Customer Reviews

Medialink - Wireless N USB Adapter - 802.11n - 150Mbps - 2.4ghz - Windows 2000 / 2003 / XP 32-Bit and 64-Bit / Vista 32-Bit and 64-Bit / Windows 7 32-Bit and 64-Bit Compatible

5 star:		(761)
4 star:		(109)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(48)

 

 

I own a computer that utilizes Windows Vista (64 bit) and was not having success installing wireless adapters from two reputable companies. At this point I was ready to cut open walls and run the ethernet cable to my computer. I mentioned the problem to my computer geek cousin and he told me to purchase a medialink wireless adapter as it supports Windows Vista 32 and 64. So I googled the wireless adapter and found that Amazon carried it. So I went to Amazon.com and there it was in the medialink adapter's product information, compatible with Vista 32 and 64. At $29.99 ( $10.00 cheaper then the previous two adapters), I thought it was worth the risk. I recieved it two days later and proceeded to install the medialink wireless G USB adapter and again no success. At this point I'm ready to punch a hole in the wall out of frustration. I finally decided to contact Mediabridge to convey my dissatisfaction. The phone was picked up after one ring and a customer service person rerouted me to technical support. Technical support picked up after one ring and I'm thinking to myself, this is amazing, no machine telling me to push buttons. After running several test on my computer with technical support, I still was not wireless. The tech support person, who was professional and knowledgable, recommended trying their wireless-N USB adapter. He said Mediabridge will ship it out right away at no cost. I received the wireless-N adapter the following day (again,amazing). I install it and within five minutes I was wireless. The installation was a snap. I'm on the internet several hours a day and I haven't had any problems at all. I forget sometimes that I'm wireless. At the price Mediabridge is charging for their wireless adapters, this is a steal. Kudos to Mediabridge for backing their products and lowering my blood pressure. I recommend this product to anyone who wants a quality wireless adapter at a great price.

I purchased this adapter with high hopes that it would somehow magically work with my Western Digital WD TV Live, despite my knowing that it was an unrealistic expectation since the dongle comes with it's own drivers. At best, I was expecting to have to run some home-brewed firmware on the WD TV in order to get this to work.
Lo and behold, I plugged it in and it was recognized within seconds. In under a minute, the box was connected to my network and I was streaming YouTube video to my upstairs bedroom. I was absolutely amazed.

This dongle is not yet listed on WD TV Live's supported device list, and I've found no previous posts or reviews confirming this compatibility. Hope this helps those looking at this for the same reason that I was.

I recently added Mac OS X to my Windows Dell Mini 9. I had replaced the WiFi card in the Mini with an Intel 5300 which is great, but there's no Mac OS support. So I was on the lookout for an inexpensive USB adapter that supported OS X and Windows - if it was wireless N also, that would be a bonus. A couple of weeks ago when I started this search, I came up empty, but this time I found the Medialink adapter, which claimed to support Windows, OS X and Linux. I decided to give it a try.

When I received it I was upset to see that the packaging claimed support for Windows only, and the Medialink web site has only Windows drivers. But the instruction leaflet says that OS X and Linux drivers are on the CD and sure enough, they are.

Medialink claims that this is one of the smallest Wireless N USB adapters and I believe them - it's half the size of an Actiontec adapter I recently reviewed.

I first tried it under Windows 7. The driver installed nicely and the adapter worked, though I found the configuration utility confusing and could not figure out how to use WiFi Protected Setup (WPS). I did manage to create a profile typing the WPA2 key by hand and that worked. The signal strength was somewhat lower than the Intel card (with its three antennae in the netbook lid), which was understandable. Speed was excellent, though. Note that this is a 2.4GHz only adapter - 5GHz is not supported.

I then tried OS X. The CD contains drivers for several earlier versions of OS X, but not 10.6 (Snow Leopard). I tried the 10.5 driver and the installation appeared to hang after a while. However, when I rebooted and inserted the adapter, everything seemed to work. This time I managed to figure out how to use WPS and it connected with my router without problems. Unlike with an AirPort or some Apple-supported device, there's no indication in the menu bar that there's a connection, but the "Ralink Wireless USB" utility that launches when the adapter is connected confirmed it was there.

Medialink also includes a rather large desktop base with a hefty USB cable attached, should you want to use it. I tried it and it did work.

