Netgear DB-104NA Dual Speed Starter Kit
Netgear DB-104NA Dual Speed Starter Kit
Manufacturer: Netgear
Product Type: CE
Editorial Review:
Product Description
First of all, this starter kit lets you do exactly for what it is made: start you out. It is a great networking product out of the box, but once you add users, it is highly expandable via its 10/100 platform and uplink port. "Network in a Box" for the user that has basic network needs. This package allows for the connection of two PCs with expandability to four running under 10 or 100 Mbps, mix and match. The hub is great. Has a status light for every imaginable problem. Solid medal case makes it real sturdy. Even has a kit for attaching it to a wall. Has an odd transformer setup so you don't need 2 plugs worth of space on the power strips. The cards are easy to set up. They have 5 LEDs on the back to monitor problems without going to the hub. Kit includes instructions not only how to install the cards and software, but how to set up file and print sharing.
Amazon.com Review
Looking for a quick way to network a couple of PCs? Consider the Netgear DB104NA Network Starter Kit, which uses 10/100 Mb per second Ethernet components to ensure high speed performance but is so easy to install that even novices should have no trouble.
The kit comes with a few basic PCI 10/100Base-T Ethernet network-interface cards (NICs), two 25-foot long cables to connect the cards to the included 10/100Base-T four-port hub, and a power adapter for the hub.
The most impressive part of the package is the hub, a solidly built and compact metal unit with plenty of status lights. There are four Ethernet ports on the front of the box, and if you have more than four PCs to connect you can use the fourth port to uplink to another hub. A simple button is used to switch between normal and uplink modes, making it easy to upgrade when the time comes.
Installation is easy since the products are designed to work with one another and the NICs are plug-and-play devices. It took about 20 minutes on each of our two test PCs to install the NICs, about two minutes to attach them to the hub, and less than 30 minutes to configure the network. You should have similar success with the hardware installation, but the network configuration time will vary depending on your experience. Performance in file transfers and LAN gaming was right up there with other 10/100Base-T networks with hubs that we've tested in the past.
The few problems we found with the kit were minor. The cables were stiff, so snaking them around objects was more difficult than it should have been. The included network cards don't support Wake-On-LAN features, but that likely won't be a problem if you are connecting only two PCs. We also would like to have seen a switch rather than a hub at this price, but for home or small office use it really shouldn't matter. Other than that, this is a nice kit for beginners, offering fast speeds and a decent amount of scalability should you decide to add more computers to your network in the future. --T. Byrl Baker
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