Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter Reviews

• Too slow ! Go for PCI instead ..

  
  By A3UZ17HANZ9F1E on 2003-12-23
  I am using this on a home network with a Netgear Wireless-G access point. On the same wireless network, I have a Netgear PC card (WG511) and a D-Link PCI Adapter (DWL-G520). Installation and set up couldn't be easier (I installed on Windows XP), but the speed is very disappointing. It shows the connection speed with the access point as 54Mbps, but when I do a speed test with my ISP, I get less than 300Kbps (downstream) whereas my other clients constantly give 1.2Mbps. I believe it is the limitation of USB. On normal browsing, I don't notice any difference, but big downloads are very time consuming. I had bought this to save PCI slots, but I think I made a wrong move.

  My piece of advice - buy this only if you don't have a vacant PCI slot and if you don't do any big downloads. If you have a vacant PCI slot, go for the PCI version because that is definitely more compact and efficient. If you don't have a PCI slot, I would recommend you make one by getting rid of adapters that you don't use (like a modem).
  
  

• Handy Physical Installation, Good Software Installation

  
  By AY62TN9VGKI2Z on 2004-09-06
  I have a SOHO that uses a wired 10/100 switched network. Already part of this network is a Linksys single port Cable / DSL Router. When it came time to make the jump to wireless, the WAP54G seemed the logical choice, as I would not have to reconfigure anything on my existing network. For my initial conversions, I was converting a desktop PC and an older laptop. For this review, I'll be discussing at the WUSB54G. Look for reviews on all these items posted separately.
  
  I decided on the WUSB54G because I did not have any available internal slots. This computer may be replaced in a year or two, and unplugging the network card from a USB port seemed a lot more attractive than opening the case. Actually, the installation is almost a simple as plugging the adapter into an available USB port.
  
  My initial installation was using Version 2.0 of the installation software. The significance of that will be explained later. Regardless of your version of Windows, I suggest installing the software first. This will eliminate any potential problems in the installation process. Make sure you know your network name and WEP Key. You will need to supply that information during installation or you will not be able to connect right away. If you don't have the key handy, it can be input later, but it is not as convenient.
  
  The Wizard does a good job of walking you through each step. Once done, you will need to reboot. Don't disconnect from the wired network just yet. Wait until the next phase is completed. On boot, you computer should detect the new hardware and install the correct drivers for it. The next step could take a while, so be patient. Your new wireless network card will search for a signal, an access point, and you should be prompted when a network is found. If more than one network is detected, a distinct possibility with the proliferation of wireless networks, you will quickly realize the advantages of naming you network something other that the default and of applying a WEP Key to your network.
  
  The initial connection took about two minutes, but seemed a lot longer! You will see an icon on the Bottom Right of the Task Bar indicating you are connected. I do one final check by opening a command prompt and using the command "ipconfig /all" to show all my adapters. If there's a difference in IP addressing ranges, reboot one more time. If both the wired and wireless connections show IP address in the same range, you're ready to unplug the wired connection. Now try opening your web browser. If you can surf, you're all done.
  
  My experience with this installation was very positive. The wizard was friendly, the physical installation could not have been easier, I had all the information on hand I needed and I was wireless after the first reboot. I'm using this adapter with a G network and I'm getting the full throughput.
  
  One final note: this installation went so smoothly I got another adapter from a local dealer that had a price too good to pass up. When I got home, however, I noticed a small sticker that said this was for Windows 2000 and Windows XP only. I then noticed the serial number and installation software said version 1.0. Hmmm... this was going on a Windows 98SE machine. The hardware specs looked identical, from what I could determine from the box, so I tried an experiment and used the version 2.0 software. It worked just fine. BEWARE: this is not an endorsement that this will work in every case nor should you conclude there is no difference between versions. I strongly suggest you try to get the latest version hardware and software for optimal performance.
  
  
  

• Frustrating product.

