NETGEAR MA101 - Manual (Page 7)

1
Chapter 1
Introduction
This chapter introduces the features, package contents, and appearance of the
NETGEAR MA101 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter. See
“What You Will Need
Before You Begin” on page 9 for the minimum system requirements. Also, a
“road map” for achieving your installation objectives is provided on page 3 .
About the MA101 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter
The MA101 802.11b Wireless USB Adapter gives you ultimate flexibility in your
office or home. It frees you from traditional Ethernet wiring and helps you create a
wireless network for sharing your broadband cable or DSL Internet access among
multiple PCs in and around your home. It is designed for computer computers
running Microsoft
® Windows ® . Its auto-sensing capability allows packet transfer
at up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps), and dynamic range shifting to slower
speeds due to distance or electromagnetic interference limitations.
Key Features and Related NETGEAR Products
The MA101 USB Adapter provides the following features:
• Reliable IEEE 802.11b standard-based wireless technology.
• Supports roaming among access points if configured in Infrastructure mode.
• 11 Mbps maximum data transfer speed. Wireless nodes negotiate to operate at
the optimal data transfer rate. In a noisy environment or when the distance
between the wireless nodes is far, the wireless nodes automatically fall back to
operate to the lower transfer rate of one or two megabits per second.