The Linksys Wireless-G PCI Card installs in most desktops and lets you put your computer almost anywhere in the building, without the cost and hassle of running network cables. Now you don't have to drill holes in your walls and climb through the attic or cellar to get connected to the network. Once you're connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail, access the Internet, use instant messaging to chat with friends, and share files and other resources such as printers and network storage with other computers on the network.
The Wireless-G PCI Card connects you with Wireless-G networks at an incredible 54Mbps! And for added versatility, it can also interoperate with all the 11Mbps Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hotspots around the country. And in either mode, your wireless communications are protected by up to 128-bit encryption, so your data stays secure.
So don't hassle with running cables through your house get your desktop connected the easy way with the Linksys Wireless-G PCI Card.
- Wireless-G (draft 802.11g) connectivity for your desktop PC
- Incredible data rates up to 54Mbps in the 2.4GHz radio band
- Also interoperates with Wireless-B (802.11b) networks at 11Mbps
- Put your PC wherever you want, with no cabling hassle
The Linksys Wireless-G PCI card installs in most desktops and lets you use your computer almost anywhere in the building, without the cost and hassle of running network cables. Now you don't have to drill holes in the walls and climb through the attic or cellar to get connected to the network. Once you're connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail, access the Internet, use instant messaging to chat with friends, and share files and other resources such as printers and network storage with other computers on the network.
The Linksys Wireless-G PCI card connects you with Wireless-G networks at an incredible 54 Mbps. And for added versatility, it can interoperate with all the 11 Mbps Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hot spots around the country. And in either mode, your wireless communications are protected by up to 128-bit encryption, so your data stays secure.
Don't hassle with running cables through your house--get your desktop connected the easy way with the Linksys Wireless-G PCI card.
| 
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. |
1 Solid
This card works solidly if you use the linksys software to manage the card... 3 weeks so far and it hasn't dropped me once. I tried using the windows wireless zero service to manage the card and it dropped connection every few minutes... just disable wireless zero and go for the linksys software. Also I'm running 128 bit WEP and no problems... I've heard WPA has problems... simple... don't run WPA... throughput hasn't been as advertised, but that doesn't bother me too much... I'm used to not getting what is advertised.
2 Works wonderfully so far!
Given some of the earlier reviews, I was somewhat apprehensive about buying this PCI adapter, especially since I have a dinosaur of a computer that runs Windows 98 SE. I am so glad I made this purchase! It was very easy to set up with my router (Linksys Compact Wireless-G Broadband), and the Internet connection works far faster than it ever did wired.
3 problem installing driver in xp
If setup.exe in product's driver cd is not running in your pc, and your operating system is xp, try below.
1.Right click on setup.exe.
2.click properties
3.choose Compatibility tab
4.choose "run this program in compatibility mode for" Windows 2000.
5.Click ok.
6.Run setup.exe again...
4 Works fine
Plug and play. Works immediately. Of course it helps that the rest of my wireless setup are all made by Linksys. Save yourself some headache, don't mix-match your wireless gears.
5 If you wish to use WPA Encryption, this is not your product!
I bought this thinking no problem with current Wi-Fi technology. My Linksys WRT54G Router supports WPA-SPK; as is how I set-up my home network. Our Dell laptops run WPA-PSK encryption with no problem, easy set-up. When trying to bring our desktops into the network, we discovered THIS CARD DOES NOT SUPPORT WPA ENCRYPTION WITHOUT A THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE (at your cost). Buy the "2Wire" 802.11G adapter, either USB or PCI. It works right out of the box.
J Matta
Vernon Hills, IL
6 Don't Waste Your Valuable Time
Though it claims to work with Windows 98, this product will not. This was purchased to update an older PC, one which would not be a good candidate for a newer operating system such as XP. If you're considering purchase of this card, read on for a viable alternative. If you have one already, return it if you can, or find a door needing a doorstop. You'll discover it is better suited to that purpose.
Scan through the reviews here and you'll notice a trend I didn't until too late... This card seems to work well under WinXP, but not with anything else. After wasting far too much time, including an upgrade to Win98SE, I exchanged this worthless card for a D-Link DWL-G520. The D-Link installed and worked flawlessly, and best of all it took less than 10 minutes to be up and running.
I'm something of a Linksys fan, and am NOT a rank beginner. I've had good results with various Linksys routers, PCCards, PCI Cards, wireless products, etc. Yes they're occasionally quirky, but can usually be massaged into submission. This product is waaaay beyond quirky, and IMHO enters the realm of fraud by claiming compatibility where it should not.
7 randomly drops connection.
On the plus side, this PCI adapter installs like a charm. Put it in, everything gets recognized without a hitch. Unfortunately, after it connects, it drops the wireless connection for no reason at least once an hour. The signal is strong (3 or 4 out of 5 bars strong) when it is connected, then it drops, then reconnects about 10 seconds later. I have not been able to figure out the problem. I have heard others have the same problem, so I will look for something else that doesn't suck as much.
8 Performance is intermittent
I purchased two of these along with a WAP54G access point. I have a Cisco 806 router configured with DHCP at the core of my home network. The problem I had was that BOTH cards would regularly disconnect and reconnect to the network even though signal strength was excellent. The problem went away when I hard configured the cards with their IP addresses rather than obtain them from the router. By the way, both cards were installed into Windows XP SP2 machines.
9 JUNK! Save your money! USB instead!
My old linksys wireless-B PCI card worked great. But the linksys replacement wireless-G version got inadaquate reception from the exact same location! If you want linksys wireless-G, purchase the linksys USB version [WUSB54G]. It resolved my issue! ;-)~
10 win xp sp 2 no problems
Popped it in. Works. Connects me to the wireless hub. Nothing else I need.
11 GREAT
This wireless PCI adapter from lynksys works wonders. Very simple to install. I had a harder time taking the side off of my computer than i did actually installing it. Works great with Windows XP. Its evertyhing i need. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for GREAT wireless network connection.
12 Never could get it to work with Windows 2000
Attempting to get the Linksys WMP54G PCI wireless card to work on a desktop computer running Windows 2000 was an exercise in frustration. After four sessions talking with Linksys customer support (at least it's a toll-free number, hence 1 star) and another session using on-line chat, I have given up. Linksys never was able to help me get this card working. The principal problem was that it inevitably made the computer hang. No amount of troubleshooting made a difference. Apparently, it seems to work for XP users, but I would not recommend this card for anyone using Windows 2000. I returned it.
13 does not work with Linux
I thought a NIC was a NIC and Linux would happily use this card but no, that's not the case. Apparently, the manufacturer of this card (and most wireless adapter cards) has not made enough information available to enable someone to write a driver for Linux. A company called Linuxant sells a $20 program that will adapt the Windows driver for use under Linux. That raises the overall price to where a wireless bridge (Netgear WGE101 for example) is only a few dollars more. No hassle (I hope!) and more flexibility makes that a better solution for me.
14 Easy to install and stable.
First, I already have a WRT54G, and my desktop has WinXP.
I took me less than 10 minutes to install this baby: open computer, stick the card into slot, close computer, attach cables, attach antenna, turn on computer, stick CD-ROM into CD player and follow onscreen instructions to setup WPA encrytion. Voila! 54 Mbps transmit rate. Easier than pie.
I've read reviews about the antenna falling off. As far as I could tell, one would have to manhandle the thing for it to strip the threads on the attachment. Otherwise, no problem.
15 Works great on Mac OS X
I had three Mac towers that I needed to install wireless cards in. Two were blue and white G3s, the other was a G4. I installed the Motorola 802.11g card in the G4 and one of the G3s (a revision 1), and the Linksys card in the other G3 (a revision 2). All are running Jaguar 10.2.8, all worked like a charm on my Airport Extreme network. My only complaint is that the antenna seems a bit cheap, and I had to place it oddly due to the power and vga plugs. However, since I could rotate and tilt the antenna, this was easily accomplished.
Anyway, I did not encounter any problems using this card - I simply inserted it, plugged the machine in, clicked to turn the card on, and I was on the network. I had the same experience with the Motorola cards, and they seem to be a bit cheaper (in price), but I do not hesitate to recommend the Linksys card to Mac owners.
16 Works fine after some installation glitch on Linux
By nature I tend not to believe in things that are not visible in action, and radio transmission is one of them. But TV and radio always work fine so I am of course exaggerating. It is true when things go wrong with wireless, troubleshooting is harder just because it for sure is not because of a dumb human mistake like not plugging in the cord, for example. But now that this thing is working, I am a believer.
