Reviews | Dad Street

Sixty Bucks For A Diamond? Not Bad…

Oct 032011

I love having wifi in my house and to be honest it’s been so long since I’ve had a “wired” connection I can’t even remember. Being able to walk around the house with my laptop, iPad, or iPhone is great. Sometimes if it’s nice outside I’ll walk out there and surf under the sun. Of course those are all the benefits of having wifi in your home. I’m know I’m preaching to the choir as I’m sure your home is set up the same way.

Wifi isn’t perfect, however. My parents and I have completely different type and size houses yet we both share the same problem. The signal is just horrible in one part of the house or the other. For my parents who have a multi-level home their weak spot is on the first floor opposite where the router sits. This sort of makes sense of course being the furthest physical spot from the router. However, I live in a “cottage” that’s less than 900 square feet and yet the back of the house is just awful for for getting a good signal. Of course there are many factors that go into signal degradation including walls, infrastructure, and other devices. This is where a cool little device called a Repeater comes into play. To be honest I had never even thought of getting one until I was approached about doing a review.

The Diamond WR300N Wireless Range Extender looks not much different than a power adapter you’d plug into a wall outlet. What’s great is that it literally takes minutes to set up and is so easy. Sure, I’m a bit of a techie guy but when I went to set it up I didn’t have the manual on me, which by the way, is just one sheet of paper (that’s all that’s needed) and I was able to set it up. I plugged the device into an outlet in between where my current wireless router is and the area of my home that’s not so great. I’m running a Macbook Pro and using Safari so if you’re using a PC with Internet Explorer there may be some very minor differences but overall I think it should be identical. The device came with an RJ-45 cable (that’s a network cable for you non-techie peeps) that I used to plug into one end of the Repeater and my computer. Seconds after plugging in the Repeater (no need for a power button, it just works) my browser came up with the setup page. The browser automagically directs you to the software that resides on the device (there’s no software to install) utilizing the IP address (think of an IP Address akin to a persons phone number) of 10.0.10.245 which should be the address for all of them in case you need it. Once on the page I was asked which network was mine. After clicking on the name of my wireless network I typed in my network password and literally, that was it!! It did mention I might have to restart my computer before it took. I thought this was very weird especially since you never have to restart Apple PC’s but the documentation was right. After a quick reboot of my laptop the Repeater was up and working! As I said, it literally took a few minutes to set this thing up. I didn’t need any tools nor any software to install on my computer.

To test how well it worked I ran a before and after bandwidth test. I use a reputable site I’ve been using for years to test download and upload speeds called www.SpeedTest.net. I ran the test by pointing my browser to the SpeedTest.net site in an area of my house where I knew I got a good signal as it was very close to my wifi router. Please note I had the Diamond Wireless Range Extender unplugged when I performed this test.

As you can see I had some really great download speeds and a respectable upload speed. Should your download speeds fall much lower than this check to make sure your network is set up properly and that you’ve called your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to inquire about what bandwidth plan your on.

Next I wanted to get a gauge on where my connectivity was in the back of my house where I know the signal is poor.

As you can see I lost more than half of my download speed!! The upload speed is the same but I think because it was relatively low to begin with (1.46mbps) and the degradation of my signal didn’t hamper it anymore than it already was limited to. I knew I got a much weaker signal back there but I had no idea I went from 17mbps down to 7mbps!

Okay, so here was the true test. I plugged in the Diamond Wireless Range Extender and ran the test again from the back of the house. Just minutes earlier when I ran the test I was only getting about 7mbps on download speed. I ran the test again with the Diamond plugged in and these were the results I got.

Again the upload stayed the same (no surprise) but look at the download!! I went from 7mbps downloads to over 11mbps! While it’s still quite a bit lower than the speeds I’m getting at the front of my house close to my wifi router it’s more than 50% improvement over not having the Repeater.

I thought it would also be fun to run the exact same test using my iPhone. I’m often surfing the web in my house on my iPhone. Yes, my iPhone does use the cell network (3G) to access the internet but when I’m home it’s actually connected right to my wifi router and does not use the cell network. I mention this to let you know this was a valid test and that my phone was accessing the internet the exact same way my laptop was. So again, I ran the test without the Repeater installed and here was the results.

