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Dell Business Software & Accessories
Input Device
No
Hands Mouse from
Hunter Digital
Attributes (Minimum): Control, Ergonomics, Driver Stability,
Software Bundle.
You cannot get Carpal Tunnel if you do not use your hands. These foot based
controls handle your mousing duties. They require several days to get used to,
but work great.
Surgemaster
II from
Belkin
Look at your power strip. If it does not clamp to 330V's, you may want to
replace it. You would also feel a lot better having some recourse with the power
strip insurance especially if you live in an area with bad power.
Attributes (Minimum): Number of Outlets, Phone/Network ports,
Clamping Voltage rating (330V), Joule Energy Rating, Insurance amount, Warranty
length
With the California power crisis in the news, rolling blackouts a possibility,
it is time for people to think about power protection. If you will not spring
for a UPS, ensure you have good surge protection. This product is inexpensive
insurance. It meets the 330V max clamping voltage spec and handles 1214 joules
and includes $35000 of insurance. We have actually collected on a claim. A surge
blew out the power strip and the power supply in a machine!
Wacom
Graphire from
Wacom
PC and Macintosh compatible.
Attributes (Minimum): Ergonomics, Number of Buttons (3), Roller
Wheel, Optical vs Mechanical Ball, Interface Type (USB), Software Features.
This is part of the new generation of low cost graphics tablets. Great for
drawing art or just using the computer. Nice cordless stylus. Graphics tablets
are subject to extreme user preference, be sure to try before buying. Includes a
wireless 3 button mouse with a scroll wheel. Uses USB connection for plug and
play. USB gets you much better tracking for precise movement. Includes basic
graphics painting software.
APC
Back-UPS from
American Power Conversion Corp.
Includes protection for phone lines as well as surge only outlets. Two year
warranty.
This unit can power a typical PC with 17" monitor for about 20 minutes.
Pro version includes a USB port for communications but costs $100 more! Wait
for the premium to be more like $10.
Make sure any UPS has a 1ns reponse time and a let through voltage of 330V or
less, and 300 Joules of protection or more.
Attributes (Minimum): Power capacity, replaceable battery,
indicator lights, communications link, power-down software.
Emergency battery backup is critical to prevent the effect of power problems.
These units will provide you time to shutdown your computer or even shut it down
for you with the included PowerChute software. 500VA equals 330W of capacity.
Alternates: Tripp Lite Internet Office 500
Netgear
Dual Speed Hub from
Netgear
A dual speed hub is a great beginning to your network as well as a good
addition for an existing network. Having support for both 10 and 100 mbps speeds,
a dual speed hub can hook up 10 and 100 mbps network cards and devices, and
allow them to talk at different speeds. For example, your network server can be
hooked up through a 100 mbps bandwidth, your server can talk to your main
workstation at a full 100 mbps speed through the hub. Later you can add an old
Pentium computer and put in a 10 mbps network card and still have it talk to the
server at the slower 10 mbps speed.
Dual speed hubs can also be uplinked to 10 mbps hubs to create a multi-speed
network, a network that would be able to allow expansion on both standards of
Ethernet speed.
We do not recommend cascading multiple hubs to form a treelike structure.
This will just lead to lots of performance problems down the road.
Also available in a 4 port version.
Attributes (Minimum): Speed (10/100), Dual Speed Compatibility,
Number of Ports (4), Uplink Port, Indicator Lights.
A low cost dual speed autosensing hub with 4, 8 or 16 ports. Use it for 10
Base-T now and add 100 Base-TX devices anytime. LED indicators for diagnostics.
Built-in 10 to 100 Mbps bridge.
Alternates: Almost any 10/100 Dual Speed Hub.
Netgear
SB104 Network Starter Kit from
Netgear
An Ethernet Starter Kit allows you to easily build your home or small office
network. This starter kit gives you the ability to interconnect two computers
through a hub, which includes for two more ports of expansion. This starter kit
is great for the average computer user looking to hook up an old computer and
allow it to go on the Internet. Network cabling, seemingly a cheap item, can be
very expensive at large computer stores. If two 25-foot cables are not enough
and you want to leave room for future expansion, we recommend you buy Cat-5
network cable bulk at Home Depot and use a crimping tool to put connectors on.
If you have more than two computers to connect, this starter kit will still
give you an inexpensive way to start your network, adding another network card
by purchasing one on the internet can be as cheap as a mere 10 dollars. The
downside of using this starter kit would be the 10 mbps hub, which is good for
internet and gaming, but can lag file sharing quite a bit.
