Recently I have had many home improvements including cladding and wooden floors being laid which has made networking with cables extremely difficult for me. Deciding that wireless networking was the answer I purchased three of these for my desktop computers. That was over a year ago now so I am hoping I can give a very biased review on this product and wireless networking in general.
At the time of purchase I had the choice between USB wireless devices and cards that can be placed inside a computer. My desktopcomputers often use many USB products, such as; headphones, external hard drives and pen drives, mice and keyboards, chargers and sometimes the odd novelty item I received at Christmas. So already my USB ports are almost over-loaded with peripherals which meant an internal card was the logical choice for any future purchases.
Coming to that conclusion I then had to choose what type of interface the internal card would use. I had two choices here; PCI and PCI-E. PCI is older an slower than the new PCI Express technology, but devices built for this interface are usually cheaper and have a better variety. PCI Express (PCI-E/PCIe) is newer and as such should be considered more future-proof (not that there is such a thing in today's computers).
I do not believe the speed difference between these two interfaces actually comes into play on wireless devices, because wireless devices generally are so much slower anyway, not many interfaces actually slow them down. Although this may have changed recently with new technology such as MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output, basically MIMO just uses more than one antenna simultaneously to effectively double the speed).
So, PCI-E was faster, probably had a better future and would be more compatible with future computers. Problem was getting it at a decent price because as I have already mentioned, PCI devices have been around much longer so the price/variety are much better. Luckily for me Scan had these on offer for around £9.94 each; they
actually cost a pound or two more today than a year ago.
.......:::: - The Product
Abit I am hoping many of you have heard of, they are quite a large manufacturer and make everything from motherboards to digital picture frames. To be honest when I buy hardware products I will generally go for a name like Abit over many others just because I know they have been in the game so long they usually produce much better quality products. I think this is because they spend so much money on R&D (research and development), a must for companies like this to stay ahead of the game.
Due to the price this product goes head to head with many other similar devices and wins before you even compare the specifications. The main reasons for this are; it is a PCI-E device instead of the older PCI interface devices and it is made by Abit and not some random unknown Taiwanese manufacturer. These two things alone should make you respect and want this product over the competition as you know it won't be a letdown.
Inside the packaging you will find;
1 x Driver Disc that includes the Abit 'SoftAP' software 1 x Manual 1 x Wi-Fi PCI-E Card 1 x Wireless Antenna 1 x PCI Bracket (to switch from low profile to normal profile)
.......:::: - Instructions and Internal Installation
To prepare the card for installation you first must decide which PCI bracket you will be using, changing the bracket is fairly simple and requires the removal of only one screw. You then must plug the device into the motherboard and then add another screw through the bracket into the case to hold the device in place. Then you simply screw the wireless antenna onto the back of the card with your fingers, being careful not to over-tighten the little nut.
The instructions are well detailed and fairly simple to follow, this is the same as most other PCI/PCIe devices and just slots into the motherboard. The only difference is that because this is a PCI Express device it can be used in any PCI Express slot, whether it is 4x or 16x this card will work even though it is clearly not using the entire slot and appears not to be designed to work with that slot at all.
This is actually pretty amazing I think as it means even the most heavily loaded PC with after-market sound cards, network cards and so on will more than likely be able to work with this card because of its versatility.
.......:::: - Appearance and Design
The first thing you will notice about this card is how small it is. Abit has clearly not used any more space than is absolutely required and as such it makes this device look well built. This card was obviously designed with media centres in mind without it being strictly for media centres. With interchangeable brackets so it can be used in thinner, slimmer cases and bigger standard cases it truly makes this card more than a simple wireless device.
The antenna that comes with the product has a fairly long cable, long enough for you sit the antenna even on full tower cases. With a little nut at one end meaning you can remove the antenna and install it when and if you need it simply with your fingers is another simple yet helpful addition. The antenna simply screws on to the back of the card which has a golden connector sticking from the metal plate making it easily visible during installation and removal.
Beside the antenna connector is a little green LED which lights up and flashes during connection and activity of your wireless network.
Installation is fairly simple with Windows quickly detecting the device on your first boot up after you have installed the card. Windows XP which I was using at the time actually installed this device without any additional drivers being required which was a shock. It then popped up the "Found Wireless Networks" box; excellent I thought and was on my way.
Installation was not so simple on the other computers, although the disc made it easier. Once you pop in the driver disc it will load a little screen with several options; Exit, Read the Manual and Install Driver. Once you click Install Driver the Abit software installer will appear and guide you through the easy installation process. The only complaint here is that the drivers do not appear to be digitally signed with Microsoft, so you get a warning asking you if you are sure you wish to proceed with the installation.
Once you have gone through all that you will notice that Abit has also installed its software 'SoftAP' onto your computer. This seems to be more of a piece of software that just gives you additional options and extra features, I do not believe it is required when you are simply using this card to connect to an existing wireless network.
The additional features do look quite interesting though and I can see myself using them, but probably not now, maybe several years ago. Basically the software allows you to add wireless connectivity to a home/office where there is none. Meaning if your router isn't wireless and you want to add a wireless access point you can do it though this little device. From what I have read though, you still require a router on your network; this sort of set-up will not work if you are using a 56k modem for example (no router).
So this works by changing the wireless device from picking up wireless signals to sending them instead. You will require a computer connected to a router via an Ethernet cable to make this work though.
If you do not need the AP (Access Point) mode though like I did not, then using this like a simple wireless device is fairly straight forward as it makes using of WZC (Wireless Zero Configuration). WZC is what Windows operating systems use by default to connect wireless devices to other wireless devices/wireless routers. To connect you simply double-click the wireless network you wish to connect to then type in the password if it is required.
