Buffalo AirStation Nfiniti review

Buffalo's Nfiniti is another router based on the Draft 802.11n standard. Long-range performance made it one of the fastest on test, but 16Mb/sec is still disappointing from a router that should be capable of at least double this. At short range we measured an average 25Mb/sec, meaning the Nfiniti is beaten by several 802.11g routers.

When installing the matching PC Card (which is pricey at £51 exc VAT), you can push the router's AOSS button to automatically establish a connection and configure security (WPA-PSK with AES is the default). The client utility shows connection speed, wireless channel, IP address, MAC address and a five-bar signal strength meter.

But, logging onto the Nfiniti's web interface was the biggest disappointment. It's the most difficult to use on test; basic and advanced settings screens have different layouts, and the latter's cluttered menu doesn't automatically collapse as you select another subheading. Basic settings throw you in at the deep end with port forwarding, and there's no help, no preset settings and you can't delete entries here either.

Wireless security options include WEP or WPA, but not RADIUS or WPA2. Advanced options include reserving IP addresses for specific MAC addresses and manually editing the NAT table (port forwarding) and deleting entries made in the basic menu.

But with no QoS, no URL filter and no ability to schedule settings, the Nfiniti lacks features. Combine this with the poor menus, and we simply can't recommend it.

Author: Roger Kirkwood