ZyXEL AG225H 802.11a/b/g/n Wifi Finder, 802.11g USB 2.0 Adapter, and Soft Access Point
by ZYXEL
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Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: ZYXELFormat: CD
Platform: Windows
Model: AG225H
Product features:
- Find a wireless hotspot when you are on the road
- Scans the environment for hotspots without being attached to a computer
- Dual-band, tri-mode functionality adds support for 802.11a/b/g wireless networking standards to your computer
- Enhanced security functions protect your data
- Turns your computer into an instant wireless access point
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Digital camera reviews of ZyXEL AG225H 802.11a/b/g/n Wifi Finder, 802.11g USB 2.0 Adapter, and Soft Access Point
Digital camera Review: Good hardware with just a few flaws.
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been using the ZyXel adapter for a few months now in a mixed PC and Mac environment. And while it is a good little adapter for these sorts of things, it does have shortcomings.
First the positives. I can't tell you how useful having a network finder can be when you're searching for a connection and have limited notebook battery life to burn. Or when you get suckered into setting up a network for a friend who lives in a brick building. The comprehensive information display is better than any I've seen before. It isn't quite realtime... a search takes 5 - 10 seconds in tedious reality, but it is certainly fast enough to speed things up overall.
The battery on this little thing charging Via USB is also very, very nice.
As an adapter the device is perfectly servicable. It is about as powerful as the internal cards you see in a lot of laptops these days. It does require extra software to run, and that software could be better written, but it works and doesn't seem to add too much to system instability. Unfortunately, don't expect to just plug it into a friend's computer and have it run. Under windows, it does everything it says it will, which makes it a powerful little device.
However, the OSX driver currently has some limitations (as of March, 2006). The two units that I purchased required updated firmware to run under OSX, but the updater only ran under Windows. Once updated, it turns out that WPA authentication, a security protocol used by many workplaces, is not supported yet on the mac. Fortunately, home networks can be stepped down to WEP without much loss in security, but business users may be SOL.
The other major flaw is a simple design one: the USB port is small and flakey, and designed to be used back-to-back. However, most Macs and a lot of ultralights put their USB ports side-to-side. Thus, the adapter consumes both available USB slots, and anything that might be to the other side as well. Plus with this several-inch dongle sticking out it just feels like it is going to break off at any second. I've already noticed a slight bend to the USB side of the adapter.
Overall, though, the Zyxel adapter has been a good piece of hardware, and I'm glad I picked it up. It does everything it is supposed to under Windows, and works serviceably well under OSX. It now travels everywhere my computer does, and it does a pretty good job of it.
More ZyXEL AG225H 802.11a/b/g/n Wifi Finder, 802.11g USB 2.0 Adapter, and Soft Access Point reviews:
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1 2 3 4
Summary of ZyXEL AG225H 802.11a/b/g/n Wifi Finder, 802.11g USB 2.0 Adapter, and Soft Access Point
The ZyXEL AG-225H is the ultimate high-tech tool for the road warrior. The AG-225H combines 802.11a/b/g USB 2.0 adapter technology with a fully functional wireless hotspot detector all housed in a sleek device small enough to fit into any pocket. Detect any flavor of wireless network from 802.11a all the way to the newly Drafted 802.11n. The dual-band tri-mode USB adapter is equipped with a high contrast backlit LCD screen and built-in LiON battery, allowing you to scan the environment for hotspots without turning on your computer. With WPA and WPA2 support, the AG-225H can provide a secure wireless connection when used as a 54Mbps high-speed USB wireless adapter. Mac OS support brings the AG-225H to another level of functionality and compatibility never before thought possible!Access Points
Cameras and Photo
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