Ultra Cool Gadgets

The Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N Notebook Adapter is the simple way to add or upgrade wireless connectivity in your notebook computer. Just slide it into your notebook s PC Card slot and enjoy incredible high-speed wireless network access while retaining true mobility.

Technical Details

* High-speed Wireless-N (draft 802.11n) networking for your notebook computer
* MIMO technology uses multiple radios per band to create robust signals for maximum range and speed, with reduced dead spots
* Operates in the 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands–choose the one with least congestion in your area
* Also connects to Wireless-G, -B, and -A networks
* Compatible with Windows XP and Vista

Customer feedback:

1. At first, my experience with this card was very similar to the other reviews. The connection was extremely slow and I could not get it to switch from wireless-A to wireless-N. I could only use A on the 5.0 GHz frequency or G on the 2.4 GHz frequency. I tried restarting my computer, trying with and without my firewall and security software, restarted my router, et cetera, and the connection remained poor. However, once I turned off the wireless network monitor (the green icon that appears in the lower right after you install the driver) and simply connected through the Windows “choose a wireless connection” screen, my connection was very fast, reliable, and otherwise just like being connected with an Ethernet cable. Since then, I have had no problems and I no longer use the wireless network monitor that came on the installation CD. I am not recommending that you disregard the installation instructions, but I do recommend not using the wireless network monitor afterward. Just connect via Windows and the connection is great.
As I type this, there are two walls between my router and the wireless adapter and I still have signal strength of 4 bars (out of 5) and speed of 162 Mbps. Nearer to the router, I routinely get 5 bars and 297 Mbps.

2. Wow! I went from a top of 54 MPS to 270 MPS! That is along with the Linksys WRT600 N wireless router. Internet speed test was about 4000 KBS before I used this adapter, now I am hitting 11849 KPS. I love it!

The PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter lets you turn the existing powerlines in your home or office into a high-speed network. Now you don’t have to drill through the walls and climb through the attic or cellar to install network cables — just use the wires that already run through the building! The PowerLine AV Adapter interfaces Ethernet devices to the HomePlug AV PowerLine network standard. Just plug the PowerLine AV Adapter into the wall, and connect your Ethernet-equipped device to the Adapter using the included network cable, and you’ve turned your whole house into network infrastructure!
Attach more computers to the network by simply plugging them into the wall anywhere in the house, using more PowerLine AV Adapters. Once your computers are connected to the network, they can share resources like printers and storage space, and all kinds of files — music, digital pictures, and documents. With up to 100Mbps data rates, you can play lag-free head-to-head network computer games, and run media-centric applications like streaming video and Voice over IP telephony. And if you use a PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter to interface one of the famous Linksys Broadband Routers from your cable or DSL Internet connection to your PowerLine AV network, you’ll be able to get to the Internet from any computer in the house. The Linksys PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter Kit is the perfect solution for high-speed, “no new wires”, home or office networking.

Technical Details

* Model: PLE200
* Item Package Quantity: 1
* Hardware Platform: PC
* Networking Feature: Adapter
* Form Factor: External
* Connectivity Technology: HomePlug
* Number of Ports: 1
* Data Link Protocol: 10/100 Ethernet
* Data Transfer Rate: Up to 100 Mbps
* Security: 128-bit WEP encryption

Customer feedback:

1. These adapters work great, but the Linksys setup could save many hours of frustration and tech calls to your ISP and to Linksys if they gave more information to those who need one adapter hooked up to their modem/router. [The instructions gave no specific steps for this.]
#1..The first adapter must be configured on a PC that’s attached to the modem/router you plan to use with it. [This may sound obvious, but my home network only had Macs directly hooked to the router, and the PC I was connecting was previously wireless downstairs at the very far end of the house. You can’t configure the first adapter attached to the PC alone, then hook it back to router, like I tried to do.] Now you can configure it’s twin where you want. However …
#2..It makes a difference which outlet in your house you plug the second adapter into. My adapter was originally plugged into the farthest plug away from the modem/router, and the internet connection was very poor. Simply moving it to another outlet helped a lot.

