Belkin Surf Wireless Micro USB adapter

Upgrading the wireless network capability of a notebook isn’t possible unless you add a new USB adapter.

But the problem with these is that they usually protrude several centimetres out of the side or back of the notebook they’re plugged into. This makes them easy to dislodge, and knocking them can damage both the adapter and the USB port.

Belkin’s tiny new adapter weighs just nine grams and fits perfectly inside the diameter of a £1 coin. When inserted it only sticks out about 6mm, making it possible in most cases to leave it permanently plugged in with little risk of damage.

The adapter supports the latest 802.11n Wifi standard (although only up to 150Mbits/sec speeds rather than the full 300Mbits/sec), and is also compatible with older standards.

It was a simple plug-and-play upgrade, with the added convenience of not having to remove it every time you pack the notebook away.

It supports the WPS (Wifi Protected Setup) system for easy one-click connections, and includes a driver CD for Windows XP (SP2 and above), Vista (32/64-bit) and Windows 7 (32/64-bit).

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