The Belkin Wireless Notebook Network Card works as an ideal device to give you instant networking capabilities. The card slides easily into your n
The Belkin wireless notebook network card works as a standalone to give you instant networking capabilities. The card slides easily into your laptop's PCMCIA slot, and sets up quickly with Belkin SOHO networking software. Used in conjunction with a wireless access point, the card lets you join your wireless network to your existing wired network.
Interoperable with any 802.11b wireless device, it uses the 802.11b wireless Ethernet standard to offer you a working range of up to 1,800 feet and speeds of up to 11 Mbps. This plug-and-play card works seamlessly with Windows 95B, 98, 2000, NT, Me, and XP systems. Now you can transfer files around the house or office--enjoying freedom from cables, along with all the advantages of a wired network.
The Belkin wireless notebook network card comes with a lifetime warranty and free, 24-hour technical support.
1 great for the price
i bought this wireless card and it was shipped the next day.
it was the easiest install ever. I'm in college and my onboard Wireless card was horrid. Never connected to the wireless access points here. I installed this and I have yet to find a place it doesn't connect. I highly recommend this card. Yes it is only a B rather than a G. but how many places can afford an internet connection capable of producing the high speed. so for a home wireless network I would say this card is perfect.
I loved the price!!!
2 Does the job at a good price...
Last week I purchased my first laptop, a 2 year old ex-demo Compaq Presario 700 series. Now my wife and I can surf the net at the same time.
I am a n00b to wireless networking and to make matters more difficult I am connecting between a Mac and a WinXP laptop, so I was quite anxious if it was going to work.
I still need to do some network tweeking, but this card, had it not been for my n00b-ness would have been working within 5 minutes of installation, instead it took me 30 minutes as I configured my Mac incorrectly... and it works great. The quick install guide was easy to read and the drivers provided work on my WinXP machine no prob.
The card sticks out of the laptop in a nice way (beats an ugly pointy antenna) which PlayStation players will be familiar with as the memory cards stick out of the PS2 in the same manner.
This card also seems to be easy on the batteries and also has power saving modes. This was a big worry as the batteries in my notebook are 2 years old. Normally I get about 2 hours charge without the card, with the card so far I have been up for 1.5 hours and I still have good power left, I think that the power drain is negligble.
If you are looking to get into affordable wireless networking, this card is a good purchase. I dont see this card as a cheapo card, its a card that delivers great value.
I am also quite impressed with the online (24x7) chat technical support that Belkin offer. I was away and chatting with the technitian stright away and he was very helpful.
A note though, the documentation states that this is a "CardBus" card which got me confused because my Laptop has PCMCIA slots... but it turns out that they are one and the same, just a different name.
3 Hardware may be ok..
...but who knows, because software & manual ABSOLUTELY is worth nothing, the people who've written the la-la-la happy comments above are either 1) employed at Belkin, 2) fortunenate enough to have a configuration of Win XP/2000/98 that by chance worked with the dreadful driver & configuratin software or 3) have probably learned by now that this product is, to a degree rarely seen, a piece of c++p!!!
4 after update, works flawlessly XP DRIVER
i must admit it gave me the headaches at the beginning.. but then i read that there was an XP Driver on Belkin's website.. so I downloaded and installed it IT WORKS!!!!!!!!....Try it...
5 It is wonderful
It works great for me. easy to use. I never had any problems with it.
6 Works good..... but I have a couple complaints.
Problem #1 - XP doesn't have drivers for this card and the manual included doesnt have XP setup instructions, so I had plugged in the card and ran the setup disc. The card didn't work. After removing everything and going to the Belkin website for XP setup instructions, my second install attempt was successful.
Problem #2 - When I travel, I like to see all available wireless networks and connect to unencrypted ones to use the internet. With the software provided, you must know the network name you want to connect to and enter it in the software program. I think that sucks.
7 I must be lucky
Despite the bad reviews, I had really good luck with this Belkin card. I'm an American living in Spain, and tech prices tend to be higher here. I bought this "old technology" 802.11b (not 802.11g) card because my ADSL line can only handle 512K downloads, so the 11Mps vs. 54Mps isn't really an issue. In fact, for $35, I found this card to be a bargain option.
I'm not sure why others have had so many problems. The software installed from the CD to my Windows XP laptop in a snap. Next, I slid the card into my PCMCIA slot and it autmotically located my 3Com router next to my desktop. Amazing! (Can you tell that I am a wireless newbie?) I get steady signals and good download transfers on my laptop. Occasionally my laptop loses signal completely (thus, the four-star review instead of five stars), but this is literally for a second and not noticeable (although I'll wait and see if this disrupts downloads, IM connections, etc.)
If you are looking for a good, cheap card, you might give the Belkin a try.
8 Card works fine with non-Belkin driver
After hours of trying to get this card (version 1) to work with my win2000 laptop I finally in a desperate attempt installed the driver for the Compaq WL100, which is also based on the PRISM-2 chip set. To my astonishment it WORKED !! For the first time my card connected to the access point. After this I could use the Belkin configuration utility to configure wep etc. Moral of the story: do not use the Belkin driver and things will work out fine. Thumbs up for compaq, definite thumbs down for Belkin ...
