Tag Archive for wireless

Review: Huawei E585 MiFi Wireless Router on “3″

November 4, 2010 Matt 2 comments
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I recently reviewed the Novatel 2352 wireless router and found it to be quite a nifty device for those that need internet access on-the-go.  The device I reviewed was loaned to me by a colleague as I wanted to investigate the potential for these devices not just in general, but for myself specifically.

After a little bit of deliberation I finally took the plunge today and visited my local “3″ shop and walked out with their equivalent device, the Huawei E585 MiFi Wireless Router.

Now, for those unfamiliar with these types of devices, they’re essentially a mobile phone and wireless router combined.  They access the internet by using the mobile 3G network, and they connect to your computing devices using WiFi.  So, you can turn on this little box anywhere that there’s mobile phone coverage and have internet access on any device that has WiFi (mobile phones, iPad’s, handheld consoles, laptops, etc.)

The E585 is available in the UK on the “3″ network, on either pay as you go or contract (more about this later), to start with lets take a look at the device and what’s in the box.

Here you can see the paperwork that comes, relating to the device itself and the “3″ network.  You get a quick start guide, some quick reference cards, some details about 3 and a rather useful business card with your WiFi credentials on it:

You also get a mains charger and two Micro-USB leads (different lengths) for charging the device and connecting it to a PC or laptop:

Useful in themselves, but lets take a look at the star of the show, here we have the device from the front:

From the front it looks rather un-assuming, it’s a nice matt plastic finish with a large perspex panel for the display.  The plastic is neither such a high quality that you worry about damage, nor so cheap that you want to hide it away, in essence; it’s just right.  It’s a good look to go with, and it’s physically smaller than some of the other models I’ve seen (such as the Novatel).  The logo on the front makes sure that you don’t forget what network you’re on, but this shouldn’t bother most users.

The rear of the device has a different feel to it, it’s silver for a start, and the plastic feels a little rougher on the front, though still of a decent quality.  To one side of the device you have the solitary power button, which is the only control on the device itself (all other options are accessed through a web interface).  On the other side is a MicroSD memory card slot which allows you to insert upto 32GB of storage into the device to share between users.

Now I’ve taken you through the basic layout of the device, lets talk about the functionality.  Once turned on it takes around a minute for it to boot up, establish it’s wireless network and then find and connect to 3′s mobile broadband service.  The display gives a lot more information than the Novatel I reviewed did, as you can see below you get indications of battery life, WiFi connectivity, 3G network and signal strength, data transfer and connection time.  The latter two are very welcome seeing as most users will want to keep an eye on how much data they’re using given the cost of running these devices.

Once turned on, every device in my home (a Mac, a PC, a PS3, an iPad, an iPhone and a laptop) managed to connect to the WiFi network and browse the internet.  Speeds were generally good for general web browsing, although it becomes obvious that your bandwidth is significantly lower than a home broadband connection when you come to things like streaming media, which took forever to buffer.  However, you could argue that YouTube is not the primary focus of mobile broadband, it’s far more about web browsing and Email access on the go.

Like the Novatel, the E585 can be accessed via a web browser for configuration, you just need to point your browser to the address shown in the instructions and your presented with the information screen for your device:

This screen gives you all the information present on the front of the device, and allows you to send and receive text messages direct to the device.  It also offers a portal to your online account with 3 which allows you to see your usage habits in better detail.  If you login to the device, you get further configuration options as shown below:

This gives you a lot more options for configuration of the WiFi network and for the on-board storage, very similar indeed to the options provided by the Novatel product.  What the Huawei doesn’t have is a separate configuration application though (which the Novatel does) which means that all of your configuration has to be done through your web browser, which is a shame if you want to use the device to send and receive large numbers of text messages.

You can also connect the MiFi to your computer directly using the supplied USB cables, doing so allows you to utilize the 3G network access directly (as apposed to over WiFi) which is great if you only want to use the device on one computer and want the fastest possible speeds.

Speaking of speeds, the Huawei is capable of the theoretical maximum for mobile broadband devices: 7.2Mbps.  In tests I was able to achieve speeds of around 4.5Mbps, which is not bad in practice, and certainly enough for day to day web browsing and light media use.  Your connection speed will obviously depend on a number of factors such as signal strength and your choice of network, but 4.5Mbps isn’t bad at all given the stressed nature of the UK’s mobile network (it’s certainly quicker than I get on my mobile).

With regard to costs, the unit itself will cost you between zero and £80 to buy (depending on your tariff), it’s available on both pay as you go and contract tariffs with different download limits to suit your needs.  For those who know they want it, but aren’t sure for how long; the best deal is the 1 month rolling contract at £15 per month, which provides you with 5GB of downloads per month.  If you go with this deal then the device itself will set you back £39.99.  You can get it for free, but you need to tie into a 24 month contract, which is a big commitment for what is still a non-essential device for many.

