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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: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: Got hooked up to my D-Link Wireless Router in under 30 minutes. The card is awfully tight in my Dell Axim (like the previous reader indicates) but it works like a champ. The range is good and the transfer rates are outstanding.

If you have a PDA and want to go wireless, this is the card for you!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Nice, nice, very nice...
Review: Courtesy of Kurt Vonnegut Jr., this qoute aptly describes my experience with this PDA expansion card. While it will not work with Digital Cameras or MP3 players[:)] it works great with my Casio E-200. I can access remote computers with my PDA, transfer files, and access the internet. (all with proper configuration) The product is easy to install via ActiveSync and the configuration utility has a very small footprint of <200kb. All in all, nice, nice, very nice!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wow! Could it be any easier?
Review: Bought this to use in my Dell Axim X5 device, and it works perfectly! The install was very smooth. The configuration utility was simple to master and handled both my 128 bit WEP and my non-standard SSID like a champ.

I routinely use it between two different wireless networks and can switch between their configurations with a couple of taps on the Axim's screen. Link and signal quality have been excellent even sitting in my car a couple of hundred feet away from the SMC2655W AP located in my home.

The only trouble I've had is with physically inserting the card in the Dell Axim device -- it takes quite a bit of alternating force and finesse to get it started into the CF slot. This thing is just a smidge wider than other CF cards which insert into the device with no resistance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My Jornada loves this thing!!!
Review: I`m always amazed at how well windows xp works with new hardware. I ran the setup utility on the CD and typed in the network name, plugged in the card and it connected. It doesn't get easier than that. I`m writing this review on my Jornada, this is great. If you have a Jornada you want one of these. I setup my wireless hub and my Jornada in less than 10 minutes.

Great, great, great!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Nothing but problems
Review: Updated firmware on the PDA (iPaq 3765). Updated firmware on access point. Updated driver for WCF12. Plenty of quality time with tech support. But in the end WCF12 is unreliable. WEP flat does not work. Never worked. Not even once. (MAC filtering is alternative) Cool when it works, but sooner or later it will [have an error] and require a hard reset (=> re-install apps, data, drivers) before it will work again. I am returning for PC card + new iPaq PC card sleeve. Hoping for better results.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Works great with the Zaurus!
Review: Here's how I got my wcf12 working with the prism2 driver that comes with the Zaurus:
From the terminal type: cardctl ident
if the card says
card "Linksys WCF12 11Mbps 802.11b WLAN Card"
manfid 0x028a, 0x0673
then use vi to add the following entry to /etc/pcmcia/wlan-ng.conf:
card "Linksys WCF12 11Mbps 802.11b WLAN Card"
manfid 0x028a, 0x0673
bind "prism2_cs"

Save and reboot using settings, shutdown. The boot script should say the card is accepted.... Then go to the Network and Wireless Lan configurations to continue. Install and run http://www.kismetwireless.net to test the card and look for wireless networks.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: IM from the couch is cool!
Review: This card works great - always download the latest drivers for ANY new product you buy (duh!)

Only 4 stars because the card is difficult to get into my Exp Pack Plus - and I'm not sure if its the pack or the card. I'm assuming after an in and out a few times It'll get easier.

Um... and a Handera? You must be kidding. How about doing just a little research before you bash a product...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Need to download updated driver
Review: This card DOES support the HP Jornada, if you download the updated driver from the Linksys website (dated 9/16/02). I had the same problem as the reviewers below, but fixed the problem after doing this. And now it works great! The only problem I have now is that the network activity seems to prevent my PDA from auto-shutting off.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Web Mobile
Review: This card works great with my Sharp Zaurus and Linksys
Access Point.

It's too bad the entire world doesn't have 802.11b yet.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Windows firmware-in-software strikes again
Review: I bought this card for a HandEra 330 PDA, which has a CompactFlash slot and theoretically is supposed to take any wireless CF card (when used in conjunction with drivers available from HandEra's Web site). No dice. But I have to fault Linksys for that instead of HandEra, for technical reasons which I will elaborate.

Ever heard the term "Winmodem"? It refers to a nefarious tactic used to sell modems for Windows-based PCs, although it has also been done with other hardware such as printers. Critical software that is required for the modem to operate is normally embedded in the modem as "firmware." But with Winmodems, this firmware is instead provided as part of the Windows software drivers. Net result: attractive cost cuts for the hardware, with the bad side effect that the hardware will ONLY ever work on a Windows-based PC.

Apparently this sad trend has carried over to the WinCE/PocketPC world. The Linksys WCF12 comes with drivers that are intended to be installed on a WinCE 3.0-based PDA; without those drivers, it just won't work.

Perhaps this was a classic case of let-the-buyer-beware, meaning I should have known to check HandEra's Web site more carefully for the kinds of wireless CF cards to look for; then I would have known that I should have bought the WCF11 instead of the WCF12. Still, I think this is a deceptive sales tactic that serves no purpose other than to boost volume while helping Microsoft to shore up its artificial dominance in the computing world. So I have to call Linksys on it.

I must give kudos, however, to Amazon.com and Tech Depot for quickly moving to refund my money after I requested a return and shipped this product (opened!) back to them.


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