Linksys WET11 Wireless Ethernet Bridge
Why Buy A Linksys WET11 Wireless Ethernet Bridge?The versatile wireless Ethernet bridge from Linksys can make any wired Ethernet-equipped device a part of your wireless network. At home, use the wireless Ethernet bridge to connect game consoles, set-top boxes, or computers to your wireless network to share your high-speed network connection. In the office, convert your Ethernet-wired printer, scanner, camera, notebook, or desktop into a wireless networked device.
Its completely driver-free, so it works on any platform and with any operating system. Because there are no drivers to load, setup is a snap–just plug it into your device and configure the network settings through your Web browser.
You can also use the Linksys wireless Ethernet bridge as a kind of cableless cable to connect remote areas together. Maybe the Shipping department is all the way across the warehouse from Receiving. Or maybe you want to set up a home office in your detached garage. With a wireless Ethernet bridge in the garage and an other one (or a wireless access point) in the house, youre connected–without the hassle of cabling.
See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies.
Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they dont require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. Theres no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere–without wires. Outside the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, and airports–great when youre on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer.
Which Wireless Standard Is Right for Me?
Now that youve decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use.
Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed.
For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time:
To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart.
Features
- Capable of up to 128-Bit WEP encryption
- Converts wired-Ethernet devices to wireless network connectivity
- Easily configurable through your Web browser
- Provides wireless, cable-free bridging between remote workgroups
- Works without drivers on Macintosh, Windows, PlayStation2, Xbox, Linux, network printers–anything with an Ethernet port
Customer Reviews & Opinions
Great little unit; Instructions weren’t worded great
I bought this product to be able to make my Dell laser printer operate wirelessly. It works flawlessly.
However, my misunderstanding of the instructions made getting it working initially a little frustrating. I am a pretty savvy computer guy and I got thrown a curve setting it up. Don’t get me wrong and don’t be afraid that it’s difficult to setup… it’s not.
There’s a switch on the back of the unit that can be switched to “X” or “II”. When you setup the unit you have to use “II” (I believe) but when you want the thing (printer, etc) that you plug into the unit to function wirelessly, you then have to go and flip that switch over to “X” and leave it in the “X” position. I never switched it to “X” and my printer wouldn’t work. I called support at Linksys and they weren’t really any help. Finally I figured it out on my own. As soon as I switched it to “X” my printer worked. So… just be aware of that and you can’t go wrong.
The only potential downside is that it only supports WEP security encryption, which is apparently very easy to hack into if there’s someone who is intent on cracking into your network. If you have a wireless network and are using WPA or greater, then this unit will present a problem I suppose as it only supports WEP. So check your router security settings and decide accordingly.
If you need the WPA security you’ll need the Linksys WET54G which appears to be the successor to this model. It’ll cost about twice what this unit costs.
All in all, I am thrilled with the unit. It functions very well for what it’s intended for and allowed me to NOT have to re-run ethernet wires to a precarious location in my office.
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