The Linksys Wireless-G Media Storage Link Router with SpeedBooster has a long name that neatly fits a home network device with all of its talents.

For starters, this device is both a wired and a wireless router, with four 10/100 Ethernet ports for connecting your wired devices. It can also serve as the center of an 802.11g wireless network, so you can connect laptops, video game consoles and other home wireless devices.

If that were all, the Media Storage Link Router would still be a great peripheral for sharing a broadband internet connection and serving as the hub of your home network. But this unit also acts as a network attached storage (NAS) device. A USB port lets you connect Flash drives and even full-size external hard drives to the router to perform the duties of a central storage server. This works great for sharing files and information, as well as having a central location for backups around the network.

The Media Storage Link Router also has a built-in media server to stream music, video and other multimedia files to a compatible UPnP media adapter. Of course, there aren't many Universal Plug-and-Play devices on the market right now, but they will no doubt become more prevalent in the near future.

This device makes it simple to set up a home network. If you're networking other Linksys devices, you can automatically create an encrypted wireless network by pressing the devices' SecureEasySetup buttons. The Media Storage Link Router also supports the more advanced Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption standard for added security.

There's also an SPI firewall to keep out users who might potentially infiltrate your network, as well as filter internal users and determine what they can and can't access on the internet. The Media Storage Link Router is backward-compatible with 802.11b networking devices. You can probably find it for sale for $100 or less, which is a great price for a home network device with these capabilities.

If you need a wired and wireless router that also lets you share a central storage space, Linksys' Wireless-G Media Storage Link Router is a good all-around home network device.


Pros:  Multiple uses, advanced features
Cons:  No built-in storage

Warranty
3 years, limited