Microsoft Broadband Networking Wireless Notebook Adapter
by Microsoft
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Our Price: $20.00
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Category: CE
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: MicrosoftAudio: English (Original Language)
Model: L21-00003
Product features:
- Easy-to-use Setup Wizard
- Strong security features, including 128-bit wireless security (WEP) and support for 802.11b standards
- Broadband Network Utility for easy monitoring of your network status
- Connects to a laptop computer through the PC Card slot
- Toll-free product support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Microsoft Broadband Networking Wireless Notebook Adapter
Customer Review: Works perfectly, but software is brain dead
Summary: 2 Stars
First the good. This device installs on any Windows system from Win 98 through XP, and works perfectly.Now the bad. It does NOT work with any operating system but Wndows 98 through XP. This in itself isn't terrible if you have a Windows PC, but the sad part comes with the software. If you don't have IE already on your system it consumes a whopping 144 MB! Even with IE it takes up 80 MB of space. Compared to the less than 1 MB for any other card I've tried, including SMC and Linksys, this is plain sloppy. Also, while this card will support 128-bit WEP (wireless encryption protocol), that protocol is not as secure as you may be lead to believe, and not all access points support it. Add the massive security problems introduced by IE, which is required, and any protection you do get is negated.
That said, if you are using Windows, especially XP and don't care about wasting drive space because of sloppy software development practices, this is a good deal based on price, performance and ease of installation. I gave it low marks because of poor cross platform compatibility, terrible software and the false sense of security implied by the 128-bit WEP feature.
Description of Microsoft Broadband Networking Wireless Notebook Adapter
The Microsoft Wireless Notebook Adapter makes it easy to securely add a notebook computer (or any computer with a PC Card) to the 802.11b wireless network in your home or small office and share a broadband connection, such as a cable or DSL modem. The Microsoft Wireless Notebook Adapter protects your network from unauthorized access with 128-bit wireless security (WEP). It also includes the Microsoft Broadband Network Utility allowing you to easily monitor your network status.The Microsoft wireless notebook adapter makes it easy to add a notebook computer to your network. Share a broadband Internet connection by connecting to a router, share files and printers with other computers on your network, or play games with multiple players on the Internet. You can also connect to other wireless 802.11b/Wi-Fi networks when you're away from home for added productivity on the road.
The wireless notebook adapter comes with an easy-to-use setup wizard, designed to make connecting your computers together easier. It has strong security features, including 128-bit wireless WEP security, and support for 802.1x standards. The Microsoft broadband network utility makes it easy to monitor your network status.
Included with the wireless network adapter are an adjustable antenna and attached cable and setup CD-ROM, as well as a startup guide and a user's guide.
System requirements include: a wireless router (sold separately) or other 802.11b/Wi-Fi device or network, as well as a computer running Windows 98, 98 SE, Me, 2000 Professional, XP Professional, or XP Home editions; Internet Explorer 5.0 or later (setup will install Internet Explorer 6.0 browser components, if necessary, but will not displace your primary browser); 28 MB of available hard disk space if you already have Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6.0 (132 MB of available hard disk space if you are installing Internet Explorer for the first time); a 4x or faster CD-ROM drive; and a VGA or higher-resolution monitor.