Linksys Wireless USB Network Adapter with Speedboster Review

Linksys is my favorite manufacturer for networking devices. My family and I have tried only one other company, Netgear, and our experience was horrible. We bought a wireless adapter and it could not connect to our network unless the computer using it was in the same room as our router. Even then the connection was slow.

After we got rid of the Netgear one, we went out and got the WUSB54GS from Linksys. We now own two; this past Christmas I got my father one as a present. It has speeds of up to 54 megabits per second, operates at 2.4 GHz, and supports encryption. Why does it matter at what frequency it operates? Many portable home phones operate at 2.4 GHz as well, so there could be interference between the two.

Continuing with the review, I really can't say enough about this little adapter. And it really is small. It's only about four inches long and can be put just about anywhere on your desk. It can also be put on the wall with sticky spots on the bottom of it. It has a fairly long USB cable which is perfect. I have mine just next to my desk on the opposite side of the computer, and it has plenty of cable. It is very light, but seems pretty durable; I have dropped it on occasion and it's still running great.

My only complaint is the software that comes with the adapter, which includes Linksys' wireless network "monitor," which basically keeps track of the network. It doesn't have many options and at times it doesn't seem to know what's going on. It also has given me some errors on start-up, so if I were you I would use Windows wireless configuration.

Now in normal circumstances I would simply use an Ethernet cable to connect to our router. Since I am on the complete opposite end of the house to where our equipment is located, a wire running down the hallway would be an inconvenience to everyone. This brings me to my next point: the speed and connection on this adapter is great. I am at least 50 feet away from the router and there are many wooden walls for the signal to travel through, but it does it without a problem. Web pages load quickly and download speeds are very fast. I have my computer on a lot, and I have stayed connected to our network with no problems for well over 15 hours at times.

In conclusion, this adapter is a very good buy at around $60. You will most likely have to buy online because we haven't been able to find one in stores for sometime now. If you are in need of a wireless adapter for your computer, the Linksys WUSB54GS is the way to go.