The Perfect Solution To My Rather Unique Networking Problem

My home office network is a hybrid affair; part wired, part Wireless operating at 54Mbps. While my various servers are part of the wired portion of the network, several workstations/Laptops are all wireless including my primary work station; it "speaks" to the network via a Linksys wireless access point, which in turn clones another Linksys wireless access point/router in the room that houses my servers. The Wireless-G access point in turn feeds a 5-port Ethernet switch. Attached to the switch are my primary workstation, a HP L7680 AIO, and a laptop I use to VPN into my business network via a category 5 cable. None of these devices has a wireless adapter.

But the cloning procedure leaves my wireless communications unsecure. Though I took steps to secure the network, I still wanted to institute at least WAP-Personal level security, but still take advantage of an Ethernet switch and Wireless-G communications. I needed a device that would fulfill my various requirements at a comfortable price-point.

Enter the Linksys Wireless-G WET200 Wireless Ethernet Bridge. The WET200 operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, and supports the following wireless protocols: 802.11b and 802.11g. The silver and black WET200 can transmit and receive networking traffic in a range of 1 – 54Mbps.

I choose the WET200 for a number of reasons: 1. Because the bridge operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the same frequency band I currently use for my wireless communications; 2. the Ethernet bridge houses a 5-port Ethernet 10/100 Mbps switch; 3. the bridge incorporates the latest wireless security protocols, and; 4. the WET200 seamlessly repeats the wireless transmission of any WAP.

Simplicity in a Silver Box

The Linksys WET200 seamlessly bridges separate Ethernet networks together wirelessly and is ideal for my type of situation wherein different segments of the network are separated by rooms or distance. The WET200 is a Power over Ethernet (PoE) end device meaning it can be powered by a Category 5 or 6 Ethernet cable, which alleviates the need for a power outlet, because PoE enables delivery of both data and power to the WET200. However, Linksys does include a power adapter in the box with the WET200.

The WET200 can utilize the flawed Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP), but as I mentioned above the bridge also incorporates advanced security features into its design, these include: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2 Enterprise) with up to 256-bit AES encryption using EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) and WAP Personal with up to 128-bit TKIP encryption.

The WET200 also adds additional support for Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and Port Mirroring making the bridge an enterprise ready solution. Linksys’s RangeBooster technology is also incorporated extending the standard Wireless-G signal range up to two times and throughput by up to 35%. Remote Administration of the bridge can be accomplished via HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP 1, 2c, or SNMP 3 protocols.

Installation

Installing the WET200 is nearly effortless. Linksys has taken great pains to make the installation process simple and straight forward. Upon unpacking the box, the first thing you’ll notice about the WET200 is the handsome distinctive brushed silver with black accents, a marked departure from the blue/black color scheme inherent to most other Linksys products. The WET200 is fitted with dual (removable) antennae and a limited number of front panel yellow LED’s. These LED’s relay vital information to the user, such as port activity, wireless communications, and power.

There is no software to install; simply plug the WET200 into a free Ethernet port on a computer or laptop and follow the setup instructions. Step 1: find a wireless network to attach to; Step 2: institute security; Step 3: configure as desired including assigning the bridge a static IP address (default is DHCP).

After the configuration of the Linksys WET200 was accomplished I queried it via the ping utility for the next hour just to ensure its continued operation. I then removed it from the computer Ethernet port and made it part of my network. All told it took me less than 10 minutes to setup and configure the WET200; simple and easy.

First Impressions

I am really impressed! Most of the reviews I had read about this product—professional and otherwise—touted the WET200’s sterling performance. And after a few days use, I have to agree, this product—thus far—is a clear winner.

Under real-world conditions, the Linksys Wireless-G WET200’s performance exceeds my expectations. Various internal controls allow me to control the flow through each Ethernet port; and I can configure port-mapping, QOS, and other advanced switch related features through the easy to use web interface.

The WET200 is capable of automatically dropping its data transfer rate as the signal from the connected wireless clients becomes weaker, thus maintaining connection. When at the extreme range of the clients the WET200 can drop down as far as 1Mbps, which is still within acceptable limits for surfing the web and working with documents, but little else.

Conclusion

The Linksys Wireless-G WET200 is a phenomenal product. If you are looking for a solid wireless Ethernet bridge with a 5-port switch that incorporates the latest wireless technologies look no further than the Linksys Wireless-G WET200’s. The attractive silver design was just the utility I needed to connect the two separate regions of my hybrid network.