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Linksys WCF12 Wireless-B Network CompactFlash Card (Type I)

Linksys WCF12 Wireless-B Network CompactFlash Card (Type I)

List Price: $144.95
Your Price: $63.54
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Works under windows XP also, not Windows 2000
Review: I have a windows XP laptop with CF slot. After looking around for a wireless CF card with a working driver, I finally decided to give this one a try.Linksys sure have the worst website but their product is pretty good. There is actually a windows 95 driver for this card hiding in the ZIP file of the WPC11 driver. And this driver, after my testing, works pretty nicely under windows XP but not windows 2000. Moreover, this card shows a 20% decrease in range compare to my PCMCIA card. This card is one of the smallest CF (The main reason I want this card) and it works.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good Choice for both PPC2002 and laptop...!!
Review: I bought this card more than 1 year ago
for my new(back than) Jornada 568.
I've enjoyed wireless internet access on my pocket pc since then...
Then this year, I bought a notebook computer... but this doesn't
have wireless network integrated so I needed a PCMCIA wireless
network card and I was to pay at least $30 to get one.

However,fortunately, I could get a CF-to-PCMCIA converter
only for $12 at Fry's Electronics. (I'm sure one can get one
for much cheaper, but I wanted to return it easily if it doesn't work). I also found a web site (http://www.ruwebit.net/article/84) where one can download a WinXP driver for this WCF12. Linksys doesn't support WinXP drivers, but someone modified D-link's driver to work with this WCF12.

The result was great!!
I was able to connect to the internet using this WCF12 on my
new laptop computer. The connection was always "Excellent" within my house.

I'm so happy!!!
One would have to pay well above $100 to get a CF wireless card

with PCMCIA converter. But, I only spent $72 ($60 for CF card and $12 for converter)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Works with a little effort
Review: When first installing the card into a WindowsCE 3.0-based Casio E-125, it complained it could not find "PRISMSTA.exe or one of its components". The on-line chat system with Linksys technical support was helpful, but their only response was to send Beta drivers which didn't help. It turns out, at least on my system, PRISMSTA.exe was looking for a needed library file called 'mfcce211.dll', a Microsoft foundation classes dll for Windows CE 2.11. Once I located the file on the web and placed it in the same folder as the PRISMSTA.exe file(I expect it would also work when placed in the Windows subdirectory), the configuration utility worked and I was able to configure the card for my home network. I purchased the card through Amazon and hopefully this will help anyone else with the same problem. All my other 802.11 devices are Linksys, work great, and this card is no exception. It appears the only weakness was in the installation program that one would expect to verify the presence of other files the driver/utility depends upon.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: How to get this to work with the Zaurus SL-5500
Review: I purchased this card to work with my Zaurus SL-5500 and had a difficult time setting it up. There was a user that gave some advice in a review of the product and made it sound so easy. Well, his method did not work for me. Here is the method that did work.

Hard reboot the system. When the reboot is finished, install the terminal ipk file. Once that is installed, use vi to edit the /etc/pcmcia/wlan-ng.conf file. Add an entry that says:

device "prism2_cs"
class "wlan-ng" module "prism2_cs"

at the top of the file. At the end of the file, ad an entry that says this:

card "Linksys WCF12 11Mbps 802.11b WLAN Card"
version "Linksys", "Wireless CompactFlash Card"
bind "prism2_cs"

Once you have done this, reboot the Zaurus and once it has restarted, insert the WCF12 card. The link light should flash and the ifconfig eth0 should return useful information.

Other than the difficulty that I had setting up the card and getting it to work the first time, I've not had any problems with the WCF12. It's a great card but it's hard to get it setup on the Zaurus if you don't know much about Linux.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Works great unless you are running pocket pc 2003
Review: I had this card for over a year and it ran flawless with pocket pc 2002. If you are going to use this card for that software I recommend it 100% But...after uprading to pocket pc 2003 It has not worked since. I have installed the latest drivers for this card from the linksys site along with their beta drivers I found in a forum on pocket pc passion, none of them work. I have e-mailed linksys tech support several times without a response. I am getting a new card from someone else and you should too if you are buying it for a pocket pc 2003 version pda!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good with Sharp Zaurus SL5500...
Review: I bought the Linksys WCF12 WiFi card for my Sharp Zaurus SL5500. It's worked flawlessly so far in my wireless network (with SMC Barricade 7004VWBR Access Point/Router).

Keeping the Sharp Zaurus with LinkSys WiFi card by my bedside, I am able to browse Roger Ebert's movie reviews from bed!

There are two reasons I am rating it a 4 and not a 5:
1. My first Linksys WCF12 card was defective and did not connect to the internet. I exchanged it for a new one and have been a happy camper since.

2. This card is a bit power-hungry in my Sharp Zaurus.

A note about getting the Linksys WCF12 card to work with the Zaurus. Another reviewer (see firecrafter695's review , Jan 15, 2003) gave details about getting it to work by editing the "wlancfg.conf" file found in the "/etc/pcmcia" directory, and adding the necessary lines. This should get the card working in most cases.

However, apparently, there are chipset differences between batches of WCF12 cards (or so we are told, reading the postings in the Zaurus community website forums). So, you may also need to do the following in addition to editing the "wlancfg.conf" file:

1. Create a new file called "wireless.conf" in the "/etc/pcmcia" directory and add the following exact lines:

device "prism2_cs"
class "wlan-ng" module "prism2_cs"

card "Linksys WCF12 11Mbps 802.11b WLAN Card"
version "Linksys", "Wireless CompactFlash Card"
bind "prism2_cs"

2. Copy the file "sq_wlancfg.conf" from the "/etc" directory to a new file called "wireless.opt" in the "/etc/pcmcia" directory.

(NOTE: Do not overwrite "wireless.opts". It is an existing file and not to be confused with "wireless.opt").

This should get the Linksys WCF12 WiFi card working with the Zaurus after rebooting.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Works with a little effort
Review: When first installing the card into a WindowsCE 3.0-based Casio E-125, it complained it could not find "PRISMSTA.exe or one of its components". The on-line chat system with Linksys technical support was helpful, but their only response was to send Beta drivers which didn't help. It turns out, at least on my system, PRISMSTA.exe was looking for a needed library file called 'mfcce211.dll', a Microsoft foundation classes dll for Windows CE 2.11. Once I located the file on the web and placed it in the same folder as the PRISMSTA.exe file(I expect it would also work when placed in the Windows subdirectory), the configuration utility worked and I was able to configure the card for my home network. I purchased the card through Amazon and hopefully this will help anyone else with the same problem. All my other 802.11 devices are Linksys, work great, and this card is no exception. It appears the only weakness was in the installation program that one would expect to verify the presence of other files the driver/utility depends upon.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: worked for me
Review: i have a iPAQ 2215 pocket pc with 2003 and i went to the linksys home page and downloaded the driver they have and it works perfectly. but drains the battery pretty fast.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Absolute piece of Junk
Review: Don't listen to people that will tell you this will work with PPC 2003 it may or may not. I have a tell Axim with the 2003 upgrade and have spent the last 5 hours trying to get this to install, it won't. The Linksys support is a joke and not worth the effort. I have given up. Do your self a favor and find another card. I was going to sell it on ebay, but don't want the bad Karma of passing of this piece of junk to another unsuspecting soul.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: NOW SUPPORTS PC2003!!
Review: Linksys now provides drivers for Pocket PC2003 at their website. Since installing I can connect without any problems.


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