D-Link DWL 900AP WAP: Solid Performance at a Reasonable Price
Written: Jan 26 '03
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Pros: 22 Mps performance, backward compatible...
Cons: None come to mind.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a faster wireless setup, then look no further then the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point.
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| vemartin's Full Review: Dlink AirPlus DWL 900AP+ (DWL-900AP+) Wireless Acc... |
In my home I am fortunate to have both a wired and wireless network setup. Over the past few months I have been updating my 10 Megabyte per second (Mps) wired network to 100Mps; a total of two servers and one workstation. The cost of PCI 10/100 Network Interface Cards (NIC) have come down in price to such a degree that not switching would have been in my opinion silly.
But converting my wireless network to 100Mps was impossible since such high throughput is as yet unrealized in the wireless arena, however it is coming. D-Link now offers 54Mps, but at a cost I am not willing to pay, yet. But, D-Link also offers a 22Mps solution.
Moving my wireless network segment to 22Mps would mean an investment in an all new Wireless Access Point (WAP) since my current Linksys is capable of only 11Mps. D-Link has been on the forefront of home wireless technology for the last few years and offers a suite of products to suit my modest needs. So, I watched and waited for a good sale, and when one happened my way late last year, I purchased the 22Mps D-Link DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point.
Since it was my plan to replace the wireless NIC’s in the three computers on my wireless network segment in increments, it was important to me that WAP I chose remain backward compatible with current 802.11b standards for performance and interoperability. It also had to be able to transmit and receive at 11Mbs. The DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point fulfilled both those needs.
Setup & Installation:
The DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Pointoperates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, and supports the following wireless standards: IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.3, and IEEE 802.3u, and can transmit and receive traffic at the following data rates: 22Mbps 11Mbps, 5.5Mbps, 2Mbps
1Mbps. The DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Pointis equipped with auto data fallback, which allows the unit to “talk” to wireless cards that only transmit and receive at 11Mps.
I installed the unit in the upstairs spare bedroom closet in place of the old Linksys 11Mps WAP. D-Link uses a novel approach in configuring the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point: it is done without wires. First, power on the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point, then using the computer of your choice (a laptop in my case), with a wireless card installed, you type in the built-in IP address of the unit into a web browser.
Once this is accomplished, you can then proceed to configure the unit, including typing in your own IP configuration; i.e. IP address, Subnet Mask. After I configured the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point to match the parameters of my wireless setup, I had no trouble configuring my other wireless cards to communicate with it.
The DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Pointships with a software configuration tool that can be installed on a wired workstation, but there was no need to bother. The initial set-up routine can be repeated at any time.
Its worth noting that the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Pointcan be setup and utilized as a wireless repeater, which in turn can extend the range of wireless network. I toyed briefly with the idea of placing another DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Pointconfigured as a repeater downstairs in the living room, but the range of the current unit is proving adequate for my needs.
Most of the PC’s on my wireless network are limited to 11 Mbs (for now), but the PC Card installed in my notebook, a DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point (see my review of this product at: http://www.epinions.com/content_86601076356) can speak to the WAP at a full 22Mps.
The DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Pointis capable of automatically downgrading its data transfer rate as the signal from the connected wireless clients becomes weaker, thus maintaining connection. When at the extreme range of the clients the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point downgrade as far as 1Mps, which is still within acceptable limits for surfing the web and working with documents, but little else.
First Impressions:
Under real-world conditions, the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point’s performance exceeds my expectations. So far I have been able to connect to the WAP from anywhere in the house; upstairs or down, at either 11Mps or 22Mps. This comes in handy when I am perched in front of the television in the downstairs living room, but I am still able to surf the web and download files to and from my server and workstation on the second floor! And the signal strength drops off only marginally in the master bedroom where I also tend to spend a lot of time.
The spouses Windows XP workstation, which is also downstairs just off the living room, also connects to the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Pointand most of the time the signal strength fluctuates between ¾ and full. As for my primary workstation in the upstairs loft; the signal strength is steady at full at all times.
Conclusion:
The DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Pointis phenomenal. Since I installed it some three months ago, I have yet to touch it; it just works and works well! If you are looking for a faster wireless setup, then the now obsolete 11Mps standard, look no further then the DWL 900 AP Wireless Access Point, which can meet your need for current 802.11b standards, but still has the flexibility to expand beyond to 22Mbs.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 79.00
Driver Availability: Windows only
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vemartin
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Member: Vincent
Location: Aurora, IL
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