Wireless-Network Reviews

The documentation that comes with the Squeezebox (a small 20 page booklet) is easy to follow and provides excellent information. I followed the set-up directions and could not get the Squeezbox to communicate with the SlimServer. I figured it had something to do with my network firewall settings. After a quick call to SlimDevices (very knowledgeable and helpful tech support) to assist me with the setup, and one setting on my firewall...I was up and running. The Squeezebox then found my network and the SlimServer and was ready to go. I browsed my iTunes collection and hit play...it worked. This is exactly what I have been looking for. I then downloaded the RealSlim plug-in, followed the directions and it worked. Now I have complete access to any music on my PC. Awesome! I wasted my time with the Linksys Music Player and am glad I stumbled upon the Squeezebox. If you want to stream audio to your home stereo from your PC MP3 collection, iTunes, and/or Rhapsody then my suggestion would be to spend a little extra money and purchase the Squeezbox. Finally a product that does exactly what it is intended to do!!

Elegant technology. It has transformed the way we live, in much the same way as Tivo. Out entire music library is at our fingertips, including custom play lists. The interface is intuitive and easy to use. Sound quality is excellent - I was afraid the limitations of MP3 would become apparent, but they are not.

One minor annoyance - if you turn off the PC hosting the SlimServer software, the Squeezebox gets upset. You occasionally need to hard reboot (i.e. unplug) the Squeezebox to get it to find the server again.

I purchased a Squeezebox when it was originally released in November 2003. Today, the market is flooded with "media bridges" but the Squeezebox is still far superior to its competitors.

It has a very intuitive interface that is family and guest friendly. It supports practically all music formats and will achieve real CD quality when using a lossless format like FLAC.

The active user and developer community ensures that 2 or 3 years down the road you won't be stuck with an expensive paperweight.

I'm really enjoying the freedom from CDs and will never go back. Highly recommended.

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!

OK, I don't typicaly sing the praises of wireless network cards -- I've had my share of frustration with them in the past (limited range, connection failures, etc.). But the SMC2642W is the best of any cards I've tried -- and that includes full size PCMCIA versions!

I originally order a Dell branded 802.11b card with my Axim X5. I could never get it to work even when standing next to the access point. So, back it went.

I little gun shy, it was a while before I risked trying another CF card. But a great deal on the SMC card convinced me to give it a try. Setup is a little complicated under PocketPC 2002, but this is not SMC's fault and I understand that PocketPC 2003 is much better in this regard. Even so, I was up and running in about 15 minutes.

This SMC card has yet to fail to connect from anywhere in the house (with SMC AP) or my office (with D-Link AP). I can connect much more easily than with my two PCMCIA cards (one of them also an SMC).

After the bad experience with the Dell card, this card is a joy to use. Also, it fits very nicely into the Axim without obstructing any connectors. Power consumption seems fine, although I usually unplug it when I don't need it.

Highly recommended (and I thought I'd never say that about an 802.11b card).

The card works great in my iPaq 3835 with the CF Sleeve. Installation was simple, and with the power save mode, I get about 3 hours of use from the battery in the CF sleeve.

This product is a solid performer. Unlike other products where you may not be able to carry a notebook in its carrying case, the antenna slides and becomes flush with the body of the notebook. It might seem cosmetic, but the value added is very real.
Otherwise, the card performs as one would expect from a 3Com. The software (driver) is good. The default is to connect to any available router.
There is another software product on the CD which allows you to connect adhoc to any other card but considering the security aspects, you might not wish to use that.

This is a must for anyone who uses iTunes and has a wireless network set up in their home. Not only can you stream your iTunes music to your home stereo but it also acts as a wireless print server. As if that wasn't enough, you can take the unit on the road and create an instant wireless access point with any ethernet based connection...

Needing a quick fix to connect a laptop to a home network, I hustled down to the local Walmart to pick up a laptop wireless card. They had two choices, the Blitzz card and a Linksys card. Since the Blitzz was about 2/3 the price of the Linksys, if went for it.

