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If your growing business wants to give employees fast 802.11a (Wi-Fi5) wireless access to an existing ethernet network while still supporting slower--but more-popular--802.11b (Wi-Fi) equipment, then Intel has a deal for you.

Intel's Pro/Wireless 5000 LAN Dual Access Point is the first to support both types of wireless networks, and at about $550 it's only slightly more expensive than buying an access point for each standard.

In my tests with a shipping unit, an 802.11a file transfer took slightly longer while an 802.11b file transfer was in progress. But in general, the speeds were about what you'd expect for each wireless variant--somewhat less than half the specified top speeds of 11 megabits per second for Wi-Fi and 54 mbps for Wi-Fi5.

If you've already invested heavily in Wi-Fi access points, you could save money simply by purchasing Wi-Fi5 access points and installing them next to the Wi-Fi boxes. On the other hand, if you're expanding your wireless network and need the superior speed and user capacity of 802.11a, but you don't want to abandon any 802.11b aficionados, the Dual Access Point's approach might justify the small price premium.

SUMMARY

Intel Pro/Wireless 5000 LAN Dual Access Point Good access point if you support two types of wireless networks. Street: $550

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