Software and setup

Installation of the card itself was a breeze. Simply plug the card into a free PCMCIA slot (preferably the bottom one), install the software, and you're finished. It's worth noting that windows did not recognize the device properly, so we were forced to use the stupid 3.5" floppy disks to retrieve the drivers, the drivers of which were also available for download from Compex's website. The software that comes with the WL11-U is fairly straight-forward. You can set various options such as connection speed, encryption type and key as well as view the connection quality.

The access point is configured via the access point managing software that is issued with the unit. Configuration of the AP was extremely simple and straight forward just as the PCMCIA card was. Here you can set the encryption scheme as well as device access. Setting only certain MAC address to connect to the unit is great as it will keep other people from using your network.

Range & speed

This has to be one of the most difficult things to test as everybody's home and business is different. One test was completed with the AP on the second floor, and the client on the first floor which is approximately 15m apart. Our second test took us outside about 20m away with the AP transmitting through only one wall/window as opposed to two to three walls as in our indoors test. We tested transfer rates using Qcheck.

Inside - 4.22Mbps
Outside - 5.11Mbps

Conclusion

Overall, the Compex's offering is great for homes and small businesses with existing wired networks who would like to connect a few wireless clients such as laptops. It's also worth noting that the AP gets very hot during extended use which worries me a little. I would very much recommend placing this unit underneath a fan or some other cooling apparatus for extended use. The WP11 is available for about $150, and the WL11 for about $80.

by Ryan Wissman

Price - 8/10 Performance - 8/10 Overall - 8/10

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