Cables Unlimited Wireless USB Kit Lets You Cut the Cords

[Timothy Huber]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/2008/11/07/pair-usb-devices-wirelessly-with-cables-unlimited-wireless-usb-kit/' target='_blank'>http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/2008/11...reless-usb-kit/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Ever wish you could access many of your USB peripherals wirelessly? If yes, Cables Unlimited has a unique $129 solution that you might be interested in if your a Windows XP or Vista user. The company's Wireless USB Kit is a receiver and transmitter duo that is designed to work with a single USB device or with many at once via a USB hub up to 30-feet away. The catch is that only one user can have access to the paired device(s) at a time and the product can only support non-isochronous peripherals. In other words, the kit does not support USB webcams, speakers, or microphones."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1227563267.usr147.jpg" /></p><p>One consistent problem with home computer setups is what to do with all the cords. USB brought a standard peripheral connection, but with the downside of more and more wires to manage. Wireless USB brings the promise of&nbsp;reducing&nbsp;the number of cords and it looks like this Wireless USB Kit from Cables Unlimited might help. Unfortunately, it doesn't support microphones, webcams, and speakers, which in my opinion are some of the most obtrusive wires in my own setup. But if you want to wirelessly enable an existing USB printer, scanner, or hard drive, this just might fit the bill.&nbsp; I'm interested in seeing what kind of reviews start rolling in and whether or not it's worth $129.</p>

[gdoerr56]

Interesting but I don't think or the real Wireless USB stuff is going to eliminate any cables unless we're going to add batteries to everything.

The thing I like most about USB is the single cable solution. Wireless doesn't do me any good if I have have to have power cables and more power bricks...

[Timothy Huber]

The thing I like most about USB is the single cable solution. Wireless doesn't do me any good if I have have to have power cables and more power bricks...

Excellent point. I see something like this product connecting a scanner or a printer where a external power source is a given. But the cords I really hate - such as the webcam and the speakers - aren't going away anytime soon.

[Pony99CA]

"Ever wish you could access many of your USB peripherals wirelessly? If yes, Cables Unlimited has a unique $129 solution that you might be interested in if your a Windows XP or Vista user. The company's Wireless USB Kit is a receiver and transmitter duo that is designed to work with a single USB device or with many at once via a USB hub up to 30-feet away."
Does this conform to the official Wireless USB (http://www.usb.org/developers/wusb/) standard, or is it some proprietary extension?

But if you want to wirelessly enable an existing USB printer, scanner, or hard drive, this just might fit the bill.&nbsp; I'm interested in seeing what kind of reviews start rolling in and whether or not it's worth $129.
At $130, you could probably buy a networked equivalent instead. That seems a ridiculously high price for this unless you get full USB high-speed bandwidth (480 mbps). I can buy a wireless router and USB receiver for that price. I think you'd either need a very expensive or one-of-a-kind device to justify that price.

Steve