Get More Out of Your Wireless Network
Wi-Fi: It's not just for laptops anymore. With these products and tips, you can cut the cord when making phone calls, streaming music or video, sharing files, and more.Becky Waring is a freelance writer and former editor of NewMedia magazine.
Illustration by Mick Wiggins
Not surprisingly, some of the newcomers don't live up to the hype. We checked out 12 of the latest cordless creations in several categories to determine which products are good mates for Wi-Fi and which still need some work.
In This Article:
Traveling Tunes
Play music from your PC with audio streamers from (clockwise from left) D-Link, Roku, and Slim Devices.
Today's Wi-Fi-enabled streaming music players let you access your entire digital music collection from any room in the house. The ones we tried were by far the most consumer-friendly, mature, and useful of the Wi-Fi peripherals we evaluated here. Each allows you to plug in your powered speakers or hook up to a tuner with standard cables, so you can play music on your existing stereo. The devices can also bypass your PC to play Internet radio stations, and you can set up multiple units to play tunes from one PC.
We took a look at three popular players: D-Link's DSM-120 MediaLounge Wireless Music Player, Roku's SoundBridge M1000, and Slim Devices' Squeezebox version 3. The SoundBridge and the Squeezebox have slick interfaces, great sound quality, and robust features. Though the Squeezebox's extras make it our favorite, the SoundBridge and the MediaLounge have the digital rights management (DRM) support required to play Napster and Rhapsody files.
D-Link DSM-120
This stylish, $210 music streamer (all prices in this story are street) has a digital optical output jack for higher-quality audio with compatible receivers, as well as standard analog outputs and support for most unprotected music formats. It doesn't handle iTunes AAC files, but it does support Windows DRM-10 audio playback, as well as protected Napster and Rhapsody music, via Windows Media Connect (available for Windows XP SP2 here).
A USB port on top lets you play tunes from a flash drive, and you can install a 2.5-inch hard disk. You also get an alarm clock feature, which will play music on cue from an installed (not a flash) drive.
A few things left us less than tingly, though. The companion PC software for music-folder and playlist setup isn't very friendly, and the number-pad remote control makes entering song titles or other alphabetic information painful. Also, Live365 is your only Internet radio option.
Roku SoundBridge M1000
For $200, we'd go with the SoundBridge, a sleek player with a big, bright fluorescent display. It has digital optical and coaxial outputs, and it supports Windows DRM, iTunes, and unprotected AAC music formats.
Interestingly, the SoundBridge has no PC software to install. Instead you use Windows Media Connect, or one of several popular software music players--including iTunes, Musicmatch, Napster, and Rhapsody--in its music-sharing mode. Or you can use Roku competitor Slim Devices' excellent open-source SlimServer software, which includes support for FLAC and Ogg Vorbis playback.
We loved the SoundBridge's visual display, excellent Internet radio interface, and wide range of supported stations, including Rhapsody. But as with its MediaLounge counterpart, its remote control could use text-entry buttons.
By the time you read this, Roku plans to ship an alarm clock version of the SoundBridge--the R1000--with 18 Internet radio presets, for an expected $399.
Slim Devices Squeezebox
The $300 Squeezebox is our top pick. The elegant device uses 802.11g Wi-Fi (the SoundBridge uses 802.11b), and is the only one of the three to support WPA encryption, the more-secure successor to the WEP encryption in the other products. An alarm clock and a headphone jack make the Squeezebox a fine bedside companion.
Getting the Squeezebox to work with the convenient remote (which has an alphanumeric keypad for easier navigation) took just a few minutes; on the PC side, the useful SlimServer software was simple to install and set up.
SlimServer can play pretty much every unprotected digital music format, including AAC, but not DRM-coded tracks. It can handle Live365, Radioio, and Shoutcast Internet radio streams, as well as MoodLogic mixing. The company says Rhapsody support is coming soon.
One last bonus: You can read RSS news feeds on the Squeezebox's display without going through your computer.
Liberate Your Movies and Photos
Beyond music: These media players from D-Link (right) and Buffalo also stream videos from your PC.
If music alone isn't enough for you, some players can stream video and show pictures as well. These VCR-size boxes let you send almost any video or still images that are stored on your PC to your TV set without needing to run cables in between. The devices we examined include built-in, progressive-scan DVD players as well, so they can replace a regular DVD player in your home theater setup.
The $275 Buffalo LinkTheater PC-P3LWG/DVD and the $300 D-Link DSM-320RD MediaLounge Wireless Media Player are less-costly alternatives to a full-fledged Windows Media Center PC with a wireless extender, but the interfaces on these ambitious products are relatively limited and kludgy. The LinkTheater's high-definition output (both 720p and 1080i), remote control, and better interface give it the edge.
