diff --git "a/test.csv" "b/test.csv" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/test.csv" @@ -0,0 +1,5000 @@ +5 Excellent!!! Great Price. Works like a charm. I use these cables for in-ear monitor extensions, and haven't had a failure yet. They work every bit as good as those seller for substantially more money. +5 It extends my headphones cord and does not lose much (if any?) sound quality. The cord feels sturdy and I don't hear any crackle noise when it moves. +5 This extension cord for your headphones is an excellent way to watch TV at night, or play video-games, without disturbing your partner. The sound quality is not diminished whatsoever and if anything, it makes it a bit better. Of course, as with all sound it all depends on the type of headphones you're using but that's beyond the point. This is a great product and I recommend it to anyone who wants to have the comfort and convenience of playing video games or watching TV at night without disturbing your partner without the high cost of wireless headphones. Speaking of wireless headphones, sometimes there is a very small delay with wireless headphones that annoys me because the sound doesn't match the lips of the people talking on the TV. Again, it's not big and might not bother many but it just seems unfair to pay a ridiculous sum of money for wireless headphones to get that delay and this is when this extension cord is so very sweet. Anyway, I hope this was helpful to anyone out there. +5 this is what i was looking for. my computer at work is on the ground and i needed an extension for my headphones thanks +5 I use this cable to extend my headphones' cable so that I can watch TV from comfortable distance without disturbing others. The length of the cable is perfect for that purpose and price was very attractive. +1 I don't write a lot of one star reviews so it says something that I feel compelled to write this one. I bought this item about 4 months ago and it has gotten very light use. I use it to extend the cable from my home audio receiver to my computer in the cases where I want to play streaming music. I needed the extra length because the computer is not always close to the receiver and I wanted it to be easy to make the connection. The item worked as advertised when I initially bought it and I have had no issues with it until now. But now, the cable is defective. When I use it, the sound comes out distorted. Plug the device directly into the cable that this one is extending, and the sound is perfect. There are no obvious external signs on the cable that there is anything wrong. In 4 months, I have used the setup a maximum of ten times so I have not put any sort of excessive wear on this part. +5 The cable fits the bill well. I purchased it because it was cheap and I needed one that could reach from behind my PC to my headphones. I really wanted a shorter cable, but the shorter ones cost slightly more. This does what it it supposed to do. +5 I bought this to use with my office computer. My computer tower sits under my desk and I didn't want to have to keep going under there every time I wanted to plug my headphones into it. So I bought this chumpy and it works great. No more excavating. Connections are solid and the wire has some girth to it. Sound comes through clear. I recommend. +5 Easy to change the battery even though I haven't needed to. Perfectly still snaps a press of a button away. +5 The ML-L3 remote is a very useful tool for photography. - Allowing shutter activation without shaking the camera - Allows the photographer to be in the photo - Flexibility when coupled with the timed shutter release - A must-have for self-portrait photographers - Allows you to step away from the camera and adjust the scene more quickly in studio work Cons; - It appears that the IR sensor for the D60 is on the front of the hand grip Although the location of the sensor is in front of the camera, the remote can be used at angles to the camera and from behind when adequate surfaces exist around the camera to bounce the signal to the sensor. Very happy with my purchase. This remote brings creative photography to a new level. +5 The connectors really fit tight so I am not worried about it being easily pulled out. That is a common problem with a lot of wires is that they slip out so easily, but these snapped in with effort. I plan on buying a longer wire again. +5 Did what I needed it to do without the loss of sound quality. Extended the length from my receiver to my computer's sound card. +1 Not very well made it would cut the sound if the cable bent wrong or even turned in the plugin. Also it felt like you had to force your headphones plug into the female plugin side of the cord. To cheap to worry about returning it. Don't waste money on this spend more get a quality item.... or if you're into the whole gambling thing maybe you'll fair better than I did. +5 My whole reason for buying this is that I had speakers in a certain spot that would just not reach to my computer, and I needed a little more room. Bought this, plugged it in, and it works great! +3 Well, they're not that fragile but after installing this cable to my computer so I can listen to music at work without slouching, I ran over it with my office chair. The female side split and the connection was damaged. In hindsight, I should have gotten a longer cable so I could run it behind my monitor and on top of my desk or just bought a new set of headphones with a longer cord in the first place. +5 Amazon ALWAYS is a great source for any type of needed part for a TV, Computer, Netbook, Stereo System etc. Be it a cable, a spliter, a hi speed cable, a connector, a filter, a UV bulb, a fan...... Whatever. Its on Amazon and ships fast, is priced right and is as represented. Thank you Amazon and your Partners. You make my life easier when I look for these needed supplies. This cord lets me sit back, headphones on and relax to my favorite music without disturbing any one else. +1 Maybe its the length of the cable (12ft), but there is some serious noise interferance and distortion with this cable. I purchased the cable to use for my office computer for headphone use, with the length of 12 ft to provide mobility. However after a few uses, I promptly stopped using that cable and settled for using my 3 ft connection despite the limited mobility. The trade-off was the lesser of two evils. Anyways, learned my lesson. Stay away! +5 No problems at all, no sound issues, clear sound all the way. I am always hesitant with extension cables, but this one seems top-notch. +1 The cable I ordered arrived broken. When in use, if it gets bent to the wrong angle all sound gets cut out. I am glad I paid only a couple of dollars for this, because it's going directly in the trash I guess. +5 I needed to control some components located in other rooms (such as on a different floor or in a closet). I purchased a Smarthome Hidden IR Repeater System along with the 50' version of this cable. This cable has performed perfectly with the repeater system - there's been no lag or missed commands. The cable was easy to snake through walls and connects solidly at both ends. If you need to extend an IR repeater or other similar system this cable is a great choice for that. +5 Im not jumping up and down over this, but its a remote and it works. If you want to take pictures of yourself for myspace, but don't have someone to take them, this is the item you need!! Works good for taking family photos as well. +5 got it for my new D40. Amazing product works all around the camera (360 degrees around) with no issues at all. finally i was able to take my own pictures using 2 sec delay exposure. included pouch is totally worth, just put it on the camera strap and the remote will come handy at any time. +2 UPDATE: 9/10/12 Ordered 25' "Cables to Go" cable from ELMENOS (seller) which does not work properly...static along with sound going completely out. This recent cable also does not have the "Cables to Go" name on packaging and is different from pictured item. Very stiff wire and poor quality connector ends. [1 Star product/seller] RECAP: The 6' cable works great at my computer station giving me more movement around the office. The 50' cable works fine around my home when I'm vacuuming or just puttering around. The 25' cable was to be used in my TV room for privacy...I guess I'll just have to use the 50' cable and keep the excess cable out of the way. UPDATE: 7/10/11 The reviews posted here apply to the various lengths of 3.5mm extension cables. I have purchased two different lengths and Amazon does not allow me to rate them separately, but I will within this review. 7/7/11 - First Review of 50' Cable (3 Stars): The 50' cable is OK because this "Cables To Go" (Name Brand on package) audio extension cable is working although there is a slight loss of volume (about 10%) when used. The sound quality seems fine as I just turn up the volume. I'm guessing the loss of volume may be due to the extended length (50') cable I chose. I hope this is true and I don't have a defective product...I will update accordingly if this is the case. Otherwise, the construction appears decent and the cord/wire moves/flexes well while I am walking about. So, this is OK. 7/10/11 - Second Review of 6' Cable (4 Stars): The 6' cable (different - unknown brand) is better because there is no loss of sound when used. I slight it one star because it is a bit temperamental...i.e. when I insert the male connector from my earbuds into the female connector of this extension cable, there may be a slight loss of sound until I readjust the connection. Since I am using this cable in a stationary location this is not a major problem. If you plan on mobility this may be a problem for you. Another note of information regarding the actual 6' cable I received: The packaging only indicated 3.5mm IPH male to 3.5mm IPH female. I believe this is for iPhone applications because the cable actually has 4 separate wire connections. Standard stereo applications only require 3 (right, left & ground) connections. Since I don't have an iPhone, I'm not sure what the extra connection would be used for. This may also be why this cable is a bit sensitive to the standard (3 wire) 3.5mm connector. Another reason why this cable is better is it is actual gold connectors. So, as I've experienced with many of these minor electronics items sold here on Amazon, it really is a mish-mash of what may be shipped. The good thing is Amazon will always refund for incorrect/inferior products. +5 As expected. quick shipping, cable works. it is not the thinest cable possible, what is great so it doesn't brake. i have it now 2 months and no problem. +5 Great Product and great service! +5 This is an excellent companion when used with the new Nikon D90; its small size and VERY easy triggering (no need to point directly at the source sensor, just in its VERY vague vicinity). I know that operational proximity & ease of triggering are important performance characteristics to many prospective buyers, so I'll provide more specificity: the unit's operational proximity exceeds that which has been advertised (16.4 ft.) by 10-12% (appx. 18.2 ft.) -- perhaps this is a result of my use with a new model that had not yet been released when these "specs" were written, or perhaps the newness of the battery is at play, or conservative spec writing -- I suspect it's ultimately some combination of these three factors -- I'm not sure, but the results are absolutely great! When considering the price, acceptable fit/finish & reliable feel, this item win this a 5 star without hesitation, it comes with a black, snug-fitting tasteful case w/ Velcro seal. One small caveat: the unit must be VERY close to the body when attempting to trigger from behind the camera. A couple of configurations required that I move it in front of the camera altogether, not a big deal at all, but others have expressed concern on this issue or as part of a future "wish list," and Nikon seems to have left this design aspect unchanged with their newest dSLR (the D90, as of 07 OCT 2008). +5 Hold you hand over the top of the camera and this will work perfect. Stand to the side and it will work. Your hand will not be in the picture unless you are an idiot. +5 Much smaller than I expected, which is a good thing. Simple to use, small enough for any camera bag, and the price is definitely right. +4 i love it good send on time +1 The jack is not a 3.5mm plug. It's similar but has 4 contact points instead of 3 ( right, left, and common). I tired jamming it into a 3.5mm female, but only get sound from 1 channel. So useless. +5 I needed a new extension cable for my Skullcandy headphones that my kitty decided to chew through. This wire that I purchased to replace it was PERFECT. It's heavy duty and the perfect length. I'm glad with my purchase. +5 The desktop at my job is on the ground next to my desk. My headphones were too short for me to move freely while it was plugged into the desktop's headphone port, so I bought these and they worked just fine. I probably didn't need whole 12ft but I don't really care. I might need the extra length later on. +5 This cable was exactly what I needed to make a 25' cable long enough to get around a room with no stress on the computer. I was thinking of a coupler at first but this works better as there is nothing needed between the two cables. The additional length makes no difference to sound quality from a Macbook pro to a big-screen television. +5 I'm not sure why people are complaining but it was sooo easy to install and use. First it has no documentation because it can be used for the D40's, D50's ,D70's, D80's and I assume the new D90's. The instructions is in the camera documentation. Besides... just look through the setup and you'll see where it is. I have a D40 and it was in the shooting mode. There is a 2sec delay and an instant shoot. I program my FN button to change the shooting mode. You cannot have continuous shoots with the remote mode. Second. All infrared remotes are line of sight. Most people don't know the difference between Infrared, RF(car remote), high end Radio (Wireless networks and Wireless phones) & Bluetooth. All of them are wireless... (WIRE + LESS) Infrared can only go about 8 to 20 feet depending on the conditions and the size of the sensor. Think of it this way... how far can you be to change the tv channel? 10 feet? 20 feet? Outside the house? This is exactly the same. In conclusion. It's a great buy. If it costs $30 it would still be worth it. No need to watch the blinking light and run across the room to be in the picture. Also you can get some funny candid shots when no one knows when the picture takes place. +3 USING THE REMOTE You need to change to quick response mode - Hold down the self timer button (near shutter release) and spin the command dial until the icon appears in the LCD control panel that looks like a little remote with rays coming out of it. Be within 16 ft. You can also make it delay the shutter release (icon that looks like a little remote and a clock) if you want to snap yourself and give 2 seconds to put down the remote. Choose the remote icon with a little clock. Make sure to return remote setting to OFF - no clock/remote icon in LCD after spinning self-timer button -- to go back to normal shooting. See page 22-23 in Nikon D50 manual. You can Velcro shut the case on your camera strap. If they left a hole at the end, you could probably use it without taking out of its little case. See page 100 for changing the time the camera waits for the remote. What this means is, how long the camera remains in remote mode, before it returns to normal operation. Go to settings (the pencil) and then go to 20 Remote and set to 5 minutes, whatever. (Pencil icon/20 Remote) The advantage of keeping to the default of 1 minute is, it will go back to normal operation in 1 minute and you will not have to reset it. The advantage of increasing to a higher time is, you can fiddle with the remote and not have it resetting in only one minute. The battery in the remote is a Maxell CR2025 3V coin cell. The indicator light on the front of the camera lights after the exposure. +5 I use my remote whenever my camera is mounted on its tripod. I set my Nikon D60's remote-on duration for 15 minutes and I choose the remote shutter release setting. Then, I hold the remote a few inches from the shutter release, and the remote works every time. When I want to take a self portrait or group photo, I aim the remote directly at the "eye" on the front of the D60 under the shutter release, and the remote works every time. 15 feet away is as far as I have tried. +5 Note: I have used this product in clear weather (no precipitation) with a Nikon D40x in moderate sunlight and at night, but not in bright sunlight. Pros: - Response is very quick - Operating distance (from remote to camera) is at least 2 meters - Operating area (around camera) anywhere within the 180 degrees in the front of the camera, and even somewhat behind when the remote is closer to the camera - The device itself is very light and small I've encountered no major problems to speak of, though it'd be nice if the remote could be used from directly behind the camera, though I suppose that's a function of sensor placement on the camera. It's not a big plus, but it comes with its own carrying case. I cannot comment on battery life yet, as my first battery has not worn out yet (after several months of occasional use). * * * * * Update (Sep-22-2011): After 3 years of occasional use, I have still not needed to replace the battery. +3 surprisingly skinny wire for what it is, kind of similar to ear bud headphone wire. still, it works as it should and that's it. but not something you will push big cans through or want to move around much. you get what you pay for. +5 If you own a higher end Nikon DSLR, to reproduce the function of this little remote costs almost $200. This is a cheap accessory that allows you to take a picture while not holding the camera. So what if you don't get 360 coverage. If you want that, go spend 10 times a much. This is a great device that works as it should. Others may expect their $$ to have $$$ results, not me. Get it and enjoy the freedom it offers. +4 Inexpensive, durable, light-weight, purposeful. This item is a must have for all DSLR owners. Easy to use and works perfectly. This is a good accessory to have. +4 Pros: - Very small (2 inches approx) - Comes with a battery & cover - Camera strap can be threaded through the cover - Works from front, behind, top & bottom of camera (I checked it to verify some of the reviews here saying it doesn't work from behind) Cons: - No instructions on how to sync/connect with camera - This $15 part should come with the $600 camera. 