Network Magic
Also bundled with the router is a feature limited version of Cisco’s Network Magic diagnostic application (Network Magic Basic). Network Magic provides a visual map of your home or small business network, reports the connection status of attached network devices and allows easy monitoring and repair of network issues. Advanced (paid) features include the ability to configure printer and file sharing, run speed tests and configure reports on Internet usage.
Network Magic provides a really simple, visual way to manage devices on the network, and is highly recommended for novice and expert users alike (the latter benefitting from convenient access to network monitoring features). Sure it overlaps somewhat with in-box networking settings in Windows, but provides a much friendlier dashboard with which to manage your network.
Summary
As we’ve come to expect from Cisco, the WAG320N combines great looking hardware with a strong feature-set and market-leading ease of use. It’s a shame that some of the router’s advanced features have not been exposed in the kind of user-friendly experience presented by the company’s Network Magic software, as this would guarantee our recommendation for everyday users. That said, it’s still a compelling package for those who need an easy set and forget experience to get their Internet connection up and running quickly.
We found the quality of connection within the home to be strong, and our Internet connection did not drop once throughout our testing. Within standard ranges in the home, wireless connection was reasonably solid and again, we did not experience the wireless connection dropping.
However, our tests proved that the WAG320N’s wireless range and transfer speeds were exceeded by the Belkin N+, and performance with Cisco’s own 802.11n USB adaptor, the Linksys WUSB600N was disappointing. If it’s quality of experience and ease of use you’re looking for, there’s much to like in the WAG320N – it has a good range of in-box features and new innovations such as StorageLink allow network storage experimentation fir beginners with USB hard drives. We also are big fans of any router which can be auto-configured by Windows Home Server. Remember, wireless speeds vary greatly depending on the type of building you’re in, and so our tests may not be representative of what you experience with these devices in your own home. That said, pound for pound, especially for more advanced users happy to manually configure features such as port forwarding, we’d recommend checking out the Belkin N+ first.
