
Darien Graham-Smith
Darien began his IT career in the 1990s as a systems engineer, later becoming an IT project manager. His formative experiences included upgrading a major multinational from token-ring networking to Ethernet, and migrating a travelling sales force from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95.
He subsequently spent some years acting as a one-man IT department for a small publishing company, before moving into journalism himself. He is now a regular contributor to IT Pro, specialising in networking and security, and serves as associate editor of PC Pro magazine with particular responsibility for business reviews and features.
You can email Darien at darien@pcpro.co.uk, or follow him on Twitter at @dariengs.
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Seagate One Touch SSD review: A sharp customer
Reviews A tiny SSD that packs a proper performance punch for a modest outlay – if you opt for the 1TB version
By Darien Graham-Smith Published
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WD Black SN850 review: A PCIe 4 powerhouse
Reviews A lightning-fast SSD that comes with a selection of great add-ons – and doesn’t cost the earth
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Adata Ultimate SU800 review: A SATA workhorse
Reviews If you’re after a 2.5in SSD that can cope with demanding workloads, the SU800 is here to help
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AVG Internet Security review: Money for nothing
Reviews An ostensible upgrade from the free Avast package – but there’s very little here to justify the cost
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Avira Antivirus Pro review: Obnoxious and annoying
Reviews This antivirus tool does the job, but it’s expensive – and the in-app advertising really sticks in the throat
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Bitdefender Internet Security review: A solid suite at a fair price
Reviews Strong protection against viruses and ransomware make this a fine solution
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Avast Antivirus Free review: Our favourite free solution
Reviews Excellent protection with minimal intrusions and a strong set of bonus features – and it doesn’t cost a penny
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Netgear Orbi RBK352 review: Plagued by compromise
Reviews A reasonably priced Wi-Fi 6 mesh system that delivers a strong signal, but make sure its cutbacks won’t annoy
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Netgear Nighthawk RAX80 review: Waiting in the wings
Reviews The RAX80 offers the best Wi-Fi 6 performance, ports aplenty and a debonair design – what’s not to like?
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Parallels Desktop 16.5 review: Windows comes to Apple Silicon (sort of)
Reviews The best way to run Windows apps on an M1 Mac – but it’s not yet a fully stable proposition
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Paragon Backup & Recovery 17 CE review: Free and flexible
Reviews It’s free – but does it have what it takes to outshine its paid-for rivals?
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O&O DiskImage Professional review: All-round assurance
Reviews This powerful backup solution protects your entire system, not just a selection of files
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Iperius Backup Free: A sober-looking backup tool
Reviews Despite lacking version control and disk imaging, the hybrid backup might just make up for it
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IDrive Personal review: Set it and forget it
Reviews This cloud service is good value and easy to use – and it can take care of your local backup needs too
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Carbonite Safe Backup Basic review: The slickest cloud backup service around
Reviews A slick and smart cloud backup solution – although there are some limitations to be aware of
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Backblaze Personal review: The simplest cloud backup we’ve seen
Reviews Backblaze only does one thing, but it does it well
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Acronis True Image 2021 review: The consummate do-it-all package
Reviews A first-rate backup solution, True Image may be more than you need, but it’s hard to fault
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Ashampoo Backup Pro 14 review: A competent package at a great price
Reviews When it comes to local backups, this clean suite ticks all the important boxes
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Honor Router 3 review: Top-value Wi-Fi 6
Reviews A likeable router that performs well and delivers Wi-Fi 6 for the cheapest price we’ve seen by far
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BT Mini Whole Home Wi-Fi review: Value-conscious range extension
Reviews You shouldn’t expect top performance, but this dinky mesh system eradicates notspots for a great price
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Netgear Orbi RBK50 review: The perfect all-round mesh
Reviews Plenty of features, user-friendly management and top-flight performance
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What to look for in a mesh Wi-Fi network
In-depth There’s plenty of choice when it comes to mesh systems: here’s how to pick the one that’s right for you
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Best mesh Wi-Fi alternatives
Best Don’t want to spend three figures on an expensive mesh system? There are other ways to extend your wireless signal
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Asus ZenWiFi AC review: Boxy but brilliant
Reviews This imposing mesh system is insanely fast and loaded with high-end router features
By Darien Graham-Smith Published
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