2019-09-01_Computer_Shopper

64 SEPTEMBER 2019 |COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE 379

NETWORKS

BTComplete

Wi-Fi

★★★★★

£5 per month•www.bt.com

TP-LINKArcherC5400

★★★★★

£240•www.currys.co.uk

TP-LINKDecoM5

★★★★★

£181 (triple pack)•www.amzn.to/2L05qMi

D-LINKDIR-895L

★★★★★

£204•www.ebuyer.com

There are

better-featured

mesh systems available ,but the CompleteWi-Fi is

decentlyquick on both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands, and is well

worth it forBTPlus customers in particular.

Althoughthis isn’t

the fastest £200-plus

router,it’s still speedy,

and comes with an impressivearrayof

features, from parentalcontrolsand

filters to BT YouView supportand smart home integration.

Provided you’re willing

to tinker with afew

settings,the Deco M5 is

the most feature-richmesh Wi-Fi system

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

pack forthe best coverage throughoutthe house.

If you can stomach

the price,D-Link’s

DIR-895L will make

it worth your while with staggeringlyfast speeds and exceptionally

long range.Italso lets you connectto your home networkremotely,

via an L2TP VPN.

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

USBPORTS (^1) • WALLMOUNTABLENo•WARRANTYUnderr t alcontract•
PARTCODEBTCompleteWi-Fi•FULLREVIEWMar2019
MODEMGigabitEthernet•WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED2x2,167Mbit/s(5GHz),
2x1,000MBit/s (2.4GHz)•USBPORTS1xUSB2,1xUSB3•WALLMOUNTABLEYes•
WARRANTYOneyearRTB•PARTCODEC5400•FULLREVIEWMay2018
MODEMGigabitEthernet•WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED867Mbit/s(5GHz),
400Mbit/s(2.4GHz)•USBPORTS (^0) • WALLMOUNTABLENo•WARRANTYThreeyearsRTB•
DETAILSwww.tp-link.com•PARTCODE (^210380) • FULLREVIEWDec2017
MODEMGigabitEthernet•WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED2x2,166Mbit/s(5GHz),
1,000Mbit/s(2.4GHz)•USBPORTS1xUSB2,1xUSB3•WALLMOUNTABLEYes•
WARRANTYTwoyearsRTB•PARTCODEDIR-895L•FULLREVIEWDec2017
5qMi
around,
triple
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400
01
Wirelessrouters each use anumber
of Wi-Fi standards,so you shouldn’t
have any troubleconnectingyour computer
or phone wirelesslyif you get an 802.11n or
802.11ac router.Nearly all routers support
802.11n, so even acheap model should
provide decentperformance.
Youcan expect atransfer speed of around
40Mbit/sat adistanceof 10m from any
modern802.11n router.The very latest
routers use the 802.11ac standard,which
provides tremendouslyfast transfer
speeds.Some devices still don’t support
the 802.11ac standard,so check the
specificationsbefore you buy.
02
If you subscribeto an ADSL
broadbandservice,you should buy
Choosing a... Wirelessrouter
awireless router that has abuilt-in ADSL
modem.This will cost more than the
equivalent cable router,but it allows you
to connectyour router directlyto your
broadbandconnectionwithouthaving to
use aseparatemodem.
03
Most 802.11n wirelessrouters use
the 2.4GHz frequencyband. This has
good range but it can be prone to
interference if it’s positionedclose to alot
of other 2.4GHz devices, such as other
routers and babymonitors. If you have
troublegettingaconsistent signal or you
want faster speedsforvideo 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
throughputsto the entire house.You can
also add ahigh-gainantenna to aPC’s
networkadaptor.Ifwired networkspeeds
are apriority,you should look forarouter
with aGigabit Ethernetconnection.
04
Many routers come with built-in USB
ports that let you connectaUSB drive
and use the router as anetworkstorage
device.Ifyou want to share aUSB printer
over your network,look forawireless router
that has aUSB print server.
Finally,ifyou’re interested in makingvoice
calls over the internet, buy arouter with
built-in VoIP support(and phone sockets)
becausethis can save you money.
redredredred
ailabl but the Cl
Like the YubiKey 4
before it, this USB stick
convenientlystores all the cryptograp
data you need to add two-factor authenticationto aPCor
laptop; and this time,there’s NFC, allowingyou to use it with
mobile devices via asingle tap.
USBTYPEType-A•OSSUPPORTWindows10,macOS,iOS11andlater, Android•
WARRANTYOneyearRTB•DETAILSwww.yubico.com•PARTCODEYubiKey5NFC•
FULLREVIEWApr2019
NETGEAROrbiOutdoorRBS50Y
★★★★★
£249•www.amzn.to/2MZg5YB
This weatherproofWi-Fi extender
is aperfect additionto mesh
systems that can’t quitecover a
garden.It has similar internal specficationsto the
brilliantOrbi RBK50,meaninghigh speeds and
reliableconnections.
WI-FISTANDARD802.11ac•STATEDSPEED1x866Mbit/s(5GHz)1x1,733Mbit/s(5GHz),
1x400Mbit/s(2.4GHz)•USBPORTS (^0) • WALLMOUNTABLEYes•WARRANTYTwoyearsRTB•
DETAILSwww.netgear.co.uk•PARTCODERBS50Y•FULLREVIEWJul2019
YUBICOYubiKey5N C
★★★★★
£38•www.yubico.com
T
rentalco
ographic
NFC
er
NEW
ENTRY