Easy to set up and reliable, but a power hog (Netgear WG511 Wireless-G PC Card)

Member Name: sublimatica

Product:	Netgear WG511 Wireless-G PC Card
Date:	04/09/03 (681 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to set up, Reliable wireless connection

Disadvantages: Aerial sticks out of laptop, Drains the laptop battery

The packaging for this 54g wireless card boasts that it's a doddle to set up, and they're not wrong. The instructions are excellent. From opening the box to using my new wireless network (including setting up my Netgear WG602 access point) took about 15 minutes and was right first time. Even the instructions for protecting the wireless network with high-level WEP encryption were logical and clear.

The connection is reliable and I haven't reached its speed potential yet, so I can't complain. It's a pain that the card's aerial sticks out of the side of my laptop about 30mm, but almost all wireless LAN cards are the same in that respect. I haven't knocked it on anything yet, but I suppose I will. The card doesn't get at all hot in use, which makes a pleasant change from my normal 3com LAN card.

Most wireless LAN cards will draw large currents from your laptop and this one is no exception. My battery life went from 2.5 hours down to 1 (if I was lucky). Carry your mains charger with you. So much for wireless computing!

I have no way of comparing the WG511's wireless performance with other 54g products, so I have no idea whether signal quality, transmission speed or reliability are exceptional or poor. It's been fine for me and I can now surf the web, and sometimes work, in the garden with no trailing wires.

I bought the card in a bundle with the matching Netgear WG602 54g access point for £117 from a mail order Internet retailer in June 2003.

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