Apple p44-49 User's Manual
Contents
1. BEST BUYS We recommend that you stick to the same brand for your WiFi adaptor and router This ensures that they ll work well with each other We ve listed the matching adaptors for each of our Best Buys The Best Buy combinations of router and adaptor work well for listening to music a couple of rooms away through at least one brick wall and a couple of plaster ones Our Best Buys also have clearer software and instructions than other models And they re a bit easier to make secure so that no one can use your network or see what youre up to By contrast making the worst products secure is extremely difficult It is worth saying though that none makes the security set up a cinch All the routers we tested are compatible with any type of computer That s because you choose their settings ona web page via your ROUTERS AND ADAPTORS Linksys laptop eas adaptor 1 Linksys Wireless Router SRX 81 108 from online retailers This is a great choice It s not cheap but if you need your wireless network to cover a large area and penetrate lots of walls it s second to none It s the only router that passed our toughest test passing through two brick walls one plaster wall and 20 metres of air Even under these conditions it easily transmits enough data to listen to music or keep up with broadband internet Computer adaptor This router works brilliantly even with a basic laptop with built in2. HOME NETWORKS a f How to set up a computer network in your house and whether a media f PC will add to the fun here s nowhere the richest man in the world would rather be than your living room Microsoft boss Bill Gates is betting that computers will move out of the study and that they ll expand to gobble up your music collection and hi fi your DVDs even your family photo album And queuing up behind him are his rivals from every other home computer company The computing industry wants to send music video and the internet all over your house especially the rooms where you spend lots oftime lounging around through home networks These networks are particularly well suited to media PCs which store TV music and photos It s an exciting development but you need to know what to buy and what to expect 7 Buy an adaptor The first thing you need to set up your network is a wireless WiFi adaptor The best type for you depends on whether you re connecting a laptop ora standard computer y A q Store video on your PC play it on your IV If you ve bought a laptop computer in the last couple of years or so it probably has WiFi built in For example all laptops which bear the Centrino logo are WiFi compatible If not you can buy a card that slides into one of the card ports on your laptop They re called PC cards or sometimes CardBus or PCMIA cards
3. and cost around 30 internet Buy a router Once you have a couple of computers with adaptors one can broadcast the internet to the other A PC in your study say could send data to a laptop in the kitchen The problem with this is that the computer with the internet connection has to be left on To solve this problem buy a router which plugs directly into your internet modem see p46 for Best Buys The router sends the internet signal to various computers at the same time You can buy wireless adaptor cards for your standard PC but we don t recommend them they re a hassle to fit and line up for a good reception You often have to move the receiver around a bit until you ve found a good position awkward if its inside a hulking great PC The more convenient alternative is an external receiver around 30 that plugs into your computer s USB port Most come with an extension lead and cradle so you can place it on top of your computer s case or display to get a better signal You can plug the USB adaptors into a laptop but it s obviously less convenient to lug them around everywhere Most people have a USB modem that plugs straight into your PC You can t connect this to your router so you ll have to buy a new modem for about 40 ask for an Ethernet modem If you re upgrading to broadband and wireless at the same time you can buy a modem that has a built in wireless router for
4. around 60 Neither of our Best Buys has a built in modem EN JANUARY 2006 WHICH HOME NETWORKS NEED TO KNOW Send music wirelessly 1 0 ie to the Make the Ae internet wirelessly network secure 7 The problem with wireless links is that people can potentially piggyback on your internet connection or snoop on your online activities However there are a few steps you can take to make your network more secure The most basic way to protect yourself is to make sure that the signal strength of your wireless base station is no higher than it needs to be You adjust the signal strength using computer software that comes with the router This requires a bit of experimentation If you can turn the power down and still get a decent signal throughout the house it s worth doing It will make it harder for people to spy on you and lessen the chances that your wireless network will interfere with your neighbours Find the best place for your router Where you put your router is obviously limited by where you have telephone or cable connections for the internet But the other consideration is what gets in the way Some types of wall and floor are harder for wireless signals to pass through than others brick walls get in the way much more than plasterboard Wireless signals pass easily through wood If you ve got w
