Introduction

A few weeks ago, we reviewed a 10/100Mbps 8-Port switch by 15-Year veteran though relatively unkown, Compex. We were quite impressed with the PS2208A. Today, we take a look at their small, 10/100Mbps, USB NIC. The unit is geared towards notebook computer users and those looking for a simple network adapter installation. Here is a list of the features:

Features

• Supports 10/100 connectivity
• Plug-and-Play
• Full/Half Duplex
• Full Duplex, Activity, and 100Mbps LED's
• Supports 98SE, ME, and Win2K
• 69x20x24mm

Installation

This really couldn't be easier. You plug the device into an available USB slot, point the drivers to the floppy drive and that's it. I didn't even have to reboot Win2K. I just swapped the Cat-5 cable from my NIC to the USB adapter and I was online. The adapter comes with a small extension cable that can be used in tight areas. It is the perfect size for a laptop and avoids taking up a PCMCIA slot. The three LED's are pretty handy as they are not always seen on USB network adapters.

Performance

The first thing I noticed about this unit was its claim of 10/100Mbps connectivity. I knew for a fact that USB 1.1 was only capable of handling 12Mbps. So, it isn't really possible to get speeds of 100Mbps with this adapter, now, is it? I wondered if perhaps the device might be USB 2.0 compliant. So, I sent an email to Compex. I was pretty sure that it just meant 100Mbps compatible. But, I figured I would let them explain their claims. This is the response I received.

"The UE202A is a device with convenience in mind, it offers an alternative to cracking open your computer or using a PCMCIA card that gets complicated with a dongle that often gets lost or broken. Infact the UE202A is cheaper than most 10base-T PCMCIA cards and is smaller than your typical dongle. The UE202As chipset is capable of achieving 100mbps but the bottleneck is the USB 1.1 interface, but currently does not support USB 2, very few things do. The real advantage of being duelspeed is that if you would happen to plug into either a 100mbps or 10mbps hub (before they had internal bridges /switches) it would work in either environment. The UE202A is also more than adequate to handle most connections to the internet or LAN games. Hope this clears things up a bit."

I can understand their explanation. However, I still feel it is a bit of marketing strategy and not totally honest to the customer. In any case it performed just as well as any typical USB NIC. I averaged around 6Mbps through ram-disk transfers. I have had problems before with some USB network adapters that seem to get lost and drop connections. However, I used the UE202A for two days straight as my main adapter and I never had a problem.

Conclusion

Overall, the Compex UE202A performed well and did not give any problems on the three different machines used to test. All OS's were Win2K. I cannot speak for Win98 and WinME performance. Though, I would expect it to be just as compatible. The small size makes it an ideal addition to a NIC-less laptop or a novice user who doesn't know his floppy drive from a hole in the ground. I do have to boo the 100Mbps claim no matter what excuse is given. Most of our readers know the limitations of USB 1.1, but a novice user would not. In any case, it is a solid product and if it sells for as cheap as I think it will, around $20, it would make a good buy.

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