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Alcatel-Lucent Introduces Two Small Form-Factor Routers

Paul Lilly — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:06:00 -0500

Alcatel-Lucent on Wednesday unveiled a pair of new IP routers the firm says are designed to give service provides a cost-effective alternative for "offering smaller communities the same advanced mobile, residential, and business services" that are currently employed in larger metropolitan areas.

The new units include the three-slot, 5RU 7750 SR-c12, and one-slot, 3RU 7750 SR-c4. Both serve up 90Gbps of forwarding capacity and can support edge routing interface speeds from T-1 to 10G Ethernet. Alcatel-Lucent also noted that both run under the same operating system as the company's entire Service Router family.

"With these additions, Alcatel-Lucent is effectively extending a proven, feature-rich platform to address new market opportunities where they need the capacity and capability, but at more cost-effective price points," said Glen Hunt, principal analyst, Carrier Infrastructure, Current Analysis. "The elegant integration with the existing portfolio -- especially with a single operating system from end-to-end -- makes it attractive to operators who are looking to deliver full featured, high performance services from their smaller or more remote points of presence in order to drive new revenues."

Other features include native IPv6 support, non-stop routing, non-stop services, Multi-Chassis-LAG, and support for a range of legacy and Ethernet and interface types.

The SRu 7750 SR-c12 and SR-c4 are available now, although Alcatel-Lucent didn't say for how much.

Image Credit: Alcatel-Lucent

D-Link DIR-685 Xtreme N Storage Router

Michael Brown — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:30:30 -0500

Love the features; hate the performance—and the price tag

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 WRT600N, which is becoming hard to find. Alas, ’twas not to be.

The problem certainly isn’t with the DIR-685’s feature set: This router is absolutely loaded with goodies. The 3.2-inch color LCD can inform you of the router’s status and configuration; present digital photos from Flickr, Picasa, and Facebook; display RSS feeds, such as sports scores, weather reports, and stock quotes; and a lot more (this is one router your significant other won’t insist be hidden in a closet).

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 plug in both an external hard drive and a printer and share these devices with any computer on the network. The router’s four-port gigabit switch automatically powers down any ports not in use to save a modest amount of energy.

You won't find a prettier wireless router, but you'll encounter plenty that are much, much better.

The rest of the features are just as valuable, if not as unusual. You can set up a password-protected guest zone, for instance, with the option of limiting access to a set schedule. And there’s both a UPnP server and an iTunes server. Lastly, there’s a Quality of Service engine to help eliminate lag for VoIP and media-streaming applications.

But our enthusiasm over all those whiz-bang features is tempered by the DIR-685’s slug-slow wireless throughput and NAS performance. We’ve been using the aforementioned Linksys WRT600N for comparison for more than a year, but we always retest its performance within a few hours of benchmarking a new contender, just to make sure both products are tested under the same environmental conditions.

The DIR-685 lagged far behind the Linksys in our Kitchen test, where the client is 20 feet away from the router and separated by an insulated wall and a set of plywood cabinets: It delivered TCP/IP throughput of just 45.4Mb/s compared to the Linksys WRT600N’s 98.9Mb/s. The D-Link turned in a particularly poor performance in our Media Room test, where the client is located in a double-insulated room-within-a-room 35 feet from the router, managing TCP/IP throughput of just 4.54Mb/s.

The 2.5-inch drive bay limits your choice of hard drives to notebook models, and D-Link provided us with an 80GB Seagate Momentus 5400.5 hard drive for this evaluation. But we find the router’s lethargic NAS performance more troubling than this physical limitation: The DIR-685 took a full 8:53 (min:sec) to copy a single 3GB file from a PC. Compare that to the Qnap TS-209 Pro II—our Best of the Best NAS pick—which copied the same file in just 2:27.

We won’t complain about a high price tag if a product’s features and performance justify it, but the DIR-685’s $300 price tag—which doesn’t include a hard drive—just rubs us the wrong way.

Wi-Fi Alliance to Make Finding a Hotspot A Lot Easier

Bart Salisbury — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:12:42 -0500

Wi-Fi’s about to get a whole new look to it, one that eerily resembles Bluetooth. The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced it is nearing completing of specifications for Wi-Fi Direct which will provide peer-to-peer connections between any two Wi-Fi devices, such as mobile phones, cameras, headphones, printers, computers, keyboards, and mice. The new standard will be backward compatible to include all currently Wi-Fi certified legacy devices.

