D-Link USB 2.0 System PC D-Link Prices Vary http://www.dlink.com Sean Gibson - email

INTRODUCTION

It's been a little while since NextGen Electronics reviewed some good quality hardware, and we're very happy to take a look at D-Link's latest offering, a complete USB 2.0 system that includes a PCI Adapter, a 4-Port USB 2.0 Hub, and a USB 2.0 Fast Ethernet Adapter. For those of you not familiar with USB 2.0 technology, USB provides an expandable, hot-pluggable Plug and Play serial interface that ensures a standard, low-cost connection for peripheral devices such as keyboards, mice, joysticks, printers, scanners, storage devices, modems, and video conferencing cameras. Migration to USB is recommended for all peripheral devices that use legacy ports such as the PS/2, serial, and parallel ports.

To further increase I/O bandwidth and the range of peripheral applications, the USB 2.0 Promoter Group - lead by Intel and six other high profile companies, has raised the target speed to 480 Mbps, which is 40 times faster than USB 1.1. With the increased bandwidth, a broader range of PC peripheral applications can take advantage of the benefits of USB. These peripherals include high-end networking devices, digital video cameras, next generation scanners, high-end printers, and fast storage devices like CD-RW drives. In many cases, USB 2.0 can even replace SCSI connections.

Microsoft has officially stated that they will not provide USB 2.0 support for the Windows 9x platform or Windows NT 4.0.

So why upgrade to USB 2.0? Well for those of you in the fun world of video editing like myself will say, "Hey I've got firewire, what the heck do I need this for?". Well there's a good reason - it's faster!!! Yes, USB 2.0 rings in at the aforementioned 480Mbps, while FireWire measures up to 400 Mbps. Also USB 2.0 devices will be much more common on store shelves, giving all the more reason in the world to upgrade to this new and exciting technology.

INstallation

If you're ever reading a review and the installation section is something around the likes of 1,000 words, you're probably in for the battle of your life setting the product up. Fortunately that's definitely not the case here!

The PCI adapter couldn't have been easier to install into the system. Pop it into the open PCI port on your motherboard, load up your operating system (we use XP), and install the drivers as necessary. Bam-o, you're done, one easy installation that even total computer neophytes could accomplish. There's a step-by-step booklet inside to also help guide you through the process if necessary.

Installing the 4-Port Hub was, well, easier than baking a cake (a lot easier), as you simply plug the thing in (attach USB 2.0 cable into the PCI adapter, and plug in the electrical power outlet) and it's working, and suddenly you've got four more USB 2.0 slots to play with. D-Link couldn't have made USB 2.0 easier on the consumer!

Technical Specifications

A little bit about the Ethernet Adapter...The D-Link USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapter is a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet Adapter designed to plug into an available USB port on a desktop or laptop. Based on USB 2.0, the DUB-E100 extends the transfer speed of earlier USB Fast Ethernet adapters to true 10/100Mbps connectivity. The D-Link DUB-E100 provides a standard RJ-45 connector for a quick and simple method of connecting to an Ethernet 10Mbps or Fast Ethernet 100Mbps based LAN via a network hub or switch. The single type “B” USB port enables it to be connected directly to a USB host computer, or a USB Hub.

D-Link's USB 2.0 system is feature-rich to say the least. There are tons of benefits to using USB 2.0 ...

performance

Getting the devices up and running was extremely easy. How do they perform? Absolutely wonderfully. Using USB 2.0 technology with your old USB 1.1 or even 1.0 devices is absolutely seamless. Does it run your old devices any faster? Well, there's no definitive was to say yes or no, but we definitely got the impression things were running a tad faster. Nevertheless using a CD-RW drive with the USB 2.0 interface was extremely easy to install (it picked it right up) and use (we burned through the night quite happily without ONCE having any buffer underrun errors).

There's no doubting the wave of the future for connectivity - it's definitely USB 2.0. If you don't have this high-speed interface installed on your computer, you're quite simply missing out on one of the greatest technologies on the market today. D-Link has taken this technology and added their high level of quality and design to make the best possible solution out there.

value / pricepoint

USB 2.0 devices aren't cheap ... typically. When USB 2.0 first hit the scenes, PCI cards were going for $99.99 easy on store shelves, and hubs were nowhere to been seen at all. Leave it to the price conscience people at D-Link to combine the power of performance and price. We were really blown away at the total cost of the solution we used, which totaled about $120 total. If you don't find yourself needing the Ethernet Adapter (best use would be in an office or person on the go type of setting), to get the PCI card (a must) and the hub (not a total must, but you really should do yourself the favor), the total cost of upgrading your system to USB 2.0 runs around $60, which is an absolute steal.

usefulness & longevity

If there's one thing we'd like to stress in this review, it's that USB 2.0 is the absolute wave of the future. Devices are out now that support this technology, and guess what - ALL external devices are going to use the USB 2.0 standard in 2003. If you're looking for a nice long-term solution to your connectivity problems, definitely look into the D-Link line of USB 2.0 products. They come with a 1 year warranty and the technology will definitely be around for 2 - 3 years. What better affordable gift could you give during the holiday season for that techie that's always looking to upgrade his or her system? Great thing is even when you upgrade your computer, you can take these devices and plug them into the new system and still enjoy USB 2.0 technology. An absolute great buy!

overall impressions

We really don't know how D-Link is continually churning out the latest and greatest products on the market, while still keeping things affordable. There are some companies out there that we meet that are seriously out to pawn off some gimmick product at some ridiculous price. D-Link on the other hand knows what "good business" is all about - giving customer what they want at the price they want it at.

We've rarely given out 100% scores for products reviewed on this site, but D-Link has earned it here. Serious kudos to them for their USB 2.0 system, it's simply the finest overall way to upgrade your system today.

10 / 10 OVERALL SCORE 100% 10 / 10 10 / 10 10 / 10 10 / 10 10 / 10