| |
Date: | July
25th, 2002 | | Type: | Review |
| Supplier: | Extended
Systems | | Author: | mayhem |
| R.R.P: | IrDA
PC Adapter: $130 (AUS) - IrDA Printer Adapter: $220 (AUS) | With
the number of new devices these days coming with IrDA (Infra Red), such as your
Printer, Mobile Phone or Palm Organiser it is a wonder why Desktop Workstations
don't come with an Infrared port, while luckily most new laptops do have this
feature as a standard. It is for this reason that people go looking for an affordable
and reliable IrDA adapter for home use so that they can upload and download information
from their Mobile Phones, synchronize information from Handheld devices such as
Palm portable computers and many other solutions such as remote control of a DVD
etc. XTNDAccess
IrDA PC Adapter enables portable device users to transfer files back and forth
to a desktop PC without connecting cables. The ideal solution for portables, digital
cameras, and handheld devices. The amount of electronic (computer related) devices
around the house in todays society has presented the problem of too many wired
connections to devices, thus the need for a wireless connection is ever increasing
as to prevent the wired nightmare, this is where (in part) IrDA comes in rather
handy. PC
Adapter Kit Includes:
XTNDAccess
IrDA PC Adapter User's
Guide Software
/ Driver Installation CD Warranty
Card  Key
Features (PC Adapter):
Supports
Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP and Windows NT 4.0Supports
IrDA infrared communication standard 1.1Transmits
and receives data up to 115,200 baud with baud rate switchingSupports
self-powered operationOperates
up to one meter (3 feet) awayConnects
to a standard PC serial (RS-232) port (9-pin)Includes
XTNDAccess file transfer program
The IrDA PC Adapter also
comes in a USB model for those who either don't have a serial port or simply prefer
to use USB, it is called the XTNDAccess IrDA USB Adapter and essentially the same
except of course the USB connector (probably a better solution for most modern
computers, as there are an ever increasing amount of USB ports and the ability
to network USB devices frees your two serial ports for more specific applications).
Printer Adapter Kit
Includes: XTNDAccess
IrDA Printer Adapter User's
Guide Software
/ Driver Installation CD Printer
Cable Power Adapter
/ Transformer 
XTNDAccess IrDA
Printer provides "walk-up-and-print" convenience with no cable connections to
make, this is a great solution for those home/office setup where you don't want
the hassle off connecting your Laptop to the network or directly to the printer
in order to print (some printers already come with Infrared ports included e.g.
Hewlett Packard models). It also has the advantage of allowing many different
devices to print without requiring a direct connection to the printer, i.e. Palm
Pilots, Nokia 9110 Communicator etc. Key
Features (Printer Adapter):
Supports
Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP, Windows CE, Windows NT 4.0 and Palm operating systemsAllows
a printer to communicate with an infrared-equipped portable computerSupports
IrDA infrared communication standardTransmits
and receives data up to 115,200 baud with baud rate switchingConnects
to a standard parallel printer (Centronics) portOperates
up to one meter (3 feet) awaySupports
pass-through parallel connection (does not interfere with normal network printing)
Setting Up
In order to get the XTNDAccess IrDA PC Adapter working all you need to
go is plug the unit into an available 9 pin serial port (COM1 or COM2) on your
system and then install the necessary drivers for your Operating System (here
we used Windows XP Professional for this review). Simply connect the adapter and
then power up your computer, once your computer is turned on and Windows has loaded
then you need to go into Control Panel and then select Add New Hardware. In the
Add New Hardware wizard follow the appropriate steps for your Operating System
(as listed in the supplied User's Guide) and when completed Reboot your computer.
Once this is done all you need to do is install the software your want to use
with the IrDA adapter. 
To
setup the XTNDAccess IrDA Printer Adapter is just as simple as the PC Adapter,
while your computer is turned off connect the supplied printer cable to the Printer
Adapter and the other end into your printer, you then connect your printer cable
to the input of the Printer Adapter, finally connect the power to the Adapter
and then plug it into your power point. The next step is to turn your computer
on and install the drivers (This is only necessary for Windows 95/98/Me/NT4, newer
versions such as Windows 20000 and XP don't require any driver installation for
the Printer Adapter). 
Once
the adapter is connected to your computer it may be necessary to install the printer
drivers (if you haven't already got the printer installed), to do this follow
the instructions in your Printers Manual, it might also be a good idea to do a
search on the Internet for the latest drivers for your printer. NEXT:
Testing, Results and Conclusion | 
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