Engenius Wl Acs Eoc-3220 EXT Outdoor 400Mw 54Mbps Extreme 5Dbi Omni Wall Pole Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great unit at a reasonable price. The competition is much more expensive.
The down side is that setup is a PITA if you are not a network administrator. Once setup though, the units work great. There is very little latency added (ping time round trip).
EnGenius ships with quite nice mounting hardware and POE adapter. You will also need some electricians tape to seal the RJ45 connection (unless you can attach your own RJ45 connector; the supplied gasket ASM isn't large enough to let the RJ45 through) and possibly a null modem DB9 cable assembly if you do like I did, and set the EnGenius in a mode where it won't talk to you anymore. EnGenius is running Linux under the covers, with the null modem cable you can reset to default using a 2nd PC.
My application is an interbuilding wireless link, LOS 350M (about 1100'), where it was not practical to run a wire for broadband access. The first units installed were the internal antenna 3220, which are still in production use working reliably in all weather conditions-- rain, snow, fog. Downtime is not an option as the broadband is work related.
EnGenius could help themselves a lot by having three or four "standard" setups shown on their web site (BTW, I recommend reading the EnGenius website FAQ). I ended up using the one configuration they listed although that is not ideal for my application-- mostly because I ran out of time to try to get the ideal setup working. In the setup used, the bridge end can't work with a router, only a switch, which is acceptable and certainly better than only 1 PC at the far end [the setup is DSL router, NetGear local AP/router, EnGenius 3220 set up as AP+WDS, EnGenius 3220 set up as bridge, NetGear FS105 switch. The ideal setup would have a router not a switch at the far end to support the 4 PCs there.].
The 3220 is pretty darn sensitive too. I can weakly detect (9DBi antenna) several unprotected APs in the distance through substantial tree interference-- I'm sure the AP owners "think" they are invisible because their laptops can't connect to their AP, well that is not the case and they should use WEP or WPA with SSID suppressed. The 3220 can also detect the head end AP buried inside a house (the NetGear AP/router feeding the 3220 at the head end). In some applications you may not need two 3220s to operate, just one, if the source low cost consumer AP can be placed in a window or other spot that provides a decent signal-- the weaker signal though translates to a higher error rate and slower overall communications (the communications is slower due to retrying when a packet is lost or mangled), there isn't any free lunch!
There isn't much competition at at the EnGenius 3220 price point. The units work reliably in all weather conditions and have a nice collection of mounting hardware and POE adapter. The EnGenius 3220 is an excellent solution to linking points if the alternatives are impractical or simply more expensive.

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ASUS WL330GE Wireless pocket access point Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought two of these, one to use as a wireless adapter and one as a repeater. My primary wireless router is a Dlink DIR-622 running the original 1.11 firmware.
Initial setup is fairly easy. The manual is TERRIBLE but you really don't need it for basic setup. Out of the box, or after a hard reset, the device is in "Gateway Mode" with it's DHCP server active and ready to hand out addresses in the 192.168.1 subnet. Connect it to a PC's ethernet port, open your browser to http://192.168.1.220 and you get the configuration screen. From there, it is easy to choose one of the other (3) modes and make a connection to your wireless network.
If you want to make additional configuration changes to other parameters, it gets harder. Once you switch from Gateway mode to one of the other (3), the device no longer acts as a DHCP server for the ethernet port; rather, it effectively becomes a device with a static IP of 192.168.1.220. To make additional configuration changes, you must open your PC's TCP/IP settings and change from DHCP (i.e., "obtain an IP address automatically") to a static address (i.e., "use the following IP address") in the 192.168.1 range. Only then can you again open your browser and use http://192.168.1.220 to access the device.
I setup the first unit in "Adapter mode", configured it for wpa2 and then connected it to my Dish Network 622 dvr. Everything connected and worked perfectly.
I have a large house with my wireless router at the North end, so signal quality at the South end of the house is poor. I configured the second wl-330ge for "Repeater mode" and placed it near the center of my house. Devices in the South end now get excellent signal quality from the centrally located wl-330ge repeater. Devices that used to get 6mbps now hit 35mbps.
Both my units came with firmware 2.0.1.8, but I noticed a newer 2.0.1.9 firmware on the ASUS web site with 11-23-2009 release date. As it mentioned a fix related to Repeater mode, I decided to download it and update both units. I then hard reset and reconfigured them. The one in Adapter mode still worked just fine. The one in Repeater mode ceased to function; devices would connect to it momentarily then lose the connection. After several hard resets and reconfiguration cycles, I gave up and flashed it back to 2.0.1.8, and it immediately started working again. If you are using Repeater mode, I recommend avoiding the 2.0.1.9 firmware.


