The major problem with the popular 802.11b wireless ethernet standard is its relatively low speed of 11Mbps. The latest standards, 802.11g and 802.11a (11g uses the same 2.4GHz range as 11b, but with a data rate of 22Mbps, while 11a uses the 5GHz range with a data rate of 54Mps), go some way towards addressing this, but they introduce incompatibility and higher pricing.

One possible solution is Enhanced 802.11b, which allows faster data transfers while being compatible with existing devices. D-Link uses this solution in its AirPlus range of devices, one of which is the DWL-900AP+ Access Point.

An Access Point is the most important part of any wireless network setup. It not only lets your wireless devices talk to one another, but it can talk to the wired network as well. The DWL-900AP+ not only works as an AP, but also has four other modes of operation; Point to Point, Point to Multi-Point Bridge, Repeater and Wireless Client. But - and it's a very big but - it only works in any of these modes if you are using another D-Link device, and you only get the performance advantages when using other D-Link devices, so if you are using any other manufacturers' devices in your wireless set up, think about looking elsewhere.

Physically the DWL-900AP+ is very small and light, so it won't take up too much space on your desk. D-Link has tried to make it look as attractive as possible with a two-tone grey and blue finish.

Setting up the DWL-900AP+ is a doddle, either through a JavaScript-enabled browser or via D-Link's own management tool, AP Manager, which also provides indications of signal strength, link quality and data transfer rate, all in real time. There's also a useful setup guide which, although short, does include some handy screenshots showing how to get the device running in the default AP mode.

Included in the box are the AC adapter, a straight-through CAT-5 cable, a bag of mounting bits and a CD. The CD contains the detailed manual, AP Manager and a D-Link custom version of Zero Knowledge's Freedom Security & Privacy Suite. D-Link's version includes limited versions of Ad-Blocker, Keyword Alert, Password Manager and Cookie Manager. The device itself supports a range of data encryption protocols from 64-bit to 256-bit.

Enhanced 802.11b offers increased performance while still keeping compatibility with earlier 802.11b devices. The DWL-900AP+ is an inexpensive way of getting higher transfer rates and 256-bit encryption, but it is very much a proprietary solution and relies on you having only D-Link wireless devices in your network.