Network

Have you always fancied yourself as a reviewer? Feel you have a hidden talent that you want the world to see? Nvidia are working with KitGuru to give away two of their Shield Android TV devices. Matthew reviewed this for us at the start of April and it earned our …

Google is back as the black sheep of the tech world for many end users this week, after it announced that it would be shuttering, Revolv, a maker of smart-home hubs that Google purchased less than two years ago. But this raises a bigger concern for technology fans, as much …

SilverStone CS01-HS is a type of PC case we haven't seen before as it is intended for customers who want to build their own NAS. CS-01 (it stands for Case Storage) is a Mini-ITX case that supports 2x 2.5-inch drives and 2x 3.5-inch drives while this HS (Hot Swap) version …

Back in the mists of time (it was 2006) Bigfoot Networks launched the Killer NIC network adapter with a PCI interface and an astonishing price of US$280. It was an interesting piece of hardware that promised to reduce ping times and latency for gamers by bypassing the Windows networking stack …

The Asus RT-AC5300 is a unique wireless router. Its slightly odd looking design is due to its eight antennas, providing three separate wireless networks – two of which are quad-stream 4×4 802.11ac. It’s of most benefit to environments with an extreme amount of wireless traffic, and for people who want …

Although the UK has always lagged behind other nations when it comes to average download speeds, there are areas where it is better than others. London of course enjoys some of the highest speeds in the country, but what about the worst? If you live in Wales, big chunks of …

Sharing pictures and videos of your celebrating family and friends may be a little harder around Christmas according to OfCom, as those fairy lights that we add to trees and other parts of our homes, could have a negative impact on your Wi-Fi speed. They join a long list of …

The RP-AC56 is a 2×2 802.11ac wireless extender, designed to compete with and outperform typically affordable offerings. It’s an upgrade from Asus’ older AC750 model, and comes with a nifty music streaming function, for wireless audio playback from a tablet or smartphone. Although the RP-AC56 is the second wireless extender …

At first glance the QNAP TS-453 Pro has little in common with the TS-453mini we recently reviewed, however they share a fair amount of hardware. In particular both NAS are powered by a Celeron J1900 processor that is paired with 2GB or 8GB of DDR3L memory, and naturally they both …

The Federal Communication Commission has stated its intention to crack down on companies blocking Wi-Fi hotspots created by its customers, with fines being levied against two hotel and convention centre owners for doing so. It's claimed that the blocks were designed to encourage the purchasing of expensive Wi-Fi time sold …

It seems like the original OnHub only just launched but Google already has the next version of its router lined up. While the original was built in partnership with TP-Link, the OnHub 2 is being handled by ASUS, designed to be fast, secure and easy to set up. It's a …

Although rural areas are gradually getting access to 3G and 4G services, coverage outside of cities and large townships still isn't great. One solution that Virgin is trying out in the small market-town of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, is what it's calling “smart pavements.” It involves the creation of public Wi-Fi stations …

PowerNAS has used a novel approach during the development of the CMA (it stands for Converged Media Appliance). To their way of thinking this Windows 8.1 PC can act as a replacement for three separate pieces of hardware and bring together the home PC, media centre PC and NAS Server …

Synology's DiskStation DS715 borrows an interesting feature from the DS1515 that we recently reviewed. Look on the rear panel of this dual bay NAS and you will see that in addition to the dual Gigabit Ethernet and two USB 3.0 ports you also get an eSATA connector. This port can …

If you're broadband is provided by Plusnet and you've been suffering from problematic internet connectivity over the past 24 hours, it's not your fault. The ISP has apologised for customers over a DNS issue that left many unable to access certain websites and online services, which forced some to use alternative …

AAISP – the unfiltered network Most internet service providers are quite typical. They offer phone and broadband products and have lacklustre callcentre support systems that are so ubiquitous, they've been the punchline of every comedian's closing bit for a decade; but that's not the case with every ISP. Recently we sat …

If you are a fan of model names that describe a product in a fair amount of detail then the PowerNAS Business Mini will be right up your street. PowerNAS offers three families of NAS and this model is loaded with Windows Server 2012 R2 for the business market. It …

The reversible USB type-C connector is something that the industry has been waiting for since the introduction of the original USB bus in 1997. This year PCs, computer components and mobile devices finally started to incorporate USB-C receptacles, but not all implementations necessarily support all features introduced by the latest …

The Personal Cloud from Seagate is essentially a NAS system, but it is not marketed as such. Aimed at families, it allows users to store all their files in a central location and access them anywhere. With plug-and-play functionality, you simply attach the Personal Cloud to your router via an …

Google may have just revealed the most stylish looking router ever with its new offering known as the OnHub. Now if you were wondering why it is shaped a bit like a bin, there is apparently a technical reason for that- Google says that the cylindrical shape will help provide more …

It may not be immediately apparent that the QNAP TS-453mini is a NAS that accommodates up to four 3.5-inch hard drives. Its tiny footprint (200mmx151mm) requires the bare minimum of shelf space, however that isn't the natural environment for this particular NAS. Take a look on the rear and you'll …

Supporting 4×4 quad-stream 802.11ac speeds, the Asus EA-AC87 is a wireless bridge that’s designed to compliment the RT-AC87U router, as one of the few ways to get the fastest possible performance from it. It’s capable of more than that, as it also doubles up as an access point, used to …

Rivet Networks on Wednesday introduced its new-generation smart network processor with enhanced performance and improved functionality. The new Killer E2400 chip promises to improve network-related performance in video games, multimedia and bandwidth-demanding applications. Gigabyte Technology and MicroStar International will be the first companies to use the new chip. Rivet does …

Like with every aspect of our modern lives, securing your home is becoming as connected as the rest of it. There are apps and companion hardware available, which is exactly what we are looking at today. It is known as the Piper nv iControl Network, which incorporates everything from a …

The Asus RT-AC3200 is a second-generation 802.11ac router. It features three separate wireless networks, two of which work on the 3×3 5GHz 802.11ac band, with another for 2.4GHz with TurbQAM for 600 Mbps speeds. It also has a pair of USB ports, and a setting called Smart Connect, which allocated …

Does your broadband operate at anything close to the speed stated by your ISP? According to a new report, as many as three quarters of households in the UK are faced with internet download rates that are slower than the one advertised by their provider for their particular package. Worse yet, …

Kim Dotcom is a doer rather than a talker, having launched a new file locker, music service and political party since having his fortunes confiscated and his freedom threatened in a raid on his home in January 2012. However one project that he has merely talked about to date, is …

Elon Musk and his space faring company, Space X, have announced many different plans and projects over the past couple of years, but one of the most intriguing was the idea to put several hundred miniature satellites into orbit, to create a global, wireless internet network. While often dismissed it …

Semiconducter manufacturer, Qualcomm, is set to put a portion of the radio spectrum up for sale in the UK, with mobile operators expected to compete for it in a bidding war. The “L-Band,” as it's termed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, is part of the 1-2Ghz radio …

Synology, a well known maker of network area storage solutions, introduced its first router – the Synology RT1900ac – at Computex. The device boasts all modern technologies as well as integrated NAS capabilities, reports Leo Waldock, a KitGuru editor, from Taipei. The product is set to hit the market shortly …