| D Link AirPlus DWL-900AP+ Wireless 22MBPS Access Point |
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Model: 900AP+
Brand: D-Link
Manufacturer: D-Link
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 41
Platforms: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 5, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, Windows
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: IEEE 802.11b
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| Features: |
4 different operation modes
Auto IP address assignment
Fully 802.11b compatible
Up to 22 Mbps with AirPlus Products
3-year warranty |
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| Description: |
| D-Link, the industry pioneer in wireless networking, introduces another performance breakthrough in wireless connectivity - the D-Link AirPlus series of high-speed networking products capable of data transfer rates up to 22 Mbps. The D-Link AirPlus DWL-900AP+ is an enhanced 802.11b Wireless Access Point featuring advanced silicon chip design from Texas Instruments, utilizing their patented Digital Signal Processing technology.The DWL-900AP+ can be configured to perform in any one of four modes - as a wireless access point, as a point-to-point bridge with another access point, as a point-to-multi-point wireless bridge, or as a wireless client. It also includes an embedded DHCP server that once enabled will automatically assign IP addresses to wireless clients. It also eliminates the need for a separate DHCP server on the network. This unique feature is ideal for quickly creating a wireless local area network whether in offices or other workplaces or a temporary network at trade shows or other events. The DWL-900AP+ also features 256-bit WEP encryption for a higher level of security for your data and wireless communications. |
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| User Reviews (41 total): |
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Worked for five days..., January 26, 2004
By user (Houston, TX USA)
I did a lot of research on wireless access points, and this one was very highly rated. It was easy to install and fairly easy to configure using D-Link's web based interface. Unfortunately, the device only worked well for five days. Then I upgraded the firmware - and things went downhill. The signal strength became very inconsistent: Excellent one moment, fair the next, then poor, etc. It was all over the map - even when the wireless client remained stationary. I spent hours trying to fix it. D-Link's telephone tech support people were not particularly helpful. It sounded like they didn't know one product from another. Email tech support merely regurgitated what is posted on the website. I finally gave up, decided to return it, and bought a Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router. It is less expensive, easier to configure, performs more consistently, and does the job of both a router and wireless access point - so I've now got one less device to manage. The D-Link may work for you. But if it doesn't, my advice is not to waste a lot of time trying to fix it.
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Working Flawlessly For Over One Year - NO Problems!!!, January 11, 2004
By user (Ottawa, IL USA)
I installed the DWL-900AP+ into an existing 'wired' network to connect my Dell laptop with a D-Link DWL-650+ PC card. The DWL-900AP+ is plugged into a D-Link Hub, that is hooked up to my network server. Installation/setup was extremely easy! I did my homework first! I read all the reviews and documentation that I could find online, THOROUGHLY read the instructions...a couple of times...then went through everything step-by-step! Everything worked FLAWLESSLY!!! The DWL-900AP+ has been powered-up CONTINUOUSLY 24/7 for over thirteen months...NO problems at all!!! Signal strength, link quality, and range are all excellent. It is mounted 7 feet above floor-level on the front inside wall of my home, and I can easily surf the 'net throughout the entire house, and from the backyard and garden area of our property (approx. 150 ft). Signal strength and link quality drop a little, but the drop is negligible! Our home isn't paper-thin either! All the interior walls are plaster and lathe, covered by thick wood paneling and 3/4" knotty pine planking. The exterior is 3/4" pine with 3/4" lap-board siding...covered by insulated aluminum siding! It is a THICK house!!! However the D-Link wireless AP and PC card work GREAT!!! I highly recommend D-Link for ALL of your networking needs!!! I'm the network administrator at work, and have had some experience with several brands...and in my estimation, D-Link Rules!!!
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Strong Signal and Simple Install, November 7, 2003
By user (Portland, OR)
First I set this up in about 5 minutes and the connection to my laptop was almost instant. Then I tested how far I could be away from this AP and my laptop would still be connected. I was surprised that I could be anywhere in my home. I read so many other reviews that say they had bad range, but this works great in my home. Maybe it all depends on your environment/home/work.Security is strong with the 256-bit WEP and MAC filtering. I think this is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a wireless network and doesn't want to spend a lot of money. Plus you get top shelf security and speed in the 802.11b spectrum.
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Used as a Repeater to Extend Wireless Coverage, November 5, 2003
By user
I have this setup in my hallway right next to my thermostat mounted and it blends well with pictures and thermostats. I have it setup as a repeater which repeats the signal of my DI-614+ (D-Link) that is on the other side of the house. And because there is so many walls from the one side of the house to my bedroom this repeater makes sure I don't drop signal when on my laptop in my bedroom. This was very easy to setup in repeater mode and doesn't need any further configuring once configured and placed where you want it. I've never had to reboot, touch, or re-configure this since the first day I bought it. Although I have upgraded firmware over a wireless connection like D-Link recommends not to do, but so far I guess I've been lucky.Overall I am very pleased and know this is a purchase well worth it's price.
