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3Com Airconnect 11Mbps Wireless LAN Access Point
Page 4
Author: Tim Higgins Review Date: 8/29/2000
How
fast is it?
The AirConnect was definitely faster than other wireless products that
I've reviewed. The fastest non-802.11b product previously reviewed
was the WebGear Aviator 2.4 (now Aviator
Pro), which clocked in at about 0.8Mbps at a 10 foot operating
range. The AirConnect came in at 3.2Mbps at the same 10 foot
range. See the table below for more speed test data.
Test Description
Transfer
Rate (Mbps)
Ping
(msec)
AP to Client - Condition 1
3.2
< 10
AP to Client - Condition 2
3.2
< 10
AP to Client - Condition 3
1.45
< 20
AP to Client - Condition 4
0.59
< 10
(Details of the measurement method can be found here.)
As I was wrapping up this review, I came across netIQ's (formerly Ganymede)
free QCheck utility. It looks like
a great little tool and I may be using it for my future performance testing.
I ran a quick TCP Throughput test with Condition 1 and
got readings from 3.2 to 3.8Mbps.
Of course, your mileage may vary!
Summary
The AirConnect is definitely not aimed at the home or non-professional
market. Its pricing, although in the league with other professional
802.11b products, is more than only the most got-to-have-it home networker
will be willing to pay. The documentation is good as a reference
for an IT professional (although it could use a good index), but poor
for a networking novice. A "Quick Install" guide would
definitely be helpful, with AP installation instructions that don't require
that you start with the serial console connection, preferably!
If you go for it, be sure to download the free 128bit encryption software update,
if it doesn't come with your unit.
