For those wanting to install the Linksys Wireless Network Card in a desk top PC, the Wireless-B PCI Adapter is the "PC card reader" necessary. This adapt er is only used with Linksys wireless cards.
The unit, when combined with the wireless card, offers the same networking power as a wired network with the ability to roam and the luxury of not running cables. The unit is of a standard size, and it even has handy "R" and "L" reference points on the network card tracks to make sure you place the card properly in your machine.
Installing the unit is straightforward: plug your wireless network card into the adapter's slot, open up your computer, place the adapter into an open PCI slot on the motherboard, secure (with a mounting screw that is not included), and power up. The computer recognizes the new hardware, and with the installation of drivers from both the Linksys CD and your Windows CD, the installation is complete. The card is not hot-swappable, so if you ever want to remove the card and replace it, be sure to do this while the machine is off.
The adapter itself needs no configuration as it serves only as a home for the wireless card. The accompanying paperwork provides clear instructions for the installation of the adapter, and includes the toll-free number for technical support should you run into difficulties. Adapter users should be aware, however, that both the Linksys customer support and the Web site will only help make sure that your hardware is properly in place: neither resource will guide you in configuring your network. In fact, technical support will refer you to another Web site. However, for those constructing a small office/home office network, the wireless route can be a painless way to sharing resources without having to worry about stringing cables.--Emily Dirks
Pros:
- Easy installation with plug-and-play operation
Potential Cons:
- Only works with the Linksys Wireless PC Card
- Customer support of little help
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See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies. | Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere -- without wires. Outside of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer.
What Wireless Standard is Right for Me?
Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use. Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed.
For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time: To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart. |
Whether you're at your desk or in the boardroom, the Linksys Instant Wireless PCI adapter (with the Linksys Instant Wireless network PC Card inserted) allows you to share printers, files, and more within your wireless LAN infrastructure, increasing your productivity and keeping you on the network.
The Instant Wireless PCI adapter gives you the freedom to work your way, from wherever you want. Just plug the network PC Card into the PCI adapter and you can take full advantage of a wireless network. A high-powered built-in Diversity antenna means that you're covered at distances of up to 150 meters (492 feet) inside and 500 meters (1,640 feet) outside.
The Instant Wireless PCI adapter operates in any PCI-equipped desktop PC and is compatible with virtually all major operating systems.
Note that you need a Linksys Instant Wireless network PC Card to use this product.
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See a comparison diagram of the different wireless technologies. | Wireless networks are rapidly becoming more popular and coming down in price. Since they don't require cables, you can use the devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. There's no need to roll out an Ethernet network cable to each room of a house; you can network anywhere -- without wires. Outside of the home, wireless networking is available in hotspots at coffee shops, businesses, airports -- great when you're on the road and need to get some work done. For convenience, wireless networking is the answer.
What Wireless Standard is Right for Me?
Now that you've decided to create a wireless network, the next step is to figure out which wireless standard to use. Basically, a standard is a set of specifications for a device. All devices that follow a specific standard share operating characteristics, such as the radio frequency used and maximum data transfer speed.
For wireless networking, there are three standards to choose from at this time: To learn about the differences between the standards and select the right one for your network, click here for an easy-to-understand chart. |
Whether you're at your desk or in the boardroom, the Linksys Instant Wireless PCI Adapter (with the Linksys Instant Wireless Network PC Card inserted) allows you to share printers, files, and more within your wireless LAN infrastructure, increasing your productivity and keeping you on the network. The Instant Wireless PCI Adapter gives you the freedom to work your way, from wherever you want. Just plug the Network PC Card into the PCI Adapter and you can take full advantage of a wireless network. A high-powered built-in Diversity antenna means that you're covered - at distances of up to 500 meters. Ready to run in any PCI-equipped desktop PC and compatible with virtually all major operating systems, the Instant Wireless PCI Adapter from Linksys is truly a "must-have" for all PC users.
1 Great Security and Speed!
I've been using the WDT11 with the WPC11 ver.3 for a year and they work perfectly. The 128-bit WEP encryption and MAC filtering provides excellent security. I've got up to 2000kbps internet connection the security and a firewall running. I have used it with various PC cards and they work perfectly. Of course, the WDT11 works best with the WPC11. I've installed the WDT11 on a UNIX box and it worked perfectly too. WDT11 is very user-friendly, especially with WIN XP and WIN 2000.
2 Great Security and Speed!
I've been using the WDT11 with the WPC11 ver.3 for a year and they work perfectly. The 128-bit WEP encryption and MAC filtering provides excellent security. I've got up to 2000kbps internet connection the security and a firewall running. I have used it with various PC cards and they work perfectly. Of course, the WDT11 works best with the WPC11. I've installed the WDT11 on a UNIX box and it worked perfectly too. WDT11 is very user-friendly, especially with WIN XP and WIN 2000.