With all the reviews, I just add my experience using this card with on a Debian Linux box. I have to say it was a pain in the butt to get it working in my situation. I've tried ndiswrapper as most people would suggest, but with some customization (upgraded kernel, lots of backports packages, etc.), I could never get reliable performace out of this.
Now my current solution---a quite good one---is to use the RT2500 driver by www.ralinktech.com (note that older WMP54G cards use different chip, not RT2500; you have to check the version of your card). This one needs building from source, but it has been the only reliable solution for me. Note that if your system uses a lot of backports on Debian, you might need to downgrade the driver version, like I am doing right now.
So when this guy is working, it does so well. But I wish it has a better Linux support. On the Window side of my machine, the installation was a breeze so it should certainly be possible for Linksys to support Linux better.
17 Be careful
There's very little indication on the box as to whether this is version 2 (WPA compatible) or version 4 (not WPA compatible).
18 An exasperating waste
Desktop WinXP, wireless Win2000, two full wasted days.
The WMP54G is technically "active", but will not connect to the router. I literally reformatted the hard drive AND stripped the wireless machine down TO THE BONE to ensure there were NO other factors at play. I also paid a genuine guru (who makes a living at this sort of thing) to look at it, and after several hours he gave up too. This thing is going in the trash.
19 A red cent is worth more.
How anyone could put a product like this on the market beats me. I have never been so frustrated in installing a piece of hardware into a computer in my fifteen years working with them.
You can toss a coin and come up with the probablity of whether or not it will work in your computer. I tried it in my second one at the suggestion of linksys support (I never talked to anyone in India before)and it worked, whatever that was supposed to prove. The one that it wouldn't work in was the one I wanted to install it into and that one wasn't complyin'. And Linksys support was no help whatsoever. All they did was prove that their was nothing broken on their adaptor. If you buy one of these, make sure you get a list of the computers that it will work in. This card is priority to the nth degree. I tried to install mine during a moonless night and now I'm waiting for a full moon to try it again, before I consult with my vodoo oracle.
Or maybe I'll try to get it exorcised. Seriously! don't buy one.
20 Problems with XP SP1a & SP2
I tried installing this on an Athlon XP running a brand-new clean install of XP Service Pack 2.
XP comes up and says it has a new "network adapter" but will not accept the drivers on the Linksys disk. Running the Linksys disk by itself fails, as the Linksys setup program crashes.
Manually selecting the drivers sometimes (??) works, but after about 5 mintues the card stops working and after a few "repair connection" operations, WIndows disables the card. And it won't work again until you uninstall and reinstall the drivers.
Some on the net believe that some of this behavior is due to a "common" wireless pakcage MS introduced in XP SP1a, and before that as a critical Hotfix. Maybe, but it seems to be more that this card just sux.
BTW, I've been dealing with computers since 1971.
21 Piece Of Junk!!
The Linksys WMP54G is a piece of junk. I purchased one recently for a two year old Dell desktop running Win2K. The drivers that came in the box would not load, so I let the OS finsih the install without loading drivers then used Window's update function to add them. Windows still didn't like the drivers, but I forced them through and the device changed status to Code 10, Cannot Start. Linksys tech support, which is in India, was less than helpful, assuring me it was a bad PCI slot. Removed the card and installed into a brand new Gateway desktop running XP Pro. Exact same problem. Read some reviews and did some research, then threw the Linksys product in the trash and purchased a Netgear WG311 wireless PCI adapter. Installed correctly the first try in the Win2K machine and took < 2 minutes to configure with my SSID and WEP key. Price is the same and the Netgear product works as advertised. The moral...DON'T BUY LINKSYS
22 Product seems okay but tech support is the worst ever
I feel that you should only buy the Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter (which I bought from Amazon along with the Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router) if you can set it up yourself with no help from the Linksys tech support team (I made my calls at night and they were all routed to India). My Dell PC running Windows XP would not boot-up after initial set up of the card, and then later would not recognize the card. The Linksys techies reading from a very limited script had me switch slots, asked me to test the card in another PC (which I did not have available), and then suggested I return it for a replacement. Oh yes, one of them also said that my computer needed a BIOS update! I wonder how many RMAs result from such totally inadept and inadequate tech support!!! I suggested taking a look at the Windows Registry which both technicians I spoke with refused to do. So after hanging up, I did it myself, deleted all references to the adapter, and voila... I was in business again. I have only just set up my wireless network and have not yet enabled encryption. I'll have to see how that goes.
23 Very Stable Product
I have been through several networking brands including d-link netgear and belkin (dont ever try), and linksys has always come out on top despite its terrible customer service. I installed this on my pc (os:XP) and with about 4 hours I got the antenna pointed just right to get an 'excellent' signal strength. Being 30 ft away from my wireless linksys router which is behind 2 well insulated walls I was very impressed. So, even though it took quite a lot of my time, this product is well worth the $ in my opinion.
good luck!
24 Poor Quality and Support from Linksys.
I just received on 07/06/04 my WMP54G that I purchased here from Amazon.com. The product was well packed, and when it arrived it was brand new condition and it looked to be fresh from Linksys. When I opened it up, and followed the instructions for Windows XP which is pretty easy, the brass connector that you screw the antenna on on the back of the PCI came off. It looks like that small SMA connector is pressed into the card, not soldered, and it can't hold the weight of the antenna. I called Linksys and asked if this was a known problem and they said no, and they made excuses that it was my fault. I got an RMA from them and I am sending it back. I should have ordered the USB one, but I figured this would be better. I would never purchase this type item again!
25 Unstable and slow
Reliable is certainly a relative term in the world of PC networking. However, even by such a loose standard, Linksys wireless technology is terrible. Furthermore, when it does maintain an active connection for a meaningful amount of time, it's not as fast as a wired connection.
After hours on the tech-support hotline - yeah, I eventually decoded the script from which they were reading - and several dropped connections a day, I finally got it to be *kinda* stable by turning off the critical security features. Needless to say, I've returned the wireless router and PCI adapter.
Oh, I've heard that cordless phones interfere with wireless networks. I've also heard that wireless networks are unstable regardless. Frankly, I've heard lots of stuff, and now I've got my $.02 to add to the pool of dissatisfied people: If you're a casual user that does not mind loosing your connection all the time, then go ahead and waste your money. Otherwise, a hole in the wall and some cabling will save you lots of time, money, and peace of mind.
26 no worries
This is a great card for your desktop. I have a homebuilt PC runing windows XP. I set up a totally wireless G network yesterday morning with a linksys wireless router kit and the desktop was the first to go online (and it was not the computer used to configure the router). Sofware and hardware Installation were both easy and took less than 5 minutes. I get great reception about 40 feet from the router on a different floor of my apartment. I have been able to stream long streams without dropping. Excelent card, worth the extra dough.
27 Mystified about the negative reviews.
I cannot understand the negative reviews of this product. I used 12 of them for a customer in one network and they have been running for 2 years without a single issue.
My only criticism is that there is no antenna extension available and for a workstation squirreled int he back of a desk behind a wall just cannot get decent signal strength.
Other than this, this card set up the first time and works wonderfully.
28 Unstable Junk
Do not buy this card. It will break on you within 6 months if you ever get it to work properly. This is my second card both have failed with the dreaded (will not start code 10) error within 6 months of purchase.
29 Stay away if you have older hardware
Got one of those, and even after a month trying I couldn't get it working properly with older hardware (Celeron, P2, P3). It has been reported by several users that this card has issues with Intel BX/ZX chipsets, once you plug the card the system does not boot at all. Linksys support was useless solving this issue.
30 How Can They Sell This?
This is my second try at installing a Linksys wireless PCI card in my Win2000 computer. I returned the first one to LinkSys because it locked up my computer during boot. The one they sent as a replacement gets through boot but fails to start (Device Manager troubleshoot error code 10, "Device won't start"). The only reason I rate it 1 star is because there's no lower selection -- if I could give this product ZERO STARS, I would. (Actually, I don't feel too bad about the 1 star ... at least they sent me a replacement.) I should have heeded the reviews here regarding this product, but I felt constructing a wireless network using only the products from a single manufacturer would yield the least number of interface and connection problems. Wrong-o.
Having two LinkSys PCI cards fail is surprising because I also have their Wireless-G router (WRT54G) installed and running, albeit in wired mode, and it's performing flawlessly. Its predecessor, a wired-only router (BEFSR41), also performed well and without problems.
