Review on Cisco-Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter: High-Speed Connectivity for Your Desktop by Gregory Chaitanya

I bought this wireless card to install in a 7 year old Dell Dimension 2350 desktop computer running Win XP Home SP 3 that was moved to our basement break room when we installed a new Win 7 -Bought the machine. After reading many reviews posted here, I am undecided whether I should follow the advice of some reviewers and ignore the Linksys instructions that ask me to install the software first before inserting the card into the computer case. Other reviewers suggested installing the card first and then just using the software CD to install the driver, not the full software package. In the end I decided to follow the Linksys instructions and I'm very glad I did. My setup consists of a Verizon FIOS modem/router combo in an office on the top floor of a two story house. The desktop computer located there is hardwired to the router using a standard Ethernet cable. When the old desktop computer was moved two floors down to the basement, I worried that the signal would be so weak that the card would either not connect to the router at all, or the speed would be so slow that it would be impractical to use. Since I had a Linksys Wireless G PCMIA card installed in an old laptop that didn't have an internal card, my first experiment was to see if this card could connect the laptop to a FIOS router. So I moved the laptop to the exact spot in the basement where the desktop was supposed to be and turned it on. When it immediately connected to my network and the signal strength stayed within an acceptable range, I decided that the Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G card might just be a desktop solution. Installing the software was easy. I turned off the computer, unplugged the power cord, and quickly installed the card into one of the available PCI slots. I turned the computer back on, started it up, and held my breath hoping it would work, but at the same time expecting it to give me the problem described by other reviewers. uses the built-in Windows network manager with its own proprietary network management tool, as some reviewers have described, but this was not the case. This is exactly what happened when I installed a Linksys PCMIA card in my old laptop, making the installation a bit tricky and taking a long time while I had to play around with its unfamiliar settings. Linksys may have modified its software so that it does not replace the Windows network manager. In any case, when the computer started up, the Windows network manager appeared on the screen, which was a very pleasant surprise. It took two attempts before the card could connect to the network. I think the first try expired, I'm not sure. But at that moment I was like, oh oh, here's the problem. But before doing anything else, I just put my key back in and tried again. The card was connected on the second attempt. I've cycled the computer several times, and each time it has booted up, the card has connected to my network just fine without any further action on my part. The signal strength varied from 12 Mbit/s to 48 Mbit/s, on average 24 to 36. The signal strength also varied between "low”, "good” and "very good”. Regardless of the reported signal strength and speed, I had no problem opening various webpages and they all loaded fairly quickly. I haven't tried downloading large files or watching streaming video so can't figure out how it will run yet but overall I'm very happy with this card giving me internet access on this old PC without having to try reset the cable ethernet on two floors. I was using Linksys wireless devices (three routers, three wireless cards) until I subscribed to FIOS and removed my last Linksys router. I've never had a problem with Linksys hardware and it has proven to be very reliable. This Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter has been fine so far. On the other hand, it has only been used for a few weeks. I would recommend that you follow the Linksys instructions when purchasing this card. First install the software, turn off the computer, unplug it from the power source, and then install the card. When you reboot, you should see Windows Network Manager on the screen. Find your network and enter the WEP or WPA key when prompted. If you couldn't connect on the first try, try again. It should connect and you're done. I tried moving the card's antenna on the back of the computer to see if that would affect signal strength, but I don't think antenna placement has an effect. One final word of advice, if you encounter a problem during installation, only call Linksys as a last resort. Their tech support is not very good and you will waste your time and most likely your problem will not be solved. Better use the old Google and try to find a solution to your problem in various online technical forums. Linksys gets high marks from me for hardware, but an A for tech support. All in all I am very happy with this product and would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone looking to unleash their desktop PC.