Find something else to do while you're waiting for connection... (Thomson SpeedTouch 585 v7 Wireless Router)

Member Name: kevin121

Product:	Thomson SpeedTouch 585 v7 Wireless Router
Date:	24/06/09 (214 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free - it came with our broadband contract

Disadvantages: Slow to get connected to the internet

I got this as part of my Tiscali broadband deal, when we changed contract around eight months ago. The contract didn't state which modem we would get, and we weren't given any choice in the matter.

When it arrived, there were no instructions or manual enclosed with it, which I would have found helpful. As I was home alone for the day when it arrived, and being impatient, I thought I'd have a go at installing it myself, rather than waiting until the evening when my husband came home.
I'm not a computer whiz by any means, but getting it up and running was a piece of cake, I simply switched the wires from our existing modem and found the right place to put them in the top of this little beauty. Even a fool could manage that part.

The toughie was in the installation. Installation should be easy with the set-up wizard, everything is configured automatically. The only problem I faced was of my own making. In my eagerness to get started, in the middle of the configuration process I confirmed that it was wireless access that I wanted, whereas in actual fact it's just a plain old wired connection. However, I found I couldn't backtrack and just went round in circles, so I had to resort to phoning the helpdesk (in India) who managed to talk me through what to do to get it correctly configured.
For those wanting some specs:

Interfaces
LAN
Wireless: Simultaneous operation of IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g
4 x Ethernet (RJ45) ports (10/100BaseT HD/FD)
WAN
ADSL (RJ11) for ADSL/POTS
Temperature: 0-40 C (32-105F)
Humidity: 20% to 80%
AC Voltage: 100-240VAC (switched mode power supply).
Hope that means more to you than it does to me!

It came supplied with a new Ethernet cable and a mains lead too.

~ It's features ~


The main attraction is that it's a wireless router, although that's pretty much standard for modems nowadays. The coverage is said to be around 60 metres indoors, but I as I haven't tested it, I wouldn't know if that's accurate or not.
Wireless connection isn't a big plus for us though, as I personally don't think it's as secure. As we only have the one laptop at the moment we still use a wired connection. This is of course, would be a necessity for those using more than one pc or laptop in the home. You can apparently connect up to twelve laptops/computer wirelessly to this router, and hard wire four computers/laptops in the back via Ethernet cable.

The router is lightweight and small - smaller than the average paperback book. It's white plastic, with the front being a very light grey colour - nothing really attractive about the design of it, but it does look compact and modern.
There are five LED lights on the front: Internet, broadband, wireless, Ethernet and power. These, I'm sure, are all self explanatory.

On the top is the area where all the cables go, together with the on/off power button and another four Led lights, one for each of the four Ethernet ports, if you happen to be using that many.

The good points:


You can connect many PCs either wired or not using this router;
Modern, compact;
It's a wireless router!

The bad points:


It can take what seems ages to finally get internet access- not much good if like me you're impatient and want to check Ciao or your emails quickly;
It crashes maybe once or twice a week - more frequently than my old Sagem modem.

If you're looking to purchase this, it costs in the region of £30 online, though the price can vary, so shop around.


~ Overall ~

We've both been unimpressed with the time it takes to get connected to the internet, (probably around 90 seconds to 2 minutes, sometimes longer). In the morning before work, I tend to switch it all on, and then potter around doing other things before coming back to see if it's ready yet. So, despite the name Speedtouch, there's nothing speedy about it.

Unless we change our broadband contract though, we'll just have to take the drawbacks in our stride.
Although we stand it up, it's also wall mountable.

Summary: Not the quickest that's out there.

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