But I'm giving up on this company. My next wireless-g PCI card will be D-LINK, which has much better reviews here at Amazon.
Now to find out how to return this lame PCI card and get back as much of my money as I can.
31 Plug and play on MAC!
Zero installation hassles. Shows up just as an airport card would. Great product to get the old G4 connected without the wires. Reccommended.
32 No significant problems so far.
I've been reading other user's reviews on this product and I'm not really sure where all the problems are coming from. First off, I am a computer technician with four years experience in the field, so I am fairly familiar with computers. But I've had this product for about one month and I've noticed nothing significant in terms of problems.
I am running 2 Linksys wireless-G PCI cards along with the Linksys wireless-G broadband router (WRT54G). I have one machine running Windows XP about 5 feet from the router. I have a second machine running Windows 2000 upstairs approximately 25 feet away from the router. The machine next to the router gets excellent signal strength and the machine upstairs gets very good signal strength which really has no negative effect on the user's experience with Internet browsing (DSL).
These are a couple of things that I learned while installing these devices:
- For the Windows 2000 machine (and other 9x clients), the instructions specifically say to install the software BEFORE installing the card. I have no idea why this would be the case because Windows should be Plug N Play, but for some reason, it will not detect the hardware until the software is in place. (I used the device drivers from the CD, I did not use any updated drivers from the website).
- Do not download the latest firmware (2.02.2) to the router unless there is something wrong with the router (unless you're adventurous). I updated the router firmware to the latest version from the Linksys website as soon as I was up and running and the router stopped grabbing an IP address from my ISP. After some frustration, I finally reset the router to factory default settings and the router came back up. I don't know if that is the definitive solution to the problem, but that's what worked for me.
- Do not power off the router by pulling the power cord from the back of the router. I have not fully investigated this yet, but it seems like the router loses its settings for WEP and SSID when it's powered off. This can cause some more frustration (especially since I'm using 128-bit WEP).
These are the things that I found out installing my devices. But besides those issues, I have not had any other major problems. I have no comment on Linksys customer service since I never called them. I hope that those who complained about this product were able to get their problems resolved. But I have noticed nothing significant so far. I will write another review if things change in the near future.
33 Bad Installation and Linksys Customer service
Could not get the card to work properly with any level of consistency. OS is Win98SE with AMI Bios. Bios would recognize the board and assign an IRQ but Wlan monitor would indicate card inactive. Attempt to call Linksys Customer service and was informed to 1st update Bios (it is at recent), no help at all. 2nd call I was emailed a firmware upgrade for the router (WRT45G) and a prior version of the driver (Sometimes, older drivers actually do work, but not this time), ver 1.2. No luck. Amazon replaced the card with no questoins asked, but the new card performed the exact same way. No level of driver/irq/Bios tweaking was able to get the card to run. I am very disappointed with Linksys and Cisco.
I am considering replacing the entire setup with DLink.
34 On Modems and PC Printer
If you buy a modem or a telephony card, this one is considered good. Personally, I have used internal modem and US Robotics modem which lasted me almost two years for each Personal Pc and three years for a Pacific Internet and Singnet Singapore Internet Service Provider. Recently, I have a problem with Efficient Network Modem which is acknowledged to be a very very good broadbandth modem. Their service is not very good in Singapore, being that you have to bring your not working modem to their Singapore Service Centre at a isolated industrial building in Singapore for servicing by their greedy money modem service professionals!!! If you used a printer, most of us acknowledged that Epson and Canon are the most popular models, jet printer and laser printer being easily found in almost every Singaporean home and Lexmark Z43 is the one I am currently using and which I believe would be the nemesis of Cannon and Epson in years to compete for the business market worldwide. So Cannon and Epson, watch out for Hong Kong based strong brand Lexmark. All said, Compro Computer is a very very good brand to use too since it serves me for almost three years now. I am lucky to have a good computer IT professional friend Mr. Chia Kok Onn, IT manager Singapore of a big MNC firm in Singapore to check on my PC regularly. And not to forget my Pay Department best friend, and upperstudy Senior Top coder Chief Coder Mr. Lee Kok Sin to service and advise on my Internet broadband connection and HP Scanjet and CanonScan N1220U model which are probably the top two scanners in the worldwide market. Do you use a digital organizer too? If so, maybe I suggest to you to use Casio instead of Palm Zire or the titanium model as Casio is made in Japan and is of lasting enduring quality. What does it means, it means that my casio digital organizer has served me well for eight years and it recently is still in good condition. A palm zire may not lasts more than three years with a drop to the floor which may costs you 20% of your cash asset on servicing charge. This is a remark from stingy me who would not spend more than SGD 30 on servicing my Siemens business handphone. All right, that's all on technology comment now, if you are interested in finance websites, do visit me at http://www.geocities.com/derek6196/ I hope to make friends with you too. This is Derek Wong from derek6196@hotmail.com and dwkhkyks@hotmail.com Singapore
35 Not worth the price! You can do better with another brand!
Initially, I had no problems with this product. I installed it in Windows XP, and it all went rather smoothly. Signal was significant enough to surf the net most of the time, but it was never great and signal dropped out about 10-15% of the time. It is on the opposite side of my house from my router, but I don't live in a mansion and it isn't that far away that signal should drop out in my house. The card has been installed for about 4 months now and I have been experiencing nothing but trouble. In fact, I can't get it to work anymore. The long and bulky antenna continually falls out of the card because the threads have become stripped even though I have rarely touched it once I installed it. So I was constantly having to push the antenna in to ensure it was connected. Now, even when I have a very strong signal, I am having a compatability problem with Windows XP which I never had before. For some reason, it will no longer automatically detect my network settings. I have had numerous calls into Windows and Linksys support with no luck of getting the card to work. It will not automatically or allow me to manually configure an IP address. I have 4 laptops all usings linksys wireless PCI cards and had have no problems. This product however is just plain flaky and in my opinion, a real piece of junk. It's not built well, the antenna is too long and the product isn't doing what it was purchased for. I have spent (wasted) hours deleting network settings and hardware, reinstalled from scratch and it still installs network bridges that are not required and will not find an IP address. After wasting several weekends, I am giving up and will be switching brands. These types of devices are plug and play, but unfortantely, this card has been anything but. I like Linksys products and stand by my router, but not this card. I expected it to last at least 1 year. 3-4 months is unacceptable and the hassle of warranty replacement isn't worth the $50-60 bucks I'll spend on another brand for half the price of the Linksys product. Not a good value and certainly not worth it's expensive price tag.
36 Unstable at Best
First of all, I am not biased against Linksys, their PCMIA Laptop cards and Wireless G gateway devices (after loading the latest firmware) are top notch, works fine and pretty stable.
But this product is unstable at best.
Note that my laptop is using Windows 2000 while my desktop is using Windows XP for the WMP54G.
- The original driver disk's software crashes instantly upon autorun. Bad omen, but if you manually run the software from the subdirectory, then you can get the drivers to load, but the WLAN Monitor software will not load (the newest drivers don't help).
- There was a time where the card worked, but unless you are good with tweaking settings/drivers and just plain lucky, then you aren't going to get this thing to work.
- I had to reload my machine and am tweaking and after two days, can't get it to connect. It is maddening, esp when it does "see" my gateway and give the indication that it sees a signal, but won't connect.
- And, yes, I have disabled WEP and running my network at the lowest common demominator.
I really hate to think that I am going to have to go out and buy a diffrent manufacturer card to work with my Linksys network, but the frustrations are not worth it.
Maybe if you are using Win 2000 with this card, then you might have better luck, but really, unless you are an Electrical Engineer with a specialty in wireless protcol design and have a friend at Linksys that can write working drivers for you...go with something else.
37 Awful
This is the worst networking prodict I have ever had. I highly do NOT reccomend it. I would reccomend the WUSB54G. (It uses a USB port.)
38 No good on Win 98 (great on XP)
I purchased an all-Linksys G set - a router, PCI card, and card for my laptop.
Here is my hardware setup:
Machine 1: WIN 98 First Edition; 400 MHz PII, plenty of RAM; Desktop
Machine 2: WIN 98 First Edition; 233 MHz, moderate RAM; Desktop
Machine 3: WIN 2000; plenty of speed and RAM; Laptop
Router:
It is a great product. I hooked it up to Machine 1 and had it running in under 5 minutes and that includes the hardware. I did NOT use the software included - instead I configured the router through the web interface. This is key. The router doesn't even support WIN 98 First Edition according to the min. req. Linksys states. Nevertheless, my setup works flawlessly. In fact, somehow it seems to have increased my Internet speed - something I can't understand, but am more than willing to go with.
