08 September 2010
manufacturer:
- bluetake
supplier:
- bluetake
price:
- ~£100 approx
review by:
- inder
related www:
- forum thread
- bluetake
pros:
supports many protocols and network standards, small, compact and light, four lan ports, usb port, com port, cable or dsl modem supported, print server function, built in firewall, web-based management console, wireless printing, wireless internet access, internet sharing within a lan, virtual server function, special application and dmz available, support for tcp/ip, nat, dhcp, pppoe etc..., fixed or dynamic ip address support, status leds on front of unit, provision to fix unit flat to wall, four rubber feet to protect surface, ieee 802.11b compliant, wide operating range for wi-fi (35m~100m indoors, 100~300m outdoors).
cons:
no way to extend antenna length, however they provide ample coverage as standard.
modtown rating:
- 5 out of 5
do you agree with our rating? why not drop by the forums and leave your comments...
Advanced Options:
The Advanced Options menu consists of: Virtual Server, Special Application,
Wireless Setup, VLAN, Static Routing Table, Change Password, Change WAN MAC,
Upgrade Firmware and About. Again, each option is detailed in the manual, which
takes you through setting up each option and what each option does.
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| Virtual Server | Special Application | |
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| Basic Wireless Setup | Virtual-LAN | |
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| Static Routing Table | Change Admin Password | |
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| Change WAN MAC Address | Upgrade Firmware |
Connecting Wireless Devices:
As well as being perfect for wired connections, the BW320 has the great feature of
being also a Wireless LAN router - meaning that many wireless devices can connect to
and access the Internet through it. In order to test this function, we attempted
to connect to the router using a laptop with a
BlueTake
Wireless LAN 802.11b BW101 USB Adapter attached to it and (as the laptop used had no built in
Wi-Fi function) a Palm™ Tungsten™ C, which has an integrated Wi-Fi adapter
that is able to connect to any 802.11b WLAN Access Point's.
Connecting the BW101 to the laptop...
Once the BW101 USB Adapter was
setup on the laptop, we were able to search for and connect to the BW320 router
with no problems. The router has the default SSID of 'bluetake' (this can be
changed in Advanced Options --> Wireless Setup) and has WEP Encryption turned off. Once
connected to the router, Internet access was possible with no problems...
The Palm™ Tungsten™ C has a built in Wi-Fi adapter and therefore connecting the
the router was even simpler. Using the Palm 'Wi-Fi Setup' wizard, we
instructed the Palm to initiate a search for any wireless networks that were in
its
range, after a few moments the Palm listed any that it found - the 'bluetake'
SSID was discovered and listed by the Palm.
Choosing a network to connect to...
We were then able to select the 'bluetake'
network and the Palm then connected to the router and gained an IP Address -
Internet Access was then possible using the Palm Internet Browser.
Conclusion:
The
BlueTake Wireless LAN 802.11b BW320 Router is a well-built and designed
piece of hardware. At around £100 (the best price we found online was only
£95.00) the BW320 represents extremely good value for money as it is like a
three-in-one product with it being a Wired Router, a Wi-Fi Access Point and even
a Print Server, saving the user from making any extra purchases.
It's web configuration tool makes setting up and customising the BW320 very
simple. The layout of the web configuration tool is user friendly consistent in
layout and each option is well detailed in the manual. The Setup Wizard guides
the user through the entire setup process of the router and once completed, the
router is ready for basic usage. This Wizard is particularly useful for a quick
setup time or for less experienced users.
The BW320 supports many different protocols and network standards and would be
suitable for almost any environment. It is also future-proof for the foreseeable
future, as the firmware that runs the BW320 can be upgraded using the web
configuration tool. A built in VLAN and NAT Firewall is incorporated into the BW320,
providing network protection at least in a home or home office environment (a corporate
environment may not wish to rely on just a single piece of hardware for its Firewall
protection alone).
With several LAN ports on the back of the router, there is ample provision for
the connection of computers directly to the router using suitable RJ45 network
cabling. The WAN port provides the uplink to the Internet through a DSL or Cable
modem. Should the user not wish to connect using or DSL or Cable modem, or have
no access to a Broadband connection a COM port is available for connecting an
external 56K Modem to the router.
This is also useful as a backup solution - should the Broadband connection fail
or go offline for sometime. A USB port is also provided for connecting a
computer to the router that might not have a network card or port. These two
extra ports are 'hidden' behind a plastic door on the side of the BW320.
The router has Special Application and DMZ functions available, allowing the
user to open certain ports or create mappings to allow certain applications or
games to function or access the Internet with no problems, applications such as
ICQ, NetMeeting and MSN Messenger (for allowing files transfers through the
Firewall). Virtual Server's can also be created, such as FTP or Mail Servers and
the mappings to the computer on the network for the chosen service.
Having a built in Print Server function is a very useful bonus for a busy
network environment, as it does away with the need of a dedicated computer being
left on all the time to act as a server. The BW320 handles all print requests
and sends them to the printer (that is attached directly to the router) as and
when it becomes free.
The built-in Wi-Fi Access Point allows any wireless device to connect to the
BW320 and access the Internet and services through it. This also means that
wireless devices can print wirelessly, if there is a printer attached to the
router. The router also supports WEP Encryption, allowing the user to secure their
WLAN environment and stop any unauthorised usage.
Overall the
BlueTake Wireless LAN 802.11b BW320 Router is an impressive and
feature-full product that is easy to setup and manage.
modtown rating: 5 out of 5
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