| Iogear Wireless-G Notebook Short Card (GWP512) |
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Model: GWP512
Brand: Iogear
Manufacturer: IOGEAR
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 24
Form factor: Plug-in card
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
54 Mbps wireless connection speed, up to five times higher than 802.11b
Sleek, compact antenna is designed for maximum agility
Includes Funk Software’s Odyssey client to support strong WLAN authentication protocols, such as EAP-TLLS, EAP-PEAP, EAP-TLS and LEAP
Ultra-easy installation in just a few simple steps
Compatible with Microsoft Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP |
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| Description: |
| IOGEAR's Wireless-G Notebook Network Card brings your notebook PC robust and versatile wireless capability. Internet surfing, networking, file sharing, and document printing can all be performed at home, at the office or on the road without cable constraints. Moreover, the compact antenna board design makes this card almost invisible, so you don't have to remove the card after use.The card conforms to the 802.11g standard, providing you longer reception distance and higher data rates. Built-in advanced wireless security gives you peace of mind at all time.IOGEAR brings your notebook real mobility. |
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| User Reviews (24 total): |
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Works for 30 seconds - then dies, August 17, 2005
By user
If I restart the card (disable/enable), it will connect for about 30 seconds (if I'm very close to my router) - then the signal strength drops to nothing.
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Serious Driver Problems, August 10, 2005
By user (Baltimore)
I tried runnning this card on an IBM thinkpad running windows 2000 with serious problems. I followed the installation instructions and the drivers kept coming up broken. I tried the card on a friend's Toshiba using XP, it didn't work there either. I ended up trying to install it in four computers with no luch. I know my way around wireless card installation, but this was near impossible. This card is not for novices. Eventually, I came across a message board thread that linked to drivers not on the company website. Once the card was installed, it worked well and recieved a respectable signal.
Even when the card works, however, you should be very careful. This card run extraordinarily hot. I have used other cards, the temperature on this one is not normal. If you have a laptop with heat issues I would stay away from this card, as it could destroy your computer.
Stay away from this card.
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Very Lousy, July 9, 2005
By user (New York, NY, USA)
Be careful...it's not competible to many laptops....eg IBM, Toshiba, Dell....Also very bad reception
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Worth to buy, June 24, 2005
By user
It's good product. I have Compaq Laptop and it's working fine with good speed. worth to buy it.
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Beware of Compatibility with IBM ThinkPad, May 12, 2005
By user
Just a warning to anyone considering buying this to use with an IBM ThinkPad. I bought this item after careful scrutiny of the Operating System and PC requirements for compatibility. Although there is no good reason it should not be compatible with my IBM ThinkPad T41 running Windows XP, it continually causes the "blue screen of death" error after 5 minutes of use. IOGear felt it was a warranty issue so I now have a new card that does the same thing. I have used other wireless cards in the same computer that work fine with no errors, so I can only assume it is a compatibility problem with this specific card. (However, for the 5 minutes before the error occurs, the card works fine.)
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Works great, but the bundled software is a little strange, April 1, 2005
By user (Yorktown, VA)
I've been very pleased with this card. I bought it specifically to fit in my work laptop that I'm constantly moving in and out of my bag. The stubby antenna doesn't catch like the old one did, so I'm satisfied. I didn't see a reduction in reception like others have seen. In fact, I think the reception has been better.
The software is a little strange. There's two applications that come with the router, and both work, but determining which one to use can be confusing. I went with the Odyssey client, since it seems more user-friendly.
On the whole, I'm pleased.
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Great card for the price., March 31, 2005
By user
I bought this card despite some negative user reviews. I chose this card instead of built in wireless option for 25 more dollars when I bought my notebook. Being a college student and noticing that this card would only cost 9 dollars after rebates, I chose to get an add on card instead. This card worked very well for me since I installed it. I have no problems connecting to my home network and my campus network. At the beginning I had a little bit trouble using the configuration utility supplied with the card. This problem was gone after I uninstalled the utility. To use the card, you just need to install the drivers and let windows built in wireless utility handle the rest. I don't know how good the reception would have been had I gotten a built in wireless option or bought a longer card. But I don't care because it is working just fine for me. I am getting more than I paid for.
