Push-button networking
Buffalo has announced the newest addition to its AirStation line of home networking gear, the 125Mbps Wireless Cable/DSL Router-g. The new router, also known as the WHR2-G54, includes Broadcom's latest chipset, which promises fast data rates, surpassing the 108Mbps Atheros chipsets found in the latest
D-Link and Netgear routers. The WHR2-G54 also ushers in Buffalo's new AirStation One-Touch Secure System, or AOSS, which allows you to add a new AirStation to a Buffalo network with the simple push of a button. AOSS automatically configures network and security settings, making it easy to add devices to a wireless network. The WHR2-54G also supports Buffalo's Wireless Distribution System, or WDS, which lets you wirelessly connect multiple routers and access points. Together, WDS and AOSS promise to bring both simplicity and scalability to home networking.
Netgear's new WGT634U Super Wireless Media Router
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Multimedia file server
You'll be able to connect to your music and movies from any room in the house with Netgear's new WGT634U Super Wireless Media Router. Like most conventional routers, the WGT634U offers both Ethernet and wireless 802.11g connections, but a USB port on the router's rear panel lets you add an external storage drive to the WGT634U, turning it into a centrally located file server that can be used to back up your files and share music, picture, and video files. You can also configure the WGT634U to let you access the files over the Internet. Storage routers aren't new--U.S. Robotics announced the
USR8200 last year. But Netgear has added an 802.11g access point to its product, and at less than $200, the WGT634U promises to deliver more for less.
Cisco's new...DVD player?
Networking companies are branching out, but none as far as Cisco's recent acquisition, Linksys, which has announced a new networkable DVD player at CES. The Linksys Wireless-G DVD Player (WDVD54G) combines a progressive-scan DVD drive and an 802.11g wireless networking interface. Aside from playing DVDs, the WDVD54G lets you stream music and video from a computer to your stereo or TV. The complete package includes RCA and S-Video cables and an infrared remote control.
