D-Link DWL-A650 802.11a Wireless Air Pro PC Card Adapter

Product Description:
The D-Link AirPro DWL-A650 is a wireless laptop adapter based on Wi-Fi5 (IEEE 802.11a) 5GHz technology. As an industry leader, D-Link is introducing the next generation of wireless products with its high-performance D-LinkAir Pro series of 5GHz networking technology. Designed for indoor use, the D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 is a powerful notebook PC CardBus adapter that allows users to have mobile access to networks. It provides roaming capabilities from cell to cell and network to network. The DWLA650 has a type II PCMCIA interface to provide a slim line design and maximize efficiency. At 54 Megabits per second (Mbps), the D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 5GHz high-speed wireless CardBus adapter delivers the fastest standards-based wireless technology in the industry. With IEEE 802.11a standard compliance, the D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 high-speed wireless adapter provides excellent network interoperability. A proprietary "Turbo" mode allows the D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 to operate at significantly greater data rates up to 72Mpbs. Eight non-overlapping channels create less interference, which supplies higher average cell throughput to clients. The D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 employs enhanced 152-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Dynamic Key Exchange to protect data from unauthorized access. The D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 is easily installed into a laptop PC to provide connectivity directly to another wireless enabled device (ad-hoc mode) or through an 802.11a based access point (infrastructure mode).

Average customer rating:

Cool product, poor implementation
It works as advertized but there is an issue with Win XP
Easy Install, Easy Configuration, and Easy to get FAST Speed
The Faster the Better - It Doesn't Get Much Faster Than This
Simple Install and Works out of the Box with DWL-5000AP

D-Link DWL-A650 802.11a Wireless Air Pro PC Card Adapter

Manufacturer: D-Link Systems, Inc.
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Wireless Networks | D-Link | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics

D-Link DWL-5000AP 802.11a Wireless Air Pro Access Point
D-Link DWL-A520 802.11a Wireless Air PCI Adapter

Product Features:

5 GHz, 802.11a compliant and WiFi5 compatible
Up to 72 Mbps in "Turbo" mode
152-bit WEP encryption
Eight non-overlapping channels
Diagnostics software included

ASIN: B000063XJ6

Product Description

The D-Link AirPro DWL-A650 is a wireless laptop adapter based on Wi-Fi5 (IEEE 802.11a) 5GHz technology. As an industry leader, D-Link is introducing the next generation of wireless products with its high-performance D-LinkAir Pro series of 5GHz networking technology. Designed for indoor use, the D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 is a powerful notebook PC CardBus adapter that allows users to have mobile access to networks. It provides roaming capabilities from cell to cell and network to network. The DWLA650 has a type II PCMCIA interface to provide a slim line design and maximize efficiency. At 54 Megabits per second (Mbps), the D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 5GHz high-speed wireless CardBus adapter delivers the fastest standards-based wireless technology in the industry. With IEEE 802.11a standard compliance, the D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 high-speed wireless adapter provides excellent network interoperability. A proprietary "Turbo" mode allows the D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 to operate at significantly greater data rates up to 72Mpbs. Eight non-overlapping channels create less interference, which supplies higher average cell throughput to clients. The D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 employs enhanced 152-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Dynamic Key Exchange to protect data from unauthorized access. The D-LinkAir Pro DWL-A650 is easily installed into a laptop PC to provide connectivity directly to another wireless enabled device (ad-hoc mode) or through an 802.11a based access point (infrastructure mode).

Customer Reviews:

Cool product, poor implementation.......2002-12-04

I read all the reviews and couldn't wait for my access point and PC card to arrive. I consider myself a fairly techie person but I haven't dabbled in networking much. It took 5 hours and 2 phone calls to D-Link tech support to get this setup. The quick install directions for the card are pretty easy. Most of my problems were with D-Link's wireless access point (DWL-5000AP) and how it interacted with D-Link's router (I-604). But, I figured that once set up, who cares how long it took as long as the product works.
Here's where I had problems ... I could walk around my house and enjoy a very fast connection. Fifteen minutes to an hour later, the connection would drop. I could place my laptop next to the wireless access point and it couldn't get a signal. I called D-Link again. The tech service guy finally came back with an answer: .11a doesn't work well through walls. They suggested that I call the sales department to find a more suitable D-Link product. That didn't seem to explain my problem or anything that I read about .11a, so I shipped mine back yesterday. I'm going to give the NetGear .11b equipment a try. I know it won't be as fast or as cool. I'm just shooting for a reliable connection right now.

It works as advertized but there is an issue with Win XP.......2002-11-08

I purchased this card for my Dell c800 laptop together with D-Link's DWL-5000AP access point. For the most part, it works out of the box and installs flawlessly. However, this card does not appear to be fully XP compatible. The drivers available for it are quite "old" (April 2002) and ARE NOT CERTIFIED XP COMPATIBLE. This card is not "hot-swappable" as it will cause XP to blue screen if you pop it out of the slot without stopping it. A call to D-Link support confirmed this along with the fact that they have still not received certification from Microsoft. I would stay away from this product until they do.

Easy Install, Easy Configuration, and Easy to get FAST Speed.......2002-09-18

All I had to do was install the drivers in my laptop, reboot and plug the card in the PC card slot. When it boots back up it recognizes the hardware and installation is almost instant. It even connects to the router/ap instantly. I was very impressed and pleased with the range and speeds I get with this wireless card. I am able to surf the internet and play games outside with a high speed connection and NO WIRES.

If you have the money I'd say go for it. If you are looking for a wireless 802.11b product I'd say go for the DWL-650+ because it's double the speeds compared to older 11Mbps hardware and a better price. But I like speed and 802.11a is all about speed.

The Faster the Better - It Doesn't Get Much Faster Than This.......2002-09-17

I love the speed of the 802.11a products, and D-Link has now made it easy for me to use. I get great range with this and the DWL-5000AP. I feel very comfortable that my high speed wireless network is secure with the 256-bit WEP encryption, plus all the other security related features this has.

Works great for me and I highly recommend it.

Simple Install and Works out of the Box with DWL-5000AP.......2002-09-07

This card worked out of the box for me when I paired it up with the DWL-5000AP from D-Link. I was very pleased with my first installation of a wireless network. I just followed the instructions and everything went as planned.

The range is great because I get good signal strength even outside on my patio. Surfing the Internet outside on a laptop is a whole different feeling than inside on a desktop.

My friend even bought one of these just so when he comes over with his laptop we can play some LAN games.

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics