D-Link DWL-G520 Wireless PCI Adapter, 802.11g, 108Mbps Reviews

• Disappointed long-time user of D-Link wireless products

  
  By A37PSH8ZQDQL0U on 2005-09-30
  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.
  
  

• Light-Years Better Than Linksys

  
  By on 2004-04-01
  This card is just super!

  I spent some frustrating hours with two -- count 'em, TWO -- Linksys Wireless-G PCI cards, trying to get them to talk to another Linksys product, a Linksys Wireless-G Router. No luck. The second one was a replacement for the first, and the insert that came with it said it had passed Linksys quality control. Maybe, but neither one played nice with my Win2000 machine.

  Finally, I gave up on the Linksys PCI card, and probably shouldn't have tried it at all, given the mediocre reviews it received here on Amazon. That's when I sat down and diligently read the reviews for D-Link and figured I had nothing to lose by trying one more PCI card (one that's received rave reviews, BTW).

  The D-Link card and driver installed without fuss in the Win2000 machine. It's two rooms away from the router and the wireless signal passes through a bathroom, with the attendant metal pipes and wires, etc., and still gets a 86-90% signal. It's set up to communicate with the router using a WPA-Pre-Shared-Key (WPA-PSK), the router does not broadcast an SSID, and the router only accepts wireless communications from this single wireless client. Browsing the Internet is as fast as, if not faster than, the original wired connection. Now I can get that ugly cat-5 cable off the door-jambs and baseboards.

  I'm sold. Don't fool around with the Linksys PCI card. If it works, count yourself lucky, but D-Link seems to have the wireless communication network stuff figured out. Strange, my Linksys Wireless-G Router (WRT54G) is running flawlessly, handling the traffic for both a wired and a wireless connection. But don't waste time on a Linksys PCI card. Get a D-Link card.
  
  

• Easy installation; Fast

  
  By A3UZ17HANZ9F1E on 2003-12-24
  I am using this card on a home network with a Netgear Wireless-G access point. On the same wireless network, I have a Linksys Wireless USB Adapter (WUSB54G) and a Netgear PC card (WG511).

  Installation and set up of this card was easy. I installed it on a Windows 2000 desktop and the instructions were not very clear for Win2K, but I was able to figure it out without much sweat. Considering that almost everyone has Windows XP these days, this may not be a problem.

  The speed and performance is good - as good as it can get. On my network (at the same distance from the access point), this card and the WG511 are equally fast. With my ISP, my download speed is about 1.2mbps and upstream speed is 200kbps. The WUSB54G is pretty slow (must be because it is USB) - I get only < 300 mbps downstream.
  
  

• Wireless isn't easy, no matter whose card you buy

  
  By A2DAX71YTMIN2Q on 2004-11-22
  OK. This card would get a 5 star rating, but for the fact that no card/wireless system deserves it. First, every company designs their own products only to work with their own company's proprietary devices -- This, in spite of their all using the same IEEE 802.11 configuration standards. VERY annoying. But, OK, every company wants you to buy EVERYTHING just in their brand. Secondly, to set up a wireless network takes more than just plug and play skill -- There are basics that the consumer just has to know when setting up, and then INEVITABLY troubleshooting when the network goes down. (All networks go down from time to time, no matter who supplies the hardware). So, then, what about D-Link? The signal is strong, travels well through insulated, and sound-proofed walls, communicates very well with the 624 router and affords extremely fast data transfer rates. I am VERY happy with D-Link; it has lived up to its other consumer reviews, as found in PC Magazine, and other sources. Just read carefully BEFORE installing, just as you will have to do before installing ANY wireless network system.
  
  

• Make sure u have the latest revision - read for more info...

  
  By A2G0IJJOB7I9PG on 2004-04-14
  First, you must know that D-Link has the annoying and unprofessional habit of releasing unfinished, not so ready hardware to market. It seems that their engineering team is under pressure from marketing (typical) to deliver products before they are completely tested and ready. There are several revisions (internal designs) of this and other D-Link products. As of this writing (April 2004), the DWL-G650 has 7 of them, A1, B1, B2, B3, B4, C1, and C2 each representing a correction to a "Oops" of some sort! The DWL-G520 has 2, A and B, while the DI-624 router has 3, A, B, and C. The latest revision is what you should look for, it is usually on the sticker on the back of the box - just below the serial number.