Setting up was a breeze, after installing the software, I placed the card in my laptop. It was instantly recognized. Then I was asked which network I wanted to join. Simple as that.

I have only had the card for a day, so I cannot attest to the durability of the item. The reception is great. I have taken it about 100 feet away from the Microsoft B base that I purchased, with an excellent signal.

Networking can get so complicated that I think it is important to go off of recommendations. I had a client of mine recommend this router to me for office use. I have now become a fan of Compex after my experience with the NP26G. My favorite pro about it is the webcam server feature. I have read reviews about it and of course that is what they focus on. I haven't heard of anything similar to Compex's router. I also like the Pseudo VLAN feature so that I can protect certain files from employees. All in all I don't have any complaints.

I use this compact Wireless G bridge to connect my ReplayTV and two laptops in my home office to a Linksys Wireless G router (WRT54GS) in the living room. Installation was easy and it works beautifully, even when streaming video between my two ReplayTV units.

The Bridge itself is quite small: about 5" wide, 4" deep, and 1" tall--about half the size of my wireless router. The case is metal, not plastic, and seems built to last.

If you just need to add wireless connectivity to a single component, a wireless G adapter would be cheaper. But to network several co-located components (and leave USB and PC-card slots free), this Ethernet bridge offers a great alternative.

The best design for your desk top. High quality of this drives me crazy. However, it is a little bit expensive. Anyway, I love this high tech toy.

The wireless revolution has seriously altered the way I work. It didn't seem like it was that big of a deal, to be able to work anywhere in the house on a laptop. And then I was home over Thanksgiving and tried my father's - it was incredible. So, soon after I had my own and I love it - I even ended up getting another one for my wife's laptop.

Whether it's browsing amazon.com late at night in bed, checking morning email in the kitchen while the kids run around, or being able to set up a writing desk anywhere in the house without worrying about an accessible internet port - the airport system is awesome. Even if you only have a desktop computer it's worth it - you can to put the computer in a place where there's no internet plug, without the 40 foot cord draping your wall to connect it. All in all, a wireless system may seem extravagant, but once you have one you'll wonder how you got by without it.

The airport card, along with the base station, allows you to connect several computers, even ones that don't have wireless cards in them (i.e., we have two laptops on the wireless system, and then one iMac that doesn't have an airport card is plugged directly into the base station). You can print, scan - anything - wirelessly, as long as those extra components are connected to the base station.

If you have a big house and the base station won't be centrally located, you may want to look into the antenna. I have a 2500 square foot house and the base station is at one end of it. I can get access from anywhere in the house without the extra antenna, though in one or two places it's a weak signal. My father's house, on the other hand, is over 5000 square feet and the base station is at a far end - you can't even get a signal on the other side of the house. However, he purchased the antenna and the signal is now very strong wherever you are. A warning - you should make sure your airport network is password protected, especially if you get the antenna. The signal will be broadcast through half your neighborhood and if not protected, people can get on and use your airtime, clogging up your bandwidth.

Make sure you get the right card! There's the airport extreme card and the regular airport card (I believe they are both compatible with either base station). Check Apple's website for direct compatibility between your computer and the two different cards. They are different sizes and will only fit in the right kind of slot.

One final word - I've heard from others that certain products from Net Gear or other wireless manufacturers accomplish the same thing as the airport card and base station for much cheaper. I can't attest to the validity of this, but it might be worth looking into. I'd exercise extreme caution, since if you go with Apple products it will be covered with tech support, even if it's more expensive. And putting third party hardware in your computer will likely void the warranty on your computer.

The new base station is great. But don't be taken in by the advertising for the external antennas sold by Dr. Bott. They do nothing to extend the range of the airport and in most cases decrease signal strength. Check out the discussions on the Apple web site for more info on the external antennas.
Other than the external antenna port being a waste of time because there are no good antennas for it, the new ABS is a nice access point. And best of all, the new Windows utility for configuration is quite handy. Thankfully Apple has finally realized that the Airports aren't just "Macintosh" peripherals but are also used by many Windows users.