The quick installation guide implies Windows XP will detect the card and set it up automatically. It did no such thing for me; it wanted me to provide the driver manually. I highly recommend getting the latest driver from the Linksys website rather than using the one on the CD.

I don't recommend using the Windows network wizard, or whatever the thing is called. It added a Network Bridge device with an odd IP address. I could not communicate with my router until I deleted this device. This was not intuitive at all, but again this is a Windows problem.

On to the next problem: when I used WEP encryption (either 64 or 128-bit), the wireless connection would drop out at precisely three minutes. Everything worked fine with encryption turned off.

I then decided to try WPA encryption, which is supposedly more secure than WEP anyway. There is a Windows XP update to add this capability to the operating system, which you'll need to install. Unfortunately I found that this didn't immediately solve my problem: WPA was not available as a selection in the wirless network setup. I then updated the driver for the WMP54G and I was able to use WPA with no problem! Again, a word of advice: do NOT use the driver on the included CD! Get the latest driver off the Linksys website. I would imagine this was the source of my WEP problems as well, but I never went back to try it. I'm happy with WPA.

Also make sure your router's firmware is up to date. Some manufacturers have only recently added WPA capability.

Other than these difficulties, this seems to be a great card. It works just as fast as my wired LAN connection.

The Router installation was just as easy. Just insert the disc and answer the basic, simple questions. I know nothing about networking and this was easy even for me. I would recommend these two products to anyone.

3 steps installation processes: 1. install drivers and utilities. 2. install wireless card. 3. configure wireless network. Done.

The card installed fine--my Windows XP system detected it easily. But then I tried to install the drivers--which were not Microsoft certified, a red flag--and everything went haywire.

I briefly got a wireless connection, but then the card locked up my system. When I turned off the power and rebooted, it locked up again during the windows screen, a clear sign of a hardware conflict. I had to log on in safe mode, and I called a tech guy. This was the beginning of a long ordeal.

The tech people were in the Phillipines, and they were quite nice, but as others have noted they were not terribly knowledgeable. Over a span of many hours and many calls, we tried out a long list of supposed fixes, including reinstalling the card in each of my 5 PCI slots. Nothing worked. I had to do a system restore twice during this time because of the lockups.

Finally, at 2 am, I gave up. The next day, I returned the card in favor of a wireless ethernet bridge--which also caused me heartache and did not work.

The moral of this sad story: Stick to wires unless you absolutely need wireless, or try another brand. Linksys is not ready for prime time, a lesson I learned the hard way.

I have a system running Windows XP that I wanted to install the PCI card in. After following the instructions, the system booted and detected the card. When it went to automatically install the driver for the card from the CD, I was told that no driver was found. I copied the drivers to the hard drive and tried again, same problem.

I then completely rebuilt the system with a fresh install of XP and I removed all other cards except for the video card, same problem.

I called Linksys technical support and after 45 minutes on hold I got a "tech" on the phone. After going through everything that I had already done again for him, the drivers still would not load. I told him that a PCI scan on the card revealed a device number of 4306 and that this number was not in the driver INF file, only 4320. He asked me for my email address and said he was going to send me some BETA drivers. After putting me on hold again, I noticed that the hold music reverted back to the main hold line and not his line. So, he basically dropped me. After another 30 minutes on hold I hung up and promptly returned everything I purchased.

I still do not know what the problem was, but at this point I don't care and won't buy another Linksys product. Their customer service is atrocious.

The documentation that comes with the card isn't correct, the Linksys website is no help and Linksys Tech Support is staffed with unqualified technicians who can't do anything but read canned responses off a checklist.

Run away. Try a different product from a different company.

In my case, I am using an Apple Airport Base Station for my two Apple computers. I recently added a Windows PC using XP. I initially had hesitations in wireless network compatibility for the "G" standard properly commuicating with my "B" standard Base Station. I finally decided on buying the Linksys and found that there was no compatibility issue at all.

The signal strength is excellent. I never had any problems with my network status and online surfing experience.

My only complaint is the unattractive long, generic-looking antenna. Compare this with other products like D-Link, Netgear and SMC Networks that have a short (flat/square design) antenna.

Why did I settle on the Linksys brand despite the ugly antenna design? For one, I have great experience with their wireless router (BEFW11S4) which I purchased years ago during it's initial release and have not had any problem with it. Second, Linksys is the current leader in wireless technology. I am hoping that they will be able to provide excellent drivers should compatibility problems arise with the latest operating systems. Third, Linksys is owned by another leader in the networking industry, Cisco Systems. These factors should be enough to assure a sturdier product.

But before you purchase on any product, do your own research for your specific system compatibility.

no differance in speed...50 feet away and going through 3 walls on the same level...