D-Link DAP-1522 Wireless Bridge/Access Point
D-Link?s DAP-1522 demonstrates the danger of shopping for a product
based on its specs. On paper, this combination bridge/access point
sounds as though it could solve just about any wireless coverage
problem you might have. In reality, it?s a one-trick pony It?s a
dual-band device, meaning it has one radio that operates on the 2.4GHz
band and a second radio that runs on the 5GHz band. It?s outfitted with
an 802.11n Draft 2.0 chipset, so it should deliver very good throughput
speeds (it?s backward compatible with 802.11g networks). And it can be
configured as either a wireless bridge or a wireless access point. As a
wireless bridge, the DAP-1522 is designed to connect wired Ethernet
devices, such as an Xbox 360 or your cable-TV set-top box, to your
wireless router. You plug your wired devices into the bridge, and the
bridge establishes a wireless connection to your router. But the
DAP-1522 doesn?t have any external antennas, so it delivers extremely
poor range; in fact, D-Link advices against placing the device inside a
cabinet or closet. But that?s exactly where many people?s gaming
console and set-top boxes are going to be located. Fans of real-world
testing that we are, we decided to test the DAP-1522?s wireless bridge
capabilities by putting inside our entertainment center anyway; after
all, that?s where the gear we needed to connect to our network is
located. Sure enough, the bridge couldn?t establish a connection with
either of the radios in our dual-band 802.11n router while it was in
there. And it couldn?t establish a connection until we moved the bridge
into the middle of the room; even then, it managed TCP/IP throughput of
just 4.5Mb/sec, which is completely inadequate for streaming video. The
DAP-1522 performed a little better as a wireless access point. In this
mode, it must be hardwired to an Ethernet network using one of the
device?s four gigabit Ethernet ports; the three remaining ports then
act as a switch. The device delivered wireless TCP/IP throughput of
19.2 Mb/sec at close range (10 feet with no walls separating the AP and
our wireless client), 14.9 Mb/sec at with the client 18 feet away and
with one wall in between, and 12.7 Mb/sec with the client 30 feet away
and with two walls in between. So if you need a wireless bridge to
enable wired clients to connect to your wireless network, we recommend
steering clear of the DAP-1522. If, on the other hand, you?re
interested in adding a wireless access point and a gigabit switch to a
room that?s hardwired to your network, the DAP-1522 is worth a look.
But we also recommend that you examine Trendnet?s much cheaper
TEW-637AP. It?s not a wireless bridge, and it lacks several
access-point features that the DAP-1522 offers (the TEW-637AP operates
only on the 2.4GHz band, and it doesn?t have an integrated switch), but
Trendnet?s device is street-priced $60 lower than D-Link?s.
Trendnet TV-IP422W IP Camera
Trendnet?s TV-IP422W wireless IP camera reminds us of the Zonet
ZVC7630W camera we reviewed a few months back. Both cameras have night
vision, both offer the same fuzzy video at VGA resolution (640x480),
and both use the same unintuitive software. Trendet?s camera costs
about $50 more, but it offers two important features that Zonet?s
doesn?t: motorized pan and tilt. The pan and tilt functions enable one
camera to cover much more area, which can reduce the total number of
cameras you need to deploy. The TV-IP422W can pan in a 330-degree arc,
tilt up 90 degrees, and tilt down 15 degrees. Trendnet includes a kit
that allows you to mount the camera to any vertical or horizontal
surface, but you?ll need a weatherized enclosure if you decide to
install the camera outdoors. You can remotely control a single camera
using Internet Explorer and an ActiveX control. Multi-camera management
must be performed using the bundled SecurView software. Repositioning
the camera?s focal point with this tool is a simple matter of clicking
anywhere in the video window. You can also have the camera memorize up
to eight positions, enabling you to quickly swing the lens around to
focus on a specific spot. A ?patrol? mode will automatically cycle the
lens to each of its extreme once. Infrared LEDs encircling the lens
delivers very effective night vision. A built-in mic enables you to
monitor what?s happening around the camera; plug a powered speaker into
the line-level output and you have a functional intercom (in
multi-camera configurations?the software supports up to 16?only one can
record sound at a time). The camera has a 100Mb/sec Ethernet interface,
but it can also operate wirelessly over an 802.11g network;
unfortunately, this will prevent you from operating your 802.11n
network in N mode only. A motion detector can activate the recording of
video sequences or snapshots; you can also schedule recordings. The
software can send event-based email alerts (with still images
attached), and a trigger output can be used to activate an external
device, such as an alarm. There?s a USB 1.1 port for local storage or
for uploading the settings the camera needs to connect to your Wi-Fi
network. You can access the cameras remotely, too (i.e., over the
Internet or on a cell phone that supports the 3GPP specification), but
if your broadband ISP uses dynamic IP addressing, as most do, you?ll
need to sign up with a dynamic DNS hosting service (establishing a
unique hostname for each) and configure your router for port forwarding
to make this work. And then you?ll need to open a separate browser
window to view each camera. We really dig the Trendnet TV-IP422W?s
pan/tilt and intercom features, but the bundled software is the same
dreck that Zonet ships with its product. As we mentioned in our Zonet
review, Logitech?s Wi-Life camera system has far superior software,
particularly in the areas of remote management and multi-camera
support; that?s the one reason we remain so enchanted with Wi-Life.
