iBall Baton 150M Wireless N Router Review

iBall is not a new player in networking peripherals. iBall Baton 150M router is their entry level offering for home/small office users. It features Gigabit Ethernet, parental control security, bandwidth control, dynamic DNS, detachable antenna, WPS (Wi-Fi protected setup), WPA, WPA2 encryption and much more. The web interface is so clean and organized then you won’t feel lost.

Technical Details

Let’s get into the technical details:

• Complies with IEEE802.11g, IEEE802.11b & IEEE 802.11n standards
• Enhanced 150Mbps Wireless transmission rate
• Supports WPA/WPA2 data security
• WEP encryption
• Easy Setup Wizard – Easy installation utility
• Built-in NAT and DHCP server supporting static IP address distributing
• Supports UPnP, Dynamic DNS, Static Routing
• QoS (Quality of Service)- Bandwidth management
• 4 10/100Mbps RJ45 Ports
• Web Based Console for network management
• Firewall security
• Change/clone MAC address

Design and Setup process

This is a normal sized router, nothing fancy here. You just need to connect different wires, connect the detachable antenna and configure the router. Overall the process to configure is very smooth.

To configure the router, you can start the web interface by entering its default IP location: 192.168.1.1 in the browser. If this web interface process seems too complex, then just plug in the CD that comes with this router and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the router configuration process.

Features

This is a basic model and doesn’t comes with any high-end features. To take advantage of all of the available features, you can start the router’s web interface. The web interface is really well organized and self-explanatory. If you’re confused about a certain feature and don’t know its meaning, then check out the help text from right sidebar of the screen. Everything is explained in clear and easy to understand language.

One problem with some routers like Belkin Basic N 150 Router is that it has only one LED which indicates power connectivity. On some routers there are more LED indicators, that indicates the status of the connection between your router and the devices connected to it. For example, let’s say you have connected 4 PCs with this router, but you are facing connectivity problem to a PC, let’s name it 4. In this situation, how would you identify the root of the problem? This is where LED indicators come to the rescue, if the LED for PC no. 4 is lit, then it means its connected properly to the router. iBall Baton 150M comes with 4 LED indicators, so that it becomes easy to troubleshoot the problem.

Through Internet Access Restriction Rule Management, we can control the internet activities of hosts in the LAN. Moreover, you can flexibly combine the Host List, Target List and Schedule to restrict the Internet surfing of these hosts. You can also make use of schedule feature to control the internet activities of hosts for a certain time.

The parental control feature allows us to control the internet activities of the child. We can limit the access to certain websites and also restrict the time of surfing. Rules can be easily created using the simple to use web interface. Blocking some particular PCs with MAC address is also possible.

There is one more notable feature with this router. The router comes with a WPS button. WPS function will help you add a new device to the network quickly. If the new device supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup and is equipped with a configuration button, you can add it to the network by pressing the configuration button on the device and then press the WPS button on the Router. If you’re not thinking to add any new wireless devices this way, then you can also disable this function.

Package Contents

• iBall Baton 150M Router (Device)
• Power Adapter
• Quick installation guide
• Driver CD
• 1 Ethernet cable

Pricing

This is where this router hits the sweet spot. iBall Baton 150M Wireless N Router (model no: iB-WRX150N) costs Rs 1350 in India (approx $27 USD). Yes, its affordable and won’t break your bank. In fact, this router performs much better than other similarly priced routers.

Conclusion

This router is perfectly suited for home and small office users. This can be a good investment for those who need a fast wired network and good Wi-Fi signal coverage.