Cisco-Linksys WUSB600N Dual-Band Wireless-N USB Network Adapter
by Linksys
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List Price: Our Price: $47.95 You Save: $33.04 (41%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $19.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cisco-Linksys WUSB600N Dual-Band Wireless-N USB Network Adapter
Customer Review: Perfect connection, great wireless speed
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this for use with a new D-Link Wireless N router, but I haven't installed the router yet, so I've just been using it with my current Wireless G router. I'll update my review if I experience any problems with the N connection.
I installed this adapter on the back of my new desktop Windows XP machine (the wired cradle is helpful, too, should you need to position the receiver for better reception). I opted for a wireless network, rather than running cable through the walls, and I think it was a good decision. I ran the installation disk to get the drivers, and when I plugged in the adapter, it picked up the signal immediately. It has its own wireless configuration utility, and it makes it easy to identify and connect to any nearby networks. I'm in a small condo complex, and I'm pulling in more network signals with this little guy than my girlfriend's Mac notebook. So, it seems to be a good choice if you're in a crowded building, or if you need extended range out of your Wi-Fi receiver.
The wireless connection has so far been rock-solid. I'm only connected over G (Netgear WGR-614v8 from a broadband Cable modem), and I haven't even noticed that I'm wireless. I am one floor above the router, and I have full-bars signal all day. I get remarkable and reliable download and uploads speeds, and I haven't experienced any disconnects that I've noticed. I can fly around Google Earth seamlessly.
I'll report back if my opinion changes once I hook up with the Wireless N router. My only complaint might be the price. It's not the cheapest USB-N adapter out there, but I went with the good reviews. I'd imagine the prices on all of the N equipment will drop very soon, once the standard becomes official.
A final update: I've been using the adapter with a D-Link wireless-N router for a few months now. It has worked perfectly. It is one floor up, directly above the router, so the connection is no problem. The speed is unquestionably fast. I've seen some really quick transfer rates from my cable modem. The effect is exactly what I wanted--as if it were a wired connection.
Customer Review: Very good performance with occasional quirks
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought two of these; one for my MCE 2005 machine and another for my kid's Vista Basic. Installation went smoothly for both machines but it was easier on Vista.
The Media Center 2005 (MCE, basically Windows XP Pro with SP3) experience has been mixed. For the most part the device works well, but it doesn't seem to like using XP's zero config service to run the adapter. My personal preference is to let Windows manage the wireless adapter so I don't have one more useless craplet installed in my Startup folder. Most of the time, (80%) Windows detects the adapter properly on start up and everything is fine. Occasionally, though, it doesn't and I have to manually start the Linksys config utility to force a connect to my network. (I'm using the "matching" dual band Linksys router with WPA2) It's not a huge deal, but it is an annoyance.
Performance-wise, both my systems are reporting 270Mb/s and I can definitely feel the difference between this and my old 11g network. I spend a lot of time in first person shooters and the experience has been the same as when I was physically connected to my gigabit ethernet. The Vista machine is experiencing an interesting problem with stuttering during video streaming (via VideoLAN/VLC) that I wouldn't expect on 11n and that I don't see on my laptop running 11g on the same router. I have not had time to troubleshoot this yet, so I don't know the root cause of the problem.
Some other reviews have noted that the 5 Ghz band signal strength seems to fall off quickly. To some extent this is to be expected; 5 Ghz is going to attenuate (lose strength due to walls and other interference) much more quickly than the 2.4 Ghz of b/g. However, I'm surprised by the signal strength drop between my two PC's. They're only separated by a single wall and perhaps 2 ft. Yet I get 5 bars on my MCE machine (same room as the router) and on the Vista machine I'm only getting 3 (just on the other side of the wall). I cannot prove it but, based on this problem and video stuttering on the Vista machine, I suspect that the Vista drivers may not be fully baked yet.
Customer Review: Tech Support told me to return it and get a different type !!
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this adapter for my daughter's desktop PC in the hopes of obtaining a decent range. I had an old wireless "B" PCI adapter from Netgear for years, and signal was always very marginal on this PC.
