Networking Reviews

Desktop Ethernet switches in this category are basically the same. In my opinion there really aren't many features which differentiate between the switches (besides number of ports). That being the case, I always look for a bargain.

Linksys makes great products, which are often priced well below the comparable Intel or 3Com devices. I have never been disappointed by a Linksys product, and this switch is very reliable.

The EtherFast 10/100 5-port (plus 1 uplink port) is a great way to start up your own LAN. Since it comes with an Ethernet card, you are half way there.

My only complaints about Linksys are that the installation documentation isn't always complete (Linux driver installation is sometimes a headache), and multiple chipset version are sold under the EtherFast moniker. This isn't an issue if you are running Windows 9x or Windows 2000, but if you are installing Solaris or Linux it can become a frustration.

I am using this switch to connect all of the computers in my room (print server, laptop, desktop) and ran an uplink cable to the switch in the next room which is connected to my cable router. It works great.

this switch works just fine, plug it in the network and thats it.

very reliable!!!!

My private home network is a growing entity. I needed an upgrade, and a new ethernet card, so I couldn't pass up this deal. I also own a Linksys Cable/DSL router and a Linksys KVM switch, and I have never been disappointed with any of their products.

I've had this installed for around six months now. It's cool, and I definitely needed a way to plug USB devices into the front of my computer. I only have one Firewire device, but I'm happy to have the port for when friends want to plug their iPods into my system.

This hub is really nice for two main reasons:
1. External USB hubs cause a lot of clutter -- especially when you have as many gadgets as I do. Internal hubs are neat and tidy.
2. The fact that you can put this hub into an (almost definitely) unused 3.5 inch drive bay is very valuable, because you are far more likely to want to use the larger drive bays for other expansion in the future, but it's unlikely you'll need another 3.5 inch floppy drive -- ever ;-)

Two slight drawbacks, however:
1. As soon as I installed it, I was kicking myself for forgetting that I wanted to plug USB 2.0 devices into it. For that reason, I'm thinking about replacing this thing with a USB 2.0 compatible device.
2. One other weird thing -- this makes sense, but I hadn't really thought about it until I installed this hub -- is you have to plug it into an existing USB and Firewire port on the back of your computer. It has a USB plug and a Firewire plug that come out of the back of the computer, and then you plug it into your existing ports.

I think this is a cool product especially if you ran out on PCI slots. In case of a PCI slot however, you need to mess behind the computer. This one gives a front access which you will usually need with USB and Firewire devices. 4 USB and 2 Firewire is a great lot too.

I have successfully used this hub in conjection with a SpeedStream 5660 router to provide an ADSL connection to three computers. But keep in mind that the Netgear EN-104TP 10-Base T-Ethernet Hub 4-Port will get the job done for 26$.

Quick and easy setup. I use this hub with my Windows 2000 Server and it works just as it should. Simple installation and startup. You can easily do this yourself. And I haven't had any trouble with this hub. But I'm outgrowing it; perhaps the 8-port hub would have been better for me. Leave room for growth! I never thought I'd have more than 4 clients.

The hardware for this product performed flawlessly and found connection immediately. Unfortunately, I was unable to make the Midpoint software that is included ever work after 5 frustrating days. I wound up getting WinGate software to solve my software connection problems. D-Link tech support was very helpful and courteous, but unable to resolve my problems. WinGate tech support finally did after 3 calls.

One down side of this package. The server box must always be on line and turned on for the client to connect to the Internet. If this is important, consider getting D-Link's configuration that includes the telephone carrier decoder/encoder in a separate box, rather than having a card mounted in a PCI slot. A router can then be used to connect the client rather than using a server computer.

Quick set up easy to use. Buy it now

I had a hub that I replaced with this switch. Replacement was simple--just plug it in and move all of my cables from my hub to the switch. This couldn't have been more simple. As an added bonus, the switch is even smaller than my 4-port mini-hub!

This is a great, simple switch - perfect for home networking.