2. There’s no configuration required at all. Just plug one in to an outlet close to your router and another one in to an outlet anywhere you need another network connection, connect the Ethernet cables, and you’re in business. I definitely recommend them.
This listing is for the PLE200, which is a single unit. This is what you might need if you are expanding your existing powerline network. If you’re just starting out with powerline adapters, you’ll need at least 2 adapters. So you might consider the PLK200, which is a kit containing 2 units.

Access movies, your music library, family photos and HDTV programming from your Media Center PC and stream it all to your living room TV or home theater. New Linksys Media Center Extenders give you access to the entertainment content on your Microsoft Windows Vista Premium or Ultimate PC to enjoy in the comfort of your living room. Pause or rewind live TV, record sporting events or episodes of your favorite TV shows and save them for later viewing. Quickly navigate through elegant menus and programming guides. Access online movie, music and other Internet services to expand your entertainment options.
The Linksys DMA2100 streams your digital music, movies and photos to any TV in your home without running wires. With elegant and easy-to-navigate menu screens, you can play DVDs, view family slide shows, browse your music collection by cover art, listen to entire playlists or choose from a vast selection of Internet Radio stations from all over the world.

Bring your digital music, movies and photos to your TV or Home Theater
# - Allows you to share your photos, music and movies on your computer with friends and family
# - Uses existing high-speed Wireless-N home network
# - Easily navigate menus with a single learning remote

Customer feedback:

1. It plays our recorded TV, pictures, DVDs ripped to XviD (not DVDs in the player), and music from the other room with an interface that looks just like Vista Media Center. Wife acceptance factor = high. We are using wired ethernet (100) and a 1080p tv via HDMI. The supplied remote is good. Speed of menus is acceptable (even faster, if you turn off transitions in the setup). FF, rewind, pause, etc. are all fine for Live/Recorded HD TV — looks perfect on our 1080p tv.
XviD files are a little slow to start up on the DMA2100.
I had realistic expectations and we are happy!

2. I purchased two of these extenders in Januray to go with my two XBox 360’s, and I am nothing but pleased. I ended up buying a QuadCore 6600-based PC to use as the media center, mainly because I didn’t want to have to go through the hassle of upgrading my older machine to Vista. I am connecting it to a wired network; I haven’t yet gotten a 802.11n router so I can’t speak to how well it works wirelessly.
The interface is exactly like it is on the Vista machine. I don’t experience any sluggishness - this might have to do with how powerful the PC is. It’s easy to use, and my family thinks the interface is a big step up from my Time Warner cable box. This thing is really quiet too - if you get close to it when no one else is home you can hear some noise but I haven’t been able to identify just what it is. Compared to the runway-noise level of the 360’s, this is silent.

The EtherFast 8-Port 10/100 Workgroup Switch is a quick and easy way to boost your network’s performance while migrating to the power of Fast Ethernet. With support for half- and full-duplex speeds, the switch allows your network to run at 10 Mbps, 20 Mbps, 100 Mbps and an incredible 200 Mbps.
The 8-Port Workgroup Switch is designed to meet the needs of small-business and home networks. The eight-port rack-mountable switch is great for enterprise and medium-size business use.

Technical Details

* Device Type - Switch
* Ports Qty - 8 Ports
* Data Transfer Rate - 10/100 Mbps
* Compliant Standards - 802.3, 802.3u

Customer feedback:

1. If you’re considering buying this switch, you most likely have more than a few computers to network. And if you’re the casual home user, this switch will give you appreciable performance at a great price. As a geek with 4 constantly-on computers with a mixed OS network, I can say that this switch (which was an upgrade from a 5-port 10/100 hub) really improved my network connections.
First off, you should know the difference between “hubs” and “switches”. Hubs are your typical central connecting device that will allow you to hook up more than one computer on to the network at a time. They are usually quite cheaper than switches, at the price of loss of performance. Switches have separate bandwidths for each port, unlike hubs; thus, allowing more traffic to go through between each computer on your network. Of course, if you’re going to be doing nothing but sending e-mails and occasional web surfing, a cheap hub will do all of this for you. But for the heavy gamers or those that want to use network intensive tools will appreciate the individual bandwidth that each port gets.

2. This is a great little box for connecting a small network without breaking your bank. The EZXS88W has a great work/size ratio. It’s small enough to set on top of a computer case and provides eight ports of full duplex, 10/100 networking.
It has a very informative display to give out info for connection speed, duplex connection and collision. The setup is as simple as plugging in the power and network cables. I have yet to run into any problems with this unit and would recommend it without a second thought.

