| ASUS EA-N66U Wireless-N450 Ethernet Adapter |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Network | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Steven Iglesias-Hearst | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 25 March 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ASUS EA-N66 Wi-Fi Ethernet Adapter Review
Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by ASUS. Devout followers of the technology industry may have seen a sneak preview of ASUS' latest dabble in networking hardware back in January when it was announced at CES 2012. Maybe you only read an information starved press release after the event, either way there hasn't been much information regarding the ASUS EA-N66 3-in-1 Dual Band Wireless N450 Ethernet Adapter until now. Benchmark Reviews recently reviewed the ASUS EA-N66 Dual Band Wireless N900 Router and USB-N53 Dual-Band Wireless N300 USB Adapter, and now the EA-N66 3-in-1 Ethernet adapter completes the trio.
There are a few Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridges available on the market as well as dedicated Wi-Fi repeaters and Access Points, but never before have all three functions been combined into one device, and never has a piece of networking hardware ever looked so interesting. Speed is the name of the game here though, the EA-N66 3-in-1 Dual Band Wireless N Ethernet Adapter has a 10/100/1000 Base-T compliant RJ45 interface and can operate on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless N frequencies at speeds up to 450Mb/s. Before we get to the testing we will have a good look at the ASUS EA-N66 Ethernet Adapter and its features and specifications. ASUS EA-N66 Features3-in-1 Dual Band 450Mbps Wireless Ethernet Adapter
Patented Orthogonal Antenna
EA-N66 supports three modes
ASUS EA-N66 Specifications
Source:ASUS EA-N66 Product Packaging Closer Look: ASUS EA-N66 AdapterIn this section we will be looking at the EA-N66 hardware, it seems these days that manufacturers are trying to win us over with looks. It is a proven fact that when faced with buying something we know little about, it is in our nature to buy what looks the best, even though it might not necessarily be the best. Hopefully, by the end of this review you will have a better understanding of the EA-N66 3-in1 Ethernet Adapter, enabling you to make a more educated decision.
I think the ASUS design team have gone into overdrive, either that or they have hired an architect because the EA-N66 is quite simply beautiful. I struggle to find words to accurately portray how awe inspiring it feels just to look at it; so I will let the pictures do all the talking.
Function and design come together as one in the EA-N66 Ethernet adapter, the triangular arch that sits atop the main unit houses ASUS' patented 'Orthogonal' antenna. ASUS say that this special design will enhance wireless speed and range. Let's just hope it isn't all form and no function.
The ASUS EA-N66 Ethernet adapter requires 12V/1A DC power and features a 10/100/1000 Base-T compliant RJ-45 Ethernet port with built in status LED's for Gigabit speed connection to the host.
Underneath the ASUS EA-N66 Ethernet adapter is rather busy. There are three rubber feet to keep it in one place and to provide ground clearance and there is ample ventilation to deal with any heat build up. Thanks to the tri-wing cut out in the middle you have the option to wall mount the EA-N66 whichever way up suits you and the WPS button allows simple seamless connection to your wireless router without having to connect to a host computer. The default mode is as the name suggests (Ethernet adapter) so the EA-N66 will work pretty much straight out of the box without having to install any software. There is also a little reset button hiding near the WPS button, one of those that you have to poke something through and you can never quite find the right tool for the job.
It's almost as though it wasn't enough that the ASUS EA-N66 looks fantastic as it was, and then when you plug it in the insides of the triangular arch light up a beautiful shade of blue which reflects off of the inner rippled triangle creating a really nice liquid effect. Although not demonstrated in the image above, the blue lighting effect continues inside the main body and subtly glows through the vented section between the edges of the inter rippled triangle and the outer casing. This will truly be a talking point in any home.
Provided in the package was ASUS' signature flat black RJ-45 Ethernet cable. During testing I found that this cable would only allow the EA-N66 to connect my PC at 100Mb/s, even though it is specified as a Gigabit network cable on the packaging. Suffice to say, I had to use a different Ethernet cable to conduct my tests to ensure I got maximum throughput values. Dual Band Wireless-N Detailed FeaturesSo now we have had the grand tour of the ASUS EA-N66 3-in-1 Ethernet adapter, it is time now to look at the software side of things. Setup is very simple indeed as there are no drivers etc to install, simply connect to the wired device you wish to make wireless (Ethernet adapter mode) and press the WPS button to connect to your router. If your router doesn't support WPS then you will need to connect it to your computer's LAN port and set it up using the web based setup utility detailed in this section.