Pros: Support of Windows, OS X and Linux (I suppose - I didn't try Linux), compact size, good performance
Cons: Confusing configuration utility

Edit: December 29, 2010

I noticed that the Amazon description no longer mentions Linux and Mac support, so I called Medialink to ask what's up. I was told that they found the market for the adapter on Linux/Mac OS smaller than they thought and they didn't have expertise in those operating systems, so they no longer advertise Mac and Linux support. However, drivers for those ARE still on the CD and if they get any newer driers from Ralink (the chipset vendor), they'll pass them on (on the web site, I assume.) I still recommend this adapter for Mac OS users, but be prepared to be "on your own" if you're using Mac OS or Linux. (And sorry, I can't provide support either!)

After reading all of the reviews, I expected miracles out of this little device.

After snapping my NetGear USB Wireless-N adapter yesterday, I immediately ran to Amazon to get a replacement for my desktop. This one was well-reviewed and reasonably priced, so I Prime overnighted it.

It got here right away (as usual) in a cool box, with a USB thumb-drive sized wireless device and a docking-station type extension so that you could put the antenna where it made the most sense (probably on your desk, not behind your computer in a USB port). I hooked it up to my Windows 7 box and it was immediately detected and installed. One click onto my network (Linksys dual-band router) and I was online. I was almost disappointed that I didn't get to call their legendary tech support. Once I got online, I went straight to SpeedTest.Net to check my throughput. I was getting 18+MBps, which is about 4x what I was getting with the NetGear. I was so impressed I wrote my first Amazon review. This is the way it SHOULD go.

Miracles delivered.

I bought this product for a Windows XP box about 1 month ago. Installation was very easy.
Initially all I was getting was only getting 65 Mbps despite a strong signal. I contacted support and the first reply wasn't too helpful but then another support agent send me this:

Some 802.11n routers give you the option to adjust the bandwidth of the 2.4Ghz channel
you are broadcasting. Make sure your width is set to 40MHz or "Auto". If it is set to 20MHz it will limit your speed to 65Mbps.
If you are only connecting to your router using 802.11n devices, be sure to set your router to "N only" so you are not compromising your speed for 802.11b or 802.11g devices.

Turns out my Dlink Dir-655 was set to the 20MHz. After switching "Transmission Rate" to "Auto 20/40 MHz" I can consistently get link speeds of 135 Mbps and often 150 Mbps.
My router is about 35 feet away going through 1 wall.

Apparently the medialink website will be updated with a better support page. This information was not easily available in early August.

Other notes... Not sure what happened but my wireless adapter was not working.
Typing 'ipconfig' on my computer printed nothing. After re-installing the drivers the system was back to normal. I am not sure what cuased the drivers to get messed up...

I found out the usb adapter doesn't turn on until you logon to the system directly. A minor annoyance if I want to remote desktop to that box after powering it on. I don't think a PCI adapter will have this issue.

Overall, a great product for the price.

There are many horror stories of people trying to get their wireless adapters working with Windows 7 64 bit, this is one of those stories, but with a happy ending, eventually. I was looking for a new wireless adapter for my wife's computer, as the old one suddenly stopped working one day. It would sometimes resurrect itself like some little zombie, but would eventually return to it's grave, one time finally for good. Upon inspecting the fallen soldier I noticed some teeth marks in the plastic body. I believe that one of our cats had decided it to a chew toy. Hmmm. My wife's computer uses Windows 7 64 bit for it's OS. Having finally found an adapter that was receiving reviews of actually working with said operating system, I was willing to give it whirl since the price was right. Many devices on the market, wireless adapters in particular, "claim" to work with Windows 7, but upon further inspection they are only "compatible" or worse yet, just outright lying to your face that it'll work. The adapter finally arrives in the mail! Some reviewers claimed that you didn't need to use the install CD, just plug that little puppy into the usb port and it'll be right as rain. While I wanted to believe that, I used the CD anyhow. Didn't work. Make sure I read them right, for a Windows 7 install, didn't work. Checked the box the adapter came in, I don't see Windows 7 listed on the outside of the box; Windows 2000, XP and Vista but no Windows 7 listed on the box. Went back to instructions again. Yep, right there, they do say Windows 7 in the instructions, don't say if it's 32 or 64 bit, but Windows 7 none-the-less. I tried numerous ways of installing it, including several ways listed by other reviewers. Nothing was working. But when I checked the status of the device I did see that it was receiving some packets from the router, but that was about it. How could all of those other reviewers be wrong, especially the ones saying it working on their computer using Windows 7 64 bit? Maybe they wrong, maybe they thought they had 64 bit, but it was really 32 bit. Suddenly a little light went on over my head. Maybe it was a software conflict of some sort that was puking the install. I did an uninstall of the software, ensured it was removed from the device manager and rebooted the computer in "safe mode". Once I was logged on in safe mode, I "plugged the wireless adapter into the usb port" BEFORE installing the software. The software was installing, and I could see the USB light flickering like crazy and my hopes were high. Hmmm, why isn't the install finishing up? I waited and waited but the install seemed to be hung. Noooooo! I ended up aborting the install via task manager, but it must have been at a point where it was really done, but just couldn't finish up for some reason, as the wireless software was working fine now and I was able to connect to my router! Yipeee! Did another re-boot to get out of safe mode, and it still works just fine. Hope this helps someone else.

