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D-Link's USB-Powered Access Point
Roger Ryder writes "D-Link announced the AirPlus G DWL-G730AP Wireless Pocket Router/AP, a pocket Access Point for travelers. It can be powered by a USB cable and works as an 802.11g access point, client or router. A 3-way configuration switch on the bottom of the unit changes the mode of operation. In AP mode, the DWL-G730AP can be used to create a wireless network in a room where a single Ethernet port is provided. In Router mode, it can be used to share a single broadband Internet connection. The internal DHCP server automatically assigns IP addresses to ensure everyone in the room can connect to the Internet. It supports VPN Pass-through and firewall features including Network Address Translation (NAT) and MAC filtering to protect your wireless network from malicious attacks. When set in Wireless Client mode, the device allows connection to an existing wireless network, without having to install complicated drivers or additional software. For added mobility, the DWL-G730AP can be powered over USB if power outlets are not available. Similar devices are available from ASUS, SMC, Apple's AirPort Express and Netgear."
Or are you happy to see me?
This looks like another ad/press release. First the Nokia phone, now a wifi product. Why are these getting approved?
So, when I'm on the road in a hotel I can plug this into my USB port, then plug an Ethernet cable into it and surf wirelessly? Oh... except for the Ethernet cable plugged into my USB port.
World's tallest building rises in the desert
Hang out for an hour, record the packets, go home and extract email passwords, etc...
This would probably work in an apartment complex, etc as well
Agile Artisans
Looks like D-Link's been doing its homework.
I recently bought a D-Link 802.11g+ card. The loaf at Best Buy expressed doubts about whether D-Link's 108Mbps "protocol" (compression, etc on regular g) would work with Netgear's 108Mbps protocol and he suggested I buy the same company's brand for the entire network.
Naturally, I ignored him. It works fine.
If D-Link can keep making devices that perform reliably and interact correctly with those of other manufacturers, I say "Great!"
This seems to serve the same purpose as the AirPort Express for the business traveller except that it has a separate power supply (unless you want to tether yourself to it with a USB cable). The fact that the power supply is not built in seems to me to limit its utility quite a lot. Given it costs 80% as much as the AirPort and also lacks the printer sharing (and non-sequitur music streaming) I have a hard time seeing this being a commercial success.
If intelligent life is too complex to evolve on its own, who designed God?
However, this is the AirPort Express webpage.
The only use I see for this is LAN parties on Planes/Busses/Trains. I am sure the person in the seat next to me would enjoy it when my buddy from the back of the plane storms up and throws a glass of coke at me screaming "STOP AWPING NOOB!". ;)
The fact that this could also screw up plane communications and positioning equipment is irrevelant. No one ever uses that stuff anyway...
Even the bed example is not a best fit; business travelers are usually tired enough, and they spend more time in restaurants (between 6pm and midnight) than in bed.
Even more detached from reality is the claim that you can share the connection. Sure you can, but with who? When you travel you have your room to yourself. I don't see any scenario when a bunch of people suddenly needs to share some Internet connection. I travel with other people sometimes, and we have notebooks... but sneakernet with USB flash disks is the media of choice; besides, we all have Internet access in our rooms, often included into the bill which we don't pay ourselves anyway, along with newspapers which we don't have time or desire to read.
This device may be useful to someone - anything is useful to someone, somewhere. But when I travel I need an Access Point much less than a spare battery, for example, or a stack of CDs. I do not need this AP on the road, and I don't know anyone who would need it.
Besides, most of business travelers are sales people, not very familiar with computers and rightfully afraid to mess with them. These guys know how to turn the thing on and how to start their PowerPoint presentation, and that's pretty much all they know. The good part is that they don't even need to know more.
PCTel's Segue Soft Access Point Module (SAM) is a clever piece of software that turns any LAN-connected PC into a Wi-Fi wireless access point. Given the low price of Wi-Fi APs (typically $60 or less), SAM might not appear to make economic sense. But SAM's price is even lower: Several motherboard and wireless chipset makers have purchased licenses to include SAM with their products, making SAM effectively free to end users. And for setting up a temporary AP in a hotel room, meeting room, or the like, it's a darn clever solution.
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
two notes:
1. the mobile hub feature can be useful. traveling with two powerbooks, my wife and i frequently use a single network access (dialup, ethernet) in hotels, sharing it from one machine over ad hoc wlan
2. well, with a powerbook (or stationary mac with airport card), you get this option built in, without any hassle with a separate device or dlls from hell...
