| D-Link DWL-G520 Wireless PCI Adapter, 802.11g, 108Mbps |
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Model: DWL-G520
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 81
Operating system: Windows XP Professional Edition
Form factor: Plug-in card
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, 802.11 Super G
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| Features: |
Up to 108Mbps with AirPlus Xtreme G products
802.11b compatible
Enhanced wireless security with 802.1x and Wi-Fi Protected Access
Great for video streaming
3-year warranty |
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| Description: |
| D-LINK DWL-G520 - Wireless technology pioneer D-LINK leads the way again with its AirPlus XtremeG series of high speed devices with transfer rates up to 54Mbps. The DWL-G520 is an advanced wireless PCI adapter featuring WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and 802.1x for wireless user authentication. Together these technologies provide unprecedented wireless networking security. 3 year warranty |
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| User Reviews (81 total): |
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Not sure about Windows..., July 13, 2006
By Cheers!! (Nashville, TN)
I'm not sure about what people are saying about this card and Windows but on Linux this card is perfect. Running Ubuntu 6.06 and the card works with no extra leg work. Only thing is that you do have to bring the network card 'up' before you can scan for a network and to do that all you must do is "sudo ifconfig ath0 up". This card in Linux supports Master mode operation, so it's perfect for those wanting to build your own access point.
However, do be careful! There are a lot of versions of the hardware and one version will not work period, end of story, don't even try it. However, the odds are on your side as it was only one version out of many. However, don't be disappointed if you end up getting one of the off versions that use the T.I. chip.
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Worth the money, June 25, 2006
By SKS
Installed the software. Installed the card. Works great. I can't believe that my desktop is not directly connected to my broadband cable.
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It's true about the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), June 6, 2006
By almmohd
It started out great, no probs with connectivity. Then I updated the driver. After that if I left the PC on overnight, the next morning there would be a BSOD. Sometimes even after a couple of hours you would get one too, eventually I got tired of it and took the card out. I've swithced to using cable now, had it out for over 6 months now and I don't think I'm going to put it back.
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BEWARE - The reports about the bad driver are true!, April 14, 2006
By Christopher Fisher (Texas)
I regularly get the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error message at least 1 time per week. The computer completely locks up. I have to restart my computer, losing whatever I was doing. D-Link as known about this for a long time, but through stupidity or arrogance, they refuse to release a driver update to solve this problem. I suspect they are "done" with this model and want everyone to buy their new MIMO models. I am finished forever with D-Link. BUYER BEWARE!
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A MUST HAVE FOR CROSS PLATFORM WIRELESS, April 5, 2006
By Homer KSA (Riyadh, KSA)
DWL G520 PCI CARD
I must say that D-LINK really caused to rethink my approach for standards of products. Name brand product versus generic so called brand names. Let me show you the path I went through for setting up a cross platform wireless network
1.My setup: DSL Modem (separate. anything works fine) connected to an Apple Airport Extreme.
2.Machines: 2 PC's and 2 Mac's (mini and an iBook) 3rd XP machine used by my neighbor to share an RJ45 with.
3.The problem: too many different manufacturers and not enough homogeneity amongst them when it comes to standards.
4.I went and bought one no name generic USB Wifi as a trial and sadly it didn't pick up the network.
5.I read about D-LINk on several blogs so I went for it
6.I got the USB DWL-G132 and the PCI DWL G520. Both USB and PCI card picked up and works fantastically.
: the secret is to not broadcast your WiFi signal and do a Closed Network. Plus then u need to add a MAC (all PCI and USB WiFi devices have these unique set of numbers) addresses.
These addresses need to be added into the Airport Admin Utility (which works via Apple or XP...I did it via XP machine which was connected via RJ45 cable directly to Apple Airport Extreme router)
The only outstanding issues now: wireless security is a bit tricky to administer on this setup. I still did not figure it out. But D-LINK Cards are must buy for any cross platform situation.
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No excuse for continued driver issues., February 19, 2006
By Shane Lyons (Canada)
I bought 2 adapters and a D-link router for my house. Both installs seemed to go perfect, the software install and setup of the firewall and encryption went without a hitch. I was up and surfing the net within an hour of opening the box, playing online RPG's as well (I get up to 10 second lag spikes once every 10 minutes or so playing World of Warcraft, this is likely related to the driver issues explained below). Then the problem showed itself...
BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), lots of them.
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
It is a statement I know well, I see it 3-4 times a week, once a day if I leave my computer running downloading a TV show I missed on a P2P. When I come home from work I can rest assured that some time during the day my computer will have went to the BSOD and I will turn my monitor on to see just that. When you hit the restart button and windows boots up again it will ask you if you want to make a report of the error, I have done just this in hopes there was a fix or I could find out the issue. You are put through to the Micorsoft website and given the info that the problem that has just crashed your computer has to do with the D-link adaptor and KNOWN driver issues. You are told to update to the most recent drivers and that if the issues persist to contact D-link (which is laughable, trust me, they wont get back to you).
