WIRELESS PRINT SERVER

Wireless print server allows one or two printers to be conveniently shared across a Wi-Fi network. Wireless print servers for home networks generally are available in both 802.11b and 802.11g varieties.

Wireless print servers offer the following advantages:

* Allows printers to be conveniently located anywhere within wireless network range, not tied to the location of computers
* Does not require a computer be always turned on in order to print
* Does not require a computer to manage all print jobs, that can bog down its performance
* Allows administrators to change computer names and other settings without having to re-configure the network printing settings.

A wireless print server must be connected to printers by a network cable, normally USB 1.1 or USB 2.0. The print server itself can connect to a wireless router over Wi-Fi, or it can be joined using an Ethernet cable.

Most print server products include setup software on a CD-ROM that must be installed on one computer to complete the initial configuration of the device. As with network adapters, wireless print servers must be configured with the correct network name (SSID) and encryption settings. Additionally, a wireless print server requires client software be installed on each computer needing to use a printer.

The Linksys WPS54G (compare prices) 802.11g USB wireless print server is shown. Print servers are very compact devices that include a built-in wireless antenna and LED lights to indicate status.

Wireless networks are quickly growing in popularity these days. It's hardly surprising, considering the kit required is so cheap. With so many people now using wireless setups, both at home and in the office, manufacturers are finally addressing some of the technology's niggling limitations.

One problem has been printing. Many households and small offices have more than one computer, but only one printer. Having to transfer all your print jobs to the central computer with the printer tethered to it can be a real drag - especially when you've been happily working in the garden on a laptop. If this is a familiar problem, Belkin's Wireless Print Server is for you. What it lacks in the originality of its name it more than makes up for in features.

The device is roughly the size of your hand. Lights on the front let you see its status at a glance. At the back there are two USB ports and an Ethernet port.

You set the device up by plugging it into your PC, configuring it and then unplugging it and establishing a direct wireless connection between the print server and your PC. If you connect the print server in this way and share your Internet connection using wireless, you'll only be able to communicate with either the Internet connection or the print server at any one time. This shouldn't be a problem, though. If, like most people, you use a wireless router to share your Internet connection, simply plug the print server into the router and your printer into the print server and run the software. That way, you can share the printer and Internet at once.

That's all most people will need to worry about, but there are a few extra options for advanced users. You can access all the print server's options through a Web browser simply by typing its IP address into Internet Explorer's address bar on one of the networked PCs. From there, you have access to security settings and can assign IP addresses manually. You can also choose to use a direct ad hoc (one-on-one) wireless connection, rather than sharing it with an entire network.

The wireless print server is a great way of connecting your printer to a wireless network - something that has been irritatingly hard to do until now. We were impressed by its performance, too. Printing wasn't noticeably slower than it would have been using a cable, and the device was easy to set up and use.

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PDA PALMTOP

If you're looking for a handheld way to connect to the Internet for email or web surfing, there are two options open to you - using a dedicated all-in-one "smartphone", or using a handheld computer coupled with a mobile phone.

One-box solutions

A one-box solution is a smart way of getting online. Rather than having a handheld computer connecting to a mobile phone via infrared or Bluetooth, the one-box solution gives you everything you need in one package - in other words, a handheld computer with a built-in phone, or a phone with built-in email/web software. Particularly popular in this area are the following:

*

o2 XDA - Combined Pocket PC and mobile phone
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SonyEricsson P800 or P900 - A Symbian-OS powered smartphone with built-in web browser and email software

The real advantage of the one-box solution is the simplicity - there's a lot less fiddly setup needed, and the solution just works.

Two-box solutions

Two box solutions (a seperate phone and computer) tend to be cheaper options, and if you're really budget-conscious and not looking for the most up-to-date stuff, end-of-line models, or even second-hand machines can be the way to go. The down-side is that in order to connect the handheld computer to the phone, you need to connect either with a cable, or more commonly, wirelessly using either infrared or Bluetooth - all of which can be a little fiddly to set up.


