Product Reviews

The M0200UK is the first wireless 802.11g router with a built-in ADSL2+ modem we've seen for less than £30. It's not the most attractive router around, but it comes with a three-year warranty.

Installation was unnecessarily complicated, and wasn't helped by the lack of a printed manual. The setup wizard doesn't take you through entering your ISP details, which needs to be done first.

The front panel has a series of LEDs, which show whether you have a wireless connection, the status of the ADSL line and activity that's occurring between your computer and the router. There's one antenna

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on the back of the unit. This has a standard fitting, so you could replace it with a high-gain aerial.

As well as wireless networking, there are four 10/100 Ethernet ports for connecting wired devices. It supports WEP, WPA and WPA2 security. It's no surprise that quality of service isn't built in, but it is UPnP-compatible.

The M0200UK achieved a throughput of 17.49Mbit/s at 10m, and a disappointing 16.9Mbit/s at close range with our Centrino laptop. However, we couldn't get a connection at 25m, which is most likely down to the antenna.

With average performance and disappointing coverage, the M0200UK doesn't challenge Buffalo's WBMR-G125 ADSL2+ router. This might cost £19 more, but it's far easier to set up, and includes Buffalo's AOSS technology, which creates secure wireless connections at the touch of a button. It also has a burst mode that boosts speeds to a theoretical 125Mbit/s, and the matching CardBus adaptors are easily affordable at under £20. The only reason to opt for the M0200UK is if you need a basic wireless router for a very low price and don't need more than 10m of wireless coverage. Only in those circumstances is it good value.