Now you can connect your notebook computer to a 10BaseT or 100BaseTX network in just minutes. The EtherFast 10/100 PC Card of your choice will allow you to share files, printers, Internet connections and more. The EtherFast 10/100 PC Cards automatically adjust their speed and duplex to any 10BaseT or 100BaseTX network. They also feature low-voltage operation, a 32KB file buffer hot swap capability, and unmatched compatibility with brand name laptop PCs and a wide variety of popular OSes like Windows 98, 95, NT and even Linux! The 10/100 PC Cards are the ideal choice for notebook connectivity today!
1 5 Minutes to the web
I bought this PC card for my old computer (PC notebook, P.II, 300M, 128Ram, with Windows 98SE), so that I can leave a connection for my wife when I take our other computer to work (ibook G4). We don't have a network at home because we don't need it, so I use the same router and cable to connect either computer. Well, I was online in about 5 minutes, or less, following the quick instal chart included with the PC card. The only extra thing I needed was the Win98SE CD since you may have to install some drivers. The only 'issue' I had happened when I disconnected the cable back and forth between computers... Once I plugged it back into the PC notebook, the computer did not recognize that it was connected to the internet. I had to select 'Client for Microsoft Networks' as my primary network logon. It works great now!
If you need an economic way to get DSL into your old PC Notebook I highly recommend the Linksys PCM100 EtherFast 10/100 Integrated PC Card...
2 Great Review
I was walking through Fry's the other day and i came across one of these cards. Since it was an open box it was on sale for practically nothing. I decided to try it with nothing to lose.
My brother and i have two XP PC's connected to a linksys router with a DSL connection. We also have a laptop running win98 which has our old scanner and minolta digital camera running off it. (Why minolta doesnt have an XP update for its camera's beats the hell out of me.) With this card i thought this would be a perfect way to introduce a third PC to our network.
I know how difficult it is to set up home networks. Everyone complains about tech support so i really don't bother with them. Fortunately my brother and i have many (painful) years of experience with trial and error setting up networks so it has become somewhat easy for us now. However when Linksys was introduced to us let me tell you that it really is the best. We dont go with anything else other then linksys. No company has dedicated itself to networking then linksys. Its website is a testament to how dedicated linksys is to making great products and supporting them even when they are discontinued. Its online guide is unrivaled. Not even D-Link or 3com offers that type of support.
Many people on other reviews here experienced a little difficulty but not at the fault of this product. One person using WinMe could not install it. It is quite known that WinMe is inherently flawed particularly with networking. Another person had to install everytime they removed the card. That may be a hardware configuration conflict. If you read all the low reviews of this product they are all software or hardware conflicts. Not a defective card.
As for this card. there really is nothing much more to say. I plugged it in, installed the software, plugged in the network wire and was surfing at 1.5mbps and transfering pictures from my scanner and camera at 100mbps. It was literally that simple. Another great feature of this product is it has a link indicator with lets you know that you are actually connected to the network even if by configuration you are not. The only bad thing I can think of is that its difficult to pull out those RJ45 connectors but I don't plan to unplug it from the network anyway so its really no big deal.
Grab this product if you are looking for a PC card for your laptop. Even though I was lucky enough to find one for 10 bucks quite frankly I would have paid 4 or 5 times more for it.
3 A bit bulky, yet tight design
A pleasant and very welcome alternative to the 'dongle' type LAN adapter for the Laptop PC. It was a breeze in my Windows XP machine, and Windows 98 worked fine. Windows 95 required the setup disk, but a very good performer. Although hard to mess up, Good job still for led placement and usefulness Linksys.
THE ONLY COMPLAINT -
If you have a INSPIRON 5000 series, or similar form factor, you know that the power plug was ignorantly placed next to the PCMCIA slots. Therefore the size of this card's slightly oversized plug-in 'port' was uncomfortable. Hope this was helpful.
4 Serious problems with WinMe
I've done everything I can think of short of paying the long distance charge to call tech support to get this card to work. I've decided to sell the card to a friend and get another one that will work with WinMe.
5 Linksys PCM 100 Plug-play & Go!
Linksys PCM100 Etherfast 10/100 Integrated PC Card was so easy to set-up I thought I did something wrong! Took me less then 5 minutes to set-up and I was surfing the net in next to no time. Easy to follow instructions (no Windows XP however) This is the one you need for your laptop. I tried another major companies card as it was so confusing and after 2 hours of trying to set it up I sent it back.
6 Easy to install
Linksys PCM100 Etherfast 10/100 was very easy to install, plug it in load the drivers and go! I was surfing the net in 5 minutes.
7 Solid Product
Installation is very easy (I'm using it with a Gateway Solo 5300). Best feature of the card is the "built-in" Ethernet connector....no dangling cables, no wear and tear.
So far I'm very happy with all my Linksys products (Cable Modem BEFCMU10, Router BEFSR41), and would highly recommend them.