1. How to connect/sync this remote with D60? - Get to Quick Setting display (page 48 of D60 manual) - Get to the Release Mode and select Remote option. (Check D60 manual page 54 & 55) 2. How to replace the battery? - See page 156 of D60 manual. +3 Remote works if held in front of the camera - will not work from behind. You also have to set-up the remote sensing in the camera's memory before you can use the remote - it will return to default setting wehen the camera is shut off. Otherwise the remote works fine. +5 Hard to fault this remote. It's small, light weight, cheap ... battery life is good. I think it would be better with a lockable off switch so the battery isn't drained when in a case and pressure is accidently applied to the switch. The little cloth case is sad for normal Nikon quality ... but again the whole thing is very low cost. The important thing is the remote is all it's promised to be and more. +1 the product that was sent to me does not work. I wrote the seller twice and have not had any response from. I expect more from people who deal with Amazon. I am very put out by this. +5 A really neat gadget. Eliminates the chance of moving the camera off of focus when depressing the shutter release. If my camera is on a tripod, I'm most likely going to use this remote. Even though the instructions say you have to be in front of the camera to activate it, I find that standing along side and even to the rear of the camera within 10 to 15 feet works just as well. +5 It's good to have. You can't do a lot of rapid shooting, but it does as it should. +5 I think with shipping included, this cost me less than $4. I had bought one (not even quite as long) at RadioShack for $10, and didn't feel right about spending that much money on a simple cord. I looked here, and have been very please. Actually feels like better quality than the RadioShack version, and has done me well. Quite flexible, seems durable, and has good sound quality. +1 This cable works - just ... some of the time. But be care full not to move anything on either end of the cable or the cable itself, or else you just get a load of very loud static noise. Sounds like a bad connection - which can't be good for any of the equipment involved. I'll see if Amazaon/the supplier will send another, so I can see if this was a one-off. Arrived in good time though. UPDATE 4/19/2011: The supplier offered to provide a full refund. So good grades for customer service. +5 I listen to my earbuds at work. I wasn't able to move around the cubicle the way I wanted. My Shure E3 earbuds had a 6 foot cable, but my replacement V-Moda's only have a 3' cable. With this extension, I can remain "plugged in" until a visitor comes. I wish I'd bought one of these extensions years ago. +5 WORK'S GREAT WOURTH THE MONEY, USED IT RIGHT OUT OF THE BOOK WITH NO PROBLEM JUST SET THE CAMREA AND GO. ONLY PROBLEM WAS WITH THE SHIPPING UPS KILLED THE BOX IN SHIPPING BUT THE REMOTE WAS FINE. +5 Good price and does what it is suppose too. Comes with a pouch that can be attached to your camera strap so you do not need to worry about losing it. Use it with my Nikon D80 and D40x. The part I like about this remote is that I am the one usually taking pictures and very seldom see me in the photos, especially group photos etc and with wife. Guess what, I do not have to have someone else, or a stranger take pictures of me when I can do it all by myself with this little remote and a tripod. Do not have to worry about some stranger running off with my camera when he's taking my photo. Your laughing, I had a camera stolen from me like that while I was in Germany. So I love this little remote. Just set up my camera and go to the set location and press the button. Have had great results and with me in some of the photos. Yahoo, to Nikon for such a fantastic little gizmo. +4 This is surely the best bang for the buck fun accessory I've gotten for my D50. As other reviewers point out, it can sometimes be frustrating to use -- it needs line-of-sight to the camera and sometimes fails to fire. And it's much harder to use out of doors where it can't bounce of walls, it needs to be aimed *straight* at the camera. but at the same time, it's only fifteen bucks. Even if it isn't perfect it's a must-have. +2 I had great hopes for this little gizmo, but because the sensor is on the front of the D40X it's difficult to use it...not to mention the distance range is pitiful. It might be OK for self portrait type shots, but is of little use to capture birds, etc as I had hoped. +1 Got the cable in august 2010 with very sporadic use. They started to fail 2 months ago and now they failed to operate completely. +4 This is a great cable for the price, and it would costs twice at much at local b&m stores. Does what it supposed to, and A good value cable! Keep in mind to measure the length you need before purchasing. The longer the cable, the greater the risk of interference, quality loss, and breakage. So only get the length that is long enough for what you need. Any extra portion that you wrapped together will just cause you trouble in the long run. The best way to measure is to pull a a roll of string between the equipments you want to connect, don't' cut the string, just mark and measure that string, and get the longer length that is closest to your measurement. If it hard to get to the connections, just rewind some of that string so its still visible/reachable on the open end, after the extension wire arrives tie that open end of string to the audio cable and just pull/rewind on the roll of string to pull the wire over. +1 My headphone extension broke to my laptop, bought this, constant noise (soothing, like the ocean surf but not at all asked for) present which is not present using a different extension. +4 I bought these because I have a set of headphones that had come with an extension cable that was obviously wearing out, and so I bought this one as a replacement - it's short, but I guess I should have known that much from the item description. It works. So, that's all that really matters. Unfortunately, I'm now discovering that my headphones themselves are wearing out too - so I'm probably going to have to just go with a new set of headphones anyway. But, for the time being, these helped a lot. +5 Perfect for hooking up my pa speaker to my cb radio in my truck. The cord from the pa speaker wasn't quite long enough but this audio extension cable did the trick. +4 This is a great product. I love using it, and while visiting people I hand it over to others while taking group pictures. Everybody at parties and get-together love using it. I would have given it a five star, except that for the fact that it cannot be used from behind the camera. That would be great for macro work, animal photography and so on. +5 It allows you to take shots from a tripod without touching your camera; it's practically a give away; and, it comes with a small carrying pouch. +5 I boutght this as one of the Christmas present requests for my daughter to go with her new camera. She loves and and is able to take great pictures because now the camera can stay on the tripod and there is no hand shaking whilst holding the camera before you click. +4 Works well, including on "bulb" setting. With this and a tripod, you can greatly expand the type of shots you can get. I am using it with a Nikon D-80. +1 Bought this and in less than a month of very little use, sound started fading; apparently the wire connections inside ware fraying. A replacement cable restored sound quality, this cable was definitely defective. +5 I received this cable in just a week and I am very happy with it. Works fine with my earphones. Nice heavy cable and well made. Very happy with it. +1 Perfect for replacing a fraying cable for my Shure headphones. It's almost exactly the same diameter but feels a little more flexible. EDIT: Only a month after I purchased this cable the rubber where the wire meets the jack has completely split, leaving the wire exposed. I'm not going to get this cable again. +5 You cant really ask for more for this price. The cable itself feels a little cheap (I wouldnt use this in a professional setting) but it works well, does not seem to distort sound, and is able to withstand somewhat frequent connecting and disconnecting of headphones (once a day - I disconnect my headphones when I leave my office in the evening and reconnect them the next day) +5 Does what it's supposed to do. I haven't had a problem with line of sight. The remote works when pointed at an angle. Although I'm sure extreme angles would be more difficult. It is extremely small. Don't lose it! Works well, good price, more handy than you think. Everyone should get one. +4 Works well w/the D80 once you figure out how to use it. I skiped the owners manual. You have to tell the camer you are about to use a remote. Once that is done it is all thumbs up! +5 Use as a remote trigger for group shots or to reduce shaking on a tripod. WORKS GREAT!! +5 This remote works great and from a good distance away as well. Used it with my D40 and is great for those self-portraits and shots where you need to eliminate camera shake. +5 Simple product that works as described at a reasonable price. I use it with my Nikon D60. Amazon delivery was excellent, as always. +4 I have used this remote with my Nikon D80 for about a year. I has worked flawlessly for group photos and tripod shots. The range is decent. I have taken photos up to 12' away. It is compact and comes with a canvass sleeve/case that you can attach and store on your camera strap. I would recommend it to everyone. Who hasn't needed a wireless remote for their camera at some point? I only wish it came with the camera bodies. It should be an included accessory! +2 I did like that it was nice and flexible but the bad was that the female connection end is touchy. I have to move it around, twisting the male end inside the female until I find the spot were I get sound to come from both channels. It must be something inside the female connection. I am guessing it is the luck of the draw, you could get one that works great but mine didnt. +5 I use this because my ear-buds have a very short cable and I need to move around in my cube. This cable gives me all the room I need. +5 This worked as mentioned in the description. Remember it is a 2 channel stereo extender and does not carry MIC signals along with it (You will need a 3 channel extender - stereo + MIC). The length was just right and its doing a good job. +3 Nice long cable. Male connector fits snugly in my laptop line-out. (Not on every device.) Fits fine in my Eternity, iPhone and Sansa. Sound quality is good given its a 25 ft cable and costs only 5 bucks. I do see about 10% volume loss compared to a 3 ft cable. Overall, good value for money. +5 I use it to give me some added length and take the stress off my 3.5mm plug in my sound card. The weight of grado cables and the added leverage coming off the 1/4" adapter would easily ruin a headphone jack. This gives me added cable length while also taking all that pressure off the jack. Quality construction, thick enough to not be a piece of garbage. No noticeable sound degradation on my Grado 325is headphones. +5 This remote infrared transmitter will work on almost all Nikon Point-n-Shoot, SLR and DSLR cameras with infrared! The supplied 3V coin cell will probably last at least five years under light to medium usage. It's a snap to get going - no instructions necessary. You should probably consult your camera documentation however, to determine the easiest way to control the infrared receiver (camera side). On the latest Nikon DSLR's, most have an fn button on the front of the body, next to the lens mount (left hand), that defaults to infrared enable (2 second after-focus delay). Thus, menu-playing is unnecessary - you just push fn, aim the thing at the camera from within the prescribed distance, and push the button. The flash assist light will come on for a second or two after the shutter, aperture, and focusing is done, and the shot will go. Really simple, really cool! +5 you will love it. Not for only D50/D70. It works like a champ in my D40. +5 At this price, who doesn't want one!? I got a whole bunch and gave it away to all my photographer friends! +5 I was surprised at how small the remote was. I couldn't tell the size from the pictures, and was glad to see that the remote was small. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the remote came with a small, fabric case to protect the remote while in a bag or when in use in semi-harsh weather conditions. The case has a triangle cut-out that allows visibility and access to the release button so you don't have to take it out of the small case to use it if you don't want to. The remote works great on my Nikon D60 camera. It works while in front, at the side or behind the camera. +5 I purchased the 25' length 3.5mm Male/Female Stereo Extension Cable to connect my TV to my Headphones to watch TV at night without making noise. The cable preforms just fine. Good price for a long cable! +1 I should've listened to the other reviewers. The cord snapped at the connecting point to the plug within a month of use. If you're using this cord for something stationary and never move the cord, then you'll be ok. But any normal usage of moving and bending, plugging/unplugging the cord will break the poor quality plastic in no time. +5 This is a must for anyone who needs a audio extender cord. I use this at work, great for having to maneuver around a desk. Well worth the price, sturdy construction. Would buy again. +4 The only issue is that the head is too wide to use with iphone/ipod cases. When u plug it in, the head is too wide for the actual metal part of the headphone extension to get all the way in. Otherwise it works as expected, so if space is not an issue than this is the wire for you. +4 very long cable. Works perfect ... lose of signal is low which is a sign of good quality metal in the cable. all in all a good spend. +3 It seemed fine when I was first using it, but I noticed if you wiggle the wider part of the wire, near the jack, you'll hear static in your headphones or w.e. you're using...other than that, it's ok +5 This is a good quality short extension cable for what are now standard headphones, etc. It is typical of such connectors that one or the other channel may drop-out or sputter, etc., because the connection is not clean. Cleaning the metal surface of the plugs (inside and out) with Q-tips and alcohol can help. There are also expensive chemical products to promote good contacts. However, the cheapest and best way to go is to purchase a tube of silicon grease Fantasea Silicon Grease Lubricant, "for all types of O-Rings" also known as "Dielectric tune-up grease" Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-up Grease - 3 oz.. This stuff is also great for for too-tight connections. I use it on all of my electronic cables. > Click on Stoney just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question. +2 I purchased this cord to extend the cord on my M-AUDIO IE-30 In Ear Reference Monitors when I listened to music at my desktop. I know I should have purchased a higher end cord to match the quality of the M-Audios, and now I will have to. When I first plugged in the cord I received no sound. I tried plugging the headphones into the jack directly and ensured the headphones were working. I then visually inspected the cord and everything looked fine. I figured it had to be a short. So, I plugged the cord back in and started manipulating the male end of the cord first. Sure enough, I started to get scratchy audio in one earphone. I then manipulated it more and viola - audio in both ears. A little more playing with it and I was set, I could finally hear audio through both ears. This seems like a classic case of you get what you pay for. Frankly, I'm not interested in paying to send this junk back. I'll just order another one eventually. Until then I will fiddle with the one I have until I get clear audio. I ultimately gave this two stars because when it did work, it sounded great. So, assuming they fix the manufacturing issue causing the short, this would be a nice and economical audio extention cord. +4 The remote works fine as long as it's close enough to the camera. In some lighting conditions it takes more than one button press to activate the shutter. I would reccomend buying the remote, as it does do a pretty good job, even with it's limitations. +4 I bought this remote about 8-9 months ago, shortly after I purchased my Nikon D40x. I used it enough at that time to figure out how to use the remote then I put it away until 2 weeks ago. Happy to say the remote still worked with the same battery. I used it when taking pictures at the Grand Canyon and like another reviewer, found I had to have the remote close to the camera when using it (maybe the battery needs replacing soon?). The remote runs on a button battery; replacements can be bought at most stores which sell batteries. The only complaint I have about the remote is its holder which has a slot to fit the (flimsy) strap that comes with the camera, otherwise one must improvise or keep good track of where they keep the remote when they're not using it. +4 Works just fine. I wish it had options right on the remote though (like for immediate shot or delay shot, etc.), rather than on the camera. Otherwise fine and works as it should. +1 This cable had a short and would intermittently drop audio. Also, it's incompatible with iPhone-style three-conductor headphone plugs. +4 Works as advertised. The only minor "con" - cable is much stiffer than the one on my earbuds... not as flexible. I must reposition the cable, then the earbud cable, when I change position. +2 The jack on this cord is already messing up. I'm having to jiggle and turn it every time I want to actually hear something. Its annoying. It lasted a very short while. About a week. I didn't even use it that much. I would suggest buying a better quality cord. +5 This remote works great. I use it with my Nikon D40x (or whatever the model # is) My suggestion, this remote is small and easy to lose. Keep an extra handy! (For all you techies... It works on IR, no direct connection needed like bluetooth, so you can use multiple remotes with the same camera without hassle). +5 This little gizmo is worth the $12. What's really great is that it will fires my d50 & d40 simutaneously. get the same subject from different angles at the same time. +4 I'll keep this short. The remote only works if pointed towards the sensor on the front of the camera. I piggy backed my camera to a telescope and it would not work from the back. I just aim the remote directly in front of the sensor to get it to work. I have read it works up to 14ft, i haven't tried the distance test yet. I only really brought it to use on my telescope so i can use the bulb setting without touching the camera. Works for what i need it for, so i am pleased. +5 comes handy if you like to be in the pictures. the only downside is that the camera sensor is on the front, if you are close to it it sometimes works form the back +5 Wonderful little accessory for my D80. Works well, is built well, has pretty good range. It's a bit small, so sometimes easy to lose if you don't keep track of it. Depending on your camera, you'll have to aim pretty accurately for the IR sensor. Long lenses can get in the way. +5 I bought this to connect from my computer (via USB audio out) to my 7.1 multi-channel receiver about 45 feet going round the edge of the room, behind sofa and furnitures. I've added a 3.5mm to RCA stereo jacks in order to connect to the audio input of the receiver. The audio comes out very clear, with bass hitting hard for rock music. When paused, it is very quiet as I don't hear any hissing or static. The cable is not too thin to cause degradation, and not too thick to standout. Excellent value with the price. +4 This cable extension does the job but it is obviously not of the highest quality construction. I wouldn't recommend this for professional, industrial, or extreme use. Great for personal office use however. +5 Not a lot to say about such a short cable other than it works perfectly, the connections were solid, and the construction quality is nice. Didn't notice any changes in audio quality. +3 It probably matters most on who is selling the item at the time, but I ordered mine early December 2010. The product I got was only 5 feet when I measured it, and a sticker on the package also said "5FT." The product is clearly not what is in the picture, because the male end of the cord (not the metal tip, but the cord just beyond it) is very thin, much like you would find on a set of small in-ear earphones, and the one pictured is thicker. The cord is very thin and very flexible, not at all wiry (and probably not shielded). The main reason for three stars is of course the lie that it is 6 feet when it is in fact 5 feet, but for the speakers I'm using it for, there's no noticeable reduction in volume or quality (using this so that I can place my subwoofer farther away from my computer, bought three of these, speaker set is X-540 5.1 system). I might or might not recommend this product. +2 I wanted to use this cable to extend my headphones from my tv or computer to my treadmill. The cable "works." It works if you happen to have it plugged into both ends exactly right and then do not jostle or move the connection. Unfortunately, this makes it relatively unuseable for me. +5 This extension works great. Very handy to have for those products that provide short cords which are just not long enough to make a connection. Not uncommon with a lot of products. +2 This headphone extension cord barely meets its purpose. It glitches and the wiring seems as if your headphones were damaged (if you know what I mean). It is very unstable when connecting to final product (ipod in my case). It is so unstable that the headphone sides start making scratchy noises when doing simple things such as walking around a room. I guess that's what you get for said price. +5 This cable works perfectly and long. I don't really notice any quality loss and the cord is pretty durable, I rolled over it quite a few times. The female connect is really solid and stays connected when pulled on. The only thing I would change is how bulky the ends, it'd be cool if they were a bit thinner but other than that it's great. +3 Don't get me wrong, it works. But if you move it around a lot the connection will get lose and make some