Belkin Home Base: the box that does it all

Wirelessly sharing devices such as a printer over a home network has just been made a mite easier with the introduction of Belkin's Home Base. This handy 802.11b/g/n compatible do-it-all box allows connection and access of up to four USB devices, can automatically back up files and share pictures on Flickr or Picassa accounts, and painlessly shares files between computers on an existing wireless network.

Most family households now have more than one computer whirring away in rooms all over the house. Connect up to four USB 2.0 devices to the Home Base - a printer, an external hard drive, an X-Box 360 or Playstation, a flash drive, for instance - and all the computers on the home network have access to them.

The Home Base can automatically back up files from all the computers to one external hard drive, which essentially becomes your very own DNLA media server too. The device can also take care of uploading all those precious digital memories to your Flickr or Picassa account. The option to exile your printer to a quiet corner of the house is now also easy to do.

Security concerns are taken care of at the touch of a WPS button on the front of the box.

As an all-in-one device sharing solution the Home Base would be a very tempting proposition were it not for the USD$129.99 price tag, which seems a little on the high side for a wifi USB hub with a few extra tricks. Available now in the US.