PCR’s guide to networking

The ways in which consumers can stay networked in the modern world are as varied as the products available to keep them connected. PCR hooks up with the hottest networking products on the market…

DYNAMODE SWG80010-M GIGABIT DESKTOP SWITCH

Distributor: Scan Computers

The eight-port SWG80010-M is part of a family of Gigabit Ethernet switches that allow the use of existing cat5e or cat6 data cabling. The switch auto-connects at 1000/100/10Mbps, allowing a variety of devices to use the network.

Specs: Eight Gigabit (1000/100/10 Mbps) Ethernet ports, UPnP, ASIC processor, 8K Mac size, STP RJ45 ports.

SRP: £24.99 (excl.VAT)

DEVOLO DLAN 500 AV WIRELESS+

Distributor: Exertis Gem

The dLAN 500 AV Wireless+ can turn any power outlet into a WLAN access point. It features integrated WLAN for connection to wireless terminal devices as well as three LAN ports for connecting network-compatible devices.

Specs: 2.4/5GHz, three LAN ports, mains filter, WPS, WEP, WPA/WPA2 and AES encryption, PowerSave technology.

SRP: £107.99

TP-LINK 3G MOBILE WI-FI M5250

Distributors: Exertis Micro-P, Tech Data, Entatech, Spire, CMS Distribution

Equipped with a built-in 3G modem, the M5250 can be used to create a Wi-Fi hotspot by inserting a 3G SIM card into the back of the device. The device is unlocked and will therefore work with multiple network providers.

Specs: Supports up to 10 simultaneous users, built-in 3G modem, HSPA+, 2000mAh battery, SIM card slot.

SRP: £39.99

INTELLINET 24-PORT POE+ GIGABIT SWITCH

Distributor: Meroncourt

Equipped with 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports, all of which support 802.3at/af Power over Ethernet (PoE/PoE+), this switch can power devices such as wireless LAN access points and bridges, VoIP telephones and IP surveillance cameras.

Specs: 1080p on-the-fly transcoding, dual-core CPU powered by Floating- Point unit, SuperSpeed USB 3.0.

SRP: £267

SYNOLOGY DS214PLAY

Distributors: CMS Distribution, VIP

Computers, Ingram Micro, Beta Distribution

A two-bay NAS designed to be used as a media centre, the DS214play is equipped with an Intel Evansport processor to assist with transcoding. The NAS can transcode 1080p video on-the- fly and can connect to Synology’s apps.

Specs: 1080p on-the-fly transcoding, dual-core CPU powered by Floating- Point unit, SuperSpeed USB 3.0.

SRP: £267

INTELLINET 24-PORT POE+ GIGABIT SWITCH

Distributor: Meroncourt

Equipped with 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports, all of which support 802.3at/af Power over Ethernet (PoE/PoE+), this switch can power devices such as wireless LAN access points and bridges, VoIP telephones and IP surveillance cameras.

Specs: Two small form-factor pluggable GBIC module slots (SFP), IEEE 802.3at/af- compliant RJ45 PoE/PoE+ output ports.

SRP: £749.99

DYNAMODE SWG160010-R GIGABIT SWITCH

Distributor: Scan Computers

The SWG160010-R is a rack-mount and desktop Gigabit Ethernet switch designed for homes and small businesses featuring 16-Ports that auto- sense at 1000/100/10Mbps.

Specs: 16-port Gigabit (1000/100/10 Mbps) Ethernet ports, broadcast storm protection, rack-mountable.

SRP: £64.99 (excl.VAT)

ASUS RT-AC68U DUAL-BAND WIRELESS ROUTER

Distributor: VIP Computers, Tech Data

The 5GHz 802.11ac band of the RT-AC68U provides up to 1300Mbps speeds, while Broadcom TurboQAM technology increases the 2.4GHz 802.11n performance from 450 Mbps to 600 Mbps with compatible devices.

Specs: 2.4GHz/5GHz, UPnP, DNS Proxy, DHCP, NTP Client, DDNS, Port Trigger, four RJ45 ports for LAN.

SRP: £189.95

NETGEAR WN3000RP RANGE EXTENDER

Distributor: Exertis Gem

Designed to be plugged into an electrical outlet, the WN3000RP is compatible with wireless b/g/n routers, gateways and internet service provider devices, extending an existing internet connection and reducing dead zones.

