There are millions of small businesses across Europe, all of them with their particular configuration and needs, but all of them require simplicity and reliability from their wireless network. That’s why Linksys is developing its Small Business product range to help those companies to build a wireless network which fit exactly to their profile and wishes.
The silver-and-black Wireless-G VPN Router with RangeBooster (WRV200) is Linksys’ latest product in its Business Series Product line. This new router provides a wireless network in an intelligent and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) managed way, making it a reasonable choice for small businesses.
The 4-port WRV200 (Best Current Price:
£44.82/$59.99) is based on RangeBooster, a MIMO technology which is a compatible add-on to standard Wireless-G and can increase a wireless network’s range up to two times (allegedly), and its throughput by up to 35%. These figures are a little optimistic, of course, but you can expect a slight improvement in wireless performance when using other Linksys RangeBooster products.
Unlike ordinary wireless technologies that can be confused by signal reflections, RangeBooster uses two smart receivers at each end to detect and decode reflected signals at distances where standard technologies ‘give up’. RangeBooster can allow a range improvement even when running a mixed network of RangeBooster and regular Wireless-G devices.
The WRV200 includes a Virtual Private Network (VPN) feature to help secure mobile workers connections; multiple SSIDs (Network Name), with support for Wireless QoS (WMM) and wired QoS (port prioritisation), should also mean consistent voice and video quality is increased throughout your office. The Web-based interface allows you to easily setup the features of the WRV200 and SNMP gives the ability to remotely manage and monitor the device.
As an essential element in any small Net-ready business, the WRV200 provides security functions for authentication, encryption, and firewall. Additional security features includes enabling/disabling SSID Broadcast, MAC-based filtering, and Denial of Service (DoS) prevention. The 10 IPsec QuickVPN tunnels with a throughput at 30Mbit/s gives mobile workers a secure and easy-to-use way to stay connected.
Main technical features of the router include support for RIP-1, RIP-2, and static IP routing protocols, as well as Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g data protocols. Remote management protocols supported comprise SNMP 1, SNMP 2c, HTTP and HTTPS, while compliant standards include IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3U, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.1x, IEEE 802.11i, and IEEE 802.11e. Encryption algorithms supported include Triple DES, MD5, AES, 128-bit WEP, 64-bit WEP, TLS, SHA-1, PEAP, TTLS, TKIP, WPA and WPA2, while authentication methods include RADIUS and Radio Service Set ID (SSID).
Setting up and configuring the Wireless-G VPN Router is a snap, but before you begin you should always make sure that you have the relevant information from your ISP. For wired connections, one end of an Ethernet cable connects to the router and the other to your computer, repeating the process for more computers. You then have to connect a different Ethernet cable from your cable of DSL modem to the Internet port on the router’s back panel (the WRV200 doesn’t include a broadband modem). Finally, you simply need to connect the supplied power adapter to the routers power port, and then plug the other end into an electrical outlet. The power and Internet LEDs on the front panel light up green as soon as the power adapter is connected properly.
Configuring the WRV200 is all done securely (username and password required) via a Web browser. The Web-based utility lets you enter your ISP details, including Host Name and Domain Name fields, as well as the MTU and MTU Size fields. For the configuration setting, five connection types are offered: Automatic Configuration - DHCP, Static IP, PPPoE, PPTP (available in Europe only), and L2TP. Wireless networking options include the ability to select the Mode type (Mixed, 802.11g only, 802.11b only, Disable), enter a network name (SSID), select TX Rate Limitation (rate of data transmission over your network), select your wireless channel, as well as enable WMM (Wi-Fi MultiMedia).
The WRV200 is consistent with other Linksys products. You can bridge your wireless by just plugging it into your LAN and assigning an IP in the LAN’s local address space and a crazy IP in the WAN. However, SNMP is severely lacking, and those hoping to monitor the packets on each device will be disappointed - all you get is some basic high-level information. In fact, the SNMP agent out-of-the-box reports inaccurate system uptime. The interface is easy-to-use and the instructions are well written, but the antenna are fixed (so you can’t upgrade to larger ones).
Wireless and WPA2 works and is rock solid, but having to reboot the system after configuration changes is a real chore. All said, the router runs networking and wireless reasonably well and will do the job for home and small businesses. RangeBooster, however, didn’t realistically extend the range in our tests, so don’t base your purchasing decision purely on this feature. The WRV200 is definitely a small-business class product - but at a consumer price.
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