Computer Shopper - UK (2020-05)

(Antfer) #1

56 MAY2020|COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE387


NETWORKS


BT Complete

Wi-Fi
★★★★★
£5 per month•www.bt.com

TP-LINKArcherC5400
★★★★★
£254•www.amzn.to/2woYJMV

NETGEAR NighthawkAX8
★★★★★
£280•www.scan.co.uk

D-LINKDIR-1960


★★★★★


£104•uk.insight.com

Thereare
better-featured
mesh systems available,but the CompleteWi-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.

If you want to get
in early on Wi-Fi
6/802.11ax, this is a
good router to do it with. It’s no more
difficult to set up than an 802.11ac
model, but successfuly delivers the newer standard’s higher speeds.

The DIR-1960 is asimple
yet speedy router that can
optionally be turned intoa
mesh system (provided you buy the additional
satellites, of course). Either way, youcan also take
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•
WARRANTYOneyear RTB•PARTCODEC5400•FULLREVIEWMay2018
MODEMGigabitEthernet•WI-FISTANDARD802.11ax•STATEDSPEED4,800Mbit/s(5GHz),
1,200Mbit/s (2.4GHz)•USBPORTS (^2) • WALLMOUNTABLEYes•WARRANTYTwoyearsRTB•
DETAILSwww.netgear.com•PARTCODERAX80•FULLREVIEWJan2020
MODEMGigabitEthernet•WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED1,300Mbit/s(5GHz),
600Mbit/s (2.4GHz)•USBPORTS1x USB2•WALLMOUNTABLEYes•WARRANTYTwoyears
RTB•DETAILSwwww.d-link.com•PARTCODEDIR-1960•FULLREVIEWNov2019


400


01


Wirelessrouterseachuseanumber
ofWi-Fistandards,soyoushouldn’t
haveanytroubleconnectingyourcomputer
orphonewirelesslyifyougetan802.11nor
802.11ac router.Nearly all routers support
802.11n, so even acheap model should
provide decent performance.
Youcan expect atransfer speed 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-gainantenna can
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.

edddd
l bl b h l

Like the YubiKey 4
before it, this USB stick
conveniently stores all the cryptographic
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, iOS11and later, Android•
WARRANTYOneyearRTB•DETAILSwww.yubico.com•PARTCODE YubiKey 5NFC•
FULLREVIEWApr2019

NETGEAR OrbiOutdoorRBS50Y
★★★★★
£250•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
YUBICOYubiKey 5NFC
★★★★★
£37•www.yubico.com
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