Standard features

The EtherFast router comes with all the features you'd expect for the price--and then some. A built-in, auto-sensing, 10/100mbps switch gives each node dedicated bandwidth, which dramatically boosts performance when running applications such as videoconferencing, IP telephony, and multiplayer games. The EtherFast router also has an uplink port--a feature noticeably absent on similar routers, such as the D-Link DI-704 Cable/DSL Internet Gateway. The uplink port expands your network by letting you connect to another switch or hub. However, when you use the uplink port, you must sacrifice the first LAN port, which is automatically disabled. For security, the EtherFast router includes a built-in NAT-based firewall for keeping hackers at bay. However, we wish the EtherFast router had is a serial COM port, which lets you share an external analog or ISDN modem connection if your broadband connection fails.