A word to the wise if you choose to buy it on pay as you go:  a 3GB top up will cost you £15, and will expire if not used within 30 days, so you may as well go for the £15 per month contract, as I did.

All in all, this is a excellent device, definitely comparable to the Novatel in terms of performance.  It also has the added advantage (or hindrance) of being tied to 3′s network, which may be an inconvenience but also means that the device is heavily subsidized and therefore a lot cheaper than the Novatel.  Out of the two, I’d go for the Huawei every time.

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Review: Pure Siesta Flow Alarm Clock Radio

September 21, 2010 Matt One comment

The Siesta Flow from Pure is a very nifty little device, on the face of it it looks like a simple alarm clock, but delve into the menu’s and it becomes obvious that it’s capable of so much more.

It handles FM Radio, DAB Radio, Internet Radio, and plays media from your home network, USB stick, or any audio source connected via the mini-jack.  Oh, and it gets you out of bed in the morning.  Check out the video run through of it’s features here…..

The sound quality from the built in stereo speakers is…… adequate, it’s nothing special but I must say I was impressed when I first turned it on and played an MP3 from my media library.  In terms of usability, when you first turn it on you’re asked to select your Wi-Fi network and it will then go online and check for any software updates available for it.  Mine downloaded version 1.5 of the software and installed it with no interaction from me, which was good.  How often Pure will send out updates is unsure, but it’s good to know that development of the software has continued after the product has made it to shelves.

Once it was set up I initially found the Siesta a little tricky to use, the combination of touchscreen controls and traditional buttons was a little perplexing at first, and inputting search terms one letter at a time was extremely frustrating.  However, then it occurred to me:  The interface isn’t designed for you to be constantly inputting search terms etc., it’s designed for you to conduct an initial setup, bookmark your favourite radio stations and songs and then play them from the favourites and presets options on the menu, so once setup day to day use should prove painless.

The radio reception on both FM and DAB was good in my area using the included wire antenna.  It’s questionable that Pure haven’t included a means of connecting your own antenna for areas with low signal strength, but seeing as I haven’t had any issues, perhaps it’s not as big a problem as I anticipate.  When streaming media over the Wifi connection from both my home media library and Internet radio there was no noticeable performance issues, MP3′s come through crisp and clear, and the Internet equivalents of some radio stations actually sound better than their DAB versions.

The alarm functionality is very user friendly and also adaptable, you can select a time (obviously) but also choose whether this is a one off alarm, or to be set off every day or every weekday.  You can also choose how the device reacts to these alarms, you can choose to play from any of the radio sources or choose a tone from a built in library if you’re a particularly heavy sleeper.  It’s a shame that you cannot wake up to music held on your computer or music server, though I can kind of see the logic to this:  What were to happen, for instance, if you’d selected to wake up to a particular file, and then that file were to be moved?  In short, it’s a lot simpler to tune to a radio station and play whatever comes across than it is to try and search for a specific file on your home network.  Perhaps Pure will add support for this in a future update, but in the meantime it’s a small blemish on what is otherwise a very fine product.

Similar home media streamers will set you back over £100, and that’s without the inclusion of DAB and FM radio into the mix.  Sure, the interface on the Siesta has a simple LCD screen, but for casual music listening does that really matter?  What’s ten times more important is the sound quality and availability of sources, and in both of these areas the Pure Siesta Flow scores top marks.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more care taken in terms of the design and physical features of the unit, the plastic does feel a little cheap in places and the screen may prove too bright at night for some users.  But these are small issues that can be accepted purely by virtue of the low price tag that this product offers.

The Pure Siesta Flow is available now at around £65.

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Which iPod is Right For Me? (2010)

September 9, 2010 Matt No comments

Last week Apple announced an almost complete refresh of the iPod lineup and while we haven’t managed to lay our hands on any of them yet, Apple gave us enough of a walkthrough of their new devices that we can make a pretty good guess as to which device will be best suited to which environment.  If your looking for any of the previous generation of iPods, check out our article here, but to read what we think of the new kids in town, read on.

iPod Shuffle

When Apple released the last iPod shuffle there were many people who were unsure about the decision toremove the majority of buttons from the device in favour of voice control.  Though the technology was a nice gimmick it often proved impractical in the real world, I should know; I bought one.  There is nothing sophisticated about speaking the names of your playlists out loud on the London Underground.

Thankfully Apple have realised that voice control alone is not a good idea, and so the new Shuffle also includes the same control buttons that were in place on the second generation model.