noise. So it's good for home stereo stuff, but I wouldn't trust it with headphones. For the price it's fine for what I need which was just an extension for my PC speakers. +4 I needed to extend the length of my headphone cables plugged into my PC and this cable satisfies my need. +2 Lasted me 9 months of minimal use, Right channel doesn't work properly. I have to move the cable around until I get sound of the damage channel and then I can't move the cable else I'll have to start the process all over again. Worked good until it didn't. +5 OK...last Christmas I had enough. I hate setting up the camera on a tripod, setting the timer to 10 sec, tripping the shutter and then running like a madman to get in the group photo. Of course you get there in 2 seconds and then have to wait stupidly (along with everyone else) for the flash to fire and the photo to be taken - I hate it! Now with Nikon's remote control you set up the camera, walk cooly to the group, ensure everyone is ready and then say, "OK, on three, ready...one, two (everyone smiles), THREE! Much better way to do this! You can also (at least on my Nikons) set it to remote&timer so you can trip the timer with the remote and the camera will fire two seconds later. I love this little device and for 13 bucks it's an awesome value. I also use the remote for low light tripod situations where I want to eliminate any camera shake at all. +5 Yowza! I pickted this remote up for my Nikon D40, and this thing was shipped fast. I used standard shipping and it showed up in two days. As for the remote itself, it's smaller than I imagined (which is actually a good thing since it fits easily in my bag's pockets). I'm not sure about the pouch it comes with. It looks to be made to loop through the camera strap, which may be handy for some people. But, with its size, it's probably just easier to stick it in a pocket. The range on the remote is decent. I was about ten feet away, and the signal still went through to the camera. This is definitely something everyone should have in his or her camera bag. It's cheap, tiny, easy to use, and provides some much needed alternatives to standard shooting (I set my D40 up on a tripod near a bird feeder and got some great shots until a finch landed on my lens, but a simple push of the button shook the little dude off when the shutter released). +5 shipped in time and works as descibed. pretty useful when u take a shot for yourself and a group of people. +5 Does what it is supposed to do. It is small...don't lose it in th field. ;) +5 A must have. Use with my D40 when shooting low light from a tripod. Works great from sides and back of camera as long as the distance is not too great. Wish that this item was included in the D40 package, however, guess that's expecting too much. +5 This is a must have for self portraits or long exposures or anytime!. The configuration on my D40 is easy, you just go into the Menu/shooting mode and choose either the "delayed remote" (2 sec) or Quick-response remote" option and you are ready to go. Not a problem with the remote because it is 100% fabulous, but a camera nag (or maybe operator error) is I wish I could save the remote setting as a default instead of losing the remote set up each time the camera shuts off and having to go into the menu to reset it.. Anyway, I love this little tiny simple gizmo. It has a little pouch which you can attach to your camera strap so its handy whenever you want it. I recommend this for everyone! +5 This item is great plenty long enough for me to walk around my room, signal is great no loss. +5 I love cables,I use them with my 19" HDTV in my bedroom. The sound quality is more better than any I had with any my earphones. Great buy. Thinking of and will buy few more to use with my computers audios. Audiojust great. +1 This worked fine until one channel started shorting out after one month's normal use. Not a durable product. +5 I purchased the 12' version of this cable to extend my headphones while at work so that I would stop ripping them out of my ears every time I moved my chair away. This is your basic 3.5mm extension cable and it does exactly what it was meant to do. The price is perfect, and I've noticed no audio degradation while listening to streaming audio. I probably wouldn't recommend this product if you're a true audiophile looking to get the best audio quality from, say, a microphone or something, but I use this product with my Bose In-Ear Headphones and notice no difference in sound quality with and without this cable. I would even go so far as to recommend picking up a couple of these, because having a spare 12' 3.5mm extension cable lying around the house is pretty much a necessity if you have a lot of audio-type equipment (speakers, headphones, computers, etc). Well worth the price, and nothing really to complain about. This is my first experience with "Cables to Go" and it won't be my last. Pros: - 12 more feet of cable - Good quality build - Stands up to being run over by my office chair - Dirt cheap Cons: - Probably not audiophile-esque quality (but I don't really care) - Sometimes the extra length can get in the way +4 I would like to change my former review. I previously stated that the sound quality was poor, leaving it distorted and raw. However, I just replugged it in, and it is working way better. I must have just needed to jiggle the connection. Therefore, my recommendation is, should you feel that the sound quality is poor and is a little lacking, try jiggling the connection. It makes a world of difference. Definitely worth it for the $3 cost, after shipping. +5 Great product. It's nice and long, no frills (plan black), works like it's supposed to. What more could you ask for? :-) +5 Does exactly what I expected it to do in a small, easily pocketable size. You won't regret it. +5 The description does not specify, but this remote control works perfectly with the Nikon D40. It is small, lightweight, and cheap. Highly recommended. +5 It's a great value product, since you can always take a good shot with no need to run like crazy to be in the picture. You can set your camera to be with the remote sensor on and you just change your smile and press the button. Change positions, and shoot again. That's great for the family or groups pictures... +4 Purchased this remote for a Nikon D60. It works well from at least 10ft, although it must have a clear sight line to the label side of the camera. +3 This cute little remote works just fine. Unfortunately, most, if not all, digital Nikons can only receive the remote's signal from the front. That is great for self-portraits and occasions where you don't want to touch the camera. I wanted to activate mine from behind, to get sneak shots of the local wildlife. It has sufficient range and sometimes you can bounce the signal off a ceiling or wall, like with a TV remote. I have even used it through windows. Nikon owners should get this remote, but I wish the camera was designed so that it would work from all directions. Guilty by association, so only three stars. +5 Needed 3 cables to extend my audio setup. These came packaged in ziploc baggies. They are as advertised, so I was not disappointed. The performance is perfectly adequate, and would purchase again if I needed more cables. Don't let the price fool you - its clear the profit is on the shipping charges. +3 When I started using this I started hearing a little feedback. Also the jack is a little smaller than it should be so it doesn't fit as snugly as it should, meaning you may have to wiggle it to get all sound levels. It works and was a decent buy for the money, but I'd advise you to spend a little more and buy a nicer cable. +4 I bought this cable to use at the gym. The little boxes you plug your ear-buds into to listen to a TV station while running on the treadmill are mounted way too low. So I needed an extension cable and bought this one. It was a bit of a search to find only a 3-foot cable. What may not be apparent from the information provided is that this cable is about 3X's thicker than a standard iPod ear-bud cable. That thickness means that the cable is quite a bit heavier and stiffer than the iPod ear-buds. So when you are running on the treadmill, you have to hold the cable because there is enough weight to pull the buds out of your ears. Overall, I admit, not a big deal. But for some applications it may matter more so I thought I would mention it. Otherwise, I have been using the cable for almost two months now and it is working fine. +3 No stars because I still have not used the cables. The price was very low, all I had to do was pay the shipping. The shipping charge is the rip off when you buy things advertised on TV. I bought the cables knowing that they were not that heavy, and shipping ended up not all that bad. The cord on the headphones is sufficient for the use around my computer, and the sound is excellent. The earphones came with an attachment plug that will allow me to attach the earphones to my 73 inch Mitsubishi (which I also bought from amazon - great HDTV with a beautiful picture). Now that I am retired, I can use the headphones to listen to TV at late night and now wake up anyone. I will need the cable in this review to be able to reach the couch. +5 I use this as an extension for my headphones. I haven't had any problems with it. +4 The battery works fine, the only thing I don't like about it is that it's silver color and does not match with my Canon Optura 30. I saw cheaper compatible, bigger mah batteries on ebay and other places but not sure if they are any good. I've heard cheap battery may explode due to cheap chemical. I've seen cheap batteries labled "product from Japan, assembled in China". It does not say which part from japan and which from china. +5 I have owned one of these Sakar batteries for over two years and it is still going strong. It truly takes more pictures per charge than the Canon 570 mAh battery that came with my Powershot S50. I paid $39 at a different e-tailer two years ago and that is still what they charge. This is a bargain! I just bought three here at Amazon and they all work fine. +5 I am 100% satisfied with both the cables and the Seller. I recommend you buy from this Seller. +5 gets the job done....i can run sound to my amp in the living room from the front of our desktop in the bedroom......stll works fine....yay +5 For the $4 it cost with shipping, I thought this was a great value. And the cord length is more than sufficient. +2 This cable is just what I needed! It's awesome! There are, however, a few things to note: -Seems to be well-constructed (only time will tell) -Little tough to get headphone connector to go in, but no real biggy -Six feet seems to go a little longer than you may think, it's probably somewhere relative to your height (I only mention this because I sometimes have a little trouble visualizing length of cables, so I hope this helps others who think the same way) Over all, I'm very well pleased. This cable seems to be worth more than a penny, but I'm not going to argue about that! UPDATE (12/12/10): This cable stopped working a few days ago. If it was touched, then all you could hear was static. If it wasn't positioned correctly, you could only hear one speaker. Obviously, I think it's a waste of money looking back since it failed. +5 It sets you free! without help from others, I am able to take pictures for myself. Besides, it is useful to avoid shaking when I need a long exposure time photography. +5 It's small, sleek, cheap, and does exactly what you bought it for. The battery has lasted me many months, and the remote has never malfunctioned. You can't beat this. +5 This remote is very small, and it does what it's supposed to do. You will not be disappointed...especially with the price. I say, get one. You'll always be able to find a use for it....like....remotely snapping pictures so that you don't cause camera shake through your tripod, and is also good for taking self portraits. +4 I got two of these about a month ago and followed the instructions regarding charging for 10 hours the first time, even though the green light on my charger came on after about two. Several charge/discharge cycles later, I shot 2600+ images yesterday at a marching band competition before changing the battery when the indicator on my Canon Rebel XTi dropped to one bar. (Most were shot in burst mode. None with flash. I started about 4:30 pm and ended after 10:00 pm so about half were daylight/dusk and half were stadium lights only. The only time my display is on is when I am setting, changing or checking settings, otherwise it is turned off.) This exceeds the performance I have been getting out of the OEM battery supplied with the camera and at less than 1/4 the price is a great value. We'll see how they compare to the Canon battery in terms of total charge/recharge cycles. A year later and of the two I bought together one is still going just as strong as the OEM battery that came with my camera, the other will only charge up to about 1/4 strength before the charger thinks it is full. Even leaving it attached to the charger several more hours makes no difference. Off the charger the camera battery indicator only shows one bar. It is still usable as a last resort if I drain the other two, but doesn't last very long. +1 Hello folks, I guess most of the good reviews are written with in a month of purchase. This battery was okay (Not good) for few initial charges . Now when I put it for charging, the charge complte light will come on in 5 minutes. Then i could take few pics. My original canon battery (5 yrs)hold more charge than this one. I could not locate the warranty form in the original packagng. Tried their website and the only thing I found was a pdf to send the produt back to them (No RMA etc). I do not under stand how they rate the battery to 1500mah(may be just sticker). Bottom line : IMO do not BUY this product. +1 We bought this for our Sansa Fuze and it won't play stereo and is very temperamental. The plastic shielding around the end connection was also too big to insert into the music player. +5 I bought some CHEAP speakers only to find that the cord would not reach my PC. Most extensions I found (including at local stores) cost about as much as the speakers OR MORE! This one is plenty cheap and works fine for my purposes. Did I mention how little it costs? Works fine. Cheap... real cheap... +5 I needed an extension because my headphones were too short to fit into my speakers. I looked at a lot of other extension reviews, and the main flaws of most of the extensions were that the wires would break or the sound quality would be greatly diminished afterwords. The majority of the reviews for this extension seemed positive so I decided to get it. This extension is great, you can walk around your room, or walk on the treadmill with increased mobility without a reduction in sound quality or loudness. I haven't had a it long enough to know how long it might last before it may break down. So far I've had it for about a month plus a week, and there are no cracks in the wire, or any change in the quality, and I use it for hours at a time. Compared to other extension products I've seen this is a good buy for it's price and it's functionality. +3 I found a better option, also on Amazon. You have to stop interrogating your customers when they remove things from their wish lists! I use my wish list as a pre-shopping cart device. When I find an item I'm interested in, I stash it in my wish list to save time later. If you don't stop this foolishness, maybe I'll just stop shopping here! Or do I have to keep on my wish list stuff I've already bought?! I DARE you to publish this "review." I'm betting others will agree with me! +4 This remote was great especially for the price. I wish that range was little longer. In all a great product and very handy. +3 There is a bit of a delay, and it can sometimes be difficult getting the signal across. I have a D50. But it gets the job done. +1 I recieved this remote control without any instructions. Try to use and activate the camera but without success. I've read the Nikon D40x camera manual but again there is not a word of how to set up this remote control. I've returned this item. Very disappointed!!! +5 The price was right, and the free shipping was the clincher. (when combined with another item)Works as advertised. The only caveat is the same as mentioned by others...... Must be in front of the camera. +1 Purchased this battery as spare battery for my Canon G7. Mainly used original battery during all my trips / shots, and used this one just 4-5 times during last year (charged it about 10-15 time just to make sure there is emought power just in case OEM baterry is depleted). Noticed also that Digital Concepts BP-2LHCL-C 1500 mAh bettery can't hold power as the original Canon battery does even this one is "1500 mAh" as opposite to OEMs 800mAh. So, just a week after first year I checked this Digital Concepts BP-2LHCL-C battery and found that it is completely dead! No power, you can't charge it, nothing. And it is no longer in warranty. I need second battery because, you know, every moment is unique, If I can, I would like to capture this moment before its gone. That's why I will never purchase cheap "replacement" battery for my cameras and camcorders. I'm going to buy original Japan-made Canon battery at Amazon. Yes, I know, it cost 3 times more, but I know it will work for years and I can rely on it. Do yourself a favour and purchase OEM battery. +5 This battery lasts much longer than the original battery that came with the camera ever did. It did state a 1500 MAH but it is actually 1300 MAH as stated on the side of the battery. They charge fairly quickly and as stated above they last much longer. As usual cold affects them somewhat, they don't last as long in cold weather but with two of them charged I don't worry about charging for a week and that is taking a lot of pictures each day in that week. +2 Was sent a 1300 Mah battery. Complained to Amazon but they said that since they aren't doing business with that company anymore they can only offer a full refund if I send it back. Decided it wasn't worth the effort to get the refund. +1 I have had good luck with off-brand camera batteries in the past so I was confident when I purchased this one as a second battery for my Canon G9. Unfortunately, I have just returned it. When placed in the charger, the charge light would illuminate but, instead of turning green when the charge is complete, the light would just go out. When I tried the battery in the camera - nothing. Would not power up at all. The camera and charger work fine with my original battery, so it's definitely this off-brand battery that's the problem. I won't order another Digital Concepts battery. +5 Use these with my Canon Xti in a battery grip. They provide a long lived charge and have slightly improved my internal flash recycle time. Highly recommend this battery. +5 I read the reviews and was a little skeptical but thought for the cost I had to try it. I paid $3.73 + $4.98 s/h. It has now been 3 months and the battery is working flawless. I have to admit it has only been cycled (charged/discharged) approx 5 or 6 times. But I feel I have gotten my money's worth if were to die today (I hope it doesn't). It seems to last just a long as the Canon battery. Just a general note I received a 1700mAh battery not the 1500mAh listed. +3 I use a Rebel XT and this battery, while 1/3 the price of the Canon NB-2LH, only lasts 1/3 as long. I purchased this thinking I would only use it when the battery that came with my camera was recharging, but I found that in many cases it couldn't even even last through the whole day of shooting on a vacation. I ended up buying a second Canon NB-2LH and now only keep this around as an emergency backup. +5 Not a top of the line product, but for most uses should be perfectly satisfactory. No regrets so far. +5 These audio extension cables are very nice! They are made from heavy quality cable, and have proper rugged connectors at each end. Sometimes having a piece of cable coming from a device can make it so convenient to plug into! I have not had any troubles with quality while using this extension at all! No static, noise, or loss in sound/volume. Definitely worth the buy if you need them! (make sure you get a good price, shipping can be very high through some merchants) +5 This is a simple stereo extension cable. It works well. I have experienced no problems so far. I use it to hook up headphones to my computer. I need the extension because my speaker setup uses the SPDIF connector on my sound card and there