  OK, so I had the DI-614+ router, DWL-650+ PC Card, and DWL-520+ PCI card, and they worked great. I just needed the higher speed to stream music and video from my server upstairs, and wanted to use the more secure WPA protocol (not yet supported on the DWL-520+ *stupid D-Link*), so I upgraded to the DI-624 router (rev. C), DWL-G650 PC Card (rev. B4), and DWL-G520 PCI Card (rev. B). I upgraded the firmware on the router right away to 2.42 and the driver for the G650 to 2.48. The router seemed to work fine, but the card was not seeing it. My older 802.11B card (DWL-650+) was able to see and connect to the new router, but not the new card. I tried many things to no avail. I then installed the older driver 2.42 and the card started seeing the router but had trouble keeping the connection..I played with many settings and nothing helped. I tried two other laptops (different brands) and experienced the same symptoms.
  Finally, I went to the a store and purchased another DWL-G650 and made sure it was the newer rev. C2 (the latest). Guess what, it worked right away and kept the connection solid. I tried FTP between the server (wired to the router) and the wireless laptop and got a transfer throughput of about 2400KBytes/sec... This is while using WPA-PSK with Super G enabled and using a short preamble. The same results were obtained with the PCI version of the card (DWL-G520).
  I returned the bad PC Card (rev. B4) back to the store and kept the new one! So, just make sure that you have the latest version of the hardware.

  One more thing, if you compare the signal quality/strength between DWL-650+ and DWL-G650 or between DWL-520+ and DWL-G520 you'll find that the new cards have a much lower number (worst). For example, my old 650+ used to get around 70% quality compared to 36% for the G650 at the same exact spot/direction. The difference is identical when comparing the 520+ to the G520. I have not experienced any performance issues though, the TxRate is typically at 72Mbps (not 108Mbps)! I think the new AirPlus XtremeG utility calculates the quality number differently and hence the difference, and future driver updates may further enhance the signal measurement.

  D-Link's release of faulty hardware is wrong and must be stopped. The problem is that their competition are not much better. So go for what works, and buy from a place that has a good return policy. Someday another vendor will make better products and offer better support, and I will abandon D-Link :)
  
  

• New 108Mbps Firmware Works!
  By A30QIOQBOPUTXL on 2003-10-15
  I just downloaded and installed the new firmware released by D-Link @ support.dlink.com for my G520, G650 and DI-624. This new firmware and drivers upgrades my speeds to more than double. I can now transfer MP3s or ZIP files across my network wirelessly in less than half the time as I did 2 days ago. All for FREE as well.

  The signal strength and quality is just the same as before, but now when I lock it down in Turbo mode I get way fast speeds. I am simply amazed that this is all free and doesn't take any new hardware to do.

  The adapter itself has been running flawlessly for a month now and I sometimes forget my PC is wireless. In fact if there wasn't a small icon in my system tray I don't think I could tell the difference.
  
  

• Do Not Be Fooled By These Reviews
  By on 2003-11-15
  I purchased this product, as well as the DI-624 Router, in part because of the positive reviews I found on Amazon.com.
  After using the product and returning it after four days, I am very suspicious about the validity of these reviews.

  I installed and reinstalled and reinstalled the router and the PCI Adapter, downloaded patches from the internet and checked and rechecked the router's configuration. Virtually every time I tried to access the internet over the wireless network my connection was either dropped or my computer froze. The directions that came with both products provided very little information, the DLink website was equally uninformative, and after reading the comments on this site about DLink's customer service line, I didn't even try to call. After four days, I gave up and returned both products and purchased the Microsoft MN700 base station and the MN730 PCI adapter. I had both products installed and running perfectly within 15 minutes.

  Do yourself a favor and buy a different product. You'll save yourself a lot of frustration.
  
  

• Freeze problems
  By A3PLLSGMTD4CIG on 2004-03-24
  I purchased a D-LINK G520 card for my PC running Windows XP Pro on an AMD processor. I am using is in conjunction with a D-LINK DI-624 wireless access point. I have downloaded and installed the latest drivers from the D-LINK website. I followed the installation instructions to the letter. The connection works fine, for anywhere from five minutes to an hour.

  After that, my computer freezes completely, every time. If I remove the D-LINK card and enable and plug in my regular LAN card, I have no problems. This is the only time XP has ever frozen for me, after over one year of use.