The interface is also very nice looking, it's one of the things I like about ASUS, they always put in a lot of effort to ensure the visuals are above standard. The first time you connect the EA-N66 Ethernet adapter to your computer (assuming you aren't connecting with WPS) and open you browser, it should automatically redirect to the setup page. From here you will choose a network you would like to connect to and go through the normal steps of connecting to a wireless network. The adapter is then ready to serve as a wireless Ethernet Bridge for your preferred network enabled device (PC, XBOX 360, PS3, HDTV, TiVo, Satellite/Cable receiver to name but a few.).
When connected to a computer you can access the setup utility by typing asusrouter.com into the address bar of your browser. From here you can view connection status and other important data relating to the connection. The blue icons above the table of information are clickable and provide more specific information relating to them.
In the administration screen you can switch between operation modes, this can also be done by clicking the quick internet setup button in the top left corner. Repeater mode can extend your wireless range by connecting wirelessly to your router and repeating the signal, I predict this mode will increase latency though as the data is effectively being re-routed. Access point mode requires you to hook the EA-N66 to a LAN port on your switch/router/computer and will provide wireless network access.
System log is exactly that; connection changes, system errors and other network activity will be logged. The log will only be good for that session; it will not be stored once the device is powered down. Date and time are automatically synchronized once you connect to the internet, or they can be manually synchronized in the system tab of the administration section. Testing & ResultsTesting MethodologyTo test the ASUS EA-N66 Ethernet Adapter we are using the Passmark Performance v7.0 Advanced Network Test. This test measures throughput between two clients (network adapters) connected to a router. In order for this test to work one PC must be set up as 'Client' and the other must be set up as the 'Server', each test is run five times with the highest and lowest result omitted and the remaining three results are averaged to give a final result. At Benchmark Reviews we like to be comprehensive so you will find results here for the EA-N66 Ethernet Adapter connected in many different scenarios where the throughput can be measured. You can learn about good business ethernet connection adapters online and see which connection works best for you since we could not test them all. Scenarios include: WLAN to LAN; EA-N66 via Gigabit LAN port, WLAN to LAN using an ASUS USB-N53 wireless USB adapter (Wireless N 300Mb/s) and finally, WLAN to LAN using an ASUS USB-N53 wireless USB adapter with ASUS EA-N66 Ethernet adapter in wireless repeater mode. To eliminate any variables Test System 1 was always set to 'Server' and results were monitored and recorded on the 'Client' systems. The ASUS EA-N66 Ethernet adapter results will comprise of tests conducted downstairs and upstairs in a 3 bedroom semi detached house.
Test System 1
Test System 2
ResultsFor comparison I have included results obtained while testing at very close range.
There is no doubt about it, the ASUS EA-N66 3-in-1 Ethernet Adapter is superior, but only really shines in the UDP tests. Since the EA-N66 is aimed at the home entertainment / gaming / enthusiast market this is exactly where we want to see it shine. The following excerpt should explain why; "UDP (User Datagram Protocol)... Common network applications that use UDP include: the Domain Name System (DNS), streaming media applications such as IPTV, Voice over IP (VoIP), Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), IP tunneling protocols and many online games" Source: Wikipedia.org. The slower rate of TCP will affect the Repeater and AP modes of the EA-N66 though.
Above we have the three scenarios described in the testing methodology. In its default configuration as an Ethernet adapter the EA-N66 literally smashes wireless barriers, even at long range. During the tests the EA-N66 peaked at 401Mb/s UDP downstairs and 280Mb/s UDP upstairs. Home internet connections are gradually getting faster (depending where you live), and those of you that pay a lot of money for a high speed connection will want networking hardware that is going to adequately service your needs. With the EA-N66 Ethernet Adapter set to repeater mode the USB-N53 Wireless N300 adapter's scores were slightly lower as I had predicted. This is because the data has to hop from adapter to repeater to router which increases latency. The other problem (if you can call it a problem) is that the range of the RT-N66 Router was already powerful enough without needing a repeater, this mode would possibly be best paired with a router that doesn't have that sort of range and power. Ethernet Adapter Final ThoughtsWhen it comes to networking products looks tend to be somewhat of an afterthought, with the ASUS EA-N66 this simply isn't the case. I'm sure many of you will agree that first and foremost on your list of priorities when buying hardware is the price, next would be performance and then looks come last. After all you can easily hide it out of sight, so looks need not be so important. If you haven't see the press releases then you might look at the ASUS EA-N66 and think "what is that?", since it doesn't fit the normal design brief. I myself am a sucker for good looking gear and I find the need to have things that fit into a certain scheme, whether it be a color scheme or purely a design scheme, I don't like things that don't fit in very well. The main quality I look for is performance, I always find myself looking for the best performance for the money I have available. When I can find looks and performance in one package then I don't hesitate, that's where reviews like this are handy. ASUS EA-N66 ConclusionImportant: In this section I am going to write a brief five point summary on the following categories; Performance, Appearance, Construction, Functionality and Value. These views are my own and help me to give the ASUS EA-N66 Dual Band Wireless-N 3-in-1 Ethernet Adapter a rating out of 10. A high or low score does not necessarily mean that it is better or worse than a similar adapter that has been reviewed by another writer here at Benchmark Reviews, which may have got a higher or lower score. It is however a good indicator of whether the ASUS EA-N66 is good or not. I would strongly urge you to read the entire review, if you have not already, so that you can make an educated decision for yourself.
