Edimax BR-6204WG router review

It’s not difficult to set up an ADSL Broadband connection, but by contrast a cable connection is an absolute doddle.

The cable modem will have a Lan port which you simply connect to your PC with an Ethernet cable and, as your ISP will assign you an IP address, the connection should work instantly.

Your cable connection is always-on, which makes it ideal for sharing with the other PCs and notebooks in your house once you add a router such as the Edimax BR-6204WG.

On the front of the router you’ll find the usual array of activity LEDs, while on the back there’s a recessed reset button, a 12V DC power connection, four Ethernet ports, the Wan port and the threaded antenna attachment point.

If you want to boost the standard 802.11g range, Edimax's EA-105D detachable indoor omni-directional antenna sells for £15 and claims to increase range to 40m. The EA-1D6D is an indoor directional antenna that costs £25 and promises to boosts the range to 60m across an open plan office.

More to the point, these antennae will help blast a wireless signal through the brick and stone internal walls that you find in older buildings.

However, neither are included with this router as standard, and we were therefore unable to judge their quality.

Other features of the router include VPN pass thru, WDS (Wireless Distribution System), Universal Repeat Mode and WPA security which is authenticated by an external Radius server are useful for a business that is extending a network, however this would probably require a router that has many more Lan connections than the four provided by this model.

On it's own, the Edimax BR-6204WG is a pretty standard router for cable modems at a good price. The aerial options are interesting, but you'll have to shell out more for them.

If you want to increase your 802.11g network's strength, you should also check out Hawking Technologies HWU-8DD Wifi adapter (we've also covered it in one of our PCW Product of the Week podcasts).