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CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 6 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The good: Compact design; 256-bit WEP encryption; informative Web site.
The bad: Sparse printed documentation; exaggerated performance claims.
The bottom line: With its fast performance, good security, and decent warranty, this access point offers everything you need for a home or small-business network. But D-Link's AirPlus DWL-900AP+ does the same thing better and for less.
Specifications: Product Description: USRobotics Wireless Access Point 2249 - Wireless access point; Data link protocol: Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b; Data transfer rate: 22 Mbps See full specs
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 09/25/2002
Give your network a boost
The U.S. Robotics access point lists for $150, which is competitive with similar products from Belkin and Orinoco but a bit more expensive than the D-Link AirPlus DWL-900AP+. Like D-Link, U.S. Robotics uses Texas Instruments' 802.11b chip to achieve speeds of up to 22Mbps, but you'll have to equip each networked computer with a 22Mbps wireless adapter. (U.S. Robotics sells a 22Mbps wireless PCI adapter for $100 and a 22Mbps wireless PC Card for $80.) To help soften the blow to your pocketbook, the PCI version includes a removable PC Card, which you can swap between desktop and notebook computers. The access point works with current 11Mbps 802.11b products, as well.
Like most access points, the box contains precious few items. In addition to the access point--which measures 5.5 inches long by 4.5 inches wide by 1.5 inches high and features dual antennae resembling little TV rabbit ears--it includes one Ethernet cable, a power supply, a quick-installation guide, and an installation CD. But while the company provides everything you'll need to get started, we do have a couple of minor gripes. For example, we appreciate the useful and in-depth HTML docs included on the CD, but we wish U.S. Robotics included a printed user manual. Also, the overly large power supply takes up too much room to fit comfortably in a fully populated power strip.
Overlapping utilities
U.S. Robotics gives you two fairly easy, although somewhat redundant, ways to configure the access point. You can install the configuration utility software from the included CD or use the Web-based configurator by typing the access point's IP address into a standard Web browser. Both offer similar information about the access point and let you change essentially the same settings via a series of screens. However, beginners may prefer the software, which automatically locates and configures the access point. You can then use the configurator to change numerous settings, such as the SSID, the WEP encryption, and the transmission rate. The configuration tool also lets you save a backup file of your access point settings and upgrade the firmware.
Don't believe the hype
Once we got the unit up and running, everything worked well. In informal tests, the access point demonstrated consistently high signal strength, even when we roamed as far as two floors away with our wireless laptop. It also turned in scores of 5.7Mbps in CNET Labs' tests, a discernible--if unspectacular--speed increase over standard 802.11b products. By comparison, the D-Link AirPlus DWL-900AP+ delivered 5.9Mbps, just edging out the U.S. Robotics.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 6 reviews
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