Ways to connect

If you're using a one-box smartphone, you'll probably have all you need already. For a two-box solution, you'll need to have the following:
o

A handheld computer that has Internet / email software
o

A mobile phone with a built-in data modem
o

A way of connecting the two - most commonly you'll need both boxes to have Infrared. You can also connect via Bluetooth, or in some cases via a dedicated cable connection. Infrared is the most common, requires the two boxes to be in line-of-sight with each other, and is the least complcated to set up.

You'll also need an Internet service provider (your existing provider should be fine), and a mobile phone account with a network operator (such as Vodafone, o2, Orange, T-Mobile, etc). Note that your mobile phone service must be "data-enabled". A phone call to your network operator will get this done, and there's normally no charge for setup.

Running costs

The most common way of making a connection to the Internet when on the move, is via a dial-up service... In other words your smartphone or pda/mobile dial a phone number supplied by your Internet Service Provider (Tiscali, BT, Freeserve, etc). You can expect to be billed for every second that you're online. Some things to note:
o

In the mobile phone world, don't expect a low-call 0845 or a local-rate dial-up number to be cheaper... Commonly you'll be paying the standard rate for a call to a landline number (check your network operator's tariff)
o

Your mobile operator may offer you free minutes, but internet numbers may not qualify - so check your contract/tariff to confirm this. If you don't get free minutes, consider shopping about for a new tariff.
o

Connection over a dialup service from a mobile phone is slow. You're looking at data speeds of 9.6kbps - a PC modem is 56kbps
o

Consider using GPRS instead of a dial-up service. GPRS is faster than standard dialup, but is billed differently (per megabyte, not per second). It's also not available on all handsets, has to be enabled by your network operator, and can be a little quirky to set up.


Case Study 1: Two-box solution

PDA: Dell Axim Pocket X3 Pocket PC
Phone: Nokia 6100

The Dell Axim X3 is one of the cheaper Pocket PCs on the market, but has excellent reviews and contains a fair amount of power for it's size and cost. This comes with all the software that you need to connect to the Internet. For the handset, we're using the Nokia 6100, which is a medium-range handset with a built-in modem and infrared connectivity for use with the Pocket PC.