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Card works great for me, March 31, 2005
By user
I bought this card because it only cost $9. after rebate. I didnt read all the reviews before ordering and after reading them I was sure I would be sending this back but after I installed it on my thinkpad it worked very well with my Netgear router. I went to the basement and 2nd floor of my house and never lost reception. It is much faster than my B card. Besides the great price I also like that it only sticks out about a quarter inch on the laptop and is almost unoticeable. I am keeping mine.
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Don't waste your money!, March 27, 2005
By user
This card is a complete waste of money. First of all, my SMC 802.11b wireless card out performs this 802.11g wireless card by leaps and bounds. My signal went from Exellent to Poor by switching cards without changing locations. I lose signal all the time with this card and it is CONSTANTLY communicating with my router - with or without someone using my laptop. I am extremely disappointed and will think twice before buying anything IOGEAR again.
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It's a great wireless G card, March 16, 2005
By user (Norcal, United States)
I liked it very much, after I get it to work. It looks cool. and it works cooler than other pcmcia wireless cards(I am talking aobut temperature).
Never reading the manual, I put the card in first and installed the driver. Driver was installed but the card was stuck with a yellow ! mark on it. I spent two hours playing with it. In the end I deleted everything from the driver cd and restalled it as the manual said. It worked right away.
I can't tell if the card really has a short range when compared to other pcmcia cards, but it probably has a shorter ranger than the USB cards(as I used USB cards previously). I could sit in my car to get on the internet using 802.11G and WEP128 or WPA encription. That's about 50 feet and three walls away. The singal bar in the config utilily program dropped a lot but the browser is still very usable. I have a few routers in the neighbourhood and I see them all the time.
Some users experience the situation where one can't connect even when it is a few feet from the router. I think those cards are definitely bad. It's conceiveable that the factory can only do cursory power-on test, instead of full tests on all cards. So I am lucky to get a good one.
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Horrible, March 10, 2005
By user
I bought this to connect to my university wireless network. It connects for 2 minutes and then suddenly disconnects. The signal, even when connected to the network is either "low" or "extremely low". This card sucks! It's a waste of money.
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Terrible reception range., March 9, 2005
By user (Orange, CA USA)
Read the other reviews. This card has horrible reception range. Mine is going back today. I even tried it inside a Starbucks and could only get reception in one seat in the place. My Wireless B card allows me to even go outside...
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Good concept poor implementation, March 8, 2005
By user (Los Angeles)
I purchased this item based on the idea of having a PC card that would not stick out like a sore thumb. I've been using a Linksys 54G card that works great but I always knock off the end cover when I slip it into my computer bag.
After installing and using for a couple of weeks I decided to ditch this thing. The reception is worse than bad. The ability for it to keep a connection is also substandard. I/O should offer all of it's customers a refund or offer some kind of fix.
Unfortunately I sent in the rebate form and now I'll have to wait 10-12 weeks for a check.
If your familiar with 802.g or are new to wireless networks save yourself the aggrevation and purchase something else.
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Solid card but lousy signal, March 1, 2005
By user (Rochester, New York United States)
I had a Dell TrueMobile card in my Dell laptop, but my wife kept bending the big antenna sticking out, to the point of it almost breaking. I saw this card and thought "what a great idea!" and ordered it. My signal strength went from EXCELLENT to POOR. And get this, my router is about 6 feet away through a wood floor. If I move the laptop off my lap and out around my knees, I get a GOOD signal, but a laptop is made for, well, laps.
Well made card but lousy implementation of design. I doubt you will be happy.
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Small and inexpensive but dissappointing performance, February 26, 2005
By user (Boston, MA)
Small, good looking and very inexpensive (I paid $29. Now, it's only $9!) However, as the other reviewers noted, the range is very poor. Also, the transfer rate becomes extremely slow when power save mode is used. The card causes small but annoying noise from my laptop speaker, too. Some of them might be due to my old laptop. Having all said that, if the reception range is not an issue for you, the $9 sounds very attractive. (Bottomline - the card works just fine.)
