HyperGain® Range Extender Antenna: The best $15 fix for your wireless LAN I've ever seen

reviewed by Michael Day

We get a lot of different products in for review, ranging in value from a few dollars up into the thousands of dollars. This little jewel is on the lower end of the scale, but don't let the low cost fool you - it's dramatically under priced for the network performance increase it delivers.

Our office layout is one of the most difficult for wireless signals to propagate throughout that I have come across. It may be the mix of glass, steel substructure and concrete, combined with corners everywhere that makes it almost impossible to get a 2.4GHz signal from our wireless access point (WAP) to a computer 40 feet away. I don't really know - it's not like there is much I could do about it if I did. And now, thanks to the HyperGain Range Extender antenna, I don't have to.

It doesn't get much simpler than unscrewing the old antenna and screwing on the new one to upgrade the range capability of our Wireless-G router. Don't pass on this if you're still using 802.11b because it also uses the 2.4GHz ISM band, and this antenna would be a worthy investment for you as well. As a matter of fact, it could even be used for Bluetooth devices as long as you can connect them together.

The antenna comes complete with a five foot long cable and is attached to a magnetic base. I found the magnetic base to be extremely powerful and will even allow it to be attached upside down without a problem. Just don't put it too close to a television or floppy disks - you may regret it.

A few words of caution if you decide to order this great little product: know your connector type. Check to make sure you are ordering the correct type and size of connector for your WAP as these antennas are non-returnable.