Customer Reviews

Hawking Technology Hi-Gain 6db Wireless-G Laptop Card (HWC54D)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Like another reviewer below, I got it because it claimed it would increase the range over the not-particularly-directional antenna inside my laptop (Vaio PCG-V505EXP, running the latest service pack of XP Pro). But I found LOTS of problems:

1. It did no better at picking up signals than my laptop's built-in, and if the antenna wasn't aimed optimally it did worse.

2. When the antenna was aimed optimally, it saw signals I can normally connect to, but this card had problems connecting to them consistently ("limited connectivity") whereas my laptop's built-in WiFi has that "limited connecivity" problem only occasionally and briefly (at the same locations, with the same signals).

3. If I tried to do a Repair (from the Wireless Connection icon right-click menu), it would hang on the "disabling the wireless adapter" step.

4. The Utility that came with this installed itself in the tray. But trying to use that utility from the tray would cause it to crash every time (volunteering to "Send Report").

5. When I tried the Safely Remove icon from the tray, then tried to Stop the card so I could remove it, that process hung forever, and I had to force a shutdown (the ugly way) to get it out of that.

6. Btw, even if it would work in SOME situations (tho what situations those might be I'm not sure!), it's no good in situations where you are moving the laptop around even when close to the signal. So for those you would want to move back to the built-in WiFi. But while I have a switch on my laptop to disable that (when I want to use another connection method instead), there is no switch (in hardware or software) that I could find to disable this card temporarily. Thus no easy way to switch back and forth between directional (using this card) and non-directional (using the built-in WiFi).

Btw, after I uninstalled all the software that came with it, my built-in WiFi still didn't work (it said other software had taken it over!). I had to do a System Restore (to right before I installed this card) to get my built-in WiFi back to working normally. So if you do get this card, make sure that you try it out quickly after installing it, before you install anything else (unrelated), so that you'll have a good System Restore point if you want to Undo everything that resulted from trying out this card.

I bought the Hawking card because it advertised a "directional antenna" that promised a 200% gain in signal strength. I'm on the road a lot and I use various wireless hotspots to connect. With my IBM Laptop (built in card) I could connect quite easily, however for my Dell Laptop I bought this card to connect wirelessly.. and could never connect. The directional antenna is just that.. but you need to aim it at the router with pinpoint accuracy to get a signal.. any deviation side to side and the signal drops. I used Netstumbler to test this card and you could watch the signal drop off as you moved the card around. Even from 10 feet away from my wireless router, I could never connect. I took it back to the store. Junk. Don't waste your time.

I tried it on 4 laptops, and none of them was able to sustain the signal. It kept on dropping out! Mind you, two of the internal cards did a much better job than it.

I bought the card thinking it was a great deal. The card has a clunky and fragile rotating extendable antenna. Feels like it will break off with too much movement. It was working fine for a couple of minutes. Then the card would not maintain network connectivity. I called tech support. They walked me through reinstalling the driver setting up the card with their software. Hawking said to call back if other issues arose. The problem was not fixed. So, I returned it.

I bought a Belkin Card F5D7010 instead for $30. The card gave same problem. So I called their tech support. Belkin told me to use the Windows XP Zero Configuration Utility in addition to their software. Problem solved. The card works great.

I assume that the Hawking card would work fine if I had run the Windows XP Zero Configuration Utility as well. The thing that gets me, is that neither Hawking & Belkin says to run the Windows XP Zero Configuration Utility in their installation guides.

I gave the card 2 stars for the inept tech support and weak construction of the antenna.

This is a great card for a laptop, however they need to correct their problems with the installer for XP. Also to get thru to them for any help is a major challenge, took me 4 days to get thru on their 800 line. Once you do get to them they fix the problem right away, seems they know it will not install correctly. Then it works great.

I did not notice any difference from the card that was already in my notebook and sent the HWC54D back. It disconnected and didn't let me move out of the kitchen. It installed easily; it just didn't work.

I was using a Belkin 54G card & couldn't keep connected (like another review I read that covinced ME to buy this one). I have Windows XP and it loaded without any issues! I am getting GOOD & VERY GOOD signal now!! Where I was only getting LOW & LIMITED OR NO CONNECTIVITY w/the other card!!!!
WOOHOO!! I'm very happy!
I just can see I'll need to be careful w/the antenna (like other reviews said too), but I'll treasure this puppy because it works GREAT!
03/28/2007 REVISION: It does work GREAT, but as other reviews stated, it is somewhat fragile. Mine broke within the first week. It broke in the 'joint' where the antenna connects to the card. So we are still ablt to use it, we prop it up when in use and it can get bumped then it hangs there and doesn't get as good of signal.
We chose to purchase a Linksys Range Expander since and are using our Belkin card again, and this setup works magnificently!
I'm sure if we hadn't broken the Hi-Gain card, we'd still be using it now, but we did. Just wanted to give other customers an update.

I have a Dell Inspiron 4000 Laptop which I installed it on flawlessly, and I can also pick up most of the wireless networks in my area as I can with my 14Dbi external antenna I use with my orinoco classic gold 802.11b card. (which is the way to go) but I like the Hawkings HWC54D for local wireless hotspots etc. I would of gave it 5 stars except for it doesn't work with Netstumbler.

The Broadcom wireless adaptor that is built into my notebook generally does an excellent job of locking onto any decent signal in the vicinity. Accordingly, I for years would never have thought to need a card like this. However, I have been spending a couple of nights a week at a large rural home where the wireless access point is in a home office on one side of the house and my bedroom is all the way across the home in another wing. My internal wireless feature works fine outside in the garden, in the garage, in a car in the driveway, in most downstairs rooms, but not in the bedroom where I work at a desk. It fades in and out and wasn't enough even to load a simple web page like Yahoo or download POP email. Forget about video; instead, the adaptor would tantalize me by letting me know it could see the network, but all I would get is an intermittant connection. Grrrrr. A card like this seemed the easiest and least intrusive solution.

Sure enough, this thing turns a basically useless signal into a "very good" signal when properly aimed, allowing me to get even high-speed streaming video. I couldn't be happier.

Setup was easy: insert disk. Run setup program. Insert card. Click Next a few times as windows finds and installs the card. Carefully open fold-up antenna and aim same using the nifty signal strength utility.

Yes, I know I'm going to have to be careful not to yank the antenna or I will doubtless break it. But it's not like I'm going to be slamming my notebook around in the spot I am currently using it.

I couldn't be happier with how this all worked out.

This card is great. I bought a card from Buffalo tech and one of their antennas and spent a week with their tech support (who did not care) and could not get it to load on my laptop. This card went right up on line and with the diagnostic utility it came with, I was able to tune right in on a hot signal and connect to the wireless network in the remote room where I am staying. I love it. The swivel antenna allows me to keep the laptop in one place. I was turning the laptop in all sorts of directions to get a signal.
The only drawback is I cannot fit another PCMCIA card in the adjacent slot at the same time. I will live with this as the reception is worth it!