is no headphone jack on the speaker controller. So I have too hook directly into the back of the sound card, which is relatively far from my desk. It gets the job done. +3 I bought this to extend my speaker line on my computer but there was a constant hiss from the speakers when I had the extension used. There was no hiss without the extension. If this is being used in places with little interference it will be good. +3 This cable is sort of thin and it has a somewhat flimsy appearance but it works well and because of it's thiness and consequent flexibility it's easy to drape around and to put it wherever it needs to be. +4 they are spray painted silver over the original dark gray. 8.3V and actually 720mA. i have used them for a month. they tend to last about as along as the original canon battery. +4 I purchased this about 2 months ago and so far have been very happy. It definitely last longer (significantly) than the original Canon battery and has given absolutely no trouble so far. It charges in the Canon charger that came with my G7. On a trip I just completed to Rome the camera was in constant use, with the :CD screen on. I also reviewed many photos on the screen in the evening. The camera lasted for days without a charge or any indication that the battery was in need of charging. Overall, very good. +5 Honestly, I didn't expect much from this battery but thought I would give it a try since it only cost $4.00 at the time I purchased it. I have used it to take over 400 shot with my rebel XT and I still show a full charge. Maybe I got lucky but I have only had success so far with this budget battery. +3 I bought this as a second battery for my Canon EOS Rebel, so that I could go longer between charges. I can't argue with the price, but I can argue with the 1500mAh rating printed on the side. In using it for high-speed sports photography, it lasted for almost exactly half as many shots as the original Canon 800mAh battery. It was worth the $13 I paid for it, but still... +1 The ad states these batteries are 1500mAh, but if you look at the close-up of the package, it indicates the battery is 800mAh. mAh indicates battery capacity, so the advertised capacity is a lot less than the package indicates. Buyer Beware! +5 This battery is 1500 Mah (at least, the one that I received.) After a two-hour charge, I put it into my Rebel XTi and started shooting: After 800 shots, the Rebel's battery indicator still shows FULL. Wow. I had to stop shooting because I filled up my 4GB memory card! So kudos to Digital Concepts for building a battery that lasts well over twice as long as Canon's standard (720Mah) battery, yet costs 75% less. I'll be ordering another one, just as soon as Amazon restocks them. This is a crazy good price for a battery of this quality. +5 This is an inexpensive alternative to buying batteries direct from Canon. It also will provide longer battery life with each charge compared to the Canon equivalent battery. +1 Ordered from Eforcity Battery was not brand advertised nor 1300MAH cheap knock-off +5 I've only had this item a few weeks, but so far, it is holding a charge well. The one thing I noticed is that the first time I charged it, the green light in the charger came on. I put the battery in the camera, but it was not fully charged. Back in the charger for a while and it was fully charged. It seems to hold a charge well. +5 the nikon remote shutter control ML-3 works very well with the N65 nikon camera that I use for family activity and especially it makes it very easy for me to be in the pictures when I chose. Excellent qualty at a very attractive price. +5 Great and important accessory when you use tripods and long shutter speeds. Also useful when taking ego pics of yourself. Works fine. This little guy is TINY! +5 I use it on my D40. Much more convenient for when I include myself in the portrait. No more rushing to meet the 10 second self-timer. I trigger the remote from a hand pointing the remote at the camera but out of frame (thanks to Ken Rockwell for this tip). I also get better low ISO night shots. No matter how gently I push the shutter release, it still seems to affect some shots, but this is no longer a problem using this remote! +5 I believe I got this remote for under $10... A great addition for self portraits with a tripod. Works perfectly for my D80. +5 Works perfectly with Nikon D40 and makes 'group photos' a snap. No more sprinting from camera to group, only to find you bumped the camera while hitting the shutter release. Great range and inexpensive. Comes with small pocket that slides onto camera strap... always there when you need it! +1 Unfortunately, the cable is just not that good. The sound only comes out one speaker on the other end. Initially, it worked properly and after 5 uses, it stopped. It appears that the female end component could made better. The cable is cheap and since I ordered it through Amazon and paid extra for shipping, it didn't get here when I needed it. So, bad experience all the way around. I do NOT expect to have these problems in the future and it was likely just a bad day. +5 Frankly, I don't understand somebody who pays $5 for a product and then wants it to be gold plated with 1/2" diameter copper wires surrounded by a foot of insulation. It's an extension cable. Female end was tight and sound was clear. I use it to swap between speakers and headphones as my computer case is hidden out of the way. +5 having a problem with extension cords from radiocrap so i had to shop elsewhere.these are what the doctor ordered.i hope they last. +5 This cable is very good and does what it needs to do. I am very satisfied with it. +5 Well I bought one of these last week for my Canon EOS 350D. The one I recieved is 1300 MAH, not the 1000 MAH that amazon is advertising or the 800MAH in the photo. Anyways, the battery came completely dead. I tossed it into my canon charger for a good 2 hours and I've taken atleast 800 photos this week with it and it's still going strong. I love this battery. I'll be buying a few more before I need to go out of town with my camera. +1 I bought this battery to save money. It doesn't hold a charge, not at all. The charger keeps blinking red and green. Had to return it. Don't waste your time thinking you are saving money with this one. +3 I just bought the battery, works fine, but want to say that "5 year limited warranty" is a lie. If you look up the warranty on the web site, it simply is a "one year warranty." +2 The connections, both at the plug and the jack, are not built to spec and are quite loose in all of the headphone jacks and headphones I've tried. Any movement of the cable causes the connection points to slip and slide, causing one or both channels to drop out or cause static to be heard. Very disappointing and the cable is going into the garbage because it would cost more than I paid originally to return it. +5 This extension is just what I was looking for. I needed to have a long extension in order to connect my earphones to my PC and it is at about 1.50 m. from my head so the cable of my earphones was veryu short. I've been using it for a month and it works flawlesly +5 Item just as described and shipped promptly. Much easier finding it here than it was thru an electronic store. +4 Good product and it does exactly what I wanted it to do. I would buy here agin anytime for sure. +5 I use them in my car as an extension from my in-dash stereo for my ipod and also as an earphone extension for my office PC to my desk. No issue at all. It just works. Cheapest I found online. Surprised to receive the order the next day (Purchased directly from Amazon). Length (6 ft) is just right for normal use. Will buy again unless I find a better deal. +5 It is a little bulky but there is no loss in the quality of the sound. +5 Never feel left out of a family photo again! Everybody can be in group photos now :) +4 Works great but the sensitivity is quite poor you have to to be in the middle in order for it to work...overall its ok. +4 The remote works well with the D80. You have to make sure the camera is in the remote mode. I put the D80 on a tripod and pointed to my family members sitting in a group and having fun. They didn't realize I had the remote until the camera start flashing. I kept snapping pictures while being part of the fun. It was great. It is tricky at time to make it work. I wonder if you can stand behind the camera and use the remote? Will find out... +4 Very useful when you use a tripod. The only problem is the camera design. The sensor is on the front of my camera - I use Nikon D40x. So the camera sensor is mostly designed for self-shots - very strange. When you shoot something in front of you and located behind the camera you have to move the control (in your hand) in front of the camera so it could see the sensor. It also means that at the time of shooting you have to be close to the camera. Otherwise it is 'must-to-have' item. I'm surprised it's not a part of the standard retail package. +5 I'm tired of my headphone cable interfering with my keyboard/typing at work, so I bought this cable to route my laptop headphone jack under my desk so it is more convenient. I stopped at several local big box electronic retailers looking for a simpl headphone extension cable like this. They either didn't have it, or were selling it for $10 or more. Shipping and all, this one cost me less than $5 and is a well-built, sturdy cable. +5 good quality, works great and -even with shipping, is quite a bit cheaper than similar ones available at local stores. +5 What can you say about an extension cord - it works. Used it on a 20 hour family vacation drive to share headphone sound from a DVD player to someone in the rear seat of our van besides two people in the mid-seat captains chairs - and it worked without a hitch. No static, no disconnects. Pure good sound despite all the tossing and turning you do on a trip that long. +5 This cable does its job, unlike some 3.5mm M to F extension cables you buy only to find that only one side works. It worked on the first try and the cable is thick. It was cheap, too! I bought it for $5.77 in early December 2007; now I see the price has dropped to $2.72. +5 What can you say. It came on time. The price was decent. It works. I got it as a jumper from the computer to the projector's sound system to show Flash Tutorials - and it works. +1 I got a defective one, i can only hear the right side. Need to make try and error adjustments in order to be able to hear both sides. Really disappointed. +5 what a great buy!! Perfect for setting up the tripod and taking self pics. Only downside is that the working distance is about 50-60 feet max, but i doubt i would need anything further than that. +4 Works well with my Nikon D40. I have a few complaints about how the camera must be in remote mode and all, but that's not a problem with the remote itself. The remote seems fairly sturdy. I wish it was more like my wired remote I used on my Panasonic Lumix FZ-20 that had a two position switch with a shutter lock option, but this will get the job done. It is IR so you do need to be somewhat facing the camera. You can stand just behind it without too much of a problem, but as with any IR device, you really need to point towards the receiver. The battery slider is a bit loose on mine; not to the point of sliding out but it won't always sit flush with the bottom of the case. More an annoyance than anything. All in all, I can't really complain. I do quite a few low-light shots so this is a must. Not having to deal with that annoying cable is quite a relief too. +5 No user of the D80 (as well as other Nikon cameras that use this product) should be without the remote control. I just recently purchased it and have used it extensively to surreptitiously take pictures of birds and to take pictures where camera movement would occur from pressing the shutter release button or where using the timer is not possible. +5 Really happy with this remote control for my D50. Makes timer shots for groups much easier. Also expect it will come in handy to help steady regular tripod shots. Delivery was quick. +5 Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote control is very simple and easy to use, especially with Nikon D80 SLR. It works both in the front and behind ND80. I had taken family pictures for christmas holiday, and gave them out to people for compliment of the seasons. Just keep pointing behind the camera, surely flash will come up. Incredible! +4 This tiny remote hides good in your hand. You have to be pretty close to your camera with a clear path to the sensor (on the front of the camera), but thats not the remotes fault. It comes with a battery but I sometimes wonder if supplied batteries are as fresh and would work better if new ones were used. I do recommend it and would buy it again. +4 i thought this was defective at first, or that i had a dead battery. it took me a while to realize the camera (i have a d80) needs to be set correctly to self-timer mode (same button as continuous shooting). once i did that, it was fine. i suggest using AF-A mode, which requires the camera to focus before it will shoot, as the button doesn't really depress halfway--well maybe it does, but its not a smooth action -- sometimes it just fires as soon as you press it. or shoot in manual-focus mode, unless you want out of focus pics. that's not really a design flaw, though, since this thing is under $20, but--and this might seem obvious in hindsight-- you do have to know the functions of your camera to get it to work correctly. as others have pointed out, it only works when there's a clear line of sight between the remote and the IR sensor on the front. so if you want to shoot from behind the camera, you need a cable remote. ok, no big deal. more stuff to buy. anyway, once i figured it out, it worked reasonably well most of the time. great for self-portraits and group shots with you in it. if you don't want a picture of you pointing the remote, use the self-timer. four stars because it does work and at the price, you can't really argue. sure, nikon should make one with a shutter button that depresses halfway or even better use RF to transmit its signal, but if they do it'll cost a lot more. +5 Used this remote for the first time at Christmas. Fantastic accessory!! Now everyone can be in the family pictures (including me!) by using this remote wireless shutter release. Also used it to simplify taking baby pics of the new granddaughter. "Must have" accessory. +4 For the price, its a no-brainer to get this, especially for those of us photogs that never get to be in the picture. Pros: * Cheap, just get it. Do it. * No setup needed * Be in the picture Cons: * Remember to set the camera up for this function (On the D-80 its the single/continuous/timer button just next to the shutter release). Sometimes this setting reverts, so make sure every so many shots that its still engaged. * Limited/unknown range. It doesn't appear to work from the left of the camera, you have to move yourself to the right so the infra-red receiver/transmitter can see the signal. +5 The remote is so handy & nicely sized--on the small size & I love it! The battery is easily changed and comes with the plastic slip piece so it's not a dead battery when you receive it. Just wonderful. It even has it's own little case so in my camera bag it's all cared for. Dandy. +5 Realize this is tiny! The longest side of it is only around 2 inches. That's good though, you need to conceal it when you're framing that family portrait! The device works perfectly for what you need it to do! +5 This is great for family portraits. Took my family portrait a few days ago. Easy to use and dependable. +4 it takes a picture nothing more. It would have cost nikon $5 more to put it in the box. +5 Nice little remote, comes with a storage pouch. Works fine, range seems good enough, I had no problems making it work with my Nikon D50. +4 It works as advertised. I would buy it again. I give it only 4 stars because I don't find it as useful as the wired remote cable for the D80. I don't take self portaits very often, and the wireless remote is not as useful as the wired remote for bulb setting because it needs to be able to 'see' the IR. +5 This remote control is a handy little gadget. And I mean little- it is tiny, it will take up no space in your kit, and is invisible in your hand when taking group portraits. The remote is 1 inch wide, 2 5/16 inches tall, and 3/8 inch thick. No more releasing the shutter and then scurrying into the picture. With the D40 in "Quick-response remote" shooting mode, I can take multiple single shots by repeatedly pressing the remote button. It works well, is inexpensive, and a great gadget to have. It will auto-focus if you have the appropriate lens and settings. Reviewers who could not make this work properly apparently have trouble with their TV remotes, VCRs, and toasters. There are NO directions included with this thing-- it's that simple. Other great uses include extreme close-up work (flowers, etc), extreme slow shutter speeds (recent eclipse), and studio portraits where you want the subjects to look at you and be less distracted by the camera. This DOES work from behind, or next to, the camera, just not eight feet behind; for side and rear use you need to be somewhat close by. It's WELL worth the $16 or so dollars. +5 Pay no attention to the troglodytes rating a IR remote based on the location of the IR sensor on their CAMERA. It's pretty simple: press the button, and the camera makes a clicking sound, unless you messed up the settings. Like every remote before it, you have to actually point the darn thing at the sensor. Ever worked at TV remote? FYI the D80 (and others I presume) will focus, THEN take the picture if its in auto focus mode. If it can't focus, no picture. In manual focus mode it will fire every time. Now to ask the question that is on everyone's mind. Can I program my Harmony 550 remote to mimic all IR communication between my camera, remotes and flashes? UPDATE! Yes...I can teach the harmony to do it. Cool. +4 The remote works well with the D80. Just wish didn't have to be in front of the camera for the signal to work. Has time delay and fast shutter release. +5 Good remote control, small the price is cheap compare to canon. you should get one if you plan to take pictures at night with tripod. It work great with my D80. +5 This product works with the Nikon D80. In order to make the remote work, you will need to activate the IR receiver on the camera. You can do this by pressing the "shooting mode" button on the right side of the camera. This is the button in front of the button marked "AF", and has an icon that looks like a few frames on top of each other. Press the shooting mode button until you see what appears to be a remote control (for immediate shutter release) or a remote control with a timer in front of it (for a 2 second delay). Point the front of the remote anywhere towards the front of the camera and press the button. You will see a white light glow on the front of the camera, but you will not see any light being emitted from the remote control. I use both the cable shutter release (MC-DC1 - Remote Cord) and the remote control (ML-L3), and I am very pleased with both. However, the cable shutter release will activate the auto-focus; whereas, the remote only will trigger the shutter (you'll need to focus first). Nikon MC-DC1 Remote Cord for Nikon D70S Digital Cameras +5 Shipped fast, received as ordered, works great with my D70. Nice for setting camera on tripod, and then shooting away with remote. +4 This is a great accessory for any Nikon camera that supports it. Taking fireworks and sunset shots are a breeze with this gadget. There seems to be varying opinion regarding the ease of use of this product and I think I've figured out that it completely depends on your camera model. My D80 allows me to select the remote for use with just a couple button presses on the camera body and doesn't require me to root around through any menus on the LCD, so I find it very easy to use. I suppose that cameras without this feature would make the setup less intuitive. My only gripe about the product is probably more against the camera, but it does seem to require a more head-on activation than I'd hoped. +5 I bought this remote on a Saturday evening for a Monday photo shoot so needed to buy it at a local photo shop. I paid almost twice the Amazon price and felt it was still a good deal. Now I'll buy a spare from Amazon since I'm known for leaving little gadgets in my pockets for my wife to wash in the laundry! Seriously, this remote worked exactly