D-Link RangeBooster N PCI Desktop Adapter
- Sold Individually
D-Link RangeBooster N PCI Desktop Adapter
Rating: 
(out of 5 reviews)
List Price: $ 73.99
Price: $ 64.99
D-Link RangeBooster N PCI Desktop Adapter
September 3rd, 2010 
Admin 
Posted in Reviews
Review by Wayne for D-Link RangeBooster N PCI Desktop Adapter
Rating:
I purchased this card for use in a media center PC that’s about 20ft away from the access point. But since it’s across a hallway, I didn’t want to run a cable over there. It’s also going through a wall and a cabinet, yet still manages a very reliable and fast connection.
Installation was very straight forward. Simply install the card, attach the 2 antennas, and install the latest drivers from the D-link website. You’ll note that I didn’t mention the CD.
If there were a course on installing cards, the very first thing they would tell you is to ALWAYS get the latest drivers from the manufactures website. The only time you’d want to use the CD is if there is some software that you can’t get on the website. Scanners and Printers are a good example of this.
And even if you have to install them from the CD, you still want to go the website and see if there are any updates, patches, drivers, etc. This is even more important with new technology (ie. 802.11n). I should also note that I never use the utility that is installed by wireless cards. In this case, I just used Vista to manage the wireless connection. It connected to my WPA2 secured network without any issues.
I’ve been transfering several GB of data via wireless for the past severals days without any issues. No dropped connections, lockups, etc. Just like all of my other wireless devices really. I cleared my house of any other devices on the 2.4Ghz frequency years ago to ensure there is as little interference as possible. And while this isn’t the final 802.11n standard (not due until Dec 2009), it is latest Draft 2.0. Which so far appears to be the most stable.
Pros:
* Includes low-height bracket
* Inexpensive
* Easy installation
* 802.11n Draft 2.0
* Reliable
Cons:
* They should include a note that tells you go download the latest drivers.
Overall I have no issues or complaints and would recommend this card. I suspect the older reviews are a bit more negative simply given the fact that they were written awhile ago and/or relied on the old drivers on the CD. Just get new drivers and you’ll be happy.
Review by Chris Daida for D-Link RangeBooster N PCI Desktop Adapter
Rating:
I installed this card two days ago in a Windows 7 RC rig. I didn’t even need to install drivers to get it running (and Windows Automatic Update immediately found an updated driver from D-Link). It’s been running non-stop ever since. The speed is a consistent 300 mbps (but the machine is in the same room as the wireless router, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise). I haven’t experienced any of the intermittent failures or installation problems reported by other reviewers.
So far, this card has been a complete non-event.
Review by Brian Gibson for D-Link RangeBooster N PCI Desktop Adapter
Rating:
The DWA-542 is simple to install and set up, but the software is really unstable. My Dell Dimension 8300 (3.20GHz Pentium 4; 1.5GB RAM) locks up at random times with the D-Link installed. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why it freezes the computer; it just lets me down every time. Sometimes it freezes on reboot; other times it locks up after a few minutes.
I’d avoid this product until they get the bugs ironed out.
Review by H. E. Brown for D-Link RangeBooster N PCI Desktop Adapter
Rating:
I am very disappointed with this wireless adapter. I installed it per the instructions, and have not yet been able to get it connected!! I downloaded version 2.2 driver–still not luck. I do not plan to play around with this anymore, but will strongly recommend against anyone buying it.
HBrown
Review by Griffin for D-Link RangeBooster N PCI Desktop Adapter
Rating:
This thing simply doesn’t work well. D-Link is right up there with Linksys in my book of absolutely worthless wireless networking equipment providers.