(please insert your apple rant here:... thanks.)
would be an ethernet-powered access-point: just one plug for an Ethernet port, and it bridges and/or NATs onto that connection.
I don't know how much power you can safely draw over Ethernet. Maybe it's not enough. But it would be cool if it worked.
Probably the best way to connect securely when traveling cheaply is to boot a cyber cafe computer from a Knoppix CD. That way you can be certain there are no keystroke recorders installed by some previous user. Basically, you will want to check your bank accounts and get your email from a web-based client. So Knoppix gives you everything you need: an OS and a browser.
There might still be a problem with a hardware-based keystroke recorder, but that level of expertise is unlikely, I think. A thief who could do that could get a good job, and wouldn't need to be a thief.
Well, you can use 802.11g instead of just b, you don't have to tie up a computer as a dedicated access point, you don't have to have kernel source lying around to install it, and it probably uses less power and generates less noise than a computer.
I like hostAP, but its not the easiest or best solution in all circumstsances.
-jim
It's not a fucking ad. It's slightly interesting. How else would have you found out about this AND gotten to hear comments about it, anyway.
Even if it is an ad, what right do you have to complain. You're not paying for slashdot. Go elsewhere if you don't like it. I'm a subscriber (read: I pay money to see slashdot) and I love articles like this. Okay!?
This is becoming the new cliché on slashdot... "this is an ad... slashdot sucks... whine whine"
It's been said so many times that it's not interesting, insightful, or funny. That makes it -1 Redundant.
My other car is first.
Well, let me give a real-world application that I have used...
At E3 this year, four of us were sharing two rooms, but we were doing all of our work in one room. Three of us had laptops, and we all would be doing work that would have required wireless internet. We knew our room would have internet access via ethernet, so I had brought along a full-size D-Link access point/router so that all three of us could use the internet access via wireless at the same time. Having one of these devices (or preferably an AirPort Express, had they been out at the time) would have saved me some room in my laptop bag.
Just my $.02...
I've been reading slashdot since 1998. These two stories from michael today have got to be the lamest entries I've ever seen on here. I'm very disappointed. At least this one isn't as bad as the Nokia one.
I would like to plug some of my company's products too.
-Lod
Has no one in this thread ever heard of peer to peer?
All the examples of "I could have used this when..." could easily have been solved by simply setting your wireless cards into peer mode and making an ad hoc wireless network. This is quick and easy with every network client app I have seen; does no one use this feature or what?
Why is this device any better than just bridging your ethernet to your wireless peer network?
I work as a Sales Engineer for an enterprise software company, and I can think of a number of uses for this type of product. Just to clarify, a 'Sales Engineer' is generally someone who is in charge of all pre-sales engineering duties, such as requirements gathering, proof of concept, etc.
First of all, I do a lot of work in hotel rooms, and I like to take advantage of the mobility of my laptop. I hate working at the cramped desk that most hotels give you, so I usually end up working on the bed, and wireless would be very helpful. Second, I feel that using a hardware NAT router in a hotel room is a 'Good Thing'. Yes, some of the software firewalls are nice, and will keep you protected - I feel however that the additional security layer is nice judging by the sort of activity that I see on the LANs of most hotels. Third, business travelers often have need for impromptu meetings while on the road. With this unit everyone can share a single ethernet jack to get some work done. Finally, the reason that might be most relevant only to other SE's like me....for a lot of proof-of-concept or demo environments it is imperative that you carry a router and other gear to emulate real world network conditions for your presentation/demonstration. This sure beats carrying a full-sized Linksys.
Consider yourself enlightened.
\/\/oobie
I don't see any scenario when a bunch of people suddenly needs to share some Internet connection.
How about a team of CPA's in for a large company's audit and certification of financials? Or sales tax investigators doing a large audit? A team of programmers in for a database migration? I bet the insurance company response teams in Florida could even have benefitted from such a device. Once you start thinking along these lines, the list starts growing and growing.
Just a few weeks ago my family and I, along with two other families spent a week vacationing in some cabins at a camping resort. I brought 4 notebooks and a LinkSys WAP along with some multiplayer games. It rained two nights in a row, but the kids had a blast playing games. We had quite a crowd of family, friends and even passers-by hooting and hollering on our front porch.
This got me to thinking how nice it would be if I could find a tiny AP to carry in my daily bag for similar purposes. Granted, most cheap AP's aren't that big, but this D-Link device looks small enough to fit in one of the unused diskette pockets in my bag, and since its USB-powered, I can leave the power-supply at home.
--- A man with a briefcase can steal more money, than any man with a gun. [Don Henley]