The 5-Port 10/100/1000 Gigabit Switch provides non-blocking, wire speed switching for your 10, 100, and 1000 megabit network clients. Drop this switch in place of your current workgroup hub or switch, and you can upgrade your high-requirement workstations to full Gigabit speeds as necessary, while continuing to service other clients at their current speeds. Or build your network from the ground up, with appropriate link speeds for each users requirements. Either way, its perfect for graphics, multimedia, and other applications that have to move large files across the network quickly. With the 5-Port 10/100/1000 Gigabit Switch, you can connect your existing 10/100 Ethernet network to a Gigabit server backbone without any additional equipment.

Technical Details

* Device Type: Network Switch
* RJ-45 Ports: 5
* Form Factor: Desktop
* Switching Method: Store-and-Forward
* 10/100/1000 Mbps Ports: 5
* Networking Standards: IEEE 802.3i 10Base-T Ethernet
* Networking Standards: IEEE 802.3u 100Base-TX Fast Ethernet
* Networking Standards: IEEE 802.3ab Gigabit Ethernet
* Dimensions: 5.12″ x 1.18″ x 5.00″
* Ethernet: CAT5

The Linksys WUSB300N Wireless-N USB Network Adapter lets you access the fastest and most advanced wireless solutions currently available. With this unit enabling your PC or laptop, you can run media-intensive applications at amazing speeds, without the hassle or expense of stringing a lot of wires. The Linksys Wireless-N USB Network Adapter uses the very latest in wireless networking technology, Wireless-N (draft 802.11n). By overlaying the signals of multiple radios, Wireless-N’s Multiple-In, Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology multiplies the effective data rate. Whereas ordinary wireless technologies are confused by signal reflections, MIMO actually makes use of these reflections to increase the range while reducing dead spots in the coverage area. This means the signal travels farther, maintaining wireless connections at up to three times the distance of standard Wireless-G, so the farther away you are, the more speed advantage you get. This Wireless-N adapter is fully backward compatible, so it works great with standard Wireless-G and -B routers, but when both ends of the wireless link are Wireless-N enabled, you can experience increased throughput by using twice as much radio band, which allows speeds up to 15 times that of standard Wireless-G.
To help protect your data and privacy, this wireless adapter can encode all its wireless transmissions with iron-clad, 256-bit Wireless Protected Access (WPA2) encryption. Yet, despite a robust and deep set of features and functionality, configuration is simple and easy with an included web browser-based configuration utility. The incredible speed of Wireless-N networking is ideal for media-centric applications like streaming video, gaming, and voice-over-IP telephony, and gives you plenty of headroom to run multiple media-intense data streams at the same time, without worrying about a degradation in performance.

Customer feedback:

1. I got this with my new linksys wireless-n router and this little thing works great. In a part of the house where I barely got a signal from my old dlink w-g router I know get a 70-80% strong signal with speeds between 250-350mbps!
I highly recommend this adapter to anyone. That stand, although it comes with the adapter, is not needed. The retail comes with an extra ~1ft long usb extension cord. Remember: All Linksys wireless-n adapters and routers are backwards compatible to w-b/g.

2. I have had three different USB network adapter in the last one year. Linksys WUSB300N Wireless-N USB Network Adapter is the most stable and fastest one.
Prior to this one, I had a similar product from Belkins. Everytime I restarted my machine, somehow the device couldn’t start by itself and I often had to unplug it and plug it back in to get it recognized. With Linksys WUSB300N, nothing like that happens. As soon as the computer starts, the device starts to work correctly.

The Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is really four devices in one box. First, there’s the dual-band Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect to the network without wires. There’s also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100/1000 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together at up to gigabit speeds. The Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.
We’ve also included a Storage Link that lets you easily add gigabytes of storage space onto your network using readily available USB 2.0 hard drives — or plug in a USB flash disk for a convenient way to access your portable data files. The built-in Media Server streams music, video, and photos from the attached storage device to any UPnP compatible media adapter. And you can get to your files from anywhere in the world through the Internet.

