Routers, mesh systems, and networking gear, including the setup that runs my flat and travel routers.
The new Linksys WRT1200AC brings the high-end features of the WRT1900AC to AC1200 speeds at a lower price, retailing for S$329 from 4th June 2015 at Challenger and other electronics stores. I attended its Singapore launch.
The Linksys EA9200 Wireless AC3200 Tri-Band Smart Wi-Fi Router launched in Singapore on 6th February 2015 at a recommended S$399, available only at Challenger for now. It's the new flagship after the Linksys E8350 AC2400, and its true successor.
The Linksys E8350 AC2400 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi Router launched on 7th November 2014 at a recommended S$399, exclusive to Challenger and online. It's the second Linksys router priced at S$399 after the WRT1900AC, and I think that's too high.
WD makes the best hard drives and Synology the best NAS. I run two Synology units at home with WD drives: a DS210j on two WD Green 1TB since 2010, and a DS413j on four WD Red 1TB since 2013.
The Asus RT-AC87U is the world's first AC2400-class dual-band 802.11ac wireless router with a four-by-four antenna configuration, and the first to use multi-user MIMO. It delivers 1.7334Gbit/s on 5GHz and 600Mbit/s on 2.4GHz, for a combined 2.334Gbit/s.
The Linksys WRT1900AC came in the biggest router box I've ever received. Inside, everything sits in protective foam rather than cardboard, with a sponge fixed to the lid to cushion the router. It retails for S$399.
I'd used the Huawei MiFi E585, bought four years ago, until its battery gave out, going flat after an hour. Spoilt by 4G, I find Singapore's congested 3G far too slow. I'd wanted a 4G mobile Wi-Fi modem last year.
The D-Link DIR-868L Wireless AC 1750 Dual-Band Gigabit Router retails for S$319, or S$279 at Challenger's member price, steep for a router. Still, it's cheaper than the Cisco Linksys EA6500 was at launch. This draft 802.11ac router supports simultaneous dual-band.
Asus launched the world's smallest router last week, the WL-330NUL, 6.5cm long and weighing 17.5g, available from 20th May 2013 for S$59. This 4-in-1 device works as a router, USB Ethernet adapter, wireless adapter, and hotspot, but lacks a battery.
In my final Synology DiskStation DS413j review, after covering unboxing, setup, and performance, I focus on its multimedia features. These include Video Station, Audio Station, and Photo Station, along with their mobile apps, DS Video, DS Audio, and DS Photo.
In this second part of my Synology DiskStation DS413j review, after unboxing and setup earlier, I cover performance, backup, and CloudStation. I tested file transfer speeds with LAN Speed Test, the DS413j running SHR with WD Red drives.
I've been seeded the Synology DiskStation DS413j with three WD Red drives for a three-part review, beginning here with unboxing and setup. Since the DS413j is a four-bay NAS, I popped to Sim Lim Square for a fourth WD Red.
Western Digital is entering the router market with three routers and two more featuring built-in storage. The range runs from the My Net N600 at S$99 up to the N900 Central 2TB at S$399. Here I review the N900.
The Cisco Linksys EA6500 succeeds the EA4500 and is now in stores for S$349. It uses the new 802.11ac wireless technology, still under development, to deliver near-gigabit wireless speeds. Most AC routers currently reach a theoretical maximum of 1.3Gbps.
The Buffalo AirStation HighPower WCR-HP-G300 is a budget router retailing for just S$59. Aimed at lower-end consumers, its specs are entry-level, supporting 10/100Mbps LAN/WAN and 2.4GHz Wireless-N speeds up to 300Mbps. It's also remarkably light.
Cisco launched the Linksys EA4500 router in June 2012, retailing for S$299. It introduces Cisco Connect Cloud, letting you connect, control, and interact with your router and its devices from anywhere, as long as you're online.
I bought the D-Link DNS-320 (S$109) and two Western Digital 3.5-inch Caviar Black 1TB drives at S$115 each, at Comex 2011. Despite a bad experience with the DNS-323, I went D-Link again, since this is for my mom's office.
On 24th June 2011, I visited the StarHub Shop at VivoCity to sign up for MaxOnline Infinity, StarHub's fibre service. I chose the MaxInfinity Elite plan, offering 150Mbps download, 75Mbps upload, and 15Mbps international speeds, at S$82.18 a month.
I got the Sapido MB-1132 for NT$1,790, about S$76.83, thanks to my relative Andy, who picked it up at Guang Hua Digital Plaza in Taiwan during Computex 2011. It impressed me, charging USB devices and acting as a router.
On the night of PC Show 2011, my brother called to say my D-Link DGS-1008D switch, bought at IT Show 2009, had died. I went home, confirmed it, and returned the next day to buy the same switch for S$85.
Bought the Huawei MiFi E585 for S$185 from Amos on HardwareZone forums. This mobile router uses your SIM card to get online and shares the connection with up to five devices, unlike 3G USB modems that serve only one.
When I posted photos from Iomega's first blogging event, many assumed Iomega was dead after the Zip drive lost out to USB flash drives. In fact EMC, a Fortune 500 data-storage giant, bought them for US$213 million, so they're back.