by The $50 BearExtender Mini is the follow-up to the company’s 2010 BearExtender n3 (
). Like its predecessor, the BearExtender Mini’s goal is to let you use your Mac from further away from your wireless base station. The new model is half the size of and more powerful than the original n3.
The company says that the BearExtender Mini can pick up Wi-Fi signals from two to four times further away than the AirPort card built into your Mac.
The BearExtender Mini doesn’t plug directly into your Mac’s USB port, which would be nice. Instead, the dongle connects via the included Mini-USB cable. The unit measures barely larger than a house key. The included detachable antenna offers 2 dBi; a $6 upgrade gets you a 5 dBi omni-directional antenna.
Have Wi-Fi, will travel
To use the BearExtender Mini with your Mac, you first need to install special drivers. With the software installed, you’ll get a BearExtender icon in your menubar. Since the device is meant to replace your built-in wireless card, you’ll need to disable Wi-Fi on your Mac to use the BearExtender Mini.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
