NETGEAR's ME102 802.11b Wireless Access Point gives your wireless mobile workforce continuous, high-speed 11 Mpbs access to corporate network resources, e-mail and the Internet. It helps you quickly set up a new wireless network office or extend your existing Ethernet network to remote locations in your building - without the time or expense of Ethernet cabling. Equipped with a NETGEAR cable/DSL router, it lets all users on your wireless network share broadband Internet access. The ME102 supports roaming within an office, and includes 40-bit WEP encryption to ensure privacy.
Netgear's wireless access point gives mobile users continuous, high-speed 11 Mbps access to corporate network resources, e-mail, and the Internet. It helps you quickly set up a new wireless network office or extend your existing Ethernet network to remote locations in your building, without the time or expense of Ethernet cabling. Equipped with a Netgear cable/DSL router, it lets all users on your wireless network share broadband Internet access. Multiple access points may be used to extend the coverage as well as increase the number of wireless users. The ME102 supports roaming from access point to access point within an office and includes 40-bit WEP encryption to ensure privacy.
Supporting 32 users per access point, the ME102 works with any 10 Mbps Ethernet and any IEEE 802.11b-compliant product. It comes with a five-year limited warranty.
1 If you use a Mac or XP go elsewhere
A combination of poor documentation, lack of web based interface, glitchy XP drivers and total absence of Apple drivers make this a product to avoid.
2 sweet, but missing web config, and...
I had this ap for 3 years, this offers good range w/orinoco and linky WUSB11 2.6
the setup requires windows (sorry for mac, linux, and pda users)
I got the latest firmware, which claims bridge support
but after upgrading, no luck at all to set it up as bridge, the config is very confusing, how come use mac address instead of ESSID???!
the bridge setup of Linky is way easier and working, this one should have been good like linky
I don't try 128bit WEP yet, but the added mac filtering is handy
good: good range, mac filtering and 128bit WEP through firmware update
bad: windows only setup, bridge function is not working, antenna is not removable/upgradable
if you use it as ap, you'll like it, however, SMC 2804 works better, and antenna is upgradable, and NO PLATFORM
3 Great connection for a great cost
After an intensive research into 802.11a due to potential cross talk with my 2.4GH wireless telephone and four wireless web cameras (X10 runs on 2.4GH) I decided I would *try* the 802.11b due to its cost and availability. I am pleasantly surprised that there is zero cross talk or interference. All cameras and phone in use, no problems! Though the phone does interfere with the cameras, it does not with the network connection...
Setup was brainless, plug and play 100% for both the access point and the pcmcia card (NetGear MA401) both bought at Fry's for an excellent price.
The marketing states 1650 feet-line-of-sight and 500 feet indoors (common construction, etc.) I walked my laptop, connected via the wireless connection, down the street a city block and the connection was still useable for web browsing. Did I mention the access point was laying on my garage floor, surrounded by motorcycles? I was impressed to say the least.
I have mounted the access point on the ceiling of the garage (connected to one of the remote hubs on the home network) and the signal strength and distance useable have doubled.
I highly recommend this unit, and NetGear pcmcia cards to connect to it.
4 Could not use
There are several problems. Documentation is obviously the biggest but I am not sure if I ended up buying a defective piece. I have not been able to connect to the box using the SNMP manager. I have ensured that the IP that I assigned to it using the USB Manager is correct for my network but the SNMP manager wont find it. Nor can I ping it from another host on the LAN. So after two days of frustrating attempts I still dont have a wireless lan running and still no word from Netgear technical support. Next time ill buy a Netgear product only after a successful demo at the store.
5 Easy setup if you use Windows.
Personaly, I use a linux box with 2 nic cards as my firewall/router/server. I didn't really need the wireless routers that are available so I opted for this simple access point that would add wireless capability to my home network.
I was a bit worried about getting it installed on XP, but it went without a hitch. You have to say Yes to the unsigned drivers, but everything installed fine with no driver errors. However, you do need to configure this device from a Windows computer via USB. Once you configure the access point, you no longer have to have it connected via the USB.
They should have put some documentation in the software, but it's pretty self explanatory. Don't forget to set the encryption to at least 64bit. Also don't forget to set the 4 keys! Just enter a bunch of numbers and write it down so you can then do the same thing on the pc connecting into the network.
6 Easy Setup, Marginal Range
I was able to set up this AP easily including WEP encryption using the admittedly limited documentation. Connecting to Cable Modem through a Netgear RP114 Router worked well. My client was a Casio E-115 Pocket PC with a Netgear MA701 CF card and I was able to connect to Internet first time.
