2. The Product

Renasis' data sheet (PDF) says the BA24j uses "Time Division Duplex (TDD) technology", which is another way of saying that the booster automatically switches between its transmit and receive amplifiers. The transmit amp is "a high-power, high-efficiency, linear amplifier MMIC manufactured on an advanced Gallium Arsenide Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT)". All Renasis says about the receive amp is that it's a "low noise LNA".

The Transmit amplifier can provide 15dB of gain and take a +20dBm (100mW) maximum signal, but not both at the same time, since transmit output power level is automatically limited to +29dBm (800 mW) so that you stay within the +30dBM (1W) FCC limit.

The Receive side can take up to a -10dBm (0.1mW) signal from the antenna and provide 17dB of boost, which would yield a maximum 7dBm (5 mW) signal to the device that the Booster is connected to.

Where Linksys put similar circuitry for its WSB24 in one of its signature purple and grey boxes, Renasis has opted for a more flexible and compact format. Figure 1 shows two of the BA24j's in position on a Linksys WAP54G [reviewed here] that I used for testing.

Figure 1: Front view of WAP54G with dual BA24j's

Figure 2 provides a comparison shot where you can see a normal WAP54G "rubber duckie" antenna and BA24j in position, and another BA24j in unassembled form.

Figure 2: Rear view of WAP54G with mixed antennas

The Booster's flexibility is enhanced by the RP-SMA connector that it uses to connect to the actual antenna. This means you can replace the supplied 2dBi omnidirectional antenna with a higher gain or directional one that may better suit your purposes. But you do give up some antenna positioning flexbility with the Booster, since it uses a fixed right-angle connector to mate to the wireless device to be boosted.

Other negatives are that although the power wart is small, it's a right angle style that may eat up multiple positions on your outlet strip. You also might want to secure the power plug to the BA24j, since it doesn't have a locking detent.

Note that the BA24j comes in two models, one with an RP-TNC connector (used on most Linksys products) and an RP-SMA used on most other consumer wireless products.