While most of us love the idea of surfing the web wirelessly over broadband
from the comfort of the sofa or the garden, actually setting up the hardware to
do it can be quite daunting.
D-link's attempt to make it easier is the
DKT-710
Wireless G ADSL2+ Starter Kit, designed to get even novice users up
and running as soon as possible.
The kit comprises a stylish black and silver router, roughly the size of a
video tape, a software CD and a USB adapter for adding a wireless connection to
your computer if it doesn't already have one.
The router also offers four network sockets for hooking up computers or other
devices, and a built-in modem supporting broadband speeds up to 24Mbits/sec.
There’s no denying the initial setup process is one of the easiest we’ve seen
- simply pop the CD into the computer and follow the step-by-step guide to
hooking up the hardware. D-Link provides preset options for 14 internet
providers, and you really only need know the login details supplied with the
broadband connection to get going.
That said, it's a good idea to set up security. Although the kit supports
both WEP and WPA wireless security standards, the on-screen guide doesn’t
explain these in any detail. The software also talks the user through setting up
the PC wireless adapter, but if you’re not going to use it you’ll need to know
how to configure the computer you’re working with to connect to the new network.
In our tests we had no problems with any of the hardware and going deeper
into the router’s settings revealed some excellent features. We especially liked
the parental controls that can block or provide time-limited access to either
the whole internet or specific sites. There are also detailed options for
setting the built-in firewall and other options for more advanced users. All the
settings are easy to tweak and the interface is clear and concise.
While it doesn’t quite match the performance of newer Draft-N wireless kit
(including D-Link's own
DKT-810 at £100
more), at £60 the Wireless G ADSL2+ Starter Kit is a good way to step into the
world of wireless living.
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