Wireless G Access Point w/ P.O.E. and Rangebooster. Review

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(More customer reviews)I needed to wirelessly network a Brooklyn Brownstone approximately 45' long by 100 feet tall 4 floors. Initially started with the Netgear
RANGEMAX WIRELESS ROUTER Netgear RangeMax Wireless Router (WPN824)because of the advertised (last year Sept)
-MIMO (Multi-In, Multi-Out) technology boosts network performance with up to 10x the speed and 10x the coverage of Wireless-G
Result: Signal traveled straight up to the upper floor without a problem, but could not reach the rooms from the middle to the front of the house 2nd ,3rd ,or 4th floors (Comcast cable modem placed on the second floor back). Mysteriously connections would drop without reason from time to time. Theory Comcast equipment was causing that problem, too, wireless phone and fax interference too being the possible gremlins.

Phase 2-Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G
used 3 Linksys Wireless G Extenders to act as repeaters on the upper floors. Could only manage to get a strong signal partially to the second floor but signal was intermittent. Could only link two extenders but the second, again dropped the signal intermittently and the dreaded `limited or no connectivity' message began. Observation proved these messages materialized while roaming-connecting to the second or third node (first node being Netgear WPN824). Though the signal was seen (in some cases very good) Netgear had a time issuing IP addresses past the first node.
Phase 3, after spending 1 whole day surfing the net for info. I decided to start anew....after much comparing and no reviews to go by. I decided on the Linksys WAP 200 because of its versatility and advertised signal strength - it could be an accesspoint, a repeater, or a bridge...and because I had the G extenders from Linksys that I became familiar with....
200AP2 Linsys WAP200
Setup 1- Continue the Netgear as the Ethernet to cable box, wireless access point, with DHCP server, using the 2 200's as repeaters. The main problem, after becoming familiar with the WAP200 was still the `Limited or no connectivity' message. I `trial and erred' the settings ,I observed a correlation between RIP and the error msg.I also noted the msg occurring much more on my older lap (XP home), vs my girl friends newer (XP) lap.
Setup 2- using the Netgear as the DHCP server, Ethernet to cable box SWITCH. One of the 200's would account for a wireless access point (located on the second floor, 2 ft from the Netgear), the other a 200 a Repeater (3rd floor hall...I added a Hawking Technology's HAI15SC,Hawking HAI15SC 15dBi Hi-Gain Directional Corner Antenna 2.4GHz Hi-Gain Wireless Corner Antenna, boosts your wireless signal strength from 2dBi (standard) to 15dBi to the second floor 200...didn't think I needed it). This configuration covered the whole house, there were a few low signal readings at the extreme ends on the 4th floor 3ft from the front window , which I intended to eliminate with the Linksys G Extender.
Which brings me to the only concern- AP Mode gives you the opportunity to use the 200 in either 1 of 3 modes
AP Mode Screen
Use this screen to configure the Access Point mode. The three available modes are Access Point, Wireless Repeater, and Wireless Bridge.
The 200 that was used as the wireless access point needed the MAC address of the 200 used as a Repeater (in Repeater mode-- max 3 MAC addresses). Adding the address of the second wap200 (as Repeater) was'nt an issue, all worked perfectly. When I added the MAC addresses of the G Extenders `Limited connectivity' messages again appeared, I tried various combo's including changing the order but always a problem...perhaps the repeaters have to be legit repeaters or WAP200's...anywho I found this interesting and will be taking the 3 extenders back to Best Buy
Conclusions-
overall I found the Linksys WAP 200 a really good product. I don't believe you have to know the nuts and bolts about networking to get the WAP200 up and running. The documentation will not be of help to a newbie, but if you google your concerns you may learn a thing or two. $124 is a really good price for the endless possibilities one could use this 3-in-1 wireless network product......btw I speed tested the connections, watched video (google video, Youtube) while roaming around the house and it never dropped a signal.
it is now 11-28-2008 and this product has been running non stop since the original review..
asH


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The Linksys WAP200 Access Point lets you connect Wireless-G (802.11g) or Wireless-B (802.11b) devices to your wired network so you can add PCs to the network with no cabling hassle. Power over Ethernet support makes it easy to install -- you can mount the Access Point anywhere, even without ready access to a power plug. With appropriate Power Over Ethernet support at the other end, you only need to run one cable to the Access Point to deliver both data and power. Of course, you can also use the included AC adapter if your installation point has power available nearby. Moreover, the integrated QoS features provide consistent voice and video quality on both the wired and wireless networks, enabling the deployment of business qualilty VoIP and video applications.

