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Netgear WG121 Wireless 802.11g USB Adapter

Netgear WG121 Wireless 802.11g USB Adapter

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Didn't work with my TiVo, worked fine with Windows XP...
Review: ...but sadly, I purchased it for my TiVo Series 2 (240 series). It's not on the recommended or even the 'reported compatible' list for the TiVo (see http://customersupport.tivo.com/tivoknowbase/root/public/tv2006.htm? for that) but I figured it was worth trying. All the ones on that list are 802.11b, and since I have an 802.11g network I didn't want to slow it down by adding a b client.

I will probably keep this, as it is very lightweight and portable, and it will probably be handy for adding wireless capability to computers I'm doing short-term evaluations on, esp during business travel.

Setup on Windows, for those of you concerned with such things, was a snap. I particularly liked the NetGear software's more detailed signal strength graph than the standard Windows XP wireless software; this made it easier to position the adapter for best reception.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Terrible just Terrible
Review: I bought this about three months ago with a netgear router , I had to RMA the router and get a refund just two weeks after buying it , I should have sent the This back as well .
NOT a good product freezes Windows XP if your motherboard has the VIA chipset and/or an AMD Athlon CPU which was two strikes for me , the third strike came today when it just plain died the lights aren't on and the computer doesn't recognize it as a wireless adapter and no amount of installing, uninsatlling the software/drivers help.
I wish netgear had listed this on the box instead of just waiting until I emailed them to inform me.
Save your money but a linksys router & Usb adapter instead.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Acceptable but not very great
Review: I bought this reciever to use with the Netgear wireless g router/firewall. Setup was fairly easy, although this is my first set of wireless equiptment. My three big complaints are that this usb reciever doesn't support WPA encryption, I can't for the life of me figure out how to use WEP encryption, and even on g only mode it maxes out at 24 Mbps. Although that is a strong signal by conventional standards, it leads me to believe that it is a weak reciever because my router is only about 30 ft away while the manual promises an acceptable signal from up to 150 ft.

Despite my complaints I should mention that the signal stays relatively near 24 Mbps with only temporarily slow moments when someone in my house is using the microwave or talking on a cell phone, but the signal has never dropped off completely. The unit itself is about 3 inches wide, 6 inches long and the antenna is about 4 inches tall, so it is quite small.

Overall this reciever is acceptable, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if those of you who have a lot of experience in wireless networking would pass on buying this reciever.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Works Fine
Review: I bought this same product. I use it with a Netgear 802.11g router. I use all Netgear products to hopefully prevent any conflicts between hardware, but I'm not an networking expert so I'm not sure if that will really prevent any problems. But from my POV this is a safe buy. No problems so far. What I like about this product is that i can place it on a high shelf out of the way of metal objects and other stuff that would potentially interfere with the radio signal, because it's connected by USB.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Works Fine
Review: I bought this same product. I use it with a Netgear 802.11g router. I use all Netgear products to hopefully prevent any conflicts between hardware, but I'm not an networking expert so I'm not sure if that will really prevent any problems. But from my POV this is a safe buy. No problems so far. What I like about this product is that i can place it on a high shelf out of the way of metal objects and other stuff that would potentially interfere with the radio signal, because it's connected by USB.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not a very good receiver
Review: I have a Netgear MA101 802.11b USB adapter sitting next to the WG121 adapter. The MA101 consistently receives a stronger signal by FAR compared to the WG121. Both adapters are less than 20 feet from the access point. The WG121 cannot sustain a good connection (i.e a relative signal strength of 5-8 on a scale of 10). The MA101 indicates a perfect connection (10 on a scale of 10) ALWAYS. I will put up with the slower speed to get a stable, consistent, strong connection. The WG121 is being returned and I will stick with the MA101 (USB1.1, 802.11b adapter).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: no probs here
Review: I'm using this with Netgear WGR614. Install was a snap and the signal is strong. Browser-based control is nice - make sure to look for firmware upgrades if you get this.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: constant lockups
Review: I've had nothing but trouble with this adapter on my system. My system locks up constantly if it is connected. Apparently, a lot of other people with Athlon systems are having the same problem - so buyer beware.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: One big security hole
Review: Maybe a good enough piece of hardware. Signal and speed are average. But drivers, tools and support are extremly bad.
The adapter needs an administrators account to login before it starts working. Setting it up with admin rights is not enough to use it. It doesn't come online at all before anyone has logged in and the stupid configuration utility has been able to start up. There's no way to get this working in a multiuser environment with a minimum of security. Besides, Netgear support is a joke.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Blue Screen
Review: Packaging is misleading. Did not work on Win98. Tech support answered quick enough, but told me to upgrade from Win98 to at least Win98SE. Package says mimimum requirement is Win98 and a USB. Got a "KEBUGCHECKEX Error 44 Blue Screen" on several install attemps.


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