USB Showdown - Certified Wireless USB vs. ExtremeUSB

The second wave of Wireless USB hubs is hitting the retail shelves recently, and PCWorld has put two hubs to the test from different standards: Icron's Extreme and Certified Wireless USB. These hubs basically eliminate the single cable that connects them to the computer. All other USB peripherals still plug into the wireless hub. So depending on your need, removing just one cable may not be as appealing as having everything wireless. The conclusion of the review seems to favor the IOGear 4-port solution.

The IOGear adapter / hub - based on the Ultra-wideband CWUSB specs - offers decent performance at 250Mbps at between 10 to 15 feet, yet limits support to XP. The Gefen adapter / hub communicates using 2.4Ghz 802.11g WiFi so you get a lot better range at the expense of speed. Transferring a 59MB file took more than half an hour to complete. The Gefen also masks itself as a generic USB hub, in contrast to the IOGear which requires two rounds of driver setup. This means you can use it in virtually any platforms.

Filed under USB Hubs & Peripheral Sharing

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