  I am in the process of testing the card under Linux, but as far as I know the only available drivers are in pre-production form.

  I am not certain what makes my PC different from that of the other reviewers, but if you search through you will note that several other reviewers have had the same problem. If the issue is solved, I will write another review explaining the fix. Until then, I recommend that you do not purchase this Wireless card.
  
  

• ************ Avoid D-Link Products ********************
  By A1FX964IBOXKZP on 2004-04-19
  The product may perform up to your expectations but I only hope you never have to interact with D-Link's support organization. After dealing with conflicting, contradictory and completely erroneous information from their support organization, I have come to the conclusion that I don't care to do business with D-Link again.

  I hope that if you do buy a D-Link product it works flawlessly (which mine did not), and you never have to call their tech support organization.
  
  

• Rather simple install and gets good signal from AP
  By A1Y2QUN08HQ4Y4 on 2003-06-28
  I have installed PCI cards before so this wasn't that hard to do, and everything went as planned thanks to the quick install guide included with the PCI card. All I had to do was follow instructions and it actually worked the way it is supposed to. Install probably took about 10 minutes total because of unplugging yout PC and opening it up.

  The signal strength is also quite good considering the antenna is behind a computer and stuffed under a desk. I get about 60-75% signal strength on average. sometimes if people are standing in the way I get a little downgrade in strength, but nothing that effects the speeds.

  I really like the software utility that comes with this card (and the laptop card) because they are very informative. The more info I know the better, just as long as it isn't thrown at me all at once. Luckily that is exactly what this software does. It isn't too complicated or too watered down.

  I'd recommend this card to anyone who doesn't want to put holes in their rental place to run Ethernet cables to the next room. Wireless is much easier and the speeds are the same, as far as internet browsing and gaming goes.
  
  

• Stable PCI Wireless Adapter
  By A1MZGDQBHVULGV on 2003-10-08
  The card installed within minutes and was not a hassle at all to get working. And since my DI-624 sends a strong signal through out my entire apartment I can have my PCs anywhere and they are still connected at a high speed. The card has been running great on my Windows 2000 Pro machine with no problems. The software is a nice addition and I can even see me neighbors access point. The antenna is removable so that if I do need a better signal I can attach a better antenna on the back.

  Answer: If you have a DI-614+ (22Mbps) and you are going to get a wireless PCI adapter you should definitely get the DWL-520+ (22Mbps). Gget the DWL-G520 (54Mbps) if you have a 54Mbps Access Point. The best speeds you can get with the 520+ and the 614+ are about 10-12Mbps real throughput. With the G520 and the 614+ you will only get 4-6Mbps at best because 54Mbps will step down to 11Mbps not down to 22Mbps. So 614+ = 520+ or 650+, but 624 = G520 or G650.
  
  

• Known (but not advertised) conflict
  By AA2OWYYYLD4WC on 2003-06-28
  These DLINK wireless adapters have a known conflict with Sound Blaster cards. I tried to install one in my Gateway with Win XP and it would not work, after the third call to tech support they informed me there was a known conflict with Sound Blaster audio and told me to take out the Sound Blaster. Now I ask you what good is a silent computer???
  
  
• Took a bit of TWEAKING to make the DWL-G520 work!!!
  By A1TR1R2QKWRSRA on 2004-05-24
  Using a D-Link DI-624 as the wireless router/access point for my home network, I got my laptop linked up fairly easily but connecting to the net with a second desktop using this wireless adapter took some trial and error. I followed the manual's instructions (with latest drivers/firmwares) and got WIRELESS CONNECTION on the PC BUT CAN'T ACCESS the INTERNET!
  
  Here's what I finally did to make it work (the wireless linked PC is a Dell 8200 running WinXP):
  
  Removed the wireless adapter from a PCI slot close to the fax/modem.
  
  Uninstalled first software install. Rebooted. Reinstalled DWL-G520 software. Shut off PC.
  
  Reinstalled wireless adapter in an empty PCI slot farther away from the fax/modem.
  
  Turn on PC, hardware detected. Install the NEWEST driver that was downloaded previously via ethernet on my new Dell 8300.
  
