Digital Trends

Gigabyte B49GU Router

September 2nd, 2004 | by Jeff Fila

Introduction

Known mostly for its enthusiast motherboards and graphics cards, Taiwan's Gigabyte Technology is actually a manufacturer with a rather diversified product lineup. From laptop, desktop and small form factor computers to optical drives to LCD displays, Gigabyte has one of the broadest product ranges of the companies known to the enthusiast community. Gigabyte also has a diverse networking collection, with the majority of its newer products featuring wireless technology.

Gigabyte's B49GU (also known as the GN-B49G — the “U” represents the U.S. model) is the company's latest wireless broadband router. The B49GU is based on the Atheros 802.11g chipset and supports Atheros' Super-G, a technology that allows for improved throughput on 802.11g networks. While standard 802.11g devices boast a 54Mbps maximum transfer speed, Super-G-enabled networks can reach a theoretical maximum of 108Mbps. Of course, as we have shown in reviews of other 802.11g products, such as the D-Link DI-624 which also uses Super-G technology, the maximum speeds are only theoretical numbers and real-world results are usually significantly slower.

Features and Design

As is the case with most other 802.11g SOHO routers, the B49GU features four wired Ethernet ports in addition to its wireless capabilities. The model is what we'd classify as average-size for today's wired/wireless routers and can be placed horizontally on a flat surface or, with the included bracket, can be stood vertically or mounted to a wall. With a plain white top and a light grey bottom, the relatively featureless B49GU won't win any design awards, but it also won't look out of place in your office.

The B49GU can be mounted on a wall, stood up vertically, or laid horizontally on a flat surface.