I also bought a Linksys WRT600N router to upgrade my whole wireless system too. The idea of dual band 2.4/5Ghz seemed attractive enough. Also, I thought that by buying from the same manufacturer I should have very few issues.
I have four PCs at home 3 x wireless "G" (XP SP3 + Vista SP1 + MAC)+ 1 x wireless "B" (XP SP3), so this USB Wireless "N" computer would have been the only one capable of all the extra features and range.
The installation of the USB adapter software went fine and it connected almost right away. So I thought I was done. Almost immediately my daughter started complaining of lost connection issues. I blamed it on her finagling with the wireless software, but it turned out that she was right. The system would take a long time to connect after booting up the PC, then would disconnect after 2 or 3 minutes, and would connect again may be 30 min later. I could not manually force a connection (even though Linksys software advisor would say that I was connected to the router).
To summarize, I called tech support today and was pleasantly surprised to speak to a human after no more than 2 minutes. But after 50 min on the phone, and several holds while he was in turn asking questions to somebody else, he came back saying that I'd be better off returning the USB adapter and getting a Linksys WMP300N which he swore is a dual radio band (even though I read somewhere that it works at 2.4 GHz only).
Too bad I bought this online, but it was from Amazon, so I am returning it today.
Customer Review: It works, so it's not quite worthless
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought a Linksys router some time ago. The set-up was not straightforward and I needed help from tech support, but at the time the support was pretty good so I decided to try another Linksys product since perhaps the router and adapter would be more compatable. This time, it took several tries to install the adapter, and the tech support was completely useless. Eventually I was able to install it after uninstalling Network Magic...I'm not sure if that was related or not. Now, it does not connect automatically to my network; sometimes it connects automatically and without permission to some nearby unsecured network. To connect to my network after stand-by mode, I have to re-enter my network key. Contacting tech support by chat again, with the specific request to be able to connect automatically and only to my network, they are completely unable to describe what I need to do to follow their instructions (I have been managing my own computers for 20 years, so although I am not a professional, I can follow instructions). If I ask another question to clarify, I am off script and they simply repeat the same information. If I suggest that they are not helping, they reply that they are "confident that they will be able to solve this problem." The Linksys manager does not allow any options for set-up that are obvious from the interface. In trying to manage from Windows, it configured the connection and detects the network but is unable to connect. The user manual with the adapter explains what to do but not how to troubleshoot. I assign 2 stars because the item does connect to my network, but I think that Linksys needs a lot of work with their user interface software and their tech support.Customer Review: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS OR ANY OTHER LINKSYS PRODUCT
Summary: 1 Stars
After installing Windows 7 64-bit OS, this Linksys N wireless USB adapter was touted as compatible with that OS. IT IS NOT!!! When Linksys Technical Support couldn't help me install it, they told me to return it to Amazon, and order from them model WUSB54GC.v3 . Even though Amazon carries this model, I was told that they do not carry version 3 and only version 3 is compatible with Win7 64-bit, even though it uses outdated G metrics.
The WUSB54GC.v3 arrived today, and again after three attempts to install it, neither I nor Linksys Technical Support could get it to work. In fact, the support agent hung up on me once. I have spent well over 4 hours trying to install these two Linksys products, which would not work despite the manufacturer's representation that they are Win7 64-bit compatible. THEY ARE NOT!
The Linksys support agents were inept and even rude. It took an hour just to get them to agree to send me a return authorization. In 20 years of building and maintaining PCs, I have never had a Linksys product that worked well or reliably; neither have my friends or co-workers. I swore off ever buying Linksys again many years ago, and did it this time only because it was the only one on the market that was supposedly Win7 64-bit ready. I will now await my RA number.
In the meantime, a good friend handed me a Corega N USB wireless adapter, Model # WLUSB300N and told me to download the updated driver. I did and it installed perfectly. He bought this in Taiwan for US$13, and he's going to ask his Mother to buy another one for me. Unfortunately, Corega is hard to come by in the US and Amazon would do well to stock their products.