Wireless-B Game Adapter

Look no wires!

I don’t have many pet peeves in my life, but my biggest one has to do with wires. It drives me insane to look behind a TV or PC and see wire tangled up into one huge knot. I think the reason is because it seems like when something goes wrong with a PC or anything electronic I am one of the first people that they call to for help. Then when I see behind the desk/entertainment center and see that knot I cringe as I know I will have to untangle it to find out what the problem actually is.

The advent of wireless technology has been great lately, with it becoming more secure, faster, and easier to use for those “less technically inclined” individuals. Since wireless networking didn’t become popular, and price friendly until recently, this current generation of consoles that have networking devices are all “wired,” meaning that you have to physically have the CAT 3 or CAT 5 cable plugged into the console and into a hub or router. This has been a cause for concern for many gamers who have already switched their LAN infrastructure to a wireless setup. How will they get access to online gaming without having messy wires dangling everywhere? Well StarTech has the answer for you and it is called the GAMES511WB (802.11b Wireless Gaming Adapter.)

The installation of this product is extremely easy, but before you can use it you MUST have a wireless router or hub that has an active Internet connection and is compliant with the IEEE 802.11b or IEEE 802.11g standard. After you take the product out of the box you will see the adapter, antenna, power supply; then you must plug everything into the proper place.

Plug the GAME511WB into the console then turn your console on. Make sure that the “Head to Head” LED light is not on. You know you have a connection to the Internet if the online mode status is lit and green. Then proceed to play your game online.

For testing this network adapter I played MechAssault and Crimson Skies on the Xbox, and Tony Hawk Underground and Madden 2005 on the Playstation 2. As you many know, MechAssault and Crimson Skies are very action intensive and any lag in the game can kill you in an instant. The game adapter plugged away flawlessly. At times I ran into some lag, but it was never enough to ruin the game experience for me. The same can be said of the games I tested on the Playstation 2, they all ran flawlessly.

One thing that might concern you is the price of this little beauty. To own one of these devices will set you back around $92.00. This might be a big turn off to some of you more price sensitive gamers out there, especially during this time of year, with the “holiday game rush” looming upon us. Even though the price is on the steep side, it performs and is worth the price, especially if you are trying to clean up some of the clutter around your gaming consoles.

Pros:
This network adapter is extremely easy to set up, basically just plug it in and go! How much easier can you ask for?

Another thing that this device offers is a “head to head” mode for those who do not have access to a router. What this means is that you can have a “LAN” experience without owning a router/hub. At the time of this review I only had one of these devices so I didn’t get a chance to test this feature.

Cons:
The only real con is that this adapter is based off the IEEE 802.11b standard instead of the faster 802.11g. This means that the Internet connection might be a little bit slower than you might be a custom to. The price of this little gadget is also on the steep side.

Verdict: 8.5
The GAMES511WB adapter is really a good product for all of you who have ditched the wires and become wireless. While it doesn’t offer the “g” protocol, this piece of hardware is extremely easy to use and setup. Even though the price might turn you off, this is one piece of equipment that I am proud to own. For pricing you can go to the official StarTech website.