Both units have the usual AV outputs, including composite, S-Video, and component video, plus optical audio. Video and audio playback on each was relatively smooth on our 802.11g network. The two support Windows Media Connect and the UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) AV standard, which lets you stream media files from network-attached storage drives (see "Add More Hard Drive Space to Your Network").
D-Link DSM-320RD
A step up from the audio-only DSM-120, the DSM-320RD has excellent audio quality and supports a broad range of music formats, including Live365 and Radio@AOL. It also has a 5-in-1 card reader. But the photo and video playback quality was mixed, mainly due to the inherent limitations of a TV screen versus a PC monitor. Unless you have an HDTV set and an HD-capable streamer like the Buffalo unit, your digital photos will be reduced in resolution to about 720 by 480, and their edges might be cropped. That said, navigating to our photo folder and selecting pictures for display via the player was simple, and a slide show-creation feature lets you choose accompanying background music.
Video files don't share the transfer troubles of still images. Most standard-format videos that you might store on your PC are already in the right aspect ratio and resolution for your TV, and the D-Link's playback quality was similar to that on our system monitor. Its major drawback for video is its lack of high-definition output. (D-Link offers a less expensive version, the $250 DSM-520, that has HD support and an HDMI connector but lacks the built-in DVD player and card reader.) Also, as with the DSM-120, we weren't happy with the remote control, which has small and overly sensitive buttons.
Buffalo LinkTheater
We preferred the LinkTheater for several reasons. Audio quality was excellent, and we liked the product's ability to display album artwork embedded in MP3 files. On the video side, the player supports the popular DivX format. Finally, if you have an HDTV, the unit's high-def mode delivers higher-quality photo and video playback than the DSM-320RD, a big plus.
However, we were disappointed by the LinkTheater's lack of HDMI or DVI connectors, given that it supports HDTV. The model could benefit from WPA support as well, which the DSM-320RD has.
Slingbox and TiVoToGo
The Buffalo and D-Link products let you display PC media on your TV; if you want to watch TV on your PC in another room, check out Sling Media's Slingbox or TiVo's TiVoToGo. With the free TiVo Desktop software, the TiVoToGo feature lets Series 2 TiVo owners use a $50 USB 802.11g adapter to pull shows from the TiVo to any PC on their network. You can also burn programs to DVD, or save them to your laptop to watch on the road.
The $250 Slingbox goes even further, letting you send video from almost any source--including cable, satellite, DVD, VCR, and TiVo or another digital video recorder--directly to your computer. What's more, your PC can be in the next room, or anywhere it can access the Internet--say, in a Bangkok hotel room. You have to add a standard 802.11g Wi-Fi ethernet bridge to make the Slingbox wireless (see "Untether Games, Printers" on the "Wi-Fi Tips" page), and image quality is less than what you'll get on a TV. But you can view both live and recorded video from afar in real time.
VoIP Cuts the Cord
Wi-Fi Internet phones from ZyXel and UTStarcom let you make VoIP calls via a wireless network connection.
If you like saving big bucks on long-distance and international calls with a Voice-over-IP phone plan (typically around $15 to $30 per month for unlimited U.S. calling), you'd probably love being able to use it with a Wi-Fi handset that lets you enjoy wireless freedom. Since Wi-Fi is available all over the world, you could bring a Wi-Fi handset on your European grand tour, yet pay no more than your normal U.S. monthly fee for all the calls home you care to make. Others could call you, too, at your regular number, anywhere in the world, at domestic prices. Just try that trick with a cell phone.
The snag, of course, is that Wi-Fi is nowhere near as ubiquitous as cell network coverage--and the first-generation handsets we tried don't yet support the log-in screens found at most public hotspots. A Wi-Fi travel router will let you use the phone (and your Wi-Fi-enabled laptop) in hotel rooms with wired broadband access via ethernet, though.
It's worth noting that if you expect to use the phone only at home, you're probably better off using a less expensive, more feature-filled regular cordless phone with your VoIP box or router. But even if you take a relatively bells-and-whistles-free Wi-Fi phone just to work, it could help trim your cell phone bill. Keep an eye out as well for new models with more features and functionality, such as UTStarcom's upcoming hybrid phone that can make and receive calls over both Wi-Fi and cell networks. However, it can't switch one call between the two networks.
