Home > Consumer Reviews > Linksys Range Plus Wireless USB Compact Adapter

The big problem with this adapter, is that if you use windows XP (which many people still do) and you have Service Pack 3 (which 99% of XP users do) it will work for a few weeks and then not work anymore, as I experienced and was later told by Linksys support. The adapter works fine with Windows Vista, XP - SP1 or SP2 -just not SP3. The specifications on the product packaging do not specify this issue and after calling Linksys 4 or 5 times perhaps you will get a representative who knows enough to inform you of the issue. Almost everyone who has XP has SP3. When an XP user installs updates SP3 will eventually be installed unless they manually install updates and refuse to install it. New Windows XP installations are SP3 at this point unless you specifically get SP2 (Which most people won't) so there is really no point in installing this adapter with Windows XP, unless you can uninstall XP3 as an update or install Windows XP SP2 and manually not install SP3. I was told by Linksys support to purchase Linksys Wusb54gsc, since it was made compatible with XP SP3. While the phone support was somewhat helpful and expedient, the company's customer satisfaction standards are pretty low. They refused to take this product back and send me the right adapter even though they were 100% at fault. Another company that doesn't really care about their customers - imagine that. Linksys should: ----- A) stop selling these adapters to Windows XP users ----- B) List the problem with XP SP3 on the package under compatibility ----- C) Issue a recall for all XP SP3 users and either replace the adapter with one that works with this application or fix current adapter. To find your systems compatibility (Operating system, version or year, service pack #, memory in ram and processor version and speed) click start, control panel and system.

The price at Amazon is the best I found on the Internet for this item. Fast delivery. I followed the instructions to the "T" that Linksys included with the product and it worked great. A much faster connection speed than my wireless-B adapter, especially since I just purchased a new linksys router and wanted to upgrade my adapter. But, after I rebooted my windows xp machine, the connection was lost. I went through all of the troubleshooting I could possibly think of and NO LUCK. I contacted linksys customer service, they're terrible. I wouldn't wish contacting linksys on my worst enemy. Linksys walked me through the same things I did in order to troubleshoot the problem. Then linksys wanted to charge me 9.95 to have a senior tech log into my machine and troubleshoot for me. Of course I said "no ****** way". Finally after a few choice words and threats, Linksys said to uninstall and then re-install the software. I kick myself now, if I would have thought of that, I wouldn't have had to call customer nonservice, I mean service. This evidently fixed the problem. I re-booted my machine several times with no hiccups. Amazon gets an A++, linksys gets an F-.

I've had this adapter for a year now, and it's been a year of constant dropped connections, blue screens, and software problems. At one point I upgraded my router because I was told this adapter needed newer tech. It didn't help--but it did make me feel I'd just flushed more money down the LinkSys tubes.
You wouldn't know I'm a LinkSys fan from this review, but I am--that's why here I am very disappointed. This adapter, unfortunately, is garbage. It never connected anywhere near the promised speeds, the software supporting it makes things seem simple...until you have to fix a problem. Not using the software also causes problems, most likely because the newest driver I could find as of July 24th 2009....was from 2007. When the included software does work, you might find that one day it decides your network is differently configured. The Default configuration makes changes to your settings that don't work, and then you're off to reinstall the software from scratch (because you can edit any connections except the Default one, and you can't change the Default connection to be another connection). When you don't use the included software, your speeds get throttled down to about half of what was promised on the package...and you still get randomly disconnected and attached to the slower open networks in your neigborhood. Sadly, when I look for anything newer on the LinkSys site...this is allegedly as good as it gets.
Even worse, the LinkSys forums have users recommending you pull drivers down from the Taiwanese manufacturer of the chipsets, because they work better on LinkSys' products than LinkSys' own drivers (and they're newer, too).
Not recommended--look elsewhere unless/until LinkSys can go back to writing decent software and drivers.

This wireless adapter, especially when used with the corresponding Linksys Range Plus wireless router, works excellently. I have been trying to set up a wireless network in my home for several months, as I knew I was going to have surgery and be bedridden, and wanted to use my laptop to "surf the web" during this time. It was not until I got this adapter and the corresponding router that I was successful. It has been great not having to give up the internet while I am recuperating. It is one of my main sources of entertainment and communication with friends and colleges.

I've had no problems with this adapter at all...And, it was VERY EASY to Install & set up...