Wireless modem routers.

Is there a constant queue of people around your PC, waiting to collect email, check eBay or send an Instant Message? We feel your pain, but if there are other PCs around there’s an answer. Simply set up your own network and everyone can automatically share the same broadband connection, resources such as printers, or easily transfer files from one system to another. It doesn’t take much to get started, either. If you’ve got two PCs, for example, buying a couple of wired connectors and the necessary cabling might cost you around £25. A wireless network PC card for your laptop could be another £20 or so, and then to tie them all together you’d need a wireless modem/router. This combines an ADSL modem that plugs into your phone line, usually with four Fast Ethernet ports for connection to wired network adapters, and a wireless access point for everyone else. Sounds expensive, but you’d be surprised: prices start from under £50. Yet isn’t it complicated? Not necessarily. In fact, the typical router installation is fairly straightforward. Once connected to your PC, it assigns you an IP address that you’ll find in the manual. Type that into your browser (192.168.1.1, say) and you’ll see the Setup program that leads you through the installation process. In a few minutes or so you should be online, and that’s when you realise that sharing your Internet connection is only one of the benefits of a good router. Value for money One feature you’ll get with every router in our test is a decent hardware firewall. This can’t be turned off by Trojans or accidentally disabled by some other network user, which means that you’re always protected from external threats. This applies even to wireless hackers. The latest routers and wireless cards employ an encryption scheme called WPA, which ensures that your data is absolutely safe. You might have concerns that are closer to home, of course. For example, what happens now your kids can surf from a PC in their bedroom without you being around? Fortunately, some routers can help there, too, thanks to URL blocking by time of day. This disables Web access for the hours you specify, making it possible to keep some control over their Internet usage. Another increasingly common modem feature is compatibility with ADSL 2/2+. This is the next broadband standard that will offer speeds of up to 24Mbps (depending how it’s implemented). This could become available in some places later this year, probably at a very high price, but at least you’ll be ready if you have with the right modem. You’ll also find that some routers offer wireless speeds well above the 54Mbps 54g standard, but these aren’t necessarily such a good deal. A 108Mbps Super-G produce will only reach that speed with other Super-G cards, for instance, and at close range. Use an ordinary 54g client or move some distance away and you may see little – if any – benefit. Some complicated issues to consider, then, but there’s nothing like a group test for picking out the easiest to use, most powerful router around. So which is it? Turn the page to find out what we discovered.