Networking Reviews

I've been told that I bought a better wireless card than I needed, but I really don't regret it. This is my first wireless card, so maybe this is true of all of them, but it was a cinch to install and works great. I'm thrilled. And, believe me, if I think it's easy to use, ANYONE can use this thing. Connection speed is as though I was hooked up direct to my cable modem!

The Netgear WAG511 802.11a/b/g wireless card works great in any environment. I also have bought the WGT624v2 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router and I can connect with it up to speeds of 108 Mbps.

In summary, a good buy

This card is great if you have a 802.11b router at home and 802.11a or g at work or University.

It is true that it is more expensive than the others, but you get access to three standards instead of 1 or 2.

If you'll always be working in a 802.11g or 802.11a network, buy another card, buy if you need access wherever you go, this is for you.

GREAT, GREAT! Installs without essential problems, can work with Rhapsody and Musicmatch and can play files that you have on your hard drive. Comments: a) SimpleCenter installs without problems. The only catch: to downolad firmware upgrade it is necessary to create account and register. If not done, the "download firmware upgrade" button is disabled (firmware upgrade must be done to use Rhapsody). It seems that this is nowhere documented that account must be created first (if at all), b) when creating account, there is no pop-up saying that registration is complete. Otherwise, no complains. Rhapsody and Musicmatch must have Universal Plug and Play servers activated. When done, both services are displayed on Omnifi screen. Can play albums, playlists and single tracks.

Screen is pretty readable (my initial worry was that it will be not) similar in setting and size to XM radio. Pretty complete information available on screen. There are 10 presets and favotites that can be controlled from the remote.

Network setup prety easy. I am using spare Wi-Fi WAP11 bridge from Linksys. No problems. Just plug the cable.

Sound quality OK. Marginally worse than when using ProHIFI from Xitel. However, reasonable even for listening classical music on high quality stereo (if you can accept the quality of mp3...)

Highly recommended. I am going to buy 2 more units. I want to have this little gadget in each room where I have speakers.

This device has transformed the way that I listen to music in my house. I haven't played a CD since I bought it! And best of all, it works with the Rhapsody service- it's like having access to thousands of CD's on my stereo. Highly recommend it!!

I love the DMS1 - setup was a piece of cake and using it is really easy. The best part is the ability to stream Rhapsody! Omnifi's tech support is very responsive as well. After trying over solutions - I cant recommend this enough!

My wife has a Win98 machine and I have a Win2000 machine. After we married, we didn't want the hassle of moving software and data files onto one machine so we stuck both boxes under a desk and used this D-Link KVM switch to share one keyboard, mouse and monitor. I also bought the D-Link DKVM-CB 3-in-one Cables to make sure there were no cable compatibility issues.

The switch and cables installed in minutes and worked the first time. The only problem was that the mouse tended to freeze when we switched between computers. Turns out that we had been using two different Logitech mice, and I solved the problem by making sure that both computers had the same mouse drivers intalled for the mouse we were using with the KVM switch.

I've had two computers located under the same desk for a little while now. I set them both up on my home network, but I only have one monitor. I reformatted both before putting them on the network, and the whole process was a pain in the arse. When you get one up and running, you don't really know if it's networked properly until the other one is up and running looking for it on the network. I finally got the initial setup working fine (after several hours of crawling around underneath the desk to swith the monitor from on PC to the other), but everyone knows problems are going to keep coming: "Why can't I see the computer?", "Why can't I see the network printer?", "How come I can access some shares, but not others?" These are just a few of the questions that come along (looks like it's time to crawl underneath the desk for the umpteenth million time). Besides just networking problems, you have to keep track of which mouse and keyboard go with which computer. "How come the keyboard's not working?...oh, my god! I hope I didn't screw anything up on the other computer!"

