Product Description

TRENDnet 802.11a/b/g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter w/ HotSpot Detector - Perfect for the mobile computer user, this USB 2.0 wireless adapter is extremely compact, easy to use, and easy to take with you. It supports access to all 3 of the major wireless networking protocols - 802.11a, 802.11g, & 802.11b. It even features a built-in HotSpot detector and LCD status display. Without turning on your laptop, you can see if there's a wireless network in the area, what type of security it has, its signal strength, and what wireless standard it's using. Hotspot Finder displays SSID, Channel, Security Enable/Disable and Signal Strength information Custom Search by Signal Strength, SSID or Encryption Supports 64/128-bit WEP, WPA, & WPA-PSK without Performance Degradation Compatible with Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP (SP1 & SP2), & 2003 Server Range of 35~100 meters indoor, 100~300 meters outdoor (depends on the environment) 3 Year Manufacturer's Warranty

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24986 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: TRENDnet
• Model: TEW-509UB
• Dimensions: .55" h x 1.14" w x 3.82" l, 3.00 pounds
• Networking: Hi-Speed USB

Features

• Supports 802.11a/b/g
• Ad-Hoc (Peer-to-Peer) Mode or Infrastructure (AP-Client) Mode
• Dynamic Data Rate Scaling at 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9, & 6Mbps for 802.11a/g
• Dynamic Data Rate Scaling at 11, 5.5, 2, & 1Mbps for 802.11b
• Built-in Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery (automatically charges when connected to the USB 2.0 port)

Customer Reviews

Great product for the price
Overall this wireless adapter does exactly what it says it will. I had no major problems getting my computer to connect using this product. There have been a few times I've had trouble staying online, but I believe that is due to distance from the router rather than a problem with the adapter. I would recommend this product and would purchase it in the future if I have need of another adapter.

did not expect soccer balls!
I had received the unit with the childish soccerballs all over it. Make sure that before you order, that it is not the 2006 limited edition which has the soccerballs (unless you like them...). Other than that, works great as a locator.

Quirky Install and Vista Crashes Spoil Experience
Performs as expected as a standalone hot spot detector.

Performs as expected on Windows XP. Installation was quirky though. After driver installation, inserting into USB slot it wasn't recognized at all. Fiddled around for awhile and it finally detected the device. Had to disable the notebook's builtin wireless before XP recognized the device.

Client software does not detect a device under Windows Vista RC2. I assume this will be true for Windows Vista RTM too. Inserting the device into a Windows Vista RC2 system often completely froze Windows Vista (had to hold down power button for complete reboot). Had to disable the notebook's builtin wireless before Vista recognized the device.

I recommend using a Linksys WUSBF54G device instead. The reviews are consistantly excellent.

Update: 14 Oct 2006: Bought a Linksys WUSBF54G for direct comparison. Appears that the TrendNet and Linksys devices are so similar that they must be made by the same OEM or reference design. As expected, evaluation results are similar.

1. Both devices seem to have same sensitivity, similar to notebook's internal wireless card.
2. TrendNet device doesn't have Windows XP signed drivers so an extra click during install is requried. Also installing on new USB ports requires extra clicks.
3. TrendNet device supports 801.11a whereas Linksys does not.
4. TrendNet device sometimes crashes Vista Ultimate RC2.
5. Neither device's software client works under Vista Ultimate RC2. This isn't a deal breaker for me as they both work under Vista Ultimate RC2 networking as a USB wireless key. You just lose the client software feature.
6. The Linksys has a somewhat useful backlit LCD, TrendNet does not.
7. Both devices work as standalone hotspot locators equal well.
8. In hotspot mode, both devices show SSID, channel number, encryption mode, etc.

Conclusion: For XP, I recommend the TrendNet. Save the extra money. For Vista, I recommend the Linksys device as it never crashed Vista Ultimate RC2 whereas TrendNet device was gave occasional freezes.