At the Western Cable Show in Las Angeles, Lucent announced the availability of a USB wireless device for the ORiNOCO Internet access and wireless networking system.

By using the wireless USB Client, users can wirelessly network a computer by simply plugging the device into a spare USB connector and installing the software.

The new Wi-Fi certified ORiNOCO USB Client is interoperable with other IEEE 802.11b compliant devices, including wireless access points and adapters. Its performance peaks at 11Mbps, and the device can communicate with other wireless devices up to range of 1200 feet.

To our knowledge, there are only two other USB IEEE 802.11b out on the market. They include NetGear's and D-link's wireless adapters. You can click here to see them all.

With support for Windows 98/ME/2000, the bus-powered wireless USB client will be available at the end of first quarter 2001, and it will come in two different encryption options: the Silver 64-bit key and the Gold 128-bit key. The Silver USB is available at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $199 and Gold is $219.

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