Asus and Planex unveil snazzy new WAPs

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 6th 2006 at 6:42PM

With all this 802.11n hubbub going on, it's refreshing to see a trio of new 802.11b/g wireless access points that have set out to make the WiFi goodness we're used to even better. Planex Communication's GW-AP54SP-P (pictured after the jump) is a two-port WAP that supports automatic power-on functionality when detecting wireless activity, bridge / repeater capability, WPA2 support, and of course, up to 54Mbps transfer speeds. Meanwhile, Asus' latest power duo -- the WL-320gE and WL-320gP -- reportedly provide "up to 850 meters" of open space coverage thanks to their 5dBi high-gain antennas; they also sport SNMP to allow system administrators to manage multiple APs from remote locations, and somehow managed to pass the FCC's oh-so-restrictive transmission guidelines as well. The WL-320gP goes one step further by incorporating power over ethernet (compliant with 802.3af) to "eliminate the hassle of locating a power source." While pricing and release date information wasn't readily available, it's probably safe to assume these WAPs won't demand the same premium as those 802.11n-compatible alternatives -- and at least this trio operates on a standardized protocol, eh?

Read - Planex Communication's GW-AP54SP-P
Read - Asus' WL-320gE / WL-320gP