  MAKE SURE the ROUTER DI-624 is properly configured!!! I had enabled WEP (write down the KEY!) and used the MAC filter (only the MACs of my router and ethernet/wireless adapters CAN access my network). I also disabled SSID broadcast (I can detect several of my neighbors' SSIDs with WEP disabled).
  
  MOST Importantly the DHCP server was enabled with just enough starting to ending IP addresses for the number of computers in my network.
  
  NOW enter ALL necessary info of the network using the DWL-G520 config. utility. Click the WinXP network icon for wireless networks avail. Check your network, enter the WEP key and........FINALLY, access to the internet!!!
  
  It took some time to dial in my preferences but now my downstairs wireless PC is 3712/407 kbps down/up with a LOW (38%)signal.
  
  Good Luck!
  
  
• Great card ...
  By A91XXEO00BT0I on 2004-09-26
  Its an excellent card and working fine if you know how to configure the it. And as always Dlink is an excellent producer of network hardware did not disapoint me this time as well.
  
  Card works great on the Linux 2.6.8 kernel with the MadWifi driver.
  Works good with FreeBSD -current as well.
  (thats for the Bozos in the review section who are on Windows XP; blame the windows XP for the problem NOT the card, and look at those who have written the driver not at the card manufacturers..)
  
  easy control with wicontrol and configuration.
  
  Excellent card.
  
  
• manual gives wrong instructions for configuring card
  By A2EI02930ZR4GJ on 2004-10-02
  The card by itseld is good and drivers work. However, do not trust D-Link software & manual for configuring the card. I could get it working only with windows XP's network management options. To the contrary, the manual Explicitly asks us to disable options saying "let windows manage my wireless network".
  It took customer support 2 hrs to get it all working and had to call 3 times and talk with 4 experts.
  
  
  
• Not sure about Windows...
  By A3DZFMGICYUC9I on 2006-07-13
  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.
  
  
• Wireless = Cool
  By A20V16TDV2E0Y3 on 2003-09-24
  Once I got wireless adapters for my family's laptops I had to get one for he desktop as well. Now we all have wireless and no Ethernet cables in the house. There is a 4-port wired switch on the back of our router, but we don't even use it. Why should we? wireless works and it works great. I stuck with all D-Link as not to get the adapters and AP confused and it has seemed to work out great. Now we aren't constricted by our location.

  This PCI card was pretty simple to install and worked as soon as it was done installing. The configuration was simple and the icon in the taskbar gives a good indication of your connection.
  I always have full bars since our desktop PC is only one room away from the router/AP. Overall my decision to go all wireless has been fun and overall fairly simple to do. Thanks D-Link.
  
  

• A MUST HAVE FOR CROSS PLATFORM WIRELESS
  By AVSMRPI23DQI2 on 2006-04-05
  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.
  
  
• Fair product, bad software
  By A2ROQ8ANTBKPHK on 2003-07-02
  I purchased a DWL-G520 PCI card and installed it into my Dell 8200 desktop. The card works fine with my Belkin 802.11g wireless router and seems to give me good data speeds, but the included software to control the card and modify the settings does not work. It will not recognize the card in my system ("no card found"). I contacted D Link and they have a complicated procedure to remove the card, uninstall the drivers, reboot, reinstall the drivers, reboot, reinstall the card, blah, blah, blah... Needless to say it didn't work. I also have a sound blaster card so maybe that is the problem... I will be sending it back and getting the Belkin 54g PCI card. I have the Belkin 54g PCMCIA card for my laptop and didn't have any issues with the setup and use. If you go for the low cost solution...
  
  
• Strong signal even behind the PC.
  By A3UNTN353W2CK9 on 2003-07-26
  I was surprised to get a good strong signal from my DI-624 2 rooms down the hall on my desktop in the office room because the antenna just sits behind the PC. But I was wrong. I was hoping I would be wrong, but made sure I could return the card if it didn't work out for me.

  I am mainly glad I don't have to drill holes in my walls to run cable from one room to the other. Now I am all networked up for a fairly low price. The best part about a wireless network is that when you move you don't have to wrap up cable, or worry about where is the best place to drill new holes, or drop a line from the attic, etc. I am very pleased and hope this lasts for a good long time.

  Oh and don't foget to get the newest firmware. It helps. In fact for all networking products, check the website for a new firmware or driver before you install what in on the disk in the box. It isn't mandatory, but it will just eliminate some time.
  