5. games console a DVD player and a CD player into the bargain The Xbox price above is for a basic model but you can buy one with a remote control included along with a hard drive Ethernet cable and wireless games controller for 289 Look out for our full review of the Xbox 360 next month Xbox GAMES CONSOLE AND VIDEO EXTENDER a he i h E i F oO u TE gt COMPUTING zu zu POL hows Mean Howe amp Cu ME Live Arcordna WE FUCSIA k x O Best Worst BE Best Buy Computing Which offers expert advice in plain English For two free issues and a mousemat call 0800 252 100 quoting UFD106 or go to www computingwhich co uk Payment details This ignores price combined with the gi e gt and is based on Elgato EyeTV you can use the Eye Home to record Set up Quality Use will be requested for programmes Versatility when your free trial ends Compatibility extenders iTunes WMP WMC Custom Quality Versatility Set up Use AUDIO 3 1 Roku SoundBridge M1000 ES ee Mee x kik 2 Apple Airport Express 90 i O n a 3 Terratec Noxon Audio 86 y Taw O xX O 4 NetGear PO nu a an Mon On EE VIDEO 5 Elgato Eye Home 210 e J es 6 Pinnacle ShowCenter 200 167 2 2 J K E O 58 7 Sitecom Wireless Media Player 120 aa _ lt o O 50 WHICH JANUARY 20
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7. WiFi But using the Linksys laptop card improves the connection greatly its well worth the extra 90 if you have a large home and want your network in several rooms The Linksys USB adaptor isn t as good It s unlikely to be much quicker than any other adaptor though its still more likely to work hitch free with the router Laptop adaptor Linksys Wireless G Notebook adaptor with SRX 63 USB adaptor Linksys Wireless G USB Network ae NetGear laptop desktop adaptor 2 NetGear WPN824 RangeMax 71 75 from online retailers This router doesn t quite have the reach of the Linksys but it s just as fast at short range faster than most people will need in fact It s also the only other router on test that s really easy to use As with the Linksys this is down to the clarity of the software and features such as parental control which lets you control which web pages your kids can look at Computer adaptor NetGear s laptop card is about as fast as typical built in WiFi its USB adaptor isn t as good but it s still safer than mixing brands Laptop card NetGear WPN511 RangeMax 51 USB adaptor NetGear WG511 Wireless PC Card adaptor 52 USING THE TABLE We tested the latest routers from big brands k x O Co Best Worst BE Best Buy Price We give a guide price of what you can expect to pay This ignores price for the products online and is based on Performance 50 E f Ease of u
8. it in action settopboxes And it will work with any new Apple 3 However the media computer but we tried it out with an iMac G5 PCs do have more The cheapest is the 359 Mac Mini not including sophisticated features screen or keyboard You can set both the Elgato supplies a remote control along with Sony and the Appleto software for recording and accessing videos and record a programme music Recordings are a little softer and more jerky over the web from than on the Sony but the colours are vibrant and work for example there s a good sense of depth WHICH JANUARY 2006 HOME NETWORKS SENDING MUSIC AND VIDEO FROM YOUR COMPUTER One ofthe handiest things about a computer network is that you can use a TV or hi fi to listen to music watch videos or view photos that you ve stored on a computer elsewhere in the house To do this you need a media extender a box which plugs into your TV or hi fi It receives music orvideo from your computer and converts it so that the TV or stereo can play it You can send music to the extender wirelessly but video will tend to stutter because the wireless link struggles to keep up with all the data required If you want to send video from your computer to a TV buy an Ethernet cable around 12 for 25m Digitise your music and video The first step is to put music and video on your computer Your computer probably has either iTunes or Windows Media Player software on it both are go
9. l music for example We also make sure they don t make Pat SKOF Boys Pets Tons 1 Roku SoundBridge M1000 84 180 from online retailers This is a great way to send music from your computer to your stereo It s easy to set up and use You can even search remotely for a track on your computer no traipsing through to the computer to change songs The menu options are logical and easy to understand and the remote control is well laid out and comfortable It works with Windows Media Player and lunes software But copyright protection stops it playing any music you ve bought from the lunes website 2 Apple Airport Express 83 90 from www apple com uk Compared with the Roku 1 this is a simple product with no remote control or screen But it is the easiest way to send music around the house and it sounds great And it s the best choice for people who ve bought lots of songs from the lunes website Its simplicity is refreshing but it will be too basic for some people You can t skip tracks or playlists so if you want to change your tune you have to walk to your computer not very futuristic E BEST BUY your music sound too glitchy and digital The other models are just as good as the Best Buys on that front though USING THE TABLE We tested the latest extenders from big brands Price We give a guide price for what you can expect to pay for the products online Compatibili
