Rating: 
Summary: Microsoft has made this Extraordinary product Obsolete
Review: Microsoft will support Networking Hardware for another 2 years [countdown from summer 2004] and will not indulge in any recall of this [these] Wireless-G product(s). Nevertheless, Microsoft has decided to get out of networking hardware which is one reason why the price on this product is sinking.
I have tried almost every other competitive Wireless-B/G and Wired Network Base Station and PCMCIA Network Card products on the US market and absolutely nothing comes close to the elegance of setup, clarity of network management and simplicity of use. It is a thorough shame that Microsoft is exiting Networking Hardware.
If you buy this, you'd be very satisfied and just plunk the savings [$100 in some cases] in price-difference in a simple 2-year bank savings and you can easily afford to replace it in a few years with far faster technology, microsoft or not.
It is one of the few things from the entire Networking marketplace that could have hammered Apple Airport and its nifty music reciever, but alas... Bill Gates does not tolerate simplicity and well-working products just to maintain his "buggy-technology" image he has so well honed over the decades!
Rating: 
Summary: pay attention
Review: Not paying attention to the type of network I had (I had assumed I had straight Ethernet,) getting this combination to work with a PPPoE pre-existing network is not a trivial task--as far as the amount of time and trial and error heuristic employed. When all else failed, only by scrapping all prior network related installations (router + network adapters + DSL modem) and rebuilding the stack from scratch got the whole thing working. Now, that everything is up and running on two different computers (802.11g and 802.11b,) the whole package behaves 90% as advertised/desired. So, as suggestions for future buyers: open well your eyes as to what type of network you want this package to run onto. PPPoE can require some skill/luck and patience. When first installing the base, it's a good idea not to assume anything about the options you are presented with by the setup wizard. Click for help and understand what all the options on the screen can be about. Only then can you make your selection and hit next. As well, in an environment with different providers for the network adapters, be careful about the configuration of the non-Microsoft card. You need to know the name of the network, the encryption key, etc. Knowing (how) to use the web interface, once the base is installed, helps a lot. The IP numeric address is provided in the help section; you introduce it on a web browser and things will move from there. Had the folks in Redmond done a more thorough testing of, at least, the major types of install in the U.S. and either documented properly or built the whole package not so sensible to, what I consider, slight variations of install steps/conditions, it would have deserved a 5 star rating. However, since this is not the case, Microsoft Wireless-G Notebook Kit barely gets a 4-star rating. Watch this space for an update in case anything deteriorates within the next 30 days.
Rating:
Summary: Just my opinion
Review: The biggest problem, especially with PCMCIA Wireless cards, is that it looses connection sometimes. It's not only the problem with this unit, but other wireless cards as well. Although some might disagree. I personality did not have any disconnectivities even when I have been using the internet heavily. Set up was extremely easy. And I don't like the program that Microsoft provides, so I deleted the program not the driver, and it still worked. Here is the kink. If you are in an Apartment, Condo, or populated area, chances are, you will run into other wireless networks. If you search it, you will find other wireless networks. AND you will be able to access those networks because most people do not set up passwords. (well, at least I don't. Too lazy...) That means, someone can access yours. And from wireless modem you CANNOT change the settings on the router/network, which means you are left vulnerable. Unless you have a wired connection to the router and set up the network. This could slow down the speed of your internet if someone can use your access point. 2.4 GHz wireless Phones also can affect the connection. As well as sometimes even cellphones. Bottom line: this is an outstanding unit to be worked on certain environments. Not all. And Wireless Kit is for your convenience of moving around within the access point range with your notebook, not to protect you or give you a better internet performance.
Rating:
Summary: So far, so good
Review: The installation requires a bit of patience, particularly when you are dealing with an older notebook, but it went as per the instructions. My desktop PC at the base seems unaffected by the addition and shows the same connection speeds as before. The notebook never had Internet connection, but the one it has now is very good considering the PC itself is slower than the connection. I have DSL and the modem is the original one I got from the ISP. The notebook is my partner's and the desktop PC is mine. So far, so good...
Rating:
Summary: Works great!
Review: The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because the installation process gave me one little scare. I am not even sure if the problem was the installation itself or the old notebook PC with WinME I was using. The installation of the base hardware and software was flawless. The installation of the software in my old notebook got stuck once and I thought it would not work, but it worked fine in the end. The connection is fast, we get a strong signal and no interference. Maybe we are lucky in this area (we get bad cell phone coverage, so there is probably no interference from that source). Anyway, I had heard very good things about this equipment and they proved true.
Rating: 
Summary: Firmware, as shipped, is very buggy
Review: The router is neat, and software installation is straightforward.
Then the problems start. It connected to the internet, and proclaimed it was in desparate need of a software and firmware upgrade. I told it to do the download, but it hung half way through. Every time I transferred data from the internet, the router would go AWOL after a page or two (I couldn't even ping it). I had to power cycle the router. Eventually, I re-installed by old router, downloaded the upgrade, then went back to the MS router and upgraded it. It has worked fine since. BUT, the wireless range is underwhelming. When I tried 802.11b a couple of years ago, I had a blind spot in my house, in the room I used the laptop. I had assumed that this blind spot would be gone in a much more recent 802.11g product, but it's still there. I'll probably be returning it. To recap: reasonably nice unit, works fine once you update the firmware, but too buggy to use initially to download the firmware upgrade.
Rating: 
Summary: Save your money
Review: This product is horrible. Instead of wasting your money (and a LOT of time later on) spend it on an actually decent product from a respectable company. I have never bought anything from Microsoft that I've been happy with, and this is no exception. There is nothing more than annoying than trying to figure out why your MN-720 54mbps 802.11g card is not able to find the wireless router from a staggering distance of one foot away. Obviously, I am biased against Microsoft, but that is because of experiences like that I have had with this wireless card and this wireless access point. It is apparent that I can get online, but that was after an hour of resetting the router and messing with the card's configuration (slamming the card against something hard works though). If you are getting a new wireless card and router, buy something of decent quality, like, say, Linksys or D-link. These company's focus on one thing and do it well, whereas Microsoft tries to focus on everything, and doing everything poorly.
Rating: 
Summary: Lose Connection
Review: This thing is driving me crazy. I can't maintain an internet connection once the base station is connected. Apparently this is a problem for PPPOE connnections. It doesn't make sense. I am going to try to find an upgrade on the net, but it is looking like I am going to return it. The only positve thing is that it looks nice and can connect at 54MBs.
Rating:
Summary: Work perfectly
Review: We all have different configurations so some will have problems and others won't but this product worked perfectly for me the very first time and I've been using it for weeks now. The range is amazing. I can walk all over my house and my yard with maximum signal most of the time. I'm impressed and very happy. The price is also less than that of competitors 802.11g products.
Rating:
Summary: Got tech support?
Review: We purchased this product largely based on the positive reviews of Microsoft tech support that we read on Amazon. One of the main differences between the major vendors of notebook cards and routers is tech support. A pivotal factor for us was the quality and availability of tech support because this is our first wireless system. When we experienced problems with the installation we tried to access tech support and reached inexperienced, off-shore techs who were unable to diagnose or solve the problem in over three hours. Not only did the installation go poorly, but it crippled our system and has made it impossible to access the internet at all. Quite a disaster for us. They refused to escalate the case and couldn't seem to find anyone who spoke English clearly enough to communicate effectively with us. We finally gave up and are returning the product. Save yourself and don't buy this product unless you have an experienced in-house technical support team. Microsoft clearly isn't going to be there to assist you.
| 
