Kcorp KLG_575 Gold

As wireless becomes more widespread, the only thing holding it back is speed compared to a traditional wired network. The Kcorp KLG-575 Lifestyle Gold series Wireless Gateway Router redresses the balance by offering a burst mode of 108Mbits/sec (twice the speed of 802.11g).

When we tested the router in ideal conditions, we found the speed was very impressive, with a 184MB folder copied in a little less than two minutes, 40 seconds. A single 25MB file took only 10 seconds.

The rear of the device houses a four-port Fast Ethernet switch and a fifth port for the broadband connection. If you have ADSL, you'll need to get an Ethernet modem in order to use this router. Finally, the rear houses the aerial for wireless reception and mounting holes in case you want to attach the router to the wall.

It's also incredibly cheap compared to the competition, although setting it up reveals nothing of its budget origins. The web interface has been improved from the Silver series and is now even easier to use.

You can get a list of all the clients that have requested an IP, which is a good way of checking to see who has accessed the router. The setup wizard is still available and is the best way of getting started.

As you might expect, the router has a built-in firewall to protect all devices from attacks from the Internet connection. It comes with default settings, although you can manually configure it if you feel the need.

The only noticeable omission is a print server. However, as these are flaky at the best of times, we're not too concerned. Overall, it's a superb product especially when considering the low price.

Contact: Kcorp Lifestyle
www.kcorplifestyle.com

Specifications:

• Four-port Ethernet switch
• Ethernet Wan connection
• 802.11g (108Mbits/sec burst mode)
• Web management
• Firewall