Hawking Technology Hi-Gain 6db Wireless-G Laptop Card (HWC54D) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Like another reviewer below, I got it because it claimed it would increase the range over the not-particularly-directional antenna inside my laptop (Vaio PCG-V505EXP, running the latest service pack of XP Pro). But I found LOTS of problems:
1. It did no better at picking up signals than my laptop's built-in, and if the antenna wasn't aimed optimally it did worse.
2. When the antenna was aimed optimally, it saw signals I can normally connect to, but this card had problems connecting to them consistently ("limited connectivity") whereas my laptop's built-in WiFi has that "limited connecivity" problem only occasionally and briefly (at the same locations, with the same signals).
3. If I tried to do a Repair (from the Wireless Connection icon right-click menu), it would hang on the "disabling the wireless adapter" step.
4. The Utility that came with this installed itself in the tray. But trying to use that utility from the tray would cause it to crash every time (volunteering to "Send Report").
5. When I tried the Safely Remove icon from the tray, then tried to Stop the card so I could remove it, that process hung forever, and I had to force a shutdown (the ugly way) to get it out of that.
6. Btw, even if it would work in SOME situations (tho what situations those might be I'm not sure!), it's no good in situations where you are moving the laptop around even when close to the signal. So for those you would want to move back to the built-in WiFi. But while I have a switch on my laptop to disable that (when I want to use another connection method instead), there is no switch (in hardware or software) that I could find to disable this card temporarily. Thus no easy way to switch back and forth between directional (using this card) and non-directional (using the built-in WiFi).
Btw, after I uninstalled all the software that came with it, my built-in WiFi still didn't work (it said other software had taken it over!). I had to do a System Restore (to right before I installed this card) to get my built-in WiFi back to working normally. So if you do get this card, make sure that you try it out quickly after installing it, before you install anything else (unrelated), so that you'll have a good System Restore point if you want to Undo everything that resulted from trying out this card.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hawking Technology Hi-Gain 6db Wireless-G Laptop Card (HWC54D)

MODEL- H-WC54DVENDOR- HAWKING TECHNOLOGIES FEATURES- Hi-Speed Wireless-G Laptop Card Hawking Technologies' HWC54D Wireless-G Cardbus PC Card Adapter features the latest in wireless technology. Standard wireless cardbus cards use low power antennas that deliver a circular signal pattern. This type of pattern recieves interference from the metal components within the laptop resulting in a drop in wireless performance and distance. The HWC54D solves this problem with its advanced directional 6 dBi Hi-Gain Antenna that delivers a strong concentrated signal in the direction of the wireless access point to establish a strong wireless link resulting in a significant increase in operating distance (Up to 200%). The Hi-Gain antenna position swivels and folds to make finding an optimal signal easy and simple. When you are not using the card simply fold the antenna down for compact safe easy transport.The Wireless-G Cardbus Card is packed with features including support for true plug and play (hot swappable) high level security (WPA and WEP Encryption) and low power consumption to preserve your laptops battery life. The HWC54D uses the latest wireless standard for the fastest connection speeds (Up to 54Mbps - 802.11g). It is also backwards compatible with legacy wireless 802.11b products. Transferring data audio and even video files wirelessly will be easy and fast. Configuration and installation is simplified to get your wireless network up and running in a matter of minutes! Includes Hi-Gain Wireless-G Laptop card CD with drivers softwareutility and manual Easy to follow quick installation guide.-- SPECIFICATIONs --------------------------------STANDARDs - IEEE 802.11b 802.11gINTERFACE/BUS - 32-bit PC CardBus 2.2WIRELESS SPEED- 54/48/36/24/12

Click here for more information about Hawking Technology Hi-Gain 6db Wireless-G Laptop Card (HWC54D)

Read More...

D-Link DWL-G510 Wireless PCI Adapter, 802.11g, 54 Mbps Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Bought this to work with a new D-Link DI-524 wireless router. Works great, with the signal cutting diagonally and through the floor of my 2-story suburban house. I am using an old 6db directional patch antenna (from Hawking Technology; I bought it years ago) and the connection is flawless. Tested in both Windows XP SP2 & Ubuntu Linux (Breezy 5.10 & kernel 2.6).

Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link DWL-G510 Wireless PCI Adapter, 802.11g, 54 Mbps

The D-Link AirPlus G DWL-G510 PCI Adapter is a wireless PCI adapter featuring the very latest in advanced wireless silicon chip technology to deliver incredibly fast data transfer in the 2.4GHz frequency. The DWL-G510 also works with 802.11b standard wireless devices and when used with other D-Link AirPlus G products delivers throughput speeds capable of handling heavy data payloads. The D-Link AirPlus G DWL-G510 also includes a configuration utility to discover available wireless networks and create and save detailed connectivity profiles for those networks most often accessed.

Click here for more information about D-Link DWL-G510 Wireless PCI Adapter, 802.11g, 54 Mbps

Read More...

NETGEAR GS116NA Giga Switch 16Pt Metal Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Netgear is supposed to have a 5 year warranty (2 on the power supply).I had one of these for about 18 months. Over the last months it's been increasingly flaky, every week or two it just hangs and needs to be unplugged and started again. It doesn't matter how much it's in use (it's done it when we've been on vacation with minimal network traffic).
I called Netgear to get it replaced, but they told me that it's not meant to be plugged in all day, so they won't fix it.Unless you actually unplug all your network equipement when you are not actively using it (I didn't think so), then I highly recommend avoiding Netgear products.

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR GS116NA Giga Switch 16Pt Metal

Netgear Giga Switch 16Pt Metal

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about NETGEAR GS116NA Giga Switch 16Pt Metal

Read More...

Belkin Wireless Surf Router (F7D2301) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Scratch my original review: What every other reviewer is saying is true. Horrible connection, constantly dropping connections...this thing sucks. Going to one of the big box stores to buy a D-Link (which I've never had problems with). Thanks belkin for putting out crap!I had actually originally ordered the Belkin Wireless Play Router (F7D4302). After rereading the differences, I figured I could live without the extra "apps" and the USB port. I'm sure I made the correct choice at this point!
First about the physical aspects of the router:
When I opened the box I was really surprised. The cables are plugged into the router where they should be already. That might not seem like much, but to explain this to my father on the phone for when his shows up, it will be a snap. There was no "manual", but it is included on the cd. I do like that it came preconfigured with WPA2 and a password on a card. There is space to write down your configurations that you set, and it stores in a little pocket under the router.
Next the software and firmware:
The application on the CD just takes you to the router config (which you can do through a browser if you know the url which ISN'T a 192.168.x.xxx). The tool automatically configures everything, but I suggest setting a password for the router itself. There is also a program it installs, but I haven't had to use it yet. The firmware gives a bevy of options that I got to playing around with. There isn't anything special here to be honest. QoS is set to on, I've yet to decide whether to leave it or not. I don't have voip, but I stream a lot of movies from my own network and also boxee and Zinc. Some of the menu's don't have as many options on the same page as I would prefer which caused me to browse more pages that I thought necessary. Nit picky yes, but I enjoyed the firmware on my Dlink Gaming Router.
Finally Performance and Pricing:
Let's be real. It's a excellent performing $49 wireless N router. I've yet to see the value add of the "Self healing" application, but overall, for the price, I didn't see a better offering. Performance wise, I used to be able to transfer 10GB + files on my Dlink Gaming Router (g) at about 2-3Mb/s. I get 12-15 with this one. I'm very pleased. Streaming 10GB .mkv's is no issue at all now. Probably my only true gripe, it feels like REALLY cheap plastic. I personally would have paid $10 more to get a metal case like the netgear switches. This could be a heating dissipation issue, I'm not sure, but like I said, it feels amazingly cheap (and light).
Don't need the USB, this is your best bet!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Belkin Wireless Surf Router (F7D2301)

Belkin's Surf Wireless Router with the latest N technology allows you to surf the web, email and instant message from anywhere in your home.

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Belkin Wireless Surf Router (F7D2301)

Read More...

