The DWL-520 is a 32-bit Wireless PCI Adapter capable of transfer rates of up to 11Mbps, giving you the ability to connect a desktop computer to a wireless network at home or at the office.
The DWL-520 is Wi-Fi compatible, meaning that it can connect and interoperate with other 802.11b compatible wireless routers, access points, and adapters. With its quick and easy installation along with driver support for Windows XP, 2000, Me and 98SE; the DWL-520 ensures that you will be up and running on a wireless network in just a matter of seconds. Also, the DWL-520 utilizes a standard PCI 2.2 interface to ensure a wide range of motherboard compatibility.
Using its default settings, the DWL-520 automatically connects to other D-LinkAir products as soon as its active. The DWL-520 also features up to 128-bit WEP encryption to provide a level of security for information that you wirelessly transmit.
1 BAD - no unix/linux support
D-Link created a confusion out there in the market area, selling the wirelss adapters with diffrent chipset using the same name for them.
The first models (version A and B) used to have Prism chipset from Intersil (which are supported by POSIX sistems) but now they changed thei chipset with other vendors like Realtek without changing the name of the product - that's how I bought this thinking it is spported - unfortunaltelly it is not !
2 Good value
There's a lot of bad reviews here, and I don't doubt people's experience. For me however it's worked great. No problems setting up or using. Good value for the money (...). I'm using Windows Media Center 2005.
3 D-Link DWL-520
Picked this NIC up because it was selling for a reasonable price. I am using it with a Netgear MR814 Wireless B Router. Have had no problems with it since. It is running on a generic Pentium-III running Windows 2000 Server. I did experience some of the slow-down effect reported (slow mouse movement) initially, but when I upgraded to the latest software, that seemed to solve the problem. This computer is upstairs, about 40 feet away from the router. I bought a second one and installed it on another server downstairs - a PowerEdge 400SC about 20 feet from the router running Win2K pro. Again, no problems and no dropped signals.
I get about 75% strength upstairs and 90% downstairs. It does not interfere with the Netgear wg511 that I am using with my laptop. If you're looking for an affordable, basic, wireless NIC, consider this one. I recommend installing the latest software from the website first to ensure compatibility.
4 Wireless Adapters
All of these negative reviews really surprised me. I have had this wireless adapter for over two months and it has not given me a bit of trouble.
I have a home network, consisting of four desktops and a laptop. My network equipment consists of a Netgear router, 2 Linksys wireless PCI adapters, this D-Link wireless adapter, Netgear wireless card adapter, and a Linksys ethernet card. Of the three wireless adapters, this D-Link has been the most reliable.
Let me add that this situation may have more to do with the operating system on those computers, rather than the Wireless adapters themselves. The Linksys adapters (WMP 11) are both installed on computers with the Windows XP Pro operating system. They give me constant trouble. They lose connection with the router on a regular basis. I noticed that this did not happen with a computer running Windows XP Home Edition that did not have the Windows XP Service Pack 1 installed. I am not alone in having this problem. There are plenty of people using Windows XP, with the Service Pack, that experienced the same problems. There is a possible fix in the microsoft knowledgebase.
This D-Link adapter is installed on an old, Pentium III computer. This particular computer is running Windows 2000 Advanced Server, as well as Windows 2000 Pro in a dual-boot configuration. I have not experienced any difficulties with this system. None.
I can find no fault with this adapter. Perhaps there are other factors that are causing the difficulties. I must admit that I have not explored the possibility of the Netgear router having a "preference". Unlikely, but perhaps possible. I would have preferred to have all my equipment come from the same vendor. However, given the situation, this D-Link adapter has been the most solid component of my mixed-vendor network. Since these reviews are based on our personal experience, and mine has been great, I would have to give this device a five-star rating.
I will try and install the D-Link adapter on a desktop running Windows XP Pro, with the Service Pack installed, to see how it will perform.