  
  By A54WXKOAXLMRW on 2006-08-19
  I haven't seen a review yet that really compared options among various wireless adapters so I thought I'd give it a try.
  I live in an apartment complex with concrete walls that barely allow for a cell phone signal. The little bit I use the internet I didn't want to pay 60$/month so I bought a Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter, Netgear WG511 Wireless 802.11g PC Card, and a Hawking WIRELESS G USB NETWORK ADAPTER w. Hi Gain 6db Antenna basically just to make sure I got one that would work.
  The worst of the 3 was the Linksys usb adapter. It could pick up weaker signals without having to balance the laptop at a weird angle out the window, but the software which runs it doesn't like weak signals so anything under 50% keeps the thing scanning even after you're connected. which means constant disconnects unless you manually stop the scanner while connected. Even then, it had a frustrating habit of losing the connection.
  
  The Netgear card was much better at holding a signal, although it did require a balancing act and careful angling to get the signal. The software was great. The biggest complaint I had with this is I was dealing with really low signals which slow the internet to a crawl. It would take a few minutes to load yahoo. With better signals the card would be great.
  
  The Hawking usb adapter is by far the best of the bunch. I'm picking up signals I never saw with the other two, and they are coming in with decent percentages. The software couldn't be better. Connection doesn't take minutes like the other two, and the radar dish antenna can be pointed for better signal gain. I haven't had a connection loss once using it, and the internet is running at better than dial up speed (I'm connecting to a 23% signal).
  Overall, I'd pick the Netgear card for travel with a laptop due to it's size and portability, but for home use the Hawking usb adapter was head and shoulders above the others.
  
  

• Piece of cake to install and setup

  
  By A2KU0QOLL1ZW2T on 2004-01-03
  I purchased the Wireless-G Router (WRT54G), Wireless-G notebook adapter (WPC54G) and this Wireless-G USB Adapter (WUSB54G). I ordered them on a Friday night, they were shipped on Saturday and I received them on Monday around 4:00 pm. I opened all 3 boxes and had all installed by 5:00 pm that same day. These were a piece of cake to install and set up. I have 2000 on my laptop and XP home on the desktop. I really can't believe how easy this was to set up. I had put off getting these for months because I figured it would be my luck that I'd buy the wrong items or installation would be a nightmare. It wasn't. The connection hasn't failed once since installation. The router is located in my basement office (where the DSL cable modem is) and the desktop that utilizes the USB Adapter is on the main floor at the opposite end of our home. The signal is good (although not 100% obviously), but good enough that it is 10 times better than the dial up we had on that PC. I have taken the laptop in all rooms of our home (main floor and basement) and love the freedom I have to work where ever I want without losing my internet connection.
  I am very satisfied.
  
  

• unreliable at best -- a product that needs help

  
  By A108XABRHAA9E7 on 2003-12-02
  A short review, to be updated as the user experience continues:
  I got this unit in place of a wireless ethernet because of the price and the size. It is powered by USB so it saves wire clutter. I am running out of PCI ports so that this was selected as an alternative. Here is a simple breakdown:

  Likes:
  -Small size, portability, ease of connection

  Dislikes (minor annoyances omitted--only major flaws):
  -Signal fluctuates quite a bit, from very good to very low, and at which point it drops connection. Other wifi devices in the same area suffers no such phenomenon, using the same WRT54G router.
  -Not capable of being used in a windows network in XP (cannot select it as a network device) -- still investigating.
  -Needs a driver to be connected, instead of the universality of a standard ethernet WIFI connection (WET54g, for example).
  -The software stinks. It offers few additional features if at all. Might as well use windows network software instead.
  -The connection would often drop after a while, without warning, and there is no way for me to reconnect to the available networks. At this point I have to unplug and reconnect to reset the unit. Doing this sometimes causes system to freeze in XP, and task manager shows that "system" process is using all the system resources. I will have to hard reboot, which of course comes with all the unplesantry of system crashes, which does not happen in xp that often otherwise.

