Compex iRE201 Infrared Wireless Access Point
Important issues
As mentioned before we used a Compaq iPAQ in order to test this unit. Once the iRE201 starts to transmit infrared data a light inside the front panel of the iRE201 lights up indicating of the same.
Infrared technology does not transmit data as fast as products based on the 802.11b wireless standard. Furthermore, infrared requires line of sight for it to work efficiently. It’s also limited by range, and it’ll work only upto a range of 3 feet. However Compex includes an optional cable, which increases the range to 6 feet. From testing the data transfer rating we noticed the iPAQ being able receive data around 116.2 Kbps, which is really great since it’s only slightly slower than most cable connections. Yet it’s no where close to 802.11b standard in terms of performance.
We used the iRE201 to check e-mail and internet access. While e-mail access was pretty great, and internet browsing was quite good as well. Only problem though is that, since the processor speed is considerably slow, there are instances where the speed of browsing decreased as more graphics oriented web sites were accessed. Yet it’s still faster than a normal dialup modem line by far.
Conclusion:
This was the first time we ever used a wireless access device for PDA’s, and I must admit that I’m certainly very impressed with what’s offered. The Compex iRE201 wireless access point is priced only at US$99, so it’s no doubt quite cheap as well. It’s cheap, fast and provides wireless access to PDA’s, so what more could you really ask for?
If you’re looking for high-end performance, the iRE201 isn’t the best unit you could go for. 802.11b based wireless cards will provide greater bandwidth and range, however one PCI card costs pretty much the same as the whole iRE 201 wireless access point. It’s really your decision as to what you go for, so think about it carefully and make a wise decision. The only drawbacks I could find of this unit is that the range is quite limited and a 6 feet range might not cut out to some users. Secondly Compex should really look into providing a more extensive user help section in the manual and also should look into making the software installation an automatic installation in consideration of the non-technical folk.
Other than that, I really couldn’t find any fault with this system. It provides a very practical solution at a very reasonable price, which makes it all the more attractive to home and business users. If the minor issues we mentioned does not bother you too much, we would really recommend this product to anyone.