5 Please do not support a business that does not offer support
Me, like many others have the problems with the Blue Screen of Death, and an NMI Parity error. It has nothing to do with memory or anything else. There is a problem with the driver which D-Link have done nothing to remedy. They have been continously confronted with the problem, but does not offer any solutions except for one that solves the problem on a particular Compaq model.
This company does not deserve any customers. Please buy another WLAN card.
6 another problem device
I echo other complaints about the DWL520. The connection is made with very good signal strength and quality. However, the device refuses to make any throughput. It would almost never successfully load a page. The irony is that I am using another Dlink product as the router. The 520 is a poor product.
7 Product is junk and tech support a joke.
Using this wirless network card dropped my internet download speed from 2700 Kbps to 1200 Kbps.
That's with link quality of 100 and only one other computer on the network with no applications running on either computer (aside from the one browser window required for the test). Both computers had brand new DLink DWL-520 Wireless network cards operating into a new DLink DI-514 router.
Following industry standards, DLink apparently mans their first echelon phones with technical illiterates who while capable of following a scripted check list, haven't a clue what's causing your problem or how their sequence of steps might might solve it.
So, after numerous calls, multiple case IDs, and never talking to the same person twice, I decided it was best to cut my losses and give up before they reconfigured my computer to the point where it wouldn't work at all.
If you surf the web a lot or do internet gaming, stay clear of DLink products. Stick with a reputable name and save yourself the aggravation and wasted hours trying to make cheap junk like this work. The money you save isn't worth the headaches.
8 Waste of time and money.
DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, PURCHASE THIS CARD
I bought this NIC at CompUSA for $40 and thought it would make a nice, low cost wireless card. This thing was a nightmare from start to finish. The configuration utility that comes with it is totally counterintuitive. Nothing is where you think it would be. After installation, it detected my wireless network just fine. Steady 80-90% signal strength with NINETY-FIVE PERCENT packet loss. The connection would be stable for two minutes at the most and then die. I tried different PCI slots, I tried different channels, I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the software... nothing worked. I called D-Link support multiple times and spoke to a totally clueless "technician" each time. They offered such pearls as "try a different router" and "try uninstalling your sound card". Please.
There are plenty of other complaints online about this piece of junk. Don't bother buying this card. It's a complete joke.
9 Major software bug and NO customer support
The 520+ "works"... for the most part. However, it
has a fundamental software bug that causes an NMI memory
parity error on shutdown causing your computer to freeze
with a "blue screen" and error message. There is no way
out of the freeze unless you unplug the computer.
For Compaq's they have a workaround to their bug. You may...
may... might be able to workaround their bug by diddling your
system BIOS (always a fun adventure unless you botch up a keystroke). For HP (and possibly others) there is no workaround. You are stuck. Repeated emails to D-Link have yielded nothing, which says something about there customer "service".
Stay away from D-Link unless you like pulling the power
plug in and out on your computer. Poor, buggy software and NO
customer service.
Use and install at your own significant risk.
10 Drops Connections, Worthless Tech Support
I made the mistake of buying a DWL-520 card and the DWL-514 router. Huge error. The card drops connections frequently and tech support has been unable to correct the problem. Check the internet -- I am far from the only one to have experienced this same problem. I am currently trying to get my money back. Run!
11 Cheap price, cheap performance...
I fell to the cheap temptation and bought this DWL-520(rev e) PCI card. It took me a few minutes to discover:
- it will not connect to a Wireless Access Point that does not use SSID. It forces you to use an SSID of your own and if you don't it uses "default" which works fine with their hardware. This is completely moronic. Most WAPs/Routers offer a feature to turn off SSID and the designers of the software (card?) should know this.
- tech support is especially cheap. The support article on their website that addresses the above HUGE problem completely contradicts itself and proves they don't know what is going on.
- their software is big, cheap and caused my Windows 2000 system to stutter (erratic mouse movements ever few seconds, etc).
Last week I borrowed a friend's Cisco 350 wireless card and had absolutely no problems.