as described and it worked perfect for my application. I took over 100 head and shoulder shots of 30 high school students over a 45 minute time frame. I needed to move fast. My D80 was setup on a tripod and with multiple off camera flashes in slave mode. The remote made it extremely easy to snap off pics without touching the shutter button. The remote must be pointed at the camera but the camera seems to pick up the signal from all sides of the camera. Very helpful. Pros: > Small and lightweight > Uses flat CR2025 batteries not AA or AAA > Works as described > Works from any angle, very handy > Because it is so small, can easily be hidden in hand for remote triggering of self portraits Very Minor Cons: > Almost too small... ....could be easy to loose (would love the ability to attach a small lanyard to put around my wrist) ....it is so light that you hardly feel it in your hands so sometimes I held it backwards (I'll probably get used to the feel) Recommendation - makes tripod shooting much easier! +5 This inexpensive wireless remote control works great with my Nikon D70 as long as you know where to point it at the camera. This criticism is on the camera design, not at the remote control. Since the D70 does not have mirror lock up, this remote control is almost a must to prevent camera shake. I use it every time I photograph the moon and fireworks. It comes with a carrying case that can be attached to the camera strap. I have had this almost since I bought the D70 in April 2004 and it's still working great! I have taken it to cold places like Churchill, Manitoba in Northern Canada and Antarctica. Since I've never had the need to change battery, I honestly don't know if I can replace the battery. +3 This remote works fine, but not great. The range is somewhat limited and you have to point the remote directly at the camera for it to work. As a result, I have recently taken a lot of photos of myself trying to get the dumb thing to work. On the other hand it is very small and extremely handy, just don't misplace it or you never may see it again! +4 Let me state right off the line, that this is a very good product, giving a wireless remote control solution that is both cheap and easy to use. Great for including yourself in family or scenic photos without having to outrun the self-timer. It also ensures that you will not shake the camera pressing the shutter release in longer exposures. That said, setting up your camera to receive the remote's signal is not intuitive (at least, not for me). Compounding that, no instructions are included with the product. I first thought the controller was broken. Compounding that, there are instructions buried in my D80's manual, but they are simply not found with a logical search of either the table of contents or the index. After an email to Nikon (and a strong recommendation to throw in an instruction sheet), everything is fine. With that caveat, buy this product. If a brief instruction sheet were included, this product would easily get a five-star rating from me. +5 Reviews of this lens on the web are mixed with some showing soft results, particularly at 400mm. This is likely due to wide variations in sample lenses. I decided to take a chance and seem to have gotten lucky. My copy, just received from Amazon (Build date of Oct 2005) produces fantastically crisp and contrasty images on my 20D at ALL focal lengths from 100 to 400. It's almost magical. The images are much sharper using the same f-stops than those from a 70-200 f2.8IS lens at 100-150mm and virtually the same at 200mm. Even wide-open at 400mm this lens is quite sharp. At 400mm, I've compared to a very nice Canon 400mm f5.6L prime lens, with and without 1.4X teleconverter. The images have virtually the same extreme sharpness and contrast if the zoom is stopped down just one one-third stop (e.g. zoom at 6.3, prime at 5.6). With the 1.4X TC both lenses had to be manually focused but produced outstanding clarity with NO perceivable loss in quality. The focus is swift and true and the IS on this lens really works (and does not hum like that on the 70-200 f2.8IS) allowing handheld shots at 1/100 sec at 400mm. It may be that Canon has quietly improved this lens since recent reviews seem to be much more positive than those from a few years ago. Some folks don't like the push-pull zoom but it works great for me and allows very fast composition of scenes. The lens is about the same size as the 70-200 f2.8 IS but seems lighter and better balanced. Given the razor sharpness of its images and 100-400mm range, this seems like the perfect single lens solution for nature and bird photography. However, it is big and white so it may not be the best for candid people photography. +5 I bought this lense recently. At first I thought it was heavy, but once I got used to it, I decided that it was heavy due to quality. It is a big lense, and the tripod mount is very useful, especially for balance. You can't but notice the quality of this lense. The IS function is very useful. Combine this lense with the 2x Extender, and you've effectively got a 800mm lense. For anyone looking for a zoom lense, this is one to seriously consider. For sport, the IS function is brilliant, for wildlife ... well, I can go on and on about how good this lense is. Bottom line - well worth buying. +5 This is a super lens, sharp and contrasty. It's only problem comes into play when you walk around with it on your camera. I was anything but anonymous walking in Red Square with this one. Hard to take those candids of everyday folks! I used it to take some photos of quail in Cali with the 1.4x converter and here, the lens holds up well also. On my 20d I lose auto-focus with a converter in place. Nice sharp Pics, super fast autofocus, overall a great performer. +4 Straight forward to use, however it has to point to the sensor area on the camera body, not very wide range as I had thought. Still, it is something good to have. +5 Someone else here said that, though the unit comes with no directions, it's a no brainer to figure out. That other reviewer must be smarter than I am, 'cuz it took me a while to figure out how to make this work. For those in my intelligence range and working with the Nikon D40, go into your menu settings, and enter the menu with the pencil icon. Select Shooting mode then select Delayed Remote. (This may be buried under Self-time on some models) Once set, this little guy works great. It sure would have been nice for Nikon to include some basic instructions, however. +5 I brought this after I realized I was not in many of the pictures with my new daughter because I was behind the camera taking the pictures. Now I can place the camera on a tripod and be in the pictures. Fun to use with the D50. You may have to point it directly at the camera but can probably point at a reflecting surface and bounce the signal to the camera also. So far I am happy with this product. +5 Simple and effective. A previous reviewer said the autofocus didn't work... thought that was a negative but I wanted it anyway, so I got it. Turns out, with my D80, the autofocus works just fine. Press the remote button, it focuses and shoots. Don't want it to focus before shooting, turn off the autofocus. There's even a function on the camera to use the remote with a timer so you can get in place, trigger the timer, and get your hand back down before it fires. Nice little gadget! +5 This tiny Remote Control works flawlessly with my Nikon D40 DSLR. It is far smaller than I had expected (making it easy to misplace); I immediately installed its little fabric carrying case on my camera's neck-strap to minimize the odds of that happening. Once the D40 is set to recognize the ML-L3, it works splendidly from the front, sides, and rear of the camera, making it much more convenient and elegant than the old-style cable releases. The range is around 20 feet or so, and yes, you can bounce the beam off a hard surface and the camera will still 'see' it and act accordingly. Truly a must-have for all D40 users and, as a side-note, Amazon delivered mine in record time. I'm thrilled with my purchase and will definitely order more goodies from Amazon! +4 I just bought mine at my local camera store for $18.00, so Amazon's is a GREAT price. I have only used it to test it so far, but it worked fine with my Nikon D40. +4 For the price, it's worth purchasing even if you're unsure as to whether you'll need it or not. I use it everytime my D50 is mounted to a tripod, just to be sure I don't add any added movement to the camera and lens during exposure. Why else would this come in handy? Self-portraits and group photos where you would like to include yourself! No more hassle with a self-timer. Get it. It's small enough to put in your camera bag, or carry in your pocket. And you'll definitely end up using it more than you think you will. +3 I have recently switched over to digital after years of 35mm photography. In all those years I used Canon and Minolta as my cameras of choice. This is the first time I purchased a Nikon. I bought this for use with my new D-80 (really good camera). The remote is a necessity if you are planning to do any closeup or low light work. The remote is very basic and it is small enough to put in just about any nook in your gadget bag. Therein lies the problem and thus my three star review; there is no way to attach it to the camera or camera strap. Therefore it is rather easy to loose (I have misplaced mine twice thus far) With my Canon wireless remote, it came with a bracket that attached to the camera strap. That way the remote was always ready to go. The other fault I found with this remote is that there is no way of knowing if the battery is working or not. One can just aim it at the camera and see if the indicator light flashes that it received the signal or not but a function LED would be nice. It is much better than a wired remote for long distance work but you must be in front of the camera for it to work; great for getting in on the fun when at parties and other social events. Overall this functions as promised but it is very, very basic. +3 The wireless remote works well as designed; however, the design could be improved. Notice that there is no eyelet on which to attach a tether line to the remote. A tether line would allow you to hang the remote from a tripod, much as you would a cable release. As it stands now, I have to keep reaching into my pocket for the remote and then put it away while I set up for the next shot. That gets tiresome after several dozen landscape shots. +5 Great for family groups, no running from tripod to group. Most effective from stage right, or left from camera/tripod point of view. Next will try nature shots, up close to birds at rest etc. Does not work with D200. Understand it works with Nikon D70, D70s, D50, D40, D40x, D80. +5 Got what I ordered in good time and at a good price. Remote works fine. +2 This little infrared remote must be used in front of the camera. So, its most useful function is taking portraits of yourself. Hardly worth the effort. +4 This remote really does serve its purpose. You push the button, and it takes a picture. The good points are that its small and it focuses the camera so you get a good picture. The Negative aspect of this remote are that it is delayed, so you get the picture several seconds after you hit the button. Which really isn't a big deal. Overall, I think this is a good deal!! +5 Just started using. I am leaning toward using it with my Canon EOD 60D to leverage the crop factor 1.6X. VG daylight images but will hunt a bit if subject is not isolated enough from other objects. Weight is manageable for me and focusing learning curve should improve with usage. Potential of lens (mine is refurbished through Amazon) has big upside for me and my photography in terms of getting me in range of birds my 70-200 MM F/4 IS L could not do---with quality glass. I also have to improve my skills to match this kind of equipment. +5 Great telephoto lens with image stabilization. +3 didn't work but great customer service +5 WOW. Nothing but good things to say. +5 Hands down one of Canon's best lenses in the L series. There is a newer Mark II model but this one is way more cost effective for a college student. +5 We are finally using the manual for this scope, and our photos are now improving with practice. Thanks! +5 WOW. I will use it more in the spring. +5 works good +5 Best Canon lens for shooting sports and any action event. Owning both Nikon and Canon pro-series cameras and shooting as a pro for over 45 years I use the best camera/lens combination for the situation. The push/pull zoom works great for me. Also great for shooting wildlife, especially birds of prey,big horn sheep and fighting grizzlies. Well-priced for the consumer market and has the needed long range reach. Add the 1.4 tele-converter for shots over a mile. I have used this lens for over years and it has never let me down. Incredible for shooting at the NFR and Bullriders National Finals. +5 Great lens. L lenses are the best quality +5 Great telephoto zoom "L" lens from Canon. +5 Very happy with this purchase--it came with a carrying case and everything. It is quite large and heavy, but takes amazing photographs. Obviously you can't focus on objects that are very close, but this has come in very handy when on nature trips and photographing wildlife that is quite a distance away. +5 I love this product. +5 Thank you +5 I bought this for my D40x. I have tried a few snaps and it works great. You just need to adjust the settings on the manual for Remote Control on your D40x camera. I recommend this if you want to take self or family photos where you will not miss anyone out. +3 The range of effective connection via infrared is short. It does work but the working distance is limiting its use! I wasn't that much impressed with this control. +5 This is a must have for self portraits. I use this also to take photos of birds on a birdhouse/feeder that is several feet away from my house. It allows me to release the shutter on my Nikon D80 and not run off the birds or squirls that come close to the camera while on a tripod. The remote works a lot further than Nikon indicates which is very good. I see no reason to buy a trigger release when you have this item as it does the exact same thing, but only better and further. +5 For $20, no one should be without this remote. I bought it and used it for a few days just to mess around with. Then I didn't touch it for about a week. One day I decided to shoot some sparklers and firecrackers just to experiment with. The remote made it easy to light something, get out of the frame and take the shot, without having to run to the camera to press the shutter button. I've also used it for nighttime shots of the moon, and a family portrait at a reunion. It makes for absolutely no camera shake when taking long exposure shots, and makes it easy to not be behind your camera when taking the photo. I highly recommend this. It comes with everything needed to use it, and as I said, for $20 you can't afford not to have this. +5 What a nifty little device. I use the remote with my D40x/tripod and its very easy to master. FYI, it does not come with instructions - for that, please refer to your camera's user manual. The remote itself is very thin/small in size - great addition to your camera bag. +5 The remote works very well with my D80. Indoors or if the camera has nearby objects, the IR beam seems to bounce off and reach from any angle, even directly behind and from at least 10ft away (I didn't have more room). Outside without surrounding objects, I was able to fire it from a side. I think its a great product. Match it with a Joby Gorilla tripod an you get easy to setup and trigger shots at night or in low lights. +4 This remote is no powerhouse, you have to be fairly close to the camera however for the cost it's well worth having. It comes with a little pouch that attaches to your camera's strap. Once attached you don't even know it's there. +4 Best lens I own! The Canon tele-extenders work with it for wildlife photography. However, the extenders max aperture is F8, which increases depth of field for birding. I like a soft/blurry background. But without the tele, depth of field is suitably reduced for the price of the lens. In my hiking expeditions in Colorado, I use this lens almost exclusively. It's plenty long for wildlife and birding. However I do need a wider-angle lens 50 percent of the time, so I take along my 28-105. It's kind of a pain swapping lenses; so I try to use the 100-400 as much as possible. +5 Excellent product! +2 I like the lens ... don't like the lens dust inside a brand new 1,400$ lens that I can see in every photo. +5 You may wonder why I would bother writing a review about a lens I have had for years that has a newer model out. The short answer is I love the push-pull zoom feature that the new one lacks and I am trying to get word out about its benefits and get others to agree so that we might have more lenses with this neat feature in the future. First the basics. This lens has a very nice focal length range on it for wildlife shooting. I have used it on both a crop sensor camera (40D, 70D) and a full frame (6D). My primary use for this lens is bird photography, though I have taken it to zoos and also use it for outdoor portraits as well when I don't feel like changing to a shorter focal length. The max aperture of f5.6 at 400mm is quite good and the best you are going to do without spending many thousands more. The lens is built like a tank. It is heavy, but I have never had a problem carrying it on a neck strap for 4 hour hikes, so I guess it is not too heavy. I have used it in the rain and snow and never had any problem with moisture inside. I also have never noticed any internal dust problems. The IS works great. I use this lens on my camera like binoculars (8X zoom on the 6D) for looking at birds and the IS really helps smooth out the view through the viewfinder. The aforementioned push pull zoom is very smooth, and more importantly, fast. There is a lock ring that lets you adjust the zooming tension. The key feature of the push pull is you can adjust the zoom by pushing and pulling at the same time you are adjusting the focus. I find this invaluable when you are following a little bird in and out of bushes. I like to start zoomed out to 100mm to find the bird and center it in the frame. Then as I track I zoom in and let the servo autofocus do its thing. Having to rotate a zoom ring while tracking as the new lens requires seems like a more complicated maneuver. Now if the bird flits into a bush, the autofocus can no longer track it and my hand is positioned perfectly to do a quick adjust and fire off some more pictures since you can zoom this lens with your hand on the large focus ring at the front of the lens. If I have to keep changing hands to switch between zoom and manual focus as on the new lens I would probably miss some shots. Does anyone else use it this way and agree??? The quality of shots I get on this lens are quite good. It doesn't have quite the same bokeh as the faster long primes, but if you can get the subject separated from the background enough it does render a pleasing out of focus background. The resolution is good and there is not a lot of distortion. The new lens supposedly has better resolution. I'd love to compare to see if it is noticeable in my day to day shooting. The bottom line is I like this lens a lot. It is my workhorse. I would have considered upgrading to the newer lens for the supposed improved resolution and IS performance, but I'm not sure I'm willing to give up the push-pull zoom. +5 This lens is great. Just as described, if not better. Looks like it was never used. Great pictures. Thanks! +5 I've been shooting this lens for two weeks on a relatively cheap Canon T1i. It is actually one of my favorite purchases ever. Auto-focus is super fast and amazing at picking out subjects in the bushes. I love the two focus modes which allow for faster focus when shooting subjects at a distance. The pictures are very sharp and clear. Probably a little less sharp than the F4 prime but not bad at all. The IS is quiet and really helps especially in low light. I did note that the sharpness drops off as you approach 400mm. I try to push out to 400mm and then bring it back a bit to sharpen things up. Here are my pros/cons Pros: 1. Super fast and amazingly accurate auto-focus. 2. Capable and quite two mode IS that makes a noticeable difference in the viewfinder. 3. Great price. This lens is a steal right now with everyone moving on the the 100-400 version 2, there are bunches of these version 1s becoming available at fantastic prices. 