to connect your router directly to your

broadband connection without having to

use aseparatemodem.

03

Most 802.11n wireless routers use

the 2.4GHz frequency band. This has

good range but it can be prone to

interference if it’s positioned close to alot

of other 2.4GHz devices, such as other

routers and babymonitors. If you have

trouble getting aconsistent signal or you

want faster speeds forvideo streaming, for

example,it’s worth buying adual-band

router that can use both the 2.4GHz and

5GHz bands.

Alternatively,ahigh-gain antennacan

boost signals and improve ranges and

throughputs to the entire house.You can

also add ahigh-gain antenna to aPC’s

network adaptor.Ifwired network speeds

are apriority,you should look forarouter

with aGigabit Ethernet connection.

04

Many routers come with built-in USB

ports that let you connect aUSB drive

and use the router as anetwork storage

device.Ifyou want to share aUSB printer

over your network, look forawireless router

that has aUSB print server.

Finally,ifyou’re interested in making voice

calls over the internet, buy arouter with

built-in VoIP support (and phone sockets)

because this can save you money.

eddd

l bl b h l

Like the YubiKey 4

before it, this USB stick

conveniently stores all the cryptograp

data you need to add two-factor authentication to aPCor

laptop; and this time,there’s NFC, allowing you to use it with

mobile devices via asingle tap.

USBTYPEType-A•OSSUPPORTWindows10, macOS,iOS 11 andlater, Android•

WARRANTYOneyearRTB•DETAILSwww.yubico.com•PARTCODE YubiKey 5NFC•

FULLREVIEWApr2019

NETGEAR OrbiOutdoorRBS50Y

★★★★★

£235•www.amzn.to/2MZg5YB

This weatherproofWi-Fi extender

is aperfect addition to mesh

systems that can’t quitecover a

garden. It has similar internal specfications to the

brilliant Orbi RBK50, meaning high speeds and

reliable connections.

WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED1x 866Mbit/s(5GHz)1x1,733Mbit/s(5GHz),

1x 400Mbit/s(2.4GHz)•USBPORTS (^0) • WALLMOUNTABLEYes•WARRANTYTwoyears RTB•
DETAILSwww.netgear.co.uk•PARTCODERBS50Y•FULLREVIEWJul2019
YUBICOYubiKey5NFC
★★★★★
£38•www.yubico.com
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