Review: Belkin Wireless USB Network Adaptor

Reviewed By: Bill Stiteler

Review Date: May 12, 2003

Product: USB wireless network adaptor

Developer: Belkin Components

Minimum Requirements: Mac OS 9.2 or OS X 10.1

Retail Price: $74.99

Availability: Out now

Apple has a shameful little secret. Oh, it tries to cover them up, as most shamed parties do, by referring to them in "code words." But, it's time to come out of the closet and let the world know; "Airport" is actually IEEE 802.11b. Yes, Apple utilizes open standards.

Sure, it's not a big secret. Apple, in fact, talks about it rather freely...as long as you're talking about integrating Macs and PCs wirelessly. What's less frequently mentioned is bringing pre-G3 "legacy" Macs to the party with hardware and software that utilizes these standards.

Several companies have made wireless cards for Powerbooks that weren't officially Airport-capable. For an additional charge, owners of Macs with PCI slots could buy a card adaptor for those wireless cards. This was fine if you had the money to spend and a Mac that had a PCI or a PMCIA slot. What was needed was a wireless solution that was simple to install, didn't cost a lot, and took advantage of an equally ubiquitous technology...like USB.

Apple, of course, would like you to buy new hardware (something the readers of Slashdot don't seem to grasp). But companies like Belkin have released an 802.11b network adaptor which not only works with both Macs and PCs (taking advantage of those open standards), but does so via a USB port, freeing you from taking up a PCI slot, and busting your knuckles opening the case to install it.

The hardware component is about the size and weight of a deck of playing cards, making it extremely portable. The two adjustable antennae are made of a thick plastic, giving it a durable feel (kind of like a Playskool toy). It also features a light to display both power and activity.

The unit also comes with an extra long USB cord. It's long enough to plug into the Siig USB card near the bottom of my PowerMac 9600, sitting underneath my desk, and plug into the transmitter sitting on top of the monitor. It also draws all its power from the USB connection, meaning you don't have to sacrifice another outlet on the power bar.

Apple's Airport software won't recognize non-Apple 802.11b cards, so Belkin provides their own. Here's where things get tricky. To join an existing Airport network, you must get the hexadecimal password from the Airport Administrator. The Belkin software, however, includes space to store four different network passwords; handy if you're using a Powerbook that travels from different networks.

The Belkin did detect my existing Airport network; however, my 9600 had problems connecting to it. I preface this by saying that my 9600 is a real FrankenMac. I fudged a 9.2.2 installation on it (not officially supported by Apple), not to mention a Voodoo 5500 video card using beta drivers and the Siig USB card that has trouble recognizing devices after a cold startup.

Oh, how I love my flat panel iMac.

But I digress. Having the unit connected to my PowerMac at startup caused several problems, most of which were solved by turning off extensions for applications and hardware that I didn't even have any more. The known issue with the Siig card (the system not recognizing devices hooked up to it after a cold startup) was solved by restarting.

Allow me to point out that I had none of these problems with either my Blueberry iBook (also running 9.2.2.) or my flat panel iMac running in Classic mode.

A recurring problem I did have, however, was with the password function. After a restart, the Belkin software would sometimes "forget" the hexadecimal passwords I'd stored. Reentering the string caused it to connect flawlessly, but we are talking about a string of almost random numbers and letters, rather than a simple-to-remember passphrase.

I found the transmitter strength to be acceptable; indeed, virtually indistinguishable from an Airport card. After connecting my iMac and 9600 to each other, I was able to quickly and easily transfer files between the two, at a speed only slightly slower than between the iMac and iBook (using official Airport cards on both). I was expecting the USB to be a bigger hindrance, but in tests typical to my home office (several documents at once, and a few larger movie files), the Belkin unit performed admirably. As an added bonus, I'd forgotten that removable media like Zip and Jaz drives (but not, alas, the lowly floppy) can be mounted as volumes via Airport, giving my iMac access to legacy media.

Available online for $74.99 from their webstore, the Belkin costs less than a $79 Airport card, and much less than the PMCIA and PCI adaptors that I've seen offered. Better, installation is a snap and doesn't eat up a valuable internal slot. Best of all, it works with any Mac with a USB port and OS 9.2, giving performance comparable to the Apple-branded item.

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