I've owned two of these and a couple of its competitors and can confidently confirm what I've read at many sites: the range and convenience of the Orinoco wireless clients is unmatched. Now two of my neighbours have one each and I've got another on order!

Why you need this product

+ If you have a desktop computer and want to connect it to a wireless network, then this is going to be your easiest route (assuming you're running Windows 98 or better and have USB ports that is!). Just ask my neighbours!

+ The USB hookup makes installation a cinch.

+ The cable lets you position the antenna for best reception - and you can add a $10 USB extension cable to do even better (if need be).

+ If you have a laptop, this may be better than a PC Card because: it gets better reception, USB may be more convenient than a card sticking out the side of your laptop. On the other hand it may be worse having a separate little box to position!

+ If you need a little more range, you can drill a hole in the case and add an Orinoco external antenna (yes, this probably voids the warranty!)

Why you don't need this product

+ The Silver version is all you need because you don't care about the extra encryption and can use the $20 you'd save

+ You have a laptop and would prefer a PC Card

+ You're running Linux or a Mac

+ You don't have a wireless network (had to put this in just in case!)

General Notes

This USB client now has an XP driver - for a while you had to call Orinoco to get a 'beta' version.

The one time I had to call Orinoco customer support, it was excellent. Only a couple of minutes hold time (on a Sat afternoon) and I got a tech who helped me immediately (emailed me the beta drivers for XP).

This product provided a good reliable connection where a competitive product was intermittent.

You can often buy this product for a big discount on Ebay.

Shame about the name. I can never spell ORiNOCO right the first time (let alone those weirdo caps!).

I hope this helps you get wireless! Then you, too, can write a review like this while lying on the couch ;-).


Recommended: Yes