My issue, which eventually resulted in returning both items, was that I could not find a location for the AP that would allow a good connection everywhere within my house. I have a finished attic that I use as an office where the router is located, but putting the AP in two locations in the office still resulted in poor / no reception on first floor; a first floor AP location left me with no reception in the office. Finally pulled another hardwired location to a 2nd floor bedroom, and reception was marginally acceptable up and downstairs, but not on my back deck.
Maybe a different client card, maybe a marginal unit, who knows? I would recommend this for it ease of use and price for persons in small homes or requiring limited roaming capability.
7 Easy to set up. Not expensive.
I found it very easy to set up with my AT&T cable network. All I had to do was set the DCHP to on and leave everything else on default. It worked easily on the first attempt!
8 Very technical
Synopsis:
If you are looking for a simple plug-and-play solution, the ME 102 is NOT for you.
The Bad:
I have called a technical support line once in the past four years (long time sys admin). I have been on the line three times with Netgear and still no resolution. This should be an indication of complexity. The "manual" included is a poster. A PDF setup manual (on CD) is only slightly better and simply does not explain the setup program options. I should qualify that setting up the access point as an open point (no encyption) is fairly straight forward for experienced wireless admins. The WEP tools are poor at best -- e.g., hexidecimal keys only (no pass phrase supported). Warning: Tech support seems to be outsourced to an offshore group and there are some language issues.
The Good:
The unit does have good reception and output -- regularly connect at 11 Mbps even several dozen feet away from the access point in a "noisy" office. Connecting the unit is simple. The provided USB cable and CAT 5 cable are a nice bonus.
Notes:
May not work well with the Dell TrueMobile 1150 wireless card used in Dell laptops -- WEP encryption is a problem.
9 For the techie
This is very cool for the fact that it's wireless. I prefer Intel products, but Intel wireless 802.11b products are hard to come by. This thing works beautifully, but it's not documented well. It comes with ocnfiguration software which I had to figure out with trial and error. Once I got it working I was pleased with the performance and the value.
10 SUPER EASY WIRELESS
I just wanted to say that I took me more time to open the box and briefly read the instructions, that to get on the net. I can't believe how easy was this Wireless Access Point was to set up. I'll give it more than a 5 if I could. But for me it get's a 5++++. Couldn't get any easier.
11 No complaints YET!
I just bought the Netgear ME 102 802.11b Wireless Access Point and the Netgear Wireless Card. I was up and going in less than 2 hours (includes the time to unpack everything!).
I can virtually walk anywhere in my house and still can surf the internet. It's absolutely wonderful!
On the downside, the documentation is VERY SCARCE! The configuration screens are not very intuitive - and it could be a nightmare for network newbies.
Besides that I'll recommend it.
12 Works like a charm
What more can I say? I plugged it in according to the manual, set it up, and I was on the air. My setup is:
DSL
!
HUB---
\-Main home Computer \-Access Point \-Laptop connection
Manual is almost non-existent but useable. I was able to turn on security and get it to work - I used WEP64 with a set key on both ends (laptop with 802.11 card and Access Point).
Great value for the money, works like a charm.
13 Inexpensive, but a little difficult to set up...
I bought this wireless AP to give my wife's laptop PC broadband Internet access around the house. It works pretty well and was easy to set up without encryption, but adding 128-bit WEP encryption was time consuming and frustrating. Netgear needs to improve its documentation on that. I ended up getting help from one of the USENET newsgroups as well as Netgear's tech support line. It required downloading and installing a firmware upgrade and updated configuration software from Netgear's website - something the average consumer may not be comfortable with. The Netgear tech support rep was helpful in configuring the AP, but declined to give me any advice on configuring the wireless card because it isn't a Netgear product (all I wanted to know was how and where to enter the encryption key). Also, there is a marked decline in the effective range of the unit with 128-bit encryption enabled.
Having said that, now that it's up and running, it's great. But if you're not a network or PC techie, be prepared for a fairly steep learning curve.
14 Great product, bad documentation
The good: The product is solid and works perhaps better than advertised. I have a 100 year old Victorian house. The AP is in the basement, the laptop with wireless Orinico Gold card is 2 floors up and running at 6 Meg. No interference, no loss of signal. When I am on the main floor it is rock solid at 11 Meg. (BTW: This house is FULL of electronics , wireless and otherwise.)