3 There are far better alternatives
These adapters are just stupid. All the network card companies are selling these adapters which work exclusively with their network cards. If you look around on the internet, you can get similar adapters which will work with *any* PCMCIA card for a similar price.
4 Hide the gun.....
I have never seen anything as bad as this. I have a BEFW11S4 router and a WMP11 card by Linksys. What a joke!!! Tech support is as bad as the product. The card made my comp crash so bad, I had to re-format the hard drive...yes everything gone. Never got it working. The manual is badly written. The first time in years that I've had any trouble installing anything. Word of wisdom....stay away from this product. I had to give it 1 star (which it doesn't deserve that). I could go on but what's the use.....
5 IT DOES NOT WORK WITH THE WPC11 WIRELESS
I bought a WDT11 and a WPC11 - Linksys Instant Wireless Network PC Card and the WPC11 doesn't fit the WDT11. After spending one hour with tech support (who kept saying I was inserting the card in the wrong way), I was told that the version 4 of the WPC11 requires a 32-bit Cardbus and doesn't work with the 16-bit PC Card slot of the WDT11. Isn't it amazing that Linksys releases a new hardware with the same model and SKU numbers? At the Linksys site, they continue to list the WPC11 as compatible with the WDT11.
Is this just plain stupidity or malice?
6 Real nice adapter BUT.....
I ordered the adapter,inserted the pc card as directed before I installed it. Ran the driver program,did the install but no wireless access to my AP.Seems that the PC cards are version 3 and the adapter only works with version 1.Had I known this I could have saved 100 bucks for use buying the right cards.
7 DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!
I bought the WDT11 and it seemed to work fine except that my computer would no longer perform a RESTART (W2K) after installation unless I unplugged the WPC11 from it. Linksys tech support was clueless as to the cause of the problem, and could not help except to exchange the unit. Of course the replacement did not allow a restart either. The downgrade is not necessarily for the unit so much as for the cluelessness of Linksys support. I have Dell hardware, so it's not as if I am running rogue hardware! I can SHUTDOWN and reboot normally, however.
8 Hardware Conflict
I installed this product into a 180 Mhz Pentium Pro with a Hayes ISA modem, a Promise PCI controller card, and was unable to boot the machine due to a hardware conflict. Linksys Technical support referred me to a correct Microsoft support document and advised it was either a hardware or software conflict that was causing the problem. Since I had already read the document, I removed the modem because I previously had an IRQ conflict when the Controller card was installed.
The computer booted properly after removal of the modem and the wireless connection indicates it operates at 57% of capacity. The computer is upstairs from the wireless router and the signal most likely passes through several walls and a iron support beam for direct line of site. Works very good.
9 No problems
Works great with my wireless card and never encountered any problems.
10 Does the job
The PCI card does the job it was supposed to. Inserting cards was a little awkward, and I and to visually guide the card into the slot, especially since it was on the back of the computer.
One thing I would love to see would be additional electronics to turn it into a one-slot PCMCIA port. Now that would be doubly useful.
11 Frustrated, Irritated -> Given up
The idea of going wireless was too wonderful for me know. So I purchased the wireless router, adapters and pc cards for both my laptops and desktops. The pc card works great on the laptops. But as I installed the adapters and pc cards on the desktop, the end result was disastrous. It didn't work. After tried just about everything I could think of, I called the Tech support around midnight. I waited, waited, and waited. I waited, waited, and waited. Finally, after I don't know how long, I was able to talk to a Tech. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do rather than recommending me to buy a wireless pc card for the desktop. I guess this product is made to be a frustration. Anyway, I don't know what I did. It all a sudden worked for a little while. But now, it comes back to disappointment. I decided to send them back on our own expense after a final several tries.
12 Think I was given missinformation by sales person and linksy
From what I read your tech miss informed me me that this set up would work on my laptop with Win XP. I hope this did not screw up my computer.
13 Works really well.
I have used a lot of these in wireless networks and they work great with the WPC11 wireless network card. They are easy to install and give good performance in actual use. It costs less to use the WDT11 as it is a complete PCI wireless network card so be sure to take a look at those before you order.