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A Great Access Point that Outperforms All Others, October 29, 2003
By user
Ever since this arrived on my doorstep I've been wondering how I didn't have wireless before. This one AP has so many options it is almost rediculous. I use this just as a straight access point for my laptop and I can be outside on my laptop and still connect at 22Mbps with fast speeds. I've actually been playing games online with my laptop while outside.There are options for this router for RADIUS server settings, 802.11x, WPA, and more advanced options like this. You can do bridging, multi-point bridging, or set this up as a wireless client. You can choose which antenna you want to use (internal or external, or both), you can choose how much power output for the wireless to lower the range to just one room, plus there is a 4x mode which increases your data rates higher if you have other D-Link products. This is simply a very robust and reliable access point that can do so much more than "normal" access points. I like it mainly for it's range, speed, and reliability. I think you will like this AP as well.
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Use 2 of these to connect to neighbors., October 23, 2003
By user (San Bernardino, CA)
My neighbor and I created a network together. I put this in my window facing his house and he puts one in his window and we get to have our home networks connected to each other. Now we can share files quicker, play games against each other, and stream videos from each others' collections. The setup is easy, you barely have to mess with these once setup and they just keep working.
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A Perfect WAP, October 1, 2003
By user
This wireless AP is a perfect addition to any network. It can do so many things right out of the box and do things it does. The wireless range alone is worth buying this AP. I can get wireless internet anywhere in my home and if I set it out my front window I can go down the street about 2 houses down and still get a connection. A neighbor of mine bought one of these as well and was facinated by it as I was. So we tested out bridging our networks together and found that with a clear line of sight his network can be connected to mine from 3 houses down and across the street. Or he can set his as a wireless acess point and I will set mine as a wireless client and I can receive his signal just fine. Either way it's fun to have this piece of hardware lying around. I use mine as an AP and access the internet securly with 256-bit WEP enabled on both my laptop and this AP. I can access the internet from any room in my home and I can't thank this little device enough for freeing me and my laptop up from cables!
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Read the manual before purchasing., September 29, 2003
By user
The manual tells you what the datasheet doesn't tell you such as that the product does NOT work as anything other than an AP unless you use it with other D-Link products. The datasheet says it supports five modes with a warning that the repeating mode works only with some of their products. The truth is other modes like bridging or wireless client also require D-Link products on the other end. Basically, this product cannot behave like a standard 802.11b client device. The execuse they use in the manual is wireless client is not a part of 801.11b standard, which does not make sense to me because then what on earth their 802.11b NIC implements.If you are looking for a cheap ethernet-to-wireless bridge, rethink before buying this one. I give it three stars because it does a fine job as an AP.
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4x Mode Works ... Like a Fox!, September 24, 2003
By user
With this 900AP+ in AP mode I can get about 6-7Mbps real throughput with my laptop and DWL-650+ plugged into it. Then when I enable the 4x mode on my laptop and the 900AP+ I can boost the speed up to 10-11Mbps! I am amazed at this easy to do speed boost. Plus there is no downside, that I see, to having the 4x mode always enabled. Everything else works fine when the 4x mode is enabled. 256-bit WEP is a nice feature, and I haven't had the chance or need to use this in its other modes yet, so I can't speak for those.It was generally easy to setup and the instructions are fine. The setup wizard really makes it quick and easy to get working.
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A Quality Access Point, September 23, 2003
By user
I thought all of the reviews I've been seeing online about this AP from big name websites was just marketing hype. But after actually purchasing this AP and using it, I can see that it is all mostly true. I do get faster 802.11b speeds with the 4x firmware enabled, I do get slightly better range than other 11b APs, and yes there is 256-bit WEP that doesn't degrade speed when enabled. I wasn't a believer until I bought it. The setup was a breeze since all you have to do is use the setup wizard. The WEP encryption was a 3 step easy to do process. And the different modes this thing has is very useful in different situations. I am considering buying another one of these and so is my neighbor so we can hook our networks together and play some games and share files easier. Overall this is very easy to use and it does provide what the box says it will.
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An Extremely Useful WAP, September 18, 2003
By user
With this wireless access point in place I get very fast speeds with my DWL-650+ laptop adapter card. I also get exceptional range with this WAP and my laptop card.There are many more uses for this WAP from D-Link, but I only need it to act as a wireless access point. And this inexpensive WAP does just what it is supposed to do for cheap, plus it can do more later.
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Poor instructions, poor quality., September 17, 2003
By user
I'm a technical guy and found the setup of this unit quite frustrating. I recommend that you *don't* buy this unit based on the following points:*Device crashed after 3 months of operating and says it needs a firmware upgrade. It won't accept a firmware update and now has become unconfigurable and useless. *Manual is poor and even online help for unit has major holes. You must go to the D-Link support site to get the real answers. *It appears that little testing was done to ensure that all of the operating modes work properly. I used client mode and found that in certain cases the router was entering a race condition and crashing itself and the DI-614+ (supported wireless router) it was communicating with. This problem somehow magically fixed itself after several restarts. Even with the 900AP+ in client mode my laptop attempts to associate with the device via wireless - doesn't seem right. *Deceptive marketing. 4x mode only works when bridging between two 900AP+ units and only in bridge mode. Bridge mode only works between two 900AP+ units. When this unit was working the performance was good but the overall stability and reliability is poor - 2 stars.
