Cisco-Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter by Linksys
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Digital camera reviews of Cisco-Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter
Digital camera Review: Consistently BAD drivers and installation
Summary: 1 Stars
To provide a little insight, I am an IT professional with over twenty years of experience in programming and PC support. With that said, I have spent countless hours trying to get this card to work in a pretty normal PC setup using Windows XP SP2. I have several networked computers in the house, and of all the routers and wireless cards I have encountered over the years, this is hands-down THE WORST card I have ever used.
If you lose your driver disk, you might as well throw the card away. You will search forever and never find installation software that works. CISCO owns Linksys, and you just won't find support for the card.
I don't even know how long I've spent trying to get this piece of crap to work again. I'm going down to the local PC dealer and buying an off-brand card. And I am otherwise a FAN of Linksys, but I'd rather gouge my eyes out than spend one more minute fighting with this card.
Digital camera Review: Constantly disconnects
Summary: 1 Stars
I have 3 laptops that never, ever lose connectivity to my router - so don't go blaminig my problem on that! But his card? OMG Let's just put it this way, I have my 128bit passcode memorized because I use it DAILY!!! Yes, I've downloaded the latest driver. Yes, I've changed all the settings as suggested. Yes, I've tried everything suggested. It's just a piece of junk. And according to Linksys blogs, other cards for towers have similar problems. Linksys just lost a loyal customer.Digital camera Review: Couldn't Get It to Work
Summary: 1 Stars
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.
Digital camera Review: DO NOT install the CD software first! Power down, install card, then let Windows do the work.
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't care that there are numerous dire warnings in the instructions and packaging that the software should be installed first. Don't do it.
If you don't believe ME, then do yourself a favor and Google around first.
Linksys/Cisco wants you to install the full-blown (and buggy) management software package first, then power down, then install the hardware, then power up. Vast testimonies on the Web suggest that doing so will cause hardware malfunction and/or mis-installation.
Instead, the correct approach is to first power down, then install the hardware, then power up and then let Windows recognize the device as new hardware. Then Windows will ask for the CD and install ONLY the core drivers needed (and not the buggy management software).
I just did it that way (under a clean install of WinXP Pro, Service Pack 2, no updates). Thirty seconds after I inserted the CD on request, I was finished and advised of wireless networks available via a balloon pop-up out of the tray.
You can manage the device and its settings using Windows via the path: Start, Settings, Control Panel, System Properties, Hardware (tab), Device Manager (button), Network Adapters (folder) .... instead of using LinkSys/Cisco's buggy software.
Some posters stated that this is actually the solution that Linksys Tech Support staff offered when called about installation problems.
Other than that glitch, the device is entirely recommended. This is the second one I own. The first one is a version 1.0 card I've been running for years with nary a hitch (It marries to a Linksys/Cisco WRT54G Router Version 2.0, the older black-and-blue version with twin rabbit ears popping up out of the back ... not the newer black spaceship-styled version).
I "fine-tuned" the hardware/software settings using a piece of idiot-proof freeware (TCPOptimizer) that analyzes current settings and makes changes to, well, optimize them. The process vastly improved my speed/throughput/performance. Just be sure to back up the registry and create a restore point before you run TCPOptimizer, on the off-chance something goes wrong.
By the way, the pictures for this product are incorrect. They are pictures of an earlier version, where the card was "taller." Amaz. is currently (09/2009) shipping version 4.1 of this product and the card is not very tall at all. I'll upload a current pix here shortly.
Digital camera Review: DOA G-Wireless
Summary: 1 Stars
Used this card to replace a Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter that had start to act up on me. I was going to install a 5 port USB PCI hub so I figured, "Why not ditch the corded adapter while I'm cracking the case?".
No dice. The card never worked. I made sure that I grounded my self before installing. I was on the phone w/ Linksys Tech Support for an hour and we repeated the same driver install dance that you normally go through on these sort of calls.
My computer uses the latest version of XP and is a pretty decent system that's about 4 years old. P4, 2 GHz, 1024 MB of ECC Registered Memory. Yada, yada, yada.
I finally returned the Linksys card and got a D-Link PCI adapter. It's worked fine since then though it doesn't have the range of my old USB adapter. I think I'll stick with Belkin wirelss products from now on.