Why do wireless to wired bridges cost so much?

[Mercutio]

I can buy a WRT54G for maybe $75. That's a wired switch + NAT device plus infrastructure-mode AP that runs at 54Mbit.

I can buy a WET11 for around $90. That's a single-port ethernet to infrastructure-mode AP that runs at 11Mbit.

I can buy a WGA54G for around $130. That's a single-port ethenet to ad-hoc (client)-mode AP that runs at 54Mbit. Linksys calls it a "wireless game adaptor", but of course it has other uses.

Anyone else think that's weird?

 

[blakerwry]

I believe if you use 3rd party firmware for the WRT54G you can make it act as an ethernet -> wireless AP as well as the reverse.

The wired -> wireless bridge functionality is offered by almost all of these NAT devices that offer a built in AP and wired switch.



I think there are probably a few reasons for the price differece. Technically more hardware and software goes into making the NAT routers versus a simple bridge, however there are a lot of choices and competition in the NAT router market and reletively little competition in the wired/wireless bridge market.

With the increased production of NAT routers it probably reduces the cost of manufacture and with the increasd competition it brings prices down to where they can be had for $30-$50 for .b and an Andrew Jackson is all that's required to get to .g speeds.

 

[blakerwry]

man, the WRT54G is a nice piece of hardware for the cost... 125MHz processor and 16MB RAM and runs linux 2.4 out of the box.

I would purchase one just to play around with if I had the need.... or could somehow justify it.

 

[blakerwry]

wow, looks like in version 2 of this router they are now using a 200MHz CPU and in the GS model they have doubled the RAM and flash ROM size to 32MB and 8MB respectively.

It is kind of surprising that this masterpiece is sold for so little compared to the very basic WET11 device

 

[Mercutio]

I've got three or four of 'em sitting around.

If only they had a CF slot or something. They'd be fantastic little mail/web servers.

It still annoys me that one of the most complex devices Linksys makes costs so little when compared to vastly simpler hardware.

 

[P5-133XL]

Ecconomies of scale or the lack thereof. Wireless routers/firewalls sell by the truckload. Bridges don't.

Bridges are used so that one doesn't have to buy wireless ethernet cards on all the connected machines. One buys a bridges when the cost differential exceeds the bridge cost. Thus bridges are priced not by the cost to make but rather by how much they save the buyer in not having to buy wireless cards.

 

[sechs]

Switches cost virtually nothing and competition is cut-throat. Therefore, prices are low on router/AP combos.