Technical Details

* Internet-sharing Router and 4-port Gigabit Switch, with a built-in, dual-band, speed and range enhanced Wireless Access Point
* Two simultaneous, separate, radio bands double your available bandwidth
* MIMO technology uses multiple radios per band to create robust signals for maximum range and speed, with reduced dead spots
* Connect a hard drive or flash-based USB storage device to allow access to your music, video, or data files from within your network, or through the Internet
* Advanced wireless security and SPI firewall for protection from Internet attacks

Customer feedback:

1. Purchased because needed extended range to reach a computer in my basement (3 floors down from my router) and I wanted to get a gigabit router. I also liked the storage link function. Overall, the router performs great. I don’t get the blazing speeds in the basement, but I do get connection where my old G router did not quite make it there. I also believe that moving my router may also increase performance. Setup was very easy moving from one linksys router to another, however I would say that the wizard doesn’t do everything it should…
I also like the interface (with the exception of storage link noted below) and it is VERY easy to set up. I use a VoIP phone and it was simple to set up the phone for QoS and that has worked flawlessly. (Another big reason for purchasing the phone.) You can set QoS by MAC address, IP address, ports, etc. Very few people use this function and you definitely should.

2. First thing I have to say is that the network storage feature does not work at all. The first time you set it up it works and after that it’s anybody’s guess.

Introducing the new Linksys Network Storage System. Now you can quickly and easily add storage capacity to your network with greater ease. Organize your life into one media library. Rip your music and movie library and store them digitally. Share your photos, videos, and music files with everyone on your network. Access them anytime, anywhere–even across the world! Protect your precious data automatically.

* Two drive bays and two USB ports for exceptional expandability
* Share files locally or through the Internet
* Rest easy with one-touch backup or schedule automatic backups
* Standalone device: doesn’t require a PC to be on

Technical Details

* Ethernet connected network storage with two available SATA hard drive bays adds shared storage directly to your network
* Add even more storage with two USB 2.0 ports for hard drive or flash USB storage devices
* Securely share files locally or through the Internet (FTP, HTTP) with no dedicated PC needed
* Advanced backup software included
* Built-in media server for streaming to PC or UPnP AV digital media adapter

Customer feedback:

1. Overall, I am very happy with this product. As some may have mentioned the cooling fans are a bit loud so you may want to find an out of the way corner where you have cat 5 internet cable access to your NAT where it can sit and “hum”. The one thing I felt this unit should have offered was a Print Server function on one of the two USB ports. It doesn’t.
Bonus info 1: note that the NAS 200 does not support NTFS on the internal SATA drives. You can however add USB drives that are already formatted in NTFS and it will work fine.
Bonus info 2; you cannot control who gets access to the data on the USB drives. In effect when you add a USB drive it becomes ‘Public’ for all registered users to read/write.

2. I battled a bit with this product at first then realized it was my network causing the problem not the NAS200.

Now you can quickly and easily add gigabytes of storage space onto your network with the Network Storage Link from Linksys. This tiny network appliance connects USB 2.0 hard drives directly to your Ethernet network. You can connect up to two stand-alone USB disk drives of any size, and access them from anywhere on your network. You can even plug a USB flash disk into the Network Storage Link, for a convenient way of accessing your portable data files. The Network Storage Link can also be set up so that your storage devices are accessible from the Internet — files can be easily downloaded via your web browser. Your files can be available publicly, or create password-protected accounts for authorized users.
Installation of the Network Storage Link is simple — just plug it directly into your 10/100 Ethernet network, and attach your USB 2.0 hard drives or flash disk. It can self-configure to your network via DHCP or you can use the built-in utility to manually configure it. With the speedy USB 2.0 interface, you’ll get quick response times with even your largest files.

Technical Details

* Connects USB 1.1 or 2.0 hard drives and flash drives directly to your network
* Share music, video, or data files with managed access by user name or group
* Integrated file server — access your files from the Internet
* Built-in disk utilities — format, backup, and scandisk
* Connects directly to a 10/100 Ethernet network for throughput up to 200 Mbps

Customer feedback:

A. Last week I purchased the linksys storage link. This product is an excellent example or a device that does not try to be all things to all people. Essentially, it is an tiny computer or embeded device with a tiny os that runs code that provides SMB or Windows file sharing. It is 100% compatible with windows, linux, or mac as long as you dont have a personal firewall installed.
Installation is simple.
1. Unbox device
2. Use CD-ROM to set up address, if you have dhcp this is not neccesary
3. Connect drive
4. Format drive via web interface
5. Set any password information
6. Add Users and permissions
7. Enjoy

