This might only appeal to a few folks here but I found a Sony PCWA-A500 on eBay for really cheap (~$50) and decided to add it to my labs for some testing.
What is it? It’s an 802.11a router/access point (it can work in either mode). One reason why I got it was I wanted to see if it made a difference in terms of some interference with 2.4GHz in my area.
Overall, the unit is much larger than I imagined. It’s built extremely sturdy and looks very nice. The web interface is nice and easy to use. It only does have WEP 128-bit but it also has MAC filtering so I figure it’s fairly secure. Also, no one else I know has 802.11a in the area.
So, I’m going to play around with it some more before giving my full thoughts. I’m definitely glad I have the netegriti card installed since it plays with the 802.11a/b/g networks in my work area with aplomb.
That thing is a router/access point?? It looks too beautiful to be one. :ph34r:
I’m beginning to feel that Sony is like a hardware version of Microsoft. You just can’t stop using its own stuff. And you’ll only want to get more of it… like so the many softwares of Microsoft…IE, Office… :shock:
And again, the thing looks way too beautiful. Groovy, can you take more photos of it? Perhaps what it looks from the side and back? :D
No, problem. I will post more pictures when I get home today. I’m still trying to figure out where it’s going to reside in my setup. It really is nice. It’s surprisingly heavy as well…
Yeah, I like the fact that it can operate in two modes. All similar products should do this. I hate how some companies try to get you to but multiple products that essentially do the same thing.
Looks great, and quite a nice price considering the retail on those. I like Apple’s 802.11g base station for the USB printer connection, but this might be finding its way into my home soon to help with dropped 2.4 GHz cordless phone calls.
Looks nice for an access point, but is the small base enough to keep it from tipping over? I guess the unit looks a little top-heavy in the shots. The significant other has cats that love to roam around and mess with electronics, grr. :ph34r:
Actually, the bottom stand is fully metal and heavy. So, it stands up pretty well. When you make it fully vertical, it clicks and is very solid. There is a practical limit to how much you can bend it before it tips over. In the angle that’s shown, it’s still very balanced.
It can bend up to 90 degrees and has mounts so that you can mount the access point on your wall.
I had this toy for over 3 years now….and yes… I paid $399 when it came out….I saw one today at Circuit City for $49 as an open item…..I just really loved the design and 5 Ghz ... never interfered with anything and my neighbors are not able to snoop thru my Wi-Fi since it is 802.11a and not many folks have or use it.
The range is OK, but not as strong as b/g APs, but it is good for my purposes at my home. The wireless antenna is integrated in the unit so you will not see ugly Netgear or Lynksis rabbit ears on it.
I also use it for my Video streaming at home( Roomlink, GigaPocket, etc). The DVD quality streams flawlessly.
Since this one I upgraded my network to PCWA-AR800 a/b/g and am enjoying SuperG 108 Mbs. The newer unit boots much quicker and has lots of other functions in the Setup page (WEP, WAP, Wake on LAN, etc).
Stan
