Router with a Reach
Though a bit slow (just 87 megabits per second) at the optimal wireless computing distance of about 20 feet, the SMC SMCW-GBR14 Barricade N router is a champ at long range: I measured 32 Mbps at over 180 feet! It can’t operate in the 5-GHz band, but its four wired ports support Gigabit Ethernet, and it has a USB port for print serving. It also builds in Wi-Fi Protected Setup: With the touch of a button , it and other WPS devices find each other and configure themselves.
The integrated browser-based management utility is fairly intuitive, and unlike many competing products, the router doesn’t reboot when you make changes. Like the D-Link DIR-855, the Bar­ricade N includes two QoS features: Wireless Intelligent Stream Handling (WISH), to prioritize traffic, and the Stream Engine tech­nology found in other home routers, which improves game play.
The firewall uses stateful packet inspection and provides basic content filtering, as well as manual rules configuration. The router also offers a virtual-server capability—useful for hosting an FTP or Web server—and parental control in the form of a Web-site whitelist. Overall, I liked this router.
If you have high-bandwidth wireless traffic (HD media-serving, for example), look elsewhere. But for most home network tasks, the SMC SMC WGBR14 Barricade N is solid, and its range makes it good for larger houses or if you want coverage outside.—OR