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A Very Good Wireless Access Point., September 12, 2003
By user
I suggest after you get everything all set up that you use the site survey button that is within the administration pages to search for other AP signals in your area. This way you can see what channels other people are using and then configure yours to NOT use one of those channels. This helps with connection stability, range, and other difficulties. Use Channel 1, 6, or 11 if you can. Also make sure to turn on the WEP encryption so that others don't accidently connect to your AP or you don't accidently connect to theirs. I had these problems, which aren't the products fault, but just that wireless is so popular now-a-days every one has it, and if everyone has it then there is bound to be interference. So help yourself and do a little site survey and arm yourself with knowledge. Everything I've encountered with this DWL-900AP+ has been good. Fast 22Mbps speeds, Good Range (except I wish I didn't have so many walls inbetween this AP and my bedroom.), Good interopability with other brands, and setup is nice and easy.
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Useful Capabilities - Very Versitile, September 10, 2003
By user
I like being able to use this as an AP, but sometimes I will bring it to LAN parties so a friend and I can get some wireless bridging going on, or setup 2 APs so everyone can have some wireless access. Sometimes we will set them in bridge mode and add on a high gain antenna then bridge our networks together from house to house. he lives down the block in plain sight so everything works great.
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Headache, August 21, 2003
By user
This product seems to work in client mode with my Linksys 802.11b access point. However, it does not work with my Philips MC-i200 Streamium stereo and I'm finding out that the stereo does not work with any D-Link ethernet product. The stereo works perfectly fine with my Linksys router, so there obviously is a compatibility issue with D-Link's firmware. Tech support as usual is hours of hold time and they really are of no help; they basically regurgitate what is on their website, and then eventually leave you with the statement, "just return the product". Certainly doesn't sound like a company that would like to fix problems.
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Looks cool, but has a lot of problems., August 7, 2003
By user (Redmond, Wa United States)
First off, I want to say that setting this thing up isn't that difficult. However, it is mind-numbingly tedious and can be absolutely maddening when you are trying to configure it work with your existing network and end up having to reset it due to making a mistake. Where I ran into problems was after it was setup. My wireless enabled computers where getting kicked off the wireless network on a consistent basis whenever I was trying to download anything large. One example of this is Windows Update... I finally had to resort to plugging an Ethernet cable into my computers in order to finish them. In my opinion, the performance of this adapter is simply unacceptable.
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Misled, July 31, 2003
By user
I have to return mine because they tout their 5 operating mode but never mentioned anywhere in their manual or sales literature about the following that appears on their website. When the DWL-900AP+ is set to Client or Repeater mode, it can connect to the following products:
DWL-800AP+
DWL-900AP+
DWL-1000AP+
DI-614+
DI-764
DI-754 (with DWL-650+ adapter)
DI-714P+ It will not connect to the following:
DWL-900AP
DWL-6000AP
DI-711
DI-713
DI-713P
DI-714 Note: We do not support connectivity to non D-Link products. Bridging, Client, and Repeater modes are not part of the Wi-Fi Certification.
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Works great on my all Win2K network, July 22, 2003
By user
I use IE6.0 to access the web based configurator of the 900AP+ and I never have any problems configuring it. I also have a 2.4Ghz phone that creates no noticable interfearence with my wireless network. I can get a good enough signal to make web browsing bearable from across the street. I didn't think this would do that, but it does. I turn down the signal so that nobody driving by can pick up my network, but I am still able to access my network from anywhere in my aprtment. The speeds are super fast when I am indoors with my laptop. I could probably even share this with my neighbor if I wanted to. but I don't know them, so I turned on WEP encryption and nobody can get in now. I recommend this AP to anyone who wants fast speeds, good range, and reliability.
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Lots of choices with what to use this as ..., July 18, 2003
By user
This can be used as many things, but I like it as a plain ol' Access Point. 22Mbps plus 4x speeds, plus great range, plus signal strength control, plus 256-bit WEP, plus MAC filtering, equals a great stand alone AP. I plug this into my 4 port router and access it with my DWL-650+ from D-Link and get fast 22Mbps speeds with a generous roaming range. Setup and general configuration/use is super easy.
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Works Great as a Repeater to a DI-614+, July 10, 2003
By user
I use this soley as a wireless repeater of a DI-614+ to get better coverage in my 2000 sq. ft. home. Without this repeater I wouldn't be able to get signal in my bedroom about 200 ft away from my office where the 614+ sits.It was easy to set up and I never have to do anything to maintain it. I even kept it in my attic so you can't even see it. I just works. Like it is supposed to.
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