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Alfa Network Router / Client Bridge 802.11g up to 400mW Review

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(More customer reviews)I am computer literate and live in an apartment that hates any number of wireless frequencies. The other reviews for this router made it appear to be a good compromise - difficulty in set-up in exchange for awesome signal strength.
Unfortunately I was unable to verify this as I never made it through the "set-up" process. The included documentation is sketchy, poorly laid-out, and very obtuse, and there is no simple walk-through for a home set-up. I've set up wireless networks before and have built my own computer, but I was completely defeated by this device. I do not recommend it except perhaps for the networking professional. Honestly, DO NOT BUY this product if that doesn't describe you.
I am only giving it two stars because it does seem to have good signal strength - and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to return it to DBROTH.

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Belkin F5D7132 Wireless-G Universal Range Extender Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have shared the same experience as the most helpful reviews here: this is a pain to install when you want to configure this Extender to be secure (so strangers can't mooch off of your internet or worse). On the other hand, once you have it set up, it works like a charm.
It's possible, but prepare to burn an hour or three. I would like to add some instructional steps, which are a variation of the very helpful ones already present here on Amazon.
Dummies Guide on How to set up the Extender with security turned on:
1. Completely ignore the instruction sheet that comes with the product. At first, I tried following it stubbornly despite reading these Amazon reviews, and I found that it is an embarrassment. Shame on you Belkin, for giving us so much unnecessary grief.
2. Find a computer in your home to use for this setup. Any computer (that isn't Vista) will do.
3. If this computer happens to be plugged into your router (I'm not talking about not the Extender), unplug it from the router. If this computer happens to have a wireless connection, disable the wireless connection.
4. Plug in the power cord for the Extender into the wall, then connect an ethernet cord (looks like a fat telephone cord) into the back of the Extender, then stick the other end into your computer. The "LAN" light will now light up. Just in case you're concerned, you can ignore the red "search" light that may blink.
5. Install the "Belkin Range Extender Utility" onto this computer. The installation CD will place a program in your Start->Programs menu once you run the install.
6. Go to start->settings->network connections. At this point the only enabled network connection should be Local Area Network (or Local Connection... the name may differ slightly for you). If anything else is enabled, disable it. Right click Local Area Network and select Properties. You're now looking for a new window to pop up that lists a bunch of internet-sounding words like Network or QoS. Look for the item called Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Double click that.
7. Select manual IP, and enter 192.168.2.100
8. The subnet mask will get filled out automatically. Ignore the gateway. Hit OK, you're finished.
9. Start up the Belkin utility, and hit "refresh" if nothing shows up on the list of detected Extenders. If you're lucky, you will see the Extender show up, and you can now click "Web Management".
10. If no items show up on the Belkin Utility's list, or an item does show up but the "web management" icon is unclickable, then repeat steps 6-9 but enter the IP address 192.168.1.100 instead. Then the Extender should show up.
11. Finally, once you are able to click "Web Management", it will bring you to a webpage that is very much like a Router setup page. The details of what you need to do here can be found in instructional docs on the web elsewhere. The basic idea is that you want to copy pretty much everything over to be identical to what your router settings are. The only exception is possibly the SSID of the Belkin Extender. Depending on your preference, you may want to choose a different name for it just so you can confirm that its really working later on.
12. Save those settings (there's a systems tab at the bottom of the web management panel that allows you to save the settings into a file as a backup).
13. Unplug the Extender from the computer, unplug the power for the Extender, and move the extender to wherever you want. Plug the power back in.
14. Go back to steps 6-9. Remove the manual IP configuration for your Local Area Connection, and revert the panels back to the way they were (which is probably "automatically obtain ip address"). Hit OK. Enable all your network connections if you disabled them in step 6.
15. You should now be able to use your wireless connection to see the Extender under its fresh new SSID. Enjoy.
A version of the above for those that are network-saavy:
1. Disconnect all wireless from your computer, then connect your computer directly to the Extender as if it were a router. Power up the Extender.
2. Manually specify your computer's IP address to be 192.168.2.xxx with subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Yes, I know this step is weird. I'll explain the reason for it in step#4.
3. Install the Belkin Network utility. Its a simple executable. Start it up. It's purpose is to scan for the Extender, provided that your Extender is directly wired to your computer (which we did in step 1).
4. You should see your Extender show up in the utility. If the Extender does not show up or the "Web Management" button is greyed out, this is because your computer and the Belkin Extender are on different subnets. The Belkin Extender is usually shipped from the warehouse hardwired to the IP Address 192.168.2.254. What??? When you plug your computer into the Extender, you need to hardwire your computer to be on the same subnet so the stupid utility will work. Hence, since the factory setting for the Extender is 192.168.2.254, hardwiring your computer's IP to 192.168.2.100 will get the utility to connect to the Extender. However, if for some awful reason your Extender is hardwired to some other IP Address (which is configurable once you get to step#5), you need to change your computer's IP Address to have a value that matches the Extender's new subnet. In other words, if the Extender IP somehow changes to 192.168.5.254, you should change your computer IP address to 192.168.5.100
5. Once you click "Web Management" you can configure the Extender via a browser window. Replicate your router's settings here (they all need to match the original router's, with the exception of the Extender's SSID).
6. Hit Save, then unplug the Extender's power cord and ethernet, and then move it to wherever you would like. Power it up again.
7. Remove your computer's manual IP address. You're now officially done.
*As a note, I had occasional connection problems when I had my Belkin router & extender encryption set to WPA-PSK. I just switched my encryption to WEP and now it is fine. Not everyone has this problem.
Up this review, if you found it useful. I want to see other people spared from the excessive pain the rest of us have already experienced!