The phones we tried were the UTStarcom F1000 VoIP and the ZyXel Prestige P2000W VoIP V2 Phone. An "unlocked" F1000 model that can operate with any VoIP service provider willing to divulge your normally hidden account connection details (not all providers will) costs $195; an unlocked Prestige runs $249.
UTStarcom F1000
The alternative is to get your phone from a VoIP service provider; doing so is cheaper and easier but ties you to that company. Our F1000 came from Vonage, which sells the model for $80. (You can also buy the F1000 through BroadVoice and VoIPTalk.) We got the phone registered and running in a few minutes, and though it dropped the line on the first call we made, it worked perfectly during the rest of our testing.
Voice quality was comparable to that of a cellular or cordless phone, and we wandered more than a full city block from our Belkin Pre-N router with no noticeable degradation in the quality of the call.
ZyXel Prestige P2000W
By contrast, our unlocked ZyXel handset was harder to set up since it wasn't tied to a specific VoIP provider. It also took longer to connect calls than the UTStarcom did, and it emitted three annoying dings before the phone on the other end started to ring. And unlike the UTStarcom, the ZyXel lacks WPA support and is too large and clunky to fit in your pocket.
Send Your Pictures Soaring
Kodak's EasyShare-one uses built-in Wi-Fi to upload pictures to your PC and to the EasyShare Gallery Web site.
Digital cameras are relatively new to the Wi-Fi scene, but the idea makes sense: You have to transfer pictures from your camera somehow, and using Wi-Fi eliminates worries about forgetting USB cables or flash memory adapters. We entertained visions of dropping by any Wi-Fi café in Moscow or Tokyo to send snapshots home, sans laptop.
Sadly, those dreams aren't yet a reality: Neither the 4-megapixel, 3X-optical-zoom Kodak EasyShare-one nor the 5-megapixel Nikon Coolpix P2 lives up to the full promise of a wireless camera. For now, choose your digital camera for its picture-taking features, rather than for its Wi-Fi support or lack thereof. That said, both models we looked at will appeal to Wi-Fi fans in several ways.
Kodak EasyShare-one
At $500, the EasyShare-one is pricey, but it is the only Wi-Fi camera able to connect directly to the Internet. You can upload pictures straight to Kodak's EasyShare Gallery via 802.11b, and e-mail links to friends. You can also wirelessly transfer photos to your computer.
The EasyShare-one is not especially simple to use, though, and other limitations keep us from getting too excited. While it supports both WEP and WPA encryption, the device can't connect to a Wi-Fi network that has a log-in page (which rules out most public hotspots). T-Mobile, however, has a deal with Kodak that lets subscribers to T-Mobile's hotspot service use the camera with that service; customers who don't want a full-blown hotspot subscription can set up a camera-only account for $5 per month.
Another drawback is that Wi-Fi transfers to your computer require using the EasyShare Gallery album software. And you can't e-mail the actual photos from your camera, just thumbnails that link to the Gallery site. Read our January review for more about the EasyShare-one.
Nikon Coolpix P2
In most ways, the $300 Coolpix is even more limited than the EasyShare. It does let you use Wi-Fi for camera-to-computer transfer and printing, and it supports the faster 802.11g (as opposed to the Kodak model's 802.11b), along with WEP and WPA encryption. But Wi-Fi transfers, which require both camera setup and specific software on your computer, are needlessly complex; using a USB cable is much easier. And the model offers no support for hotspots, e-mail, or direct-to-Web uploads.
The P2's one cool Wi-Fi feature is a Wireless Live Transfer mode that bypasses the camera's memory card and sends pictures directly to your computer as you take them, a convenience that might be especially useful in some photo studios or labs. The 8-megapixel Nikon P1 ($400) has the same Wi-Fi features as the P2.
Hidden Wi-Fi Eye
D-Link, Linksys, and Panasonic (from left) all offer modern Wi-Fi Webcams for both consumers and professionals.
Wi-Fi has enabled a mushrooming contingent of Webcams serving as nannycams, security cameras, and even chroniclers of growing plants. You can tuck a Wi-Fi Webcam into any nook in the house (or even outside) and watch the video feed over the Internet. Prices range from about $130 to $1000 and up.
We tested Webcams from D-Link, Linksys, and Panasonic. All are 802.11g models with motion detectors that can trigger video recording and/or e-mail alerts; all can record snapshots and video on a live or scheduled basis, too. Though these units transmit video wirelessly, they aren't yet completely cordless: None of them run off batteries, so they still have power cords.
All three support dynamic DNS--Internet address translation--to let you access the firmware and video over the Web to keep tabs on the office equipment room, say, or the babysitter. But taking advantage of this feature requires some additional network setup. Also, be sure to restrict access with a strong password.
