Having set up a wireless network using fairly modern PCs, I needed something to attach to an older PC that wouldnt accept a PCI wireless adapter and had no USB ports.I found the distinction between Wireless Access Points and Wireless Bridges a little vague(*), but there werent many wireless devices to choose from that would attach directly to an existing 10/100 ethernet port.
- So I plumped for the ME101.
You can get away without installing any software on the PC because its just a case of plug-in-and-go; the wireless setup can be configured using a web browser interface pointed at http://192.168.0.200
However, you will need to install the software if you want realtime monitoring of the signal strength (eg. for best signal location).
Getting the ME101 to share the internet connection on my wireless router was very easy but I struggled for quite a while with the file & printer sharing.
It turns out that file & printer sharing using this device requires a signal strength of at least 60% but ICS will work at nominal levels. I think the reason for this is that the ethernet card on the PC is intolerant of lost packets but Winsock has to be much more forgiving due to the nature of the internet.
Achieving this 60% signal level isnt hard fortunately because the ME101 was reporting 49% in areas where I couldnt get above 10% with other devices. By purchasing a longer patch cable I was able to reposition the bridge to achieve a consistent 76% signal and now it is very reliable. In fact I am especially pleased with the speed of this device - it is significantly faster than the USB adapter I use on another PC.
Overall this was a good buy; configuration is negligible, its very compact and easy to mount on a wall out of the way, and its fast.
[* incidentally, the main difference between a bridge and other wireless adapters appears to be the fact that it isnt necessary to install any drivers on the PC]