4. Super-compact. This lens fits in my bag on-camera. On camera is key for wildlife photography. You never know when you are going to need to shoot something. Keep the lens on the camera! 5. Well balanced weight. 6. Actually takes good macro shots! See note below: Cons: 1. Auto-focus does not work great via adapter with my Sony mirrorless camera. Keeping it on the Canon for now. 2. Trombone style zoom. It's not bad to use but not so nice to carry. Twist ring locks the lens and is not as convenient at the lock seen on other zooms. Note: If you buy a refurb or a used lens make sure you get it with the tripod mount ring! Other accessories included the bag, the lens cap, and a nice clear lens filter. You will want all these things if you are going to use the lens in the brush looking for birds. Again if you are looking for an affordable quality Canon Zoom buy this lens before they are all gone!!!!! I added some photos most taken at about 20-25 ft and one hawk at about 140ft. To make the most of this lens I found that it is best to operate in aperture priority mode with iso set to auto. That way when your bird in a tree takes off to and crosses a light background the iso and shutter automatically compensate. Seems to work for me. I will update this if I find a better way to operate. Macro Note: So I was researching macro lenses and found the new version of this lens listed as a great macro lens........ What? So I tried it with this lens. Great focal length a nice looking boken and holy cow. Whats even better is that you can macro from a distance which means you don't startle of shadow your subject. So that's it. If I could add another star I would. +5 I love this lens. On the Canon 5d it is perfect for sports photography. +1 It does not work properly. And by the time I realized it it was too late to return. Invest your money in something different and don't waste it on this dinosaur. +5 What can i say about this lens. Its great. Tack sharp throughout zoom range. Great addition to my kit. +5 great lens. +5 Excellent lens. Easy to use. Lots of options. Heavy. Great quality of build. Love it. +4 Very good!!! +5 Fantastic lens - almost completely silent, vibration free auto focus (fast too!). The tension adjuster on the slide mechanism is easy to use and the slide is smoothest I've ever used on a push/pull lens from any manufacturer. The tripod collar is a breeze to get off, I just wish you didn't have to remove the lens from the body to do so. Only downside is the weight, but you'll get used to it (especially for the great photo's you get out of it). I shot some birds hand held at 400mm, and 1/250th at f4, and they turned out great - no blur or bounce from the long focal length was noticeable. I highly recommend this lens! +5 Awesome lens. +4 Works well, but does not focus well with a polarizing filter (I use it without a filter but with a lens hood). Is a bit heavy, which is to be expected. The image stabilization with this range of zoom makes a ton of difference in getting up close with your subject. +3 This remote serves it's purpose. I agree with one of the other reviews that there should be a sensor on the back of the remote. Makes shooting from behind the camera almost pointless, (stars, cityscape, etc) and the only reason for this remote would be to shoot yourself. As well, you can't press it half way down and lock in the exposure/focus like you can on the MC-DC1. One you fire, that's it so you better make sure you have the subject focused, and no one/thing moves, other wise it will fire the shutter regardless if it's in focus or not. The advantage over the MC-DC1 is that there's no cord to get in the way, and accidentally trip over, and cause an expensive accident. Depending on what you are going to use remote shutter release, you might want to consider the MC-DC1 and weigh out the pros and cons. +4 This product works fine - once you get your camera (mine is a D80) set up correctly. I sort of feel like a dunderhead, but the ML-L3 comes with absolutely NO documentation. Having never used one before, and being relatively new to the D80, I could not get the remote to trigger the camera. I looked at every menu to no avail. Finally, I tried the "Bearded Rectangle" (shutter control) button on the top-right side of the camera, just below the shutter release button and right of the top LCD. You hold this button down and turn the rear dial until you see the Remote Control icon. After this it works fine. This IS covered in the D80 manual (I found later) but it is hard to find under "Accessories." Makes sense now that I've found it. +3 I'm not sure if i just don't know how to use this, but I sometimes have to point it at certain parts of the camera for it to trigger the shutter. It would have been better if it triggered from any where otherwise I may as well use a cord. Other than that it works. +4 Is a great product! The only reason I have it 4 stars was that I feel like they should have a radio signal remote not a inferred remote. But it works like a charm. +5 A must have lens for those who shoot wildlife. +4 great but if you need to shoot something over 1/2 mile way with close up you should get the next size and its very heavy +1 Within a few months of ordinary usage, the zoom lock ring developed a grinding noise that I suspect was due to some ball bearings being out of place. I shipped it off to Canon for repairs, only to have Canon tell me "You have declined to repair your product." Excuse me? I sent it to you precisely because it needed repair. The customer service representative was as useless as they come, telling me only that a technician determined that it could not be repaired. She had no explanation for why I allegedly declined any repair. She also had no explanation as to how Canon could have been able to assemble the lens in the first place but not able to re-assemble it for repair. Shameful behavior, Canon. Truly pathetic customer service. - Edit, May. 7, 2015 Canon returned my lens to me without two of the screws that hold the zoom lock ring together. I called their customer support on Apr. 29 to inquire. They told me I would hear back 2-3 business days. Nothing yet. +4 a great long range lens for sports or similar activity in good light +5 Great lens for the money +5 awesome pics +5 I bought this so I could be in some of the photos I took with my Nikon D50. Works great. Good range, even from front angle. This is just what I wanted. The Grandkids think it's magic. +5 I am very pleased with the product. Works great with my D70s and has come in very hany dozens of times in my short time of ownership. Probably the best accessory I have bought thus far. +5 The remote control works quite well. Very useful for panoramic photography, when you don't have enough hands to level the cam as well as press the shutter button. +3 The ML-3 does release the shutter okay, at least from the front and left side of the camera. However, I want to see the image I'm about to take and a half-press of the ML-3 button does not activate autofocus. You have to half-press the shutter release on the camera then release the shutter from the remote. To be fair, it costs very little. And the delay to release seems to eliminate camera vibration completely. If you want to be able to initiate autofocus off-camera with a half-button press, you need to use one of the cable releases. +1 It is not working, i've tried changing the batteries but nothing, zippo. Made in China. +1 It was cheap so I don't feel too bad. It just doesn't fire consistently. I have read all the reviews and I worked with it for a good while on several different occasions before coming to this conclusion. When it works it's great. Now I am just using the timer in the camera. +5 I purchased this remote control for my D80. I like using a tripod to get as little as possible camera shake. There is also a feature with the D80 when the shutter release button is pressed, there is a lag between the mirror moving out of the way and the photo actually being taken which further eliminates vibration. Add this remote and you virtually take away any possibility for camera shake (wind not included). +5 Product delivered on time and works as described. +5 Very nice lens especially for taking pictures of birds. +5 I shoot a lot of sports and this lens is a great one to use. I built a special grip that helps zoom the lens while pressing the shutter button. That's what makes this lens especially useful. +5 Great lens for African safari. +5 very good +5 This was a gift and a year later she still loves it ...Thanx +5 I am an amateur photographer. This is my first L lens and I love it but it is really heavy. I like to carry everything with me and this lens adds a huge amount weight. However, the weight is worth it because quality glass is heavy. I never realized how much difference lens could make in the quality of pictures but it's literally night and day, especially when comparing it to the lens that my camera (rebelT2X came with). The focal length on this lens is amazing and I love the manual zoom feature. +5 I wish I had purchased this lens a long time ago. I had it on my amazon wishlist for years and then I finally saved up enough money to buy it and I am extremely happy. The lens, like all L series lenses, is of the highest quality and takes superb pictures. I cannot say enough great things about this lens. +4 Durable although heavy, great picture quality. I don't like the push / pull zoom but otherwise it's a good lens. +4 Lordy this is heavy. Takes nice pics but wish there was a lighter model like the EF 70-200mm f/4L USM. +5 Love this glass. Thinking of maybe selling my 70-200 2.8??? +5 I am an amateur/hobbyist. I love this lens. I am using it mainly for wildlife photography - whale watching in particular. Photographing whales on a boat is tricky since you have the motion of the boat, along with the uncertain movements of the whales. The image stabilizer works really well. The tripod/monopod attachment comes off easily. I shoot most of my photos with auto focus on the sports setting. I knew I would burn through batteries quickly and was prepared with an extra charged battery - Went through 2 batteries in an afternoon - took 2000 photos - knowing I would delete many later. Very happy with this lens. +5 Really like this lens-- got some great shots, including an Bald Eagle in flight from a long way up! have taken a lot of bird photos and lets me close even when I can't! +4 I bought this remote control for my Nikon 80D, works well. convenient to use after setting well on camera. I love it. +4 It's a must if you like shooting slow shutter or nighttime. Because this is infrared remote, the included case covers the infrared, so I don't understand what the hole in its case is for??? +5 Excellent product, not a complaint about range or sensor reach, and fits perfect with d80 (in case you're wondering) Arrived in time and in perfect condition +5 What's not to love? This little remote is very inexpensive, but provides exactly what it needs to. At this price, why would you not buy one? A must for anyone doing long exposure, or self-photography. +4 Great Product, easy to use, I use it on my Nikon D-80. Nothing to plug in, receiver is already in the camera. Lost a star because at Amazon I paid twice as much as its market value because Amazon was the only place that had it in stock. Oh well. +5 Sharp from 100-400 even when wide open. IS helps keep things steady. Zoom action is super fast, because of the push/pull design. The light grey color stays nice and cool in the hot sun. The price is really good for L glass of this size. Very compact size for its range, especially when tucked in for transporting. It's a little heavy to carry for a long time. +5 genia +5 Breathtaking clarity. Love it. +5 I rented this Lens for a trip to Africa and was so impressed with its versatility that I bought one. If you do any wildlife photography this is definitely a lens to have. The image quality is superb for a lens of this length (as you would expect from Canon L series). Image stabilization makes it possible to get very good shots even when using hand-held. The zoom range really helps when you never know how far you might be when an animal pops up. The push-pull zoom is a bit odd to use initially (zoom is not done by rotating a "wheel", but actually done by sliding part of the lens away from you). After an hour or so the zoom becomes second nature and I actually find it faster to use with this much focal length. For a decent example of clarity here is a shot taken at dusk with this lens at full 400 length (3200 iso): http://thildemar.deviantart.com/art/Lion-Dusk-391271423 +5 I definitely love this lens!!! +5 Satisfied with this product +5 I constant companion for nature shooting. +4 A little pricey for overall performance. Really has not that great performance inside. Is awesome for outside day time photos. +4 I can't justify owning this lens since it doesn't generally fit my style of photography; I prefer to photograph landscapes, macros and people, so my 24-105mm L lens and various other prime lenses cover the range I need. But I have rented this lens several times for specific events, such as a trip to the horse races, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands, and I've been awed and amazed with the performance each time I've used it. I always come home with many, many useable sharp images to commemorate the event. The push-pull telephoto action does take a bit of getting used to. The first time I rented the lens, someone had tightened it down so snugly that I couldn't get it to move at all. Of course, a rental comes with no instructions whatsoever, so a quick trip to the Canon website was needed to figure out how to work it. It is also a beast to carry, particularly when attached to my 5D Mark III; just slightly less cumbersome when attached to the 7D. I usually start the day with a smaller lens attached to the camera, and carry the 100-400mm in the daypack. When the telephoto is needed, then I swap out the lens. Carrying a 5+ lb. boulder around your neck for hours a day definitely contributes to neck pain. I also sling it across one shoulder instead of around the neck when not actively shooting and occasionally carry the monopod also to help distribute the weight. Focusing is quick and with some practice, it's easy to lock in on your target, even when zoomed all the way out. The Image Stabilization is smooth and quiet. The range - a full 300mm - from 100mm-400mm just can't be beat in Canon's entire family of lenses. So, unless I take up bird photography in my retirement, or start attending a lot of sporting events, or win the lottery, I don't expect to purchase this lens; but the Borrowlenses headquarters and rental outlet is just a few miles from my home, and I can pick one up whenever I need it for a special event or trip! +5 great lens as all my l-series lens...it is heavy +5 okay, this hobby is and expensive one. but the results that you get from the gear is amazing. I was humming and hawing if i should buy this great glass. I paused at the purchase button several times and finally bit the bullet and not looking back. it's an amazing glass for any canon dslr. the only thing that takes a bit of practice is the pull/push zoom. so glad that i bought this. +5 Yes, the quality of your glass is what helps you get great pictures. I am by no means a professional photographer, but when it comes to getting the best, I do whatever I can to get it. This lens is smooth and delivers. I highly recommend this lens. I used to purchase SIGMA and Rokinon to save money but after experiencing the quality of the Canon manufactured lenses, I probably won't go back to the others. I know this is expensive glass and if you can afford it, or you are in the business of making money with your camera, then you should get quality glass. +1 I purchased this in January to use with my Nikon D80. I am just now getting around to use it and it does not work. This is not a Nikon product. This one is a KT-ML-L3 not a ML-L3. I plan on purchasing the ML-L3 that Amazon sells for $19.99. Don't waste your money on this one. +4 It beats running back forth to the camera, but it can be tricky to hit the sensor just right. A must for anyone taking long exposures or family portraits. +5 I was going on a trip and decided to use this telescopic zoom lens. And I'm so glad I did. What an awesome lens. It performed so well, I'm sure glad I bought it. +5 Wonderful lens. Only downside, can't be attached to camera when using a Cotton Carrier system. Lens will extend. Other than that, nice sharp pictures. +5 I tried saving money with non mfg. long lenses, 150 -500mm and 200-500mm before and was near able to get sharp shots with a lot of cropping. Using this lens changed that, I crop for ducks and birds with excellent sharpness. Image stabilization is a must. +5 I've read quite a few articles online about people having back-focus issues with the 100-400mm lens. I've owned this lens for about 3 days now and can confidently say, after a very quick AFMA (auto-focus micro adjustment) in the camera body, it is razor sharp. Search Dottune method if you don't own a lens calibration software package, or a lensalign. I did the dottune (following the 50xfocal length for target distance) and it made this lens MUCH better than just out of the package. I'm using it on a 6D. Just a note.. this (like most L lenses, and most long tele lenses) is heavy. Get a good monopod or tripod (or both) for it for stability. Consider spending a bit more on your tripod than you might want to... you just spend a couple thousand dollars on a camera body and lens... do you really want to trust a $20 tripod? +5 i am a pro and use this lens when i need a lightweight, flexible and sharp piece of gear. this is not perfect for sure - with a fair number of imperfections which can be expected in any super zoom/super tele lens - but on extreme trips when weight is an issue there is no substitute. P.S., I own the Canon 200-400 f4 lens, and still elect to use this one from time-to-time when weight, etc. is an issue. I really do trust this lens. +5 this is my second one. The first had a loose lensmount that caused the lens not to auto focus if the lens was not held just right. Got my last one from B&H and it works great. +5 I gave this to a friend and she loves it , it has been on her Canon 60D for 90% of the time since. +5 I absolutely love this lens. It has not been off one of my camera since I got it and I've used it for 95% of everything I've photographed including hundreds and hundreds of close-ups of flowers and butterflies. The only complaint I have with it is the weight, which just goes with a lens this size. I would buy it again given the same situation and need. Did I say I love it!!!!