NETGEAR WG511NA Wireless G Pc Card

by Netgear

Product Details

Product Manual [1.93mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 2 inches ; 1.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008I9K8
• Item model number: WG511NA
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (163 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,856 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #75 in Electronics > Outlet
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 5, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The NETGEAR WG511 Wireless-G PC Card offers: 802.11g wireless networking capability. Backwards compatibility with 802.11b wireless networks. 128-bit WEP encryption for extra security.

The NETGEAR WG511 Wireless-G PC Card makes it simple for you to provide wireless internet access to your notebook computer, letting you surf the web, check email, and chat online without the need for cables.

An antenna is built in for portability. View larger.

Easy Setup
The WG511 is a PC Card and requires a Pentium class PC with an available 32-bit CardBus slot for installation. It supports Windows Vista and is also compatible with Windows XP, 2000, 98SE, and Me. Setup is as simple as inserting the card into the slot and installing the included software. A built-in stub antenna helps you receive a strong signal for the fastest possible speeds.

Fast and Secure
The NETGEAR WG511 supports the 802.11g protocol standard for speeds up to 54 Mbps and a longer range than previous-generation 802.11b adapters. With a good connection, you'll notice the difference right away as you'll be able to stream high-quality music without any hiccups and load videos much faster. Downloading files is up to five times faster than it was with 802.11b. Since 802.11g is also interoperable with 802.11b, you don't have to worry about whether or not you'll get a connection at specific airports and hotspots; the WG111US will automatically detect the network and allow you to connect to it at the highest speed possible.

The adapter supports 40/64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption for security so you don't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping on your emails or stealing your passwords. The included software makes managing different WEP passwords a breeze as you can set up different profiles for each location you frequent, saving yourself the trouble of having to type in encryption keys each time you connect to a hotspot you've already used.

The NETGEAR WG511 Wireless-G PC Card is backed by a 1-year warranty.

What's in the Box
WG511 Wireless-G PC Card, setup CD, installation guide, warranty/support information card.

Product Description

Netgear Wireless G Pc Card

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatness, April 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: NETGEAR WG511NA Wireless G Pc Card (Personal Computers)

I just bought the Netgear WG602 access point and the Netgear WG511 54G Wireless PC Card. I am very impressed and both items work great. All I did was connect the ethernet cord (that comes with the access point) from my existing D-Link wired router and into the Netgear access point. Then I installed the PC Card software on my laptop and rebooted and then put the card in. It was up and running in 10 minutes. At about 1 foot I was connected at 100% out in the living room about 30 feet away through one wall it was between 78-86%. Then about 60 feet away through 4-5 walls it was 60%. Even at 60% the connection flew. It was just like I was connected through a wire. I then walked outside my house about 200 feet and was still connected. I hear that the PC Card is the main factor in signal strength, if so this one takes the cake at 200+ feet. My dad has a Linksys 802.11b access point and can only go about 40 feet with his 11B PC Card. It seems the 802.11g makes a big difference on signal strength. In the PC card configuration I turned on WEP and entered the passcode from my access point. I turned on MAC security in my access point and added the Netgear WG511 MAC address (which I found in the About tab) to the allowed addresses. Then I rebooted the access point. And then told the Netgear Wireless PC card to re-scan. It found the access point and the entire setup including tight security was done.

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Wireless G PC Card, September 23, 2003

By 

an808guy "an808guy" (Waipahu, HI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NETGEAR WG511NA Wireless G Pc Card (Personal Computers)

When I replaced my Netgear ME102 access point, I was mainly concerned with the lack of security features compared to current wireless 801.11x products on shelves today.

I ended up selecting another Netgear product, the WGR614 wireless G router/access point and chose the WG511 mostly to ensure the highest level of compatibility.

Overall, I'm very pleased. The card was simple to install, even given my previous experience with the ME102. Pop in the CD, use the HTTP-based menu to install the driver and software package, configure the security settings and you're done!

I decided to take a chance and downloaded the latest firmware which implements draft 802.11g compliance, SSID broadcast blocking, and minor fixes before hand. Once implemented on both router and PC card, I noticed no problems or difficulties. Those with mismatching brands of wireless devices may want to check with the respective manufacturer(s) before upgrading, however.

Performance and range were much improved in my two-story, 1600 sq. ft. home with steel frame construction. Where the signal of my old ME102 and D-link 650 would drop significantly from about 15-20ft away, I'm able to keep a full signal with the WG511 and WGR614 in the same location. Throughput was also improved, of course, although device specifications, antenna placement, environment, and infrastructure all play a part in signal strength and performance. As with any wireless network product, your mileage may vary.

Overall, the WG511 is solid wireless G PCMCIA card. It's broad antenna and easy-to-install software/driver package ensure good performance when paired with a Netgear wireless G router. At a price comparable to some 802.11b solutions, the Netgear is a very good choice for the home user looking for a new wireless G or add-on to their existing wireless G network.

Recommended

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars works fantastic, just be careful of a few things, August 30, 2003

By 

bakabakaian "bakabakaian" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: NETGEAR WG511NA Wireless G Pc Card (Personal Computers)

I've used this product for about 3 months; I live in an apartment above the garage of my landlord, who lives in the house below and has a wireless router, etc. Another tenant in the basement also shares access. This card works great -- I am pretty far from the router but am basically always in "very good" connection range, no matter where I am in my apartment. I can even go to the backyard. It really is impressive performance, particularly since the landlord's configuration is all Linksys hardware, not Netgear -- my landlord says I have the fastest connection of anyone. (Besides having this card I also have a super fast laptop, which probably helps too.)

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when using this card. 1) If you're running XP, Windows will try to "take over" and run your network for you -- it will install its own driver, run the card, etc. I HIGHLY recommend that you install the card using the configuration CD (or by getting the latest firmware from the website) rather than letting Windows install the drivers itself. Your XP software likely won't have the latest drivers. Also, I even more highly recommend NOT allowing Windows to manage the connection -- if you click on "my connections" and then "wireless connection status" you should have a box saying something like, "Allow Windows to manage connection" -- UNCHECK THIS BOX. Let the card manage its own connection -- it performs much better.

2) If you or anyone living within a few hundred feet of you uses a 2.4 Ghz cordless phone, particularly an older one, you could get interference. It turned out my phone was interfering with everyone's connection and causing frequent drops. If you get frequent drops when you first use the card, don't blame the card until you've asked everyone living close to you to try to a different channel for their 2.4 Ghz phone. Once I did this, everything cleared up and I've had outstanding service since then.