  I am recommending against the product, becuase of the above reasons. It has wasted countless hours with reconfiguration woes, and sporatic disconnections due to the signal/reception fluctuation simply erode the user experience (net streaming media never comes in one piece). I picked Linksys systems over the cheaper Netgear just to change flavor, but this WUSB54G in particular seem to deserve much more attention before it should be considered by anybody. Caveat emptor.
  
  

• Great unit if used wisely
  By A2IAYU7AFTT3D4 on 2005-05-17
  As a long time fan of LinkSys, with some exceptions on early versions, I upgraded my WUSB12 (802.11b) to their equivalent WUSB54G (802.11g/b).The upgrade was trivial, in part, because I was familiar with the language, technology and simily products.
  
  When buying wireless equipment from any vendor keep in mind that the version number for the hardware and software is as important as the model number. In this case, the software CD came with an obsolete version 1.0, while a downloaded version 2.0 was available online. The earlier version would not work with hidden SSID's
  
  As with many LinkSys products, which are build using real computer chips and open-source operating systems, they produce some heat. To minimize the negative consequences of heat use the chimney effect. I always mount units vertically, and if possible with with air under the unit. Keep the unit coooool, and like all equipment, it will last forever.
  
  Another issue is that the range of wireless depends very strongly on the enviroment, not just the vendor. In one room, local hot-spots, no more than a few inches in diameter, producd a 10 dB change in sensitivity (3:1 in signal strength). The best location for my WUSB54g turned out to be on the side of the monitor, where internal metal at the correct distance acted as a corner reflector, significantly amplifying the signal.
  
  Using the LinkSys WRT54G as the base station, I got about 35 dB signal-to-noise ratio providing 54Mbps bandwidth going through at least 4 very solid walls with wood not metal lath. Antennas on both the base and remote station need not only to be positioned wisely but also oriented along the same axis.
  
  Finally, if you use the most advanced features, or if you combine the unit with differnt vendors and technology, especially with WinXP SP2 on WPA, the probability of having problems increases dramatically. Regardless of what the literature says, no vendor can test the millions of combinations. Bugs happen and you may be the only one to experience a particular kind of bug if your environment is not typical of the rest of the world. And technical support is way down on the corporate food chain.
  
  As we say, KISS (keep it simple stupid) and the technology will work fine. That means you should not load Beta firmware or other 3rd party stuff unless you want to be a bleeding edge victum. Follow, do not lead, when it comes to high technology, even if the price is the same as that of a hamburger.
  
  
• Thoroughly Disappointed on multiple purchases
  By A22JKL7SJ58CEJ on 2006-02-12
  Review:
  I have had experience with 4 of these units, 1 DOA..1 still in production (Pre-Cisco merger) which has to run a static IP and 2 which have been returned for weak reception. In the same room with my $15 special G card (85%) and connecting to a Linksys AG WAP in the next room...these units garnered a 20% signal strength...pitiful performance for a $65.00 solution.
  
  Tried Alternative solution:
  Tried a Hawking unit purported to be hi-gain solution < HWU54DM >. That one garnered only 55% @$65 http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/productlist.php?CatID=32&FamID=60&ProdID=275
  
  Best Solution with Highest performance
  Went with a $25 airlink101 AWLL5025 Fry's special and was kicking 93%..... Another Cheap winner http://www.airlink101.com/products/awll5025.html
  
  Opinion:
  There was a time when I would "hands down" recommend Linksys products for customer purchase however that day as well as their general quality have long since gone. Between the driver issues and firmware issues as well as their increasing price, a better purchase can be found elsewhere. I will generally recommend netgear products over linksys...simply on the basis of firmware compatability with backend equipment for DSL providers...both Belkin and Airlink101 can be good less costly and reliable feature filled alternatives
  
  You can do some additional technical research at the DSLReports hardware forums http://www.dslreports.com/forums/all
  
  
• Not TiVo friendly
  By A2X2FJAWV3I7VO on 2005-09-10
  I originally purchased this item with the intention of using it with my TiVo to connect to my wireless router. Unfortunately, the WUSB54G would not work with TiVo, so I had to purchase the WUSB12 to use with the TiVo. However, I have been using the WUSB54G with the 2nd desktop in our household & it would great with our 54G Wireless router. Good Wireless USB adapter, but WILL NOT work with TiVo. :(
  
  
• Do the updates
  By A1EG53GSK0RDPK on 2004-09-28
  I installed this Wireless-G USB Adapter with absolutely no problems. The problems occurred when I tried to the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).
  
