The most powerful Wi-Fi card ever?

Network device maker SMC Networks has launched what's believed to be the most powerful wireless LAN card ever - so powerful that many countries have not approved it for sale, according to its makers.

The card, the SMC 2532W-B, boasts three times the range of a standard Wi-Fi card but "there are limits to transmitting power in many countries", said Sum Kok Meng, an SMC Networks product manager.

The device was designed for notebook users who need an extra-wide roaming range, said Sum.

In countries such as Singapore, the telecoms regulators put a cap of 100 milliWatts of transmitting power on Wi-Fi cards.

The new SMC card's power is double that, enabling it to broadcast almost a kilometre away, and comes with an extra sensitive receiver for faint signals.

He claimed that it is the most powerful Wi-Fi card currently available to retail consumers.

Places where the £100 device has been approved include the US, Middle East and Australia. In countries such as Malaysia it is still undergoing regulatory tests but in crowded, mostly urban, Singapore it has been turned down flat.

Transmitting devices have power limits set on them so as to prevent them interfering with other networks.

The card was designed for users such as logistics staff taking inventory in large warehouses, or for homes and offices with wall obstructions, said Sum. Due the extra output of the device, it consumes about a third more power than a standard card, though it has a 'resting' power-saving mode.

John Lui writes for CNETAsia.