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TP-Link WL TL-WA901ND 300Mbps AP Review

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(More customer reviews)Read the directions and I was able to get this Access Point up and running as a Client in no more than 30 minutes, from set-up at my wired desktop to hooking it up to my Blu-Ray Player. There is nothing on the CD except the WA901ND User's Guide, I used the Web-Based Interface and this interface is even better than the TD-W8960N Modem/Wireless Router that I used to link to the Internet. The interface has most of the User Guide information in a separate pane on the right-hand side of the interface. The Client sync'd up with the Wireless Access Point without any issues and the AP is at the other end of the house and one floor down in the basement. A basic check with my iPod Touch shows full bars all over the house.
I was elated to find that the WA901ND had a Bridge w/AP Mode (not listed in the features but is in the Users Guide), however this mode only supports WEP wireless security which makes it useless if you want a secure network. I had to default to Client Mode for my set-up. I wish Bridge w/AP Mode had WPA/WPA2 security like every other mode, maybe this will get fixed in a future Firmware Update.
The three antennas are removable with RP-SMA Connectors so you can extend the antennas to a better position if needed.
Runs warm but not hot, once I get some antenna extension cables it will be housed in my Home Automation Panel (metal box on the basement wall) and I do not expect any issues with over heating.
You can refer to DSLReportsDOTcom, CompnetworkingDOTaboutDOTcom, or NetScribeDOTcom (search for Wireless Design) for a number of useful forums/articles on networking.

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TP-Link TL-WA901ND 300Mbps Wireless N Access Point with 3x 4dBi Antennas

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Hawking Hi-Gain Outdoor Wireless-300N Dual Radio Smart Repeater Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this hoping to expand wireless coverage at my church. We currently have a single Netopia 3347 DSL modem that has okay range. I was looking for a product that would provide much more range and coverage and work with the existing setup.
After opening the package and following the quick-start instructions, I was able to get the Hawking Smart Repeater to "see" the existing wifi connection. It was able to connect quite easily. This is where things got tricky ... the Hawking Smart Repeater then proceeded to create its own separate wifi connection with a different SSID, a different encryption method, and a different subnet.
The end result was that my laptop would see two different wifi SSID connections - the original connection to the Internet, and the repeated one. This configuration technically worked, but it wasn't what I wanted. What I wanted was one seamless area of strong wifi coverage.
So on the Hawking device, I tried changing the SSID and encryption of the repeated wireless connection to match the original connection. And that's where things got really ugly. The Hawking Smart Repeater still tried to act as a DHCP host on its own subnet. I tried disabling the DHCP, activating bridge mode, and putting it on the same subnet. The Hawking Smart Repeater then failed to connect to the Internet. It could still see the original wifi network, but was unable to access the Internet. I tried making a few more changes, and all of them were unsuccessful. Most frustrating however, was that after activating bridge mode, it became nearly impossible to access the web configuration page. Nearly all attempts to access it via the repeater's local ip address ended in errors, but it would sporadically let me see the page. This would get my hopes up that I could make changes, but when I clicked the 'submit' button, it would disappear again.
Even worse, because it was built for the outdoors, there was NO Reset button. The instruction manual said a hard reset could be performed by holding the reset button down for 10 seconds, but doesn't indicate where this button may be located. I think they used the same instruction manual from an indoor version of the smart repeater.
Anyway, I gave up and decided to send it back to Amazon.
Pros:
-STRONG wireless antennae. While I had the internet connection working with two separate SSIDs, my laptop could see and communicate with the box from good distances and through walls.
-Tough exterior box. It says it's built for the Outdoors and it's true. The housing seems to be pretty robust.
Cons:
-Creates a separate wifi network. Attempts to make one seamless network were unsuccessful.
-Expensive.
-NO RESET Button. VERY FRUSTRATING.
I can see this device working well if two neighbors wanted to share one internet connection. One neighbor would host the internet connection, and the second one could use this device to pick up the signal and create his own separate network.
The back of the box also showed other possible uses: sharing/rebroadcasting an internet connection at an RV park, and also for sharing/rebroadcasting internet for boats in a harbor.
For those situations, this device would be great. If you're trying to expand the coverage of your current network and have the same settings across, this is not the device to buy.