  I was connecting to a Linksys WRT54 Wireless-G Broadband Router and had done the firmware update on the router and setup the router with WEP enabled. The Wireless-G adapter would NOT connect with WEP. It would, however, connect with NO security enabled.
  
  I decided to get the latest patch from Linksys for this adapter and that solved my WEP security issues and I've had no issues since doing the patch.
  
  I must say though, that I would like to use the WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) which is a far stronger protocol that fixes the weaknesses in WEP. Problem is, although the Wireless Router and Wireless-G Adapter support WPA, they only support WPA in XP and I am using the adapter on Win 2000.
  
  Other than that, I think this is a great product from Linksys. As with any hardware, you always want to get the latest firmware or driver to keep everything up to date.
  
  
  
• So-so adapter, but utility has SERIOUS memory leak problem
  By A5JLAU2ARJ0BO on 2006-11-27
  First, the hardware. The Linksys WUSB54G wi-fi adapter comes in the form of a small box with a flip-up antenna. You hook the included USB cable (A-B type) to the adapter and to a USB port on your PC -- high-speed USB 2 port preferred -- and you can surf the web wirelessly. The adapter seems average in performance, in terms of speed and distance. (I use it with a Linksys Wireless-G router.) The signal strength seems to fluctuate quite wildly, even when you don't change any of the factors that might affect it. But overall, it works.
  
  Now comes a BIG warning: do NOT install the utility that came with the adapter. It has a confirmed serious memory leak problem. By this I mean that after running the utility (which sits in the system tray) for about an hour, it'll have gobbled up anywhere between 300MB and 600MB (or more) of your system memory! My desktop has 1GB and at one point the utility took over more than 580MB before I shut it down via the Task Manager. Unfortunately (as another example of really bad software engineering), you can't quit the program for real. As long as you have the adapter active, the utility will come back to life and start eating up your memory again.
  
  If you have Windows XP, use the OS's built-in "Windows Zero Configuration Wireless Client." First, uninstall the Linksys utility if you already installed it. Second, you need to install the adapter's driver: simply plug the adapter into a USB port, and, when Windows' driver search dialog comes up, browse to the "Driver" folder on the Linksys CD-ROM (e.g., "D:\driver"), and use the "v4" (version 4) driver, which is the latest -- after that, Windows' built-in wi-fi client will automatically kick in.
  
  Unfortunately, if you use Win2k or earlier, you'll have to either live with the poorly written Linksys utility (the problem exists on all systems) and restart your PC periodically to reclaim the memory, or just return the whole thing as a defective product and get another adapter (e.g., Netgear).
  
  
• Does not work with WEP and XP at 15 ft from access point!
  By A18O3O62DB5QCU on 2004-04-23
  Just getting to this point of being able to type in my review after having done some searches to try and figure out why on earth I'm having such problems has meant I have had to 'manually reconnect' to the network over 7 times in the past 40 minutes. I'm using WinXP Pro and the Linksys USB NIC is using WAP to connect to my tried and tested D-Link access point. Every few minutes, the Windows XP Pro/ Linksys WUSB54G drops the network connection - and then comes back with the bubble in the bottom saying 'there are wireless networks available to connect to'. I then have to 'manually' select the bubble and click 'connect' to get reconnected. First, it is a major PITA to do this every few minutes and second, dropping connection is one thing, but requiring me to manually reconnect is UNACCEPTABLE. My old D-Link PCMCIA card in the laptop has no problems maintaining a connection from over 3 times the distance. This thing cannot keep it going over 15 feet!