The bad: The documentation is so bad if you don't have networking experience you may be in over your head. Don't think for a minute that the Netgear website will help. The website has even less information than the included "flyer.". My recommendation is to set up the AP with no encryption or WEP to begin with. Get your Wirelss card and the AP talking first and make sure you can connect to the internet.
The do some research on setting keys and configuring WEP.
15 Good Wireless Value for Experienced Users
Cutting to the chase: the documentation is not very good. The "Quick Start" insert is laughably terse and will be completely worthless to the nephyte networker. Even the more detailed documentation included on the CD will provide little insight on the ins and outs of proper wireless LAN set up.
That said, the ME102 is a solid wireless access point that delivers 802.11b standard networking (I'm writing my review on a laptop in a downstairs room that's connected to the Netgear).
If you've done your homework and have decided upon an 802.11b solution, the ME102 is a product worthy of consideration.
Recommended
16 good product, bad standard
I think it must be the fault of 802.11 that these things have such poor range. My stupid 900mhz cordless phone goes all the way to the neighbors house yet this thing won't go from the office to the living room (I could probably do infrared from the office to the living room) without losing 74% of its signal strength.
That said it was easy to setup, though it didn't have DHCP capability, so required me to set an IP address and it would have been better if they had allowed me to configure it via the net rather than a USB cable since it's on top of a tall bookshelf on the end of a 50' net cable (to get range).
But that said it's a pretty solid piece of hardware and works flawlessly within the confines of the standard.
17 I liked the setup and firmware upgrade but...
I had no problem setting up this access point and upgrading the firmware, but my experience so far is that I have to reset the device far too often for my liking. The signal drops to the point that I loose network connectivity on my clients, and no matter how many times I rescan the channels with the PCcard software, the signal does not return until I pull the access point's power plug and put it back in. I have had to do this almost daily. When the device is not hung and needing a reset, it works great. It has good signal strength, and provides acceptable all-around area coverage in my home. I do think that I will save up for a higher quality product like Aironet though. This being my first experience with wireless networking I would say that for the low cost, I guess this one is OK. I would appreciate a more reliable signal though.
18 One huge initial problem, but now working well!
After a HUGE initial hassle, I got this up and running and it has worked well since. I bought this some time ago I think it was pretty newly released and the documentation had some holes in it...specifically it didn't mention that the software for the "host" machine was required if you wanted to set up security encryption. I was attempting to set the security without this and the two protocols being used were not matching. Contacting Netgear Tech Support was a nightmare. It took multiple emails and multiple phone calls. After about a week, I finally found someone who could help and I got an answer.
Now for the good news... Once that was resolved, I have not had another problem with this. In fact, I even upgraded to Windows XP from Windows 98se and still had no problems. (Now that is impressive...just about every other piece of hardware did have troubles with XP when it was first released!)
So all in all, I am now very happy with this Access Point. But it only gets 3 stars because it was a really bad start.
19 Netgear Customer service: "It does not work 85% of the time"
After I installed it, it did not work. I called customer service at Netgear who said that the product "did not work 85% of the time" and suggested that I return to Amazon to "replace with another manufacturer's product". That Cable Modem and DSL providers who assign a dynamic IP address instead of a static address causes incompatibility with the access point. Customer service was nice but admitted they have a major problem with the product that they have not been able to fix. Unbelievable!!
Mark Maybell
...March 21, 2002
20 An excellent wireless networking product
We added the ME102 Wireless Access Point to our existing 6 station hardwired home-office network and have been totally happy with it ever since.
Living in a 4 floor home with offices, we found some places we couldn't reach efficiently with cable. Because we started out originally with Netgear we decided to stay with them just in case there might be compatibility issues (we've haven't really ever found any though).
We connected the access point to a hard wire point or our network at a central point on our second floor with absolutely no problems. The accompanying connectors and software made set-up easy. We were up and going in a few minutes.
Signal strength has been great in all the locations we use. Currently we have 2 laptops and a desktop added to the network on the wireless system on various floors and through walls as well. We are having no problems at all.
One one older Netgear Switch (FS 108) we had some heat problems that others have noticed and written about as well. This isn't a problem with the wireless access point.
Basically I love the product-- In fact I've never gone wrong with Netgear.
21 Very nice; great performance and stability
Nice unit; save yourself some time and download/install the latest Netgear drivers for both the AP and the MA402. The MA402 utils comes with a WEP passphrase option, but no go for the SNMP util. I downloaded the latest Linksys WAP11 SMNP utils which has this feature (look for it soon from Netgear). Very nice, using the passphrase I easily set up 128 bit WEP and am surfing from the sofa.