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Product Guide Index

CD-REWRITER

CD-REWRITER

CD-REWRITER:
Speed isn't everything: In the past year, CD-RW drive technology has vaulted over one speed hurdle after another--reducing the time required to write a CD by almost half. The CD-RW drive market is nearing maturity, however, and speed achievements mean less than they once did--consider that the difference in times posted by a 24X drive and a 48X drive when writing a full CD is less than 2 minutes. Factors such as the price, the drive interface, and the software bundle assume greater import--especially since the same internal mechanism often shows up in drives from several different vendors. Key Features CD-R write speed: CD-RW drives use X-ratings to indicate writing and reading speeds, where 1X equals 150 KBps; the ratings listed on the box indicate the drive's maximum speed for reading from or writing to a disc, not its average speed (which may be about 4X to 6X less than the X-rating). Though drives that burn to write-once CD-Rs at up to 48X now reign supreme, models capable of 52X will go on sale later this year. Thereafter, industry experts say, the escalation in CD-R write speeds will slow dramatically--and may stop altogether--due to technological limitations (remember how CD-ROM drives topped out at 56X?) and diminishing returns. After all, burning a full disc now at up to 48X requires about two and a half minutes; ratcheting the write speed up to 52X will shave mere seconds--not minutes--off that time. Buying the fastest drive available today won't break your wallet, and it will make the burn process fly by. We found the first 48X-rated drive we tested, Pacific Digital's Mach 48 CD-RW, being sold for the same price as older, slower 40X drives--which take, on average, 22 percent longer to burn a full disc. CD-RW write speed: For the past 18 months, the speed at which drives write to rewritable CD-RW media has held fairly steady, making only a modest jump from 10X to 12X at the start of the year. In real-world terms, the bump up to 12X means that you can use packet writing to burn 100MB of data to a CD-RW 14 percent faster, on average, than you could with a 10X drive. Expect more punch out of the next increase in rewritable speeds: Drives with 16X and 24X rewrite speeds should be out by the time you read this (although compatible media may be hard to find at first). CD-RW media costs more than plain CD-R media (about $1 apiece versus $0.50 or less for CD-Rs, depending on brand, speed, and quantity), but it's handy for short-term backups, and CD-RW discs are reusable--they're rated for up to 1000 full rewrites. CD-ROM read speed: The fastest drives can read CD-ROMs at up to 48X. However, tests by the PC World Test Center show a far greater variance in the performance of drives rated as 48X readers than we typically see in either CD-R or CD-RW write performance. For example, in our application installation and digital audio extraction tests, drives rated to read CD-ROMs at 48X ranked as high as first and as low as fifteenth overall--behind several drives rated at 40X. Buffer size: CD-RW drives typically come with at least a 2MB buffer. The buffer ensures that data flows to the disc smoothly and without interruption. Before buffer underrun protection schemes such as Burn-Proof and Smart-Burn became prevalent, drives needed to have larger buffers to prevent buffer underruns (and ruined discs) from occurring. Some drives still provide a 4MB or 8MB buffer, but now the role of a large buffer is to minimize how often buffer underrun protection is invoked, and thereby to speed the burn process. Interface: Internal IDE drives are the least-expensive CD-RW drives you can buy, and they're easy to install if you don't mind opening your system. FireWire (IEEE 1394) and USB 2.0 drives both perform similarly to internal IDE models, but FireWire drives tend to cost about $20 to $40 more than USB 2.0 drives, due to the costs of integrating the FireWire controller into the drive. When you use a USB 2.0 drive via a USB 1.1 port, the interface will limit the drive's throughput when writing to CD-R and CD-RW to about 4X, regardless of the drive's internal maximum write speed. A few external drives offer multiple interfaces--some combination of FireWire, USB 2.0, PC Card, and even parallel port--but you'll pay more for one of these than for a standard external drive (for example, LaCie's USB 2.0 and FireWire drive, the 40x12x48x U&I CD-RW, sells for $220; TDK's USB 2.0-based VeloCD 40/12/48 sells for about $185). Software: All drives include CD mastering and packet-writing applications to enable data copying and music CD creation. But some, like Ahead's Nero Burning ROM 5.5, are more powerful than others; and some, like Oak Technology's SimpliCD and Roxio's Easy CD Creator, are easier to use. A handful of vendors include additional software, such as rudimentary image editors or audio jukeboxes (like TDK's Audio MixMaster) for ripping and organizing your MP3s. Yamaha is the only internal-drive vendor that bundles backup software--a boon considering the cost of buying the backup application separately. Mt. Rainier: Drives with Mt. Rainier technology integrate support for writing directly to CD-RW media via the operating system, bypassing the need for third-party packet-writing software such as Roxio DirectCD. For now, only versions of Linux based on the latest Linux kernel support Mt. Rainier. Microsoft says that it will implement the spec in the next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn, due sometime next year. Other advantages to Mt. Rainier include the format's support for disc formatting on the fly and its improved defect management to help overcome errors on a disc. Unfortunately, discs written using Mt. Rainier won't be backward-compatible with older operating systems such as Windows 98 or Windows XP, so you'll still need third-party software like DirectCD 5.2 to read (or write to) the discs. Some drives already claim to support Mt. Rainier, but in many cases you'll need to upgrade the firmware or packet-writing software (or both) to get full support. As CD-RW drive hardware becomes more and more commodified, you can't go wrong by buying the fastest drive for the money. If you plan to rip audio CDs to MP3s, though, get a drive that includes audio-specific software, such as the TDK VeloCD 40/12/48. And check for Mt. Rainier support if you use Linux or plan to upgrade to the next version of Windows. Several models, including our number one drive, Pacific Digital's Mach 48 CD-RW.
Last Updated 10-05-2005 Related Links :

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Why Advertise?

* The largest Web Portal pertaining to the Indian IT Industry


* Computer Hardware , Software and Services all under one roof


* Excellent demographics


* Global Reach

India IT Hub.com is a web portal which targets both the Indian IT Industry and the non IT segment. India IT Hub is the amalgamation of Nehru Place IT Hub and Delhi IT Hub. We have a rich experience of Five Years behind us which has taken shape in the form of India IT Hub.