If you want a wireless card backed by quality hardware and software, expect to spend at least US$65. I'm taking mine back and spending twice as much on a Cisco 350.
12 Poor software, worse performance...
I bought this because it was cheap, but didn't realize it wouldn't really work. First of all, the software is a resource hog. It causes my mouse to stutter randomly, apparently due to one or more memory resident programs it uses. I *never* had any sort of trouble with other NICs I borrowed and tested out.
Lastly, if you are attempting to connect to a Wireless Access Point that has SSID disabled you will not be able to access it with this card. The software forces you to enter something for the SSID. The only WAPs this appears to work out of the box with are, of course, D-Link. The funny part is the support article on their website acknowledges this issue, but provides an "answer" that is directly contradictory to the problem.
Buyer beware. I'm returning mine tonight (minus 15% stocking fee) :(
13 Never Got it to Operate
The one I bought is all packaged ready to go back to the store. It was cheaper than the Linksys, and I had used D-link NIC's before so I figured I would try it. Boy am I sorry. After 3-4 hours working on this thing I think I'm in 1986 again.
Problem 1: None of the installation procedures followed the sequence of the printed instructions. I went through a constant questioning process of "where am I now?" and "what is it trying to say?" as I tried to translate their instructions said to what I was seeing. This problem was worse as I had to go through the process in part several times.
Problem 2: There seems to be a problem with any install on a Windows XP system. Great. That's like having gasoline that works in anything but a Chevrolet. This is ultimately what my show-stopper was. Although I found the instructions on the web site and running back and forth between computers, worked my way through them, but, they don't work after you've done everything else in the instructions - you would have to do them DURING the install, meaning you would have to know that there was an XP problem in the first place. For the folks at D-Link: inability to operate with XP is useful information for a BUYING decision, not an installation.
Problem 3: Tech support. Literature gives a 24x7 number which it is not. I made four calls total and had line suddenly go dead in two of them.
Bottom line: I did have the card operating and on the network, but could not ping. I have no doubt tech support could have gotten me going within a few minutes if they were not busy doing the same for every other buyer. I would only buy this card if I were buying in quantity and had the time to figure out how to make the first one work, then could leverage that information.
14 Very happy with the DWL-520
I bought this card along with the D-Link DI-514 wireless router and am extremely pleased with my purchase. My son's room is about 60 feet away from where I have my Desktop PC, through several walls no less. But he now has a GREAT connection to both the Internet and my Desktop PC (and my printer) via the Network I was able to setup with this card. When I received the card, I installed it in the PC and ran the setup program, but it did not work. I called D-Link Technical Support, and the rep was very friendly and informed me that under Windows XP, I needed to flip a checkbox to let Windows know that the D-Link program would handle the connection. I did, and it worked. Then he helped me setup my network, something I never have done before. In 15 minutes, from start to finish, my son's room was connected! Now he can go to his video game websites on HIS time, and I can get some work done. And, he can print his homework on my printer, so I don't need to buy another. This is great! I highly recommend this product!
15 GNU/Linux Access Point
I'm using the DWL-520 in my computer runnning Red Hat 9.0 and the HostAP driver. The card is acting as an access point. I get good connectivity between the DWL-520 and my laptop's Orinoco card. Oddly, I got poor connectivity between the DWL-520 and a D-Link router. I'm able to add an external antenna when needed. The card has a reverse gender SMA antenna connector.
16 Very Simple to Install and Runs Great!
I installed this in my PC desktop so I didn't have to drag an Ethernet cable through walls and under carpet. I've had zero problems with the card installed in my Dell with Windows XP.
D-Link provides good documentation and setup wizards that guide you through it all.