PCI Adapter:
I am giving this an average 3 star rating because frankly I didn't get it to work but then again it really wasn't supposed to work with WIN 98 First Edition as is running on Machine 2. Now, here's why I feel I should rate this item at all - even if unsupported, loading software and giving it a try should not crash your system and cause errors. In fact, I had high hopes considering the software seemed to load, but in fact it just gummed up the system. So, after quite a while of trying, my poor old system is worse off than before. I just don't understand why Linksys didn't include a way to work on WIN 98 First Edition. At heart this thing is just a bit of hardware and I would think ultimately not much different to the computer than an Ethernet card. I may be wrong, but why can't they design an interface for the older operating system? Anyway, don't bother if you aren't running a newer system.
Card for laptop:
Worked like a charm. I popped in the software on Machine 3 running WIN 2000 and in a couple of minutes had a great signal. The laptop was at least 50 feet away from the router and in the basement (router on 1st level). So, through walls and over distance I still had very sufficient signal strength and quality. No dropping was noticed, and the settings were all set for a high level of security.
So, overall I'm happy with Linksys. You'll note I leave 5 stars for the other two products mentioned. Just beware of this adapter for older machines.
UPDATE: Ok, I'm kinda wishing I had given the card 4 stars. After dropping it into an XP machine, it works wonderfully. In combination with the other Linksys equipment, I have never had a droppped signal - not once for any wireless device, and I run 3 aside from the computer that has a hardline into the router.
39 Peice of crap
I had good luck with several other Linksys products, but this one hit rock bottom. I wish I read the reviews before my friend purchased it. The wired and wireless broadband routers from Linksys are top-notch. Even their laptop wireless adapter works great for me. But this unit was unbelievable. It took hours to install. The software driver didn't even start when you clicked on setup. You got a quick flash and no software ran (using XP). I figured out another way to install it from a tip here (run setup from the Utilities folder). The hardware finally installed, but of course didn't work. Hours later after being on hold with tech support, I was told to hard-code an IP address in the card (my DSL provider provides IP addresses automatically). It worked for a few hours and stopped working. That was when we gave up. Linksys really struck out with this garbage. They obviously have no experience or business being in the PCI card realm. They should have stuck to routers. We bought a D-link PCI card (for HALF PRICE!!) and it was literally up and running in less than 5 minutes. It showed a strong signal and the funny thing is that for the few minutes that the Linksys card was connected it was reading a weak signal (from 5 feet away from the router).
40 What is the deal?
I installed this card in a AMD Duron 1000, with 192 MB memory PC. It was running Win98se. I installed the drivers and then the LAN MGR would not load properly, the Splash Screen was cut off. That didn't matter I was still connecting with no problems. Since the card installation, I upgraded 98se to ME and still no problems.
One thing you might want to look at is upon setup. Mark it to Ad-Hoc, once you do this, everything falls into place, it did for me. I would use this card again and I would recommend it.
It connects with full strength (under router, across basement). I have the SSID broadcast turned off and MAC filtering on. Works great, no issues as of yet, connects everytime.
41 Unreliable doesn't begin to describe it
I finally returned my WMP54G after a month of trying everything in the knowledge base at Linksys, numerous phone calls to support (not easily reached) and grasping at straws. This product was awful.
42 Linksys = Bad Driver Software + Poor Tech Support
Tried to install this card on my old PC. Box said driver could run on WIN98se. Crashed my PC before the installation was completed. Tried wired card after that, same kind of crap. The technical support is practically non-existent. Returned them and bought D-Link - works like a charm. Conclusion: Linksys is not a trustworthy brand.
43 My two cents on the "horrible product" side
The polarization of reviews here is startling. There appears to be NO operating system or configuration that works consistently. The lucky few who had no problems just seem blessed.
My experience is in the horror story side. I (stupidly) didn't do research and purchased the WMP54G. I have now spent 4 days working with two machines and have not had a successful install of both the adapter and the monitor.
As others have found, phone tech support are some of the most un-informed I've encountered. I can't comment on email, as I haven't received any response. The "knowledge base" online is just a re-purposed copy of their inadequate manuals. There is no attempt to publish problems and work-arounds that people have reported.
I have spent way more time on this than it is worth, but I can't believe there is no way to make it work. I imagine I will soon get tired of banging by head against a wall and return all this Linksys junk.
44 Poor Performer
This card took several tries to get it installed in windows xp pro. The setup that comes on the CD has to be run in win2k compatibility mode. After several attempts the card installed and would constant drop connection. Tried everything in the FAQ's. Changed channels, changed PCI slots, and manually set speed. It never had above good whereas my linksys WUSB11 v2.6 works with excellent signal on the same pc on the same channel. Good luck to anyone trying this product. My wireless router is WRT54.g
45 Works great after Windows XP installation issues
The directions say to install the card, turn on the computer and then have Windows XP look at the CD to install the card. I kept getting an error that the device was not installed correctly so XP didn't install the device. The software on the CD would not even automatically start, I would just get a blip of the installation program and then it would exit right away.
However there is a directory on the CD called utilities that has a file called setup.exe (this is not the setup.exe file in the root directory of the cdrom). If that program is run, the drivers are installed correctly and the wireless adapter works great. Customer support is no help on this issue.
46 The antenna *will* fall off
As a computer tech, I recommended this to one of my clients, a regrettable decision. The card itself works very well, but there is one key flaw with this card:
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The antenna will break at the slightest bump, and there is no way of putting it back.
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We took this thing back about 3 times, each time the same result, the card was put in, everything worked great, the computer was pushed back beneath the desk, and oops! The antenna hit the wall/cord/something and it came off. The antenna cannot be reatteched, so a replacement had to be obtained.
Linksys needs to remedy this problem fast, likely by making a one piece antenna that is *sturdy*. Computers do get bumped around, and the antenna falling off is the last thing you want to worry about.
We have a second computer with this card in, and it works great, since we were 'extra' gentle with it. Basically it means we can't move the computer due to the high chance of the antenna falling off. I give this product 2 stars, because when the antenna is on, it works great.
At the end, we resorted to getting the USB Linksys wireless adapter. Even though it is slower at 802.11b, the unit is very sturdy (nice sturdy antenna) and took care of my client very well.
47 STAY AWAY FROM THIS CARD!!!
I installed, the connection was intermittent and only ran at 11 Mbps, so I changed the channel and that fixed the speed issue. However I was still having connection issues. It would work great for about 4-5 hours and get full signal running at 54 Mbps. But then it would drop, followed by a pop-up message "Wireless Networks Available" so I click on the pop-up and low and behold there is my SSID, but when I click "connect" nothing happens except ANOTHER pop-up saying "Wireless Networks Available" and of course showing my SSID. An endless loop, and if I were a rat in a cage I might be up all night. After 2 weeks of that I downloaded the newly released 3.3 drivers. And now IT DOES NOT EVER CONNECT. Just the good ole pop-up loop.
I have tried every channel, WEP and no WEP, Bluetooth support on/off, yada yada yada. I have TONS of experience with building, troubleshooting and maintaining PC's and this is the worst card I have ever seen.
Those who say it works for them should really consider playing the lottery, or at least hitting Vegas. LUCKY. Because I have seen TONS of other bad reviews on other sites.
I have also had similar trouble with one of my laptops which had the Card Bus 54G. I think Linksys is crap. I don't care is Cisco owns them they are not even close to Cisco quality. I know it has nothing to do with my router signal, my Mac Powerbook works everywhere in the house even right next to my desktop. And I can put my other laptop right next to the router and it won't connect. POS IMHO.
Do what I am doing and get the D-Link because I have found next to ZERO bad reviews of it. I put it in and worked immediately. And the utility that comes with it allows you to control your connection, you don't have to use XP like you do with Linksys. The headaches with Linksys are not worth it.
48 Linksys WMP54G Windows 2000 problems
Card does not work WIN 2000 PRO. Device Manager always shows card as Other PCI Device - Device not configured properly. The directions are rather simple, but card does not work in WIN 2000 Pro. I placed card in WIN XP Pro box and installed with no problems. Linksys needs to fix the drivers for this card for those of us that are running WIN 2000. Tech Support staff for Linksys are morons - they will tell you how it works on XP, but have a hearing problem when it comes to WIN 2000. A real bunch of nitwits.