Canary Wireless Hot Spotter HS-20
Canary Wireless was the first out with a usable Wi-Fi network spotter.
We say usable because we?ve seen all manner of gimmicky, useless
devices that couldn?t spot a Wi-Fi network if they were hit by a semi
full of them. Finding a network has never been a problem for Canary?s
Hot Spotter; this second-generation product sports an upgraded display,
has better sensitivity, and is able to detect more networks. This unit
can also spot some 802.11n access points in addition to 802.11b and 11g
signals. However, the Hot Spotter is restricted to the 2.4GHz band, so
access points operating in the 5GHz spectrum won?t be spotted, nor will
802.11a networks. The three-line LCD displays the spotted SSID, what
channel it?s on, its speed, whether it?s secure or not, and, if
applicable, what security mode is being used. The unit, for example,
easily found the Cisco access points in our building and the CCX
extensions in use (it can ID WEP, WPA, WPA2 as well as CCX). The Hot
Spotter is pretty dummy-proof. Hit the power button and the device
scans and displays available networks. You then scroll through the
access points using two buttons on the side of the device. We?re really
not into rechargeable batteries these days in gadgets since they
invariably seem to die out? right when they?re needed. Fortunately, the
HS-20 operates on a pair of AAA cells that can easily be swapped out.
The downers? For one, the unit times out far too quickly. It stays on
for 30 seconds, but somehow, 30 seconds isn?t what it used to be. We?d
prefer the unit stay on a full minute. While 802.11a would be nice, the
biggest ding against the HS-20 is that most geeks already have free
Wi-Fi spotters?their smartphones. Any smartphone worth its weight has
built-in Wi-Fi and a pretty capable scanner to boot. However, for those
who don?t have a Wi-Fi-enabled smartphone and want a way to find a
signal before breaking out their big notebook PCs, the Canary Wireless
Hot Spotter HS-20 is worth a sniff.
Hawking Technology 300N Dish Network Adapter
The last unconventional network adapter we examined, hField
Technologies? WiFire Wi-Fi adapter, wowed us with its range, but its
sloppy antenna mount robbed it of a Kick Ass award. We didn?t ding it
for not working with 802.11n networks because nothing else did like it,
either. That?s no longer the case. Hawking Technology's 300N Dish
Network Adapter is big and bulky, but it gets the job done when you're
a long way from your router. Hawking Technology doesn?t have much of a
knack for naming products, and this one is no exception. It would be
exceedingly tiresome to repeat ?Hi-Gain USB Wireless-300N Dish Network
Adapter? every time we mention the product, so we?ll just use the model
number, instead: HWDN1. Hawking?s HWDN1 is capable of operating with
802.11b, -g, and -n networks; so if you?re operating an 802.11n
network, you can leave your router in ?n-only? mode. Like hFields
Wi-Fire, the HWDN1 plugs into your laptop?s USB port. Unlike the
Wi-Fire, however, Hawking?s HWDN1 doesn?t have any means of being
mounted to your laptop; it?s designed to sit on a tabletop next to your
laptop, instead. That?s not a big deal unless you?re working in a
crowded coffee shop or are actually using the PC on your lap because
you don?t have a table. As you?ve probably guessed, by virtue of its
dish shape, the HWDN1 is a highly directional antenna that performs
best when it?s aimed squarely in the direction of the router to which
it?s connected.? This adapter is much bulkier than the Wi-Fire,
measuring four inches wide, 5.25 inches long, and 2.75 inches thick
when folded flat for travel (it stands 5.25 inches tall when in use).