As you can see my speeds in the back of the house were considerably slower than those I was getting on my laptop. Not a terrible surprise but interesting to note. Also, note on the top left hand corner of this screen shot. See that fan to the right of “AT&T”? That shows you that my phone was connected to the internet using my wifi network and not the cell network. Had it been accessing the internet through the cell network you’d see the characters “3G” there or “E” at the very least.

Once again, I ran the test after I plugged in the Diamond Repeater and got the following results:

Wow!! Results here almost tripled! I was really surprised it made such a difference on my iPhone! Anyway, the Repeater obviously made a difference here as well. Please note the following: I did have to restart my iPhone just as I did my laptop before the iPhone would detect the Repeater. Also, instead of using Safari on my iPhone to perform the test I used the SpeedTest.net iPhone app. It’s the same technology and site as the one I used on my laptop to test, they just happen to have “an app for that”.

If you notice areas in your home where your internet signal drops off this is a terribly quick fix and for only $60 it’s almost a no brainer. I can’t say anything bad about the device and it clearly does it’s job, and well I might add!

One other point to mention is that since this device is so small you can pack it for trips. The next time you’re in a hotel room that has a “wired connection” you can plug this little guy in and turn it into a wifi network!

If you want to learn more about the Diamond Repeater you can visit their site directly.

Full And Fair Disclosure: I did receive a Diamond Wr300N Wireless Range Extender in consideration for this review. I was not compensated in any way and the opinions expressed in this post are mine. Duh!

Maclaren Volo Volunteers for Cancer Survivor’s Day

Parenting, Reviews, Travel

Aug 262011

Every year my wife and I take the kids go to Cancer Survivor’s Day in Monterey. We initially started going as volunteers because my wife treats cancer patients for a living. However, just about two years ago volunteering took on a new meaning for me. My mother was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Today she is doing well and that is why volunteering at Cancer Survivor’s Day means so much to me.

Traveling to a venue like this where you know you’ll be doing a lot of walking, spending time under the sun, and traversing both paved trail and grass requires some baby gear planning. At 3 years old O likes to walk pretty much everywhere and only likes to sit in a stroller on occasion. Jake, who is turning two next week, spends a fair amount of time in a stroller and especially when he’s sleeping.

I thought it would be a perfect time to test out my new Racing Red Maclaren Volo. I literally brought it to the Fairgrounds unopened. Once out of the box I only had to attach the canopy (two clips) and connect the under seat bag (4 straps). Outside of that it was completely assembled and unfolded in a quick flip of the wrists as we’ve come to expect from Maclaren.

I kind of like louder colors (I have a red pair of Crocs) so the Racing Red stroller wasn’t too much for me at all and in fact matched my shoes. Actually, it was nice in the sense that it was very visible when in a cross walk and crossing the street. For that, even if muted colors are more your style it was a nice safety feature (albeit colors aren’t features).

The Volo is the lightest in the line weighing in at just over 8lbs. With the connected strap it’s so easy to swing over your shoulder when it’s not in use. The grips are really comfortable and padding is just thick enough. There is no pocket behind the seat like you’d find on higher end models, like the Quest Sport but that is why you have options in the Maclaren line up. Even though you don’t get a pocket behind the seat you do get respectable storage underneath. Keep in mind this is a relatively small stroller so you won’t be getting a diaper bag underneath but you can fit all the essentials nonetheless. The sun canopy is pretty wide on this one and although I would have appreciated more extension it worked well and folded back nicely when not in use. The one feature I’ve come to appreciate in strollers is the ability to recline. When kids take naps it’s so much easier to get them down and they’re so much more comfortable when reclining. Unfortunately, the Volo doesn’t have a reclining feature. I don’t think this is a strike against the stroller when you consider weight and price but just something to note.

The 5-point harness belt adjusts quickly and easily and once you get the technique down you can actually unbuckle the little one with one hand. There were quite a few times I stopped the stroller and with a quick press of my foot I had the parking brake engaged. The brake was enough to hold the stroller in place as long as you weren’t leaning on it.