14 Useless Junk
I bought the WDT11 and WPC11 version 3 as a set to network my two remote PC's. After 12 hours I'm giving up and shipping thw whole lot back. Linksys support were realy useful by telling to download 4meg of zip files onto the PC's that don't have internet connections. Their advice was by a CD burner for the one that is on the internet...:-). The WPC11 verson 3 I put in my laptop worked first time
15 Doesn't work, Linksys recommends the WMP11 instead.
The WDT11 will work if you buy the WPC11 version 1. The problem is, no one sells the WPC11 version 1. The current version of WPC11 is version 3, and Linksys customer service told me that version 3 doesn't work with the WDT11 (it works fine in a laptop). Linksys customer service recommended the newer WMP11 card which is made for desktops. This WDT11 is an adapter to get the laptop peripheral WPC11 to work in a desktop.
16 Linksys should be embarrassed!
This product came to me with no drivers. The manual was riddled with errors that made the installation impossible and then to top it all off when I downloaded the drivers they were the wrong drivers!
It's only fair to say, I have not had any trouble with the installation or performance of the many other Linksys products that I have purchased but the WDT11 under these conditions should have never been put in a box and shipped.
17 starts at 3 stars
I just purchased the WPC11 and I had a question about drivers for Windows XP. I called tech support about 15 minutes before they closed. They told me I was next with an estimated wait time of 1 minute. I waited for 15 minutes then got a recording that they are closed and that I should call back during normal working hours. Don't they realize how much it costs to be on hold? And to add insult to injury-just hang up on a customer. Guess they don't know the word "overtime". Even if I get their product working correctly they won't get more than 3 stars from me.
18 Eureka! It works (and darn well, too)!
As thrilled as I am with this product I have to hold back and only give it three stars. Ok, the product is great, the support at Linksys was *extremely* helpful and knowledgeable, but the hold time to get support...horrid. My first call, 20 minutes on hold (not bad); second call 50 minutes; third and final call 65 minutes. Better get a speaker phone if you're calling support at Linksys.
Also, the manuals included with both the card, adapter and the wireless router are a joke. I followed the instructions to a "T" and was stopped cold. The fixes that support walked me through were so easy they should be included in the troubleshooting section of the manual.
However, once the card/adapter were properly installed and configured...wow! I am amazed at the throughput. Also, despite what the Linksys techs and their manual tell you, I have not noticed any degradation in throughput when using 40bit encryption.
So, overall a great product; love it! You'll just need patience (a lot of it) if you have to call the Linksys helpdesk.
19 This may not be what you think!
I do not think this is not a PCI card to connect your desktop computer to a wireless hub. It is very important to read the technical information about this card. It should say "ONLY campatible with the Linksys Instant Wireless network PC Card (wpc11)". This is the card used in a laptop configuation. I do not think this is supposed to be used like a wireless connection for your desktop computer (Internet Server) to a hub. It is more like a cross over cable for desktop computer to laptop solution.
If you are looking for quick, limited, solution this will work just fine. I am not saying that this card will *not* connect to a hub, I just do not think that conecting to a hub is what this product was meant to do.
If you are pointing this card into a wall or hide it in a desk it is not going to work well. I bought this and sent it back at my expense because I did not read the fine print.
Good Luck with your wireless adventure. I am sure it will be changing soon.
20 Won't work with Xircom Wireless NIC
No compatibility with other brands of wireless NICs. Online support was poor.
21 Card doesn't work..even after techsupport.
We tried setting up the cards on BRAND NEW Dell Optiplexes. Needless to say we are going with a Cisco solution.
We tried every solution tech support gave us...and the cards still don't work. The classic is card A did not one in any of the slots of machine A, but of course card B would work in any slots of machine A. Maybe its the card? Card A in machine B worked!
Go figure!
22 card without any drivers
Linksys delivers this card without any drivers.
This is NOT A FULL IMPLEMENTATION of PCMCIA!!
this card doesn't work alone and it will not work with other
PCMCIA cards (like SMC) or even with the WPC11.
The installation was hell for 3 days. Customer service just
continues to tell me that I need the Windows CDs to install this
card. The drivers are missing and I'm stuck.
The card is now being returned to Amazon and I'm buying SMC!
23 Beware of wireless
I've seen this and other adapters in action. None are really great, they all seem to have conflicts that cause installation problems.
My real concern is all of the people who are using wireless lans without understanding the dangers involved. I can drive around my neighborhood and pickup at least a dozen acess points. Yeah, you say you have a firewall. Well, the access point is behind the firewall, so I'm on your network. And WEP is next to worthless.
Please, people, think security a little.