NETGEAR WG311 Wireless-G PCI Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First of all, this card is a great product and better than any of the competitors, to include Linksys and D-Link. With the deployment of SP2 you will need to change the install procedure for the V2 card so that it works without causing your system to reboot constantly. DO NOT install the utility and drivers ahead of time as the instructions in the packaging tell you to. Rather, install the card, then boot up and let windows detect the hardware. Instead of installing the drivers automatically, use the "I Will Select" the hardware option then through the hardware wizard browse to the XP Drivers folder on the disc and let windows install ONLY the driver, not the utility. XP has a very good wireless management utility and you will give up nothing by not having the Netgear utility installed. The card will finish install and you'll be up and running.

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR WG311 Wireless-G PCI Adapter

The NETGEAR WG311 Wireless-G PCI Adapter makes it easy for you to provide wireless internet access to your desktop computer, letting you surf the web, check email, and chat online without the need for cables.
Easy Setup The WG311 is a PCI adapter and requires a Pentium 3 class PC with an available PCI 2.2 slot for installation. It supports Windows Vista and is also compatible with Windows XP, 2000, 98SE, and Me. Setup is as simple as inserting the adapter into a PCI slot and installing the included software. A built-in stub antenna helps you receive as strong a signal as possible for the fastest possible speeds.
Fast and Secure The NETGEAR WG311 supports the 802.11g protocol standard for speeds up to 54 Mbps and a longer range than previous-generation 802.11b adapters. With a good connection, you'll notice the difference right away as you'll be able to stream high-quality music without any hiccups and load videos much faster. Downloading files is up to five times faster than it was with 802.11b. Since 802.11g is also interoperable with 802.11b, you don't have to worry about whether or not you'll get a connection elsewhere if you move your computer around; the WG311 will automatically detect the network and allow you to connect to it at the highest speed possible.
The adapter supports 40/64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption for security so you don't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping on your emails or stealing your passwords. The included software makes managing different WEP passwords a breeze as you can set up different profiles for each wireless network you connect to, saving yourself the trouble of having to type in encryption keys each time.
The NETGEAR WG311 Wireless-G PCI Adapter is backed by a 1-year warranty.
What's in the Box WG311 Wireless-G PCI adapter, installation guide, resource CD, warranty/support information card

Get 50% OFF

Click here for more information about NETGEAR WG311 Wireless-G PCI Adapter

Read More...

D-Link DI-624 Wireless Cable/DSL Router, 4-Port Switch, 802.11g, 108Mbps Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my third wireless system. The last either had bad reception problems, bad connection problems or just stopped working. They both were SMC systems. They both were small nightmares to get up and running, and of course customer support sucked. I got rid of my last wireless system which was 802.11a which I bought because I thought it was much better. I am not a computer wiz I'll admit that but this technology should be easy for people like me to set up and use. I am who they sell this stuff to.
I read reviews and decided to get this system with the D-link DWL-G650. I held my breath when I started setting it up. I was waiting for the minute when I would realize that I would need to call customer support. That didn't happen. This system did almost set itself up. I have a 2.4GHz phone and it doesn't seem to effect the range. I live in a brick house and I just went outside in my driveway, on the other side of house from where my wireless router is set up and I was getting almost 100% full signal strength. The online interface is very easy to use and the instructions are easy to follow. I did upgrade the firmware before I set up any of the hardware and the 108Mbps system is up and running. I can't say if this system will work tomorrow, but today I am very suprised at how it works.

Click Here to see more reviews about: D-Link DI-624 Wireless Cable/DSL Router, 4-Port Switch, 802.11g, 108Mbps

D-Link continuously stands at the leading edge of wireless networking as it delivers the 802.11g ultra high-speed Wireless Router with up to 108 Mbps transfer speed at 2.4 GHz. The advance filter feature allows the user to predefine the filter to block any unwanted websites. The DI-624 features enhanced firewall security as the Network Address Translation allows you to share a single IP address and protects you from outside intruders gaining access to your private network. Several wireless client can also securely connect to the network using 802.1X for wireless user authentication, as well as WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) providing you a much higher level of security. When you have multiple VPN clients on your network, the VPN multiple/concurrent session helps give you better security.

Click here for more information about D-Link DI-624 Wireless Cable/DSL Router, 4-Port Switch, 802.11g, 108Mbps

Read More...