The stroller rode really well and handled the smaller bumps of the pavement to the bigger dips and crevices walking through the grass. The handles did seem to flex a bit depending on where you were and how much pressure you were putting on it. This is a really light stroller though so you’re gonna have to expect some flexibility in the frame. Overall, the stroller was comfortable to push through different terrain and both O and Jake seemed to enjoy the ride.

In my experience Maclaren builds quality strollers with a solid feature set. True there were some features or design changes I would have liked but I also know I’d have to pay for them. If you’re looking for a lightweight, quality stroller that’s easy on the wallet I would highly recommend the Volo. You can check it out and purchase your own via the new Maclaren Online Store.

Disclosure: I was provided the Maclaren Volo stroller for purposes of this review.

TeleNav Mickey Mouse Project

Reviews, Travel

Aug 262011

On Monday we’re taking the kids to Disneyland. My parents are visiting from the east coast and Jake’s 2nd birthday is on Tuesday. We figured this would be a fitting time to visit the “happiest place on earth”.

It hasn’t been terribly long since we were at Disneyland but with all these freeways in SoCal I tend to get mixed up on where I’m going. Plus, my parents will be following in a car behind us so I really need to make sure I’m not making endless u-turns and making fast lane changes cause I’m lost!

Besides actually getting to Disneyland I’m going to need to figure out how to get around once I’m there. Now, I realize there are many iPhone apps for the Disney parks. I know because I have a few which are great. However, I’m curious how the TeleNav app does with walking directions.

Most people think of a Navigation app as something you use when you’re in a car. What’s so awesome about TeleNav is it will actually work when you’re on foot too! I haven’t been able to test out this feature too much but I figured there can’t be a more fun place than Mickey’s playground.

So, I’m going to do a follow up post and let you know the answers to the following questions:

1. Did my parents compliment me on how precise my directions to Disneyland were?

2. What types of places can I find in the Disneyland Park with TeleNav?

3. Will TeleNav successfully navigate me within the Park?

Now let me add that I may be placing unrealistic expectations on the app to actually guide me around a private park like this. There’s only one way to find out though. So stay tuned to an upcoming post, later this week, where I’m going to see if Mickey can give the TeleNav a big thumbs up!

Wait, Mickey doesn’t have thumbs…What do mice have? Ummm…

Disclosure: I am a member of the TeleNav Navigator in Chief dad panel and was provided compensation to participate. While I have received compensation to participate in the program as with anything that I review the opinions are 100% mine.

The Only Alternative To A Stroller: Piggyback Rider

Reviews, Travel

May 262011

Having a stroller in your arsenal of baby gear is a must, as any parent knows. In fact, many of us have several strollers that serve different functions. A perfect example of this was a recent review I did of just such a stroller while traveling to Israel. When our babies are infants we normally turn to the wraps or the front loading carriers as a means to carry baby. I can’t think of many more important things to have while out and about than your very own free hands. As our babies turn from infants to toddlers our strollers save us every time. Well, they save us most of the time. A child who is sitting in a car seat for an hour or more easily wants to be up and about and certainly not sitting again in something like a stroller. Often times, depending on the stroller, they can be very cumbersome to transport and push through crowded or narrow walkways.

When I was asked to check out the Piggyback Rider on O, I was a bit skeptical. Here we had a device in which she was not on my front but on my back, and not just on my back but standing! It looked kind of cool at first but I was concerned about the safety of it as well as the comfort for me and O. It took me one trip to the local mall to realize how crazy cool this thing was! After a short while my concerns for safety vanished and my love for this thing quickly grew. It was apparent I wasn’t the only one stoked about my new carrier. We turned into instant celebrities walking around and heads were turning everywhere!

Let’s put it this way…If you’ve been to an Apple Store you know that people are in a trance with their chins in their chests drooling over <insert favorite Apple product here>. Well, we not only had many people looking at us but a large group of people came over to inquire about it. I was so excited about using it and the fact that people were excited too who saw us just got me yapping up a storm! You would’ve thought I was working for the company (I don’t). Needless to say if you hate attention than you may want to shy away from this but be warned you’re missing out on a must have baby/toddler gear.

