Phoenix-based Silex Technology America showed the Silex SX-2000WG, the first USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 802.11g wireless device server. The USB device servers provide network accessibility or sharing of USB products by client PCs on a LAN or WLAN. The SX-2000WG also extends the short USB cable for a single-user application and is compatible with most USB devices such as scanners and printers. It also connects USB 2.0 Hi-Speed devices such as external storage drives. USB 2.0 Hi-Speed is much faster (up to eight-times faster) than USB 2.0 Full-Speed devices.
The SX-2000WG is a one-port, 802.11g/b compatible and 10/100 Base-TX USB 2.0 device server connecting Hi-Speed USB devices directly to a network. It instantly converts USB 2.0 Hi-Speed devices to a shared wired LAN or WLAN resource (USB 1.1/2.0 Full-Speed backward compatible). SX-Virtual Link, a USB utility, allows the PC to recognize peripherals as if they were directly attached. It allows all computer users on the network to share USB 2.0 Hi-Speed devices such as scanners, printers, storage devices, and other USB-enabled gear; it is compatible with Windows XP and Windows 2000; and it offers advanced wireless security support of 64/128 WEP and WPA-PSK (TKIP/AES). SX-2000WG is available now for an MSRP of $149.
For product details:
- see this Silex press release (pdf)
PLUS: Last year, Richmond, California-based Keyspan released a WiFi-compatible (but bridge-requiring) Ethernet-based USB 2.0 sharing peripheral for a similar price. Website