22 Works anywhere and is portable
This is the best of both worlds since I can use it on my PC or my laptop. It is not as convenient as my pcmcia card, but it is more useful since I can use it with my PC's as well. Excellent range and no interference experienced.
23 The only way to go for the $$$
This unit performs extremely well! You must download the firmware upgrade 1.4h, which will fix security issues (others being able to connect via SNMP unauthenticated) and adds 128 encryption. The firmware upgrade also includes new management utilities, the ones on the CD wont work correctly. My Panasonic 2.4 GHz phone caused the card (MA401) to loose connection, so I changed the AP to run on channel 11 instead of 1 and that fixed the problem - 0 interference. I get 100% link quality and 80% signal strength 40 feet away and through walls. It maintains 11 Mbit over 100 feet away inside!
The downside is for the price Dlink offers more for the money by including router/print server in the unit. But I didn't need a router, I needed reliable and fast wireless access.
Netgear support is awful, don't expect them to help you if you run into troubles.
My configuration:
Cisco Router for DSL, Linksys 4 port Router/Hub, ME102 AP, ME401 card. The Linksys router acts like DHCP server, so I set the AP to run DHCP. I also use VPN with no issues under this configuration.
24 I would recommend it ...
I bought a DLINK access point and USB adapter from Amazon and had nothing but trouble getting it to function in a stable manner. Returned it to Amazon and got a Netgear ... setup without great difficulty in a couple of hours and so far it is working great even with encryption turned on. Encryption brought the DLINK to a crawl with the access point and adapter in the same room. The Netgear is working across the hall with two walls between with the same signal strength as when in the same room ... fantastic.
25 It does what it's supposed to do, nothing more, nothing less
I just purchased the ME102, along with a MA401 PC Card and a MA301 adapter. The ME102 is small, nice looking, a cakewalk to configure, and so far reliable. Performance isn't stellar like say, Cisco Aironet, but then again you get what you pay for and this AP is a very nice offering for the $$$. Range is decent as well. The only think I dislike is the fact that currently the ME102 only supports 40-bit WEP, hopefully Netgear will add 128-bit WEP in the future via a firmware upgrade. It would be nice if Netgear included some type of simple management application, specifically so you could see what 802.11b devices are currently associated to the AP. It would also be nice if it supported MAC layer filtering, for security purposes. I wouldn't want to unintentionally share my T1 with my neighbors, but WEP mitigates this risk slightly. All in all, I am very happy with my purchase!
26 This was great!
I had this up and running in 10 minutes. It worked right out of the box, no problems. I also had the Netgear ME401 card and it also installed flawlessy (on win2k). I get good reception on a different floor and across the way in my house. I previously had purchased the LinkSys WAP11 -- don't bother. It got horrible reception and took me hours to get my laptop to work with the linksys wireless card. Netgear is the way to go here.
27 ME102 Easy to setup but lacks some important features
I installed the ME102 and had it up and running in less than 20 minutes (without enabling WEP and changing the SSID). The installation requires either a USB connection between the configuring computer and the access point, or an ethernet connection to use the SNMP connection. The quick start printed documentation and the full documentation on the CD are very good to get the unit configured quickly. However, the default configuration works but is not secure. The included guides don't show you how to properly implement security.
As the number of people using wireless LAN is expected to rapidly increase, the security aspects of wireless networking become increasingly important. The Netgear ME102 is behind other competing products such as the Linksys WAP11 in this respect.
It is important to change the SSID (same as ESSID) from the factory default to something different to prevent access by neighboring snoops for all access points (no matter what brand you run). This value has to be the same on your network access card for it to work. Second, it's probably wise to use the WEP encryption to safeguard your data from potential snoops.
There are three deficiencies in this product that the WEP11 from Linksys does a bit better. 1) Linksys implemented 128-bit WEP. This is not available as of yet in Netgear's ME102. 2) The SNMP access is not password protected. This means that if a hacker or inquiring teenager gets into your system, he/she could potentially re-configure the system or allow wireless access to people you don't want on your system. 3) The ME102 does not limit access to known MAC addresses. The MAC address is a unique number like 00-30-AB-xx-xx-xx that is assigned to each network access card (MA401) or USB access (MA101) and other devices.
If you already own a Netgear ME102 and you are a bit of an experimenter, there is a solution for you. It turns out that the Linksys WEP11 and the Netgear ME102 are built using the same chipset. So it is possible to download the upgraded software from the Linksys site and get these advanced features. It's working for me. I'm running 128bit WEP, Authorized MAC, and a password protected access point. However, I'm not giving you any guarantee nor would the resulting configuration be covered by Netgear's 24x7 service.
