Hardware Reviews
Actiontec ActionLink USB Cable Single-Room Starter Kit Finally! Our search for true "plug-and-play" home networking has ended. Actiontec's ActionLink USB Cable Single-Room Starter Kit is simply the easiest path to home networking that we have ever experienced. In fact, it's hard for us to imagine that home networking CAN get any easier. Add in free internet sharing software, a great price (we found it for $74.95 + shipping), and this Actiontec kit truly deserves a homePCnetwork Editor's Choice. As many regular visitors to homePCnetwork.com know, we are strong believers in the many advantages to Ethernet and Fast Ethernet. Yes, you have to open up your computers and, yes, you have to run some cables if you want to network beyond one room. Still, those disadvantages don't outweigh the many advantages, not the least of which are low-cost, mature technology and network speed. BUT....if you do NOT need to network beyond one room and do NOT plan to have more than two computers networked for the foreseeable future, then this Actiontec kit is for you. (And Actiontec does a nice job of making this the clear niche by calling it a "Single-Room" kit). No computer cases to open, no tricky software to install, no protocols to fool with. Instead, using this kit, you start with simple...near-automatic software installation, plug in a single cable to both computers and voila! Instant network. We often talk about fast network setup in terms of minutes, but the Actiontec kit set a new standard. We could count the mouse clicks...less than 10...and our network was up and running. Unbelievable. Overview The Actiontec ActionLink USB Cable Single-Room Starter Kit is really just that, a single, 20-foot cable with USB connectors on both ends and a thumb-size molded piece in the middle. A single CD-ROM has the auto-install driver package, the DynaNat internet sharing software and related utilities. The kit also has a half-page quick start guide that truly was the only instructions we needed to install the kit. However, there also is a 28-page on the kit and a 40-page manual on DynaNat.
We did not, by the way, install and test DynaNat since this is the same package we already reviewed with the Actiontec phoneline kit. It does deserve a mention, though, since it not only provides shared internet access, but also automatically switches the computer to be used as the "server" (the one with the internet connection) so you don't have to always turn on both computers to get online. A nice feature. Installation As we mentioned, installation was an absolute breeze with this kit and can be counted not in minutes, but in mouse clicks. The installation routine neatly provides clear, accurate prompts and also follows along with the printed quick-start guide and manual. The included CD-ROM autostarts when inserted in your computer and provides a "Welcome to Setup" dialog box. We clicked "next" (one click). Your prompted for your name and company (oddly, you must type in a company). We then clicked next (two clicks). A destination folder is indicated and we clicked next (three clicks). Finally, you are asked for a name for the computer and a name for the workgroup. We inserted both and clicked next (four clicks). The install routine then begins and does ask for the Win98 CD-ROM if your files are not on the hard drive. The install routine then suggests that the computer should be restarted. We clicked OK (five clicks). When the computer restarts, the ActionLink USB SRSK Manager dialog box pops up. The box is open to the Connection Tab and shows that it is "Waiting for Connection." At this point, you install the software in the same way on the other computer. Once that computer is also waiting for connection, you plug the cable into both computers. With USB there is no need to turn off the computer. Once the cable is plugged in, the Connection Tab quickly shows both computers. All that's left is to share a drive or folder. Done! Wow! Performance Performance of the kit was very good. For comparison we have shown performance scores alongside scores for the EZLink kit (see chart below). This is not, however, a completely accurate comparison because we recently switched test machines. Still, it is safe to say that the performance of the Actiontec kit was on par with the other USB kits we've tested so far. Here are the actual results using our 30 meg test file and copying it between our two test machines. (Click here for more on our test procedures.) As we've noted before, these tests also reveal that this USB kit, and the other USB kits, perform much better than phoneline kits, but still well below Ethernet and Fast Ethernet systems.
Summary Make no doubt about it. This is simply the easiest kit we have ever installed. And, it was not only easy, but also provided no surprises, problems or mis-steps. The kit also includes free internet access sharing software and has a great price. This decision is easy. If you're looking for a network kit with easy setup (as in, you have no interest in opening your computer) for two nearby computers that have Windows 98 and USB ports, this is THE choice. Grade = A+ Details
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