.......:::: - Passwords and Routers (in-directly related to this product)
Passwords are usually found on the bottom of the router (on a sticker), in the router manual or in the router configuration page accessed by Ethernet cable or by a 100% definitely connected device at http://192.168.0.1 http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.254 http://192.168.1.254 - one of those will generally work with most routers.
Accessing this page will generally ask for a username and password also but this is almost always noted in the manual or on-line (Google search default username and password for router "model no"). If the default username and passwords don't work even after finding what they should be, then you may need to reset the router and try again (instructions can be found in the manual).
.......:::: - Problem Areas
I have owned three of this product for over a year now and I am not using any of them anymore. This is not the fault of the product though; it is just wireless networking in general and the fault of an old wireless router I use to have. To be honest this card is amazing and works better than most other wireless hardware I have seen and used.
The real problem is wireless networking; it is just too slow for my needs and too flaky for consistent use and transfer of large files. An old router I use to own had a lot of trouble staying up and running during constant wireless activity, as soon as that goes down the whole network goes down and any transfers being made at that time are ended and must begin again from the beginning.
It is a real shame that yet again I cannot recommend this product even though I rate it very highly. I personally have gone back to good old wired Ethernet networking which works flawlessly, consistently and easily. I would recommend this product if people just need a cheap and good adapter to add onto their existing wireless network, but for anyone coming into this market like I did, wanting to upgrade their network and make it easier to maintain with little performance drop... The answer is not wireless networking.
If you want an adapter for simple web browsing and downloading files this will work perfectly and I whole heartedly recommend it. For those of you who have a multiple PC network and transfer files constantly and stream media from one PC to another device, do not even attempt wireless networking until you know that your router is 100% stable and up to the job of handling such a workload. Even then, there will be a very large performance drop in speed, much larger than I first expected, so research this also to ensure that the drop in speed will not make your network unbearable to use.
There are other options available to those who think wireless networking might not be for them. The first is PoE (Power over Ethernet - also known as HomePlug) which can be a little pricier than wireless networking but should offer better stability and speed. The best way to set-up a HomePlug network is by purchasing a 200Mbps Twin-pack for anywhere around £50-£100. Setup consists of having one connected to your router, the other connecting to a switch and then you can connect several computers to the switch.
You can get a slower speed for less money if required; 125Mbps and 85Mbps are available but the faster the better. You could even use a wireless access point with a built-in switch instead of just a switch, therefore increasing wireless networking range as well as extending the wired network.
The second option is one I mentioned earlier, MIMO technology, probably even more expensive than PoE and possibly not as good as it is based on wireless. You will need a MIMO compatible router as well as compatible antennas. A router will cost anywhere from £50-£100 and each adapter can cost £20-£50.
The third option is the one I use and that is wired. You can get network cable for next to nothing, you can even make your own quite easily which can save a load if you're networking over a long distance. Nowadays you can get products like flat network cable which can be easily laid under carpets, wooden floors and so on. If you're willing to spend the time and energy on a wired network, you can save yourself a lot of money and the network will ultimately be much better than wireless networks and PoE networks.
Operating System :: 2000/XP/XP 64bit/2003/2003 64bit/Vista 32bit/Vista 64bit
.......:::: - Price and Retailers
Currently Scan is retailing this at £11.37, a couple of pound more than I paid over a year ago. Still a very good price for what you get and pretty cheap in comparison to other wireless networking hardware.
.......:::: - Conclusion
This is without doubt the best wireless adapter I have owned beating the other units I know about in every aspect; price, ease of use, features, compatibility. The only problem is it is let down by flaky wireless connections that can be great for some people but dodgy for others.
Wireless is dependent on so many things which means this adapter can fail to give you what you need through no fault of its own. It can be let down by the router, interference from other wireless networks in your area, general interference in your area and the lack of speed of the 54G technology.
If you know wireless works fine in your home and want to upgrade a desktop or media centre PC to wireless then this adapter should definitely be on your short-list. If you have not tried wireless networking before but want to give it a go, this adapter will help with your testing. Just don't expect it to be happy and run perfectly if there is any interference or if the router you are using is sub-standard.
Don't blame the adapter though; it will probably be fine in someone else's home or on some other street. There is just so much that can cause problems with wireless networks it really does come down to luck. Also bear in mind that even if you're not having problems now, there is nothing stopping you from having issues in the future.
Technology is moving quickly, so even though this adapter is the best I have used and would be great for most people ... A MIMO setup will be so much faster if wireless networking works in your home/area. If you are setting up a network from scratch or have a MIMO compatible router, get a MIMO adapter and not this (just ensure that wireless networking works effectively before spending your cash).
So the conclusion is, don't put all your eggs in one basket and take a good look at other ways to get your network working efficiently. If wireless seems problematic try PoE or wired networking. If wireless works great but it is just too slow then upgrade to MIMO.
Advantages: Great value for money, solid connection, antenna on a cable, access point mode. Disadvantages: If you don't have a PCI-Express slot, don't buy it!
jonnymoblin 06.08.2007 (06.08.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of ABIT AirPace Wi-Fi
Advantages: Great value for money, solid connection, antenna on a cable, access point mode. Disadvantages: If you don't have a PCI-Express slot, don't buy it!
jonnymoblin 06.08.2007 (06.08.2007)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of ABIT AirPace Wi-Fi
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Feb 25th, 2009
exceptional by (13%):
very helpful by (88%):