  I will say that my access point is a D-Link 802.11b access point but is WiFi compatible and this 802.11g card is supposed to work with b devices flawlessly. Obviously not. Being a systems and network admin, I've got zero patience for such games and poor design on my home systems as I have enough troubleshooting during the day. This piece of junk is going back to the store tomorrow.

  My recommendation - avoid this thing. Its either a Windows XP problem or a Linksys problem or a lie about 802.11b/g compatibility, but whatever the case - until they fix it, they are NOT getting my money.

  Just in typing these few paragraphs, I've had to manually reconnect 4 times!
  
  

• I question the negative reviews...
  By A2IXV91B2P56AT on 2005-06-26
  I've got a Linksys WRT54G V.3 wireless G broadband router as an access point. It connects via a CAT5e cable to my desktop. I've had no problems with this router. I have a fairly new Compaq laptop without built-in wireless. I plugged a Hawking wireless G 2.4GHz card into the laptop and could never get a reliable connection to the internet. I then bought a Linksys wireless G 2.4GHz PC card and had the same problem. I could easy cuss out the Hawking or Linksys cards, call them trash and give them a 1-star rating on Amazon, but being objective - I suspected the PC slot on the laptop might have a hardware problem (jiggling the card would get a connection, but it quickly disappeared). I then picked up the Linksys WUSB54G wireless G USB adapter and BINGO. I had the software installed and a connection to my wireless access port in less than 10 minutes. I have not had any of the problems reported by the reviewers here on Amazon. This is a nifty little device that solved my PC card slot hardware problem and enables me to go wireless with my laptop. The WUSB54G is a nifty little device. It's not large and clunky and comes with sticky velcro strips and a plastic quick disconnect, so I can easily attach it the cover of the laptop, or position it for a better signal. I'm using my laptop in my living room, which is separated from the access point by one room and two walls - or about 30' and I'm getting a good signal. My laptop doesn't have any USB2 ports, so I realize I'm not getting the speed that I'd be getting with USB2, nor am I getting the speed that I would with the wireless adapter card in the PC slot. This just isn't an issue. The decrease in bit transfer in comparison with the raw signal at the access point is surprisingly negligable. The fact is, I've still got a high speed connection... it's still broadband. I suspect that some users may not have an adequate handle on setting up a wireless network. You do have to have a basic understanding of the subject and the knowledge to make adjustments and settings to make the connections stable and reliable. The WUSB54G is not junk. It works, I did have to make adjustments (from DHCP to static IP settings; changing channels, renaming the SSID, etc.). I'm fortunate in that I have an extensive IT background in computers, but anyone who is willing to attempt setting up a wireless network, should be able to read some of the basic help web sites (Google search) and with a little-self education set up their own wireless network.
  
  
• Don't Buy This For TiVo!
  By A1Q5SM3XC4QMWR on 2003-12-29
  This is just a correction to a review that "kish" posted a while ago, regarding compatibility with TiVo's Home Media Option.

  I purchased this adapter based largely on the statement "kish" made saying the beta software upgrade supported this adapter. It does not. TiVo does not support _ANY_ Wireless-G adapters. Period.

  What "kish" is referring to is actually the WUSB11 USB Adapter, also manufactured by Linksys, which is an 802.11b device. The firmware version 2.6 is currently supported by TiVo, and the 2.8 is supported pending a beta software update available from TiVo (you can request it for free from TiVo's website).

  So, please, don't buy this product for TiVo. I'm sure they'll eventually add support for Wireless-G products in the future, but it's not there yet.
  
  

• Simply does not work with Windows XP. Buy at your own risk!
  By A24UHDSD23PZWH on 2004-01-19
  The signal received by the WUSB54G installed on three different Windows XP machines flunctuates quite a bit, from very good to very low, and at which point it drops the connection. Other wifi client devices in the same area suffer no such phenomenon, using the same WRT54G router.

  Based on the comments from other users of this device, this is an inherent defect of the WUSB54G. I recommend that Amazon not sell this item any more, as it simply does not work with Windows XP (despite Linksys claims that it does).