  

• Yes Download new Firmware TODAY!
  By A1KS3DADXM0CMN on 2003-10-17
  The new 108Mbps firmware helps with everything. I get better speeds obviously. In fact file transferring is twice as fast now. Security is still good, connection stability is still great, and signal strength is a little higher now.

  Overall the new firmware only improved what was already a good product. This adapter just sits in the back of my PC and I have zero problems with it or my wireless connection.

  Installation was quick and easy. The software that comes with it is pretty much invisible and takes little know-how to actually make work. In fact if you plug in your new access point and this card in your PC they practically connect to each other automatically. Very nice feature for newbies.
  
  

• Really amazing card
  By A15VR5I5QMB2LD on 2003-12-11
  I had this up and running in 5-10 minutes! No issues at all! Just make sure to have the most recent drivers, which are downloadable from the D-Link website, on your computer, cd, or floppy disk before installing, as the CD that comes with the product(though I did not buy it at Amazon) is a bit out of date, and may cause issues.

  Wonderful card! Very strong signal from far distances.
  
  

• BUY THIS CARD!!!
  By AZF4H237STXIF on 2004-01-02
  The guy who wrote the bad review below must work for Microsoft, because as everyone else has said, this card is great. I had TONS of issues with my first card (Linksys WMP54g, see my review for details) and when I popped in the DLink all of my headaches went away. Works great and with the firmware is lightning fast. Dont waste your money on any other product.
  
  
• Do nut buy this card
  By A2IXMOZL10YVAN on 2004-06-03
  I bought this card because I previously got the DI-624 router from costco and thought it would be a good idea getting everything from the same manufacturer. That was wishful thinking.

  The card never worked correctly. It installs fine, and the signal is always very strong, but the connection lasts 5 minutes at best. Eventually it will drop and neve reconnect, even though the signal indicator is still at 3 bars.

  First I thought it was my old Windows 2000. So I upgraded to XP Pro. Same thing. Then I got a completely new mainboard, CPU, BIOS etc and thought that would do the trick. No avail. Even worse, the new PC started to have spurious hiccups, freezes and jittery games. All this stops when I disable the wireless card.
  D-Link tech support is clueless and suggest nonsense such as as 'it could be interference with your cordless phone'. My Dell notebook with a dell wireless card works flawlessly in the entire house. So much to tech support.
  Summary: If you want to avoid trouble, buy someting else. Just look at ebay how many 'refurbished' ones are for sale. That tells enough.
  
  

• Doesn't work well with Windows 98 SE
  By A12CM8NU3D42M6 on 2004-10-13
  My Dell Dimension XPS 400 Windows 98 SE has the Linksys WMP54GS card in it and it works perfectly. (The first time I installed it!) This computer has a modem and didn't have a wired ethernet card.
  
  After trying the D-Link DWL-G520 AirPlus Xtreme G Wireless PCI Adapter 108Mbps card, which worked only once (after disabling the Dial Up modem) the Linksys card was the only card that the computer recognized, didn't freeze up during boot, and that connected to the wireless router the first time.
  
  With the WMP54GS, the dial up modem is still installed and enabled.
  
  I didn't have such good luck with my Compaq Deskpro P500 Windows 98 SE computer.
  
  This card stopped the computer during boot up, even before the screen shows the memory test. Something very serious happened during the bootup sequence that locked up the machine.
  
  It appears that older computers, especially Compaq, have unique charateristics that preclude using newer cards (read: cards with higher speeds). It might be in the BIOS that recognizes cards, it might be bus speed, it might be the use of PCI connector pins, it might be the operating system, it might be the incompatibility with the cards driver. I don't feel compelled to diagnose what is wrong.
  
  After 3 weekends trying to get the D-Link DWL-G520 AirPlus Xtreme G Wireless PCI Adapter 108Mbps card to work in the Compaq, I bought and simply tried several major brand cards (Linksys, D-Link, Netgear) for 54 Mbs and 11 Mbs until I found one that worked. That card was the Linksys WMP11. It works perfectly. (The rest are being returned - sorry about that AMAZON.)
  
  An installation quirk: In the Compaq, using the Linksys WMP11, I had a strong signal, and it reported it was connected to the Internet. but my computer couldn't connect to the internet.
  
