Like the PinnacleLink, the C-Spec bridge's case is solid, but with some nonoperational connections: Oddly, there are ports for a PS/2-style keyboard and mouse, a CRT, and USB and parallel devices-and none of these interfaces worked. We found out that both C-Spec and Pinnacle use generic original equipment manufacturer cases for their wireless bridges.

Strictly adhering to the IEEE 802.11 standard, BreezeCom's BreezeNet DS.11 outdoor package is merely an adequate performer. The package consists of two units, the WBS-DS.11 Multipoint Base Station and the WBC-DS.11 Remote Workgroup Bridge.

The BreezeNet DS.11, exhibiting only fair performance in our trials (4.4-Mbps throughput on average), was, in fact, near the bottom of the barrel among the products with internal radios. Its range, however, did beat those of all the other tested products; you should encounter no problems achieving the 15-mile distance advertised.

Setting up the BreezeNet units was a cinch using the included software, which was stable and user-friendly. We were quickly able to locate the bridge and set an IP address on the device by entering its MAC address into the software. From there, we were able to configure all the remaining features. The software also provides real-time signal meters to test the quality of the link; that's handy for antenna placement and aiming.

Unfortunately, the BreezeNet package doesn't have packet-filtering capability; this was disappointing, as most of the products we tested include this important feature. On the upside, the BreezeNet, like Cisco's AIR-BR340, allows you to telnet into the bridge to perform additional configuration. This is great if you need to access the bridge from remote locations.

Although Wave Wireless' SpeedLAN XE 6000 doesn't incorporate a PC Card radio, it uses software similar to that of the products that do, and that comply with IEEE 802.11. Like all the bridges that use Karlnet software, the SpeedLAN XE 6000's installation was a snap.

This bridge isn't as compact as Pinnacle's and C-Spec's products, but it was the most stable throughout our testing. There are no fancy LEDs, no nonworking ports. In place of the Collision Detect Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance protocol, Wave uses a proprietary protocol called CampusPRC. According to Wave, its CampusPRC protocol solves the problem of hidden transmitters and packet retransmissions not addressed by IEEE 802.11-compliant indoor wireless products. Our tests didn't show any significant difference.

Unfortunately, the SpeedLAN XE 6000's data throughput-an average of 2.46 Mbps-wasn't very impressive. The product's range was adequate, close to that of C-Spec's OverLAN RF-11 Plus.

We tested the PinnacleLink 11/E1, a single-port bridge in point-to-point mode; Pinnacle also offers two- and three-port bridges, the 11/E2 and 11/E3, respectively. Multiple-port bridges let you install multiple PC Card radios to squeeze more bandwidth out of a single station. Actually, the PinnacleLink is the only product we tested that gives you the option of having more than two radios in a single station. While using a two- or three-port bridge could conceivably result in higher data throughput without adding more stations, you'd likely encounter interference from multiple radios present in the same station. To avoid such interference, the radios would have to operate at different frequencies and data rates. The PinnacleLink 11/E3 can house up to three radios operating at 915 MHz, 2 Mbps; 2.4 GHz, 2, 10 or 11 Mbps; and 5.8 GHz, 10 Mbps.