Senao NL-5354AP Aries2 Testing

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As we are moving the main network links over to 802.11A, we are trialing new equipment for the task. Our first 802.11A link posed some technical problems, but runs well, so we thought we would try a new link utilising Senao equipment. The results have been disappointing to say the leaset.

The two points on which we judge an access point are its RF (radio) performance and it's firmware quality. We have found that this equipment fails dismally on both. We cannot reccomend Senao's NL-5354AP Aries2 to anyone.

Firstly, the units will not work in bridge mode at all. Secondly, the documentation from Senao for these units is unusably poor, and Senao do not respond to technical assistance requests via their web site. Thirdly, their firmware - particularly the GUI is buggy as hell and desn't facilitate the full function of the unit. Lastly, beyond 1.5 KM they just don't work!!!!!!!

Because we weren't able to get these units to operate in bridge mode, we used the fallback and technically inferior method of putting one unit in to AP mode and the other in to client mode of the AP. We tested this and were able to use them well at both 54 Megabits and 108 Megabits quite well with both units in the same room. We then tested them some four kilometers apart, and in spite of our clear LOS setup, dish to dish, with great signal strength, we were unable to get the Senao's to connect.

Our next test was to start testing them at a closer range - two hundred metres, 1.5 Km, then 3 Km. They worked fine for the first two, and then dropped out - even with good signal strength!!.

We simply could not get them to work. We will put them to use over a short hop on the network, but for other than that they are quite useless.

They did have one good feature - reverse polarity protection in the form of a bridge rectifier on their power input. It's nice to be able to say something good of our Senao experience