Cisco-Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter

The adapter was working great until I decided to upgrade to a new computer. While I thought installation would be easy plug and play, it was not. After four calls to Linksys tech support and installing numerous driver updates, I still cannot connect the computer to the router (as a side note, I have another computer in the network NOT using a Linksys adapter, and it connects just fine). Save yourself the trouble, and do not buy this adapter.

I had hoped to use this unit with Linux, or maybe a mac. The setup for windows went smoothly, but mac and linux are a different matter. I did not pursue the details for installing it on the mac. There are some web posts, however. Linux proved troublesome. Linksys doesn't provide drivers or support. There are a number of posts on the web, however. Attempting to install a driver ended up locking up Suse 10.3 during the writing of the system configuration and totally broke it. Be sure to backup everything before tinkering with the driver modules. Maybe the unit will install & work OK with windows. Though my install on WN2K completed OK, and the router showed up, I wasn't able to connect. I didn't sort out the problem as I have no need to use it on that machine.

I already have the 802.11b version of this device and got this one for my wife, who has finally seen the advantage of web surfing from your easy chair. The great thing about a USB wireless adapter is that you can move it to a better place for reception. Sitting in my chair is not the best place for reception. However, a couple feet away I get great reception. So the adapter on its USB cable goes where it picks up great reception and I get to relax in my chair. Sure, it's a bit slower than a straight PCI card, but it's more than fast enough for internet browsing and I don't do too many huge file transfers from my La-z-boy. Installation onto a Windows 2000 Pro system was a snap. Put in the CD, connected the WUSB54G when the install told me to, and I was done.

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.

1 star is too generous. Can I give it a -5? I have a sad story to share with my fellow Amazon.com shoppers: I have a Linksys Wireless-G Cable Gateway (WCG200) attached to a Linksys High Gain Antenna Kit for TNC Connectors HGA7T, a Linksys wireless-G USB Network Adapter (WUSB54G) &/or a wireless-G adapter with Speedbooster (WUSB54GS). One of my computer is setup with a cat-5e cable. The other I play around to see if I can get it wireless. Everything worked fine for a while but when I upgraded my wireless computer from a P3 800 Mhz to a P4 3.2 Mhz Prescott cpu (+ a new Asus P4P800-E motherboard), all hell broke loose. Sometimes I would have internet connection. Most of the time I would have my computer crashing & crashing. I downloaded the driver(s) of both the WUSB54G & WUSB54GS drivers from my other computer from Linksys.com & tried them all. My computer stopped crashing but still no internet connection through my Linksys wireless cable modem. I emailed Linksys to ask for a possible solution. They email me back stating that if my old P3 worked, then my new P4 should work as well. The wireless computer is only 60 feet away from the cable modem (both on the same floor)& the reception signal is 54%. How come I have no connection? The moral of this story is that you either need to be an computer expert or you have alot of time to kill if you want to set it up wireless. This is the kind of crap that gets a guy start drinking heavily. Wasted 9 days trying to set up wireless. Now both computers are connected through the cat-5e cables.