Specs: Supports 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signals, dynamic LEDs for real-time status notifications, Ethernet port.

SRP: £49.99

SYNOLOGY DS412+

Distributor: CMS Distribution, VIP Computers, Ingram Micro, Beta Distribution

A four-bay NAS designed to be used by small and medium businesses as a storage solution for backups, protection 

and sharing. The DS412+ supports Windows ADS and ACL, and is the most powerful four-bay DiskStation offered by Synology. It also includes a two-year limited warranty.

Specs: Two LAN ports with failover and link aggregation support, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, CPU Passive Cooling.

SRP: £450

INTELLINET CEILING 300N POE ACCESS POINT

Distributor: Meroncourt

Designed in the form of a smoke detector, the 300N PoE access point contains a Wireless N range extender and universal repeater to cast its coverage over as large an area as possible. The 300N also includes a PoE PD port, which can be used to power the device from a PoE-compliant LAN switch when AC power is unavailable.

Specs: Up to 300Mbps network link speed, smoke detector design, 2T2R MIMO technology, WMM, DHCP server.

SRP: £83.99

D-LINK DWA-182 WIRELESS USB ADAPTER

Distributor: Com5 Ltd, Entatech, Exertis Micro-P,Ingram Micro,Tech Data

This USB adapter uses Wireless AC technology, the fastest wireless technology currently available. Web content and files can be transferred to a mobile device up to four times faster than Wireless N 300 connections, with network deadspots reduced. The adapter’s interference-free 5GHz band means that video calls and HD videos can be streamed to multiple devices.

Specs: Wireless AC technology, interference-free 5GHz band, 802.11ac, WPS push-button setup.

SRP: £44.83 (excl.VAT)

DEVOLO DLAN 650 TRIPLE+ STARTER KIT

Distributor: Exertis Gem

Turn any power socket into an internet access point with the dLAN 650 triple+ starter kit. Connections can provide speeds of up to 600Mbps, with both wireless and wired Gigabit LAN connections available. The integrated power socket means that the power socket can still be used, and multiple adapters can be used throughout the house.

Specs: Automatic encryption, Power Save technology, Automatic phase shift, includes dLAN Cockpit software.

SRP: £189.99

ASUS DSL-N66U WIRELESS GIGABIT ROUTER

Distributor: VIP Computers, Tech Data

The DSL-N66U N900 modem router supports 802.11N networks on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands concurrently, and has a combined dual-band data rate of up to 900 Mbps. The DSL-N66U uses dual CPUs, with wired and wireless network connections each getting a dedicated CPU, for improved performance for multiple connected users. It also includes two WAN ports.

Specs: 802.11a/b/g/n, four Ethernet LAN ports, 450Mbps frequency band, RADIUS support, NAT support.

SRP: £109.95

TP-LINK ARCHER C7 AC1750 WIRELESS ROUTER

Distributor: Exertis Micro-P, Tech Data, Entatech, Spire, CMS Distribution

The Archer C7 supports the 802.11ac Wireless standard, delivering a combined wireless data transfer rate of up to 1.75Gbps.Wireless speeds can reach 1.3Gbps over the 5GHz band and 450Mbps over the 2.4GHz band. Simultaneous dual-band offers support for two dedicated networks.

Specs: 802.11ac support, three 5dBi external antennas, three internal antennas, dual USB ports.

SRP: £99.99

NETGEAR WN1000RP N150 RANGE EXTENDER

Distributor: Exertis Gem

Designed to amplify Wi-Fi coverage for mobile devices in the home, the WN1000RP also works to reduce dead zones.The adapter uses a power socket and repeats the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal from existing networking equipment. Push ‘N’ Connect setup with WPS means that no additional software is needed.

Specs: Supports 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signals from Netgear and other brands, dynamic real-time notification.

SRP: £29.99

D-LINK DNS-327L SHARECENTER+

Distributor: Com5 Ltd, Entatech, Exertis Micro-P, Ingram Micro, Tech Data

The DNS-327L allows consumers to create their own personal cloud to store and access data. Users can use their mydlink account to access the portal, download and upload files and remote check the status of their ShareCenter. iOS and Android users can use the mydlink Access-NAS app to view and play media files on their device, or directly upload files to the cloud.

