Linksys Intros Wi-Fi Combo Scanner And Adapter

Linksys announced Friday a combo Wi-Fi finder and wireless-G USB network adapter that enables mobile consumers to locate hotspots and Wi-Fi connections before going through the time-consuming task of opening and powering up their notebooks.

Linksys, which is a division of Cisco Systems, said the WUSBF54G enables its users to initialize a search for 802.11 wireless networks and seek signal strength for a specific network name or service set identifier (SSID).

Search results are displayed on the device’s LCD screen showing SSID, signal strength, 802.11 mode, channel, and security status. The WUSBF54G filters out 2.4GHz interference from microwave ovens, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices. The device can also be used to connect desktop PCs to wireless networks.

The WUSBF54G carries an estimated street price of $79.