Wireless networking is becoming more and more prominent everyday with new technology and products emerging very quickly. Most of America now is ditching their slow dial up connections for fast broadband connections like cable and DSL.
The problem with these connections is that they are hard wired and if you want to hookup multiple computers that can access the Internet you will need a router, cat5, and a little networking knowledge. The obvious problem with hardwired networking is that the cables need to be made or bought then run to the computer you are trying to get to. In some cases this can be a hard task if the router is not close to the computer or you have a two story house. That is where wireless comes into play, with wireless you don’t need any cables to go to your computers.
SMC sent over their best and newest router, the Barricade Turbo 11/22 Mbps Auto-Sensing Wireless Cable/DSL Broadband Router model number SMC2404WBR. This platform independent multi-functional router combines a 3-port 10/100 Mbps dual-speed Auto MDI-MDIX switch, a 2.4Ghz 11/22 Mbps auto-sensing wireless access point, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall security, parental controls, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) pass-through support into one convenient device.
The Barricade Wireless Broadband Router has a 10/100Mbps WAN port for high-speed integration into your network. To connect devices on your network, the Barricade supports Network Address Translation (NAT) and DHCP to provide simultaneous Internet connections for up to 253 PC’s and all of these connections can be made using a single purchased IP address.
For network management, the Barricade Turbo supports IP routing, port forwarding, and a full-featured Access Control option. This integrated feature allows you to filter traffic through your network based on scheduled time, IP address, or MAC address while also logging DHCP and hacker attempt information.
To provide wireless communication the SMC Wireless Barricade has a built-in 802.11b Turbo Access Point. For network security, this new Barricade supports MAC filtering and the standard 64-/128-bit WEP while also introducing a new 256-bit WEP encryption option. This wireless router supports data transfers up to 22Mbps and offers up to 1155 feet of coverage.
To go with the router they sent over a EZ Connect 802.11b 11Mbps Wireless PCI Card which is an IEEE 802.11b-compliant 2.4GHz 11 Mbps Wireless PCI Card. This adapter features an operating range of up to 1,155 feet, and true plug-and-play installation in all desktop computers. The card can be used in any desktop system which needs to connect to the SMC2404WBR router. There is a newer model of PCI card that SMC offers which is 11/22Mbps but at the time they did not have it for me to review.
Along with the PCI adapter, they also sent over a EZ Connect Turbo 11/22 Mbps Auto-Sensing Wireless Cardbus Adapter (SMC2435W). It supports data rates up to 22Mbps. The EZ Connect Turbo Carbus Adapter supports a maximum operating range of 1,155 feet. To achieve the turbo data transfer rates this adapter uses a new technology called Packet Binary Convolution Code (PBCC) modulation. This technology allows the EZ Connect turbo line to support throughput up to 22Mbps and provides an automatic fallback feature that helps maintain the connection. This Auto-Fallback feature supports 22, 11, 5.5, 2, 1 Mbps transmission speeds. The EZ Connect Turbo 11/22 Mbps Wireless Adapter operates in the 2.4GHz frequency and is compatible with 802.11b hardware.
For communication security, these new line of wireless products supports the standard 64/128-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and introduces a new 256-bit WEP encryption option. These adapter supports all major Windows Operating System such as Windows 98/ME/2000/XP. All of these SMC components are WiFi compliant and are fast enough to handle streaming video and multimedia applications.
The box of the router is your standard box really, it just tells you what you have and some specs of it. The back of the box has some more information about the product so that when you are in the store you can get the information needed.
The router comes packed well so that it wont be damaged during shipping. It comes in a plastic bag so that it doesn’t get scratched and has some foam around it so that it wont get broken. Along with the router you get a manual, driver CD, cat5e to connect your router to your cable modem, and a power plug. The driver CD has a 3 click install program which allows you to install and configure the router to your system so that you can be online in minutes.
The router is a gray color and from the top view you can see the two antenna which are used to pick up the wireless signal. The bottom of the router has four spots where you put little feet so that your router wont slide around. The front of the router has the model number of the router along with some LEDs. There are LEDs for power, WAN, link, and speed. The back of the router has a WAN connection which goes to your cable or DSL modem. There are also three rj-45 ports for hardwired computers that want to get on the network. There is also the plug for the power so that you can actually use the router.
The box for the PCI card has the same layout as the router basically with the same guy and everything. Within the box the PCI card is inside an antistatic bag and encased in foam so that it doesn’t get damaged. The PCI card comes with a driver disk, utility disk, and manual which does a pretty good job explaining everything.
This revision of the PCI card is the 11Mbps one rather than the 11/22. SMC does have the 11/22Mbps PCI card however at the time they did not have it in stock so I went for the 11Mbps one. This revision of the PCI card is basically a PCI card with a PCMCIA card stuck into it. The downfall to this is that there is no antenna and will hinder reception range and strength. On the end of the PCMCIA there is a LED which is for connectivity so that you know when you are connected.
The box for the PCMCIA cardbus is also the same as the router and the PCI card. Again it has the same guy on it and most of the same information and pictures. The wireless card is sealed within an antistatic bag and held in place by cardboard. Because the card is so light and compact there isn’t really much chance for it to be damaged during shipping which is why it isn’t wrapped in foam or anything fancy.