Anyway, you get the idea. Now that I have the D-Link KVM switch, instead of spending time crawling around underneath the desk, I just push one button and within 3 seconds I'm accessing the other computer. This thing is great! Setting it up was intuitive, but was a hassle (you have to power down the systems, unplug the keyboards, mices, and monitor, plug them into the KVM switch, plug the switch into each of the computers, and power up the systems). But just that small amount of extra time invested will save you a lot more down the road! There are no extra drivers to install (which is good, because if you had to, you can only hope they supply them for ALL operating systems). I have one PC with XP pro and the other with Xandros (a linux distro). I've had zero problems so far. The manual also said that I needed to make sure if my mouse was special that it conformed to the Microsoft Intellimouse standard (or something along those lines). I don't have one of those, but I do have a 5-button 2-wheel mouse that plugs into the PS/2 port (that uses the 4D++ iWheelWorks driver software in Windows). I didn't have my hopes too high when trying to use it (because of what the manual said), and I figured if it didn't work correctly that it wasn't a big deal to have an extra mouse on the desk (one plugged into each computer). Well, it's been working just like I want it to in XP: all buttons and both wheels; (I know the buttons work in linux, but I haven't been able to find drivers yet to make the mouse do what I want, so I can't really use the extra buttons).

Let me reiterate:
Saves time: no more crawling around underneath the desk to switch the monitor to another PC.
Saves space: only need one keyboard, mouse, and monitor instead of two of each!
Saves money: since you only need one monitor, you don't have to go out and buy an extra one.
Cool features: no driver (works with computers that support PS/2 connections), easy to use (push one button to switch), small design (it was smaller than expected; I think the picture shown on Amazon is of the 4port switch, meaning the switch in the picture is wider than the one you'll receive if you buy the 2port version), supports 5-button, 2-wheel mice!

If you buy this, don't forget to buy KVM cables (one for each computer)! Also, make sure both ends are MALE! :)

What more can you ask for? Take it out of the box, plug it in, plug in the PCs you want to network, set up your network protocols (TCP/IP, NetBUI, etc.) and your on your way. No drivers to fuss with (although it does come with a CD of tools which I have not yet explored) and it comes with a pretty decent manual. Don't forget to buy network cables.

I use this for a 4 computer LAN at home. Set up was simple, the software was not only good, but automatically updateable and both intranet and internet speeds are excellent. In short, I have no cpmplaints.

Great hub, worked right out of the box. Includes LED displays and uplink port w/ switch.

I bought OfficeConnect for my small business and was truely amazed at this hub's awesome performance. Its capable of a fast connectivity solution of 10/100. The installation was so simple. With this piece of hardware I now have a office with 6 computers fully networked (file shareing and all) and I'm thinking about purchasing another. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone who is serious about networking a small office.

I have one of these connected to a Power Mac MDD 867 and it works fine. Like the first reviewer, I used double-sided foam tape to secure the hub to my desk. Connected to it and working fine are a Lexmark printer, Canon scanner (bus-powered), Griffin iMic, Wacom Graphire tablet, Clie dock, Plantronics USB headset, and a Logitech MX710 mouse.

I use USB a lot - I have a variety of devices that use it to communicae with computers, and the couple of sockets that most machines have has long since become inadequate for what I do. At present, I have two Belkin 7-port USB hubs and one 4-port model on various computers around my house and business. They are simple, unassuming, and loyally perform their work with a minimum of trouble. I've tried other hubs, but the Belkins have been by far the most reliable.

This is a plug it in then plug other things into it technology. The only thing you can do wrong is man-handle the connections hard enough to break something. And the Belkin sockets are plenty tough. It comes with it's own power supply which is more than adequate to support devices that draw their energy from the USB connection.

My only gripe is a typical one of all USB hubs - the box isn't heavy enough to overcome the pull of the USB wires. Of course, making it so would significantly effect the price of a very affordable device. This really is only an issue if you have to keep plugging and unpluging things. I gave up and grabbed a roll of double sided tape - end of problem.

I required a second network card to setup a multihomed server using Windows 2003. Since I was out of PCI slots on my server this adapter was a definitive blessing; it is also an excellent alternative for laptop users and for people who don't feel comfortable opening their computer cases. The adapter's cable length is about a foot 1/2 long, which I think is adequate for most people; it also has a power LED which also serves as a network status indicator.

