Compex’s NetPassage 16 and WL11A are both solid products that are easy to use, and perform as advertised. The NetPassage 16 may be a perfect fit for those just beginning a small network, and hoping to expand later, possibly with the addition of wireless capability. The 11Mbps throughput offered by the 802.11b wireless products is more than sufficient for most types of mobile internet access, at least for the present time, and the ability to purchase the NP16 now, for the price of a conventional router, and upgrade to wireless later is a somewhat unique feature.

Unfortunately, Compex, being a smaller manufacturer, does not enjoy the market presence of some of the larger players. We’ve found the availability of Compex products online to be fairly limited, so actually getting your hands on an NP16 may prove not worth the trouble for some.

We should also note that most ISPs do not condone the use of routers like this (they’d rather you buy a separate connection for each computer), and so they may not provide technical support of any kind. Fortunately it’s a fairly easy to use device, and we can’t foresee any major problems.

In summary, the NetPassage 16 and WL11A form a competent and competitive pair. As this is our first formal review of products of this type, we think it best to postpone giving a formal yea or nay until we’ve had a chance to try out the competition’s offerings. That said, we’ve been using these products for weeks now, and we can’t imagine either being insufficient for any reason.

It’s not quite enough to connect your blender to your car just yet, but it’s a start.

Dan Mepham

For more information on these, or other Compex products, visit Compex's website at http://www.cpx.com