10. od for converting CDs into digital formats such as MP3s which take up less memory on your computer To find software to convert DVDs go to www google com and type in DVD rippers All media extenders work with normal MP3 tracks But be careful if you use other formats which have built in copyright protection Your media extender which we re going to buy in step 2 won t work with all types of format For example if you ve bought songs from Apple s iTunes online music store they Il work only with Apple s own Airport extender Buy a media extender There are two types of media extender those that receive only music and those that handle music and video Music and video models all let you use a remote control to choose what to watch the TV screen shows the options and menus Music only models usually have a remote control and a small built in screen that shows the track name The only exception to this is the Apple Airport Express For the media extenders to understand what your computer is telling them they have to be compatible with the software it uses to play the video and music If you don t have this already you can download it free from the internet FE JANUARY 2006 WHICH AUDIO MEDIA EXTENDERS The Best Buy audio extenders are easy to set up and have clear instructions to help you through the process And they work with a reasonable range of file types different formats of digita
11. ooden floors you ll probably get better reception up and down rather than side to side If the house has three floors put the router on the second floor for the widest reception If the signal doesn t reach as far as you d like buy aranger booster or booster station for around 60 choose the same brand as your router to make sure they work well together And remember that if you want to send video through your network you ll get a much better picture with a cable You connect this from your computer through the router to other devices There are a couple of passwords and settings to go through The software settings are rather difficult to find for some routers but it s pretty straightforward once you ve got them on screen First change the name of your network which people need to know before they can use it You do this by changing the service set identification setting in your software Then change the password In your settings this will be described as the WiFi protected access It s often pre set as the manufacturer s name which is easy for a hacker to guess You can also control which computers your router will agree to talk to To do this change the media access control settings Turn all your computers on and they should all appear in the settings then select only your own computers and deselect others that pop up WHICH JANUARY 2006 HOME NETWORKS y
12. re more black case and luscious 20 inch black monitor hassle to use thana And the media software Is just as slick it s easy normal PVR for a to work out what buttons you re supposed to start they take longer press and it all works smoothly Another factor in to turn on Unlike with its favour is that it makes the best recordings of a good PVR you cant the three models we tried usually watch and If you want to send music or video to your TV or record different hi fi you have to buy Sony s own media extender channels at the same the Sony VGP MR100E It s around 140 online time And unlike all The only real downside here is that the Sony uses PVRs some have only an analogue rather than digital TV tuner so you an analogue tuner can t pick up digital TV stations so you can t watch iigtalTv whars Apple iMac G5 with more programmes youverecordediend Elgato Eye TV 200 to look more digitised than ona PUR Elgato Eye TV 200 219 from www apple com uk And finally they Apple iMac G5 899 from www apple com uk make a bit of a noise As usual Apple is doing its own thing Here you buy Most people could live an ordinary Apple computer and then simply plug it with the Sony and into the Elgato Eye TV This is a discreet white box Apple we tested but with a digital TV tuner inside if you go for another Unlike other media PCs it can access Top Up brand ask to listen to TV for more on Top Up TV see www which co uk s
