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Netgear WG511 Wireless 802.11g PC Card

Netgear WG511 Wireless 802.11g PC Card

List Price: $66.44
Your Price: $42.74
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Plugged In
Review: Easy to use, as I just popped it in and started surfing. I also use the WGR614 router. Great combo. Go Wireless.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Sony Vaio+WinXP may not like it
Review: I recommended this to someone on the basis of the relatively stellar reports here. So, I figure it's fair to leave the caveat. I spent 2.5 hours trying to get the WG511 working with Vaio with a bit of time spent with tech support with a light Indian accent. She had me use the old 1.1 software on the original CD. Newer ones were posted on their website but if you check the dates on the software & drivers, they're actually a bit older than you're led to believe. The upshot was it still didn't work and the older is only a bit better than the newer. In between, I got plenty of messages about "WG511WLU.EXE" wanting to disappear and hide.

The WG511 worked on my Toshiba and the Sony worked with a MS MN-510 usb adapter.

This is still bleeding edge stuff as far as I'm concerned.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Need some help!!!
Review: i managed to get connected to the wireless network at home. all that part was great. hardly takes time to install the card and very user friendly. but im having troubles setting up the internet. i use windows xp....can some one help me out with this!! my email address is rocketarvind@hotmail.com
thanks

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: truly plug-n-play
Review: I recently purchased the WG511 with the WGR614 wireless router. First, plugging in th router was simple and i didn't need to configure it to "talk" to my Comcast broadband modem. After plugging in the WG511 card to my laptop, the only thing i had to configure was my WES, which was extremely easy. This is probably one of the best "out of the box" experiences i have ever had - with ANY product.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great card
Review: I gave this card 5 stars mostly because everything went just like it was supposed to. It installed exactly as documented with no issues, it scanned for the network, and once configured (via XP's wireless settings), it connected. What more can you ask for?

Reception is great. I spend a good deal of time near the AP but the card just sits at 54Mbps, so I have to say that I am completely thrilled!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Solid Wireless G PC Card
Review: When I replaced my Netgear ME102 access point, I was mainly concerned with the lack of security features compared to current wireless 801.11x products on shelves today.

I ended up selecting another Netgear product, the WGR614 wireless G router/access point and chose the WG511 mostly to ensure the highest level of compatibility.

Overall, I'm very pleased. The card was simple to install, even given my previous experience with the ME102. Pop in the CD, use the HTTP-based menu to install the driver and software package, configure the security settings and you're done!

I decided to take a chance and downloaded the latest firmware which implements draft 802.11g compliance, SSID broadcast blocking, and minor fixes before hand. Once implemented on both router and PC card, I noticed no problems or difficulties. Those with mismatching brands of wireless devices may want to check with the respective manufacturer(s) before upgrading, however.

Performance and range were much improved in my two-story, 1600 sq. ft. home with steel frame construction. Where the signal of my old ME102 and D-link 650 would drop significantly from about 15-20ft away, I'm able to keep a full signal with the WG511 and WGR614 in the same location. Throughput was also improved, of course, although device specifications, antenna placement, environment, and infrastructure all play a part in signal strength and performance. As with any wireless network product, your mileage may vary.

Overall, the WG511 is solid wireless G PCMCIA card. It's broad antenna and easy-to-install software/driver package ensure good performance when paired with a Netgear wireless G router. At a price comparable to some 802.11b solutions, the Netgear is a very good choice for the home user looking for a new wireless G or add-on to their existing wireless G network.

Recommended

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very impressed Mac user
Review: My network at home is primarily made up of Macs connected to an Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. But when it came time to get my Dell laptop connected wirelessly I read a few reviews here and then picked up the Netgear WG511. Within minutes, I had the software installed and the WG511 PC card reading my Airport network. Just remember that the AirPort's built-in security system, called WEP, works in a different way under the Mac OS and other systems. On a Mac you just enter the password that you set up the for the network, but on a PC in order to set up a Network security you need to use the hexadecimal password for the Airport. To find out what your hex password is run the AirPort Admin Utility and click the Password icon at the top of the configuration window.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This card installed without a glitch. Initially I was experiencing some problems with it trying to connect with a neighbor's wireless Linksys router. Every time it tried to make that other connection is would sever the existing connection. Very frustrating. That problem was resolved by just disabling the "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" option. You can do this in the "advanced" section of the "Wireless Network Connection" window.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Wireless Network Product! Fast Setup!
Review: I got 2 of these wireless PCMCIA cards and 1 Netgear Wireless 54G Router and had my wireless network up and going in 5 minutes and have not had one glitch with it at all! I have been so impressed with the Netgear 54G Wireless products and they have worked wonderfully! If your trying to decide with what brand to choose then choose the Netgear 54G wireless products! They are fantastic and absolutely worth the money!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great card, with just a minor glitch
Review: I bought this card with the Netgear WGR614 wireless 54G router. I was able to get both up and running in less than 10 minutes, and the two work great together. The only thing is when I close my laptop or put the computer in standby, the card causes the computer to freeze up. This was really disturbing at first, causing me to have to restart my laptop everytime (after which it worked fine), but then I figured out that if you just take the card out and put it back in, everything will immediately be back to normal again. I don't know if there is a bigger problem I am just ignoring or a better way to solve this problem, but my method seems to be working fine...


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