49 Couldn't Get It to Work
I should have figured something was wrong when the included Wireless LAN Utility wouldn't install.
I'm running Windows XP Pro and tried to get this card to work for three days. The WMP54G never once "saw" my home wireless network. (And yes, I *did* download the updated driver from the Linksys website. It didn't help.) I'm guessing that I got a bad one because I purchased a much cheaper wireless PCI adapter (by Xterasys) and in 10 minutes it was up and running. I'm using that one to write this review.
Based on the various mixed feedback on this product and my own experience, I'd have to guess that Linksys is just inconsistent in their production of this wireless LAN card.
50 Works great with Windows XP Home!
This card works quite well with a little tinkering. Anyone with experience in home networking will find it easy to install and use. I have had no problems at all and have 3 or 4 currently in use.
51 Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G
The card was more difficult to configure than the documentation implied. I have sucessfully installed it on Win98, W2k, and XP but have not been able to get it to work on RedHat 6.1 using the Atheros based drivers set (which are not designed for it anyway as far as I can tell). The signal strength is good in my house, and the PCMCIA card version seems to work well in my neighborhood. Some of the other reviews show some very frustrated people, but I did not really have that many problems. The household pc's are kept up to date with the patches, and we have disabled many services in W2K and XP. Turning off any firewall services and removing any old NIC application helpers loading in the systray before installing the Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter worked for me, and I downloaded the latest drivers from the website instead of using the cd.
52 Does NOT work with Win2K
I have a Linksys wireless G router so I thought I'd buy this G PCI card for a Win2000 PC which is in another room. 1st I tried the card with WinXP (same room) and got it to work, but there was a lot of fooling around that needed to be done 1st (download drivers, docs don't correspond to what needs to be done, etc). So I then tried to get it to work with the PC that I really needed to hookup which is Win2K. I could not get it to work no matter what I tried. I called tech support and they were very helpless, because the person that I spoke to was just reading from the manual. Several long phone calls and still no joy. So I then tried emailing tech support. This produced weeks of useless interactions because the tech support person would not/could not read the stuff that I wrote down. The same stuff repeated over and over, and no responses to direct questions. She could not grasp the essence of the problem: card hardware works but software does not work under Win2K. She kept telling me how it worked fine on her WinXP machine. My guess is that the Win2K driver is for the draft G protocol, and not the approved/final G protocol. I updated the Linksys router to the approved G protocol, and did not want to go back. Since it was impossible to get the most basic concepts across to tech support, I finally I just gave up. They can only help you if you have very basic problems like the device not having problems, or not loading up the drivers.
DO NOT buy this this card if you want to use it for Win2K. BTW, Linksys only supports WEP under Win2K. To get WPA you will need WinXP but that's not in any of the documentaion.
53 Junk
This is the kind of card that makes one drill holes in the wall and run hundreds of feet of cable, because that is a lot easier than making it work. Setting up regular ethernet cards is so simple, it amazes me that setting up a wireless card is such a troubleshooting exercise.
I tried this card in an older machine with an ASUS MB and Windows ME. Frequently locked up the system(despite pulling every card out of the box except video), never could get it to connect to the Linksys AP. Built another system with an MSI MB/2400+ Athlon. Still locked up regularly. Would only connect to the AP (sporadically) if the antenna was disconnected. Tech support was not good. They kept telling me the antenna must be connected, despite my explainations that I knew that, but it wouldn't work that way. Tech eventually says it sounds like the card is defective and to return it.
Returned card, replacement is no better. Tech support is again useless. Making up nonsensical things to try/problems. No solution. "Knowledge Base" on the website is hardly a knowledge base. Basically just a reproduction of the documentation that comes with the card.
Built another system with an Intel 865 based MB and Windows XP. Put card in, installed drivers and after monkeying with the channels it works fine. I was happy until I found out that there is no linux support for this card. Tried the driver loader from Linuxant.com and only had modest success. Can't connect to AP, but can talk to other machines in an ad-hoc mode.
To summarize, this card is really hit or miss. If you have the right hardware combo and run Windows, it will run fine. The wrong hardware combo and you're left with a paperweight. The unfortunate thing is there is no way to know if the card is going to work in your system before you buy it.
54 Won't Work in XP
Despite the claims, this device would not work in my XP computer. The driver provided is not compatible with XP and caused system malfunctions. I was never able to get the device to communicate with the router. I spent almost an hour on the phone with LINKSYS tech support ( he assured me that the driver that came with the card would work with XP ). For some unknown reason, in the middle of trying to work out the problem, I was disconnected from the tech and placed on hold. After about a minute another LINKSYS tech answered. He had no idea what I was talking about and the tech I had been working with had apparently not logged my call - we would have to start all over again he said. My reply was no we won't - I am returning the card and I will go through the trouble of hard wiring the PC to the router. LINKSYS gets a thumbs down on this one. Someone should tell them there are alot of people out there using Windows XP.
55 Is dropping a problem w/ XP? There's a solution!
I've had my wireless configuration for quite some time, and never experienced a problem UNTIL I had an XP system built. Then, 3-4 times, every hour, I'd drop and I'd have to tinker around to reconnect.
After a bit of research, I found the solution! XP has something called "Wireless Zero Configuration" .. and to the best of my knowledge, Linksys is simply not compatible with this. Does that mean ditch your Linksys card or USB adapter? NOPE!
Just do a quick search on the web, and it'll tell you how to disable the Wireless Zero Configuration, and all will be well again =)
56 Will not work in my computer
First card would not allow my computer to even boot! Second card (Paid shipping to Linksys) allowed the computer to boot but WinXP became a basket case very quickly trying to install a driver. All other PCI cards used in my computer work great - What's happening here Linksys? Removing the card and re-booting the third time has me back to normal. My Linksys 54g router works great with a Linksys wired Ethernet card in the computer. (Wanted to replace the wired one with the wireless) The WMP54G card causes tremendous conflicts on the buss. Sorry Linksys on this one. Hope we can work something out.
57 works well under XP and linux
well I don't know what everyone is moaning about...
I've had this card for about 4 months and have had great performance out of it, never a single problem under XP (simply installed the drivers and used XP to configure it, thats so easy who needs special config apps?!)
I've recently even managed to get it running under Linux despite the fact its built on the broadcom chipset! check out http://www.linuxant.com for details on how to do this (there is a small charge of $20 for the software to do it...)
58 Works well (once you get it too). Fragile Antenna Connector
Since my last review (below), I changed the motherboard (to an ECS k7s5a) on my son's computer. My wmp54g went back to the original problem. This time, there was no "byte merge" I could change in the bios. I purchased a D-link G520+ and it worked great, no hassles. Even seems to have a more reliable connection than the wmp54g. I'm not changing my rating on the wmp54g, however. Seems like wireless pci cards are hit and miss. From what I've read, it seems that the wmp54g will have problems in hardware that the D-link works perfectly, but the reverse also occurs. The moral of the story - make sure you happy with the return policy of the store from which you buy you wireless pci card.
I have the linksys wrt54g router/AP wired to my cable modem and XP machine. The wmp54g is on my Win98 PIII, Asus p3v4x m/b (Via chipset). My first attempts to use the pci card caused irq conflicts that I resolved by manually selected a non-conflicting irq for the slot in which the card was seated. But the card could still not see a signal. So I adjusted the antenna on the pci card. Bad move, as the connecter came off in my hand (a light breeze would have blown it off). After exchanging the card for one in which the connecter seemed to be better secured to the card, I tried again. Still no signal, no bars, even w/ the card and router both in the same room. After several phone calls to Linksys tech support (friendly, hardworking, and eager to help, but mostly clueless), I ran across a tech that had a useful suggestion - try the card out on my WinXp machine. The card worked on that machine. Unfortunately, tech support had no clue what to do w/ that info. Eventually, I realized that if the card was to work in the Win98SE machine, the problem would need to be resolved at the motherboard bios level. Disabling "Byte Merge" in the motherboard bios did the trick! Also, make sure that the router verification is set for "Auto" rather than "Shared Key", which will result in the same "no signal" problem. Difficult card to set up on an older pc, but it's running with a fair signal/fair link (3 to 4 bars) and 24 to 54 mbps (often 48-54) at about 50-60 ft through two floors. Hopefully, it will continue to work well.
59 wmp54g
This product is easy to install and works great...until the signal drops...I cannot hold the signal for longer than 5 mins before i have to click and reconnect to the internet. Don't know how to fix this problem. Kinda sucks.