  This is not my first experience with a Linksys product that simply does *not* work! However, it will definitely be my last.
  
  

• If You Want USB, This is the Way to Go...
  By A22BMXRZ842ZR4 on 2004-10-23
  I didn't want to install a PCI card.
  
  I read reviews for almost all of the USB adapters. I saw the problems many said they were having with this one. Even so I went ahead and ordered it and I am glad that I did. It took me a little longer to figure it out than I wanted it to. I also downloaded the most recent firmware which was recommended in one of the amazon.com reviews.
  
  This thing works flawlessly! It also shows well. I am using the encryption, so when I shut down the connection it has to be restablished. I found that by clicking on the XP wireless icon and then going to "repair" it sets it right back on track in 20 seconds or so.
  
  I think if I had purchased another brand, as recommended by C|Net, etc, I would have been sorry. This stuff (I got a WRT54GS Router at the same time) is really something. I knew nothing about setting up a wireless connection. True the manual that comes with the router, etc. is in need of some major help, but it is worth the hassel (if any). Once you get it going it is smooth, fast, reliable, and dependable and it doesn't get better than that!
  
  
• Best customer support I've ever had
  By A20PZ1K8CJGYD1 on 2005-12-16
  When I hooked up the adapter I couldn't receive an IP from my router, I assumed the device was defective. I spent a day trying to fix the problem. I eneded up calling Linksys tech support and I actually spoke to a human being without waiting. It took about an hour to resolve the problem which was a result of a bad Windows TCP/IP driver install, not Linksys' software or their product. Their support technicians were competent, knowlegeble and helpful, and patient I might add.
  
  The adapter only cost me ~$50 but the support was invaluable!
  It is now working great and I am very pleased.
  
  
  
• Very disappointed
  By ATWWWYZ0TDJ3W on 2004-04-20
  Drops connection all the time. And this is a known bug .... sigh.
  
  
• Worst product in this category
  By on 2004-04-20
  Installed on XP easily. They it drops connection frequently,
  with 100% CPU usage afterwards and no reconnection. All other
  adapters work perfectly in this house. Now i am going to replace
  it with a FAR Gigafast adapter .... what a joke !
  
  
• WUSB54G Adapter Uselss!
  By A11RSGF8JN59M0 on 2004-07-30
  I brought these adapters a week ago to upgrade my network. I have a Linksys WRT54G router and notebook adapter WPC54G for my laptop. The two older USB network adapters from Linksys I used were working fine. I just wanted to upgrade my network to G mode. Big mistake!. I have spent 12 hr trying to get the new WUSB54G adapters working. I have the same problem as other reviewers. Get good signals but no/slow internet connection. The transfer rate fluctuate widely from 1 to 54 mbps. All the other computers work fine. The only good thing is it has been easy to reach Linksys technical support.
  
  
• Works great and easy to set up
  By A141OPVE376YFI on 2005-11-18
  I bought this to tackle a wireless trouble spot in our house. Originally I installed a D-Link PCI card in the computer but would often lose connection. I installed a better antenna, still no luck.
  
  I sold that NIC and tried the Powerline method, connecting my network to the home wiring. That worked well initially, but every day or two the connection would die and the only way to bring it back up was to wait...sometimes for hours.
  
  All these problems happened to my wife's computer, so by this time she's a bit frustrated and I'm getting annoyed at her constant complaints. We have the 802.11b version of this adapter hooked to a TiVo box and it's worked great, so I thought I'd try the 'g' version for my bride's machine. I definitely wasn't going with D-Link - I had a lot of trouble with D-Link adapters on multiple machines and I didn't want to go through that again.
  
  In addition to this adapter I also ordered the 16' USB cable from Belkin, a bargain at around $10. I figured the length of the cable would allow me to find some place to position the adapter to get a signal.
  
