You don't have to wait for wireless networking -- D-Link Systems'
DWL-500 Wireless LAN PCI Card 11Mbps is available now, and it's
actually two products in one. The DWL-500 consists of a PCI card
that has an onboard socket to accept PC Cards, and a matching PC
Card for wireless networking using the IEEE 802.11b wireless standard.
You can use the two together in a desktop PC, or unplug the PC Card
and use it in your notebook. (The PCI card also works as an adaptor
for any other PC Card peripherals.) At AU$585, the DWL-500 is a good
value, but installation can be a problem.
First, although the PCI card fit easily into two of our test systems, the card-release buttons made for a very tight squeeze on an HP Pavilion. Second, of the three test systems we used, we were only able to successfully install the PCI card in two. Changing some hardware settings fixed an installation problem in one, but another never did boot with the adaptor installed. On the plus side, the documentation was thorough, and D-Link provides a lifetime warranty and free technical support.
Once the card was installed, the wireless network came up immediately using the default settings. We tested a shared Internet connection using both dial-up and cable access, and both worked well. Unfortunately, D-Link does not include any Internet-connection-sharing software, so if you're not running Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows Me, you'll need a separate sharing program, such as Ositis Software's WinProxy.
On our tests, networking performance measured a consistent throughput of 12MB to 15MB per minute (or 1.6Mbps to 2Mbps), well below the 11Mbps theoretical maximum throughput of 802.11b, but more than sufficient for most tasks.
We can't recommend the D-Link DWL-500 to novices because of the potential setup complications. But if you're willing to brave the installation, it offers a relatively inexpensive way to network without wires.
D-Link DWL-500 Wireless LAN PCI Card 11Mbps
Company: D-Link
Ph: 1800 177 100; Fax: 02 9417 1077
Price: AU$585.
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