Ozenda 11g Wireless ADSL Firewall

Computeractive would be the first to agree that product specifications are important, but ease of use is just as crucial as top performance. It's no good having the latest and greatest gadget if it's impossible to get going. Clearly designed with this in mind, Ozenda has come up trumps with its Wireless ADSL Firewall Router.

The first thing to say is that there is little point in buying this if you have a cable broadband connection from NTL or Telewest. For ADSL subscribers, the Ozenda is incredibly easy to set up. Just connect the supplied cables, type the given IP address into your browser and follow the step-by-step instructions on the screen.

It has to be said that the accompanying quick-start guide is a little jargon heavy, with unnecessary references to things such as 'RJ45 connectors' and 'Cat 5' cable, but you can safely ignore this and be up and running in less than 10 minutes. Once you choose your country settings there are even predefined settings for some of the larger ISPs, and no drivers to install.

Ozenda's unit combines an ADSL modem, an Ethernet switch that allows up to four computers to connect directly, and an 802.11g Wi-Fi access point into one small unit.

It also includes an industrial-strength hardware firewall, which successfully hid our PC during online scans from hackers. There's also website filtering to block any dodgy sites and encryption to protect people from jumping onto your wireless network uninvited.

Everything went well with our BT connection and the unit happily talked to other Wi-Fi products, including a Sony Vaio notebook and a Linksys gaming adapter connected to an Xbox games console.

We also managed to share the internet connection with both PCs and a Mac. Signal strength was consistently good and the two adjustable aerials can be tweaked to gain the best reception. Setting up 128-bit encryption to keep the network secure also went without a hitch.

However, perhaps the most impressive fact about the Ozenda is the price. Just over £70 for a product like this represents superb value for money. Wireless sharing ADSL just doesn't get any easier than this.

Contact: Ozenda 01442 263800
www.ozenda.com

See also:

Buffalo Airstation G54

An easy and secure way to share your broadband.  13 Sep 2004

Inexq ISW054u

All the basics covered at a good price.  06 Sep 2004

BT Wireless Network 1250

Easy to use and flexible, but it's expensive.  05 May 2004

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