24 Did not meet expections.
The Linksys system router installation went well, with the exception of the client. The router came up and accepted the setup instructions. Problems began when I setup up the adapter and instant wireless network pc card from Linksys (WPC11). First, the 1998 Compaq 400/12gig, Win98 desktop would lockup everytime I booted it up with the Linksys card installed. I installed the software first, then the hardware, the Compaq computer would freeze and refuse to work. To verify the card was not defective, I moved to my Toshiba laptop and inserted the card in one of the pcmcia slots and installed the drivers. After reading futher I determined that a configuration program needed to be installed from the CD provided by LinkSys. This is a required program which is not automatically installed during the setup of the drivers. After waiting 24 hours for a return call from LinkSys, the technican quickly prompted me to make one change in my configuration and we were up and running. The laptop under Windows 98 worked perfectly. After determining that the device (LinkSys network card)was not defective I returned to the Compaq unit. This time I installed all of the software, then the hardware, again the compaq refused to accept the LinkSys wireless adapter and card. By now I am thinking there is something wrong with the Compaq computer.
I then decided to try a different vender. I went to CompUSA and picked up a D-Link adapter and card for the test. Guess what! The D-Link instruction wanted the software first, which when installed setup the config program and the drivers all in two passes, a reboot was required before the second pass. It was clear on how to do the install, the install screen had additional information making going thru the documention unecessary.
The D-link unit worked perfectly with the Compaq computer. I was pleased, I could use the LinkSys in my laptop and a D-link adapter in the Compaq. The next big test was to come. During the installation, all of the devices were in my office at home, but the Compaq was my wife's computer and needed to move across the house to her office about 60 feet away. The write up shows distances of over 400 feet will work with these wireless devices - NOT SO. Granted there are 4 walls and part of the kitchen between my office and my wife's, the actual distance is about 60 feet at most. Complete rejection followed, after spending one full day installing and testing this new wireless router, I still can not get the link up to my wife's compaq in her office. I am going to keep the router, to work with my laptop in the den and on the patio out back, but it looks like a hard wired connection will be the only way a computer link will work at my house.
Jim Jackson Programmer
25 Running on Windows 2000 Desktop
I installed the PCI Adapter in an IBM Intellistation Pro running Windows 2000. As another reviewer pointed out, the drivers that ship with the card do not work on all systems. They did not work for the Intellistation. I had to download the latest drivers from the Linksys web site. But, here's the catch. You won't find the latest drivers listed under the WDT11. Instead, download the latest drivers for the Wireless PC Card (WPC11). This driver set has INF entries for both the WPC11 and WDT11. Once I removed the old driver files and ran these new ones, everything worked.
The card works great. I keep the Intellistation three rooms away from the access point (a Linksys WAP 11), and the computer still acheives Internet download speeds of 300 kilobytes/second. (My home network shares a cable modem connection.) I am amazed with the performance of this card. I was skeptical that anything close to 11 Mbs could be achieved under real-world conditions. I was prepared for real-world performance more like 300 kilobits/second than 300 kilobytes per second. This card actually performs as well as many wired 10 Mbs Ethernet cards. However, Linksys does lose a star for the responsiveness of their tech support.
When I first could not get the card to work, I contacted Linksys tech support. I recommend calling. I first sent e-mail and did not receive a response for five days. In the interim I called them and after ten minutes got a person who provided reasonable suggestions. However, none of the suggestions worked. Then, I got the bright idea to try the WPC11 drivers. When Linksys finally answered the e-mail, they provided the correct solution by sending me the new drivers. So, I'll give them some credit for coming up with the correct answer but one that was very late. I replied to them that they should correct their web site. I was told that my suggestion was forwarded to the webmaster. That was a month ago and the defective drivers are still listed under the WDT11.
26 How to access LinkSys Tech Support
This has nothing to do with the card here for sale, but the first review I read was about the lack of support that LinkSys provides. That reviewer is 100% correct in one aspect. That is, that if you call them during "business hours" you will get a response in about 2 to 3 weeks if you're lucky. If you wait until they are technically closed, you will be immediately forwarded to an engineer who will fix your problem right away. A little trick I learned the hard way.
27 W2000 users beware -- drivers don't install
If I had carefully read the reviews of the WPC11 card, I would have discovered that Linksys is selling the setup as supported under W2000, but many people can't get the drivers to install. The tech support area of the Linkysys website suggests this may require a BIOS update -- but the drivers would not install properly on my brand-new Dell P4! After hours of work it seems clear that they just don't care, and the failure to return calls for tech support indicates you would be better off buying another manufacturer's hardware.
So I have returned all three cards and given up on Linksys.
28 Wireless Adapter works great!
I have 4 computers at my home and three are desktop computers. I bought 3 Linksys Wireless Desktop adapters and 3 wireless pc cards - It was so easy to set up and did exactly what it said on the box. I also have a wireless access point and the linksys router. My whole 'Linksys' network is running great. I definitely recommend Linksys if you want a network!
