| BELKIN F5D7050 Wireless 802.11g USB Network Adapter |
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Model: F5D7050
Brand: Belkin
Manufacturer: Belkin Components
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 121
Operating system: Windows XP Professional Edition
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b
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| Features: |
Product Type - Adapter
Warranty - Lifetime
- Offers backward-compatibility with all 802.11b network devices
- Features wireless 64- and 128-bit WEP Encryption |
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| Description: |
| Belkin F5D7050 Wireless 802.11g USB Network Adapter - This is a USB network adapter that gives your desktop or notebook PC access to 802.11g & 802.11b wireless networks. What makes this adapter so special is it's size. It's roughly the size of a pack of gum, which makes it a perfect accessory for mobile PC users. Requires - Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000, or XP Includes Belkin Lifetime Warranty and free 24 hour technical support! Color - Black |
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| User Reviews (121 total): |
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 of Total 6 Pages
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Solution for code 10 with Belkin F5D7050 on XP, July 16, 2005
By user (Spain)
ON WINDOWS XP:
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When you install the Software from the Installation CD of BELKIN F5D7050 Wireless 802.11g USB Network Adapter when it finishes, indicates us to Plug the Adapter. The Windows XP detects it and tells us to install the Driver.
HERE IS THE PROBLEM!!!!
The Windows XP, search for the newest driver for that Adapter on the machine, and selects his own driver "PrismaXP.sys", that in theory is the best, but it has the problem that it doesn't work.
When we have finished the Belkin software installation, and had closed all windows, we continue and PLUG the adapter, the Windows XP will detect it, but when it ask to install the software, take the option to select manually the driver, and select the driver located on the Driver's folder on the CD.
The Adapter wil be succesfully installed with 100% functionality.The fact, is that I'm sending that message through it.
I hope that will help you with that problem. see you.
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ON LINUX:
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The problem in Linux is only that there aren't linux specific drivers for that adapter. Well, if there aren't drivers on linux, we will emulate the windows drivers, je je je!!!
There are 2 posibilities to do that:
1.- The LINUXANT
Paying a License of about 25 $, you have the a 100% functionality and an easily WEB configuration (Tested with The 30 day free trial license)
2.- The NDISWRAPPER
That is a free sourcecode project, but it is a bit uncomfortable than the LINUXANT. It is a command line program and there is an available manual on English in the LINK:
http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/
with tha instructions to make the installation. When it finishes, to use the Adapter is as easy as write:
ndiswrapper wlan0
Or another wlan if you have more than 1 wireless adapter.
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belkin doesn't provide firmware updates for this, July 10, 2005
By user (Redwood Shores, CA USA)
I don't understand why belkins doesn't provide any firmware upgrade on this device. The device has 0.5 version of firmware shipped. Usually developers would name their release 0.5 when they are not sure if that software works yet. They have shipped it and there are no firmware upgrades. Reasons for wanting to upgrade firmware i get intermittent failures on this whereas my IBM thinkpad that has built in devices continues to stay on the very same network in the very same room. Must be belkins device fault.
I got this for like 15 bucks after rebate, so I am keeping it.
But best names in consumer network are really SMC and Cisco (linksys) and perhaps D-link as well.
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Works fine with Linux and ndiswrapper, June 28, 2005
By user
I'm a linux user. I bought one of these adapters because Belkin has traditionally had good products, and all of the products that I've dealt with have been fairly linux-user friendly.
While there is currently no native linux driver for this adapter, ndiswrapper works well with the drivers supplied on the CD.
I have only had 3 problems while using this adapter. First, something about it and linux support for USB 2.0 doesn't seem to mesh well together, but it works fine when attached to a USB 1.x port.
Second, to use ndiswrapper with the driver supplied with the device requires that the kernel use 16k stacks. I had to patch and recompile my kernel to get the driver to work.
Third, I have had issues with slow DNS look-ups. These are somehow related to the IPv6 protocol, and may or may not be related to the adapter itself. After disabling IPv6, this adapter has worked very well for me.
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Bad software, June 13, 2005
By user (Catalonia)
Provided sofware doesn't work with Windows 98 / XP. Unable to get the adapter to work with Win 98.
Using XP its reliability is very low: random software errors. I've got it to work using XP own wireless control software, not the Belkin one provided.
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Don't buy this item, May 10, 2005
By user (Rockford Il)
I was on a business trip and decided that I wanted to use wireless instead of a RJ45. I bought this item and spent about 2 hour trying to get it to work. No dice. I have A LOT of experience setting this type of stuff up and never got stumped before. I got a Code 10 Error. I still got it after I updated the drvers and opened up some IRQs. I returned the item and bought a linksys wusb54g v 4. I was up and running in 5 minutes. Buy the Linksys
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Honestly, this adaptor is bad.... REAL BAD., April 9, 2005
By user
Installed drivers, plugged it in, nothing. Uninstalled, rebooted, installed drivers, NOTHING. Googled it and found tons of stories you have read here.
