Gift Guide for the Household IT Manager

[Jsimenhoff]

It's hard to make the right connections when seeking the perfect gift for the bandwidth obsessed. We've compiled plenty of gifts, which have a wide range of uses. These presents are sure to please that special person in your life who's always fiddling with the home network.


Google Wifi Mesh System
Google's Wi-Fi system replaces your current router, and works with your modem and internet service to help eliminate dead zones and buffering. It's compatible with major internet service providers, including Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon Fios. Give your household IT manager a break by upgrading to this seamless mesh network.


Linksys Max-Stream AC2200 MU-MIMO Tri-band Wireless Router - $179.99
Don't want a mesh system? Then spring for this superfast router from Linksys. Your home IT manager will love the four high-power amplified antennas, Mu-MIMO+ support and powerful quad-core CPU.


Netgear AC750 WiFi Range Extender - $39.98
Extend the household IT manager's favorite hotspot range with the Netgear AC750 WiFi Range Extender. This little box has everything you need to add tons of square footage to your network coverage, greatly decreasing your IT manager house calls.


Samsung T5 Portable SSD 250GB - $119.99
This is one of the fastest external storage platforms on the market, and it comes in a sleek and stylish package. If your household IT manager needs their data at all times — and needs it fast — this is the perfect drive for their needs. The lack of moving parts means your data will be secure and less prone to crashes or drive failures.


SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 Adapter - $18
Have an outdated IDE or SATA drive and don't know what to do with it? Extract its data with this handy SATA/IDE-to-USB 2.0 adapter. These adapters are perfect tools for quick plug-and-play, and can be hot-swapped between drives, "NDN" (no drivers needed). Plus, it works with common operating systems like Windows, OS X and Linux. The compact and lightweight design make for easy storage and portability.

We’ve shown you ours, now show us yours!

[widget="https://gleam.io/nhB1c/amazoncom-gift-card-giveaway", 800][/widget]

Post your best recommendations for a gift for this archetype, with each recommended item as a separate response to this forum thread. Every response counts as a single entry to win a $25 Amazon gift card for this archetype. Please be sure to include the name of the gift item with link, why the archetype would like it, an image (if available), and how much it costs.

Before posting, please review the thread for potential duplicates (which won’t count!) and to check proper formatting. The Community Gift Guide 2017 Entries must be posted by November 13th, 2017 to qualify for entry. Good luck, and we’re looking forward to seeing all the awesome recommendations!

 

[tamalero]

My List:

Router: https://www.amazon.com/Dual-band-Wireless-AC1900-Gigabit-Router-RT-AC68U/ (any of the Asus AC series are really good. )
Powerline: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-Adapter-Starter-TL-PA2010KIT/ (Cheap and good!)
Hard Disk USB DOCK: https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-10Gbps-Upright-cables-supports/dp/B01E80N2E8 (You cant go wrong with these, I prefer docks than just adapters for safety).
Fix tools: https://www.amazon.com/SGILE-Network-Professional-Computer-Maintenance/dp/B01L924436 for all your networking needs.
Portable Mouse: https://www.amazon.com/Retractable-Optical-Thinkpad-EEEKit-Solution/dp/B00EFNT3MO/ Mini mouse for those pesky times you need a USB in hand.
Wireless USB: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Adapter-Support-TL-WN821N/dp/B002T4D3M2 need connectivity? these are cheap, reliable and easy to use.

 

[ifIwasarichman]

Router - Netgear Nighthawk X8

http://www.netgear.com.au/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/R8500.aspx

It has a range of desirable attributes which are perfect for the bandwidth obsessed -

1/ 5.3Gbps—The fastest combined WiFi speed for uninterrupted streaming
2/ Quad Stream—Up to four data streams per WiFi band maximizes connection speed
3/ MU-MIMO capable—Go faster by simultaneously streaming to multiple devices
4/ Gigabit WiFi - Tri-Band WiFi—Up to 1000 + 2166 + 2166Mbps†
5/ Smart Connect—Designates slower and faster devices to separate WiFi bands for best wireless speed
6/ Dynamic QoS—Intelligently prioritizes video streaming and gaming
7/ And the most important feature for me is the fact that it has six Gigabit LAN ports with the ability to aggregate two ports for the best way to connect a NAS

If this powerful router does not completely cover your residence, it is nothing to worry about, as you can always easily and simply add one of Netgear's high-speed WiFi range extenders (for example - the Nighthawk X4 AC2200).

It has received good reviews (example - https://www.tomsguide.com/us/netgear-nighthawk-x8,review-3630.html ). These have all the features listed in the "pro"column and the major "con" across them all is the fact it was expensive. Fortunately that has changed since the release of the Nighthawk X10.

It may have been expensive at up to $400 when launched, but with a quick search, it is now possible to find it for as low as $235 new on Amazon (or even cheaper on eBay to under $200 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/222700484607?vectorid=229466&lgeo=1&item=222700484607&rmvSB=true ) And down to $176 used on Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=netgear+nighthawk+x8&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Anetgear+nighthawk+x8 ). So bargins can be found.

 

[randorita]

I went with Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point, $136. It covers my medium/small house and about 1 acre of land.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PRO512/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For a firewall/WiFi controller, we are using an old desktop computer with 2 network cards, also left over from previous builds. We are running pfSense for the software, the free version. That gives me a robust WiFi and firewall system for $136 and old computer parts.

https://www.pfsense.org/download/