Asanté has carved out a significant niche in the network market by delivering low-cost network devices that provide much, if not all, the functionality of products that cost much more. That appears to be the company's plan in the wireless space as well: Although the $325 list price places the FR3002AL-1PCM in the middle of the pack, we've seen this product available online for as little as $199. At that price, and with an impressive feature set, it may look like a solid value. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving, and we think Asanté has some work to do before this device warrants your consideration.
The FR3002AL-1PCM is the only product we evaluated that was unable to complete our three-node performance test. At times during the test, it would just stop responding. Asanté sent us two replacement units, neither of which corrected the problem. Then the company suggested there might be a firmware solution, but when that didn't pan out either, Asanté asked to withdraw from this review. We politely refused.
From a feature standpoint, Asanté has a credible offering. Configuration and management capabilities are good, and the product scored well both in extended features and on our security testing. However, when it came to range, the Asanté offering finished at or near the bottom in all our tests.
Dave Molta is senior technology editor of Network Computing. He is also an assistant professor in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University and director of the Center for Emerging Network Technologies. Molta's experience includes 15 years in IT and network management. Send your comments on this article to him at dmolta@nwc.com.
REPORTS
Analyize In-Line NAC strategies and products.
ANALYTICS Plan and design your enterprise blade server deployments
InformationWeek U.S. IT Salary Survey 2008
Salaries for business technology professionals are falling. Here's what you need to know in order to make good hiring decisions and personal career choices. Purchase Today: $299
REPORTS
ANALYTICS
Follow 