Specs: Two easy-load 3.5-inch SATA storage bays, Hot-Swap support, USB 3.0 port, DLNA Certified, AirPlay support.

SRP: £128.57 (excl.VAT)

INTELLINET FIVE-PORT ETHERNET SWITCH

Distributor: Meroncourt

Auto-MDI/MDI-X crossover on all ports eliminates the need for any crossover cables while each of the five ports on this network LAN switch automatically senses the link speed of the connected network device and adjusts.

Specs: 10/100/1000 auto-sensing Auto MDI-X ports, half and full duplex with zero packet loss.

SRP: £25.99

TP-LINK TL-WPA4220KIT POWERLINE STARTER KIT

Distributor: Exertis Micro-P, Tech Data, Entatech, Spire Technology, CMS Distribution

TP-Link’s TL-WPA4220KIT extends an internet connection to additional rooms of the house through existing electrical circuitry. The TL-WPA4220 features a Wi- Fi Clone button that enables Super Range Extension.

Specs: HomePlug AV standard, up to 500Mbps data speeds, Wi-Fi Clone feature, Super Range Extension feature.

SRP: £69.99

TENDA W522U 300MBPS WIRELESS N600 USB NIC

Distributor: VIP Computers

The W522U is a dual band wireless N600 USB adapter that provides speeds of up to 300Mbps over 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands. The adapter can connect to older wireless networks and hotspots as well as newer networks and devices.

Specs: Supports IEEE802.11a/b/g/n dual-band operation, WPS, soft AP support.

SRP: £14.99

SYNOLOGY RS814+ RACKSTATION

Distributor: VIP Computers

The NAS includes two USB 3.0 ports, four LAN ports and hot-swappable drives. Synology High Availability (SHA) can ensure seamless transition between clustered servers in the event of server failure.

Specs: Dual Core CPU with Floating- Point Unit, four LAN ports with Failover and Link Aggregation Support.

SRP: £675

D-LINK DIR-868L WIRELESS CLOUD ROUTER

Distributor: Com5 Ltd, Entatech, Exertis Micro-P, Ingram Micro, Tech Data

Concurrent dual-band 802.11ac with D- Link’s AC SmartBeam technology means that high-bandwidth HD video can be streamed. Up to four PCs or other devices can be connected using the Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Specs: Dual-band 802.11ac, D-Link AC SmartBeam, four Gigabit Ethernet ports, IPv6 support, SharePort technology.

SRP: £132.88 (excl.VAT)

QNAP TS-212 TURBO NAS

Distributor: Target Components

The Qnap TS-212 is a networked storage centre designed for sharing digital content and keeping home computers backed up. iOS and Android users can stream content directly to their device over 3G or Wi-Fi, with no sync required.

Specs: Two 3.5-inch SATA I/II HDD bays, one Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet port, three USB 2.0 ports, One Touch Copy button.

SRP: £140

INTELLINET GUESTGATE MK II HOTSPOT GATEWAY

Distributor: Meroncourt

Designed to allow guests to connect to an existing internet connection without affecting an enterprise network, the GuestGate means guests can surf the web while the business network remains protected.

Specs: HNP technology, Plug and Play, Layer 3 Client Isolation, wireless 300Mbps access point functionality.

SRP: £224.99

D-LINK DSL-3580L WIRELESS CLOUD ROUTER

Distributor: Com5 Ltd, EET Europarts, Exertis Micro-P, Ingram Micro, Tech Data

Combining an ADSL2+ modem and wireless AC router in a single device, the DSL-3580L can create a network to connect all of your devices to. Concurrent dual-band 802.11ac means that high- bandwidth video can be streamed.

Specs: Dual-band 802.11ac, four Gigabit Ethernet ports, IPv6 support, ADSL2+ modem, wireless AC router.

SRP: £99.95 (excl.VAT)

CONTACTS

Beta Distribution: 020 7531 2828

CMS Distribution: 020 8960 6000

Com5 Ltd: 02380 669955

EET Europarts: 0208 421 0101

Entatech: 0333 101 1000

Exertis Gem: 01279 822 822

Exertis Micro-P: 01256 707070

Ingram Micro: 0871 973 3000

Meroncourt: 01462 680060

Tech Data: 0871 880 3000

Scan Computers: 0871 472 4747

VIP Computers: 0871 622 7500