I also tested the adapter with Windows XP and did not require the CD to set it up (Windows 2003 did require the CD).

Note:
If you install this adapter with your system powered on, you will get an error message indicating a problem starting the device, this is normal and will go out after restarting.

So far, performance has been consistent and it has been 100% stable.

I hope that my review helps in evaluating this device.

1) You run the setup program in the CD
2) Plug in your USB ethernet adapter into the computer
3) Plug your ethernet cable to the other end

It was so easy to get up and running. Took less than five minutes!

I use this hub with my iMac with Mac OS 9.2. Simple plug in and go! I use it with its optional (but included) power supply. I have a webcam running through it 12+ hours a day, and also have attached my color printer, ZIP drive, and floppy drive. Have not encountered any problems at all! They all behave as though they were plugged directly into my computer. It's SO nice to be able to use these other USB devices without having to unplug the webcam every time.

This 4-port usb hub is an easy and cheap way to add more usb ports to your computer. I use it with my Toshiba notebook computer, and it works just great. Just plug the USB hub into your USB port and use the included power adapter to supply extra power.

This hub works with computers with Windows 95 OSR2 or higher, or Mac OS 8.1 or higher.

With all the toys to add on to your computer, it's just a matter of time before you run out of USB ports. This hub is simple to install - just plug it in!

This USB Hub simply rocks. It allows 4 more USB devices which i use all the time.

I purchased this for a laptop running Windows 2000. The laptop has only 1 USB port. I plugged it into the port and attached my mouse and my flash drive and both instantly worked flawlessly.

I also liked that the package includes a power adapter but the included manual (more about that in a moment) explains that you don't need the power adapter for low-power-use devices such as mice. The design is a bit peculiar but it also includes two additional easy-swappable covers so you can change from silver to gray to black.

The manual (a 36-page booklet) includes information in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish, and Portugese). The English section was written by someone with a good grasp of English (unlike many manuals lately that have very peculiar translations). It includes clear diagrams and explanations (not that I really think anyone would really need this, but nonetheless, the manual was a nice feature.)

I've always liked Belkin products and once again, I am very pleased.

This is the only USB hub I've ever used (purchased around New Year's 2002), and I have no intention of finding a new one. (I have a P3-500 laptop and a docking station with 2 USB ports. I put my printer into one port, and the USB hub in the other; in the hub, I currently have a 3.5" floppy drive, a mouse, and a webcam.) While I have no idea what other hubs do better or worse, I can offer a few isolated observations about the Belkin.

* The unit is reliable; every once in a while my laptop will flake out and not recognize some or all of the devices in the hub -- if I unplug the hub and plug it back in, it clears right up.

* It's self-powered, so it doesn't draw power from the computer itself. That may not be a big deal to a desktop user, but if you have a laptop, my guess is you'll want it to get its own power. I guess if you have a presentation or something, you can bring it a long and plug in a pointer, a disk drive, or whatever other technological pyrotechnics you've dreamed up. (If you're merely working away from the desk, you will, of course, want to leave the Belkin behind and not play tech-wizard in public.) If, on the other hand, you have a desktop, you just unplug the hub's power cord and flip a switch from "BUS" to "SELF," and you don't have to screw with the extra cord.

* Moving on, it's laid out kind of strange. The cord to the CPU goes in one end of the rectangular body, and four outlets come out the other. I bet it's great if your USB port faces you from about two feet away (?), but I don't have a lot of room between my docking station and the wall, so it ends up very inelegantly laying on top of the other cables.

* It has LEDs to let you know that your ports are powered. I suppose this is a dummy check measure if you happen to have your USB hub hooked up to a different power supply; I rarely see the thing, so I don't care about the lights.

All in all, I've had no frustrations at all with the Belkin; since that's about the most you could ever ask from a piece of electronics, it gets a big thumbs up.