14 DAY TRIAL // Wireless USB transmitters are nothing new. From sticks-like transmitters to external antenna products USB network adapters do their job well as long as you don't expect them to behave like internal transmitters. I say that because generally, due to the small size, the signal boosters are not so powerful, resulting in a smaller coverage area but also in a lower bandwidth.
It is exactly the case of WLI-U2-G144N, the new wireless transmitter coming from Buffalo. We like the fact that it has three integrated antennas but we're not to happy with the fact that it only offers a throughput of about 80Mbps. Taking into account that 802.11n devices can deliver up to 600Mbps, this little fellow doesn't look so good. Expect that transfer rate to drop even more when using multiple connections.
Ok then, with its goods and bads, the product is actually quite a deal since it offers 802.11n services (backwards compatible with b/g) without having to open up your PC in order to install it. Of course, the desktop PC is not its primary target. It's the laptop users who will find it extremely useful as it has a simple USB 2.0 connector and the configuration of the network adapter takes little time. Overall, it's a bargain, at least until Dlink and Linksys 802.11n devices come out.