I like what a couple other people have said.
"Buy this for someone you hate." It's terrible...
I've had other Belkin products in the past and I'm surprised at how bad this thing is.
The few people on here that gave it 4-5 stars will probably win the lottery next week because they are the luckiest people I know.
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A budget card, you get what you pay for, February 15, 2005
By user (Newcastle-under-Lyme, UK)
A cheap and dirty 802.11g adapter, but then you get what you pay for. Have had problems with range and the radio seems to fail when it has to travel through a single wall. My connection also constantly drops, and then re-connects after a few seconds. Although sometimes i have to reboot for it to reconnect.
I also use Linux, and this thing refuses to work full stop. No drivers no support no nothing. If you use linux dont buy this card. If you use Windows, buy this card if you're on a tight budget, but if you can afford that little bit more, your time is worth those extra dollars.
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Best 54g USB adapter I can find, January 23, 2005
By user (Berkeley CA USA)
This is the best 54g USB adapter I can find.
1) Easy to install on my XP.
Follow the instruction and a piece of cake.
2) Good Range
Most of the cardbus wireless adapters have poor range
because they don't have enough antenna to external exposure.
This adapter can be extended to the window by its external
USB cable.
3) Good management software.
The included software is very good to manage the connection
and monitoring the signal strength.
4) The only drawback is that adapter is too big to fix to my
notebook connector. I must use the external cable.
I earlier tried to buy Linksys USB adapters but they are
too costly. I also wanted to buy either Microsft or Buffalo
but they were both out of stock. Anyway I am very happy with
this Belkin.
Last tip: Buy only Broadcom chipset 54g based adapters and
the Atheros chipset based adapters are best to avoid.
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good performance, runs hot, sort of cheaply made, January 16, 2005
By user (Jerusalem, Israel)
I've been running these adaptors on my home network for a few months now:
Pros:
1. setup is very easy and pretty idiot-proof. It even comes with warning labels so users don't screw things up. as the in-house "network manager" this is important, people don't come running to me with problems.
2. the built in software is quite good and shows all the options easily (encluding WEP encryption)
3. speed is fast when used with a belkin wireless router (haven't tried with other brands)
Cons
1. this thing runs hot. I usually have it hooked up to a USB cable/stand (included) to keep it away from my laptop, i am concerned about the heat.
2. It's big; on certain laptops you can't use it without the cable/stand because it blocks adjoining USB ports and/or the power, which is annoying.
3. one of my original units literally fell apart, but belkin sent a new one very quickly. I was quite impressed with customer support, but less impressed with the 1 hour wait for service on the phone.
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Works great on my home network, December 21, 2004
By user (New Jersey)
Bought my young daughter her first PC and wanted an easy way to get her on our home network and sharing our high speed internet connection. This was a perfect solution. Drivers installed on Win XP without a hitch. The adapter picked up our network instantly and after entering my routers security settings, she was online within minutes. Great product, especially with the lifetime warranty and mail-in rebate.
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Still not work after 4 hours of my work, December 13, 2004
By user (DeKalb, IL USA)
Bought one in Compusa at only 10 bucks after rebate. Went back home and started installing software by following the instructions in the manual. The driver is not certified by MS and this is mentioned in the manual. That's fine, hit Continue Anyway and installation went on. At the end, I was asked to plug in the device. XP searched driver for this new device automatically and again I had to click Contniue Anyway. Then it reported a Code 10 error.
Uninstalled the driver and reinstalled it. Still not work. Disable Ethernet card and tried. Same result. Called the technical support on Sunday and was helped by a lady. She instructed me to do the same steps that I have already done: uninstall, disable, restart, etc. She asked me to use the driver on their website instead of the one on the CD. I used the newest one on their website at the beginning, which has a time stamp of 11/2003 -- they have not released any update for more than a year.
Finally she asked me to go back to the store and make an exchange. But no thanks, I did a return. Think $10 a wireless-G USB adapter a good price? I wish they could pay me $10 an hour to figure out how their crappy driver works.
My case is not the only one that upsets Belkin customers. My friend bought the same thing on the same day -- for the same reason of course. She did make it through the driver installation step. But the Belkin Wireless Network Utility always froze while searching for an available network. After killed most processes this application still did not respond to a mouse click. Too bad that she couldn't use the device even though she did not get a driver problem.
I gave her a ride to the store to return the product so she can at least save some gas. Like the guy said in the other post: buy this for someone you hate. hehe....
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Doesn't work with Tivo, November 1, 2004
By user
My husband bought this item to work with our Tivo and it doesn't work with it.
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Rubbish, September 19, 2004
By user (London)
This device has wasted hours of my time because of its useless and completely un-intuitive software and interface. This offers, to beginners at least, a completely mystifying series of menus and titles that tell you nothing about how the device works or how to get it going. It looks cheap when you buy it but the real cost comes later - when it sucks away the hours of your day without working and without giving any clue as to why it isn't working. Buy it for those you hate.
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