We tested the adapter using our new favorite 802.11n router, the
dual-band Linksys WRT600N (incidentally, the HWDN1 works only on the
2.4GHz frequency band). As you can see from the benchmark chart below,
the adapter performed relatively poorly at close range when compared to
Linksys? WPC600N PC Card adapter, delivering TCP throughput of just
62.3Mb/sec (compared to the WPC600N?s 125Mb/sec at the same location).
On the other hand, the HWDN1 was considerably faster than the Wi-Fire,
which is limited to operating on 802.11g networks, it performed much
better than both adapters in our media-room test, and it clobbered the
PC Card adapter in our outdoor tests. The Wi-Fire remains the
extreme-distance champ by virtue of its ability to deliver TCP
throughput of 14.5Mb/sec at 350 feet (with the signal passing through a
garage firewall and a steel garage door). The HWDN1 maxed out at
13.9Mb/sec at 300 feet and dropped its connection to the router when we
ventured further out. Given a choice between the two adapters, however,
we?d go with the HWDN1. Its bulky form factor makes it a pain to travel
with, but its capacity for operating on 802.11n networks at very long
distances gives it an undeniable edge.
Zonet ZVC7630W Wireless IP Camera
At first glance, Zonet?s ZVC7630W Wi-Fi IP camera seems to be a
lust-worthy device. It?s equipped with a two-way intercom, automatic
night-vision mode, a USB port for external storage, and software that
supports up to 16 cameras. Our enthusiasm dwindled, however, once we
got our hands on the device. We don?t have high expectations for a
webcam's visual quality, but we certainly expect better than the fuzzy,
color-shifting image that Zonet?s product streamed over a wired
Ethernet connection?in broad daylight, no less. The camera is limited
to a resolution of 640x480 pixels, but the video we saw looked worse
than that no matter how much we fiddled with the focusing ring. And
after our fourth trip running from the PC to the camera to adjust its
focus, and then back to the PC to see the result, we began to wonder
why they didn?t just slap a fixed-focus lens on the thing and be done
with it. You can configure the camera to operate on an IEEE 802.11g
network (it supports WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security), but we found its
range too limited to communicate with our D-Link DIR-655 router when
the camera was outside the house. If your Wi-Fi network is secure,
you?ll need to hardwire the camera to the network and program its
firmware with your network password before you can redeploy it in
wireless mode. A light sensor and a ring of six infrared LEDs encircle
the lens and automatically switch the camera to night-vision mode when
it?s dark. We thought the two-way intercom would be an equally useful
feature?until we realized that you need to provide a powered speaker at
the camera end to actually make use of it. But if you?re thinking the
camera would be terrific placed at a front door or gate, be aware that
it has no mechanism for a visitor to get your attention to initiate a
conversation?you?ll have to rig up a wireless doorbell, instead. If you
set up multiple cameras?the included software will support up to
16?only one of the cameras can use the talk feature at a time. The
camera is also not weatherized, so you?ll need to purchase an enclosure
should you decide to set it up outside (one that?s big enough to
accommodate a speaker, if you intend to use the intercom). The generic
software Zonet provides is underwhelming. The camera is equipped with a
motion detector that can trigger video recording, but it has only two
zones. Video clips can be recorded to either a host PC over the network
connection or a USB storage device plugged directly into the camera
(that outside enclosure just keeps getting bigger). The onboard USB
port supplies 500mA of power to an attached device. But our biggest
complaint about the ZVC7630W isn?t with the hardware, it?s with the
software. Compared to the slick user interface in Logitech?s WiLife
webcam system, Zonet?s UltraView UI looks as though it was designed and
laid out in 10 minutes. You use your web browser or mobile phone to
monitor your camera over the Internet, but if you have multiple
cameras, each stream must be viewed in a separate browser window. The
WiLife system feeds all the cameras? streams to a secure central server
that Logitech operates. When you log into that server, you can see all
the cameras? streams in one convenient window (or you can cycle through
each camera?s stream). Zonet has WiLife beat on the number of cameras
that can be deployed, however; WiLife is limited to just six units.
