Install NETGEAR's FA411 10/100 Mbps PCMCIA Mobile Adapter and your notebook PC can instantly access other networked computers, printers, scanners, and the Internet. Talk about hassle free - the alert FA411 automatically detects network speed for easy setup, there's no dongle to lose or break, and the Plug and Play installation is a breeze. You'll instantly achieve 100 Mbps performance at a price you'd typically pay for only 10 Mbps. The FA411 supports legacy and all other major operating systems.
1 Great card!
This is indeed a very reliable PC card, which works in either 16 or 32 bit PCMCIA or cardbus slot. It is truly an integrated hot-swap to plug in even with your laptop on, and without the older and fragile dongle. Personally I cannot tell the difference in performance between the 16 bit (FA411) and 32 bit (FA511) cards (besides the price). If you buy a 32 bit card however, make sure you have a cardbus slot; otherwise it will not work in a 16 bit PCMCIA slot (found on older laptops). Many newer laptops today come with a built-in ethernet NIC. If your laptop doesn't have one however, you are better off (and cheaper) to just get a 16 bit PC card, and I would definitely recommend this card.
2 Good product
After my old Xyrcom card's external jack broke down, I wanted to try an integrated Ethernet RJ-45 network card. Netgear's FA411 looked like an affordable option, plus Netgear has a good reputation in the industry. Having Windows XP Pro installed on my laptop, another factor considered for purchasing this card was the XP compatibility stated in the product package.
Installation is simple, the card is hot pluggable allowing for installation while logged on to the OS. The XP driver is digitally signed and worked flawlessly. I found out that an updated driver was already available in Netgear's home page.
Drivers are also included for DOS, Novell, and older versions of Windows.
The card has two LED indicators, one for the 100 Mbps network and the other for the connectivity status.
Since this is an integrated card, there is no need for an external connector that can get lost or bent/cracked. One note of caution though, although the card actually occupies one Type-II PCMCIA slot, the integrated connector covers two. If you need the additional slot, then I'd recommend a card with an external RJ-45 connector. Also, the integrated jack protrudes about an inch beyond the slot, so you will also need to take this into consideration when storing your laptop.
If you need a simple, affordable card that does the job, and do not require 32-bit performance or an external jack, then purchase this card with confidence.
3 I bought the cheaper but this is real mccoy
I have purchased cheaper solutions to net connections that failed terribly. This was only (a bit) more. It worked like a charm. I am actually connect writting this review with this item. I strongly recommend this product. I honestly don't know what the 16 bit means but, hey it works and works well.