13. se 50 een internet browser adaptor 40 Set up How easy it is to get the router working We look at the clarity of J Routers instructions and whether gt Z m Set up Security Use Range and 0 Or epee oe F speed sensibly laid out Security How easy it is to MBE make your wireless o 1 Linksys Wireless G Broadband Router SRX 108 Oar ce network secure Use How TE E 2 NetGear WPN824 RangeMax Wireless Router E ow i O iki k u Ba me z 4 eeps you about what s 3 Buffalo Air Station Router 100 Ger happening on the network a A lt 4 Linksys Wireless G Broadband Router One Touch Set Up 85 x O SOS 67 S Performance 5 Belkin F5D8230 2 Or O 63 z 2 x Range and speed We a 6 Buffalo Air Station MIMO Wireless Router 94 O e 4 61 tested the routers with 5 7 D Link DI634M Wireless 108G MIMO Router DI 634M 80 O o 0 sk 60 USB and laptop adaptors de 8 Belkin FSD7632 80 de m a m m from the same brand as _ well as a laptop with built 9 BT Voyager 2110 70 49 in WiFi We measured Z 10 Cable Wireless 802 11G Wireless LAN ADSL Router 46 3 eo o O 45 Rhowquicklytheysentdata across various distances T 11 NetGear DG834G Wireless ADSL Firewall Router a 0 O 42 obesas wie JANUARY 2006 WHICH HOME NETWORKS A media PC isa Elonex Exentia computer tha
14. t receives TV andactsas 1 199 from www elonexshop com a hi fi or digital photo This is a Windows based computer that uses album It also apes a Microsoft s Windows Media Edition Software PVR personal video The media software itself which is available on recorder you use a lots of other computers is great And it works simple on screen brilliantly with the new Xbox 360 see p49 menu to select TV However we found problems with the hardware programmes to record The wireless keyboard mouse and remote control on its hard drive You have a limited range The screen is less clear than ON iii can also use it like a the other two models And although the built in A Aut normal computer subwoofer sounds like a good idea in practice it was It has a remote uncontrolled and boomy The particular model we control and large text bought also had a fault that stopped it playing CDs menu options so In short the software s good but the Exentia isn t you can select them Go for another brand such as HP which does well from the sofa in our surveys of customer satisfaction PCs vs PVRs S ony Vaio There are now media PCs that work pretty VG C V3 S well the Sony and Apple we ve tested 1 499 from www sony style co uk for example But you This is another Windows based computer but Sony need to bear a few uses Its own media software rather than Microsoft s things in mind It s a great looking machine with its neat First they
15. t to record Despite such advanced features the Eye Home s a doddle to set up Like all the other models streaming video without a cable doesn t work quite as well but pictures and music are fine The Eye Home works only with iTunes for sending music but for the most part does so brilliantly The only problem is that it won t play songs you ve bought from the iTunes website r play ol random HOME NETWORKS Xbox 360 287 in total from major high street stores Xbox 360 console 210 WiFi adaptor 60 Remote control 17 On the tentative basis of the press sample we tried the Xbox 360 tramples all over every other model on test But we were unable to get a shop bought model in time for our tests so it s not in the table and technically not a Best Buy The Xbox 360 is a games console the media extender function is essentially an added extra but it s a brilliant one And it s the only video extender media we recommend for use with a Windows PC it doesn t work with Apple computers You select photos video or music with the remote control And it s the first extender we ve seen that lets you watch live TV too you can use the Xbox s remote to change channels on a Windows Media PC even if it s in a different room Clever stuff You can even instruct your PC through the Xbox which TV programmes to record Once you factor in the WiFi adaptor and remote control it s quite pricey but remember you re getting a
16. ty This shows the main media software packages you can use with the extender Tunes Apple s player WMP Windows Media Player WMC Windows Media Connect Custom Extender comes with its own software Performance Quality The quality of the sound and video outputs Extenders lost marks for stuttering and glitches blurry pictures or indistinct sound Versatility Based on how many different formats of music video and photo file the extender can relay Ease of use Set up Shows how easy the device is to get working Initially It takes account of the clarity of instructions and whether the software Is intuitive Use How easy it is to select the music video or pictures you want VIDEO MEDIA EXTENDERS The main difference that makes our Best Buy stand out from other models is that it s easierto set up and use But it s important to remember that none of them is very good at streaming video wirelessly from your computer Our Best Buy does stream video effectively through an Ethernet cable though 5 Elgato Eye Home 73 210 from www apple com uk This is the best choice for Apple computers but it doesn t work with Windows computers The remote control and interface are straightforward so it s easy to select what you want to watch or listen to And the quality of the sound and video is good If you also have Elgato s media computer box see p47 you can use the Eye Home to select which programmes you want i
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