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Up-date:
The card is still working fine. I don't use the software bundled, use only XP's wireless network. Somehow, the speaker noise disappeared.
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Up-date 2
Six months have passed. Now, the card has started bahaving a bit strange. The card works fine for an hour or so, then it suddenly refuses to connect to the router. Indicaters blinking, the wireless connection says "excellent" (which is actully strange), but there is no connection. I'd like to try warranty. Let's see.
By the way, I don't understand why there is no mention of GWP512 on the IOGear web-site. I can only find GWP514.
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Up-date 3
After one e-mail and one phone call, I've got the RMA number, and I ship the card back to IOGear. After waiting for a month and sending two e-mails, IOGear replied that they would replace the card with GWP514. Fine with me. The replacement card has not arrived, yet. Hope it works
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Up-date 4
GWP514 has arrived after waiting for two more weeks. The reception range is far far better than the previous GWP512. Power save mode is also working fine (I don't know how much power is saved, but at least it's not slowing down the connection under max power save mode). So far it's working beautifully with my old Toshiba 3110CT.
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Not bad, but not the best if you need long range, February 24, 2005
By user (Brooklyn, NY)
I love that the card only sticks out a bit from the laptop. I'm not sure if I'd pack up the laptop with the card still in it, but it sticks out far less than other wireless cards. The downside, as you've probably heard from the other reviews, is that the reception is not as good as with other cards. That's the tradeoff. This card works fine for me, but I wouldn't get it if you're looking for maximum distance and signal strength. My D-Link DWL-G650 has much better reception.
Update: 4/2007
I still like the card a lot, but it's really only good when it's near my router. Even with my new D-Link DI-634 MIMO router, I can't get a signal at a location where I can get a 60% signal with my USB adapter and my D-Link DWL-G650 PCMCIA card. It's nice for getting rid of a wire, but don't expect long range reception. For that, get yourself a USB wireless adapter with a USB extension cord: that way, you can position the antenna for best reception.
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Upset with the stuff and customer services, February 22, 2005
By user (Toledo, OH)
I bought this card since it is small and it said it has some features that match with my college wireless systems. But, the card failed to fulfil its promises. It can detect the signal for the first minutes, then gone forever even I work just two or three feet from the router.
The more upset thing is the customer services. They always busy all the time. I was on hold twice for 15 minutes with no respond. They only open during the weekday from morning to 5:50: no extended hour. They said on their answering machine that their internet support will answer my problem. But when I browsed their homepage, even this product (i.e. GWP512) has not listed on their support list yet.
I will send back this card.
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Size vs. Reception, February 17, 2005
By user (Portland, OR)
The previous wireless PCMCIA card I had stuck out about an inch from my laptop. It was broken in an accident, severly disabling its reception. My laptop has two PC card slots, and I have been wanting to put a USB 2 card adapter in the other one. However, all the other wireless network cards have antennas that prevent putting two cards into the slots.
This Iogear card is very small, solving my problem. It only sticks out about a quarter inch from my computer, and does not get any thicker on its protrusion. If you are looking for an inexpensive (I paid $8 for mine after a $20 mail-in rebate), low-profile wireless G card and don't need a super-strong antenna, go with this one. My experience seems to confirm the other reviewers' comments: a shorter antenna equals relatively weak reception. Otherwise, the card works fine. It is backwards compatible with 802.11b networks, as well.
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poor excuse for a "G" card, February 17, 2005
By user (Roswell, GA)
i worked with my card for over 2 weeks and several phone calls to the useless customer support group. and to no avail. i returned my card. it stops working after a few minutes and doesn't shut down when removed. so rebooting does no good. it says it's working when it actually isn't. signal strength @ 5 feet is marginal. it appears to be a really poorly designed wireless card.
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IOGear 512 card, February 16, 2005
By user
The range/ signal strength is as short as the card. About half of my other G card. I called IOGear tech support and they said it is because it has such a small antenna. So, don't expect much signal. Mine is going into the drawer.
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