Several months back I had installed PacBell DSL for my home and all was well. I had speed and an always-on connection. However, as the months passed I found myself wanting to split my connection among the other computers of my household. I found that my computer was designated the house “Internet” computer. While this was fine for the most part, there soon came times when I needed to work on my computer only to have someone else in the house already on it. I saw no recourse but to find a way of sharing the Internet connection among all the computers of the household. I also saw a bonus for myself, as I would also be able to provide an Internet connection to my laptop when it was docked.

After searching for a bit on the net I found my answers. First off I could install a proxy server on my system, solving my problem at the expense of leaving my computer on all the time. Leaving my computer on all the time was not an option. I program consistently on it and as a side result I do not want other members in the household drawing resources from my computer when I am working which led me to the second possible solution – a small independent proxy server running some form of UNIX, probably Linux. I did not like this solution, as it would have involved me buying a new machine, a cheap one, but a new one nonetheless and setting it up. Lastly I came across a new product by Umax called the UGate 3000. The UGate was a standalone deice that basically functioned equivalently to a stand-alone proxy server.

I bought my UGate from www.buy.com for about $300 plus tax and shipping. When it arrived I set aside a whole evening for the setup and testing of the product. I got home, opened the box, and proceeded to read the directions. I removed the Ethernet cable from the back of my system and plugged it into the UGate, and ran a cable from the UGate to my system. I plugged the UGate in and then started up my system. Upon starting up I verified that I was able to see the network. Then by opening up a web browser I connected to the UGate and proceeded to fill in the settings that used to be on my computer. When I was done I clicked save and then closed down the browser. I then opened up my network properties and set my TCP/IP to dynamically allocated, after which I was alerted that it would require a reboot to complete. I rebooted my system and crossed my fingers when I started Internet Explorer. Immediately, my start page came up without a hitch and from there I proceeded to test out streaming video and music and was incredibly impressed that everything worked without any problems straight out of the box. The most impressive fact was that the span of this installation was abut 30 minutes. The only problem that I have had with the UGate is that two people cannot play on the same server in Half-Life, but as it is not a common occurrence at my house, the problem is negligible. For it’s ease and speed of setup I would recommend this product for anyone who wants to split either their cable or DSL service.

Recently DSL providers have been implementing new protocols to combat the use of these devices, but Umax seems to keep up with them, releasing firmware updates, so that their product is compatible with most providers. If you are unsure if the UGate will work with your provider, then just check at the Umax site or email their support before you decide to buy.

All in all and excellent product with excellent support




Recommended: Yes