Product Reviews

Sharing a broadband connection doesn't have to cost a fortune, as Edimax shows with its BR-6204Wg wireless router, which is available for under £40 including VAT.

The cheap price doesn't mean you miss out on any features, either. The router's smart casing houses a four-port Ethernet switch, a WAN port for connecting to an Ethernet modem and an 802.11g wireless access point.

Connecting to the router's management system was strangely familiar, as it uses the exact interface that Hawking uses for its wireless routers. This isn't a bad thing, as the interface is basic, but presents a clean, uncluttered view of the product's settings.

There's a quick-start wizard to help you get connected

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to the internet with minimum fuss. However, it covers only internet settings, so you need to configure your wireless settings independently, including security. The router supports WPA and WEP encryption and it's easy to turn on. We just wish the settings were part of the installation wizard.

The firewall is also turned off by default. We strongly recommend that it is turned on to offer protection against hackers. Finally, there's the standard range of port-forwarding options, which you'll need to configure only if you are having trouble getting some internet applications working.

As this is a standard 802.11g 54Mbit/s wireless router, there's no advantage in buying Edimax PC cards, as you won't see a massive increase in throughput. We tested using our Centrino notebook. Throughputs were slightly below our reference router, but nothing to worry about. Range was also respectable, with throughput barely dropping between our near and far tests.

However, if you want to share files or stream video or music, we recommend that you switch to a faster router, such as Buffalo's HighPower router.

For those just wanting to share an internet connection, this no-frills option does the job. Its low price means that even those on a tight budget can get wireless.