The SMC Barricade wireless router is the perfect solution for setting up a home network on one DSL or Cable line. You can connect up to 50 clients via the wireless access point, and up to 253 clients via the LAN ports. A simple, inexpensive solution.

Set up:
Setting up the router is pretty straight forward. Unlike many other routers, this one comes with directions for Mac users. All you have to do to set this router up is plug it in to your Cable/DSL modem, plug in a computer, and point your favorite web browser to the router's setup page. From there, you go by a step by step process, setting it up as you wish.

Usage:
Once I got router set up, I tried to connect with my iBook and it's Apple AirPort card. To my delight, the iBook quickly picked up the signal, and was on the Internet in no time. I was surfing the Internet without wires in a matter of minutes.

I positioned the router in my room (which is in the basement), and conducted a test to see how good of a signal this thing tansmitted. I walked outside, loading web pages, seeing what kind of signal I could get. I started walking down the driveway, and all of a sudden, no signal! Took a step back, and there it was again. I measured approximately 250 feet from my router, and was still getting good download speeds. Keep in mind, this is through the walls of the house, as well as being the the basement of the house.

But if you think that was impressive, stay tuned. I brought the router to the school dorms with me, where the walls are made from cement, and interference is everywhere. To my surprise, I was able to walk down to the end of the hall, and still had a very good signal. I was not figuring on getting out of my room, let alone having my internet connection in other people's room. Now that is impressive.

Besides the testing how far away I could get from the router, I also tested signal strength. I placed my iBook about 3 feet from the router to get maximum signal, and ran a bandwidth test. To my surprise, I got only about 10% less speed than the G3, also hooked up to the router (via LAN wire).

However, there are some features to this router other than wireless. Most of them are seen in every router, however this one has three extra bells and whistles. First, if you have a PC modem, you can hook it up to the router, and have it dial up if you loose your broadband connection. That way, you are always on the internet. Another one of it's features is the built in printer server. However, this can only be used if you have Windows machines. The final extra feature involves the wireless network and AppleTalk. This router can easily bridge an AppleTalk network across it's wired and wireless clients, allowing you to keep your simple AppleTalk networks active. This is definitely something not all routers come equipped with.

Problems:
The only problems I encountered while running this router came from moving to different locations. Sometimes, the router would not pick up on the new ISP. However, a quick reset to factory defaults cures this.

Conclusion:
Overall, this is a great router for the money. It's an easy way to set up a home network with both wired and wireless clients. MOve away from your desk with your own wireless network.

Rating: 9 out of 10 Mac Faces.

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