9 Does not support all OS
I don't understand why BELKIN don't have different product # or Manufacturer #. This product has version1, version2 and version 3. Each version uses different chipsets and does not support all the OS( For example ver2 does not work on Win NT ). I got this product thinking its version 1 which has support for Win NT but I got version2 which does not. Also did not find drivers anywhere to make this work for Win NT
10 Worked like a charm
Belkin 802.11b Wireless Notebook Card.
Pros: Easy installation and setup and connection
Cons: Requires a wireless router installed
I was looking for an efficient way to connect my laptop (IBM ThinkPad with Windows XP) to a wireless network at home. When
Fry's was selling the product for $5.00 ( $35 actual cost and $30 mail-in rebate) it seemed like just what the Doctor had ordered. A bargain offer
and wireless comfort all rolled into one !
The Network Card easily slides into the laptop's PCMCIA slot. The installation of Belkin software is also pretty straight
forward, except that when configuring there is a delay in what is typed and what is seen on the screen.
I already have a Netgear MR814v2 wireless router installed for my cable modem. So to create a profile to connect to the
wireless router I only had to key in the SSID, Encryption method and the Network Key. All this is easily obtained from the
wireless router configuration.
Even though the technical specification boasts a working range of up to 1500 feet and speeds of up to 11Mbps, I have used it
only at a distance of 150 feet and have experienced speeds of 8 Mbps.
So I highly recommend this product to anybody who is looking for a wireless connectivity for their laptops.
11 Be Careful If You Use Windows 95
After struggling to get my Belkin Wireless card to work in my laptop running Windows 95B I finally called for Tech Support. According to them, only Version One of their wireless card will work with 95B. I had a Version Two. Version One cards can be identified by a single LED Light on the card while later versions have two lights.
At any rate, I've still been unable to get the card to work with Windows 95B as its been advertisied. Tech support was no help after I exchanged my Version Two Card for a Version One and was down right rude after I followed their instructions and still couldn't get the card to work.
If you're planning on using the card with Windows 95B, be sure to get a Version One card, and be prepared for a lot of disappointment.
12 Decent hardware, poor software
The card itself seems to work okay. After following the installation instructions, it installed connected first time on my Win XP notebook.
However, Belkin's software is, as usual, quite poor. In the first half hour of testing, their control program froze up once and went wonky on me another time (all the tabs just vanished). I never could get the profiles feature working correctly - it's supposed to save different network profiles for different locations, but it didn't work. The worst part, however, is that the WEP password feature just would NOT work with my Apple Airport base station...if I had a password enabled on the station, it would not connect at all. I'm no dummy about this stuff, and I tried all the options (including entering the password in hexadecimal). The software, to put it bluntly, is broke.
Fortunately, the installer gives you the option of using Windows XP's built-in card control software. After uninstalling the Belkin stuff and reinstalling (selecting the Win XP option) everything worked fine, including the WEP password stuff.
I have a Belkin UPS on my computer, and the software for it is very poor as well. You think I would've learned my lesson about Belkin, but I got this card for really cheap. I figure I might as well keep it since I got it working. You, however, have been warned.
13 Broken Drivers for Windows XP
I've had a horrible time with this F5D6020 PCMCIA card. I'm quite adept with wireless networks - have two laptops and several desktops with wireless cards in them. Some of the biggest problems I've had have been with this Belkin card, Windows Zero Configuration for wireless networks, and WEP secured networks. I connect to wireless networks, secured and unsecured, just fine, but the drivers are mangling ARP, and so I can't run TCPIP over the connection.
Despite the fact that the card is advertised to work with XP, it doesn't include signed drivers - and the drivers it does have are what's wrong with it.
14 No XP Drivers !!!!!!
Despite downloading the XP drivers from Belkin support for this card, XP says "Cannot install this card".
I really dont want to put Belkins's support to the test (been there before and they are hopeless with very poor spoken english), this peice of cr4p is going back ASAP.
15 Belkin networking is the way to go
I travel quite a bit and use various networks in my travel. I've tried several other cards made by Netgear, Linksys and D-Link and each always required a cumbersome setup before being able to get signed onto the network. The Belkin card on the otherhand seems to configure itself each time, since everytime I enter a new network, my card recognizes the signal and allows me just to sign on. GREAT JOB BELKIN!!
16 Works As Advertised
I did not have any problems setting this up on my notebook. I followed the directions (very carefully) and ShaaZamm! I was connected and walking all over the house. The cats thought I was nuts and my wife laughed at seeing me carrying the notebook outside, out the door and halfways across the street. Works for me. 8^)
17 Satisfied
I have one installed on my laptop running XP Home Edition and didn't have any problems at all. Great price as well...
I haven't set 5 stars because I would like more distance operation. However I don't know how far other devices work because I have proven only this one, so I can't compare.