~ +2 I had high hopes of sharing my Canon i850 printer, and the Hawking H-PS1U seemed to be the USB answer. Alas performance did not measure up to its looks. One, it was very, very slow. Two, it would not allow full bi-directional communication back to the computer. Three, it operated very hot. Did I say it was slow? One email contact to tech support containing four questions brought no response. Another finally brought a minimal answer - disable bi-directional capability. No, I said, I need that capability, and if a user has to disable a feature he/she paid for to use your device, your product is deficient. A third email returned one more answer - the server meets thermal targets. A fourth and final email generated the most comprehensive answer, repeating earlier instructions but still not addressing all my questions. So, if it does what you need, the Hawking is fine. If it doesn't, don't count on tech support for much help. +5 My connection :- HP OFFICEJECT ---> PRINT SERVER -----> Wireless ROUTER Installation was a Breeze , and believe me you will fell in love with the size . Its THE smallest and easiest to install .Even better than Netgear 1 port +5 If you ever use your D50 on a tripod, get the ML-L3 Wireless Remote. Don't wonder, don't think twice, just get it! Studio, tabletop, macro/micro, scenic, architecture, etc, get it! Cheap, rugged, works great, get it! +5 Functions just as expected. No complaints! Definitely my favorite camera accessory! Works great with my Nikon D70s. +5 I wish it worked from behind the camera a little bit better, but otherwise this is a great purchase. Highly recommended. +5 Pictures this lens produces are worth keeping. I see pictures posted from other zoom setups on photography forums and really they don't come close. The variable zoom is an advantage. So many times birds fly right on top of my head or come too close. If I was sitting there with fixed 500mm, I would have to just sit there and wait and hope the bird goes where I can get focus. For this lens, everything is in range. I combine it with 7D crop-sensor body and I get 400x1.6 = 640mm. I loose not one thing in picture quality with crop sensor. If anything because subjects move closer my pictures average 5-8 MB after cropping. Without the crop sensor I was averaging 1-2MB. So in fact I have picked up 240mm of reach and paid NOTHING for it in terms of picture quality or sacrificing auto focus etc. The BOKEH is beautiful. It is only 5.6f with 400mm however even that produces beautiful creamy backgrounds. For any photography the background is important but it is even more important for wildlife. If you get too many details in background it gives you a headache to look at that picture. Even at f5.6 this produces good bokeh. The size is manageable too. I can not wait to save 8K for my 500mm f4 lens. However, I know its limitations. Almost twice as heavy and twice as big. Guys walking around with it are limited to how much hand held shooting they can do. Yeah reach is there, but if you are in spots where it is not needed as much it becomes a huge hassle. I have even taken landscape shots with it, and gotten nothing but good results. Essentially sometimes the interesting light is far from you and this gives you the reach you need for landscapes as well. ONLY time I felt I was let down is that I love to create Sun Stars. I tried to stop down for a landscape scene to try and achieve sun-star but it couldn't don it. Just gave a blob. I can live without it. This lens has produced images for me that life my spirit every time and I can't express how awesome it really is and how any wildlife photographer must have it, even if you can afford the bigger lenses. BRAVO CANON! +5 The is a bread and butter lens for wildlife and birds. Easy to pack around and great zoom range. Image quality seems to vary sometimes between shots so take lots and pick the best ones. I use this lens all the time. Will be nice when they come out with an update that has more stops of IS and more consistent image quality. +5 I plan to mount this on my tripod. Very durable. Exactly what I ordered and needed and delivery was right on time . Looks durable and easy to manage well. +5 Nice lens. Pretty sharp. Sorta fast auto focus although not super fast. Image stabilization is OK at best. My 70-300mm (non L) has better IS. This is worth the money but just barely. +5 This is a fantastic little remote. Its great for product photography and any other application where you don't want to take the risk of shaking the camera. For the $18 this is a must have tool for your photographic arsenal. Highly Reccomend. +3 Once you set up your camera for remote, make sure you don't go back and try to take a shot using the camera button, it takes it out of remote mode (D80). Why cant they both work in unison? I don't know. Aside from that small issue, works as expected, first press is focus, second is shutter. They could have implemented a two stage button to have some sort of consistancy, but they chose to keep the remote slim. +3 Great lens by Canon but found it $300 cheaper w/free shipping elsewhere!-o...lesson learned...do your homework or you could get burned!-o +5 I gave up a first-generation 70-200 2.8L IS for the extra reach on this lens, and I couldn't be happier. Since I don't shoot weddings any more, meaning I don't need to worry about being able to get crucial shots in a dark church using available light, I really don't have a serious need for a fast, long lens. Anyway, enough about me. This lens has proven to be tack-sharp, even zoomed all the way to the long end. The IS does an adequate job stabilizing throughout the range, allowing hand-held shots at shutter speeds about two stops slower than with a lens of similar weight and focal length. Focus is fast and quiet. Bokeh is pretty decent. It took a little getting used to the push-pull zoom, but I don't find it to be difficult or inconvenient to use, and the zoom lock feature is great and really does prevent the lens from creeping when I have the camera hanging vertically from my Cotton Carrier vest. I highly recommend this lens. +5 This is a fantastic lens, but plan on taking your tripod. For everyday running around with a most excellent lens, I use the newer 70-300. +5 I bought this to get better pictures of the birds in the back yard now it's the only lens I use. +5 If you are looking for a light-weight or small zoom lens, stop reading here - this lens is fairly large & moderately heavy. On the other hand, the build quality is superb and the image quality is also very high. Without getting into all of the specifics, the lens works well through the majority of the range, but does get a little soft at the end of the zoom range (above approximately 350mm) when using the largest apertures. The lens hood works well, the Image stabilizer is superb and the 77mm lens size makes finding filters easy. +5 Sharp, good contrast on images. Pro quality all the way. If you're serious about photography and can only have two lenses, get the Canon 24-105L and this lens and you'll be covered for most of your shooting needs! This lens is heavy, but if you carry it fully extended cradled in your arms, or attached to a monopod, the weight is less of an issue. One caveat: this is a push/pull to zoom lens and, in dusty environments, can suck dirt into the lens and body. Avoid playing accordion with it (excessive fast zooming in and out). take care of it and it will take care of you! +1 very cheap construction, doesn't hold camera unless you screw it in really tightly, which causes the tripod to fall apart. If that's fine with you, then this tripod is great! +5 Very small, and with an exceptional design to complement the camera. It does not work well from behind the camera, but does well from on top to infront. The remote allows you to fire the camera without transfering motion and it does this job well. +4 It does exactly what it's supposed to do. I am occasionally restricted by being a little too far away, but it's not much of a problem. Definitely worth the money. +5 This should be included with the camera in the first place. If you are serious about sharp photos, then buy a good tripod and this wireless remote. +4 This is a line of sight remote control, and works well as such. I would have given the product a 5 if it worked at radio frequency instead. You basically have to be in front of the camera to activate it. If you are trying to take wild life pictures remotely, this may not serve your purpose. As with other labels that may be incorrect or incomplete, please note that this product does not work with the Nikon D200, however, I suspect it does work with the D80, and the D50. +5 Super Lens, use it with a T2i and get great shots. I do wish it was 500mm...600mm or maybe 800mm but you get what you pay for. Pretty sharp images which you would expect from a lens like this. +5 I believe in the adage of spending most of one's photographic budget on the lens rather than the body (I happen to have gone with the Canon T3i, but will be upgrading to the Canon 70D when released). I read endless reviews, but what finally made me pull the trigger was my encounter with a photographer who does great work and uses this lens as his carry-around lens. I was amazed at some of the shots he was getting at 400mm handheld. I have not been disappointed. I see that some speak of this lens as being "soft" at 400mm. I am simply not finding that to be the case. On handheld 400mm shots, I get tack sharp focus, for example on the eyes of some of the raptors that I shoot. If I could have the best of everything, I would love this lens to weigh about half of what it does, but then again, it's a lot of glass and a rock solid, water/dust proof body. You will not be disappointed with this beauty! As an aside, I have done a lot of research on carbon fiber tripods, but have yet to pull the trigger in that this lens, with its image stabilization, is seemingly totally forgiving of movement. I cannot see a reason to lug around extra, apparently un-needed (at least for the wildlife photography that I like to do) equipment. +5 Before buying this lens, my long lenses were Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras and Opteka 500-1000mm f/8 High Definition Preset Telephoto Lens for Canon EOS 1D, 5D, 6D, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Rebel XT, XTi, XS, XSi, T1i, T2i, T3, T3i and T4i Digital SLR Cameras My Canon Zoom Lens EF 75- 300mm would produce a marginally usable (but no salable) image at 300 mm about 7 - 10% of the time. The images were nowhere near as sharp as the images I capture with my Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Standard Zoom Lens even though I had to crop to create a digital zoom on the images I captured with my Canon EF 24 - 70mm lens to get the subject to fill the frame. The Opteka 500-1000mm f/8 High Definition Preset Telephoto Lens for Canon EOS 1D, 5D, 6D, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Rebel XT, XTi, XS, XSi, T1i, T2i, T3, T3i and T4i Digital SLR Cameras is a completely manual lens. There are no electronic connections, so no auto-focus, no use of any camera mode except full Manual. With the Opteka, I found that I had to use a tripod and I found myself waving the camera around trying to find my subject that I could see clearly with my naked eye. The only real use I was ever to get from this lens was photos of the moon. And even with moon photos, during a photo session, I would have to adjust the camera direction because the moon would move out of the view-finder! Being completely manual on the focus, I was lucky if 10% of my moon pictures were sharp enough to share on facebook! I found that even when I had the camera set up on a tripod, all the camera settings dialed in, that trying to photograph birds was a waste of my time. By the time I finished waving the camera around to find my subject and then manually fine tune the focus, the birds had flown away! Now for the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras. Sharp! Auto-focus! I find that 90%+ of the photos I take at 400 mm are considerably sharper than the very best 10% of the photos I captured with my Canon Zoom Lens EF 75- 300mm. With the Canon Zoom Lens EF 75- 300mm, I would immediately discard 90% of the images as being too soft, even when I set the camera on a tripod and used a remote shutter release. With the Canon EF 100-400mm lens, I am discarding less than 10% as being slightly out of focus. And some of these discards are sharper than the 'keepers' from the Canon Zoom Lens EF 75- 300mm! Instead of looking for the rare sharp image as I did with the Canon Zoom Lens EF 75- 300mm, with the Canon EF 100-400mm lens, I am looking at composition to decide which images to work on as 'keepers'! I have little doubt that most of the photos I capture with this lens will be at the 400mm end of the range. I considered the Prime Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras before deciding to spend a couple hundred dollars more for the zoom version. Why did I spend extra money to get the zoom? Because of my experience with the Opteka and waving the camera around trying to locate my subject. With this zoom lens, I can find my subject using the 100 mm as my 'spotter scope', and then while keeping my subject in the viewfinder, I can zoom to 400mm without losing my subject. I have become accustomed to using a tripod for all telephoto photos. When I first received this lens, I went out and hand-held the camera and took photos at 400mm of a couple walking past a stop sign a quarter mile away. The photos were so sharp, the license plate motto above the License number of the car they were walking past is clearly readable! The only problem I have encountered is that my camera with this lens attached barely fits into my Lowepro camera shoulder bag, and no other lenses can be put in the bag with this camera & lens combination. I have been accustomed to carrying the camera and at least three lenses in the shoulder bag, but I can't do that with this lens! +5 Probably the best lens for the money from Canon. Good build quality, very fast and quiet AF thanks to ring USM, good bokeh (background blurring), good color and contrast. Sure it is not as good as 135/2L or 200/1.8L, but at this price range you cannot find a 2nd lens come close in picture quality and overall performance. I have several Canon lenses and this one provide the best price/performance ratio. This should be on top of your lens list if you are considering EOS system. Pros: Sharp even at f/1.8, very sharp @f/2.8 Very fast (f/1.8) for the money. Very fast and quiet AF thanks to Ring USM. Good build quality. Good picture quality. Cons: No bag come with lens. No lens hood. 135/2L is still a better choice for portrait if you have the space for it. Canon should have put a red ring, L aka, on it to let let us feel even better. +5 I have been shooting with my 100-400 L for about 3 years at Motorcycle track days. Look at [...] (also like us on FB) for sample images. I personally love this lens. It does exactly what it's designed to do. It gives you a huge range to work with in 100-400, and if you are shooting in daylight you get plenty of shutter speed even at F/5.6. Compared to Canon's cheaper non-L lenses this lens is very sharp, but here's the catch, compared to Canon's other L lenses it's mediocre sharp. Please don't let this dissuade you. For most purposes and all but the highest level photographers it's sharp enough. Add in the 2-stop IS with 2 modes and this lens is one of the most useful telephoto's you could own and 400mm @ 5.6 will give a unique effect compared to consumer lenses. It's in that funny price range where it's very expensive for an amateur but relatively cheap for a full time pro. Well, same goes for it's quality, it's very high quality compared to the typical soccer mom kit, but probably just "good enough" for a magazine photographer. For my purposes I think it delivers my customers what they are looking for. The sharpness and hit rate on my 70-200 f/4 is better but obviously the 70-200 f/4 doesn't go to 11.... errr 400mm. So, I'd love to have a 300mm F/2.8 or 400mm F/2.8 or the new 200-400 f/4 but these lenses are in a different class. They cost between $5k and $12k and pretty much require a monopod. If you compare this lens to those you will be disappointed, however, At $1500 on amazon and still being hand hold-able (I'm 6'3" and 260lbs so YMMV) this lens does exactly what it's intended for and has served me very well and will continue to until I can justify owning the 200-400 (which I lust after). For my purposes, Motorsports photography, combined with my 7D (640mm equivalent) this lens is great, you get tons of reach but aren't stuck at 400mm. I am giving a 5 star review knowing that this lens is a compromise. It's a compromise in price, I paid $1700 and it is still very cheap compared to any of the L series alternatives (this price allowed me to get in the game as the alternatives are cost prohibitive for me), it's a compromise in quality, it's mediocre compared to the primes and astronomically expensive zooms, but it delivers hand hold-ability, a large range and great image quality for the money and focal length, it is still an L lens. I think I've hit this point but basically what I'm saying is. Don't expect 400 F/2.8 images, but for the money you can't beat this lens for it's intended use. outdoor Daylight photography when you need professional grade sharpness and color and fast enough AF for sports. Even not considering the money, maybe you have a 400 F/2.8, this lens is still way more practical, it fits in a camera bag, gives a huge range and can be hand held. Is there an echo in here, poi? The AF is fast, but not "keep up with the 8fps on my 7D" fast, close though. There is a noticeable difference in AF speed between my 70-200f/4, but I am by no means saying this lens is slow. After all it's F/5.6. It is what it is. The other thing some may consider a negative is the push pull zoom. I actually like it and have gotten quite used to it. Generally I just pick a focal length and lock it in with the tightening ring. If you don't do this you may get a little creep while shooting, but the tightening ring works as designed. I probably do 90% of my shooting with this lens at 400mm @ f/5.6 and switch to my 70-200 for the closer stuff. I did have an AF issue early on with the lens that caused my 7D to go into an error mode. CPS fixed this under warranty and had it back to me in under a week, since then it's been fine. Here is an example image, like I said in the beginning, look up electriceyeimages.com on FB (public albums no account needed) or go to the website to see examples. The shots at 400mm should be easy to pick out. [...] +3 producing good result up to 100~200 range & in good outdoor light condition but missing the sharp result in low light condition also at 400 focal length pictures are coming soft & not getting crispy result during birding at this final end. if people are thinking for birding by this lens then think again & evalute better option +5 I love this lens! It's at a dead tie between this one and my 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM lens. I'll have them both forever I believe!! Believe all the positive hype! This lens is master of it's range! It's fast, and captures the true colors you see on every shot! I use this lens primarily for wildlife, birds in flight and sports. It's always in my bag or on my camera! It's one of the best deals out there right now for the price! If you love taking action images or birds in flight, wildlife and can't afford $12,000 for one of the big boy Tele's, grab one of these asap, there at bargin basement pricing right now! July 2013. If I have time to choose which lens is on for wildlife or sports or BIF, I always pick this one first! Always! I may switch it out after awhile and throw the 70-200mm on but I always go for this one first in any of those situations! Also, I've never had any dust issues with the lens like some others have mentioned. Never, none! The lens is as perfect inside now as it was when I bought it 3 years ago! As far as I can tell anyway! It's had a B&W haze filter on it since day one and it never comes off... The push/pull barrel is easy to get used to and I find it especially a joy to use for birds in flight. Being able to slowly draw the barrel back in as the bird gets close, seems very natural and smooth. Did I mention that I love this lens? +5 I have waited for a couple of years before I finally had read, compared, and saved for this lens. It did not disappoint. I shoot Fashion and I need speed and clarity. Weight is not an issue because most work is tripod based. The wow factor keeps the ladies looking at my camera so I always get the great shots. My only complaint would is there should be a 2.8 version in the works. I would jump on it. +5 I bought this lens about a week ago. I've taken about 1000 pictures with it since, including a trip to the Dallas zoo. I've been pouring over the pictures, and I'm impressed with how well this lens works. I also have the Sigma 150-500 f/5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM lens, so much of what I mention here will be as a direct result of comparing the two lenses. First, the thing that I like most about the Canon 100-400L is that you can use it wide open. Sure, it sharpens a little bit if you stop it down, as do all zooms. But it doesn't change that much! My Sigma, for instance, at 500mm, f/6.3, is too soft by far! If you stop down to f/9, it's usually acceptable, but I wouldn't say it's "sharp" until f/11. At shorter focal lengths, it isn't this bad...at 400mm, you can get some pretty decent shots at f/8, but even then, it continues to improve until f/11, f/13.... My new Canon, on the other hand, is 100% acceptable at 400mm/f5.6. It gets a bit sharper by f/7, but it's not a big difference. And the differences are small enough past that aperture that it's hard to say there's an improvement at all. The bottom line for me is that there's much less chance of me missing a shot because I forgot to step down two stops...or because I couldn't open wide enough to get enough exposure! It's also almost 2" shorter, and almost an inch smaller in diameter, than the Sigma. Lengthwise, it's about the same as a 70-200 f2.8, and weighs just a tad more. So, if you can fit a 70-200 f/2.8 in your bag, you can probably fit this. I carry this lens mounted on the camera using a Black Rapid strap attached to the