US Robotics MaxG Router

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the wireless networking market over the past few months you will have noticed terms such as Pre-N,Mimo (multiple input, multiple output) and Super G being bandied around.These new technologies are designed to give you better performance and coverage than standard 802.11g kit.

US Robotics has decided not to go down the Super G or Mimo route and has instead opted to stick with what 802.11g has to offer. However, as the name MaxG would suggest, its new range of routers and wireless adapters still offer increased transfer speeds and range.

During testing, we managed to achieve just over 30Mbit/s – a decent improvement on current 802.11g devices. Similarly, range was boosted by roughly 50 percent. This means you’ll be able to transfer files quicker over your network and stray further from your router without losing the connection. Bear in mind that the signal decreases as you move away from the router and, since most broadband connections are under 2Mbit/s, you won’t experience faster web surfing.

Despite these improvements over 802.11g, MaxG can’t quite match up to Mimo devices we’ve seen. Although the speeds are similar, Mimo kit almost doubles the coverage that MaxG offers.

The MaxG router houses a couple of interesting features, most notably the USB port that allows you to attach any standard USB printer to serve as a network printer. We were also impressed with the installation process. Unlike all other routers we’ve seen, the MaxG router will turn on WEP security by default and prompt you for a passcode when you first set it up. If you want to experience the increased speed and range across your network, you’ll need MaxG wireless adapters for all your
PCs and notebooks. USB adapters, PCI cards and PC cards are all available for £45. Furthermore,there’s no built-in modem, so you’ll need an Ethernet broadband modem to use the MaxG router – an integrated ADSL modem version is expected soon.

Although Mimo is able to offer better coverage, US Robotics’s range of MaxG kit is relatively cheap and includes some decent features.

Also consider:
Belkin Wireless Pre-N Router