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SHARES DATA & PERIPHERALS AS WELL AS A SINGLE INTERNET ACCOUNT AMONG ALL COMPUTERS CONNECTS TO THE NETWORK SWITCH & JOINS WIRELESS-EQUIPPED PCS TO A WIRED ACCESS POINT NETWORK INCREASES THE COVERAGE OF EXISTING WIRELESS NETWORK OF UP TO 1500 FT STANDARD 802.11G54 MB RAMLIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY

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ZyXEL WAP3205 Wireless N access point, Ethernet client, and universal repeater Review

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(More customer reviews)Once you have it setup it works flawlessy. Problem is setting it up for the first time. Documentation is not user friendly to the non-tech savvy. I'm using it as a wireless bridge / access point with my Sony blue-ray player. I already have a Linksys wireless router using WEP encryption (forced to use this because my XBOX 360 doesn't support WPA). To make it easy for others doing the same thing use the following steps:
1. Change your pc or laptop's ethernet adapter's IP address to 192.168.1.3 To do this on Vista or Windows 7 you open you network sharing center then you open your ethernet LAN adapter settings (or manage network connections in Vista). Select the Internet protocol v4 (IPv4) and go into properties. Manually put in the IP address with subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and don't worry about the gateway address.
2. Connect your WAP3205 to your pc/laptop with the ethernet cable that is provided. Of course make sure you plugged in the power to it or your going nowhere. Open up your preferred browser (IE, firefox, netscape, etc.) and then type in the address bar 192.168.1.2 and now you will be connected to the WAP3205. Type in the default password of 1234, you are now prompted to change your password to whatever you want it to be.
3. Now that your in the WAP3205 click on Expert Mode. When in this mode on the far left you will see Status and below it Monitor, Configuration and Maintenance. Click on Maintenance and then hit the plus sign in front of Maintenance once you are in. Go to the last option of Sys OP Mode then select Client Mode and hit apply.
4. Go back to the far left and hit configuration then go to Wireless LAN. You will see tabs for Profile, Site Survey and WPS. Hit the Profile tab and then hit the Add button. Type in your network name / SSID and then select your security drop down box. Select WEP if you have a setup like me with the XBOX 360 or if you don't care about security select the no security option. Type in your passphrase that you use for your router's security or the actual 128 bit security code (or 64 bit if that is what you use) and hit apply. Then select your newly created profile and hit the activate button. If it's configured correctly you will get a green check. Now your done on this end.
5. Disconnect your WAP3205 from your pc/laptop and change your pc or laptop's ethernet adapter settings back to whatever it was before.
6. Go to your blue-ray player and disconnect the power cord for about a minute or more. Connect the WAP3205 to the blue-ray player with the ethernet connection and power your blue-ray player back on. The blue-ray player will automatically pick up the network settings from the WAP3205 and you will be done.
Hope this is helpful and if you don't have an XBOX 360 or if you use WPA for security the setup should be easier.
So far so good with the Zyxel WAP3205...I had used the Linksys WET610N (2 separate units) and they both failed. The first one worked a couple of days before the wireless stopped working and the second one's wireless failed right out of the box. The WET610N's are way easier to configure but they are too expensive and for me totally unrealiable. The WAP3205 is a steal and worth the effort when you consider the rock solid connection I have now, besides it was less than half the price of the Linksys. It's not as nice looking as the Linksys that's for sure but the main thing is it works as described.

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Cisco-Linksys WRE54G Wireless-G Range Expander - REFURBISHED Review

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(More customer reviews)There was a lot of information out there about this product but I decided for $25 (Refurbished) I'd try it. Plugged it in, hit the "auto" button and away it went. It boosted the signal in an outbuilding from "Low" to "Excellent" and seems to be working just fine. I ignored the directions and the CD that came with it and didn't do any of the techno stuff like configuring the Host name, etc, etc. It just worked!

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