Home Hi-Tech Hardware and Peripherals ,,,,, If you bought a WiFi access point / repeater a few years ago, you probably find yourself in a bulky, bulky and not really nice looking device at home. The new generation devices, on the other hand, are small in size and also beautiful to look at, as demonstrated by the Dodocool DC39 that we have had the opportunity to try and that we describe below.
Package contents and product description Inside the package we find the actual device (white, ABS plastic + PC glossy and smooth to the touch) and the manual with instructions (in multiple languages, including Italian). DC39 is small in size (75mm x 43mm x 57mm) and light weight (57 grams). Compared to other products, it is characterized by its white and minimalist design: it is not usually an ugly access point to connect to the electrical outlet but it is also beautiful to look at. On the upper side of the socket we find the on / off button, on the left side the WPS / reset button, on the right side the LAN port (10 / 100Mbps). A blue LED on the front is useful for information on the status.
Connection and configuration To activate the device just connect it to an electrical outlet. The blue LED on the front flashes (indicating that it is not connected to any network). The configuration can be completed in various ways. We have selected the “Wireless-N” network from the list of networks, opened a browser at 192.168.10.1 and indicated the password (by default: “admin”) to enter the administrative area (the web server integrated in the device ). At this point, just select the existing network from a list or manually indicate parameters such as name, channel, security type, SSID name.
By specifying the WiFi network of your interest, simply indicate the password and the name that should appear for the new network (extension of the existing one). At this point, just wait a few seconds for the settings to be stored and the device is ready. It took us less than a minute to configure everything. The device was immediately configured and it was possible to extend the network in an extremely simple and trivial way.
Other functions From the administration section of the web server integrated in the device it is possible to modify various settings relating to the LAN (IP address and subnet mask), system clock, activate / deactivate the front LED, change security password, backup and restore configurations, update firmware, check device status, reboot device. The “Wi-Fi” section allows you to change the wireless connection, hide / show the SSID (the name with which a Wi-Fi network or in general a WLAN identifies itself to its users), change the type of security (WPA / WPA2, WPA2 / PSK, WPA / PSK). Even more advanced settings (for expert users) can be found in the “More configurations” sub-section: from here you can select the standard to use (only 11b / g / n mixed mode, only 11b, only 11g, 11b / g), change region, change WiFi channel, change channel width (20 / 40Mhz), change beacon intervals, activate / deactivate GI Short.
Operation check The main window (the “Status” section in the integrated web server) allows you to view the connected clients, IP address, DNS, firmware version, MAC address. In addition to being a repeater, DC39 can also function as an access point (in this mode the device is connected to a wired network and converted into a wired internet connection to the wireless network, which can be shared by multiple devices). The operation as a repeater is the traditional one of other extenders: the device copies and strengthens the existing wireless signal to extend the signal coverage. This mode is useful for home, office, warehouse or rooms where the existing signal is weak.
Conclusions The accessory integrates two antennas, supports theoretical speeds up to 300Mbps, complies with IEEE 802.11b / g / n standards, supports WPA2, WPA and WEP wireless security standards ( 128/64 bit). Using the WPS button it is possible to quickly and easily establish a secure encrypted connection (WPA) between the existing access point and the repeater (just press the button for two seconds and (within two minutes) carry out the same procedure on the device you want The RJ45 socket is very convenient for having an Ethernet port on the fly via WiFi (excellent for computers and other devices that do not provide wireless networks). By holding down the button on the device for six seconds, this is reset (reset to settings factory). During our tests the connection of was found stable with Windows PC, Mac and iPhone. Compared to other products, the signal seemed a little weaker. The design of the product makes it perfect for use even in home, great for improving the strength of the Wi-Fi signal where weak or absent. At the time of writing, the Dodocool N300 is on sale for 13.99 euros on Amazon.
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