60 Terrible Mechanicals, poor winXP integration
This card is an extreme departure from my experience with many other Linksys products which have been uniformly positive in my experience.
This card is very poorly made - the antenna mount is press fit together and *very* fragile. The antenna is also a fragile construction all on its own. The lack of drivers/management utility that work well with windows XP really stinks.
The units I purchased were returned and Belkin PCI cards were purchased instead. These have a solid construction plus a driver/utility that makes reliable connections in windows XP.
61 BEWARE! DON'T BUY THIS CARD! NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS
I'm not trying to pigeon-hole Linksys here, but let's be real. I've purchased 4 different Wireless-G cards, and installed them in every PCI slot in 3 different systems, with the systems running both Windows 98SE and Windows XP, and have had nothing but problems. They don't work. Yes, I have installed them in much newer systems running XP-Pro, and they worked. That's what prompted me to recommend this Linksys setup to another client running slightly older hardware. WHAT A MISTAKE!!! Linksys tech. support is absolutely horrible. In the end, the Linksys tech told me to purchase cards from another manufacturer! NO KIDDING HERE!!!! Talk about a lesson learned. I very much recommend you stay the hell away from these particular cards.
62 Everyone else seems to have problems...I don't
I bought this some months ago and have just ordered another. I did find setup a little bit of a chore but once done, I have had no problems what so ever and do no have any disconnects. Signal strength is plenty strong and the whole system works wonderful.
63 Multi-faceted poor experience
I purchased the WMP54G thinking it would help me along my transition from 802.11b to 802.11g. What a mistake that was!
Installation was a chore. On XP, it recognized the new hardware and I told the Hardware Wizard where the drivers were, but once I started to explore the settings in the device panel, things went awry. I selected 802.11b mode in the panel and everything went dead. No problem, I thought...all I needed to do was uninstall the hardware and reinstall. Nope, it kept throwing me errors about resource conflicts. I'm not much of a PC expert, so I decided not to wrestle with IRQ conflicts. I installed the card in another PCI slot and that fixed it, sort of.
Range is abysmal with the little black antenna. My access point is an Apple AirPort Extreme Basestation with a powerful external 8 dBi antenna. Where my Power Mac gets 90% signal strength with its built-in antenna, my PC only two feet away can't connect at all. It's puzzling to say the least. The antenna on the WMP54G is weeeeeaaaak.
64 Doesnt Work with XP
This product doesnt work with MY XP installation and Linksys tech support cant help.
Due to having faith that Linksys would fix the problem i cant even return it to Amazon as it is over the 30 day return limit.
1 Useless bit of kit i a box in mint condition.
When I put it in my machine event the wired LAN connection fails.
I bought the Linksys 54G router and PCMCIA card at the same time and these work great on a laptop running XP, so I know how to set it up.
Thanks Amazon and Linksys - between you you have cost me a lot of money for an ornament!!
65 Beware of what looks too easy ...
I purchased the Linsys Router, a PMCIA Wireless and two PCI wireless cards. The idea was to have devices all from the same manufacturer in order to ease the computers and the network setup. The weak link I found was in the PCI cards.
I use XP Pro on an ASUS based system. The cards were not recognized as "Plug and Play" and Windows XP refused flat out to install them. I gave up after two sleepless nights.
I then purchased a D-link PCI card and I was surfing the net in 15 minutes flat.
66 Works fine for me
I have owned a Linksys Wireless G notebook adapter, and now this adapter for a desktop. Both have worked immediately upon plugging them in and booting up. Configuration can be difficult for a beginner, however.
67 It is great once it is running
I run three computers on my home network using the Linksys Wireless G set up. Running my machine that is plugged into the router is a cakewalk. My suggestion is to get a computer running on your base first. Next, I recommend leaving the defaults as they are until you get your wireless computer connected. If you are connecting to an XP machine, be certain that the configuration utility didn't establish a 'bridge' connection. If it did, you'll want to disable it. In fact, disable all connections on your network screen except for the wireless connection. Once you establish a connection, start setting up your security WEP. XP will not recognize your passphrase and the Linksys software won't let you copy the wep key. What I did was type the key into note pad so that I could then copy and paste it into the XP field. Believe me, this step is a big time saver, you'll get sick of typing the key. Good luck with it, you only need to go through this mess once. It's great after its set up.
68 warning to linux users
as of september 15, 2003 there are no linux drivers for this card
69 Connect Problems? Check the "CHANNEL"
I've looked around on various boards to see if anyone had a solution to the problem so often described with this product where you see a message "A wireless connection is available", and the SSID shows up as an available network, but then you can't connect to it. I don't think I've seen anyone write up the solution I found, so I'm going to give it a try here, hopefully it'll help reduce stress for at least a few other users...
I messed around with this problem for HOURS yesterday, but decided to try fresh today... I'd decided that if I didn't get it all working today, it was all going to get boxed up and sent back tomorrow! The root cause was that the router was on one channel (6 I believe), and the WMP55G cards (at least when you install the new driver) defaults to channel 11. (I may have these reversed).
In this configuration, the network SSID was visible to the client systems, but would NOT connect - at least not usually - they actually connected once or twice briefly with the channels mismatched, but with everything in close proximity.
The WRT54G's channel number (assuming you're using the linksys router) is on the "setup" tab on it's web interface. (I had a PC hardwired to the router to do this - that's a good idea if you're having RF problems as I was). It's down near the bottom of the screen in the "Wireless" section. Remember to hit "APPLY" after changing it, so that it takes effect.
The WMP54G's channel number (Windows XP - SP1 with the latest driver, anyway) is on the "Wireless G Notebook Adapter Properties" window under the "Advanced" tab. It's labeled "IBSS Channel Number". You must hit the "OK" for it to take effect.
I THINK I tried changing the channel on the router yesterday, but failed to hit "APPLY"...
I had been seeing the same thing over and over... the network was visible to the client computers, but wouldn't connect... Interestingly enough, my portable WOULD connect, but the two PCI cards would not. Once I got all the channels synced up, it was fine.
You would expect that if the card and router were on different channels (especially as far apart as 6 and 11), that the network would not be visible from the cards, but that's not the case! They are visible, but just will not connect - usually anyway.
I believe that any sort of RF problem might cause a similar symptom... a bad antenna connector, an interfering wireless phone, (another network next door?) or what have you.
The first thing I did today was to disconnect all the wireless phones in the house BEFORE starting to troubleshoot. The next thing was to turn SSID transmit back on, and security off. Once we got the channels synced up, both PCI cards synced up right away... then I turned SSID transmit off, verified that it was OK, then put in a WEP key, verified again, then went in and restricted the mac addresses to those of my client computers. It's all working reliably now.
70 Will not connect...
I purchased the WRT54G router and WMP54G PCI card. Install was fine for the router and Internet still worked going through the router. The router was installed on a PC running Windows XP Home.
The PCI card went in a brand new computer also with XP Home. I followed the instruction to the letter. Basically the steps are:
1. install the PCI adapter into a PCI slot
2. Let XP detect the adapter and then insert the CD and let it install the software automatically and click finish.
so far so good...
3. Finally, a pop-up for the system tray displays "A network connection is available" which you click on.
4. Check the box that connects you to non-secure wireless networks (default for Linksys is to not turn on WEP). I see my network name as being available so I know it is sending a signal.
5. Click "Connect" ... nothing... no connection. After about 10 seconds, the same pop-up saying "A network connection is available" shows up again. Basically, this continues to loop without ever connecting.
3-4 hours of trouble shooting and researching their web site with no luck so I decided to call tech support. We spent an hour and a half (I must say they were willing to try lots of things and were patient). We tried everything:
- uninstall/re-install
- switch PCI slots
- change channels
- reset router
- upgrade firmware on router
- dance a jig around the computer (just seeing if you're still reading)
- Changing multitude of settings (with/without WEP, MAC address, modes, etc.)
Still no connection! The tech guy's was not even able to conclude if the problem was with the router or the card. I don't know what to do and am tempted to just send it all back. I even bought a Linksys PC card for the laptop that I'm expecting in a week. Maybe I will see if that works with the router. If so, maybe it is just the card at fault.
These comments are very interesting since some people don't seem to have any problems at all and others like me struggle for hours. If anyone out there has had this problem, please contact me with a solution (david@ideadirect.com).
71 Bad Product
Unless you have system restore, do not purchase this product, because you will probably be needing it. Multiple crashes, driver failures, and when finally installed, unable to communicate with its mother router. I don't know why my problems were so extreme - however, I am unable to understand how anyone got this to work properly - I'm no idiot either.
