Fixed Wireless Equipment

USR's Latest 802.11b AP and Cards

These 802.11b products use a new chipset from Texas Instruments to double the transmission rate to 22 Mbps. This review examines the US Robotics access point and client cards that incorporate the new chipset.

by Lonny Paul of 80211-Planet and PracticallyNetworked [July 9, 2002]

With the release of the Texas Instrument ACX100 chipset, 802.11b networking has doubled in speed. US Robotics (USR) has released a product suite based on this new chipset, including the USR 2249 Access Point. It has a small footprint and setup either via the provided application or via a Web interface. While a standard access point in many respects, the enhanced performance from the ACX100 seems to be worth the few extra dollars.

Basic features
In our society's ever growing need for "speed," the 22 Mbps 802.11b US Robotics 2249 Access Point is a step in the right direction. Backwards compatible with 11 Mbps 802.11b devices, this device provides all the same security and features as existing products.

The access point's small footprint is the same basic dual-antenna model as previously offered by USR and similar to those offered by Belkin. There is no noticeable heat output from the device as seen in several other brand access points and only the constant "RED" LED may confuse users that there is a problem, but it's really only a power indicator.

This 2249 also takes the next step in WEP to 256-bit. The included CD-ROM provides full documentation as well as the drivers and utilities for both the Access Point as well as the PC Card and PCI card radio NICs.

Default settings allow the AP to retrieve an IP address from your DHCP server and shows link immediately. The Web-based setup program provides for full configuration of the unit as a DHCP client or specified IP, authentication by MAC address and your choice of 64, 128 or even 256-bit encryption. The MAC address validation table can always come in handy so you can keep those nosy neighbors off your network.

Included documentation for this preview unit was fairly basic, however it was not really necessary at all.

With a standard 802.11b 11MB Access Point, typical TCP throughput speeds range from 3.4-3.6Mbps. Thankfully, the 22MB CardBus and PCI card NICs have no trouble talking to an "older" 802.11b access point either.

When these cards are used with USR's 22MB access point, they consistently perform between 6.3-6.7Mbps, nearly double the rate of the "old" 11 Mbps. Range of the access point was similar to that of previous 802.11b products, with an inside range of up to 150 feet, external up to 250 or more.

Other brands of 11 Mbps PC cards were tested against the 22MB Access Point, which worked at the same speeds of 3.4-3.6Mbps. There was no problem with the protocol negotiation between the older interface cards and the newer access point.

Security
This new AP also includes a new 256-bit encryption mode, providing corporate environments with even more durable data security. The standard MAC address validation feature also provides for validation of users. None of these security enhancements caused any noticeable speed decrease during testing.

Summary
802.11b is the standard for now and the near future. The ACX100 doesn't change that, just enhances it a bit, and the price increase (around $25 more than other 802.11b 11 Mbps access points) is worth it. Browsing internal LAN resources is much more efficient, and the streaming video you keep on your office PC can now be watched with much greater consistency relaxing on the patio with your notebook. Considering that it's slated to be compatible with the upcoming 802.11g standard (in 2003) that will run at 54Mbps, it could also be a good investment for the future.

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