Perfect for your neighborhood or office lan!
Written: Jan 30 '03 (Updated Jan 30 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Extends Range, Works with Macs
Cons: dhcp glitches & rare lockups
The Bottom Line: Buy this to plug into any existing ethernet connection, or if you need a little more range or external antenna on your existing connection.
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| mikemee's Full Review: Linksys Wireless Ethernet Bridge |
I'll say right up front that I'm not a huge Linksys fan. I run a wireless network for our street and I've had problems with their gear in the past (e.g. see my Linksys BEFW11S4 review).
BUT, Linksys have a great ability to build just the right product at just the right price, and this one sure is a winner for my needs.
Why do you want this?
+ extend your wireless range
+ link multiple computers at one location wirelessly
+ simple hookup to a computer with an ethernet jack
+ add an external antenna and really extend range
+ you can administer all settings via the LAN/WLAN (vs a regular client adaptor which requires you to visit each computer)
+ you have a large distance between the computer and where you can get a good signal - ethernet cable runs can be very long (vs USB or antenna cabling)
Why get something else (e.g. PC-Card or USB adapter)
+ If you don't have a power outlet
+ If you have great reception already
+ If its just one computer with USB
+ If you want to save some money on features you don't need
+ If you don't have a windows machine to set it up with.
What is It?
Think of this box as a converter between ethernet and 802.11b aka WiFi aka wireless. Nothing more, nothing less. You plug it into the wall power, the WLAN light comes on to indicate that its in range of the Wireless Lan and then you plug an ethernet cable into your computer or hub. Except, you need to configure it first.
WET11 Setup
To configure, you plug it in (via ethernet or wireless) to an existing Windows computer and running the supplied Linksys setup program from CD.
Their setup program is pretty nifty. It doesn't need to install itself on the harddisk which means it runs right away. It finds WET11 boxes that are hardwired or available via wireless (e.g. I see the four wireless boxes I have on the street when I run it). This process isn't perfect. Sometimes I have to search multiple times. Sometimes I have to reboot the computer before running it. But mostly it works just great.
You can also setup the WET11 via a web browser linked via ethernet or wireless. However that requires some tweaking of your existing LAN or WLAN settings (well described in their guide).
Client Setup
I typically setup the box at home, then take it to the destination site. There I plug it in, move the box around until the WLAN light goes on (i.e. find the best location for the antenna). Then I plug in the ethernet cable and setup the client computer.
This is where I first hit problems. My Access Point is made by Orinoco, and it gets IP addresses via DHCP to a Sonicwall box. With Orinoco client hardware this works flawlessly. With the Linksys there's some unexplained glitches. The Linksys box itself has an IP address so you can access it via a web browser. If you tell it to use DHCP, it works perfectly every time. BUT, if you connect a computer to it and have that computer use DHCP, on some WET11 installs it fails and on others it works without problems. So, sometimes I have to set a static IP on the client computer. Not the end of the world, but not great either.
I suspect that if you use a Linksys Access Point that none of these DHCP problems occur. So ignore the above if that's you. But be aware of it if not. Linksys say they're aware of the problem and it will be fixed in a 'future software release'.
General Comments
For now, I'm still using a mix of Linksys WET11 and Orinoco USB clients (reviewed here).
The Linksys is great for installs where multiple computers will be connected. I hook the Linksys to a regular ethernet network hub and plug in multiple computers to the hub and they all talk through the one WET11. This saves money and setup hassles. Unlike software connection sharing, it also means you don't need to keep one computer on all the time.
The Linksys has also been great for extending range. Typical PC Card and many USB adaptors wireless use a small internal antenna. The larger 'rubber ducky' antenna on the WET11 gets more signal (even allowing for the lower sensitivity receiver versus, say, Orinoco).
Finally, the Linksys is good for installs where I need to put the receiver a long way from the computer. USB cables can only go about 20 feet. Long antenna runs lose a lot of signal. But ethernet cable can go for several hundred feet, so it provides a lot of flexibility.
Finally, the antenna has a screw connector. I haven't added a more powerful external antenna to one yet, but its nice to know that when I need to I'll be able to.
Conclusion
This is a great little product if your situation requires it. Its not perfect yet, but if you can work around the DHCP issues (which may not even effect you), then I recommend it as the only thing readily available with this feature set and price point.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mikemee
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Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 1 member
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