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D-Link AirPlusXtremeG DWL-2100AP

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PCQ Bureau
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This access point goes a long way in terms of features and performance. Meant for enterprise networks, it is compatible with both 802.11b and g networks. It comes with a detachable antenna that can be replaced or upgraded. On the security front, apart from 64/128-bit WEP, it offers support for WPA with EAP or Pre-Shared Key mode to choose from. The access point can act as a DHCP server and supports association control to allow/restrict clients from accessing the network. It doesn't, however, support power over Ethernet. Apart from the Web interface, there is a utility, Access Point Manager , to locate and configure devices on the network from a central PC. You can choose from five modes of operation-access point mode (default), AP to AP, repeater, AP client and AP to multi-point bridging. Within the default mode, you can choose from load balancing or back-up mode. The load-balancing mode distributes the load when more than one access point are used, whereas the back-up mode enables the second access point to work when one access point fails. We tested this access point using NetIQ Qcheck. It gave a satisfactory throughput of 12.5 Mbps and a good response time of 2 ms. Data streaming test gave 980 Kbps throughput at 1000 Kbps for 20 secs. It was not very susceptible to interference from Bluetooth devices either.

The Bottom Line:

Good features and performance coupled with its price, makes it a good buy.

Rupin Vij

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