The hardware seems to work great, when it works. The software on this product kills it. There is no excuse that the driver problems have not been solved, they have been around for a long time and exist for about 50% of the customers that buy this product. D-link owes it to this huge group of people to work on this issue and release updated drivers that solve the problem. But as yet they have not done so, and it makes you wonder how much they care about those customers that are spending their hard earned money on this product. As such, 2 stars for their lack of concern. If they ever get those driver issues fixed such that the blue screen of death problem ceases to exist and getting rid of the occasional 10 second lag spikes of inactivity this would be a 4-5 star product easy.
Wake up D-link, get this problem fixed.
Windows XP Home edition SP2
AMD 3700+
2 gigs of kingston 3200
Geforce 7800 GT
Asus A8N32 SLI Deluxe
WD 36 gig raptor
WD 200 gig Caviar
D-link 520 Airplus XtremeG
The D-link is currently the crap component on an otherwise very nice rig, and the problem is all software and could be fixed easily if D-Link cared about the quality of its product and its customers. I cannot reccomend this product until D-link shows some support for it, which may not ever happen, they are more likely to write it off and release something new, leaving all of us DWL-520 owners SOL. Sad.
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Yes This Works On Windows 2000, January 24, 2006
By Tecky (Fargo ND)
Dispite what some people have said this works fine with Windows 2000,xp and even 98.... You just need the correct Driver... I'm running mine on a Windows XP Pro system with an AMD XP 1800+... I will find out soon if it works with Windows XP Pro 64-Bit as I'm building a new system...
As with all hardware you need to make sure you have the correct driver installed and sometimes the updated correct driver!
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Easy for me....I hope it is for all, December 30, 2005
By Mark A. Davis (Michigan)
The reviews were pretty mixed on this item, but that seems the case for all these PCI wieless adaptors. I Tried the Linksys WMP54G and I now hate Linksys. It would not do a Mixed B G network very easily though it saysit does. I returned it and bought this item. It installed in minutes and it works great. I had absolutly no problems on the install and it works fine. A sigh of releif for me. I followed the directions step by step.
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Runs OK under Windows and Linux, October 18, 2005
By Gabriel Massip Fons (Catalonia)
This ethernet wireless adapter runs very well under Windows XP and Linux (tried SUSE 10) too. Under Windows you need to use the Win XP wireless standard configuration. Under Linux you can set it up using YaST.
You need to know some wireless concepts to set it up; otherwise the encription features can cause you some headhache.
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Mine works best on DSL, October 12, 2005
By Eman (Fairview, TN United States)
I have it on a network with a DI-624 router. Tried it on Comcast high speed cable and it had a tendency to freeze up the system. We moved and I went with DSL (not lite) and it works well. Something about my cable internet seemed to overload the system with this card. I miss the higher speed of the cable, but this card works much better with DSL. Hope this helps.
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Disappointed long-time user of D-Link wireless products, September 30, 2005
By William A. Huber (Rosemont, PA USA)
Usually you should discount reviews complaining about problems with a computer add-on: they say more about the reviewer and their systems, perhaps, then they do about the product you are trying to evaluate. I think, though, that some aspects of my experience might be generalizable, maybe even applicable to your situation.
I have been a satisfied user of D-Link wireless products for over three years now. I upgraded to the 802.11g products (WAP and PCI cards) a year ago to a run a network of up to five computers, usually three Win XP or Win 2000 workstations and two notebooks. As I look around my office, though, I see boxes full of failed or problematic routers, WAPs, and cards. It seems, although I have only just realized the extent of it, that these D-Link products all fail with remarkable regularity. In the past, I have just routinely replaced them: that's how much I have liked their ease of use and their performance.
Well, that's over with my latest purchase: the DWL-G520 adapter (my second). It taught me two disturbing things about D-Link wireless. First, the adapter can really screw up your system. This one's driver (regardless of the update version) consumes 90+ percent of a very high-powered CPU. (Windows XP Home, all the latest updates, etc.) It has brought an essential machine to its knees by hugely slowing down everything it does. Disabling the adapter (which solves the problem, at the price of disconnecting me from the world) brings on the fabled Blue Screen of Death. The second disturbing thing is that D-Link support simply has not responded to e-mail messages, period. Their Web site lies when it promises 36 hour response. I can cope--I have a strong background in computing and can devise temporary workarounds--but I shudder to think how uncomfortable this behavior would make most people feel.