We do not recommend cascading multiple hubs to form a treelike structure.
This will just lead to lots of performance problems down the road.
Attributes (Minimum): Speed (10/100), Dual Speed Compatibility,
Number of Ports (4), Uplink Port, Indicator Lights.
A low cost Ethernet Starter Kit with everything you need to hook two machines
together. Included are 2 10/100 Ethernet cards and a hub with 4 ports 10 Base-T
ports. LED indicators for diagnostics. Also includes two 25-foot network cables.
Comments: Part of Bay Networks.
Netgear
FA310TX Fast Ethernet from
Netgear
Ethernet cards come standard in many new computers, but if you do not have
one in your computer, it is very cheap to add one. Ethernet is the essential
standard for networking and broadband. Most Cable, DSL modems, and routers run
on the Ethernet Twisted Pair Cabling Standard. A cheap 10/100 Ethernet card such
as this one can run at speeds of both 10 mbps and 100 mbps. If you are planning
on starting a new network, you’ll probably need to purchase either a hub or a
switch to serve as the communication's center of your network. If you just need
an Ethernet card to hook up to broadband, a simple crossover cable can connect a
computer to a broadband modem.
Use this card to connect multiple computers to a network or to connect your
machine to high-speed Internet connections such a Cable modem or DSL.
No need to pay more for such a generic item.
Attributes (Minimum): Speed (10/100), Interface Type (PCI),
Software Drivers.
A 10/100 Mb PCI bus mastering ethernet card. Includes drivers for Windows,
Novell, and SCO. Supports 10 Base-T and 100 Base-TX, both full and half duplex.
Alternates: Almost any 10/100 PCI Ethernet card.
Netgear
SW108 Fast Ethernet Switch from
Netgear
Switches are great for connecting hubs and maximizing the data throughput.
Switches are faster and can handle more bandwidth than hubs, making it able to
handle a hub of many computers on every single port. Once your home or small
office network becomes a network of more than just one or two hubs, a switch
would make a perfect addition to your network. Switches are so inexpensive now
that most users do not use hubs.
This is an unmanaged switch, in that you cannot use software to check port
status and diagnose problems. If you need these capabilities, get a managed
switch like the 3COM OfficeConnect.
Attributes (Minimum): Speed (10/100), Dual Speed Compatibility,
Number of Ports (4), Uplink Port, Indicator Lights.
One of the leaders in small business networking is Netgear, whose parent company
is Nortel Networks. 5, 8, or 16 port versions of the switch exist. The Ethernet
10/100 mbps capability allows you to mix and match clients and servers on the
same switch and still maximize throughput. Selectable uplink port. Dip switch to
force full duplex mode.
56K
Internal PCI Call Waiting Modem from
Actiontec Electronics
Call Waiting Modems are a cheap and convenient solution for a one-phoneline
location. It allows you to be on the Internet and also be notified of an
incoming call. The modem is 100% hardware, which means it’s compatible with
pretty much any operating system, including various distributions of Linux. Call
Waiting capabilities are set in software, allowing you to choose whether you
want the computer to ring when a call arrives, so you can talk for up to seven
seconds before disconnection of the Internet. You can also to set it to
disconnect the active internet connection every time a call arrives, making sure
you get every call when you’re online. Call Waiting Modems are perfect for a
slow router type computer, providing your network access to the Internet and
also allowing you to answer every call that comes in when it’s online. The
answering machine and fax support can also be turned on if you’re using an
always-on router computer. This allows you to have answering machine, and fax
with one phone system.
PCI bus modems help eliminate any plug and play issues although ISA bus
modems may be a bit faster. Many PCI modems perform modem control in software,
slowing performance, this one does not. Avoid winmodems if you run special
operating systems such at Linux or Windows NT, have a PC slower than a Pentium
133, or play lots of games online.
New USB modems are nice, but they are still expensive and do not work with
Linux.
Attributes (Minimum): Modem Speed (56k), Interface Type (PCI),
Hardware Controller or Software modem, Call Waiting support, Voicemail support,
Software Bundle.
This is about as full featured as you can get. It even allows you to receive
phone calls while online. 56K, V.90, K56flex, Plug and Play, Call Waiting,
Lucent chipset, voicemail, answering machine, fax, PCI bus, DOS/Windows/Linux
support.
Alternates: 3COM US Robotics Internet Gaming Modem Almost any PCI
V.90 internal modem if you do not care about Gaming, DOS, Linux, or call waiting.
