Wrap Up
Although not a bad product by any means, 3Com’s OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Cable/DSL Gateway seems uninspired. The feature set, though adequate for many users, lacks features such as schedulable filtering and WDS bridging that are found on other products from lesser-known (and smaller!) competitors. And wireless performance is average at best, with the disadvantage of non-upgradeable antennas.
The companion PC card has a generic-OEM qualilty about it, with neither software, performance, nor 3Com’s “X-Jack” antenna to distinguish it from competing products.
3Com – like many of its competitors – has had a difficult time during the past few years, but still seems to maintain its image as a premium networking brand. The good news is that the company seems to understand the pricing reality of today’s consumer and SOHO networking market and has priced the OfficeConnect 11g Gateway (and PC Card) to sell. But, judging from what I’ve seen in these products, I think 3Com needs to light a fire under its product designers to produce products more worthy of the company’s name.
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