Those are the proverbial three strikes: consistently short times to failure, occurrence of really bad driver behavior, and hopelessly bad support. My relationship with D-Link is over; I will have to try some other vendor's offering. If you don't mind the risk of having a similar experience, and think you can cope with absolutely no support, then by all means consider this product. I hope and trust, though, that you (and I) can do better with a different vendor.
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Don't Buy This if you are running Windows 2000, September 29, 2005
By P. Guerrero
In spite of any positive thing you may have read elsewhere -- DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU ARE RUNNING WINDOWS 2000. Your computer will freeze and crash. Save yourself the time and money. I had my new PCI card for only a week now and it's going in the trash.
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Worked with one network, froze with another, August 16, 2005
By K. Atherton (Lexington, KY)
I used this all summer long and had no problem... HOWEVER, i recently moved to another city and as soon as I connected to my new wireless network, my computer FROZE! I don't know what else to do but get a new adapter. Nothing has worked to resolve the problem. I don't understand why it worked fine for 3 months on one network but is total crap on another... [sigh].
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its OK, August 16, 2005
By Tim (Clifton Heights PA)
i was skeptical about buying this product since i seen it at best buy on clearance and since i heard and read all of the horrible reviews on d-link products but i decided to give it a shot anyway since it would save me a good amount of money
anyway to start off this card has a mind of its own
somedays it will stay connected all day and night and other times it wont
and when it dosent stay online beware this card will freze your computer up in seconds(im running a dell XPS dimension 3 With 1GB of DDR2 ram and a 3.4 mhz processor..maybe im just an idiot and dont no anything about computers but that kinda makes me think that this product shouldnt be hogging my CPU usage)
it also says that it has a 328 ft range indoors which is total of 10 meters) but funny thing is i cant connect past 50 ft.
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Freezes computer, July 29, 2005
By Alan Barclay (Huntsville, AL USA)
Like others, I had the computer freeze problem. I am running Windows 2000 Pro SP4, and even after removing all my other PCI cards, this product still froze my machine. I downloaded and installed the latest driver from D-Link's website to no avail. Be prepared to return this product.
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Careful: Will Freeze Up Your Machine, July 21, 2005
By greatwebdesign4u (Centennial, CO United States)
My experience is like a lot of others - I bought this unit with high expectations for good performance but found that it would regularly freeze up my machine. When I removed the offending unit the freezes were gone as well. Additionally, the installation manual had erroneous information in it. Ask yourself what kind of company would put out an untested product like this and still forge ahead with a clear conscience, and that just about sums up D-Link. I would recommend LinkSys or any other vendor until D-Link improves the quality, dependability, and reliability of their products.
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A PCI Freeze-up nightmare, July 2, 2005
By IaninOz (Australia)
This card is supposed to plug and play with a PCI bus. Unfortunately, it doesn't. It simply freezes the whole computer after a minute or so of running. No, I am not a numbskull, but an IT engineer with 40 years experience. What could be the problem. Well, first D-Link just don't want to recognise any issue, and their web-site FAQ gives no answer. Yes, XP is patched to the latest and greatest. And yes the Drivers are up to the latest. And yes, I did try shifting PCI slots, messing around with the DMA on or off, and evening trying other drivers known to work with D-Link. But regrettably it is back to the store. D-Link, shame on you for releasing such an unready and crap product. I know that 50% of us don't get freezes, but what about the 50% that do. Fortunately, I will get my money back. But no more fiddling around with cheap and untested junk.
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This card installs quick and becomes transparent when in use, May 23, 2005
By Bill Westland (Dayton, Ohio)
This card was a quick and painless install into my desktop PC. Very nice expereince. I was a little worried that the signal wouldn't be strong enough with the antenna being all small and located in the back of the PC, but I guess it doesn't matter, or there is a strong signal with this card because I get good reception. My PC is down the hall and behind about two walls from the wireless router, but this still gets a good signal for the Internet to not be slow.
Overall I am happy with this purchase and would recommend this wireless PCI card in conjunction with the DI-524 as it works great for me.
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Wish I had not bought this, March 20, 2005
By Bruce Newman
I bought the DI-624 and a DWL-G520. Bad, bad, bad, very bad.
The problem is the g520. I cannot get any decent signal strength. I even added a 6db microstrip antenna and it made no difference at all. More money wasted. All I can get under any circumstance is very low signal strength. It works somewhat until it drops the signal entirely. How useless it that!!??
This card is junk!! But at least it doesn't freeze my computer.
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Freeze, freeze and freeze again, March 8, 2005
By Carly
Since purchasing the D-Link DWL-G520 adapter along with the DI-624 router my computer has done nothing but freeze. As I have now read, I am not the only one with this problem and it has been a very frustrating experience. I am thinking now of moving the adapter into another slot but wondering if it would be worth my trouble. Perhaps I shoud just purchase from Linkys???
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