You'll save a bundle over this one. v.92 modems are coming out now.
SMC
EZ Cable/DSL Router from
SMC
This router is considered a NAT router; routers which have a small computer
built-in to do network address translation. You can configure this intelligent
device through its built-in website. Routers such as these can be configure to
block certain users or protocols from the outside and the inside. It can also be
programmed to block out certain sites you do not want visited. If you have a
broadband connection that allows only one IP address to visit the Internet, this
router will handle all the routing for you and will allow you to share that one
connection among many computers.
The built in print server and dial-up modem is very handy when it comes to
starting a network. The hassles of purchasing a print server printer and setting
up a backup computer for dial-up is now diminished buy integrating it all into
this small box. The box is quiet with no noisy fans, and is small than most
routers from other manufacturers. This unit includes routing capability for up
to 253 machines. This small box works well and doesn't have a noisy fan. It also
performs basic firewalling thru Network Address Translation and Virtual Private
Network. It has a nice web-browser based setup utility. The only downside is the
lack of support on some of the advanced functionality.
This unit does not offer DES VPN support of the Sonicwall or Netopia. It also
performs fairly peaking at 4 Mega bits per second. If you have a small business
and need special features like a NCSA rated firewalling and DES VPN remote login,
get a Sonicwall. You can save money by using a free source alternative and a PC,
but you will have to configure it yourself, make extra space for it and worry
about it crashing.
Attributes (Minimum): Speed (Ethernet), NAT, PPPoE support,
Machine Capacity (10), Firewall support, User Interface (Web), Virtual Private
Network support, Indicator Lights. Cable/DSL
Router
SMC
EZ Cable/DSL Router from
SMC
This router is considered a NAT router; routers which have a small computer
built-in to do network address translation. You can configure this intelligent
device through its built-in website. Routers such as these can be configure to
block certain users or protocols from the outside and the inside. It can also be
programmed to block out certain sites you do not want visited. If you have a
broadband connection that allows only one IP address to visit the Internet, this
router will handle all the routing for you and will allow you to share that one
connection among many computers.
The built in print server and dial-up modem is very handy when it comes to
starting a network. The hassles of purchasing a print server printer and setting
up a backup computer for dial-up is now diminished buy integrating it all into
this small box. The box is quiet with no noisy fans, and is small than most
routers from other manufacturers. This unit includes routing capability for up
to 253 machines. This small box works well and doesn't have a noisy fan. It also
performs basic firewalling thru Network Address Translation and Virtual Private
Network. It has a nice web-browser based setup utility. The only downside is the
lack of support on some of the advanced functionality.
This unit does not offer DES VPN support of the Sonicwall or Netopia. It also
performs fairly peaking at 4 Mega bits per second. If you have a small business
and need special features like a NCSA rated firewalling and DES VPN remote login,
get a Sonicwall. You can save money by using a free source alternative and a PC,
but you will have to configure it yourself, make extra space for it and worry
about it crashing.
Attributes (Minimum): Speed (Ethernet), NAT, PPPoE support,
Machine Capacity (10), Firewall support, User Interface (Web), Virtual Private
Network support, Indicator Lights. SonicWALL
SOHO2 from
Sonicwall
The SonicWALL includes routing capability for up to 10 machines. This small
box works well and doesn't have a noisy fan. It also performs sophisticated
certified firewalling. It has a nice web-browser based setup utility. Also
available is optional Content Filtering, and optional Virtual Private Network
Support. It alerts you if someone is trying to hack you.
You can save money by using a free source alternative and a PC, but you will
have to configure it yourself, make extra space for it and worry about it
crashing. Cheaper routers do not have some of the advanced capabilities that you
might or might not need.
PPPoE and Antivirus support added in June 2000. Less expensive when priced
with all options, Telecommuter version released in July 2000. Soho2 released Nov
2000 with 10/100 ethernet and 70Mb/s throughput. TELE2 with VPN built in but
only 5 users is also available.
Attributes (Minimum): Speed (Ethernet), Machine Capacity (10),
Firewall support, User Interface (Web), Virtual Private Network support,
Indicator Lights. For more limited uses: Netgear FR314 incorporates Sonicwall firewall
technology.