B. I have been using this for past 1 week. It is a great product. I have learned to work with it rather than against it. Here are some observations that actually add exceptional value to the product. I have discovered some undocumented features too.
1. You can actually use it as a webserver! I am running one, though for personal use. To do this you need to put the files in the public area on the NSLU2, and using webhop like feature from DynDNS, you can map the index.html to a web address.
2. If the above feature is used and the html files are put into the restricted area, it will webserve, but will need password and user name. I serve my family photo site using this method!
3. The file systems seems to be Linux based. I used Acronis True Image 7.0 for backup of the USB drive. It indicated 3 partitions. Two of them were ext3 and one Linux swap! Acronis complained about some errors in the Linux partition. Looks like some propriatory stuff in there.
4. The device features really needs to be explored carefully before deployment and making any judgement call. The features like user+group+password can be used for excellent security. I have multiple pseudo users setup with private directories categorized according to the data, like music, videos, photos, downloads etc. Then I setup most of the actual users without private directories and provided them with selective permission to use the data. This adds to security since I can bump off any user without having to move files or data.
5. Documentation is lacking details and examples. In fact it is inadequate. But this does not make the device any less valuable. I had to explore and experiment with the device to make full use of it.

The Linksys CIT400 Dual-Mode Cordless Phone with Skype is part of the iPhone family of products that use the Internet to enhance the way you communicate. The CIT400 is a full-featured cordless phone that provides an easy way to take advantage of Skype Internet calling as well as place calls over your normal phone line (PSTN) from a single device. No PC required! Just sign into your Skype account from the handset, and your contacts and their availability are displayed on your color screen. Advanced DECT cordless technology won’t interfere with 802.11 wireless networks. Dual-Mode capability lets you choose whether to make calls over a standard telephone line or with Skype. Just select who you want to talk to from your contact list on your handset and get ready to talk.
The Linksys CIT400 also allows you to choose to make calls to other Skype users or over your existing standard telephone line. You’ll get the convenience of a cordless phone and all its features, plus the high-quality voice reception integrated right into your Skype handset–no computer is required.

# Model: CIT400
# Handset frequency bands: 1920-1930 MHz
# Standards: DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication Standard)
# Speech coding: 32Kbps ADPCM
# Distance range: 300 meters outdoor, 50 meters indoor
# Number of channels: 5 channels
# Standby/talktime: 120 hours/6 hours
# Display: 4K color LCD with 128 x 128 pixels
# Power: 2 x AA 750mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries
# Base station ports: Ethernet 10/100 (RJ45), Line (RJ11)

Customer feedback:

1. I always wanted to have the stand alone Skype phone, and the reason I waited and did not jump on the “mobile-like ones” was the battery factor and the issues aabout logging on other networks when you were away from home…
Now this one is just THE ONE !! plain and simple..
Installation could not be more simple. Take out of the box, plug at your cable modem (or a router like I do) and plug the power. Turn the phone on, input your skype account and password (or create a new one) and that is IT !
Ready to go…
It is quite light, has a plastic feel, but nothing that would take any credit out of it ! It is in fact quite “modern looking” phone. Better in my opinion to be a bulkier cordless phone like the ones everyone is used to nowadays. Sound got better (as if it have anything to improve from the CIT 200) in reality.. It is just like a regular phone !! All the time…

2. We’ve been using it for about a week and so far it’s really good. The best part is that with skype built in, it just plugs into my wireless router and I don’t have to have the computer on all the time. We keep the handset on it’s charger most of the time so I can’t comment on battery life. The sound is great; so far no complaints from us or from anyone we’re talking to (I’ve had a few people say it sounds better than when I call on my cell phone!). The user interface is simple and the phone looks nice too. You can add people to your contact list on the phone and it will update your skype contact list online as well, and vice-versa, if you update your contact list on your computer the handset will update too (I think it updates at night, but was able to have it update when I wanted by logging the handset off and back on. I have a skype-in phone number which came with voicemail and that works seamlessly with the phone. You can easily change your coicemail greeting on the phone. When someone calls and leaves a message a red light blinks on the top of the phone notifying you and checking messages is a cinch too.