Cables Unlimited Cuts The Cables
It might seem to be a sort of blasphemy, but Cables Unlimited has found a way to help you get rid of cables. We’ve tried wireless HDMI, and wireless routers, but this was our first real hands-on with wireless USB. Billed as the biggest change in USB since the 2.0 standard was finalized in 2001, the idea is to remove the cords on most of your USB devices without much hassle.
The Cables Unlimited Wireless USB Kit is easy to use- simply plug one dongle into your PC and the other to your device. Device drivers are simple and painless, though PC only. But the system isn’t truly wireless: the transmitter dongle will actually require a separate power source- so you’ll need access to an outlet and space to set the transmitter base as well. Also, carefully consider which devices you are hoping to use- you can’t use webcams or USB audio devices like microphones or headphones for instance- and you do sacrifice some speed for convenience. Mice and trackballs also didn’t work so well; performance was inconsistent.
In our tests with USB flash drives, USB 2.0 devices capable of high speeds instead dropped to about much slower speeds when using the wireless adapter. Distance is definitely a factor; at 10 or so feet away, speeds were better than at 20 or so. The maximum range is stated at 30 feet, conditions depending- we were able to get to 40 feet at one point, but only about 25 feet away in another setup. Also, both dongles tend to get a little hot.
At $40, it is a fairly cheap option for those who have a wired-only printer across the room, or want to stick a portable hard drive in a closet or out of the way. Those looking for speed though might want to wait or look elsewhere, and we suggest buying from a place with a good return policy in case your device doesn’t work well.