Our first experience putting on the Piggyback Rider was relatively easy. There is a harness that attaches to the child over their shoulders and arms. It’s adjustable to fit the size of the child and goes on them very quickly. The actual Piggyback Rider is worn by you just like a backpack. You can adjust the shoulder straps as well as how low the bar hangs on your back. It’s important to adjust these things first, before attaching the child to your back. However, once you have that set up for yourself it’s not long before he or she is up and riding on your back! Having the Piggyback Rider on and adjusted you just need to kneel down in front of your child, who is also wearing the harness, and reach over to clip two clips, one on each shoulder. This ensures that if for some crazy reason your child slipped he/she would not fall off of you completely.

The first time I wore the Piggyback Rider was an adjustment. I’m not used to having a 37 pound child on my back but the way that the weight was distributed made it much more comfortable and far less harder than one would think. After a couple of hours of wearing the Piggyback Rider my shoulders were a tad sore but I attribute this to the way my shoulders were pulled back slightly due to the weight of O on my back. I have bad posture to begin with so my shoulders probably hunch forward a bit naturally anyway. Since wearing the Piggyback Rider many times since I’ve come to learn that any uncomfortable feelings I may have had (which were few) were indeed attributed to a “break in period”.

What’s also great about the Piggyback Rider is that it’s super light and even comes with a travel bag. As a result, we decided we couldn’t take our trip to Israel without also bringing the Piggyback Rider. The Piggyback Rider stowed easily in our luggage and went everywhere with us in Israel. Our first time using it in Israel was in a small town called Jaffa. This happens to be the same town (just south of Tel Aviv) where Noah’s Ark took off a few ~~million hundred~~ thousand years ago. The streets are all cobblestone and there were hills throughout. O loved being high up on my shoulders so she could take in all the sites and sounds of the traffic, passerby’s and yummy food. Of course, here too we had our fair share of looky lews but I actually had some guy (who didn’t speak english) not only stop me to inquire but he actually made me write down the name on a piece of paper. He didn’t have any children yet but his wife was expecting shortly.

If you’ve been following my blog, I don’t review things very often. My blog isn’t a review blog by nature but I enjoy sharing things I like with all of you. My reputation, integrity, and the faith you have in me (you do have faith in me, don’t you?) aren’t worth risking to share something with you that isn’t either completely honest or that I don’t highly recommend. There’s no difference with the Piggyback Rider. I genuinely think if you have a toddler this should absolutely be in the back of your car all the time. It would also make a great gift for someone expecting as well. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been in crowded places or O was just tired of sitting and the Piggyback Rider came in handy. We’ve even taken it to Disneyland and it was great as O was able to get high up and see above everyone else when we watched the Disneyland World of Color Show.

Don’t just take my word for it. The Piggyback Rider supports little ones who are at least 2 1/2 years old and up to 7 years old weighing no more than 60 lbs. They’re priced at $79.99 and can be purchased directly from their online store.

I received one Piggyback Rider Carrier for purposes of this review and was not compensated in any way. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are that of my own.

Maclaren Quest Sport Travels 20,000 miles!

Reviews, Travel

May 092011

Strollers are a key ingredient in any parents recipe for success while out and about. When babies are really little and light they’re often being toted around in a car seat and or some baby carrier. You have a lot more options in these younger years. When they start getting a little bigger…Oh, say a 37 pound, 40″ 3 year old? Yeah, you wanna push ‘em not drag ‘em! I’ve been fortunate enough to have used some really high end strollers. Our first stroller we purchased literally was the result of selling my Miata and that was only the down payment! Enter the Bugaboo Chameleon! Now that is a full-fledged stroller that has really caused me to set the bar high when looking at other strollers. Truth be told I always had some negative preconceived notion about those smaller umbrella style strollers.

