Specification :

Linksys WRT-610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router

A simultaneous dual-band gigabit model. The hardware is more integrated than the WRT600N and has no external antennas. The E3000 replaced this model. The WRT 610N can satisfy both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz wireless clients with its solid performance, great design, ease of use, and its ability to work as a network storage device when coupled with an external hard drive.

The WRT610N' s Dual-N Band designation--its ability to offer Draft N 2.0 signal simultaneously in both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequencies--is significant because the still-new 5Ghz frequency promises better wireless signal strength, range, and stability. But because most of you still have plenty of 2.4Ghz wireless adapters and clients, you won' t want to shut them out of your network completely. The WRT610N allow devices working in either of these frequencies to co-exist in your network.

The Linksys WRT610N reuses nearly the same Web interface and networking features as the WRT310N, and most other Linksys routers. However, the WRT610N' s interface includes a Storage tab, where you can customize the router' s NAS functions. The WRT610N works with any USB-based storage device, including thumb drives and external hard drives, such as the OWC Mercury.

Once plugged in, the WRT610N uses that external hard drive as a normal file server that supports Windows server message block ( so that you can just browse the hard drive with Windows Explorer) , or an UPnP media server, or an FTP server, or all three at once. We tried all of these functions with the OWC Mercury and they worked very well. The media server even automatically scans particular folders, or the whole NAS device, for newly added multimedia files to add to the shared list, so that these files can be picked up by other media players in the network, such as a Sony PlayStation 3 or iTunes software. The router' s USB port is also able to power all bus-powered USB external hard drives--at least all those we tried.

The Linksys WRT610N has an elaborate content-filtering system, called Access Restrictions, which allows for the restricting or filtering of Internet access on particular networked computers. This is helpful if you want to block, say, Johnny' s computer from certain Web sites. The Applications & Gaming feature lets you set up port forwarding and triggering, so that you can set specific ports for specific applications, such as games, remote desktop, or FTP and HTTP servers. You can also assign static IP addresses to certain computers in the network, making the port-forwarding much more relevant and easier. If you want to create a virtual private connection ( VPN) , FTP access, or a remote desktop connection to a certain computer in the network, you will find the above handy and convenient.