D-Link's DIR-685 Wi-Fi router generated a lot of buzz at CES this past January. And when we took a gander at its spec sheet, we thought it a contender for Best of the Best in the router category; something that would finally displace the Linksys ...

Next up, there's a 2.5-inch internal SATA hard drive bay, which can turn the router into a NAS box (complemented by a built-in FTP server and BitTorrent software). There are two USB ports featuring D-Link's SharePort technology, which allows you to ...

With 802.11n Draft 2.0 routers becoming as common as Storm Troopers at Comic-Con, manufacturers need a feature that sets their product apart from the crowd. Like many of its competitors, Belkin added a second radio to its N+ Wireless Router-but this ...

If the router is operating "Hotel Style," any guests connecting to the router are greeted by a landing page that informs them they must contact the network administrator to obtain the passphrase in order to gain access to the Internet. In either mode, ...

The Linksys WRT600N is the first 802.11n draft 2.0 router we've tested that can operate on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands simultaneously. It's also the most expensive Wi-Fi router we've ever tested. Click Read More for more.

Dual-band blows all other routers we've tested out of the water ; Storage Link give ad-hoc NAS functionality

Expensive

In fact, the WRT600N bested our previous favorite (D-Link's DIR-655) by a whopping 43 percent at close range (see chart). The chasm widened to a staggering 170 percent when the client was placed at its furthest point from the router inside the home, ...

If you've already installed a Wi-Fi router, you don't need the vendor's installation software to help you through the process. So we weren't surprised that Trendnet didn't develop anything for its TEW-633GR 802.11n Draft 2.0 product, relying instead ...

StreamEngine, WPS, Gigabit switch

Slow ; Network Magic installs itself on your system

But we feel obligated to evaluate each company's installation routine, and we were torqued to find that Trendnet's resulted in the free, basic version of Network Magic in residence on our system. We've recommended Network Magic in the context of an ...

D-Link's DIR-655 was one of the fastest routers in our Draft-N roundup, and it proved best-in-breed in terms of range. But speed and range aren't the only reasons to like this product. If you enjoy fine-tuning your network's performance, the Xtreme N ...

Speedy ; extremely high range ; great QoS ; superb attention to detail throughout

Not the prettiest router we've ever seen. TCP output with WEP slower than expected

Don't enjoy twiddling with your gear? D-Link bundles a 30-day-evaluation copy of Pure Networks's newb-friendly Network Magic software. It doesn't give you any additional configuration or monitoring options, but it does make tasks such as printer ...

You can never have too much speed or too much storage, and the Linksys WRT350N makes it easy to have both. This router took first place while running in 802.11n-only mode and second place while running in mixed 802.11b/g/n mode. And its Storage Link ...

Includes NAS support ; WPA2 Enterprise and RADIUS ; great speed at range ; full-featured security and setup

Stupid expensive

Linksys supports not only WPA2 Personal security, but also WPA Enterprise, WPA2 Enterprise, and RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) security. This is overkill, since most people will never go beyond WPA2 Personal, and if it's at all ...

Netgear's WNR854T was faster than any other router in this roundup in our close-range tests, lost the least amount of potency while running WEP security, and came in second in our 40-foot test, bested by D-Link's DIR-655. But Netgear's entry was ...

High throughput ; gigabit switch ; good looks

Questionable interoperability, due to absence of an IEEE 802.11n standard

Netgear hides the router's three dipole antennas inside its enclosure, which should make the box more appealing to fashionistas who don't care for geek chic. We thought that these fixed antennas might explain the router's relatively poor long-distance ...

Asus has solved one of the most common problems download junkies face: By marrying a Wi-Fi router with a hard drive and built-in BitTorrent client, the company has eliminated the need for you to leave your power-hungry PC running 24/7. Click Read ...

It's equally obvious, however, that Asus didn't spend much time designing the client software-optimistically called Download Master-which comes preloaded on the router's 160GB PATA hard drive: The user interface is crude and there's virtually no ...

Belkin picked Atheros' XSPAN Draft 802.11n chipset for the N1, which we tested with the company's matching N1 Wireless Notebook card.

Super-easy setup and troubleshooting ; very good range and speed

Puts on an unwelcome light show ; might be incompatible with real 802.11n gear

Belkin advertises a staggering 300Mb/s transmission rate for the N1, with this disclaimer: "300Mb/s is a physical data rate. Actual data throughput will be lower." We achieved an impressive unencrypted TCP throughput of 129.7Mb/s with our notebook PC ...

Linksys' inelegantly named WUSBF54G is not just an 802.11b/g network adapter, it's also a handy Wi-Fi finder. It's just the ticket for frequent travelers, especially those with laptops predating 802.11g. Click Read More for more.

1.14 inches wide, and 0.63 inches thick), and it blocked the adjacent USB port on our test laptop. But Linksys provides a docking cradle with a 4-foot cable, which enables you to orient the adapter to receive the strongest possible signal while it ...