I did have a small problem with the signal cutting out every 3 minutes. This problem is because of IEE 802.1x authentication being enabled by XP and not the fault of the card. Every time I changed the SSID XP defaulted to enabling the 802.1x authentication. To change the authentication: Control Panel>Network Connections>rt click Wireless Network Connection select Properties. In the new window, tab to Wireless Network. Under the Preferred networks pane select your wireless network and hit the Properties radio button. In this new window, tab to Authentication. The "Enable IEEE 802.1x authentication for this network" box should be unchecked.

IEE 802.1x authentication is for port controlled server authentication and is not needed in most home networks.

For security, under your network Properties window you should have WEP 128 enabled and the Network Authentication should be "Open". Also, change your SSID to something obscure and do not broadcast it.

- downloading drivers
- speaking with tech support
- trolling online for other reports
- installing/rebooting/uninstalling/repeating

I tried the card on my Thinkpad R32 and Thinkpad X20 both running windows 2000. The R32 uses the TI cardbus chipset, and the X20 uses the Ricoh. In both cases, the card drivers freeze the laptop completely, both the standard driver and the "beta" TI version.

Linksys finally acknowledged that the card doesn't really work very well and I should return it to where I purchased it and get a different model. On 2 out of 3 calls to tech support I was promised that a newer, better driver would be mailed to me, but never was.

I've been working with computers for over 20 years, I've owned several dozen in my time, and I know what I'm talking about when I say this product is not ready for commercial release.

Unbelievably shoddy, and unacceptable. Linksys should be punished in the marketplace.

Don't waste your dollars on this...

But if it's too late for me, probably you are still in time...

PS: even for different products, check the chipset on board

I purchased the WPC54G Notebook adapter, the Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router and a Linksys WMP54G Wireless PCI Adapter. The cards can link with the router, but not send any data. Furthermore, the wireless link doesn't work unless WEP security is off. You have to broadcast your data in the clear!

With an all-Linksys solution, you would think Linksys could make this work. Nope. Linksys tech support can't offer any solutions that you can't read off their website. If the website was helpful, that wouldn't be a problem.

Don't even think about purchasing this product!

net stop "DNS Client"
Pause
net start "DNS Client"
Pause

Also, when I tried loading the latest files from their web site, it loaded the utility but not the drivers, which I did manually. Then, I couldn't change and save my profiles. So I went back to the earlier version (beta TI cardbus.)

I could not have been more surprised. Following the advice of the quick start instructions and set-up CD included in the Router package, I had the network up and running in less than five minutes. Not even a glitch.

The notebook adapter was installed and recognized the signal. In what seemed to be no time, I was wirelessly surfing the web with no apparent loss of speed compared to my wired connection.

To sum it up, this is a great product.

DAY 1:

Laptop 1: Toshiba Satellite 1905-S805

Installed like the directions said (Windows XP) and it didn't work. Just for giggles I then installed the program they tell you NOT to install with Windows XP and everything started working beautifully. Great signal strength, Encrypted 128 bit mode. No problems at all. In fact, I drove almost an entire city block and could still get signal.

Laptop 2: Toshiba Satellite 2415-S205

Installed like the directions said (Windows XP) and it didn't work. As above I tried the software they said not to install but this time it DIDN'T work either. Unistalled that and the device, started over. Tried every trick and tweak listed on several different support sites and nothing.

Called tech support at Linksys and started out on the wrong foot as this guy could barely speak English. He had extreme difficulty understanding me. He had me do all the things I had previously done and still couldn't get it to work. His solution. "Call Toshiba".

DAY 2-3:

Still working on this and I think I have 4 hairs left on my head. In all I've put in about 30 hours working on this. No help from Linksys. I'm about to go back and try another brand of wireless card, or maybe just get a 802.11b card since this is for my girlfriends computer not mine. It works fine on mine, but not hers.

If I do have the software installed that came with it, on her computer, on the first window where it would usually show the two green bars of strength, I get the following message;

"No association with AP"

When I do the Site Survey it finds the SSID name and shows it to be at 100% signal strength.
Network Type Infrastructure
Channel 6
WEP on
MAC......
Surveyed at (some irrelevant time)

Each time I hit connect, it resets the WEP to 64 bit and I have to change it to 128 bit and redo my passphrase. It again pops me back into the Link Information tab and says "No association with AP".

I then click on the Pofiles tab and it shows the default profile is my previously names SSID with:
Network Type - Infrastructure
Transfer Rate - Auto
Channel - (OK, why doesn't this one say 6 like the other)
WEP 128 Bits

I curious why it doesn't detect channel 6 on this tab.

In all an extremely frustrating purchase and I am currently on day 6 awaiting further email support from either Toshiba or Linksys.

Research before you buy. It may not work with yours.