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Unleash your Wireless Network with the Hawking Hi-Gain Outdoor 2.4GHz Wireless-300N Dual Radio Smart Repeater, HOW2R1. The HOW2R1 outdoor smart repeater connects and repeats your existing wireless network with up to 64X the power output and 8X the distance of a standard Wireless-G device. Similar to the Hawking's HW2R1 Smart Repeater with dual radio design, the HOW2R1 Outdoor Smart Repeater is engineered with two powerful Wi-Fi radios, one radio is dedicated to receiving signals from a wireless source, access point or router, and the other radio is used to rebroadcasting wireless signals throughout your surroundings. To further enhance its wireless range and coverage, the WiFi receiving radio is connected to an 11dBi directional antenna, integrated internally in the HOW2R1. In addition, two external 5dBi antennas are connected to the rebroadcasting WiFi radio to effectively elimnates wireless deadspots inside and outside of your home or office. This powerful repeater is not only robustly design to withstand outdoor environment, it also packed with wireless security features, such as MAC access control, IEEE 802.11x authentication, WPA, WPA2, hidden ESSID, and the basic WEP encryption. With data transfer rate of up to 300Mbps, the HOW2R1 is an ideal solution for High Performance Wireless Solution, extending your wireless signals for your home or your business, or providing wireless access to RV parks or Marine docks. The possibilities are endless.

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NETGEAR Universal WiFi Range Extender WN2000RPT Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an update to my previous review shown below. Less than a month after installing and setting this unit up, it started dropping the connection with my router. After over an hour with tech support, they determined the unit defective. They sent me a warranty replacement unit which exhibited the same annoying trait...dropped connections after 24-48 hours of operation. The unit sits only 20 feet from the router, shows 85% signal strength and is not affected by other electrical, electronic or microwave devices. Save your money and don't bother buying this product. It is a waste of time and money.
Initial Review: After trying numerous WIFI range extenders and experiencing lousy performance and incredibly useless tech support, I took a chance on this Netgear unit. What an incredible unit this is! I had it set up and functioning in less than 15 minutes, AND, I didn't even have a second computer for the wireless setup as suggested in the instructions. I actually set it up using my iPhone browser. I set the unit in the middle of the house, with my router at one end and the iPhone at the other (125' away). The signal strength on my iPhone changed from no bars to a full signal strength set of bars. This Netgear unit is awesome!

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What is Netgear's Universal WiFi Range Extender? Keep your current wireless equipment and improve coverage to eliminate ‘dead zones' Compatible with wireless b/g/n routers, gateways and Internet Service Provider‘s devices Freedom to roam anywhere in the house and access Internet without worrying about coverage Bonus feature-4 Ethernet ports to connect to gaming consoles, Internet TV's, and Blu-ray players. Features : Works with any wireless b/g/n router or gateway from Netgear and other brands Works with all security standards including WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, mixed mode and WEP Real-time link-rate LED locates the best placement spot to provide optimal wireless coverage Step-by-step, graphical Installation Guide makes installation easy. No need to insert a CD or plug in Ethernet cables! Dynamic LEDs display live network connection status and signal strength between your existing network, Extender and computers (or other Internet-connected devices) Push ‘N' Connect using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) connects computers to the Extender quickly and securely1 Four (4) Ethernet ports allow the Extender to function as a wireless bridge to connect to home AV devices. Disclaimers: 1 Works with clients supporting Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS); Package Contents : Universal WiFi Range Extender (WN2000RPT) Stand Power adapter, localized to country of sale

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Hawking HWREN1 Hi-Gain Wireless-300N Range Extender Review