When our plans were finalized to visit Israel recently we knew we had to take a stroller with us but didn’t know that we want to schlep the Bugaboo. Besides the fact that it’s so expensive to replace it’s a larger stroller and doesn’t fold down into one piece. Maclaren saw my dilemma and thought I’d be a prime candidate to put the Quest Sport through the trenches. When the stroller arrived it was in a tall thin box and I could tell right away it’d be the perfect size for travel. I don’t mind putting things together, in fact, it’s kind of fun sometimes but the fact that the stroller was fully assembled, ready to go out of the box was a bonus. My first observation was that in the folded position the stroller had both a carrying handle and a shoulder strap. I quickly envisioned us walking through the airport or down some Jerusalem cobblestone street with this thing over my shoulder. Having your hands free, when possible, as a parent is an important thing. The Quest Sport is just over 12 lbs. which for me is the equivalent of less than half a Jake!

So the true test would come when we embarked on a two week trip that would take us from California to Baltimore to Israel and then back again. Traveling with child or children as in our case involves mucho planning. Whenever you can prepare and plan accordingly you’re always better off. The last time we had a stroller on a cross country trip it was much more of a hassle. That stroller was much heavier and we couldn’t just carry it if need be. In addition, it broke down into two pieces so we had to worry about more damage and possible loss during the trip. Having the Quest in the airports was great! When one of the kids was sitting in it we were able to still keep other things in either the back seat pocket or in the bag underneath. When it was time to gate check the stroller a quick tap with my foot (even could do it with flip flops on) and a squeeze and push in and it was folded very compactly. The fact that it does have the shoulder strap made it real easy for either my wife or me to carry, leaving our hands free. It truly was the perfect stroller for airports and you can imagine we were in quite a few!

Israel was such. A great place to test out the stroller. We walked everywhere and never left without the stroller. The stroller held both kids comfortably even with the 10lbs. and 8″ height difference. It was great not having to adjust the stroller every time O or Jake got in. The only minor adjustments we ever made were to the straps and that was very easy. Locking and unlocking the seatbelt mechanism did take some getting used to. Even though conceptually pinching the lock mechanism to unlatch the belts was easy we found ourselves struggling to do so on more than one occasion. The seat seamed really comfortable for both kids and one feature that got a lot of use was the reclining seat. More than once did we have a sleeping child and knowing we could recline them back to be more comfortable was great. Doing so did eat in to the under-seat storage but not by too much. Plus, there was a pocket behind the seat to keep things as well. The hood did a good job of covering the top of the stroller but it would have been nice if I could have pulled it forward more. There were times when the angle of the sun was just perfect to enter the stroller and shoot one of the kids in the face. I will say it wasn’t often and sunglasses or a quick turn in another direction ended the blinding light. Again, that was more of an exception as opposed to the rule but would be a cool request for a future update.

Maneuvering the stroller was just as great! Because the stroller is so light, we had no problems pushing or turning the stroller. Going up and down curbs was a breeze too due to the weight. The handles were really padded and felt great holding for long periods of time. Although they were not adjustable (something I wouldn’t have expected anyway) it fit both my wife and my grip despite our 6″ height difference. Walking through the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem was easy too. The wheels turned freely and when the kids weren’t in it I could easily maneuver it up and down the steps that Jesus once walked on with a quick lift. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one enjoying the MacLaren as every single parent had one! Everywhere I turned someone was pushing a little one in a MacLaren. For a country where many people choose to walk rather than drive I thought that was very telling.

Overall, I was and still am highly impressed with the MacLaren Quest Sport. I would highly recommend this stroller to anyone going on a family trip or even a stroll around the mall. Given that the stroller is light weight, very durable, and feature rich you really can’t go wrong. I’m definitely going to be taking my Quest on our next family get away.

I did receive a MacLaren Quest Sport stroller for this review and was not compensated in any way. The opinions expressed in this review are my opinions unless they happen to be your opinions too in which case I’m willing to share.

Older Entries

Sixty Bucks For A Diamond? Not Bad…

Maclaren Volo Volunteers for Cancer Survivor’s Day

TeleNav Mickey Mouse Project

The Only Alternative To A Stroller: Piggyback Rider

Maclaren Quest Sport Travels 20,000 miles!

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