Valet M10
By: Cisco
The Cisco Valet M10 may not be the most powerful router on the market, but it is definitely one of the most user friendly. Setting up a wireless router isn’t the easiest thing in the world and can frustrate even some of the most technically savvy if they’re doing it for the first time. Cisco made the Valet line of products so that almost anyone can set up a wireless hotspot in their own home with minimal hassle.
The Valet is a single band 2.4GHz router which does a decent job at providing WiFi throughout an average sized house. It also has four Ethernet jacks so if you need an extra speed boost for streaming HD movies or online gaming, you can connect your computer directly to the router rather then utilize the wireless connection. If this still can’t satisfy your needs, you can upgrade to the M20 model which has four Ethernet jacks that are faster and provide more speed then the M10s jacks.
The M10 comes with a USB drive that has the software to set up the hotspot preloaded and an “Easy Setup Key” so you can easily add additional computers to the network. This feature simplifies the entire process of setting up the hotspot in your home and allows an average user to breeze through the setup in about 5-10 minutes and be wirelessly surfing the web in no time.
The M10 is also family friendly in the sense that its variety of parental controls will help to keep your children safe while they browse. First, you can set time restrictions so if you only want to allow your children to spend an hour or two online a day you can set the M10 to only allow a certain amount of browsing time for specified users. Once they reach that limit, it will no longer let the user surf the web. Second, it reduces the risk of your child or teen running into something inappropriate on the web by allowing you to filter websites that aren’t age appropriate. Last, it has the ability to block certain sites all together which keeps your family safe from the threats you know about.
The M10 works with both Macs and PCs. It is reasonably priced at about 90 dollars which is great for families on a budget. The only shortcoming with the M10 is its speed. While it provides fast internet browsing, it lacks the super high speeds that you can get with the M20 or other router models. However what the M10 loses in speed, it makes up for in ease of use. This makes it perfect for people who have previously been intimidated by the wireless router.