Advertisers get the benefit of tapping the Corporate India, SME segment, Manufacturing units, SOHO segment, Channel Partners and Individual Buyers

The Computer Hardware manufactures, Channel Partners, Software development Companies and Service Providers all need to showcase their products and services to the buyers but inexpensive ad rates without good demographics on an irrelevant site are useless. That is why India IT Hub.com takes pride in offering advertisers effective and uncomplicated ways to promote their product or brand.

India IT Hub.com has built its reputation on providing informative content for a captive and affluent reader base. The portal's layout, reputation of integrity, global reach, and user demographics make it a goldmine for any advertiser who wants to promote a new product, build a brand, or acquire a new clientele.

India IT Hub.com is flexible regarding advertiser demands, and works closely with all its clients to ensure that their ad campaign reaps the best possible results.

India IT Hub.com takes pride in being in close contact with advertisers. India IT Hub.com deals with clients promptly and adjusts campaigns as the need arises.

Company Profile

Softalk Lakhotia Infocom Ltd., a subsidiary of Softalk Technologies Ltd (which is a reputed IT company since 1989), introduced the concept of e-business to the computer hardware market of India, by launching a unique Information Technology Hub, a market information portal www.nehruplaceithub.com (Nehru Place is a market in Delhi and is considered to be one of the largest computer hardware market in India. NehruPlaceIThub was created specifically to cater to the NehruPlace based computer dealers) in the early part of 2001 and subsequently created a hub for the whole Delhi Computer market by launching www.delhiithub.com

In continuation with the tradition of launching New Portals to serve the IT industry yet another milestone has been achieved by launching the India IT Hub.

India IT Hub.com is a web portal which targets both the Indian IT Industry and the non IT segment. India IT hub has grown from the experience of Nehru Place IT Hub and Delhi IT Hub which was more of learning exercise for the company before taking the big leap.

These hubs are extending Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) facilities to the IT industry in India. IndiaIThub DelhiITHub and NehuPlaceITHub are neutral platforms which aim to benefit both IT traders & consumers, bringing in the concept of fair and quick dealings with plenty of choices at the click of a button.

These portals (A Web site or service that offers a broad array of resources and services) are basically an e-market, where all computer hardware dealers, software companies, service provider of India have their e-shops (Virtual shops on the internet parallel to their physical shops, displaying the products they are selling along with their prices). The members have full access to edit/modify their shops and can add/delete or modify any product or prices themselves through the Internet.

Other features of the Hub include exclusive e-mail, instant messaging and broadcasting to trading community, special offers, flash offers, new product launches, stock clearance through auctions & classifieds.

These hubs also hugely benefit the sellers as their scope is no longer limited to the customers physically visiting their shops/ offices, but is extended to anyone even in the remotest corner of India (or the world for that matter), who can visit his e-shop from any location through Internet. This results in a huge increase in the number of enquiries he receives and subsequently an increase in his sales. DelhiIthub also provide the trade members, awareness about the products of international community of IT Traders & provide them an opportunity to become the Distributor/Resellers

The hubs are also beneficial to the society as a whole because they promote healthy competition by offering equal opportunity to all companies, irrespective of their size and financial capabilities. For end users of IT products IndiaIThub DelhiITHub and NehuPlaceITHub are committed to provide useful buyer information to make them informed buyers and present them with the best bargains, special offers & awareness about new products.

Further the registered subscribers can use the classified section to post their IT requirements, which would help them to make more informed purchase. Members can also sell their old IT products in the classified section.

India IT Hub.com is committed to providing informative content for a captive and affluent reader base. The portal's layout, reputation of integrity, global reach, and user demographics make it a goldmine for any advertiser who wants to promote a new product, build a brand, or acquire a new clientele. Advertisers get the benefit of tapping the Corporate India, SME segment, Manufacturing units, SOHO segment, Channel Partners and Individual Buyers. The Computer Hardware manufactures, Channel Partners, Software development Companies and Service Providers all need to showcase their products and services to the buyers

To sum up IndiaITHub, DelhiIthub and NehruPlaceIThub are committed to create a virtual community of Trader and End Users of IT products whereby End Users became informed buyers & provide an opportunity for companies to increase their business & competitive advantage for businesses of all sizes.