Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Having more than 13 years under my belt as a multi-certified IT consultant often engaging projects independently or as the technical lead for clients such as JPMorgan-Chase, Walt Disney's EPCOT Center, Orlando International Airport, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, and more, I should have known better than to think this low-priced unit with such high-performance claims was too good to be true... and I would have been right.
The goal was to bridge a network where the EOC-5611 and it's predecessor, the now discontinued EOC-5610, were 240 feet apart. With direct unobstructed line-of-sight, mounted atop a 25' mast, and fitted with high-quality ethernet cable, the signal began to fade at 100 feet and was completely degraded by 150 feet, regardless of band or antenna type used. The unit likewise performed as poorly when used as an access point. A good signal could be achieved between 80-100 feet, but dropped so significantly that a connection could not be made past 150 feet.
In my tests, this unit failed to produce more than 10mW using the internal panel antenna and no more than 13mW using a 9dBi external omni-directional antenna for both the 802.11a and 802.11b/g bands - nowhere near the company's 600mW claim and more akin to consumer-grade indoor access points in the sub-$50 price range offered by LinkSys, NetGear, or Belkin.
Interestingly, phone conversations with the technical support personnel at EnGenius revealed that the unit, when fitted with the external omni antenna mentioned above, could expect to reach only a maximum of 400mW and that the internal antenna was only for the 802.11a band... that an external antenna was necessary if one wished to use the 802.11b/g band. They suggested that I spend hundreds more per unit for a parabolic, yagi, or patch directional antenna to achieve a strong signal for the 240' distance I required. Amazing... the advertising boasts that this unit is "high-power" commercial-grade client premises equipment, easily capable of 1-30km transmission range. Yet, in reality, I can throw a baseball a greater distance than this unit can transmit a wireless signal!
Based on the information presented here, at Amazon, and information and data sheets obtained at the EnGenius web site, I recommended this product to a client with a low-budget for the client/bridge solution. What should have been a quick and easy install resulted in many hours of on-site configuration and troubleshooting, and ultimately caused a strained client relationship. Although I salvaged the client, it cost me an additional $1300 to replace these units with a pair of D-Link DWL-2700AP's to do so. They work flawlessly and I have never looked back.
If I could give Zero stars for this product, I would. Unless you love headaches, frustration, and losing clients... run away, run far away from the EOC-5610/EOC-5611.
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