  I'm happy to report I made the right decision. I installed the software first, as instructed, then connected and configured the adapter. This was all easy to do - the Linksys software is user-friendly. We use encryption on our network so once I plugged in the key and found a spot for the adapter (the 16' cable was a smart buy) my wife hasn't had a single problem. Actually, she had one problem. She was starting her mail client too quickly after booting and before the computer had connected to the network and received an IP address. She now waits about 15 seconds after Windows loads to check her mail or open a browser and she hasn't had a single complaint since!
  
  I definitely recommend this product, and the 'b' version if you have a TiVo. I'm sticking with Linksys from here on out (I also have their NSUL2 Storage Link which is great for adding storage to your network to be shared by all users).
  
  
  
• Great initial setup and performance
  By A3UARBTZZJSQQV on 2006-10-05
  SUMMARY:
  I have been running this USB wireless adapter for 2 days: initial setup was simple on Windows XP, the connection to my router has been strong, and download speed is not noticeably slower than a wired ethernet connection.
  
  SETUP:
  The adapter was much smaller than I expected from the pics. Very cool little device with a small footprint. It also has a velcro adapter you can slide on the bottom to stick it to the side of something. I removed the velcro part and simply have it sitting under my LCD on the stand of the monitor. It has 4 small rubber feet that help to hold it in place - which is good because such a small piece of hardware can be easily "dominated" by the weight of the USB cable to which it is connected.
  
  1. I put the installation CD in the drive and followed the few prompts to install the software on Windows XP.
  2. The software then prompted me to connect the adapter to an available USB port (I used a USB 2.0 port). There is no power cable to the adapter - it gets power from your computer.
  3. I then selected my wireless network router - a Linksys WRT54G that I've been running for almost a year.
  4. Security setup: I use WEP security, so I had to select which bit mode I use, which is 128 bit instead of 64, so I selected 128 in the drop down box. This is where I had my one setup problem: it prompted me to either key in my network passphrase, which then appeared to automatically fill in the 26 digit WEP key, or key in the WEP key directly. So of course I took the easy way out and keyed in my network passphrase.
  5. I then received a message that the USB successfully connected to my router, but it could not get internet access. A re-boot of the computer did not resolve the issue.
  6. I went back into the setup screen, re-selected the router, and directly keyed in the 26 digit WEP key rather than the passphrase. Voila - worked fine at that point and I had internet access.
  
  PERFORMANCE:
  My wireless router is downstairs, and this USB adapter is in the room directly above on the 2nd floor. It's probably a straight line distance of no more than 12 feet. The connection meter shows a "very good" connection level - I would guess about 80% out of 100% most of the time, sometimes dipping to 70%.
  
  I did one significant download so far of a 13 megabyte firewall program, and it took less than one minute over a cable modem. I did not notice a difference between the speed of this USB adapter and using the wired connection of the PC downstairs. I was a little worried about the speed of USB versus a PCI card, but so far I can't tell the difference.
  
  I have no long term data, obviously, but will update this review if needed. I recommend this product for anyone needing a wireless adapter over a short distance on Windows XP.
  
  
  
  
• One Tough Motha
  By A33NMFE8N5V5OD on 2006-11-02
  I'm in Iraq and and the only internet access we have is via wireless. You have to but an external wireless adapter because the trailers won't let you pick up a signal. Anyhow, I bought this Adapter hoping that it will last long enough through the 130 degree heat and sand outside. I have to say it's been 5months and it has been on my roof of my trailer sitting in the heat, sand and now rain and it still runs perfect. I can't give an accurate rating on the signal quality because I think it's due to the fact there's so much interference from all the wireless adapters and other access points. Needless to say this thing will last you awhile. Setup was easy.
  
  
• Wireless internet rocks!
  By A2HRGN5QBMOP8J on 2003-11-17
  This is a great addition to anyone's home computer network, especially if you don't enjoy tripping over piles of wires/cables etc. This worked as soon as i hooked it up to my XP Pro desktop(homebuilt). It connected to my wireless G router right away and i was on the net. I thought i was "the man" so i tried to network my wireless desktop with my wireless laptop, and then my whole desktop crashed and couldn't "find" the internet anymore, even though the connection was strong. I ended up restoring XP to an earlier date, reinstalled the wireless adapter, and was on the net once again. Note to self: Leave networking to the damn pro's...stick with wireless internet...
  