17 Frustratingly unreliable connection
I got this card for pretty cheap ...so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about its quality, but I would really recommend going with something else. I had reservations about buying this card considering my relatively poor experience with another D-Link wireless card (for my laptop), but I figured that range wouldn't be an issue this time because my computer was only going to be 20 feet away from the access point (I just didn't want to have the clutter of a cable running through the hallway). It turns out that when this card works, it works all right, but sporadically (about 25% of the total time on average for me), it just stops sending or receiving. Obviously, this is very frustrating. I'm not sure if it's an issue with the drivers or the hardware itself, but either way, I'd rather spend twice as much to get a card that works nearly 100% of the time.
18 Very nice range and compatibility
I recently set one of these up for someone in an old K6/2-266 machine. Works great - 100% signal strength at ~30 feet through two walls a desk. Only supports 128bit encryption, unlike the 520+.
My one gripe is that it needs a longer antenna. The one I recieved is smaller than the one pictured here and barely sticks out from the back of the case. Had to reorient the PC a bit to keep the signal from being blocked. What would be great is a short cable with an antenna that can clip to any part of the computer. Otherwise, get a RP-SMA antenna extension if your PC's back faces away from your WAP.
19 DWL-520 PCI adapter
I purchased the DWL-520 with a DI-614+ wireless router to link 2 computers to a cable modem. The DWL-520 was easy to install and the drivers and software loaded without incident. It worked very well with the exception of the mouse hanging up after a few hours of inactivity. I downloaded the latest firmware for the DWL-520 off the Dlink support website. It was a little tricky having to unzip but if you use winzip and let the winzip wizard unzip and install, it goes a little easier. Once the new firmware was installed the mouse problem was resolved.
20 Go for the 520+
The NIC seems to be fine, getting good signals; however, the 2.4Ghz frequency does intefere with our 2.4Ghz cordless phones (a lot of crackling). Try not to transfer data while you're on the phone (surfing, downloading, backup). Another option is to keep an extra corded handset connected or get a 900Mhz phone just in case so you can talk and transfer data at the same time.
As for the title of this review, I have the D-Link 900AP+ as my access point, capable of 22Mbps. I wish I had opted for the extra few dollars to get to 22Mbps DWL-520+ as backing up over the 11Mbps takes forever and cutting that time in half would be nice.
Also, using the same brand access point/router and NIC makes enabling WEP (encryption) much easier. I have had many issues in having to downgrade WEP strength when mixing brands.
If you're just sharing an Internet connection, this speed is fine, but make sure to keep your router or access point high up or you tend to lose quite a bit of range. Consider the top of a 6 foot bookshelf or some other higher open location.
21 No problems with Linux.
I installed a DWL-520 in my wife's Linux workstation to connect to my homebrew access point with no real issues besides having to download and install the wlan-ng drivers, which is probably not for the novice. The only two notes would be:
- Must be a recent (post Pentium II?/Athlon) motherboard that supports PCI v2.2 The IWILL Athlon motherboard that is in my wife's computer worked just fine. If the green LED on the back of the card comes on when you turn on your system, your motherboard should be okay. If not, you may be out of luck.
- MUST have it's own system interrupt (IRQ). Some PCI slots share interrupts with other slots or built in devices. If the card doesn't work, try moving it to another slot.
Other than that, it's been rock solid under Linux. Unfortunately, I believe this card has been discontinued in favor of the DWL-520+ card, which uses a different chipset and is incompatible with Linux.
22 Excellent connection, easy install.
I have used the DWL-520 for a month now and I have nothing but gleeming satisfaction for it's ability. The card installed quickly and setup was quick and painless. For first time users who have limited understandings of home networks, this is a great buy. Especially for the price!
23 Is not compatible with many computers
The following answer on the D-Link tech support site says it all: "The DWL-520 requires a PCI 2.2 compliant motherboard (3.3v) in order to function. If your PCI slot is 2.1 compliant, or if the PCI slot is using 5v, then the card won't be detected by Windows and unfortunately will not work." And how will you know if you have a PCI 2.2 compliant board? Essentially, you won't, until you try the card or dig deep into the specs on your computer's motherboard. I have a very reputable ASUS Pentium III motherboard, that won't recognize this card. Very frustrating...