Trendnet Easy-N-Upgrader TEW-637AP
If you can?t afford to upgrade your network to 802.11n Draft N 2.0, you
might consider purchasing Trendnet?s Easy-N-Upgrader TEW-637AP. Instead
of throwing your existing router in the trash, plug it into the
Easy-N-Upgrader access point to gain many of the benefits of a Draft N
router for about half the price. True dual-band routers operate one
radio on the 2.4GHz band and the other on the 5GHz band?the ones we?ve
tested have built-in gigabit switches. Trendnet?s device, however, uses
only the 2.4GHz band?the same one your older Wi-Fi router most likely
uses?and since it?s just an access point, it doesn?t have a switch at
all. And while you could operate both access points at the same time?in
fact, at no point does Trendnet?s installation wizard advise you to
turn off the radio inside your router?that leaves both devices
competing for the same bandwidth. You should ignore the installation
wizard altogether in favor of the device?s web-based user interface.
Trendnet?s default configuration leaves the router operating in mixed
802.11b/g/n mode with channel bonding turned off. In that scenario,
with the radio on our Asus WL700gE 802.11g also on, the Trendnet
delivered TCP throughput of just 29.3Mb/s at close range. When we
turned off the Asus?s access point and tweaked the Easy-N to run in
802.11n-only mode with channel bonding activated, throughput jumped to
81.7Mb/s. The Trendnet?s throughput was significantly faster than our
802.11g access point?s inside the house. Its outdoor range, though, was
less impressive: Our notebook couldn?t maintain a connection to it in
either of our exterior locations.
hField Technologies Wi-Fire Wi-Fi Adapter
We sometimes get so caught up in the excitement of the ?next big thing?
we throw the baby out with the bathwater. Based on the performance of
the Wi-Fire Wi-Fi adapter, that might just be the case with IEEE
802.11g wireless routers. If you value range over throughput, this is
the Wi-Fi adapter for you. This ungainly device doesn?t rely on MIMO or
IEEE 8011.n; heck, it doesn?t even require a PCMCIA slot. When we
plugged it into our notebook?s USB 2.0 port, it delivered unbelievable
range with a year-old Asus WL700gE router equipped with a single
antenna. Indoors, the Wi-Fire performed no better than Linksys?s
WPC600N adapter, and no 802.11g router can match the maximum throughput
of an 802.11n model. But the Wi-Fire lived up to its name when we moved
the notebook outdoors, delivering TCP throughput of 15Mb/s (compared to
just 2.7Mb/s for the Linksys). Our jaws really dropped as we moved the
notebook ever further away: 350 feet from the router, with the signal
passing through an insulated, double-thick interior wall and a steel
garage door, the Wi-Fire delivered TCP throughput of 14.5Mb/s. Maximum
range dropped to 135 feet on the other side of the house (which added
four insulated interior walls, a set of plywood cabinets, and an
insulated exterior wall with fiber-cement siding), but throughput
remained steady at 13.2Mb/s. The antenna is extremely directional,
which wouldn?t be a problem if it weren?t mounted so loosely to its
plastic stand. You can set it on a tabletop or clip it to your notebook
screen, but after you?ve painstakingly located the reception sweet
spot, the simple act of breathing is enough to move it out of position.
We completely lost our connection only when it pivoted at extreme
range, but at no point was the fit sufficiently tight to keep the
antenna stationary.
Linksys WRT600N Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router
The Linksys WRT600N is the first 802.11n draft 2.0 router we?ve tested
that can operate on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands
simultaneously. It?s also the most expensive Wi-Fi router we?ve ever
tested. We tested the router at its default settings: The 5GHz radio
operating in 802.11n-only mode and the 2.4GHz radio operating in mixed
802.11b/g/n mode. (Both radios have access to the same integrated
four-port gigabit switch.) We used the latter for data and the former
for streaming media to Linksys?s DMA2200 (reviewed below). The router
delivered impressive results, especially while simultaneously
transferring data and streaming HD video. In fact, the WRT600N bested
our previous favorite (D-Link?s DIR-655) by a whopping 43 percent at
close range (see chart). The chasm widened to a staggering 170 percent
when the client was placed at its furthest point from the router inside
the home, but the gap narrowed to just 5 percent when we compared
performance inside the well-insulated media room at Maximum PC Lab
North. D-Link?s product beat Linksys?s when the client was outside the
house. The dual-band feature really came to the fore when we streamed
1080p video clips over the wireless network: The DIR-655?s data
throughput dropped by nearly half in some situations; the WRT600N?s was
unaffected. Not everyone needs a router that can handle conventional
traffic, VoIP, and high-definition media all at the same time. If you
do, or if your neighborhood is simply jam-packed with competing access
points, Linksys?s WRT600N should be at the top of your router shopping
list.