8 Easy to install and uncluttered in use
Installation was a snap- pop in the card, pop in the driver disk and click the mouse a few times. I'd been using an old 10baseT card with a "dongle"- a plug in cable adapter- and this is much, much more convenient in use. I use my laptop both at work and at home, and this card makes moving it back and forth relatively pain free.
9 plug and no play
I bought this unit to replace a 4 year old Linksys ethernet card that required a connecting adapter. That unit became unreliable because of intermittent contacts so I bought the "integrated" PCM 100 unit to (hopefully) solve my problems. It doesn't work at all. The "plug and play" instructions are a joke, and the backup Windows 98 instructions didn't get past step 1. No "Wizard" appears when it is connected.
I called for tech help - which is not toll-free. It is provided 10 hours per day, 5 days per week. I was on hold 25 minutes and then was disconnected. I called again and was put on hold again. Finally, I got a person who could not diagnose the problem but said the unit may be defective. I have to return it. I can't get my money back. ...
10 Poor Technical Support for a Mediocre Product
There is an issue with this card and WIN98 that Linksys is not aware of or doesn't care about. Each time I remove the card from my notebook (because it's impractical to transport your notebook with the card hanging out), it's a major task to reinstall it. Forget getting help from one of their tech support reps; they will simply tell you it's a WIN98 problem and refer you to Microsoft (even though they claim their product is compatible with WIN98). They don't take much responsibilty for their product!
11 Good
I cannot really tell the difference between this card and other ones that cost twice as much. It provides the necessary functions, mainly a means to access a high-speed network, and it seems fairly robust. Also, the installation was very quick and easy, just plug it in and install the software that comes on the CD (All this takes less than 5 minutes). I have been using this product for six months now and I currently have no complaints. It works fine, I can download at very fast rates, and I have not had any problems with it.
12 Works great/easy setup
I ordered this last Friday, got it on Tuesday, installed it that night. The instructions didn't list WinME but since Win98 is basically the same, I followed those. The install worked exactly as the instructions described. It's nice not to have a dongle to lose or a popout connector like my old 3com card that always seemed like it was ready to break off.
13 Well Above Average
I originally installed this under Win98. No problems. Then swapped it to another laptop running Win95. Again, no problems.
Don't know whether the problem described in other reviews is with WinME or the installer.
This seems to be one of the more durable Ethernet cards for a laptop, with flexibility to be used in the upper or lower slot. Now, I need to purchase a second PCMCIA Ethernet card. I will look for one with better features, but if I don't find one in a few minutes, I will gladly purchase a second one of these LinkSys cards.
14 Doesn't work as well as rumored...
I bought this card thinking it would work well with my computer--which, unfortunately, has Windows ME. Every time I tried to install the drivers (and I did follow the manual, thankyouverymuch), my computer would freeze. I went to Linksys's webiste and downloaded the new driver for ME (which didn't even come on the driver disk!). A computer-savvy friend and I tried everything, including reinstalling ME, to get the card to work, but eventually I ended up returning it and getting a (smaller and cooler) 3Com card instead.
15 Windows ME
I have heard other reports in addition to the one below about how installation is tricky with Windows ME. The card works just fine in Windows ME, but either they have indeed updated the manual or else nobody else reads it.
Don't follow the instructions on the Quick Installation sheet, use the actual manual.
Basically, the problems start when it asks for the Windows ME CD (which very few laptops come with). As the manual points out, you must tell it that instead of looking for the drivers on the windows CD that it should be looking on the A drive.
Installation took me about 2 minutes and the card has been working great.
16 Solid and dependable once installed.
This is a nice priced, good solid product, but heaven forbid you should have to install with Windows ME like I did. The instructions that come with the adapter does not match the drivers supplied, and it took two geeks more than 3 hours to get things up and running. Once installed it works well, but support from Linksys is non-existent.
17 Better 'cause it only takes one slot - if placed in the top
There are a few types of these, but this one requires no dongle (which get thrashed and lost), and does not eat up both slots in your laptop. This has been ideal from the beginning, and I've never had any issues with it. Go for it.
18 Convenient and self-contained
The beauty of this card is that the RJ45 receptacle is attached permanently to the card itself, not at the end of a separate adapter cord that always seems to break or get misplaced.
The PC Card is designed so if you insert it into the top slot in your notebook computer, you'll still be able to fit a second card (without a port adapter) in the lower slot.
It takes just a minute to load the card's driver, and you're off and running.
Another nifty feature is that the card has Link + Activity status LEDs on the receptacle port, so you can tell if you have a good link to the LAN.
19 No picture
What does the dongle look like? Is it secure, do you have to worry about it breaking? Is the plug integrated into the card, or is it merely a dongle cord that connects to the card? Does it fasten securely, or have you had problems with it coming loose? (Like the other Linksys cards)
20 Great Network card
Now you can connect your notebook computer to a 10BaseT or BaseTX network in just minutes, very convenient. It allows you to share files, printers,Internet connections and other stuff. This also automatically adjust their speed and duplex to any 10BaseT or 100BaseTX network.
Great features include low voltage operation, a 32KB file buffer and hot swap capability.
It should be compatible with most laptops and it supports multi operating systems too, a good buy.
