We explain port forwarding and triggering, firewalls and traffic filtering, the DMZ and other broadband bits you should know.

Although the basics of this router are somewhat low spec (no 802.11n or Gigabit Ethernet), the extras do make it interesting.

The especially full feature set of the 7404VNOX makes it stand out from the crowd.

Poor coverage means the Zyxel isn’t a bargain.

Superb styling, packed with ports and features, and now with an increased colour gamut

Poor image quality and no DVI port make this one to avoid

Although it’s not a screamer at short range, the good long-range performance (at 5GHz at least) makes the Linksys WRT610N an attractive choice

The DIR-855 is among the fastest wireless routers in our tests and would be particularly attractive to all-Windows networks.

TP-Link’s basic router offers good performance at a good price and even throws in some easy setup features for first-timers.

A great way to extend your desktop once you’re out of DVI ports

Decent features and speed, but still lacking in this company.

Great speed for a wireless router, but lacking features for the price.

A business-orientated router with average performance

Mediocre value for the features and performance on offer.

Packed with great features and offering decent coverage, the DIR-655 is a winner at this price.

A wireless security system with good roaming support, but it isn’t perfect

If you don’t care about weight, this is what a laptop should be

good speed, good features and plenty of flexibility make this a winner

A Media Center Extender, upscaling DVD player and great games console

Microsoft has revealed a plan to port its Outlook communications program as part of the upcoming Office for Mac productivity suite..