  I determined that the wired Ethernet adapter in the Compaq was causing a problem, and capturing during bootup the TCP/IP connection before the wireless modem had a chance.
  
  The way I checked what was connected to TCP/IP in your computer is to RUN winipcfg and see what is in the dropdown box. If the WMP54GS or WMP11 (or whatever wireless card you installed) description isn't there, then the computer can't use it to connect to the internet.
  
  The dial up modem is still installed and enabled in both computers. That did not stop the WMP11 in the Compaq or the WMP54GS in the Dell from working.
  
  HINT: The wired Ethernet adapter is no longer in the Compaq. I am saving it though because that wired adapter is the one I used to connect via hardwire to Comcast, and it has the MAC address that I cloned into the Linksys router. I'll reinstall it and connect it to the router if I need to re-do the setup for the modem to the Comcast internet connection.
  
  Looking back, it appears that the newer wireless lan cards are throughly tested on Windows XP and Windows 2000 computers (the install is usually much easier according to my wealthier friends) and minimally tested on Windows 98 SE and Windows ME computers.
  
  Linksys apparently spent the time debugging the drivers and the resident modules on Windows 98 SE so it knows how to handle an existing dial up modem.
  
  D-Link apparently didn't. For the D-Link DWL-G520 AirPlus Xtreme G Wireless PCI Adapter 108Mbps card(the only high speed card for which both computers booted up successfully at least once) I had to disable the modem (entry in network and modem in My Computer - Devices)to get it work at all, albeit fitfully and ultimately not sufficiently to serve its intended purpose.
  
  
• 50% of population have freezing problem with DWL-G520
  By A17I43S2J5HPB2 on 2005-02-24
  Ok... let's face it. I've read a ton of forums (because DLink knowledge base suck, and offer almost no support). My conclusion is that 50% of people who bought this card have their computer freezing each 5-60 seconds for no reasons while their computer was working at lightning speed before installing that card. The other 50% say that it's a very good card.
  
  So it mean that if you buy it, 50% of chances that you just thrown out your money by the window because it won't work correctly.
  
  Think about it... Just save some money & a lot of time. Just buy some other stuff... there's plenty of good companies doing very professionnal stuff for not much more $ than DLink. I won't suggest any of them... but think about it.
  
  - No support (like i said, everything is going fine before you install this card. Then everything is going wrong when you install it. Then you call tech support and you get into the "update your xyz driver, then update the other driver abc, then the other one, then get back to the old one, then change your DWL card from a PCI slot to another one. Put it closer to the case, put it far from the video card, put it... In your ass finally. That's what i call no support.)
  - 50% of products should be in the garbage...
  
  the decision is your.
  
  I've been bad lucky... i'm in the 50% who have freezing problem. I've just burned another 75$.
  
  Good products = Plug it, and it work. If you have to go thru all the steps that tech support will ask you to do, that mean that someone have not done his job at DLink, and DLink even if they are aware, have absolutely no clue of what's going on, and won't put people on this case.... because they have other Wireless card to sell, newer, maybe better... maybe not... "maybe"... it's what describe DLink very well.
  
  For those who are putting that on your shelves to sell computer stuff, you should be ashamed. You contribute to this situation. If DLink can't sell their stuff anymore, believe me, they will solve their problems first, build themselve a name, then push some new stuff and they would be more carefull.
  
  
• its OK
  By A2KI5O462LCNDM on 2005-08-16
  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.
  
  
  
• It's true about the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death)
  By A1WJBDVMYO8TSG on 2006-06-06
  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.
  
  
• Easy install...works great
  By A26JK5WOXPU78C on 2006-11-08
  I'm using Windows XP Home Edition. I already had the D-Link Extreme G wireless router. Installation was very easy (my experience with this sort of thing is limited to installing a couple of modems and memory modules) and XP recognized and started up the wireless card with no additional effort on my part.
  
  
• Works great for me.
  By A3KFMEP0IIJQL5 on 2003-07-09
  All I had to do was follow the instructions that came with this thing and I was up and running wirelessly in no time. I have this card in my PC and it connects to a DI-624 (router/AP) with a strong signal strength, about 80%, at 2 rooms down the hall from the living room which has the main PC and the DI-624.

  The utility that came with this card is a very nice piece of software. It is intuative, good looking, and not too obtrusive.

  I'd recommend this card to others since it works great for me.
  
  

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