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Chances are your new laptop came equipped to access the Net wirelessly via an 802.11b network. You just need a Wi-Fi base station. The latest models, tested by experts Cliff Skolnick and Matt Petersen, offer unplug-and-play simplicity and the key features: security, reliability, and solid connectivity.
SPLURGE
Intel PRO/Wireless 2011B LAN
The 2011B makes building an advanced home network surprisingly easy. Chain multiple bases together to cover more turf with one network. Add an antenna to stretch a unit's 100- to 400-foot coverage (depending on the setting) or focus its signal to avoid interference. The box transfers data at 11 Mbps and offers a choice of interfaces: Web menus, telnet command line sessions, or a homegrown network monitor app.
$599, www.intel.com.
BEST BUY
Linksys' WAP11
The WAP11 is far from tops in quality, power, or advanced features. But the lowly Linksys is ubiquitous, even in the homes of tech-fetishizing engineers. It's cheap, reliable, and works well enough - its data rate hits 11 Mbps. Extend the unit's maximum 492-foot range by rotating it sideways or standing it on edge. It's not hard to find a new one that costs less than a secondhand unit on eBay.
$149, www.linksys.com.
OVERRATED
AirPort
Cute and compact, Apple's base is the no-brainer choice for use with the company's new computers, all of which ship with AirPort software. But this year's 2.0 update touts features like enhanced encryption and a built-in firewall that come with the WAP11 for half the price. Also, the just-OK 360-foot range (which hits 11 Mbps rates)can be cut short by the titanium shell of the high-end PowerBook G4.
$329 each, www.apple.com.
PLAY
Virtually New York
Eye Gloss
Rinse 'n' Read
Read Me
Fighting Fire
Cyberman
Tadpole
Armitage: Dual-Matrix
Next-Gen Multiplayer Online Games
Stunt Driving From the Sofa
Turn Your PS2 Into a PC
Puppet Master
Sim Studio
Audiovent Studio
Julia Fordham
The Makers
Fetish
Setting Up Base
Instant Readouts
On-the-Fly Typing
Char Warriors
Good-Bye CD Towers
Covert IM Services