Wi-Fi Direct will make connecting to Wi-Fi a lot easier, and it may well prompt a shake-up in the Bluetooth and wireless router industries. Because Wi-Fi Direct essentially replicates Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi is more prevalent, manufacturers may opt to consolidate on the more widely available standard, and consumers more comfortable with Wi-Fi may likewise put pressure for Wi-Fi direct devices and peripherals. With peer-to-peer relationships available the demand for standalone routers could significantly diminish.

Besides getting to have a wireless keyboard without a dongle, finding a Wi-Fi hotspot becomes simpler, as we all become Wi-Fi hotspots.

Image Credit: Sérgio Codespoti/flickr

Murphy's Law: Do You Really Want an Open-Source Router?

David Murphy — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:00:00 -0500

I'll admit, I was a little bit excited when I read earlier this week that Netgear was launching a quote-unquote open-source router. It's not very often--well, hardly ever--that one sees a larger corporate manufacturer of computer hardware so brazenly embrace the ideals (and code) of the open-source enthusiasts. If anything, it seems that companies in the networking space tend to go a little out of their way to ensure that one can't add or tweak a store-bought device with unofficial firmware. I think they'd much prefer to up-sell you additional features than watch you unlock them yourself, but that's just me.

And yet, here we are! An open-source router! Just the kind of thing you want to bring home, install into your network, and begin updating with the best DD-WRT, OpenWRT, or Tomato firmware you can get your hands on. Imagine the possibilities! Imagine the new features you might be able to play around with! Imagine the joy in your family's eyes when you tell 'em how you've transformed your Jekyll of a local area network into an beastly, unrestrained Hyde. They'll talk about this day for the next five family gatherings at least!

I exaggerate, but only because it seems that the marketing team for Netgear's WNR3500L gigabit router is probably benefiting the most from this "switch" to open-source. I can't see average consumers using this device to its fullest potential, if that's even possible to begin with. The WNR3500L isn't actually open-source all the way. By incorporating closed-source drivers into the product--and triumphing third-party firmware that may or may not run afoul of the GPL itself--Netgear could actually be costing consumers valuable security and functionality.

Consumers Don't Care

I'm sorry, I just have to state the obvious: Average consumers do not care about open-source. Or, rather, they don't care about open source unless it's packaged into a product such that they don't have to lift a finger to reap its benefits. The Chumby is a perfect example of a device that's full of easy-to-use, open-source goodness; Netgear's WNR3500L is not.

It's a simple equation. When a typical router-purchaser picks up the product, he or she will find a fully working, factory-default installation of Netgear's usual configuration back-end. Said person might even jump into the configuration screen and forward some ports or and rename the wireless network to something witty/profane.

Beyond that, there's no impetus on Netgear's part to guide the user to a third-party, open-source firmware package, nor any reasoning or comparisons to suggest what benefits could come from the switch. Few users typically update the firmware of their devices when the manufacturer offers a change or fix. Fewer still go out into the wide world of the Internet hunting for unofficial replacements to use in place of official firmware.

Let's face it: an average person simply isn't going to explore an open-source route no matter how big and bold the phrase was on the box copy. To these people, a product working as expected out of the box is enough of a reward. Why mess with it?

Enthusiasts Remain Unrewarded

I would expect Maximum PC readers to want to take the plunge into third-party firmware more than most. Kudos to you. Only, by doing so, you run the risk that comes from working with software that's technically unsupported and untested on a wide scale. But let's ignore the potential device-breaking implications and assume that your third-party firmware installs flawlessly. Here's the problem: The underlying code of the WNR3500L's modules--especially those related to the core functionality of its Broadcom chipsets--is proprietary. That includes its ethernet and wireless drivers.

This becomes a real issue for third-party creators that want to update the WNR3500L based on a newer version of the Linux kernel. Without the source code, there's no easy way to compile updated modules that work with later kernels--save for reverse engineering code that's found in completely different routers. Updated Linux kernels aren't backwards-compatible, after all: a module coded for kernel version 2.4 just won't function in kernel version 2.6.

As an open-source enthusiast, you lose the security upgrades and functionality that a newer kernel would bring to the table. And even then, life isn't peachy for third-party firmware that's stuck with the closed Broadcom drivers for kernel version 2.4. Just look at the small list of issues found in the OpenWRT drivers Netgear is hosting and promoting:

WPA and WPA2 are not working.
SAMBA support is not present.
NAS can be accessed only through command line using utilities such as ftp
No GUI support to access NAS is available till now.

Is the Firmware Truly Open?

