Cisco-Linksys WMP54GS Wireless-G PCI Card with SpeedBooster
by Linksys
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List Price: Our Price: $72.94 You Save: $0.05 (0%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $8.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys WMP54GS Wireless-G PCI Card with SpeedBooster
Customer Review: Works great once you resolve signal drop problems
Summary: 4 Stars
Frankly, I was ready to throw it out the window. Followed their instructions- installed Linksys software first, then installed card. Card would work at first, then intermittently lose signal / not connect to internet. I called tech support (3) times- first 2 calls were useless- same redundant tests / questions. I must have plugged and unplugged it 4 times. Finally- I paid the $30 for advanced support (after working on it for 5 hours and screaming at my kids) and got through to a girl named Sonali working for Linksys in India. Here's the deal:
Windows XP and Vista (I have XP Pro)have their own wireless adapter software that doesn't get along with the Linksys software that Linksys insists you install prior to installing the card. So.. to resolve this, you need to:
1: Delete the Linksys software for the Adapter- Programs /Linksys / Wireless adapter / UNINSTALL
2: Leave the adapter in the computer and reboot. Ignore the Windows add Hardware routine and let the hardware go as unresolved (the yellow question mark in device manager)
3: Find the Adapter Drivers ONLY and install them in a directory you can find later. The driver file should look something like wmp54GS.inf. I went to the linksys website and downloaded the most current file- then created a folder c:\linksys drivers and pasted the inf file there.
4: Go to Device Manager (My computer / properties / hardware / device manager- right click the unresolved device and update the driver. Follow the steps - don't let it search.. specify location.. and point it to the right file.
5: Now, after the drivers are read and XP id's the adapter, you'll get a wireless icon on the taskbar. Double click- find your connection (your router is broadcasting) and you're in. If you have WEP enabled, then you'll have to enter the key. Remember if you're using a LinkSys WRT54G, you enter a passphrase that generates a WEP key. enter the actual generated key, not the passphrase.
Now you should be set--- Windows wireless will log you on when you boot up and not drop you.
To tweak a little further-- if you have a Linksys WRT54G router- make some settings changes:
Changed the channel on the WRT54G wireless connection to 11 (works better than 6)
In Wireless Advanced Settings-
Changed beacon interval to 75
Changed fragmentation threshold to 2176 and RTS threshold to 2176
Disable Secure Easy Setup
The concept makes sense to me-- and now everything works like lightning.
Customer Review: Crummy tech support and Byzantine install offsets solid tech
Summary: 2 Stars
The good? Wireless speeds are in excess of the 802.11g spec, so I am getting 100-110Mbps (12.5-13.5 MBps) from the basement to the living room easily. Once the initial horror of setup was over, I've been happily connected ever since. And you can't beat the price: Linksys gear is dropping in price, likely due to a ramp-up of pre-N gear on the horizon. (That's the new 802.11n standard which promises 6x the g-rate, and pre-N Belkin gear is delivering triple the speeds, so 150Mbps, or nearly 19 MBps).
The bad? Customer support, or lack thereof. I had a problem with the client not seeing the router. The *real* problem was the firewall on the basement machine. However, mention the words "Workgroup" or "file and printer sharing" to a Live Chat Specialist and watch how fast they come back with "we don't support configuring Windows" and a link to a knowledgebase article that will not give you a step-by-step diagnostic.
That's a shame, because a troubleshooting map would come in real handy. I fixed the problem myself -- I usually do with rare exception -- but for the non-IT professional, I fear for you. It's Belkin or Netgear for me next time.
And even more: the DHCP server on these routers are apparently very flaky. I could never get mine to give up an IP address to my WMP54GS card, so in the ened I configured it for a static IP and was connected. Woe to the inexperienced customer who tries to get an IP from one of these automatically. This issue is known throughout the Internet, but good luck trying to get Linksys to admit the problem and fix it.
The ugly? Try installing it. IF you manage to see your router on the first shot, your karma is perfect and heaven awaits you. Sinners like myself are forced to install the Linksys drivers only after the failed promise of Wireless Zero Configuration fails. Yes, you'll be switching between the Windows config and Linksys config a few times until you get it right. My suggestion would be to ensure you can see the router first (channel selection being the biggest 'gotcha' here), then worry about encryption and such.
Also, don't be surprised if the DHCP server on the WRT54GS router doesn't give you an IP address. It's a known issue to the outside world, which is waiting for Linksys to admit it and fix it. Configuring your WMP54GS with a static IP will get you fully connected in every case.
I have companion reviews for the WRT54GS and WUSB11, also Linksys gear. They won't be very flattering, either, but it's XMas time, and readers should not be giving bad gifts.
Fred
Customer Review: Just wouldn't connect
Summary: 1 Stars
I have some tecnhical abilities when it comes to computers due to the many times I have basically fried my own home computer. By doing so, I have rebuilt machines and operating systems from scratch and have learned how to fix my own issues rather than rely on technial support.