The performance of the ASUS EA-N66 Ethernet Adapter is very respectable indeed, coupled with the RT-N66U Wireless N900 router, wireless barriers need not be an issue any more. The TCP speeds were nowhere near as fast as the UDP speeds but since most of the functions that the EA-N66 will be serving (Gaming, Streaming Media, File transfer) rely on UDP this isn't such an issue. Even at a distance from the router the EA-N66 still managed to get 95.1Mb/s TCP and 232.9Mb/s UDP throughput in Ethernet Adapter mode, this is a real testament to the R&D that is going on over at ASUS HQ. The ASUS EA-N66 appearance will score very highly. I have made my feelings about the EA-N66's looks patently obvious throughout this review, even the web based utility looks awesome, as I'm sure you will agree. It is certainly a one of a kind work of art and will set a new 'bar' for competing manufacturers to aim for. The construction of the ASUS EA-N66 is very good indeed. The unit is much smaller and lighter than one would guess from the pictures, and the internal antenna means there is less things that can be broken off. It has been built very well with no obvious screws holding it together, and the materials used feel very durable. I felt a little bit let down that the supplied Ethernet cable wasn't compatible with Gigabit speeds as advertised, but I was lucky enough to have a few Ethernet cables spare. This won't be the case for everyone and your network speeds can and will suffer because of it. Functionality of the ASUS EA-N66 will get top marks. There are many different scenarios in which the ASUS EA-N66 can be used. The obvious ones are to make your wired home entertainment devices wireless (Consoles, TiVo, Smart HDTV etc.) in the default Ethernet adapter mode, or you could buy an inexpensive Gigabit switch and use the EA-N66 as an Access Point and save a lot of money over buying a high end router. Maybe you have a good wireless router already but the range isn't that great, simply set the EA-N66 to Repeater mode and enjoy the extended range. If only it could be powered by USB, then we would have a killer wireless solution for Laptops and Notebooks. The ASUS EA-N66 is not yet available and pricing has not yet been decided. I estimate ASUS will price the EA-N66 Dual Band Wireless N450 3-in-1 Ethernet Adapter around the $60 mark, that would represent a nice price/performance sweet spot. At that price I could see these selling very well indeed. If you are looking for a stylish, feature packed and great performing home networking solution, then you should definitely consider the ASUS EA-N66 as one to put on the shortlist, when it becomes avaiable. Pros:
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Comments
This is in fact a router... a crippled router (1 port, few features, weird software). A repeater doesn't need to route packets but for function as an AP it does and to Bridge or Route packets to an Ethernet Port it also does - making this in fact a router. There is no interface with any of the system's buses making this not a wireless adapter.
I appreciate that you make a living selling these products and I commend you on your efforts. But "what you haven't quite grasped" is the fact that this isn't a troll but just a helpful community member that now seems to be getting harassed by both yourself and your reviewer.
Surely the fault is mine for feeding the trolls when I posted my very first comment.
My personal opinion on the matter would stand that there are MANY other alternatives in the same price range that would meet the same needs. I would google "openwrt dual band". You may even save money with single radio. Who needs two radios for one computer? You can't use both. It's usually a feature reserved for routers needing compatibility with multiple devices; both 2.4 and 5ghz.
I think we should leave that to the end user to decide. That's like saying who needs multiple cores, multitasking needs multiple options. ASUS are aiming to be at the forefront of consumer networking and I think they are making good efforts.
I can think of a few scenarios off the top of my head where two radios on one computer would be of great benefit but we would be here all day trying to find common ground in our arguments. Let's agree to disagree on many aspects and bring this to and end. Thank you.
thank you guys!
Is that correct?
Is there a wireless n hardware that has a 450mbps speed and works as an wireless bridge instead of eth adapter ?
The reason for direct connection to pc is that I forgot to purchase a network adapter to place on the pci slot on the motherboard, and since I am the only one using the 5ghz channel and I haven't found any 5ghz adapters avaialable nearby,so I have chosen this product to use.