I won't hit this point too hard, as I feel like each week of Murphy's Law is another look into some alleged violation or misinterpretation of the GPL. Suffice, controversy exists over whether firmware like DD-WRT and Tomato--which, again, Netgear promotes--violates GPL licensing. Or, at the very least, that either firmware options violate the spirit of open-source.

The charges back and forth, especially with DD-WRT, are a festering nest of he-said she-said. Suffice, there's been enough squabble over elements like DD-WRT's locked-down UI (a closed feature in an open-source architecture) to give thought that the application might not be playing by the full set of rules required by the GPL. It's conjecturing and controversy rolled into one, and it's not exactly helped by what developer "Brainslayer" states the following on the DD-WRT wiki:

"WARNING: Due to abuse by those re-branding DD-WRT and selling it, or pre-flashed routers with it on eBay, builds dated later than 08/04/2006 have some protections against re-branding the web UI."

So...

As it stands, I see Netgear's WNR3500L as more a product of hype than a legitimate push for a truly open-source networking device. And even then, is the consumer world ready for such a product, especially when said open-source router is clocking in at a $140 price tag? (Admittedly, it includes some extra hardware beyond its non-open-source-themed cousin.) When I think "open-source" from a consumer standpoint, I think, "Wow, this device will probably be less expensive because the software was in all likelihood free of charge."

With the WNR3500L, it's a different question: "Where'd my wireless security go?"

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Netgear’s Open Source Router Available Soon for your Tweaking

Jason Barry — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:25:40 -0500

Netgear announced their latest foray into the open source wireless router realm with the Netgear WNR3500L. Cisco based Linksys routers targeted at consumers have been flaunting the Linux OS for quite some time. However, Netgear has plans to become a favorite amongst the open source networking community.

The WNR3500L rocks the latest 802.11n support and is fully customizable with the latest open source firmware out there: DD-WRT, OpenWRT, and Tomato. Som Pal Choudhury, senior product line manager for advanced wireless, also mentioned their “Development Partner Program, with multiple software vendors and developers creating customized, robust, commercial-grade applications on the WNR3500L.”

In addition to the open source community, Netgear has collaborated with software application companies to deliver applications such as hotspot software by Sputnik, and remote access by Leaf Networks, among others, to run additionally on the Linux platform.

In terms of hardware, it sports a 480MHz MIPS 74K CPU, 8MB of flash memory, 64MB of RAM, 5 gigabit Ethernet ports, and USB ports for shared peripherals. Netgear will launch the router this Fall with a starting price of $139.99.

The price is a bit steep; do you think the flexibility of Linux and additional software, not to mention full 802.11n support is worth the price tag?

Belkin N+ Wireless Router

Michael Brown — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:00:28 -0500

Be our guest!

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 one is used for a very different purpose.

Rather than operating on a separate frequency (to separate audio and video streams from more mundane data), the second 2.4GHz radio on Belkin’s router establishes a guest network that limits clients to Internet access. Belkin’s web interface provides extremely limited access to this second radio’s settings: You can turn this radio on or off, change its SSID and passphrase, and choose between WPA/WPA2 pre-shared key or “Hotel Style” security.

Belkin's engineers limited the N+ to two antennas. Might that explain the router's poor wireless performance?

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, once they’ve entered the correct phrase, they can surf the web freely while your private network remains off-limits. This feature would be even cooler if you could customize the landing page and upload it to the router’s firmware.

The N+ is equipped with a USB port, but it’s limited to playing host to a FAT, FAT32, or NTFS mass storage device—adding NAS to the router’s repertoire. But we’d be a lot more excited about this feature if it also allowed us to share a USB printer over the network. We’re equally unenthused by the router’s Broadband Download Speedometer, a set of blue LEDs that has appropriated the front-panel real estate typically used to inform you of the status of the ports on the integrated four-port gigabit switch. Where most routers have LEDs that inform you of the speed at which each port is operating—amber for 100Mb/s and green for 1Gb/s, for instance—the N+ provides a graphic representation of your Internet connection’s download speed. Considering that we can obtain our Internet connection speed using any number of websites—in actual numbers—Belkin’s idiot lights just aren’t very useful.

Far more useful is the N+’s support for 802.11e Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service, which assigns VoIP and media traffic higher priority than other types of packets traveling across the network. We also appreciate the fact that we can turn its routing function off and use it solely as a wireless access point and switch. In fact, that’s the role we’ve relegated the N+ to at Maximum PC Lab North, because it’s dead slow as a wireless router.