The cardbus is pretty small, only a little bigger than a credit card. This card will fit in any type II PCMCIA slot and is compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/Xp. It is supposed to have a range of 1,155 feet which is a good distance and should be more than enough for most houses. The cardbus comes with a driver CD which also has the same utility as the PCI card and a manual which also explains things pretty well.
The first thing I installed was the router, which I have to say was as easy as they said it would be. To install the router you will need to plug the cat5 provided into your cable or DSL modem then connect it to the WAN port of the router. You will also need to plug the power and any hardwired computers to ports on the back of the router.
For the particular network I was setting this up on there was a hardwired desktop with a regular NIC, another desktop with the wireless PCI card, and a laptop with the cardbus in it. Installation of the software for the router was as simple as they said it would be, after a running the router setup file from the CD and going through a few screens with questions it was all setup.
I then installed the PCI card to a desktop case which was upstairs which is the main reason wireless networking was needed. We did not want to drill holes and run wire so wireless was the best solution to the problem. I went ahead and plugged the wireless NIC in and it went in with little trouble. It was a little bit of a tight squeeze to get it in because of the awkward shape of the card due to the PCMCIA part stick out of the back but it still went in.
The new revision of this card has an antenna so installation would be much easier. I had a 56k modem and a regular NIC in the computer which I removed once the wireless was up and running.
The installation of the cardbus NIC for the laptop was easier than the PCI card installation. With the cardbus all you have to do is plug it into the PCMCIA slot and away you go. PCMCIA is hot swappable meaning you can add and remove the card while the computer is on and have it be detected which is really nice for a wireless NIC. Installation of the drivers and utility software was the same for the PCI NIC and the cardbus. After booting up the computer the first thing that popped up was Windows saying that new hardware was found.
Instead of using the drivers provided on the CD with the NICs I went to SMC’s website and downloaded the newest ones they had, along with an updated version of the utility. After a few seconds the drivers were finished installing. Installation was a breeze on both Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
After the NIC was installed all I had to do was refresh my IP and do a few minor configurations with the utility and I was on the internet. The main thing that you will be concerned with as far as configuration is making sure that the SSID (Short for Service Set Identifier) which is a 32-character unique identifier attached to the header of packets sent over a WLAN that acts as a password.
The SSID differentiates one WLAN from another, so all access points and all devices attempting to connect to a specific WLAN must use the same SSID. Along with the SSID and channel settings you will need to have the encryption on the router and the NICs matching.
The utility program that is included on a floppy is pretty cool, I went ahead and downloaded the updated version from their website and would recommend you do as well. The main tab of the utility has a lot of good information like the MAC address, channel, speed, link strength and link quality.
As you can see the link quality and strength are pretty good, the router was downstairs while the computer was upstairs. Depending on where the computer and router were in relation to each other determined the quality and strength. Overall the reception was good but at times it would drop kind of low. I think if the PCI card had an antenna on it that it would get much better reception.
The configuration tab of the utility is where you can set the profile name, network name, network type, and transmit rate. I left all of these at the default setting because it worked fine and with the network setup I had going there was no reason to change anything.
The encryption tab has your encryption options so that you can lock down the wireless connection with WEP which stands for “Wired Equivalent Privacy.” WEP seeks to establish similar protection to a regular LAN which is offered by a wired network physical security by encrypting data transmitted over the WLAN. You have the option of 64 bit, 128 bit, or disabling it all together which isn’t recommended. I went ahead and used the 128 bit encryption so that it would be harder to be hacked.
The about tab of the configuration utility has a couple bits of useful information. From this tab you can find your driver version, utility version, NIC firmware, and MAC address. All of this is useful information and its nice that its all in one place rather than having to go to more than one to find it all.
Conclusion
I have done a lot of wired networking but this was my first experience with wireless. Overall I am very impressed with these SMC products and the technology in itself. The most obvious advantage to using wireless equipment is that there is no need for cabling, and you can use it anywhere within your house or ever outside.
The obvious disadvantage to wireless is that its still not as fast as a regular wired LAN, link quality and strength may not reach far enough for your needs, and the security risk is much higher. The router and both NICs come with good utilities, manuals, and drivers. Everything should be able to be installed and setup within an hour which is great.
The nice thing about the router too is that you can also plug in wired computers to the network to take advantage of faster speeds and better security. Wireless popularity has been growing and I am sure will continue to do so and only get better doing so. This whole setup is great and I feel that SMC has a great lineup of products here.
I would really suggest this to anyone who either doesn’t want to deal with the hassles of wiring up a network or simply wants to be able to use their PC or laptop anywhere.
Overall I am going to give this whole setup a 9/10 and award it the OCmodshop Seal of Approval. I would really like to thank SMC for sending over this stuff to review and the support they offered me.
Pros
- Good looking router
- Easy to install
- Great software utility
- Can be on the internet anywhere within your house
- Router can use wired and wireless connections
- 11/22 Mbps speeds
- 128 bit WEP encryption
Cons
- No antenna on PCI card
- Manuals could be better
- Security risks