Tech support is NON EXISTENT ! If you email, you will get instructions to go to a fague link that tells you nothing !!!
Save your money, and wire your house for ethernet - wireless is a waste of money.
72 Installation difficulties in Windows XP
I had a few problems getting the WMP54G to work using encryption with my router (WRT54G) under Windows XP.
The quick installation guide implies Windows XP will detect the card and set it up automatically. It did no such thing for me; it wanted me to provide the driver manually. I highly recommend getting the latest driver from the Linksys website rather than using the one on the CD.
I don't recommend using the Windows network wizard, or whatever the thing is called. It added a Network Bridge device with an odd IP address. I could not communicate with my router until I deleted this device. This was not intuitive at all, but again this is a Windows problem.
On to the next problem: when I used WEP encryption (either 64 or 128-bit), the wireless connection would drop out at precisely three minutes. Everything worked fine with encryption turned off.
I then decided to try WPA encryption, which is supposedly more secure than WEP anyway. There is a Windows XP update to add this capability to the operating system, which you'll need to install. Unfortunately I found that this didn't immediately solve my problem: WPA was not available as a selection in the wirless network setup. I then updated the driver for the WMP54G and I was able to use WPA with no problem! Again, a word of advice: do NOT use the driver on the included CD! Get the latest driver off the Linksys website. I would imagine this was the source of my WEP problems as well, but I never went back to try it. I'm happy with WPA.
Also make sure your router's firmware is up to date. Some manufacturers have only recently added WPA capability.
Other than these difficulties, this seems to be a great card. It works just as fast as my wired LAN connection.
73 ok with downloading
I had installed the adapter and able to browse the internet, send/read emails and play games. The problem is I'm not able to send emails with attachment files. I'm not able to upload any kind of file in any kind of way. I connected my brother's computer to the linksys wireless router with a ethernet cable and able to upload files, so I don't think the problem is with the router.
74 Ultra Easy to install
I purchased the Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router and the WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter. I am running Windows XP and the PCI Card installation was as simple as plugging the card in the PCI slot on your PC, running the installation disc and answering questions that Windows XP had already answered correctly for you and clicking "next" and that was basically it!!
The Router installation was just as easy. Just insert the disc and answer the basic, simple questions. I know nothing about networking and this was easy even for me. I would recommend these two products to anyone.
75 Device Driver Install Fails
While the card is found at boot, my XP system gets "invalid data" error during the installation process. I have uninstalled and installed it a number of times and changed PCI slots as well -- all to no avail. My search on the internet reveals two camps, 1) one that has installed it and love it, and 2) the one I am in -- it can not be made to work. Very disappointing. I am now prepared to go down to the "B" PCI adapter.
76 Worked Great with W2K - easy install
Install in minutes. Software works well with the wireless card. There is not much printed user guide- this may be a problem for some users. But, the user guide is available in the CD. Honestly, I didn't even use the user guide at all.
3 steps installation processes: 1. install drivers and utilities. 2. install wireless card. 3. configure wireless network. Done.
77 Waste of money!!!
I installed a wireless-G network using a Linksys router and wireless card. After I installed the card, the computer completely failed to reboot -- it was unusable with the card in. The tech support people suggested some time-consuming, expensive, and useless fixes (which fortunately I didn't waste time or money on, as the computer was old). They didn't suggest that it might be a problem with the card itself, but I later installed in on 2 much newer computers (2 different brands with 2 different operating systems) and it crashed both of them in the identical way. I then bought a card from a different maker (Belkin) and it works flawlessly with my Linksys router. By the way, I love my wireless network, but there's definitely a learning curve.
78 It made my system lock up repeatedly
I had a horrible time with this device, and ultimately took it and all my Linksys equipment back for a full refund after 20 hours of frustration.
The card installed fine--my Windows XP system detected it easily. But then I tried to install the drivers--which were not Microsoft certified, a red flag--and everything went haywire.
I briefly got a wireless connection, but then the card locked up my system. When I turned off the power and rebooted, it locked up again during the windows screen, a clear sign of a hardware conflict. I had to log on in safe mode, and I called a tech guy. This was the beginning of a long ordeal.
The tech people were in the Phillipines, and they were quite nice, but as others have noted they were not terribly knowledgeable. Over a span of many hours and many calls, we tried out a long list of supposed fixes, including reinstalling the card in each of my 5 PCI slots. Nothing worked. I had to do a system restore twice during this time because of the lockups.
Finally, at 2 am, I gave up. The next day, I returned the card in favor of a wireless ethernet bridge--which also caused me heartache and did not work.
The moral of this sad story: Stick to wires unless you absolutely need wireless, or try another brand. Linksys is not ready for prime time, a lesson I learned the hard way.
79 bad software bad documentation
Don't waste time on this one if running XP home. It wouldn't correctly install the newest driver available on the Linksys web site so I had to do it manually (repeatedly.) Once the card was actually recognized, the supposed setup wizard still refused to run. There are 3 wireless networks in my area but it would only recognize my if I input the name maunally in network settings. I altered every last possible setting manually on the card and on my Linksys G router but no go, the card would recognize that the network existed but refused to connect. Bottom line, buy anyone elses!
80 Returned everything to store...
A long detailed story made as short as possible:
I have a system running Windows XP that I wanted to install the PCI card in. After following the instructions, the system booted and detected the card. When it went to automatically install the driver for the card from the CD, I was told that no driver was found. I copied the drivers to the hard drive and tried again, same problem.
I then completely rebuilt the system with a fresh install of XP and I removed all other cards except for the video card, same problem.
I called Linksys technical support and after 45 minutes on hold I got a "tech" on the phone. After going through everything that I had already done again for him, the drivers still would not load. I told him that a PCI scan on the card revealed a device number of 4306 and that this number was not in the driver INF file, only 4320. He asked me for my email address and said he was going to send me some BETA drivers. After putting me on hold again, I noticed that the hold music reverted back to the main hold line and not his line. So, he basically dropped me. After another 30 minutes on hold I hung up and promptly returned everything I purchased.
I still do not know what the problem was, but at this point I don't care and won't buy another Linksys product. Their customer service is atrocious.
81 DOESN'T WORK WITH LINKSYS ROUTER
I can't really rate this adapter since I can't get the wireless LAN to work. But what good is a wireless adapter if it won't work with Linksys own router (WRT54G).
The documentation that comes with the card isn't correct, the Linksys website is no help and Linksys Tech Support is staffed with unqualified technicians who can't do anything but read canned responses off a checklist.
Run away. Try a different product from a different company.
82 Works great with Win XP
Installation was a snap - a few minutes of one's time. Find an available PCI slot and load the included driver with the supplied CD. Once installation is complete, the card will detect all available networks in the area. All you have to do is enter the necessary WEP key (if enabled) in ASCI or HEX format, depending on the type of wireless router.
In my case, I am using an Apple Airport Base Station for my two Apple computers. I recently added a Windows PC using XP. I initially had hesitations in wireless network compatibility for the "G" standard properly commuicating with my "B" standard Base Station. I finally decided on buying the Linksys and found that there was no compatibility issue at all.
The signal strength is excellent. I never had any problems with my network status and online surfing experience.
My only complaint is the unattractive long, generic-looking antenna. Compare this with other products like D-Link, Netgear and SMC Networks that have a short (flat/square design) antenna.
Why did I settle on the Linksys brand despite the ugly antenna design? For one, I have great experience with their wireless router (BEFW11S4) which I purchased years ago during it's initial release and have not had any problem with it. Second, Linksys is the current leader in wireless technology. I am hoping that they will be able to provide excellent drivers should compatibility problems arise with the latest operating systems. Third, Linksys is owned by another leader in the networking industry, Cisco Systems. These factors should be enough to assure a sturdier product.
But before you purchase on any product, do your own research for your specific system compatibility.
83 Doesn't work W2K
When used with Windows 2000, the adapter will not become active until after logging on "workstation only" and then starting the monitor program that came with the card. After that you can log back out and then log in to your network. Very inconvenient. This was verified when we talked to Linksys tech support. We returned the 14 we ordered and are looking for something that actually is compatible with Windows 2000.
84 problem with windows 2000
I have 2 computers at home with one running xp and the other one running windows 2000. I'm getting bad connection with my windows2000 machine even it is closer to the router.
