Comments on: Get a Netgear 802.11n USB adapter for $13.99

If you still have 802.11g desktops and/or laptops on your 802.11n network, here's your chance to bring them up to speed on the cheap. And no rebates!

[peteyboy84]

will this work with a mac?

[livingaudio]

got one!(^_^)

thanks Rick!

[yanchineseguy]

Got one also. Thanks, Rick. Should go well with my recently acquired Netgear Wireless N router.

[Georgia in MS]

Thanks Rick! The coupon code worked for the purchase of two.

[SleepyInKC]

A great price, but I have a general question: considering that my ISP speed is capped at maybe 5 Mbps, is there any real benefit to upgrading from wireless-G (54 Mbps) to wireless-N (100 Mbps)? Keep in mind that my primary use of wireless is for Internet, not for file sharing between machines.

[jgonzalez2]

I have the same question, Sleepy.

[msmitchell]

If the main reason for the existence or your network is to use the internet then you will not get much benefit from upgrading your router and devices to wireless-N (the N router would give you a bit better wireless coverage as far as distance/strength goes). The thing that kills me is the least common denominator factor. I have a Wii on my wireless network so even if I get an N router all my wireless connections will be stuck at G because of the Wii and my wireless printer.

[DetJMunch]

Can you share one Cable modem with two routers? Have two wireless networks sharing the same connection? One N and one G? Can you connect the modem and the G, then hook the N into the G using an Ethernet cable? Would that work, and if so, how do I do it?!?!

[08Rabbit]

You can fix this by getting dual band router i think.

[SWATNative]

I got two of these - they will work nicely with the Netgear router I got a few weeks ago. Thanks for the tip(s).

@ DETJMunch: I did that by connecting my new router to my old Netgear router which runs at B speeds using an ethernet cord to one of the ports. I got B speeds when connecting to the old router on my network but N speeds when connecting to the new router. However, I saw a note on Netgear's support page saying that they don't recommend this practice.

[rickbroida]

Just got mine. Turns out it doesn't even come with software, so I have no choice but to download drivers from Netgear. :)

[08Rabbit]

I ordered 3 of them. Good find rick.
And i got them on the 29th :)

[feliusrex]

I have had two issues with this device.
1) Netgear did not include software for this device. This seems to be a policy of theirs as I did not get software with the refurbed wireless N router purchased last month. I was able to download and install drivers for the device from the netgear website, but that's not the same and indicates an unwillingness to really support a refurb device. It certainly is one strike against them.

2) The EULA pops up as an adobe document in some sort of brain-dead window (no resizing controls, no right-click controls). I was installing the drivers on a netbook (1024 by 800 resolution) and the size/shape/lack of controls prevented me from pressing the Accept button. Trying to hit tab in hopes of blindly choosing the right button didn't work. I had to plug the netbook into my desktop display to be able to see the button to click. Had I been traveling when this happened, it would have been enough to cause me to return the product.

I wanted to send the netgear people feedback on item #2, but the difficulties in contacting support made me change my mind.

We'll see how this adapter works for a few weeks before I add any pros/cons to the comments.

[bubba2million]

Mine doesn't work.

I loaded the software, which looked like it installed fine.

It created a desktop icon (The name escapes me - not at that PC now) and when I double-click on that, my computer beeps, and nothing happes. Little blue light blinking on this thing all the time.

I have a decent laptop w/Win XP. This thing doesn't work.

Any idears?

[SWATNative]

I got mine, and they seem to work fine. It's important to install the software first, which it seems like you've done. I installed mine on a netbook that already had its own internal WIFI. I noticed that you need to temporarily disable it through the windows network software to get the USB adaptor to really work. After that, you should be able to just plug in the adaptor and the Netgear driver will pop up by itself. If you want to go back to the internal WIFI, you just have to enable it again by going through the Network Connections menu.