Tuesday, October 27, 2009
So I moved my desktop running Windows 7 to a part of the house where running cables would be just plain old ugly. To fix the situation I went out and bought a Wireless USB from Linksys. This was not an easy decision, I’m not exactly the biggest fan of Linksys, but there was an open box item for $60 a Wireless N USB adapter (WUSB600N ver 2.0). I figured the worst was I would return it as well.
Well, as it turned out I think I might have a couple ideas why someone returned it in the first place.
First, Windows 7: The drivers that ship with the adapter are for Vista and do not work with Windows 7. I tried everything from manually opening the device manager and trying to manually install the drivers, no dice. I tried using generic USB adapters, no luck. A pretty frustrating experience, especially when Cisco/Linksys haven’t posted any Windows 7 drivers as of this past weekend. Poor showing on their part I thought. Finally, exasperated and near to returning it I read somewhere to check Windows Update.
Now this is an interesting problem, it’s a chicken and egg situation. For Windows Update, you need a net connection, but the thing I’m trying to install is what gives me the net connection. Sigh. Luckily for me I can stretch a cord out to the computer and get the net, I wonder about those that can’t. Could this be the reason someone returned this? Regardless, if you are in this predicament, yes Windows Update has the latest drivers and the entire thing was up and running in seconds.
As for the device itself, I can only guess that another reason someone might have returned it is the poor reception quality if you use the included USB extender cable. I can’t quite understand this, but the extender cable actually drops the reception quite dramatically even though I can then take the USB adapter closer to the wireless router. Very odd. Connecting it directly to the computer was fine (and I tried multiple USB slots).
So moral of the story (1) Windows 7, trust Windows Update first especially in these early days as manufacturers are probably releasing to Microsoft before the consumer on their websites and (2) I’m still not convinced on the quality of Linksys products and reviewers around the web seem to agree…
Leave me a comment:
October 27th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Has to be better than D-Link. My wireless router doesn’t like to leave the wifi running. Sometimes it stays up for days, sometimes for hours. No rhyme or reason. Luckily, I hardly use wireless at home.
Also, when I try to view video on the CBC Web site (only site that does it), the router crashes, requiring me to reboot it, and sometimes the DSL modem too. Can take ten minutes to get ‘net back sometimes. (No, when I connect direct to the modem it doesn’t happen.)
These are irritating issues, but haven’t convinced me to spend money on a new router yet. (Besides, which would I buy - they seem to all have quirks.)
Is there a consumer-grade (read: not bloody expensive) brand of networking gear out there that just works well enough to forget about it? (I’ve seen/experienced issues with Linksys, D-Link, Belkin, Netgear, SMC and others I can’t remember.)
October 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
To be honest, I agree with you Jeff. The reality is that you need to spend a lot of time reading reviews looking at people’s issues and so on. I have an old linksys wrt54g router specifically one that uses linux on the chip, it’s like old faithful, but it took me a while to find it. Even updates to that ruin it so
Have you tried updating your router’s bios? Anyway, I agree and no I don’t think there is a company where everything *just works*. I’ve even seen Apple’s networking products to be rather clumsy at times.
Cheers
Dups