The aesthetics of the device haven’t really changed, it takes on the form factor of the 2nd generation, but in a slightly smaller case which means that it’s still the ideal choice for those on a budget or for those who want to listen to music while exercising.  For the latter, the re-inclusion of the buttons is most welcome, it can be almost impossible to change playlists using VoiceOver when exercising, and in any case; you should be focussing on your breathing.

iPod Nano

The Nano has received arguably the biggest makeover of the range, as well as gaining multitouch control and a belt clip, it’s actually lost something: the camera from them previous model that allowed for recording of video directly onto the device.

This is a strange move for a company that prides itself on bringing exciting new technologies to it’s customers.

That being said, the new design of the Nano does offer some new suggestion for it’s intended use, the inclusion of the belt clip indicates that this, like the shuffle, is designed to be a gadget for people on the go.  It’s not designed to hold your entire music library, but for short trips away or day to day use it should be ample (unless you have the attention span of a goldfish).  It’s feasible that this could be used in place of a Shuffle for those whom like to exercise, though the multitouch touchscreen controls may not be as suitable in this category as the traditional buttons of the Shuffle.

Unfortunately, even though the Nano is now touchscreen, it won’t run any of the apps designed for iPhones or iPods.  It also has no wifi connectivity.  So it’s no good for you if you want the latest news or to play games on the go.

iPod Touch

The Touch has received an update rather than a redesign so to speak, in order to bring it inline with theiPhone 4 in terms of performance.  It now features the same Apple designed processor and dual cameras as the iPhone 4, meaning it can handle the latest games being produced and make use of the Facetime video calling that Apple launched with the iPhone 4.  What this means is that providing you are connected to a wifi network you can make video calls to any other iPod touch or iPhone 4 user, an amazing feature for a device that started life as an mp3 player.

The touch is primarily aimed at those who want the functionality of the iPhone without the added cost of the handset and the associated contracts.  It’s available relatively cheaply as well, the 8GB version is available for xxxxx.  That’s a whole lot of device for the money.

If you want to play games, watch video, listen to music and web browse on the go, then this is the device for you.

iPod Classic

“Old Faithful” was conspicuous by it’s absence from the keynote speech last week.  In fact, the Classic hasn’t

iPod Classic - 6th Generation

received an update this time around, leading many to speculate that the iPod nearest to the original in terms of design will not be around much longer.

The Classic has lasted this long because it’s still pretty much the only way to carry your entire music collection with you on the go.  The other Apple devices just can’t match the 160GB storage of the Classic, yet.  With the cost of solid state storage dropping, it’s easy to assume that apple will soon be offering 128GB solid state iPods to the masses, which could well mark the end for the Classic.

In the mean time, this is still the best way to carry your entire music collection with you (and some photos and movies as well, though you’ll be squinting to read the small screen).  It can also sync your calendars and contacts from your PC or Mac, though you can only read this information on the device and not edit it.

The classic is best suited to those who will be spending long periods of time away from their music libraries, I still pack mine whenever I’m going away for more than a few days, mainly because I know what I’m like and I know I’ll want to listen to a song that i took off of my iPhone so that I could install that Angry Birds update.  The hard disk of the Classic can also be used as an external disk within Windows or OSX, so if your music collection is only 50GB the rest of the space is not necessarily wasted.

Conclusions

Though the landscape of Apple devices has shifted quite a lot, Apple a still offering something for everyone with their current range.  That being said, as with the previous article, an iPod may not be the device for you.  We’re assuming that you’ve already decided that it is in this article, but their may be devices that better suit your needs (and your wallet) from other manufacturers, so it’s important to look around the marketplace for the best deal for you.

In short, for those on a budget or who listen to music on the go, the shuffle or the nano are best for you.

For users who need iPhone like functionality without the price tag, go for the iPod touch.

For those who value storage space over the extra functionality, the classic is still the best way to go, get one whole you can!

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The Best Way To Set Up Your Home Network

May 10, 2010 admin 2 comments

These days there are a few options available for home networking; there’s traditional Ethernet using copper cabling, there’s wireless (or Wi-Fi) networking and there are powerline devices which allow you to use the electrical wiring in your home to transmit network data.  Each of these mediums has their own advantages and disadvantages and in this article we’ll be looking at each medium in turn so that you can decide which is best for you.

Traditional Copper Ethernet

Ethernet is the name given to traditional “wired” networks which use cables with RJ45 connectors (think phone connectors but bigger) to transmit data between devices.  Normally a network using Ethernet will be arranged so that all devices are connected to a central “hub”, offering the shortest point between any devices on the network.  This “hub” may be an actual network hub, or another type of network device such as your home broadband router.  The Ethernet standard has been around since the 1980′s and performance has increased steadily over the years, with devices now capable of transmitting and receiving data at 1Gbps (one Gigabit per second).

