On most notebooks, wireless networking is easy - pop in a suitable PC Card and go. However, if you've used up your PC Card slots, or want wireless on a desktop PC, a USB adaptor like the AWL400 Wireless USB Stick from Benq is a simple alternative.

Little bigger than a USB memory stick, the AWL400 is a Wi-Fi-certified 802.11b adaptor that can be plugged into any available USB socket (1.1 or later). A blue LED shows it's powered up, while a hinge above the connector allows the main body to be positioned.

Alternatively, the USB extension cable supplied allows it to be located remotely. Windows driver software comes on CD-Rom and auto-installs as soon as the disk is inserted, but you need to do this before plugging in the adaptor for the first time.

With Windows XP, the built-in operating system software is used to manage the wireless setup, while on other versions, a custom site survey utility and taskbar icon are installed.

Either way, you can scan for and connect to any available 802.11b wireless local area network and specify the level of Wired Equivalent Privacy encryption and pass phrases.

There's also an ad-hoc mode, to enable the adaptor to communicate directly with other PCs without the need for an access point. It took about five minutes to install the adaptor and connect to the wireless networks, using access points from a number of manufacturers.

Signal strength was on a par with PC Card and PCI adaptors in the same location. Benq claims a maximum indoor range of 100m, but interference and obstructions will reduce this. Still, we had no problems.

The only issues are the lack of support for anything other than Windows. Also, because it's external, it is more likely to be mislaid than an internal adaptor.

Contact: Benq UK 01442 301000
www.benq.co.uk

Specifications:

• Wi-Fi certified 802.11b wireless adaptor
• USB1.1 interface
• 64-/128-bit WEP encryption
• Ad-hoc (peer-to-peer) and infrastructure (access point) operation
• Windows drivers