We tested the N+ with Belkin’s chubby F5D8055 USB Wi-Fi adapter (the 3.13 x 1.13-inch device blocked an adjacent USB port on our notebook) and achieved TCP/IP throughput of a none-too-impressive 54.1Mb/s in our kitchen test (20 feet from the router with an insulated wall and a set of cabinets in between). As you can see from our benchmarks, however, the Belkin performed much better at range than the comparably priced Linksys WRT310N, which has fewer features.

Netgear MOCA Coax Ethernet Adapter Kit MCAB1001

Gordon Mah Ung — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:20 -0500

Turn coaxial cable outlets into a high-speed network connection

Netgear’s MOCA (short for Multimedia over Coax Alliance) adapter is the can solution to the can’t. If you can’t get a reliable Wi-Fi signal throughout your home and you can’t make an Ethernet cable run and you can’t tap your home’s electrical grid with a HomePlug Powerline adapter, than MOCA is the can.

Using existing standard cable coax wires, the Netgear MOCA adapter lets you turn your cable TV runs into a “home entertainment network.” What the hell is that? Since the adapter is built around passing data through your cable TV, it’s no surprise that MOCA wants to push its adoption as an easy way to get Internet connectivity to your set top box, game console, or media center PC.

Setup is Joe-six-pack friendly: Just unplug the coax cable from your TV set and plug it into the Netgear MOCA adapter. Run a second coax cable from the adapter to the TV. TV signals are passed through transparently, so your American Idol viewing won’t be disturbed. And if the signal is degraded you can actually change the frequency the adapter operates on.

The kit includes an adapter to plant near your router/modem and another to place near your set-top box or media center PC.

The included patch cable can be used to connect your game console or media center PC to the Fast Ethernet port on the back of the adapter. Power it up and go to the room where your router or modem is located. Now here’s the rub: Do you have a cable run there? If you don’t have a cable outlet in the same room as your router, you’re SOL. Fortunately, in the land of the couch potato, most new homes are prewired for cable TV. Run coax cable to the second Netgear MOCA adapter, run a patch cable to an open Ethernet port on your router or modem, and power up both. If you’re within the guidelines of a maximum cable run of 300 feet, you should be up and running.

The technology promises a theoretical 270Mb/s transfer speed, which is sufficient for high-def content. Using a Linksys Media Center Extender DMA2200, we streamed both standard-def material and high-def material using the Netgear MOCA adapter to our TV.

We also conducted a rudimentary file transfer to simulate how long it would take to move a file from a server to a media center PC. Using the Netgear MOCA, we moved a 2.4GB video file in about seven minutes. Switching to our 802.11g network, the same file transfer took about 13 minutes. Not bad, but certainly not Gigabit Ethernet. We didn’t have 802.11n capability on our network to test its speeds, but we suspect the MOCA’s transfer speeds are similar to the faster Wi-Fi version—with less of a security risk. Since the MOCA is hardwired and its range is fairly short—300 feet—someone would have to jack into your cable line to intercept signals. The packets on the MOCA adapter are also encrypted by default.

So what’s the catch? The biggest ding is the lack of satellite capability. Even though a satellite provider is a member of the Multimedia over Coax Alliance, MOCA devices do not currently work with satellite installations. D’oh! Second, there’s the cost. At $190 for two adapters, it’s certainly not a cheap way to build a home network.

But again, the Netgear MOCA adapter is really for the person who can’t get any other networking methods to work. For that person, the price may just be worth it.

Some Linksys and Netgear Routers Vulnerable to New Exploit

Paul Lilly — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:43:49 -0500

Two security researchers on Saturday have warned that if you use cPanel to administer your website or certain Linksys or Netgear routers, you're leaving yourself open to web-based attacks that could potentially take control of your systems.

The attacks are based on CSRF, or cross-site request forgery, which can be exploited simply by surfing to the 'wrong' website, say Russ McRee of HolisticInfoSec.org and Mike Bailey of Skeptikal.org.

"CSRF is bad stuff," Bailey said at the Defcon hacker conference in Las Vegas. "It's a very under-appreciated vulnerability, and it's all over the place. Because it usually gets rated as a pretty minimal issue, it almost never gets fixed, and that means we have these kinds of holes all over."

When visiting a malicous website while logged in to the program, the attack is able to trick cPanel into carrying out sensitive commands by duping the device into thinking they came from the victim. And it doesn't look like this will be fixed anytime soon.

"The response I got from cPanel was we can't fix this because it's a feature," Bailey said. "Apparently, they're worried it's going to break integration with third party billing software, so they can't fix this."

Much more info here.

Image Credit: Linksys