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Linksys WPC11 Wireless-B Notebook Adapter

Linksys WPC11 Wireless-B Notebook Adapter

List Price: $59.99
Your Price: $41.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Works, but very poor range
Review: Specs
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Compaq Armada 1750 w/ Windows XP
Linksys WPC11 v3 card
Linksys WAP w/ Signal Booster

I guess I should be happy that this card actually works with my Windows XP laptop given the other reviews, but overall I'm not happy at all with it.

With my laptop sitting on the floor 1 foot from the Access Point (WITH a Signal Booster may I add), I wasn't even getting close to a 100% signal. When I get around 20 feet or so, the signal barely holds itself at poor and frequently drops to 0.

This seems to be a common problem among notebook wireless cards (my PCI cards get very strong, often 100% signals). I don't understand why they can't add an antennae of some sort to improve performance. Right now, I can't have the laptop in any room other than the one that the WAP is in (even then I usually get poor connections) and still get a signal.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: upsetting
Review: I thought that this would be a good card but I was wrong I couldn't even install the thing I tried everything possible and when I called tech support, he told me that I needed a different card because they were having problems with this card and the drivers on windows xp.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Works great in two laptops on two different networks
Review: I've skimmed the other reviews and won't debate whether those that are having problems should be. I haven't had any problems, and all I did was follow the directions when I installed the Wireless B router in my house. I first installed the card on my laptop (IBM TP) and then on my wife's (Dell something or other) without a problem. The only issues my wife has had at home, as she is the one that uses the card virtually all the time on our network, has been not when the wireless was down or not working properly, but when the cable internet service was down. Obviously, if there is no source, there's no wireless.

I took the card and my notebook to a local church who's opened up a coffee shop and has furniture to spread out on. Nobody's there, so it seemed to be a good place to work when I get tired of my settings. They have a wireless connection going, so after checking with a few folks on security issues and buying a wireless security book from Amazon (a book I've only skimmed) I went down to the church to see what happened. Plugged the card into my laptop, turned the machine on, and in a few seconds, the network showed up. No configuration needed! Well, I think the first time, I had to select that particular network, but that was easy. Now everytime I go it just pops right up. I brought it home and it did the same on my home network -- again, no reconfig. I would assume the church's network is faster than mine, but the speed seems roughly the same -- at least web surfing. If you need faster speed, just check out the "G" card.

So, if you buy this thing exclusively to use at Starbucks (or whereever), you should have zero probs. If you buy to use with one or more networks, I can tell you it has worked fine for me. There might be some tricky settings to get right in your computer, but that relates to the wireless network specifically and not the card.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great card
Review: I have used this card in many different locations with many different kinds of routers and have NO problems. At home, I have the linksys wireless routerm and it works perfectly there. I also use the card all the time at coffee shops, and at school with no problems. My only regrets are not having wireless integrated in my laptop as I only have 1 pc card slot, and I don't really like the thing sticking out of the side.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: HORRIBLE AVOID
Review: Pros: Does this do anything other cards don't?

Cons: Uh, where to start. First of all this thing AIN'T WORKING. It hasn't been working for over a month and no amount of reinstalling of drivers etc will work. I'm an IT professional and I'm comfortable with networks, but this product is flawed. Secondly, when it was working the PERFORMANCE IS POOR. My machine was the nearest to the router in the office - less than 2 metres -- and I regularly got link quality dropping below 50%!!!. Also there were occasional hangs. The other machines got worse. This is particularly annoying when you consider what figures Linksys claim for this POS. In short, HORRIBLE software, HORRIBLE documentation, HORRIBLE support, POOR performance. Get the Netgear MA401 instead because Linksys don't deserve money for this flawed product.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WTF are talking about!?
Review: The Linksys series of products work great and I would only use these consumer products. The people who can't get it to work are just F@#$king stupid!! :oP

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Avoid unless you buy only Linksys
Review: I already had a Cisco 350 card and was familiar with its setup. I also already had a Toshiba PCX5000 cable modem.

The Linksys router will not work properly in a mixed setting, that is, if you mix brands of routers and cards. WEP becomes almost impossible and the internet gets dropped very easily even though you have a good quality signal. The card's client controller often
cannot adjust to the settings you assign to a profile and this is
simply frustrating when compared with how much easier set up is with other routers.

When you use Linksys products exclusively things work out better,
things are even better when you use only wired connections or only one wireless card.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Raving over wireless
Review: As I wasn't sure what I needed to set up a wireless LAN to include a desktop PC with WIN 98, another desktop with WIN Me and a laptop with WIN 2000, I used the 800 number to Linksys for their recommendations.
Their choice was mine, and both this notebook adapter and the Wireless - B router used as the "mothership" were a snap to install and worked perfectly. The instructions on both items were excellent and easy to understand and fulfill. How refreshing. Highly recommend these items and the 800 number to Linksys.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: robertp
Review: The notebook adapter interfaced with my laptop with no problems. My issue with the wireless adapter is the receiver is not very sensitive and it keep drooping the signal from my wireless hub (from one room to another about 30 feet from the hub). Not sure you can do much better. If your buying check the sensitivity of the receiver. Good luck

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not a Practical Network Device
Review: I've used this product with an 802.11b Linksys Access Point for almost a year. My laptop would sometimes FREEZE such that I had to perform a hard reset (remove all power including battery) - very frustrating. It was easy to demonstrate this phenomenon by attempting to transfer a file larger than 200MB. Signal strength might effect frequency but FREEZEing still occurs at the best strength. In my opinion this product is not a practical network device. I've since returned to using ethernet cable 99% of the time. My advice is to spend more for products that work well (we use 802.11b at work - no problem) or wait for the technology to mature.


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