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Speed 'n' distance

GCN Lab review: Linksys WAP4400N

THE WAP4400N from Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, has been in our hands before, and we can definitely say it performs equally well indoors and out.

Its three antennae extend from a node that sticks out of one corner of the device and rotates 90 degrees, in addition to each individual antenna’s 90-degree rotation and 90-degree elevation.

The WAP4400N can be situated optimally whether the unit is deployed horizontally or vertically. Even though the antennae’s bases are closer together than on other APs, they are longer, and can spread as wide or short as needed. They form the most widely placed array in the review.

We were pleased to find that the WAP4400N can be placed horizontally, vertically with provided stands, or even wall-mounted vertically. This AP is easily the most flexible to set up.

The WAP4400N’s Gigabit Ethernet also has Power over Ethernet (POE) capability — the only one in the review to have it. If the switch you are connecting supports it, you can power the AP through the Ethernet port, which means you don’t have to find a place on your power strips for yet another plug. The status displays on the device consist of LEDs for power, POE, and wireless and Ethernet connections. The Web-based administrator interface gives more detailed information, such as connected devices and transfer totals. It’s easy to use and should be familiar to users of other Linksys devices, as the interface has the same look and feel.

The WAP4400N often had the slowest transfer speeds. It dropped below 4 megabits/sec at 80 feet. Although it was technically second best at 170 feet, it still took more than four minutes to download our 100M test folder.

A retail price of $185 is a little high in our opinion for an AP with transfer speeds as slow as the WAP4400N’s. We feel this device would do reasonably well in a small workgroup environment, where the antennae could be placed optimally for a limited number of users.

Linksys, (800) 546-5797, www.linksys.com