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(More customer reviews)I was skeptical about this product due a lack of reviews on the net but decided to take the plunge...
My wireless network consists of a Belkin Wireless N Router (F5D8233-4)using WPA,WPA2 w/ TKIP+AES security and the Hawking range extender has no problem communicating with it.
I chose to forgo the setup CD and went directly to the web interface to set things up. The interface is simple and pretty self explanatory. Out of the box the ip is 192.168.1.240. Login is: admin, pw:1234
Initially I was getting intermittent and/or limited connectivity when trying to connect to the internet; this is usually due to the security/encryption settings so make sure to enter your info carefully to match your parent router exactly. To remedy this here's what apparently worked for me (my security settings were matched up)
-Updated the firmware. Mine came shipped with ver. 1.10 There is a new one out 1.13 that you can find on the Hawking Technology website.
-In the "Advanced Wireless setup" I unchecked the WMM option...possible conflict with parent router?
-Set CTS protect to auto (as suggested in manual)
-Unplug the power for 10 seconds and plug back in.
After that I was all connected!
The am VERY impressed with how much my overall network range has increased, especially considering the 5 or so walls this it has to go through...where there used to be no signal, I have full bars and an excellent signal. In contrast, the belkin g range extender it's replacing did little to improve my range. On a plus note is that you can upgrade the antennas if needed.
Primary use is for my Direct TV HR-21 for VOD. As far as I know there are few marketed "N" options available to do the job...two are:
-Linksys WGA600N- Wireless bridge that reportedly works very well.
-D-Link DAP-1522- includes 4 LAN slots. (I was concerned w/ compatibility issues with my router)
I chose the Hawking because it advertises to work with "any" AP or router and for roughly the same $$ of the Linksys, I can extend the range of my signal too. If I need another LAN port I'll just buy a cheap 10/100 switch.
I can't give it 5 stars because I have no long-term experience with the product.
In short, if you're looking for a "N" WURE solution for your network, give it a try. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
UPDATE 1/15/10...
Well it has been over a year and I am still thoroughly satisfied with this product and has performed flawlessly for me. Over this time I have swapped out my parent router for a D-Link 655 and have added a 10/100 switch to the Hawking to also connect a new PS3 Slim. I am still running the same firmware since I have not had any issues with it; going with the philosophy of, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I'm considering picking up another one when the price is right to further extend my network. On a side note, my apologies for not addressing questions over the year; I didn't select to receive notifications for comments on my review.

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Hawking HWREN1 effectively doubles the operating distance of your entire wireless network. Whether it is an area in your home that has limited or no wireless coverage or a warehouse in your office, the Hawking wireless-300N range extender takes the signal from your wireless access point and retransmits it at a higher rate. Simply place the range extender halfway between your wireless access point and wireless trouble spot. The HWREN1 is the only wireless repeater on the market that supports most wireless 802.11b/g/n networks and devices so you never have to worry whether the wireless network at your home or office will work with the range extender. The HWREN1 also features a new software setup wizard for hassle-free installation. To setup the range extender, you simply load the setup CD and scan for a network to extend. Package contents include one hi-gain wireless-300N range extender, one power adapter, one CD with PC setup wizard, one RJ-45 cable, and installation guide.

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Cisco-Linksys WRE54G Wireless-G Range Expander - REFURBISHED Review

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(More customer reviews)There was a lot of information out there about this product but I decided for $25 (Refurbished) I'd try it. Plugged it in, hit the "auto" button and away it went. It boosted the signal in an outbuilding from "Low" to "Excellent" and seems to be working just fine. I ignored the directions and the CD that came with it and didn't do any of the techno stuff like configuring the Host name, etc, etc. It just worked!

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Expand the range of your wireless home network. The Wireless-G Range Expander is the easy way to increase the effective coverage of your wireless network. Unlike adding a traditional access point to your network to expand wireless coverage, the Wireless-G Range Expander does not need to be connected to the network by a data cable. Just put it within range of your main access point or wireless router. It is designed to "bounce" signals into those distant, reflective corners and hard-to-reach areas where wireless coverage is spotty and cabling is impractical. This "relay station" or "repeater" approach helps to build a wireless infrastructure and save wiring costs.The Wireless-G Range Expander works with most Wi-Fi certified access points and wireless routers. And it works in with both Wireless-G and Wireless-B devices so you'll get the benefits of increased coverage even with a mixed network. Installation is a snap with the Auto Configuration button. Just plug it in and press the button. The Expander is designed to find your wireless network and configure itself automatically.

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