Have been using this KVM for about a week. It works well and I like it...However;

If you are considering this purchase and use IBM Netfinity or Netvista computers you should go to Avocent's web site and look at their "Knowledge Base" for Switchview. Apparently the switchview doesn't handle the 2 and 6 pin on the mouse connector properly on these computeres and you need to buy the correct type of cable for a workaround (basically swap the keyboard and mouse cables).
This bit me and luckily I purchased Avocent cables and was able to use their workaround. Other than that, this is a good product. Works very well with other computers.

I bought this to replace a different brand rated for up to 1600 x 1280, which caused a very obvious loss of video quality on my LCD monitor 1280 x 1024 @ 60 Hz, analog input.

What a difference the Avocent made. I'm running 2 identical LCD monitors from a dual-head card, one connected directly to the computer. Side-by-side, I can't see any degradation at all on the switched monitor.

This KVM has a single button. To move from computer B to A, you press it 3 times. I was used to a separate button for each computer, and thought I'd miss that. But switching via keyboard (CTR, CTR, A, Enter) is even easier than reaching for the individual buttons; no software required.

Another unexpected advantage is the all-plastic case. Every once in a while, I'd feel a static discharge when I touched my metal KVM, and usually that would disable the mouse and keyboard until the KVM and all computers were rebooted. Doesn't happen with the Avocent.

All the connectors on the switchbox are female, i.e, require male connectors on the cable. My video cables were female, so I also bought Avocent cable sets. They're as good as any I've used, despite their moderate price.

This KVM is powered from the computers, but also has an input for a 6 vdc 700 mA wall wart, not supplied. The manual (CD only) doesn't say when you'd want to use direct power - maybe with older computers that don't power the keyboard when off.

My one email to the company - pre-purchase inquiry about whether it was reasonable to expect no video loss on an LCD -- was answered accurately, same day.

I've owned 4 desktop KVMs over the years, and used a number of high-end ones at work. Of those, this is the least expensive but the one I prefer for home or individual work area. I didn't do a lot of research, and can't tell you it's the best one currently available, or the best value. Just that it works well for me and is a whole lot more than I expected for the price.

This device didn't even have instructions, which made me a little nervous, but it worked instantly. It did say a PCI card was needed for USB 2.0 mode. Luckily, I didn't need 2.0. I could have bought a cheaper version, but saw too many bad reviews. I would like to complain about the huge power supply, as another reviewer did (maybe Belkin reads these...). So many power supplies are becomming politely narrower, or have cords on both sides of the power supply box. This one is a monster, and I didn't appreciate it.

USB ports on your computer are definitely at a premium. With a mouse, keyboard, printer, digital camera, and PDA, you're already over the limit. This is what USB hubs are for. Plug a bunch of components into the hub and plug the hub into your computer.

I did some research and decided to get a USB 2.0 hub so I'd be ready for when it is supported. USB 2.0 is reported to be worlds faster than USB 1.1. But be careful -- ...your operating system may not support USB 2.0. As of this writing, USB 2.0 support is supposed to be out soon for Windows XP and Windows 2000, but will never be supported under Windows NT or Windows 95/98/me. If you are running one of the latter operating systems, you will not gain anything....

That aside, this hub is nice because it supports USB 1.1 seamlessly. It's also good looking, which is not very important, but I guess it's better than being ugly.

The thing I don't like about it is that it comes with one of the biggest plugs I've ever seen, so it will eat up valuable powerstrip space. Sadly, it has forced me into two powerstrips.

In summary, if you are looking for a USB 2.0 hub, this one works great, but be sure you can utilize USB 2.0 before spending the extra money.

I put this PCI card into my 900mhz AMD Atholon 256mb, and it crashed windows on its very first try. After spending 4 hours reinstalling windows xp it would crash and restart my computer every time.
The product worked ok on my Dell Pentium IV 2.4ghz. Still I'd rather use a wired rather than wireless because the connection isn't very stable. I did keep the Netgearrouter WGT624, for my laptop which works pretty good, maybe because it's a pentium wireless card in there. But for the near futures I'll keep 3 of my desktops wired.
Don't get this unless you absollutely have to.