This review is specifically for those who consider getting it for a linux box. Yes it works. No it's NOT EASY to install it on Ubuntu 10.4 . There are countless blogposts and threads about enabling this chipset on linux. I spent about 5 hours trying and following different instructions. I tried most of them to no avail. Most of them work if you only connect to unsecured wireless. Connecting to password-protected one still doesn't. What finally worked was this:

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There is a backports package called linux-backports-modules-wireless-lucid-generic and the rt2870sta driver in it will connect to wpa2-psk encrypted networks. So you can install that backport package to get a fix. I still think it's necessary to manually add the /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf change to blacklist rt2800usb as well as create the /etc/Wireless/RT2870STA/RT2870STA.dat file with the word Default in it.

On my system this works.

By the way, that backports package also contains an update rt2800usb module. I tried using it and it still will not connect to my wpa2-psk network.

However, this package should get updated as new changes are made to the wireless stack, so using it will give us a shot.


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I hope this saves some time to some (un)lucky ubuntu user.

Since I rely heavily on customer reviews, I thought I should "give back"... I bought this product for a new Dell running Windows 7. Thanks to reading the reviews, I knew to skip installation of the software for Windows 7. It is indeed plug-n-play with W7. It does seem faster shortly after installation than it is immediately afterward. I am very, very happy with this adapter. It could not be easier to install, nor perform any better.

After replacing a desktop computer of 7 years, I was wary of buying wireless gear for my new one. It had Windows 7, and all the compatibility issues that come with a fairly new OS made me indecisive. I spent a long time poring over the different types, like G or N-connection adapters, and brands, such as Linksys, which can be expensive. I decided to get a cheaper adapter in light of all this, so in the worst case scenario of malfunctions or compatibility issues, I'd be able to buy another one without burning a hole into my wallet.

Setting up my Medialink was extremely easy. If possible, I would advise skipping the installation CD altogether and letting your computer automatically install the device. In that way, you won't have to deal with Medialink's interface or any bloatware that may come with it. That's what my desktop did and I've had no connection issues thus far. My only qualm is that download speeds seem a bit low, but they have been picking up after I removed the USB stick from the port and connected it via the docking station instead. This is probably because I moved it to an area with better reception. My router has a G-type connection, and this adapter has N-type capabilities, so keep in mind that G and N are compatible with each other. The only difference is if I had an N-type router, I'd have a faster connection speed.

As for the appearance, the USB adapter itself doesn't look too bad; it has mat edges and piano black faces, and looks simple but clean. The docking station is nothing fancy or fashionable, though I think the real issue here is whether or not the device works as opposed to how it looks. Medialink's adapter does the job surprisingly well for such a low price, and is a worthy competitor alongside other wireless-N devices.

I recently upgraded my internet connection with Verizon FiOS. I am running Vista 32-bit OS and am aware of all the online connectivity issues with this particular operating system. When I was using high speed cable, my wireless connection to my PC was via a Linksys Wireless G USB Network Adapter. This USB Network Adapter worked fine until I got Verizon FiOS.

My router was changed from a Linksys Router to a Verizon UltraLine Series3 9100EM router. I could not figure out for the life of me how to get the Linksys Wireless G USB Network Adapter to get a high speed connection. I had no problems connecting, but the speeds that I was getting was actually dial-up speeds! My connection speeds were ridiculously 7kbps to 28kbps at most! Most websites were not accessible to me because of the long wait. YouTube videos were impossible to watch. Even sites like eBay took a while just to output the whole page if the auctions were picture heavy.

I decided to take a chance with the Medialink Wireless N USB Adapter. The installation was like cake. I removed my old USB adapter, inserted my installation CD, installed the software, plugged in my new USB adapter and at first I saw the same speeds of 7kbps to 28kbps for the first 5 to 10 minutes of using it. Then all of the sudden, I saw a tremendous spike! My speeds are almost identical to my pc that is directly connected to my router downstairs. I now have FiOS speeds that I paid for. Everything for my online experience is now lightning fast again.

Finally, a solution to having Verizon FiOS and using Windows Vista 32-bit OS! For anyone looking to connect a second PC to a FiOS wireless network, this is a great solution. Thank you so much Medialink!