SOHOware 11 MBps Wireless
Networking
We're coming up on spring time
again. This means only a couple of things to hardcore computer nerds. New
CPUs and new networking products. Why is networking so interesting to people?
I think its fair to say that most of us are buying new computers and holding
onto our older computers. With that in mind, wouldn't it be nice to be able
to share files between them or have a frag party with our favorite games?
Used to be that having a home network meant having unsitely wires strewn around
the floors or holes in the walls. Enter 2.4 GHz wireless networking and suddenly
a truly invisible network can be setup. I was impressed with SOHOware's Broadguard
Router recently so I was very happy to take a look at their 11 MBps wireless
networking solutions.
|
Features |
The
Board |
- IEEE 802.11b
standard
- 2.4 GHz frequency
- 150-500 ft. indoor
range
- 1000-1600 outdoor
range
- Support up to
128 PC's
- 11, 5.5, 2, 1
data rate (auto fallback)
- PCI and PCMCIA
solutions
- Win 95, 98, Me,
NT, 2000
|
|
First
Impressions
Each component was packed in
its individual box. They are the hub (base station), a PCI wireless adapter
(NIC), and a similar PCMCIA wireless adapter. One neat thing about SOHOware's
packaging is that each individual unit's packaging overlaps with the other
- and therefore simplifies installation and setup. Wondering how to setup
the base station? Pick up the manual that came with any of the units and the
information is there. Good job SOHOware. Anything that can cut down on the
number of manuals open at one time is a good thing.
In our search for network components
we've seen 10 MBps hubs and NICs, 10/100 hubs, routers, and switches, 12 MBps
USB ethernet adapters, and now 11 MBps wireless. 11 MBps comes in at the bottom
of a speed comparison so lets point out a couple of features that I believe
make it superior to USB networking. For starters, wouldn't it be nice to have
a laptop that you could move around the house/office with you without having
to drag a wire around? How about avoiding the inconvenience of RJ45 installation
in your home? If your home is not prewired for networking then having a pro
come in and run the wire to the assorted rooms you'll want it in will be a
huge hassle. Wireless networking not only frees you from this burden but also
lets you move components in your network around as you see fit. Here's another
big bonus for wireless networking - current cable modem and DSL speeds will
not come close to maxing out the 11 MBps speed of this network.