  
• Product is not reliable.
  By on 2003-12-23
  I've had this over a month (and too late to send back). Product is a bid twitchy on windows 2000 as it takes several minutes before it gets to the internet. After that it stays on although it does drop occasionally.

  On XP, it drops alot more and the wlan monitor software REFUSES to load. Also, this specific G product doesn't support WPA security...which is ok. I never got wep on this usb adapter to work with xp anyway.

  My setup:

  54G Linksys wireless router upstairs and computers in another room downstairs. I also have a wireless card (don't know the brand on my laptop motherboard and a D-Link Air-Plus Xtreme which I just purchased on a Dell 4100. The connectivity of the non-linksys wireless cards with the linksys 54G router is absolutely fantastic. Even the laptop usb B is good.

  Conclusion from my experience and other reviews on Amazon: Linksys 54G Wirless 4-port router is good but stay away from the linksys wireless pci, usb, and cardbus wireless adapters based on the reviews.

  Cisco had better straighten out Linksys soon or this division will die.
  
  

• works fine in XP
  By AG0NDQEY9VMXY on 2004-01-29
  I had no problem getting this to work in XP Home Edition (with USB 2.0, and a Linksys wireless-G access point). It uses USB power, so no extra hassle with a power supply, and it's very small (it comes with two-sided tape to keep it nailed down if needed --- it's THAT small). Through 4 walls in my home I get a signal of "very good" which has been perfectly adequate for my needs. It works OK for online gaming (I tried Call of Duty), except that I get occassional interruptions which I have since discovered are due to a mouse and keyboard also using the USB pipeline. I'd go with a PCI device for a lot of gaming, otherwise the sheer convenience of this adapter is hard to beat.
  
  
• Great Product
  By A1SVOIQRLM2IU on 2004-02-20
  At first, I was an angry customer too...just like many of you who wrote negative reviews. Then after I uninstalled the stupid LAN or WAN utility that was on the CD, it worked flawlessly!

  Just install the drivers! Forget about any other miscellaneous stuff.
  
  

• Unlisted Limatations
  By on 2004-03-28
  I bought the Linksys WRT54G router and it worked flawlessly. So I decided to stick with the company when I wanted to untether my desktop from the router. I purchased this item, only to find when it arrived that it does not support WPA encryption. So in order to use it I need to change my entire security configuration. There is no driver update, and their tech support told me 'they are working on a new driver' but provided no date. So if you don't mind leaving your network less secure, this is the adapter for you. Otherwise look somewhere else.
  
  
• No Driver for Win98SE!!
  By A2CAXI9OVEQM38 on 2004-04-09
  Linksys doesn't bother to highlight the fact that it is the only USB-G adapter that doesn't work with WIN98SE. Netgear and D-Link's units do. There isn't any technical reason for this that I can think of, so they must be too lazy to modify one of their drivers? Cisco better get on their case.
  
  
• A very poor product
  By on 2004-05-04
  I purchased the WUSB54G because it was supposed to be faster than my current WUSB11. However, it never worked or performed up to par. After numerous calls to Linksys it still will not connect to my network when I boot the computer. I have to manually click connect from the Linksys program. Linksys claims it is a driver problem, however the have not updated the driver in 8 months. Also, the range of the WUSB54G is poor at best. The only time I ever connnected at a speed of 40Mbps or higher is when I had my laptop in the same room as the wireless router (Linksys as well). All in all I give this product 1 star. It appears as if Linksys might have rushed to get this product to market before thorougly testing and working the bugs out.
  
  
• Very simple install
  By A375MAAPYMY2T2 on 2004-05-05
  Took very little time to install. The G router is two floors up. Getting very good signal strength. Very happy.
  
  

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