-
I installed the NETGEAR WG3111T 108 mbps Wireless PCI Adapter while still utilizing my Microsoft MN-500, 11 mbps router. I find it easier to resolve any issues by taking things one step at a time. After the adapter card is operating correctly, I will then install the new NETGEAR WGT624 108 mbps router. I have Windows XP Home edition.

First word of advice, for this or any other piece of hardware: Go to the NETGEAR website (www.netgear.com) and check out the support area, and see if there is a newer version of the device driver and the utility software. If at all possible, download and install those BEFORE you install the WG3111T. It would have saved me a lot of time if I had done this myself.

Installation started smoothly. The Smart Configuration Utility setup the new network connection easily even while my old MSN-510 adapter was connected and operating. The utility listed my available network. I selected it and entered my encryption key. All I had to do was disconnect the old adapter and the NETGEAR WG3111T was up and going.

Then I restarted my computer... and I began losing connectivity. When McAfee VirusScan was installing, it would get "synchronization errors" and "VSMain errors". When AOL started up the network would lose connectivity and the IP address was getting changed to 169.254.120.96 or other variations of 169.254. The IP address was also getting changed when I uninstalled CyberSitter. If I ran the Smart Configuration Utility and hit APPLY, then everything would be fine until I restarted AOL. After going to the NETGEAR website and checking out the support area, I found a newer version of the device driver and the utility software. After downloading and installing these, everything is going just fine.

Since the antenna sticks out of the card, I was a little concerned about reception but the signal strength turned out to be a little better than with my Microsoft MN-510, 11mbs Wireless USB Adapter. I do have to remember to fold the antenna in before I move the computer around since I get the best reception by sticking the antenna straight out. (The computer is on third floor and router is in my basement ceiling.) The instructions tell you to point the antenna up.

After I installed the NETGEAR WGT624 108 mbps router, the WG3111T found the new network and was operating without any effort on my part. When the router broadcast channel was changed, the WG3111T picked-up the change automatically. The reception is consistently in the "excellent" range (and runs at 108 mbps), but it does drop to "very good" (and 54 mbps) briefly. Your reception will be based on the location of your router and receivers.

This card went in without any problems, setup was simple enough anyone could do it. I'm using mine with the WGT634U, which will have an external hard drive connected to it next. What more could you ask for? A fast setup, fast secure connection, and no operating problems, superior range, and a quality name brand.

Are you sure about the capacity?
LOL!

This card works quickly and flawlessly in both my Pentax Optio 330GS and my (brand new) Fuji FinePix S7000. No problems reading it with either the CF Card reader on my home computer or with the PC Card adapter for my laptop. What more can you ask?

Purchase Sandisk 1TB Ultra Compactflash and store your favorite virtual idol in it! With the new Kodak (tm) hologram 3-d digital projector you can bring your favorite girl to the ball, shopping mall or even supermarket without the hassle of actually having one! Alternatively you can use the Canon (tm) brain scanner to take a snapshot of your brain right after you have finished memorizing your footlong shopping-list! You could also use this small digital chip on your Epson (tm) digital dog to store what it saw when you are away from home so that you could present it as an evidence to the court in case you have discovered your robot maid abusing your child.

Works right out of the box with the Zaurus SL-5600, as advertised (unlike the Targus 56K Pocket CF Modem). Too bad it's more than twice the cost!

Works good, connects at close to 56k. It would get five stars but it won't connect to flex.com. Thats not much of a knock because I have not found very many modems that will connect to flex.com. It would be nice if it had a led on the card to indicate activity.

I use the modem card with my Cassiopeia Pocket PC. I travel alot during the day, and I use the modem card to e-mail, surf the web, and access my office network from different locations. So far battery drain hasn't been an issue, I've used it for several hours without any problems. Easy and convenient to use, I've even used it at a pay phone!