Linksys WVC54GC
The palm-size $125 Linksys WVC54GC Compact Wireless-G Internet Video Camera captures basic 320-by-240-pixel video with no audio. It comes with well-designed software that supports multiple cameras in one window, and has WPA support. You perform the straightforward camera setup via a Web interface similar to that used with routers.
D-Link DCS-6620G
By contrast, D-Link's camera is the Cadillac of consumer Webcams. It lists for a hefty $1000 but is widely available for about $825. It offers two-way audio, an impressive 10X optical zoom, and support for remote-control panning and tilting. Its video quality was by far the best of the three cameras we tried, and the unit supports WPA. The feature-filled software has multicamera support, but it is nowhere near as user-friendly as Linksys's. Still, technically inclined users should be happy with this model.
Panasonic BB-HCM371A
For $775 street, the Panasonic's two-way audio, outdoor mounting, and remote pan/tilt controls make it useful for front-door monitoring, though it lacks optical zoom and WPA support. Its sophisticated software seems intended for security professionals.
Add More Hard Drive Space to Your Network
A network storage drive is one of the best investments you can make in your home network, wired or wireless. You need plenty of space to store all your streaming digital media, after all. Network-attached storage, or NAS, also brings many side benefits such as automatic backups of multiple PCs (with the right software) and password-protected folders for everyone in your home. If the drive supports Universal Plug and Play, devices such as the Buffalo LinkTheater, the D-Link MediaLounge, and the Roku SoundBridge M1000 can all play files stored on the network drive without having to go through your computer. Click here for a lengthy list of UPnP media devices.
Adding NAS to your network is simple: Most NAS drives come with an ethernet connector that you can plug into a free port on your router (nearly all Wi-Fi routers also have ethernet ports). While wireless NAS drives exist, this is one area where you're usually better off going with wires because they afford faster transfers.
Popular choices in home and small-office NAS devices include the Buffalo LinkStation series, the Maxtor Shared Storage drive, and the Snap Appliance Snap Server. For more on such products, see "Net Drives" from the February issue.
You don't need to buy a special NAS drive to get the benefit of networked storage, however. If you already have an external USB drive, you can network it using a Wi-Fi router with USB ports, such as D-Link's DI-624S Wireless 108G USB Storage Router or Netgear's WGT634U 108Mbps Wireless Storage Router. Or, if you don't want to replace your Wi-Fi router, the Linksys Network Storage Link can give your USB drive an ethernet connection.
Wi-Fi Tips
Liven Up Dead Air
Dead spots in your Wi-Fi network are bad enough when you're checking e-mail on your laptop; they're seriously aggravating if you're on a Wi-Fi phone call or listening to streaming audio. Strengthening the signal may be as simple as relocating your router to a more central location, away from obstructing materials like brick, concrete, metal, and water. Just mounting the router high on a wall may do the trick; see last September's Step-by-Step for more tips.
If you're ready to buy hardware, though, a new generation of stronger Wi-Fi equipment can give you whole-house coverage, while also increasing throughput, at a relatively low cost. See our latest look at several of these more powerful products.
Improve Streaming Media
If you watch a streaming video sent over a congested network, interference that might simply slow regular data transfers can ruin your movie experience with stutters or halts. Audio and VoIP calls are vulnerable too. Quality of Service networking technology tries to address this issue, primarily by prioritizing multimedia data. The IEEE standards body is creating a QoS standard for Wi-Fi, called 802.11e.
In the meantime, the Wi-Fi Alliance is promoting an interim standard (with elements that will be part of 802.11e) called WMM (for Wi-Fi multimedia). Many VoIP-ready routers have some form of QoS technology as well. If you're buying a new router or other Wi-Fi device, make sure it includes WMM or 802.11e QoS support, or comes with a vendor promise to do so via a firmware upgrade. Note, though, that both your router and your Wi-Fi adapters must use the same QoS technology.
Untether Games, Printers
While the white-hot Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable handheld game players both have built-in Wi-Fi, a simple Wi-Fi ethernet bridge lets the older GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox set-top game consoles handle wireless online game play. (The GameCube and the PlayStation 2 first need broadband ethernet adapters before they can go Wi-Fi.) Office printers and other networkable devices can go wireless with a bridge, too. Products such as Belkin's F5D7330 Wireless G Ethernet Bridge & Game Adapter usually cost from $75 to $100 and simply plug into the ethernet port on any network-capable device, with no driver or software required. You may need to connect the bridge to your computer first to enter your WPA or WEP encryption password, but that's it.