18 Sporadic Connectivity
One word: Junk. Card would only maintain connection with my D-Link DWL-1000 WAP for a few minutes before suddenly losing signal. Signal strength fluctuated between 20% and 45% and signal quality was always decent...but just coudn't maintain a continuous conversation with the WAP. Every couple mins I would get a message on my screen saying the "Wireless Access Point could not be found." When I plugged my D-Link wireless notebook card back in, it worked perfectly...same signal strength, but it never lost the connection. BTW, also bought a Belkin USB wireless adaptor for an old Win98 machine and the installation CD was practically useless. Had to install drivers manually (and even that wasn't straightforward); luckily I know a bit about PC's. A novice would have been completely stumped. Overall, I am not impressed with Belkin at all. Will stick to D-Link.
19 Works fine with Win 2000
Card works fine for me with Win 2000. Just make sure to install software before you plug the card in. Using with Netgear MR-814 wireless router. Range is very good, >90% signal almost anywhere in the house.
20 Great Product!!
I have one installed on my laptop running XP and didn't have any problems at all. Great price as well...
21 Works fine with 2000..
I had a little problem initially making this card talk to WAP. After couple of resets on the WAPs, it works fine.
22 Don't know what all the fuss is about...
...I normally use a D-Link DWL-650+ but couldn't pass up the chance to get a backup wireless adapter for really, really, really cheap (it would be a backup for my wife's laptop too). After reading the reviews, I was worried about being able to use it and having to take it back. However, I pressed on and installed it on my laptop which has Windows XP Home on it. The first time I tried to install it, I didn't follow the directions closely and got the same error message others have mentioned. So, I uninstalled the driver and started over...this time following the directions (I even used the drivers on the CD). Lo and behold everything went smoothly and I was on the network. I use a D-Link DI-614+ Wireless Router which operates at up to 22 mbps and has encryption enabled...still worked fine. The wireless card does not have the range of my other card, but enough to justify keeping it. As to some of the longer term concerns expressed by others, I cannot comment...I'll just have to see.
In all, I don't doubt others have had trouble...but I would caution potential buyers that the quality of their experience is likely to be a function of being able to follow directions carefully and having modest expectations.
23 drivers and configuration software very buggy!
The F5D6020 is by far the most troublesome hardware I have ever worked with. I have had negative experiences with this device on both windows 98 and 2000. I will briefly describe the problems below:
Windows 2000:
The default windows 2000 driver on the cd simply does not work. The device manager doesnt report any conflicts, and the card did not work. -resolved when I manually browsed for the driver on the cd, verses letting windows 2000 locate the driver.
Windows 98:
The configuration utility provided on the cd doesnt work with the card (no signal detected) --resolved when I downloaded a newer version of configuration utility from the Belkin website.
Despite the troublesome installation process, I am pleased with the performance of the card. Unless you are knowledgeable with computers, I don't recommend this card at all.
24 Didn't work in WinXP, but it's fine otherwise
As other reviewers have noted, this card does not play well with Windows XP.
Specifically, it gave me an obscure "file not found" error when I tried to install the drivers on the included CD. I got the same error when I attempted to install the updated WinXP-specific drivers that I'd downloaded from Belkin's Web site.
For the record, this card *does* work fine on my Windows 2000 and Red Hat 8 partitions.
25 Don't buy!
1) Both the driver downloaded from the website, and the one comes with the CDROM work for WinXP without any problem at all.
2) Stop working whenever it's hot (usually after 30 minutes to an hour).
26 Don't buy ! get Orinoco Gold instead!
It's a poor quality card ! Getting it to work with XP is one pain and then software and else !! This card doesn't give you a good range (others do very good ) and is not supported by many softwares (such as Boingo.com) and networks and is not recommended either ! So I would definately ask you not to buy this card please ! unless you are a computer expert and like to deal with challenges and deal with a poor range !
27 Heed my advice!!!
I had a lot of trouble getting this to work with Windows XP, but to all those people out there who are having the same trouble, THIS CARD WILL WORK, it is just a real pain getting it to do so. After spending hours trying myself and using tech support, I figured out the problem on my own. First of all, you must download the XP drivers from the Belkin website. THEN, you need to use the utility that comes on the CD rom, *NOT* the generic one for Windows XP. Besides the setup trouble, the card works fine, the price is right and I have no complaints [now].
28 Not a bad deal
It is not a bad deal... range and rate are pretty good ... works very well for me ... The only big problem is installing it on XP but you should have no problems after you install the driver from the belkin website (CD does not come with XP driver)
it's a slim good piece of hardware.
29 Does not work well with Windows XP
Windows XP includes a utlility that allows setup of a wireless network card. This card is not recognized by XP as such, and the setup is next to impossible. Sent mine back and bought a different brand.
30 Not impressed
Card installed, but never worked correctly. Tried upgrades from Belkin, had assistance from tech support. Nothing worked. This was on a Sony z505hs with windows 2000. Everything else works fine in this computer/pc card port, not the Belkin card.
31 Works Just Fine
I bought this wi-fi card for a Dell laptop running Win98. It communicates just fine with my D-Link 713P wireless router. I'm no techie, but it was easy to get this card up and running. And that's what I was looking for. I recommend this card.
