One of the main reasons that almost everyone is running a wireless G router is that the wireless N solutions are inevitably more expensive. Edimax aims to subvert that assumption with the cut-price BR-6428nS router - a wireless N device that you can pick up for less than £20.
Wireless N is faster than wireless G, and offers a stronger signal with a greater range, so you can understand why you might be keen to take a chance on the upgrade, especially when you're asked to spend so little money on doing so. However, the discounts come at a price: you lose out on all manner of features.
We're not just talking software either. The BR-6428nS doesn't have gigabit Ethernet ports, just standard ones, and there's no USB connection, so if you want to link up any storage or a printer, it'll have to be wireless. The internal software is also a bit of a nightmare, with a poorly organised and slow configuration back-end that you'll have to administer manually. Prepare for headaches.
There's no denying that it does do the bare minimum job of establishing and maintaining a wireless N network with speeds better than the average wireless G router, but at the same time, it's less stable and consistent than other wireless N competitors. Spend a little more money and you'll get a lot better.
As a router, it's cheap, compact and minimally functional, and if that's all you want, then £20 isn't a bad price by any stretch, but there's so much more on offer. You can't even call it 'entry level' because beginners with struggle with the setup procedure. It's maybe alright in an emergency, but in the long-term you're getting what you pay for, and that's not very much at all.
A wireless N router aimed at the impoverished sounds like an odd fit, and it turns out that it is
| FEATURES & TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Functions | Supports AP, AP Client, Bridge, Bridge+WDS and Universal Repeater modes Port Triggering for special applications DDNS and SIP Virtual Server and DMZ hosting MAC/IP filter and URL blocking Static routing UPnP architecture VPN Pass-Through (IPSec/PPTP) Schedule control |
| HARDWARE INTERFACE | 1 x RJ-45 WAN port 4 x RJ-45 Fast Ethernet LAN ports LED Indicators: Power, Wireless, WAN, LNK/ACT for LAN 2 x 3dBi Fixed Antenna WPS / Reset button |
| MANAGEMENT | 12-language User Interface Supports Remote Management System Status and Security Log (Web Interface) Firmware upgradeable |
| WAN | Support WISP connection mode Supports RJ-45 cable/xDSL modem WAN protocol: PPPoE, Static IP, PPTP, Dynamic IP, L2TP, Telstra Big Pond |
| SECURITY | NAT/NAPT IP Sharing 64/128-bit WEP Encryption and WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK security DHCP Server/Client QoS for critical operations SPI Anti-DoS Firewall |
| OUTPUT POWER & RECEIVE SENSITIVITY | 11n: 16±1dBm, 11g: 16±1dBm 11b: 18±1dBm 11n (40MHz): -68dBm, 11n (20MHz): -71dBm, 11g: -74dBm, 11b: -87dBm |
| MEMORY | 4 MB NOR Flash 16 MB SDRAM |
| INSTALLATION KIT | Multi-language EZMax Setup Wizard |
| POWER ADAPTER | DC 5V, 1A |
| HUMIDITY & TEMPERATURE | 10-90% (Non-condensing) 0~45oC |
| DIMENSIONS | 134(W) x 88(D) x 26 (H) mm |
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