Linksys Wireless G Gaming Adapter

The Linksys Wireless G Gaming Adapter is by far the easiest wireless device we have ever used. The adapter is used to transfer data from your wireless internet connection to your game console to allow online gaming. Its simple set up earns it kudos and its quality earns it respect from our test team. The unit is black, which always appeals to gamers, and can be connected to any device with an ethernet port.

This makes it a friend to the Xbox and PlayStation 2 as well as the usual PC gaming connections. The unit comes with an already assembled antenna, a power adapter and an ethernet cable. Setting it up for first use involves plugging the Ethernet cable from the port in the back of the device to the ethernet port on a PC. Once this connection is made all you need to do is insert the installation CD and follow the on-screen prompts.

The software will ask the gamer what the purpose of the wireless receiver is and automatically configures the device for the intended use. Then, all that is required is to plug it into a console or PC.

In the wireless arena, a setup this simple is very rare and the fact that it works so well once connected is another plus. On a wired network via the D-Link 504T ADSL2+ router our tests rendered no packet loss over Xbox Live! with an average ping time of 202ms. Using the Linksys Wireless Gaming Adapter we did not see any difference with both the wired and wireless tests rendering identical results. The same comparisons were made on the PlayStation 2 and again, there was no difference in signal quality between the wired and wireless connections.

When using the Gaming Adapter for PCs, the results are also favourable but while it is easy to set up, most people would probably prefer to use a proper router for their wireless gaming as it more easily controlled and tweaked for even the slightest improvement in performance.

As it stands, the Linksys is perfect for people who know nothing about wireless networking and just want something to play their Xbox Live! service without any time and effort in the set up. We are greatly impressed with this product and have no issues recommending it for use.