Like the Gateway WBU-110, the HWU54D receives power through the USB cable that connects it to your computer, so it doesn't require an AC adapter. Its paddlelike antenna bends 180 degrees forward and back, helping you adjust it to point toward your router. Two LEDs on the front show when the device is powered on and picking up a Wi-Fi signal.
The HWU54D high-gain USB wireless-G adapter's quick-installation guide and user manual are so bad, they're almost laughable. The brief, pocket novel-size guide includes minidiagrams and screenshots with literally microscopic text. Each and every one of the screenshots in the short manual was captured at such a low resolution that text appears grainy at best and illegible at worst. At least the manual provides comic relief through suggestions such as using the device for "surfing the Web while you read a book in the park."
If you're a technophile, however, you can likely overlook the HWU54D high-gain USB wireless-G adapter's shoddy documentation in light of the device's killer performance and long range. The HWU54D achieved a real-world data transfer speed of 23.1Mbps in CNET Labs' tests, topping other fast performers, such as the Microsoft MN-710 and the Buffalo wireless USB adapter. The device made good on its indoor signal-range claim of 100 meters in our informal range tests. The HWU54D's security measures--64- and 128-bit WEP encryption plus WPA support--help secure your data in transit.