I use an MA401 card in my laptop which runs XP.
I use an MA401 card with an MA301 adapter in an older PC which runs Win95 and has no USB port.
I use an MA101 USB network access device on a newer PC which runs WinME.
My coverage area with my access point is sufficient to cover my 1/4 acre lot with better than 60% Link Quality and 60% Signal Strength in most places, including in the basement, backyard and dining room on my laptop. My house is a three-story split wood frame house. The access point is mounted high in the middle of my home.
When combined with a good broadband service (I use Sprint Broadband), I am able to listen to continuous streams of music from launch.com while working and/or surfing and sharing the access with a four computers.
Except for a few of the things to perfect my installation, the ME102 is a great accesspoint and should work well for anyone wanting to install a network in their house. It certainly beats installing CAT5 wire into pre-existing walls.
NETGEAR: Get your act together and upgrade your security on this product. Also, site planning software can be useful to troubleshoot interference problems.
Konrad Roeder (...)
28 Works great, inexpensive - but not for network newbies
I just received my ME102 today, and it was up and running in 5 minutes (not counting the time required to drive the screws [included] to wall-mount the unit near one of my Ethernet switches).
I didn't find the USB-based configuration to be ideal. To be sure, it worked well. But I don't like installing drivers and software on my PC that will be used only once or occasionally, and the rest of the time just adds more junk to the Windows registry and is yet another thing added to program groups. (I have issues with clutter.)
In any case, as others here have mentioned, documentation is sparse indeed. And frankly, if you don't know your TCP/IP network pretty well, and/or don't know the basics of wireless Ethernet concepts, you might well find yourself in over your head. The default configuration is far from one-size-fits-all, and the average home computer user will have trouble changing it -- especially with the somewhat non-intuitive interface to the config software.
All that said, once this baby is set-up and running, it's great. I get terrific range and excellent performance, even with a basement mounted access point.
My only caution: Beware of your 2.4 GHz cordless phones. This would be true of any 802.11b set-up, but some of these cordless phones will chew-up your data stream and spit it out in chunks on the carpet. Here, I have my choice between using the wireless Ethernet, or using a Panasonic 2.4 GHz phone... Any attempts to use both, and the phone wins. (The Panasonic is going in the trash very soon; a Uniden 2.4 GHz model cooperates fine.)
29 Where is the documentation?
This is a good product and pretty much works right out of the box. If you have a simple network configuration you can have this running in minutes. However, if your network swerves to the complicated side of the road and your not an expert; get one. There is no help in the box.
30 sent it all back
Purchased the ME102, MA401, and the RP114. Ended up returning it all because we couldn't get it to work together. Customer support was awful... impatient and totally scripted. No room for any discussion. Ended up replacing this all with the SMC Wireless Broadband Router with 3-port switch and print server and had that up and running in 20 minutes!!!!
31 Great Product, Not for Networking Novices
I purchased the Netgear WAP as an alternative to Apple's AirPort Base Station, as I was looking for a lower-cost, cross-platform solution. All of my computers are currently Macs, so configuring the WAP was a bit of a challenge, requiring about one hour (I was able to do this using Virtual PC). The WAP does not have a web interface; you must set it up using software provided, which is Windows-only. Using the software, you connect to it via USB (cable included, a big plus) or Ethernet (likewise, cable included) and set up the access point. Tragically, Netgear provides sparse paper documentation--only the fold out quick install "poster." The PDF manual on the CD-ROM helps with some terms, but unless you are familiar with networking protocols and wireless protocols, some of this may be quite foreign. Since the WAP does not support AppleTalk, my LAN connections for file sharing and printing must be made via TCP/IP, which is also not documented anywhere.
Once set up, the WAP performed impressively: its range through my house, across my backyard, through trees, and into an adjacent park was about 200 feet! Connections have been very stable (no unexplained drops) and very fast, with very little slowdown as compared to transfer speeds across my LAN. I have had no problems connecting to the Internet through my DSL modem and Linksys router, with everything working harmoniously.
To sum up: I would recommend this product to anyone wanting to create a wireless network, with the suggestion that he or she have at least basic knowledge in how to create such networks--there is no setup wizard to guide you through the process. If Netgear improved the documentation and software interface, and added Macintosh support, this product would earn 5 stars from me.
