USB - 54Mbps - MPN: ZEW2500P
Strengths: Best reception I've seen, small, lightweight, works with just about any system.
Weakness: Printed documentation was lacking
I don't usually write praise for products, but this thing amazed me. I had purchased a Netgear wireless router that came bundled with a Netgear USB adapter. I have one PC on the second floor and one in the basement and wanted to network them. The Netgear adapter, at its peak, was connected at 24 MB and was generally in the 1 to 4 MB range (wireless G router and adapter). It dropped connections every now and then as well.
So I installed the Zonet after hearing some good reviews. It was amazing: it doesn't drop the signal and connects at the full 54MB speed 95% of the time. Plus, it's cheaper than the Netgear adapter. I was impressed.
The pictures I'd seen of it make it look big. It isn't. It's a small, lightweight device that can be placed just about anywhere on your desk.
My only complaint was the printed documentation just gave setup instructions. The CD did have a PDF that helped me solve a configuration issue, but I always prefer printed manuals. If you use XP be sure to turn off the XP automatic configuration on your network or the software monitoring program that comes with the Zonet won't work.
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Good reception, small size, good value
Strengths: Very good reception, ultra-compact size for desktop, easy to reposition for best signal.
Weakness: Software utility is sub-par. Only supports WPA through Windows XP. WPA not supported on 98, 98SE, or ME unless diffferent software is used.
The ZEW2500P is a unique 802.11G USB wireless adapter in that it is marketed as a "desktop version". It is about the size of five or six stacked credit cards, so I suppose it will fit even the tiniest of desktops. Most likely, it is just a USB pen-style adapter in a different style case. That being said, it does perform well. It consistantly maintains a 54Mbps connection and a 95%+ signal from about 90 feet. It comes with a 3ft long USB cable, so it is pretty easy to move around. The software driver works well, but the provided "monitor" utility is sorely lacking. You'll need to use Windows XP wireless zero configuration service for configuration if you want to use WPA encryption - because Zonet's utility does not directly support WPA (even though the box lists WPA). If you plan to use this adapter under Windows 98, 98SE or ME - you won't be able to use WPA with the provided software - only WEP. However, the manufacturer of the chipset (Ralink) used in this adapter publishes it's own updated driver and utility software. This updated software will support WPA directly, and the utility is slightly nicer overall. This updated software is not yet available directly from Zonet. In summary, this is a great little wireless USB adapter - so long as you use Windows XP wireless zero configuration or update the driver and utility to the lastest provided by the chipset manufacturer.
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