I bought this linksys wireless card to go along with my current linksys router. Installation was a snap. The CD installed the software very quickly and I then installed the card. Here is where the fun begins. Like a lot of other people here, the card could not identify my IP address using the auto detect. I said fine, I'll just set a static IP address. Great, that seemed to work and I was finally "connected to both the network and the internet". Yey! Let's test the connection....wait a minute, it dropped the connection. Oh, its back....no..its gone again...And when it was connected, the signal kept going from full bars to half bars (and the computer is less than 7 feet from the router!).
This basically went on for about an hour or so as I tried various "fixes" that were on the Linksys site. Nothing on their site worked so I decided to call the tech support. After 30 minutes waiting for a person, I decided I should probably go to bed as I had to get for work the next morning and didn't feel like waiting any longer. So the next day, I went back to the store, picked up a D-Link card for $25 and went home to install that card to compare to the Linksys. 5 minutes after installing the D-Link, I was up and running. No fuss, no problems, just a fast wireless connection.
I am returning the Linksys today and I urge people here to rethink their purchase options before buying this or any other Linksys card that uses that awful software/driver. I believe the issue is well known with Linksys but they have not fixed the problem. I had a very similar problem with a Linksys USB adapter I bought for my father's computer. It basically wouldn't maintain the IP connection. I guess I was hoping that an internal card wouldn't have those types of problems. I was wrong.
To summarize:
Easy installation
Never was able to actually connect to the internet
Bought different brand that was cheaper
Much happier now
Will be returning this piece of junk
Customer Review: OK at first in Dell Dimension XPS R400 Windows 98 SE
Summary: 5 Stars
My Dell Dimension XPS 400 Windows 98 SE had the Linksys WMP54GS card in it and it used to work perfectly. (It worked perfectly the first time I installed it!) This computer has a modem and didn't have a wired ethernet card.
I have installed and removed lots of networking and VPN software on this machine. Apparently the Windows 98SE Operating System has drivers and modules and registry entries in it that don't let it boot up when this card is in the machine.
I got so frustrated I considered moving to Windows XP home (clean install). Then I considered the cost and the possibility that there might be a problem with the machine that would still preclude correct operation of the WMP54GS.
So I bought a new Dell Desktop with Windows XP Home, and then installed this card.
It works flawlessly. No issues at all.
The nightmare of weekend after weekend trying to get this card to work in the Dell XPS R400 Windows 98 SE finally ended!
My conclusion - if the wireless card doesn't work after a day's effort on an old machine and operating system, then give up or buy a current machine with windows XP. Unless you have nothing else to do with your life and find struggling with technology that doesn't work to be your life's ambition.
It appears that older computers and operating system, have unique charateristics that preclude using wireless cards. It might be in the BIOS that recognizes cards, it might be bus speed, it might be the use of PCI connector pins, it might be the operating system, it might be the incompatibility with the cards driver. I don't feel compelled to diagnose what is wrong.
Looking back, it appears that the newer wireless lan cards are throughly tested on Windows XP and Windows 2000 computers (the install is usually much easier according to my wealthier friends) and minimally tested on Windows 98 SE and Windows ME computers.
By the way, a generic wired LAN card works perfectly in the Dell XPS R400 Windows 98 SE.
Had I known that wired was the way to go, I'd have spent the time wiring the house with CAT5 cable connected to a 4 way router, and have had it working in a weekend.
Wireless is easy only with new technology.
Customer Review: Don't buy this junk. Plenty of other good adapters, why risk buying this
Summary: 1 Stars
Mine actually works and I still hate it.
I haven't had all the problems others are complaining about.
---I run Windows XP SP2 had no problems compatability.
---Signal strength is fine.
---I had no problem installing on one computer....except that I installed the card before running the CD, just like every other card or peripheral I have ever installed. I've never seen one that didn't allow you to install hardware before drivers. So I had to take it out, run CD and put back in. Just a minor annoyance that cost 10 minutes. But c'mon Linksys why the special order? Most people that are willing to open the computer and install a card don't need instructions to know "take card and put in slot" and "insert disc", so they don't look at them. At least they put a warning sticker about the installation order on the disk cover for us non-direction readers. Annoying but no stars deducted for this.
---Told Mom to buy one (this was before I had installed mine). Installed easy and it worked fine at first. Now it connects to router but can't find internet (yes other computers connect to net through this router just fine). Would think maybe firewall setting issue??? but I used to work then just stopped. C'mon Linksys if your connected to the router how hard it is to find the internet. Deduct 1 star.
---Stupid software only supports hexidecimal passwords. Of course my router also support standard alphabet and my password had some G-Z letters, so I had go change network password and update all devices attached to the network. C'mon Linksys how hard it is to support A-Z. Annoying but no stars deducted.
---SLOW SLOW SLOW SLOW TO CONNECT!!!! On my other computers you hit connect and are online in 5-10 seconds. This thing takes 30 seconds to a minute. Impatient, yes. But still unacceptable. Deduct 1 star.
---Can't hibernate or sleep computer or card disables. Only way to get it turned on again is to reboot. So it's either leave computer on all day long, or reboot everytime I want go online. Deduct 1 stars.
--Overall bad product. Deduct one star.