Wireless adapters for notebook and desktop computers have traditionally come in the PC Card (PCMCIA) format for portables and PCI expansion cards for desktops. USB adapters were initially the laggards as manufacturers had to spend more time to engineer the radio chip and wireless ethernet apparatus into a small enough piece of electronic that could communicate and be powered through USB. That was the story with 802.11b. Now with 802.11g becoming more prevalent, the standard has moved from classic USB 1.1 to the newer USB 2.0 standard. Actiontec’s 54Mbps Wireless USB Adapter will enable wireless output on any notebook or desktop PC with the plug of a USB cable.

Upon opening the product, we received the instruction that we shouldn’t plug the product into our computer until we run the quick setup software CD. True to its word, it only took a few steps for the necessary drivers and software to be installed for Actiontec’s Wireless USB Adapter if you do it in sequence. Strangely, when we headed to the Control Panel to the Add/Remove Programs section afterward, we found two entries for Actiontec software when only one program runs resident on the computer. This utility lets you monitor radio signal strength, conduct simple diagnostics and view lists of available access points.

We conducted our tests on this product on a Dell OptiPlex GX260 workstation with Windows XP SP1 and followed it up with a Toshiba Portege notebook outfitted with Windows XP SP2. The utility behaved in both instances, although wireless functions will be superseded in SP2 (configuring wireless keys, preferred networks) if you rely on Actiontec software. There is no support for Linux or any other alternative PC operating system.

On the encryption side, Actiontec supports 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption. They also provide support for the newer WPA and WPA-PSK formats. In infrastructure mode, the card responded with a throughput from 10-20mbps in an indoor setting. Performance will drop significantly in mixed b/g environments (5-6mbps), and of course, if the workstation is capable of only USB 1.1. For people who want to use the adapter in ad hoc mode, we found the included software and manual to be misleading. Although the documentation does a good job in explaining the difference between infrastructure and ad hoc, and the software identifies ad hoc network connections, nowhere does it explain how to set one up using the USB adapter.

One more thing to add to the checklist of this product is its low power consumption. There’s no need to take an A/C adapter with you. This makes it a good way to turn a less than cutting edge machine into a web terminal by letting you cut free of ethernet cables with relatively little hassle. Actiontec’s Wireless USB solution is easy to install. However, its documentation is a little lacking, particularly when it comes to setting up ad hoc networks. And the absence of Linux support may dampen its appeal to consumers or enthusiasts who may be using open source operating systems. Still, for the majority of Windows users, Actiontec’s Wireless USB Adapter will let you get wireless on your notebook or PC, and get it quickly.