Westell WireSpeed 2410

Now that wires-only ADSL is readily available, more and more third-party ADSL modems and routers are coming onto the market. The most elegant option is to get it all in one box, and that's where Westell's WireSpeed 2410 steps in. The Westell combines a built-in ADSL modem, USB, 802.11b connectivity supplied via a PC Card slot, plus a four-port 10/100BaseTX Ethernet switch.

The USB, Ethernet and WLAN interfaces can be used simultaneously too. USB connection requires the installation of drivers, but the other two only need the appropriate LAN or WLAN interface installed on a client. Setting up the ADSL connection is easy with a network connection - just point a browser at the default 192.168.1.1 IP address and a Wizard guides you through inputting ADSL account details. You're then led to the main setup screen to connect.

The browser-based management utility uses a menu system to gain access to system status and diagnostics, plus configuration screens for expected options such as DNS, DHCP, and wireless connectivity. With the latter, you can set ESS ID but you can't choose the radio channel. You can turn on 40/64-bit or 128-bit WEP security, using either hexadecimal or plain text keys. There's also an enhanced security setting that hides the ESS ID from casual browsing, but there's no option for MAC address control, which would really lock the network down.

A basic firewall with four levels of protection is provided. Rules can be customised, but they're held in plain text files that must be manually edited within a built-in editor. The Service Configuration menu option gives access to port forwarding so that services on local systems behind the NAT firewall can be accessed as if they're directly on the Net. Presets are provided for popular activities such as serving Unreal Tournament or VNC remote management, and custom forwarding rules can be set up. However, there's no preset for a demilitarised zone (DMZ) to sandbox a web or FTP server from accessing the internal network.

Overall, the Westell is an effective integration of ADSL, WLAN and LAN, although WEP may not be sufficient for security-conscious businesses. For SoHo or home usage, however, it's a good-value solution.

Author: James Morris