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Smarthome

What is a smart home? How do you create a Wi-Fi network? How do you pick a good Wi-Fi router? How do you use and install smart products into your home?

Reviewing Linksys EA7500 v2 AC1900: Excellent hardware, so and so firmware!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
We have not reviewed any Linksys wireless routers for some time, and when we got the chance to test the Linksys EA7500 v2 AC1900, we quickly accepted. It is a mid-range wireless AC1900 router with promising specifications that claims to provide excellent WiFi for HD and 4K video streaming. If you want to know how well it performs and whether it is a good choice for you, read this review:

ASUS Blue Cave review: Different looks, great performer!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
ASUS Blue Cave is a wireless router that looks different from most routers on the market, and it includes an Intel processor, instead of Broadcom, Qualcomm, or MediaTek, as you usually find on many other routers. Its technical specifications are promising, and it is also integrated with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant and task automation services like IFTT (If This, Then That). We were lucky to be the first people in

Reviewing ASUS 4G-AC68U: Exciting specs make for a great experience?

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
ASUS has started selling a new wireless router that can combine mobile internet connections with traditional broadband internet, with the help of a SIM card from your mobile operator. The router is named ASUS 4G-AC68U, and it has some impressive features, that make it very appealing. Lucky for us, we were the first in the world to test this new model. If you would like to know what this wireless

Review ASUS RP-AC87: Monstruous both in size and download speed

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
People who want a fast network, for many devices and on a large area, need to invest not only in a great router but also in a range extender or powerline kit. ASUS has recently launched one of their fastest repeaters ever: ASUS RP-AC87. This device can work as a range extender, access point, or media bridge. If you need a flexible networking tool, with high performance, then you should

Reviewing ASUS RT-AC86U: High-end performance and great hardware!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
ASUS RT-AC86U AC2900 is the latest wireless router launched by ASUS worldwide. It is a beautiful router, with modern hardware, support for all the latest wireless technologies, and top-notch performance. If you would like to see what you get from this premium router, read this detailed review and comparison with other routers in its niche: [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] What is the ASUS RT-AC86U AC2900 router good at? ASUS RT-AC86U is a perfect

Reviewing the TP-Link RE350 AC1200 range extender: Surprisingly good!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
TP-Link RE350 AC1200 is a networking device that works as a range extender or access point, depending on your setup. It has a reasonable price, modern specifications and it looks good. If you are curios and you want to extend the coverage of your wireless network, read this review and learn what TP-Link RE350 AC1200 has to offer: [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] What is the TP-Link RE350 AC1200 range extender good at? The

Reviewing the TP-Link Archer C1200: The new king of affordable routers?

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
The market of affordable wireless routers has seen many devices launched recently. While they are not the fastest nor the most complex, they tend to offer all the basics people need, at unbeatable prices. One of the newest routers in this niche is TP-Link Archer C1200. This WiFi router comes at a low price that anyone can afford and offers modern hardware and support for the latest mainstream wireless technologies.

Reviewing TP-LINK HS100: The affordable smart plug with WiFi connectivity!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
Smart plugs can offer many useful features like remote management, real-time statistics of your energy consumption, tools that simulate you being at home when you are not, and so on. However, they tend to be a lot more expensive than their "dumb" counterparts. If you want to use a smart plug that it is also affordable, then you should look at TP-LINK HS100. Its price is lower than other similar

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 review: Meet the fastest router of 2017!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 is the world's first wireless router that is marketed to gamers. Not only does it use the Republic of Gamers brand, but it is also a beast, both design-wise and concerning hardware. We haven't used a router with a quad-core processor running at 1.8 GHz and 1GB of RAM before. Do its impressive features and hardware translate into a great user experience? If you are curious

Reviewing the TP-LINK Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb with Color Changing Hue (LB130)

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
TP-LINK makes plenty of smart home devices, not only wireless routers. We recently received for testing their most expensive and attractive smart bulbs: TP-LINK LB130. It features full RGB lighting, integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, a mobile app that is easy to use for configuring the light bulb, and valuable energy savings. Read this review to see our opinion about this smart home device, based on two weeks

Reviewing the Tenda AC9 AC1200 wireless router - A rough diamond!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
Tenda is a chinese company, based in Shenzhen, China, with a very large physical presence. They sell networking equipment for both consumers and businesses and they have some of the most affordable wireless routers that money can buy. We received for testing one of their recent models: Tenda AC9. It is an AC1200 WiFi router with very aggressive pricing and surprisingly fast wireless output. But does it offer a quality

Reviewing the TP-LINK NC450 camera - Affordable and convenient!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
Do you need an affordable camera for supervising a small to a medium-sized area in your home or workplace? Do you want to see what your children or your pets are doing when you are not at home? Do you need to keep an eye on your co-workers when you are away? Then, you should consider investing in a surveillance camera like TP-LINK NC450. This model offers many useful features

Reviewing the ASUS RT-AC53 router - What does this affordable router have to offer?

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
ASUS RT-AC53 is a very affordable wireless router and many people who want to save money and enjoy a reasonably fast network, might consider purchasing it. This router promises to give you all the basics you need for a wireless network in your home, support for the latest MIMO wireless transfer technology, useful features like a VPN server or Parental Controls, all at a very reasonable price. If you are

Reviewing TP-LINK Archer C5400 - Future-proofing your wireless network!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
TP-LINK Archer C5400 is one the most advanced wireless routers ever built by TP-LINK. It is the successor to the Archer C3200 which we loved using and testing. When we received it for testing, we were very excited because this router features very powerful hardware and many advanced features. Our previous experience has shown that, to benefit from the most advanced routers, you need high-end computers and devices that can

Reviewing ASUS RT-AC58U - Is it a top-notch AC1300 wireless router?

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
ASUS RT-AC58U AC1300 is a new router that aims to compete in the crowded space of wireless routers that cost somewhere between 100 and 150 USD. It stands out because it includes a new quad-core processor that is included in very few routers. This processor is industry's first single-chip Wi-Fi system-on-chip to bring Wave-2 802.11ac features that were standardized in 2016. In theory, we should get amazing performance at an

Reviewing the ASUS BRT-AC828 - For businesses that want more!

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
When installing a wireless router in a business environment, you ask a lot more from it than when using a similar device designed for the consumer market. First of all, you expect improved reliability: you need it to be capable of handling more client connections on WiFi, and you have to get better security. ASUS BRT-AC828 is the latest offering from ASUS for the business market, and it promises to

TP-LINK HS110 Wi-Fi smart plug review - It is worth having in your smart home?

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
Would you like to have a plug that tells you how much electrical energy your devices consume? Do you want to turn off that plug from your smartphone, when you are not at home? Do you want it to simulate that you are at home, when you leave for a long time, by randomly turning on and off certain devices in your home, like your nightlight? If you do, then

What is the automatic setup of network connected devices in Windows?

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 have a new network sharing setting that is not documented by Microsoft. This setting says "Turn on automatic setup of network connected devices" and it is found in the list of advanced sharing settings that are available for private networks. What does this setting mean and what does it do? Should you turn in On or Off? We have done some trial-and-error based experiments and
tutorial How to customize advanced network sharing settings in Windows

How to customize advanced network sharing settings in Windows

Very few people pay attention to how Windows is set when it comes to network sharing, what is shared with the network and how. Luckily, both Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 offer a panel that allows you to control every important setting, so that file network sharing is enabled only when you are connected to trusted private networks and sharing is done in a
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