85 Easy to install, awful performance
I just got the adapter with the wireless dsl router. I had little trouble installing the router and adapter (on windows 2000 machine), just had to find the right cable connecting to the dsl modem, and only got a BLUE SCREEN once. I was exciting for 2 mins after connecting to the wireless router but then my connection dropped. I was then able to establish connection but only got 1Mbs. I have my dsl router in the living while the PC is on the second floor. So now I guess I will just run the wire from the second floor to the living room.
I'm glad I got the router and the adapter from amazon so I can easily return it.
86 Wireless...What a great word and product
took 5 minutes to replace my 10/100 card on my machine (running winXP) with this one and insert the disk and I was surfin the internet in 8 minutes...
no differance in speed...50 feet away and going through 3 walls on the same level...
87 Affordable and managable home networking w/ Linksys...
Just got my 54G PCI card & it works great. I absolutely love it and it has had no problems working w/ my current 802.11B Linksys wireless router. Going to upgrade to the 54G router from Linksys later. Just plugged the card into my computer and away we went w/ instant wireless internet/intranet access. Took no time in setting up the 128bit encyption & was very easy! The only thing I am having a problem w/ is setting up my network printer, but I think that has something to do w/ on my end. Gr8 deal for sixtyninebux w/ free shipping! Would highly recommend it. Right now the router is approx 100ft away w/ approx 6 walls between the antennae and router (works great!) Also Linksys tech support is awesome and patient.
88 excellent throughput
Bought this wireless pci card to network in combination with linksys wireless-g access point.
Initial setup was not particularly intuitive, but excellent customer support had me networked in around 20 minutes after install.
I am anxiously awaiting the release of the WET54G wireless-g ethernet bridge.
89 Poor speed with Windows XP
Installed OK, but speed was terrible with security enabled. Only marginally better with it disabled. I would recommend rather go with "Netgear MA311 Wireless PCI Card" for windows XP. The Linksys PCMCIA cards are great.
90 SO GOOD I BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE!
Started out with a PCMCIA card for my laptop (XP) and this card for my daughter's desktop (XP) to connect through a Linksys wireless access point... worked so well I decided to go wireless with my main computer (2000). If they'd make a USB 54g version I'd change my wife's old iMac also. Easy and somewhat painless. I did get the "blue screen", noted by the other reviewer, when I first connected it, but after visiting the Linksys website, downloading the new drivers, removing the card, and then re-installing the card it has worked perfectly ever since. This problem was only on my Windows 2000 computer. The XP's were painless.
91 Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter
I have both the wireless card for the desktop and laptop, and I would recommend them both. I give five stars.
92 Better than advertised!
I set this network up in my home (and I know NOTHING about networking), and it works so well you wouldn't even know it's there. It is fast and reliable! My neighbor saw it and we got him set up too!
93 0 for 2 does not inspire confidence
Have tried two of these in an attempt to upgrade an existing wireless network.
Card 1 caused blue screen ..., with the message indicating a complete hardware failure. Was able to reboot my machine after removing the card, but the damage had been done. No amount of driver reinstallation, Emergency Repair Disk, or suggestions from Linksys Tech Support could get my machine back to its previous, working state (using the old Linksys network adapter). After several hours, decided my time was too valuable and did a full machine rebuild.
Card 2 seemed to conflict with my video card. As soon as the drivers loaded, my monitor rearranged all the pixels at random. The usual color scheme was there, but no two pixels that should have been adjacent now were. Rebooting did not solve the problem, but at least the removal of the card did, so mercifully saved another rebuild.
One bad card could be simply bad luck--but two in a row is a little much, and I am not going to bother trying a third. I will wait for one of Linksys' competitors to come out with a 54g card.
By the way--kudos to Amazon.com for making the return process simple.
94 Great Unit, couple of quick tips in setting up
This PCI card, installed in a 300Mghz Gateway tower, running Windows ME was a relatively easy install. A couple of glitches did occur though. When I first installed it, I followed the directions, and installed the software first, shut the computer down, installed the card, and rebooted. It auto recognized, and configured, and automatically found the signal, and it was done. Almost done. The signal was there, according to the icon at the bottom of the screen, but I was unable to log onto the internet. Additionally the computer was running super slow, way slower than usual, so I uninstalled the software, then removed the card, and it was back to running normally. Here is the fix, do not choose AD HOC as your system choice when setting up. Use the selection that allows, hard wired, and wireless devices, or any combination. Once I installed it that way, it worked perfect right away. Additionally, I removed the 56K modem via Control Panel, System, then Device Manager, then highlighting the modem and click on Remove. Then when I shut down the machine, I permanently removed the modem. It was useless anyhow, with a broadband wireless connection in the machine. Wah lah, great connections, and the computer was back to flying at full speed. Now I am super happy with the performance, and the ease of setup.
One thing that should also be mentioned is that security with a wireless system is something to address. Anyone with a wireless laptop, can drive down the road, and get a connection. Changing the name from the default network name of "Linksys" is the first step. I would set your entire network up first, get it all running, then concentrate on keeping others out. Eliminates the confusion. Additionally, some firewall software, is also a good idea.
When installing the card in the laptop running Windows XP it almost installed itself. XP has wireless network capacity built right into it.
Wireless is the wave of the future, and it is here now. At the Comdex show this year, it was all the rave. The hardware manufacturers are working at a feverish pitch, in order to jump on the bandwagon with all kind of add on wireless devices. Definitely a cool tool, a must have add on.
95 Better news from the linksys front
I wrote an earlier review with a much lower rating on this card because I (and linksys technical support) couldn't get it to stop dropping the connection. I sent the card back and got another one. It turns out that it was the card that was at fault, and I suspect, just a one-off. In other words, the linksys software, router, and wireless card now work together beautifully. Hey, anyone can have a bad day once in a while, and while I wish I didn't have to go through all the drama, all's well that ends well. By the way, Amazon was great in handling the refund on the original bad card, and got a new one (separate order, not an exchange) to me very quickly.
96 Setup in minutes and works great !!!
I installed the Linksys 54g PCI Adapter and was up and running in just minutes in combination with the Linksys Wireless 54g Router, the setup was straight forward and easy to follow.
I have had no disconnects or problems at all, the PCI 54g Router is in another room about 30 feet away.
I do not have any 802.11b cards to support, this makes a big difference since the current firmware implementation drops to the 11 Mbps speed if you run in "compatibility mode" and it may not work that great even then with 11b cards. But if your setting up a completely 54g based network, this works great and with the default setting this is a breeze to install.
I also have a 2.4 GHz WaveCom transmitter right next to the Wireless Router and have had no interference problems between them (the WaveCom sends high quality NTSC Video/Stereo into the next room).
97 Installed in 10 Minutes
CAVEAT: If you have a 2.4 gig phone, or baby monitor in your house you may have trouble.
I do not have any other 2.4 gig devices in my house so I had no trouble, but a friend of mine disconnects everytime he picks up his cordless phone.
This card does what it advertises, works great.. I know have 3 machines sharing my internet.. now I just need to get my XBOX up and running..
98 A work in progress, I hope
Like some other reviewers I had a world of problems. The install went fine. However, with the router and the PCI card in separate rooms but at most 20 feet apart, the wireless unit kept losing the signal and dropping the network connection. We have no other computers running, no 2.4G phones, no other nothin' that would have caused interference. Three calls to Linksys yesterday (I can't wait to see the phone bill - the 800 number is a big waste of time so it was on my tick); we changed default settings, channels, upgraded the firmware to the 1.01 version, and finally moved the router and the unit about 1 foot apart. It still kept dropping the connection. The signal strength was always very good or better, and the base PC work fine through the router. The tech finally concluded that the card was faulty, so I'm returning it to Amazon. Now: should I order another one? I hope that the problem is a one-off type faulty card, but I'm suspicious, given some of the other reviews here. Nevertheless, I'll probably go for it because I have got to get this thing running. Hopefully, Linksys will put some people on OT to sort it out if it isn't a card manufacturing problem.
99 good product
just so everyone can see for themselves, i have a dell 8100 and it works great
100 With a little effort from Linksys, WMP54G could be better
As a current owner of the Linksys 54G PCI card AND the the Linksys 54G PC card, I have some concerns. On one hand, not only does the PC card achieve it's main goal flawlessly, it provides a fantastic interface for it's Utility. On the other hand, the PCI card does provide the basic function of Wi-Fi, but Linksys dropped the ball on providing an identical quality Utility interface, which should have been a no-brainer. I'm glad it performs it's basic Wi-Fi duties, but it did fail to impress.