Internet
Service
Digital
Subscriber Line (DSL) from
Various Regional Baby Bells
DSL runs over standard copper phone wiring and allows both voice and data to
be carried concurrently. The closer you are to the phone companies' central
office (CO), the faster your DSL. DO NOT SELF INSTALL DSL, else your speed may
be capped to 384Kb. Maximum speed is achieved when you are less than 2 miles
from the CO. Convert your current phone line. No need to have a second phone
line just for the Internet! We pay $39 a month for 1.5 Mb (T1-Class) download
speeds and 128K upload speeds in San Francisco.
Locally, we recommend Pacific Bell. We have signed up for DSL using alternate
providers and basically ran into a mega run-around between Pacific Bell, Covad,
and an ISP trying to diagnose problems. Smaller DSL companies have folded.
Cable modems are the alternative to DSL. Studies have found that DSL
outperforms Cable even though Cable modems have a much higher theoretical
transfer rate. The problem is that Cable modems use shared bandwidth.
Performance during the day, when no one is home is great, but in the evenings,
performance drops. Up to 20,000 of your closest neighbors could be connected to
the same line! Stick with the bundle your provider offers. There are too many
different signalling standards right now to purchase third party equipment. (ADSL,
SDSL, VDSL, G.Lite, etc.)
If you live in a rural where DSL is not available, Cable can be a worthy
alternative because of its vast coverage. As DSL customers increase, cable
customers may decline. DSL and Cable basic service usually allows you to have
one IP address, so if you have multiple computers on a network, a router will be
needed to share that connection with the rest of your computers.
One of the benefits of a broadband Internet connection is the always-on
feature and the fact that it won’t interfere with your phone line. Through
broadband, your computer will be instantly online the moment you boot it up, so
there will be pretty much no logon times. It’s always good to keep a free
dial-up Internet as a backup service if your broadband service goes down.
Pacific Bell DSL is not perfect, it goes down every once in a while with no
warning. They also only use Williams and ATT Global Network to connect to the
Internet. An ISP with multiple backbone providers would be more reliable.
2wire has a
bandwidth tester to see what you actual performance is. 2wire
also has an DSL availability lookup database. Do not bother trying to buy your
DSL modem for anyone other than the service provider, as standards are just not
in place.
If you need 56k Dial up Internet, sign up with a free ISP for free access.
You just need to keep their start page. Freedomlist
lists all the free ISPs around the world!
Make DSL providers allow users to self-install their service. Attach the
modem to an Ethernet port or USB port on your machine and you are done. Analog
phones need filters put on them to filter our DSL noise.
Most providers charge extra for fixed IP addresses, so many people use
dynamic IP addresses using PPPoe. Make sure your Cable/DSL router supports this.
Attributes (Minimum): Speed (384 KB/s), Hardware Cost, Monthly
Cost, Number of Mailboxes, Number of IP Addresses.
This is a very capable low-cost box. You need a router like this to share
network resources such as DSL and Cable Modems. A router will allow one
connection (IP) to be shared with multiple machines. This unit also has a built
in print server and RS-232 port for backup dialup modem. They have a version
that includes a 4 port integrated 10/100 SWITCH for very high performance.
(SMC7004BR) There is also an 8 port version. (SMC7008BR) A version with a Wi-fi
wireless access point also exists. (SMC7004AWBR)
Alternates: Linksys Netgear
Comments: We gave up on the Linksys router in early 2001 after
continued problems with PPPoE connections.
This is a very capable low-cost box. You need a router like this to share
network resources such as DSL and Cable Modems. A router will allow one
connection (IP) to be shared with multiple machines. This unit also has a built
in print server and RS-232 port for backup dialup modem. They have a version
that includes a 4 port integrated 10/100 SWITCH for very high performance.
(SMC7004BR) There is also an 8 port version. (SMC7008BR) A version with a Wi-fi
wireless access point also exists. (SMC7004AWBR)
Alternates: Linksys Netgear
Comments: We gave up on the Linksys router in early 2001 after
continued problems with PPPoE connections.
You need a router to share network resources such as DSL and Cable Modems. A
router will allow one connection (IP) to be shared with multiple machines. SOHO
version includes 4 port integrated hub.
Comments: Free mini-Linux version: http://www.linuxrouter.org/
Having moved from dialup to ISDN to DSL, we have experienced what broadband
internet can do. Performance of your computer is now measured by your Internet
connection speed, not your processor speed. You are much more likely to use the
net when you have this type of speed. With high speeds and instant connections,
broadband Internet is a different world. Broadband makes streaming Video and
high quality audio a reality.
Alternates: Cable Modem.
Comments: DirectDuo Satellite service is good only when you do not
have access to other broadband. Mostly in rural areas.
Networking/
Modems