32 Great range; cheap; minor card problems
Bottom line: - works great overall - great coverage, even at the edges of my yard - works with my company's network access system (based on Nortel EAC) - cheap (<[price] after rebate as I write this) - couldn't get the Cisco 340 card to work, had to use the Orinoco WaveLAN card (but I was making progress)
Initial setup: easy. Follow the setup poster that comes with it, no problem. It comes with a little Windows utility to let you configure it via USB. The utility is a bit picky in how you get the settings to stick. The trick: click 'Set' one more time with nothing selected to write the values after you've changed them all.
The next thing is to find a PC card that works. I have two: the Cisco 340, and a Lucent (Orinoco) WaveLAN Silver card. (I use the Cisco card on our 802.11 network at work.) The utilities that come with the Cisco card have a nifty feature that allows you to switch, in theory, between "work" mode and "home" mode. I say in theory, because I never actually got it to work (more on this later).
I then stuck in the WaveLAN card. Voila, I'm up! Using the default Windows (2k) driver & everything. Really fast too. I walk the perimeter of my property with my laptop, exposing my geekiness to all my new neighbors, with a ping to one of my other machines going constantly, and I only drop a packet or two as I walk. In other words, great coverage, much better than I actually expect.
A note about placement: my office is on the second floor of my house at the extreme south end, right over the driveway, so it's pretty close to one end of my lot (which is about 70x120 or thereabouts). Even at the extreme other end of my lot, the WaveLAN signal strength meter reads 3/5, which is still okay. It's 5/5 throughout the entire inside of my house.
Before I go too much further, I grab the latest drivers and firmware from orinocowireless.com. This gives me a link status meter and a configuration utility. (Note: do the driver first, then the firmware, at least for this card.)
The company I work for uses Nortel's EAC so I can get into the company LAN; I try it and it works properly.
Okay, now to put some actual security in place. The little client utility thingy that came with the new card driver lets me configure a WEP key, so I go do that. After experimenting, I find that I can set the keys to what I want, but I must use 'Open System' as the authentication method; 'Both' and 'Shared Key' don't work.
At this point, I'm pretty happy, since everything is more or less working the way I want. However, I go back to the Cisco card for one last fight to see if it's worth trying to get it going.
After major playing around, I make progress: in the 'Aironet Client Utility', the SSID must match the ESSID of the Netgear (which comes from the factory set as 'Wireless' for the Netgear and 'tsunami' for the Cisco). Set it to 'Wireless' on your laptop and as if by magic, it associates with the access point. However, it still does not connect, and at this point, I don't spend the time to pursue it any further. I suspect with a little more work, I could get this going...
I was able to do just about everything I was hoping with this device, and I'm glad since I shelled out the [price]. It's cheap, has great coverage, and works well both for just basic surfing around as well as access into my company's network. I've heard some bad things about the range on the comparable Linksys access point, so I was pleased that the Netgear covered my entire house (and property) with a good strong signal.
33 Netgear ME 102 Wireless Access Point
Earlier this year I installed a Netgear 314 router to share a cable modem and that has worked very well. I have just ordered and installed the Netgear ME 102 Wireless Access Point and the Netgear 403 card in my laptop and it works great and was easy to install. I am writing this review on my laptop while sitting unattached in a comfortable chair in another room. I am going to have to move the wireless access point to a higher and more central location. The range drops quickly when the signal is going through walls and right now the cable modem and access. The cable modem and access point are at one end of the house and my goal of sitting on the living room sofa at the other end of the house is not yet realized. Where I'm sitting now, the signal is passing through two walls over a distance of 40 feet and the signal strength is 60 percent. I'm pleased.
34 WOW! The postlady rang once!
Thirty minutes ago, the door bell rang, it was a postlady delivering the last component, Netgear ME 102 802.11b WAP, for my wireless networking setup.
After 10 minutes of configuring, I moved from room to room, front yard to back, sent and received emails to friends and myself, checked afterhour stock prices at yahoo.com, now writing this review on amazon.com from my laptop with no wire attached!
My wireless setup includes Netgear ME 102 WAP, Netgear Gateway Router RT314, Linksys WPC11 PCMCIA, IBM laptop running Windows ME. The desktop is still wired to the Router to the cable modem. I think my desktop will be very lonely from now on.
I must say "Thanks a bunch!" to those unknown engineers at Netgear and Linksys, and to the great prices from amazon.com
However, I don't recommend one thing:
Typing email in the backyard, the bright sun made it so hard to see what's on the laptop LCD screen.
...
