Wireless Networks That Do More

Easy From the Get-Go

The setup wizards that come with every wireless gateway make installation easy, though setting up a nonstandard connection, such as a link to a virtual private network, can be a headache. The wizards assume that you already have a working Internet connection on one computer; some setup programs copy your network information automatically from your PC to the gateway, making setup nearly transparent. Others require you to write down certain information, such as the static IP address your ISP assigned to you, and ask you to enter it manually later in the setup process.The 3Com, D-Link, NetGear, Proxim, and SMC gateways have their own installation wizards, and the other devices use Windows wizards.

Connecting the hardware is as simple as unplugging the modem cable from your computer, plugging it into the gateway, and linking the gateway back to the PC, via either an ethernet cable or a wireless adapter. You configure the gateway by giving it details about your ISP connection. Though you can go completely wireless from the start, it's usually easier to set up the gateway to link to a PC via a wired ethernet connection first and configure the wireless links later. That way you can make sure your Internet connection works before complicating the network with wireless links. In the event of problems, every vendor except Proxim and Zoom offers toll-free technical support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

All ten of the gateways we tested support dynamic IP address, static IP address, and PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet) connections, as well as Media Access Control address cloning. Your network may need MAC address cloning because many cable modem companies and other ISPs record the unique MAC address of your computer's LAN card and permit that address to have only one connection. By cloning this address, the gateway is able to take the place of your LAN card and communicate with your ISP's servers directly.

All of the gateways we tested can be configured manually via Web-browser setup screens. You can set some of the Actiontec GEU404000-01 gateway's firewall and wireless features via browser-based screens, but it relies on a simple Windows utility to change basic network-access settings. Even more troublesome, the product's browser-accessible features are not password-protected, so anyone on your network can get at them.

Once your gateway is hooked up to the Internet, you set up your wireless connections by installing drivers and plugging in wireless adapters. (Thanks to Windows XP's built-in Wi-Fi support, you may not need to install special drivers for that OS.) Once the hardware and software are in place, you scan the airwaves for your gateway and connect your PC to it in two clicks. We had no problems connecting to any of the gateways with three different client cards, suggesting that Wi-Fi compatibility problems are a thing of the past.

Make sure that your gateway's firmware is up to date before you configure it. You can upgrade the firmware of the gateways we tested via downloadable patches. Once things are up and running, you probably won't need to change your setup unless you get a new ISP or you want to activate some special firewall features (see " Security Built In" for more on firewall configuration).