Customer Reviews

Netgear WG121 Wireless 802.11g USB Adapter

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I bought this same product. I use it with a Netgear 802.11g router. I use all Netgear products to hopefully prevent any conflicts between hardware, but I'm not an networking expert so I'm not sure if that will really prevent any problems. But from my POV this is a safe buy. No problems so far. What I like about this product is that i can place it on a high shelf out of the way of metal objects and other stuff that would potentially interfere with the radio signal, because it's connected by USB.

...but sadly, I purchased it for my TiVo Series 2 (240 series). It's not on the recommended or even the 'reported compatible' list for the TiVo (see http://customersupport.tivo.com/tivoknowbase/root/public/tv2006.htm? for that) but I figured it was worth trying. All the ones on that list are 802.11b, and since I have an 802.11g network I didn't want to slow it down by adding a b client.

I will probably keep this, as it is very lightweight and portable, and it will probably be handy for adding wireless capability to computers I'm doing short-term evaluations on, esp during business travel.

Setup on Windows, for those of you concerned with such things, was a snap. I particularly liked the NetGear software's more detailed signal strength graph than the standard Windows XP wireless software; this made it easier to position the adapter for best reception.

Note the Athlon processor and VIA chipsets - on the system board - have shown problematic with this device. If you do not have these, there is question - in my tests - that this is the best USB WiFi client on the market. It provides greater range than the others and is very easy to install and configure. The software, however, does not support WPA so you will need to use a third-party wpa supplicant (understood as client) or the built-in Windows XP WZC (wireless zero configuration).

The device is fast, reliable and compatible. I tested it with thirteen different access points, as I do all client devices I test, and it worked with all of them and provided approximately the same throughput. This device is not as fast as the buffalo cardbus wifi clients, but if you're using a desktop and don't want to plug in a PCI card, this is about the best way to go.

I hope this helps you make your decision.

Tom Carpenter, Wireless# Author, Father, Husband, Techno-Geek

I received an online notice from Netgear for a firmware upgrade. Unit stopped working after upgrade. Dead as a doornail. Website support is poor. Email support is poor.

Setup was fine. But after a few days, the computer would freeze up. It took awhile to determine the cause. I finally found that it was the wg121 causing the issue. It's a random occurance, basically it could happen in a few minutes or several hours. Tech Support is a shame. Still trying to get it to work, but from the www.broadbandreports.com forum, it doesn't look good. This seems to happen if you have an AMD motherboard.

This USB wireless adapter worked and still works like a charm. Installation is a brease and works on every computer and laptop I tried it.

Pros:
1. Great operation
2. Catches excellent signal over long distance due to the external antenna
3. Virtually plug and play

Cons:
1. The little prop-up antenna can break easy. The plastic is not too strong
2. If you switch USB ports it will ask for the driver again!
3. Does not work with Linux, but I did not fight with it too much!

This product was a simple install software and plug into the USB port. However after three days of use it started acting very sparatic. It was not only not getting connected but the indicator saying it was plugged into the USB port won't even light up now. This unit died in less then a week. We have tried it on 3 different PC's. It's not even heavy enough for a good paper weight now.

I have a Netgear MA101 802.11b USB adapter sitting next to the WG121 adapter. The MA101 consistently receives a stronger signal by FAR compared to the WG121. Both adapters are less than 20 feet from the access point. The WG121 cannot sustain a good connection (i.e a relative signal strength of 5-8 on a scale of 10). The MA101 indicates a perfect connection (10 on a scale of 10) ALWAYS. I will put up with the slower speed to get a stable, consistent, strong connection. The WG121 is being returned and I will stick with the MA101 (USB1.1, 802.11b adapter).

This works great with newer computers utilizing windows xp. Have been using 3 in my home with a netgear wgt624 v2 wireless modem for months with trouble free daily usage. Set up was a breeze.

Reason for purchase:
I bought the WG121 as I required a wireless USB card, preferably 802.11g with better range than the 802.11b pcmcia card I had previously. I chose netgear as it is the same brand as my router.
Installation:
The install CD installed onto WinXP-pro flawlessly and easily following the web-based installation instructions. This adapter DOES NOT work on win98 first edition - a fact verified by support. Attempts to do will result in a BSOD.
Features: Worked with WEP and 802.11g via a USB2 port. Speed is limited to <14mps if using USB 1.0. Back-compatible with 802.11b. Comes with own wireless-detection and configuration software.
Range:
Unless you are within a few metres of your AP, do not expect full transmission speed. However, an acceptable and reliable signal between 18-24mps was achieved at a range of 20 metres through 4 walls. For ADSL purposes, this should provide mroe than satisfactory range and speed throughout the average house.
Support:
Netgear have 24/7 support via their phone-line for the first 90 days purchase. 1 year warantee.