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The Latest in Dongle Technology is Very, Very Small

Andy Salisbury — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:01:05 -0600

Buffalo Electronics is staking the claim that their WLI-UC-GN Wi-Fi dongle is the smallest that’s been created. Whether this is true or not, we can’t say for sure, but one can’t help but admire its diminutive size and price tag.

The dongle will only run you $25, and it clocks in at 33mm by 16mm. Evidently, the brains behind the operating aren’t much bigger than the plug that goes into your computer. It’s reported that it will feature B/G certification for backwards compatibility with older wireless networks, base station operation, and an automated security system.

Let’s just hope that we can see this bad boy on our shores sooner than later, because a handy (and cheap) little piece of tech would find plenty of uses.

Image Credit: Buffalo Electronics

New D-Link DIR-628 Router Features Dual-Band 802.11n at Popular Prices

Mark Edward Soper — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:04:07 -0500

DIR-628: Two Modes in One Router...

The new D-Link RangeBooster N Dual Band Router, the DIR-628, joins a very short list of 802.11n-compliant routers that are compatible with both the 802.11n 2.4GHz mode (backwards-compatible with 802.11g and 802.11b) and the optional 5GHz mode (backwards-compatible with 802.11a):

Linksys WRT600N
D-Link's own Extreme N Duo Media Router DIR-855
Netgear's RangeMax WNDR3300

(Buffalo Tech's Wireless-N products are involved in ligitation and are currently not available in the US).

5GHz support enables 802.11n networks to escape the channel congestion inherent in 2.4GHz networks (where only three of the 11 channels theoretically available do not overlap) and achieve faster throughput through the use of double-width (40MHz) channels.

To find out how the DIR-628 implements the 2.4GHz and 5GHz modes, and to find out what level of wired Ethernet it supports, keep reading.

...But Not Two Routers in One

The DIR-628's dual-band rivals actually feature two routers in one: they have dual radios that can transmit on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands at the same time, enabling you to have two separate wireless networks (one for data and one for streaming media).

By contrast, the DIR-628 uses a simpler (and less-costly) design: during setup, you select whether you want to use the 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequency. Thus, if you have dual-mode 802.11n and/or 802.11a wireless adapters (which run at 5GHz) on your network, you can run in 5GHz mode. If you have only 2.4GHz adapters (802.11n, 802.11g, or the pre-Cambrian 802.11b), choose the 2.4GHz mode.

This router gives you the ability to move from 2.4GHz to 5GHz without replacing the router, but there's no way to have a mixture of clients. If the DIR-628 is at the center of your wireless network, you must upgrade all of your clients from 2.4GHz or 5GHz at the same time. Ouch!

Fast Ethernet in a Gigabit Ethernet World

The other cost-cutting feature of the DIR-628 is its lack of Gigabit Ethernet support. Gigabit Ethernet is supported in other dual-band routers, enabling wired clients with Gigabit ports to run at top speed. And, some 2.4GHz-only 802.11n routers, such as the D-Link DIR-655 and the Linksys WRT310N include Gigabit support at only a slight price premium to the DIR-628.

Missed It by This Much!

In terms of features, the DIR-628 is a puzzling mixture of the interesting (switchable between 2.4 and 5GHz) and frustrating (runs only one band at a time; lacks Gigabit Ethernet ports). The DIR-628 is likely to be of the greatest interest to those who already have 5GHz-compliant 802.11n (or 802.11a) hardware and are looking for a low-cost way to move to 802.11n support. For the vast majority of users, however, who are running in the 2.4GHz band or have dual-band clients, there are better choices in the marketplace.

(image courtesy D-Link)

802.11n Draft 2.0 is Good Enough for Wi-Fi Alliance...How About You?

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 17:08:28 -0500

Looking for a faster wireless network solution? Better range? Me too. Signal slowdowns stink, especially when you're trying to win a deathmatch or view the latest movie trailer, and having to use crime-scene tape to mark parts of your home as "no wireless signal - keep out!" gets old after awhile.

The forthcoming IEEE 802.11n standard shatters the throughput available with 802.11g (up to 300Mbps is theoretically possible), while maintaining backwards-compatibility with existing 802.11g, 802.11b and (optionally, 802.11a) network hardware. So why haven't we all tossed our old network gear into the trash (or given it to our parents) and gotten on the 802.11n bandwagon?

In a word: forthcoming. Sure, you've been able to buy hardware marked 802.11n, Wireless N, N, etc. since 2006 (and some of it's already gone through our labs), but how nicely will it play with others? Let's face it: in the real world, a typical wireless network is a hodge-podge of different flavors (and speeds) of 802.11 hardware with different chipsets - and they don't always work right, turning your average wireless network into a "notwork."

The Wi-Fi Alliance, the trade group responsible for finding out what 802.11-compatible products play nicely with others and support up-to-date security standards (and thus deserve, and receive, the Wi-Fi Certified sticker) has decided that waiting until late 2008 for the final 802.11n standard is just too long to wait. The Draft 2.0 standard introduced in March 2007 is looking mighty close to the final (although a third draft is expected in early 2008), and so June 25, 2007 saw the Wi-Fi certification labs start taking a hard look at 802.11n hardware.

Hardware that connects without glitches with other 802.11n devices, includes WPA2 security, and works with 802.11g and 802.11b legacy hardware (i.e. - the stuff you have right now) will get a thumbs-up and, more importantly, a Wi-Fi Draft N certification sticker. Most 802.11n hardware on the horizon supports only the 2.4GHz band also used by 802.11g and 802.11b, and will get a sticker like this if it passes:

The biggest speed boosts coming from 802.11n result, in part, from using the faster (and far less crowded) 5GHz frequency pioneered by 802.11a. 802.11n hardware that works with both 2.4 and 5GHz flavors of 802.11 gets a sticker like this if it passes:

Thankfully, you don't need to wait to buy Wi-Fi Certified 802.11n Draft 2.0 hardware. A lot of existing hardware from the usual suspects (Linksys, Netgear, D-Link, and so on) has already passed testing. See for yourself. If you're unhappy with the speed of your 802.11g network (and if you're gaming or sucking down huge downloads, you are!), it's time to make the move to N. Thanks to Wi-Fi Certification, you can avoid problems connecting to your favorite hotspot for a latte with a side of surfing and hosting a hodge-podge of adapters, integrated devices, digital cameras and hand-held games and get faster performance - today. 802.11n Draft 2.0 hardware will also work with the final standard.