Gizmo

SMC Barricade G wireless cable/DSL router

I’ve been watching the various Wi-Fi routers in the market and I recently came across the SMC Barricade G (model number SMC2804WBR), which is impressive in its simplicity for the average technology enthusiast who is not particularly savvy to the esoteric workings of wireless technology.

Your Great Uncle Hammond could install this unit even while his runty little dogs yapped at his feet. Ok, he'd have to know enough to call his ISP to get a bunch of settings, but that's the only talent he'll need.

The Barricade G simply attaches to your cable or DSL modem and a computer then a program -- on a CD that comes with the device -- walks you through the setup. In earlier Wi-Fi products this was an onerous task and required a mastery of network settings that are confusing to the non-techie. However the Barricade G software asks you straightforward questions about your Internet connection, information that is provided by your Internet Service Provider. I was amazed when I set this device up in 10 minutes once I had the right ISP information.

If you are an advanced user, you can delve into the guts of the device and take advantage of the hidden features. There are few notable screens you can customize as an advanced user. There’s a section on NAT (network address translation) to allow you to map a webcam from your computer out to the Internet so outsiders can dial it up. There’s also a schedule that can turn Internet access on and off at scheduled times. This is handy if you want to switch off access at night so that late night hackers can’t use the time to mess with your network. You could also use this feature to turn Internet access on and off automatically for to keep the children in your household off the Internet past bedtime.

There’s also a feature that will alert you by email when a hacker attempts to break into your network, through the built-in firewall. It's like a built-in retard repellant. It's about time.

The device also supports a new faster wireless technology called 802.11g. This boosts your wireless connection speed between your wireless computer (typically your laptop) and the router from 11 Mbps, which is the de facto standard, to between 20 and 54 Mbps. You’ll need a high-seed 802.11g Wi-Fi card from SMC for your laptop to achieve this. This won’t make you Internet service any faster, but when moving data between computers on the network, you’ll appreciate the zippier speed. This new “g” standard is also aimed at households that will eventually beam multimedia such as video and audio around the home across the wireless network.

My only complaint is that a non-SMC wireless 802.11g PC Card refused to connect to the router wirelessly. That faster wireless spec is new, so its not surprising.

Ultimately Wi-Fi router technology is less than rocket science these days. And this is good. The SMC Barricade G is one of the devices that is taking the mystery out of wireless home networking. It’s impressive even if its not interoperable.

Price: $110 U.S.
More info: www.smc.com
Buy it: Amazon.com

-Andy Walker, Cyberwalker Media Syndicate

Search for more gadgets at: The Sharper Image

Copyright © Cyberwalker Media Inc. 2002