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and Ethernet Bridge
Reviewed by: Jason Boshears

The US Robotics Wireless Gaming Adapter and Ethernet Bridge, model USR5430, (Retail $109.95) is designed to connect a standard Ethernet port on any network capable device to a wireless 802.11b/g network securely and through a high bandwidth connection. This device is marketed for use primarily with gaming consoles for playing online games. However, I found this device to be beneficial for use with many other devices as well.

The USR5430 will work fine with a Windows, Mac, or Linux based computer, as well as many other network capable appliances. There is no need to modify or even open the device you want to network using the USR5430, and because it works using very common TCP/IP networking and does not require any device drivers to install, it will work with any device with a common RJ-45 Ethernet port. This allows network capable devices to connect to a wireless network very quickly and easily. You may need some additional equipment, however.

Connecting wirelessly to the Internet will require a wireless access point, and equipping a gaming console with basic networking capabilities may also require an optional networking kit. On the Playstation 2, Game Cube, and Xbox, you will need to buy a network expansion pack to make the gaming console network ready.

Setting up the USR5430 was very easy and took about ten minutes total time from opening the box to having a secure wireless connection. The instructions included were concise and very easy to understand and made the setup painless. The physical installation consisted of only two wires including connecting the USR5430 to the Ethernet port of my network appliance, using the included cable, and plugging the AC Adapter into the wall. I then placed the USR5430 in the highest place possible to make sure it had the best reception it could, and the physical installation was complete. Actually, if you are not using wireless encryption, the USR5430 is probably already configured and usable at this point.

I would definitely recommend using encryption, though. By using an encrypted wireless network, unauthorized users cannot easily access your network and see all the data transmitted. Thankfully, the well-written instructions and intuitive and informative configuration menus made using wireless encryption and other more advanced configuration easy as well. The USR5430 supports only WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) at this point, but it is posted on the US Robotics web page that WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) support will be available in the near future with a free firmware upgrade.

The USR5430 has its own configuration web page you can access with a web browser for its configuration menus. Besides configuring encryption, more advanced configuration options include filtering based on the MAC address (a unique serial number for a network device) so only certain wireless devices can access the wireless bridge, changing the IP address, and enabling Ad-Hoc mode. Ad-Hoc mode allows wireless devices to form a network without an access point. This would be very useful if you wanted gaming consoles located within close range of the USR5430 that are also equipped with a USR5430 to play networked games with each other without using a wireless access point.

The USR5430 works very well. Once configured, I had no problems at all with the device. I was amazed at the range. I had excellent throughput of the device from the farthest accessible location in my house, and very good throughput from my neighbor's house as well. I did not notice any latency through the USR5430 either. My only complaint was the absence of a signal meter and current transfer rate status of the USR5430, which could be used for diagnostic purposes and help determine the best placement of the device for maximum reception.

The USR5430's near universal compatibility, easy configuration, and remarkable range make it a device that performs very well. The two-year warranty and affordable price make it an excellent value as well. I would definitely recommend it to anybody who wants to convert a standard Ethernet port on a gaming console, computer, or other network appliance into a wireless connection.