The advantages of a wired Ethernet network are mainly speed, reliability and cost.  Ethernet still provides the fastest home networking experience available, almost all devices in the home will be capable of 100Mbps (Mega bits per second) if not the 1Gbps figure mentioned above.  The technology is also reliable, the network is an enclosed system using its own cabling, so rarely experiences interference from other devices.  Ethernet is also cheap to implement as the cost of cables and network hardware is relatively low (for home use anyway).  This type of home network is also the most secure, it is very difficult for people to access any devices attached to your home network without physical access to your home.

There are disadvantages to Ethernet as a sole means of home networking.  For one, you always need a network cable attached to your device in order for it to be connected to your home network and the internet.  Many smaller devices (PDA’s, smartphones) don’t even come with Ethernet ports anymore, meaning you wouldn’t be able to use these devices properly in the home.  Those devices that do have Ethernet ports can only be used where you have a network cable, which can be restrictive and messy.  Running a full Ethernet distribution at home can also look untidy if not done properly; cables tacked to skirting boards never look good.

Wireless Networking

Wireless technology has become more and more popular in the home in the last few years.  Most user devices (laptops, PDA’s, even home computers) now come with some form of wireless connectivity.  The technology uses the same principals as Ethernet networking, but the medium for transmitting the data is not copper cabling, but a wireless signal sent and received by your devices.  Most wireless equipment transfers data at 54Mbps, which is slower than a cabled network, but there are technologies available allowing transfer rates of upto 600Mbps.  It’s worth considering though that these speeds are the optimum speeds that the devices are capable of, and will drop significantly depending on the signal strength, which in turn is affected by distance from the connected device and any obstructions.

The advantages of a wireless network are that it allows the user to connect to the home network from anywhere within range of the wireless base station.  This is great for use at home because it means you can sit comfortably on the sofa while using your wireless device to access the internet and other devices on your network.  It can also be a relatively cheap system to set up providing you don’t need the faster speeds mentioned above.

The downside of wireless technology is that it is far more susceptible to attack from outside than a wired network.  Eavesdroppers no longer need physical access to your network in order to access your system or use your internet connection.  Providing they are in range of your wireless base station they will be able to see and access your wireless network.  This problem has been mostly resolved by the introduction of encryption in the form of “wireless keys” which are input upon connection to the network.  Once input the network will then allow the device access to network resources until the connection is closed.  This in itself is not foolproof, though; new ways to get around the wireless encryption are constantly being devised and it can be quite difficult and time consuming to make sure your home network is secure when using wireless networking.

Powerline Networking Device.

Powerline again uses the same principals as Ethernet and wireless technologies, but this time the medium for transmission if the electrical cabling in your home.  This technology is still in its infancy, having only been available commercially for a couple of years, however it’s a good way to answer some of the shortcomings of both Ethernet and wireless networking (though it does have some shortcomings of its own).  Basically the technology employs devices that plug into a mains socket in your home and then transmit a signal down the copper electrical cables to other devices connected in the same way.  To connect these devices to your network you would need to use traditional Ethernet cables.

The advantages of this system are that it allows you to have a cabled home network without the need to run bespoke Ethernet cabling around your home.  It is also slightly faster than a wireless network, with devices operating at around 85Mbps (again, this is a theoretical figure, the actual figure will depend on the distance the signal is transmitted and the quality of your home wiring).  Powerline is also less susceptible to “drop outs” that sometimes occur with wireless networks due to interference from other sources.  The transmission distance of powerline is also greater than that of most wireless equipment, making it perfect for “black spots” (areas where a wireless signal doesn’t reach).

There are disadvantages to the powerline system as well, the most important of which is security:  Currently there is very little protection offered on powerline compared to wireless networking.  This is important because although the system is designed to allow networking from anywhere in the home where there is a power outlet, the signal can actually travel past the fuseboard of your home and onto the mains feed into your property.  This is especially likely to happen in apartment blocks where wiring is often closely connected between homes.  The problem here is that those in neighboring properties may be able to access your network and internet connection over a powerline connection.  Powerline is also comparatively expensive, and there are no guarantees as to how the devices will perform as this relies almost entirely on the way the electrical cables are wired up in your home.  In my opinion, powerline should only be used as a last resort where it is not possible to run either an Ethernet cable or have wireless network coverage.

Conclusions

There are advantages and disadvantages to all these systems.  Ethernet is best used where large amounts of data needs to be moved or where the data is sensitive or important.  Wireless is a great solution for the home, just be aware of the security issues and take steps to protect your data.  Powerline is useful, but bare in mind the security issues that come along with using it.  I would personally always use Ethernet for devices that aren’t mobile (home computers, games consoles, media players, etc.) as you are guaranteed the best possible connection and the best security for your data.  In a world where quick access to data is becoming paramount, it is almost a requirement to have a wireless network, but it’s important to make sure that your wireless network is protected as much as possible from those outside your home.

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