tripod collar. Carried this way, you forget you have a 400mm zoom lens attached...or maybe I'm just used to the Sigma (which is longer, and weighs a pound more). At any rate, it's not a small lens, but it's not unmanageable. The auto focus is noticeably faster than my Sigma, and worked well. Out of 500 pictures taken at the zoo, there were maybe 20 that I'd say weren't in focus, and some of them were due to me not having a fast enough shutter speed, in spite of the Image Stabilization. And speaking of IS, it works pretty good on this lens, even thought it's only good for about 2 f-stops. Remember, this lens design is over 10 years old...and back then, 2 stops was state of the art in IS! This is one area where the Sigma beats the Canon..the sigma has a better IS (though Sigma calls it OS). But really, if you're spending this kind of money on a 100-400mm zoom, you probably have already realized that IS isn't going to save you from bad technique, or stop your moving subject! I have used it with a Kenko Pro300 1.4x Teleplus teleconverter. I can't say there's no loss in sharpness, because of course there is. But it's still usable...here, it DOES pay to stop down a bit. The autofocus still works with the TC on my 5Dm3, though it's a bit slower. Some folks hate the push-pull zoom mechanism, but not me! I love it! It's fast, and easier for me to adjust to a moving target. The only downside is that there's no lock! If you carry it without tightening the tension ring, the lens will extend on its own. You can tighten the tension ring so that this doesn't happen, of course, but working the tension ring is a two handed job. In fact, that's my only real gripe about the lens...I can't go from locked (or more accurately, tight) to loose one-handed. But, I'll live with this because I like the lens so much in other ways. It comes with a case, a hood, and a tripod collar. It should...it cost enough. The case is pretty nice, and the tripod collar is first rate! The hood is OK...but for some reason seems kinda 'plastic-y', although in typical Canon fashion, it does have the non-reflective suede on the inside. In this focal length range, you really only have two choices, for a zoom lens...this lens and the Sigma. You can get good results with the Sigma, certainly! But better results, and with less effort, are the norm for this lens. +5 Title says it all. My first L lens and I love it! Now looking at my not so old 70-300 telephoto USM lens and wondering if I'll ever use it again. Getting ready for a trip to Alaska in July and will update review afterwards. UPDATE: Ok, it's now Feb 14 and I took the lens to Washington State, Alaska, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Using the Rebel T4i, I've been able to capture in great detail pictures and video of whales, seals, bald eagles, bears, deer, glaciers, waterfalls, mountaintops, airplanes/helicopters in flight, tennis and soccer matches, baseball and softball games. If you want to reach out and get great shots at distance, then this is the lens. By the way, this lens taught me how to get great shots and video using manual focus and because of the weight, I typically use a monopod but have made many great shots without it. Is it still the best lens in my bag? No question about it! However, this may change soon as I just purchased the 24-105mmL with my new Canon 6D but that's another review. +4 I have a Canon 7D which I have had for several years. This was my first "L" lens. The first copy I got of this lens gave me some truly stunning close up photos wide open at 400mm. I loved the contrast color and sharpness on these closeup shots. Unfortunately I began to notice that when I would take a photo of something more than about 25 yards away or more, that these photos were very soft, and that NOTHING in the picture was in sharp focus. I missed some once in a lifetime wildlife shots because the lens would not focus sharply on the subject, even using the single center spot focus point. I tried everything to make this lens work because I loved the closeup shots so much. I tested it under controlled conditions, using targets of various types (including focus charts) and everything pointed to the lens. Even my cheap Tamron 18-270 lens performed much better at anything longer than about 20-25 yards. I took over a thousand photos with the lens and worked with it until my 30 day return period almost dried up. So, I somewhat reluctantly returned the lens to Amazon for a replacement (they are the BEST! - very fast). I quickly got a replacement lens from Amazon and was very glad I returned the old lens. The replacement lens was about 4 months newer and had the new Canon lens cap with the pinch release on the front of the cap (not that I really cared about the lens cap). The focus was much improved at >25 yards. I don't think I lost much, if anything, at the shorter distances, but it is hard to say because I was so blown away with the first lens at this distance. I really really love this copy of this lens, but I am disappointed that I have to be quality control for Canon (this is why 4 stars, if I had gotten this lens first it would be 5+ stars). I am now looking to buy several more "L" class lenses after seeing for myself what a difference it can make in the quality of your photos. I am a pixel peeper and this makes a difference for me. I have taken a couple thousand shots with this newer lens (wildlife, flowers, outdoor portraits, etc.) and can say with confidence it is a great lens and much better than the first copy. +5 I did much research before committing to this particular lens. I considered the EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM, the EF 70-200 f/2.8L II IS USM, and the 1.4 and 2x Extenders for use with either of those listed lenses. After much reading, I decided to spend my money on this for the following reasons: -I want the most versatility while carrying the least amount of lenses. -I am not concerned about carrying large and heavy lens/camera combinations. Thanks USMC. -I take photos of aircraft at airports and in overhead flight. -I wanted to avoid using Extenders (see next comment). -I would use an Extender on the EF 70-200 f/2.8L (and the II) IS USM but that's much more expensive. Pros: -I actually love the telescoping characteristic of the zoom function of this lens. I got used to it quickly and have learned to appreciate how quickly I can capture aircraft traveling at me, past me, or away from me. Keep track of the tension ring to ensure you don't upset stability of hold while on burst settings. I have used this lens many times and have yet to experience the "dust pump" phenomenon that many have written about. I think this urban legend may be anecdotal nonsense. -Lens comes complete with hood, lens cap, rear cap, and quality storage case (don't purchase those separately). -Tripod ring included and it can be loosened and rotated to 12 o'clock for when in the hand-held mode for ease of carry. -I've found that WITH GOOD LIGHTING, I obtain excellent photos on f/8, ISO 100, ~+.25-.5 Exp. Comp., and with a shutter speed appropriate for the speed of aircraft. -Autofocus is pretty fast...not as fast as my EF 70-200 f/4L USM, but fast enough. Hunts every once in a while, but this hasn't been a problem. Out of thousands of shots, I've only lost a couple due to AF hunting (in the sets of rapid fire shots). -Doesn't cost as much as an EF 70-200 f/2.8L II IS USM; especially when one adds the cost of an Extender (and then deals with the associated loss of aperture stops, albeit minimal with the aforementioned world class lens). -Makes me look like I know what I'm doing. For those who [really] know what they're doing, after reading this, you know that I'm a newbie. Oh, and airport security can see that I am just a harmless plane spotter from a long ways off since the lens is off-white and HUGE and they leave me alone. Cons: -Expensive no matter how one slices that. (Not really a con, per se, for me). -Needs well planned and continuously worked lighting to support crisp shots. -Not as precise at 400mm than say, at 350mm (but that's probably just the way it goes). -Can be tricky when using an Extender in the mix. Frankly, though, I haven't yet found a situation with the lens, as it is, that really finds me needing an Extender anyway. That's why I bought the 400mm in the first place. -In tight plane spotting situations (i.e. Gravelly Point Park at Reagan National...where the airplanes are literally feet above you) 100mm is just too much zoom and one looses shot opportunities on close aircraft. So that's why I kept my trusty EF 70-200 f/4L USM and carry it with me in the bag. Again, I'm not worried about the weight. Would I recommend this lens to someone else? Absolutely. If you want 300-400mm capability (on top of ~100-300), then you're pretty much stuck with this choice. Great glass (it's an "L") and solid build. Don't be frightened away by the myth of the "dust pump". Perhaps that might be a problem if you live in Afghanistan, but it's not been a problem whatsoever for me. I've grown to love the sliding zoom feature and have figured out the tension ring to ensure I don't have to pull too hard to get adjustment while I have the shutter release depressed for a series of shots. If you're a plane spotter and find yourself in situations with pesky air traffic controllers who like to play tricks on you, then you better get this lens. It is the only one I've found that can do the relatively close shots well and gives you that 300-400mm for those shots you wouldn't otherwise attempt. LOVE THIS LENS. I have also purchased a B&W 77mm UV haze filter (that works great) and a 77mm circular polarizer to enhance aircraft/sky contrast since many aircraft are painted white/gray/or light blue. Now fork over the cash and get some great photos with this lens (and be sure to learn all those crazy functions on your Manual setting and forget about automatic modes). +3 The remote works as intended, though oddly Nikon didn't bother putting a sensor usable from the back of the camera. Nonetheless, this little remote is worth the $13. I believe Nikon should have included it with the camera, though, as small and as cheap as it is. NOTE: Get it *directly* from Amazon and *NOT* from Eek Technology, or any other vendor as their shipping is a monstrosity. The box the remote comes in is about the size of a pocket matchbox or a Zippo lighter, and doesn't weigh a full ounce. The remote itself is very small, smaller than most car alarm keychains. Paying more than a couple of dollars for shipping is asinine. DBROTH charges $8 to ship this and Eek Technologies hits you hard at $12 to ship this miniscule item. +4 This little device provides great hands-free operation of my D50 and D80 cameras. There is no need to use timer and run from the camera to be in the picture. I also use it for taking portraits so that I could have more interactions with the subjects. When I used it indoors, the distance and the direction the remote is pointing to was great. Sometimes, the shutter of the camera did not release upon pushing the remote. The camera did not provide any error information when that happened. It was very frustrating when you pushed the remote and nothing happened and while you walked back to the camera, the shutter released. The same problem occurred to the shutter release on the camera occasionally, so I can't completely blame on the remote. But being feet away from the camera and could not get the camera to work is aggravating. +5 A necessary piece for astronomic photography, as well as many other types. This unit is a "Must-Have" +5 I would never have though to buy a remote for my camera, but I saw the suggestion on Ken Rockwell's awesome Nikon site, so I went for it. This remote is so much fun, even my five-year-old is taking pictures with it. I've had it for two weeks, and I've done self-portraits, long exposures and group shots with it (no more running before the timer goes off!). This is a must if you want to do long exposures. I was able to put my camera on a tripod and use the setting that allows you to click the remote once to open the shutter and again to close it. Because I didn't have to touch the camera to operate the shutter, I got really cool pictures of stars and meteors with no camera shake. +5 The device works as advertised. The range is limited, especially if you have sunlight directly hitting the infrared sensor on the camera. Indoors I have not had any problems. Some of the other reviewers complained about the lack of a manual. The manual that came with my D70S explains how to use the remote in sufficient detail. The exact details depend on the camera you use. Note: the camera will not release the shutter if it cannot focus in AF-S mode. You can avoid this problem by prefocusing the camera, i.e. hit the camera release button before you use the remote. You can also use manual focus. A definite buy at this price. +5 My camera is the Canon EOS Rebel t5i, so images taken at the extreme telephoto are equivalent to 640mm. My hobby is raptor photography. In particular, the American Bald Eagle. If I could insert a picture here, I would. If zoomed in further than what this lens is capable of on my camera, I would miss the full wingspread on my favorite action - landings. And comparing quality with that of the SX50 hs, almost no comparison. I know, comparing apples to oranges. I chose this over the ef 400mm f/2.8L primary, due to cost. However; I love the ability to zoom in and out. Sometimes I do not want to full frame my subject and frame it with the landscape. Push pull zoom is not an issue. Autofocus is fast, clarity at 400mm excellent, and image stabilization OMG. Although people complain about the weight, the IS takes all the shake out and for that, I do not have to hand hold in focus for very long. From where I set up, there are MANY photographers (professional and otherwise). Most with fixed primaries with better f/stop for the focal length. But hey, I spent $9000 less than if I bought the EF 400mm f/2.8L. If I had bought the EF 400mm 5.6L, it would have been ~$200 cheaper but getting full frame in some instances, would not be possible. Since purchasing this lens, I have been invited to travel to Alaska 2x and to kayak into little known areas by professional photographers. Is this respect for my ability or for the lens? *shrugs* Who cares? I am very happy with my purchase. +5 Aside from it being heavy, I use this lens a great deal of time. The pictures come out crisp and clear. +5 I was also looking at the Canon 400mm f/5.6L telephoto lens (non-zoom) when I purchased this Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L zoom lens. Now that I have the 100-400mm zoom and have taken photos with it, I'm very glad I purchased it. The versatility of the 100-400mm zoom range combined with Image Stabilization are the main reasons Im happy with this lens. The 400mm f/5.6 does not have Image Stabilization, nor is it a zoom lens. And the difference in price is only a $200 or so, between both lenses. Highly recommended. +5 Just Awsome, first eagle pictures well worth it! No byers remorse. Would strongly recommend to anyone who needs a lens like this. I did laugh when it arrived because of the size and weight but I soon got used to it. +5 I already own a few Canon L lenses. My favourite among them is the mythical 70-200 f/2.8. But as up-to-date as that lens is, it isn't suitable for wildlife or long-distance shots, because native focal length is limited to 200 mm. That's where this product steps in. I began to wonder about the Canon 100-400 4.5-5.6 when I learnt that it's been around for quite a while (about 15 years). There's a reason why Canon still produces a lens with a 15 year old technology. That reason is because, I guess, it's still very good and does what is designed to do. Therefore, I purchased this lens. I've got to say that IQ is awesome. Images are beautiful and very sharp. To be honest, I compared the IQ from this lens and the combo 70-200 f/2.8+2x iii extender (which I also own) and, in my opinion, they're both pretty much the same. Autofocus, however, seems to me to be slightly faster on the Canon 100-400. Concluding, I can say that the Canon 100-400 is a great lens. It's a superb piece of equipment, as is to be expected from a Canon L series lens. +5 I am only a hobby photographer, but I like doing precise work. I am not near the technician that many of the other reviewers are, but I very much appreciate their remarks and efforts to educate me on the merits of this lens. They made the purchase of this lens much more comfortable. I put this heavy monster on my 7D a couple of months ago and have had nothing but fun in trying to master all of the things that I can do with it. I often shoot off hand with it and I can say nothing but good things about the image stabilization. I find it easier to use with a monopod with a sturdy mounting head, and a good neck strap is a must. The pictures are a joy because of the fine detail and the ability to capture a close up at a distance. As others have said, it is well worth the price. +5 a little hefty to carry around but i really enjoy being able to go from 100 to 400mm just like that, no changing lenses, a little soft at 400mm but i increase the iso and bump up the fstop for betteer depth of field +5 Three years ago this lens was my first "L" acquisition; it was what I felt would be, on my budget, the very best choice for taking pictures of birds. I'm a beginner, but it was an astute choice. From the start, the results from this lens have flattered me into sometimes feeling like a pro. This lens is pricey, heavy, and not terribly fast, but it produces an amazingly sharp image. If you're looking for birds, you should take this lens along with you. I'm also told this is a great lens for airshows, but airshows are hard to find right now. I'd give this lens an extra star just for the joy it's brought into my life. +5 The reason CANON still produces it is because it is still very good and better than anything else on the market. CANON launched 70-300mm L IS with newer IS technology and weather sealed that fit between 70-200mm f/4 IS and this lens. The image quality of 70-300mm L IS is similar but weight a lot less. However at the long end, 100-400mm L IS is still sharper and more versatile for wildlife photography. I got very sharp copy that has no DATE CODE but it is bought new in 2012 from CANON. Probably CANON has new plant. The best compromised lens that sharp and fast enough for casual use and reasonable price. One of the reason people choose CANON instead of NIKON that has no similar quality lens with similar price yet. +5 I love this lens! 400mm makes so many more shots possible. The image quality is absolutely amazing with my 5d mark II. It isn't shy - whip this out and people notice (it's big), but it makes you feel like a pro. It's going with me everywhere. +5 This lens is outstanding. Likes light and f stops greater than 5.6. I've only owned it for a month but have taken photos in various settings and really like the results. The images are sharp and after some outings becomes easier to handle. I bought this one because I was unhappy with the results of the canon 75mm-300mm. Once you start shooting with lenses of better caliber, you will understand the need to just suck it up, dig deep and put out that 1,500 dollars. It only hurts for minute. +4 Received this order within 7 days, so I was very pleased with the shipping time. When I opened the lens box however it looked as if it had already been used, or at the very least been a return item. The inside packaging was all crumpled and shoved in the box - not like new/unopened condition. I have taken the lens out once for some birding pictures, and for the maximum 400mm (which I normally use for this type of photography) I am pretty happy with the lens. It is a little noisy, and you may have to get used to the pull-push system, but I found that not difficult to master. I am still up in the air regarding the newness of this lens however, and may have to take to a local photo professional to see if the noise level and other aspects are normal for the lens. So, until that time - I am giving this a 4 star - and hope to update more later. +5 Best buy for the money! This lens is either on my camera or hanging at my side for easy access. I use for both stills and video, and love the look the L glass gives in image quality. Common gripes: 1) It extends overall length to zoom - Downside, a no-go for matte boxes; Upshot, looks pro, super fast for run-n-gun, gives video shooters a "slam zoom" option for dynamic photography. 2) Heavy - What do you expect... it's a big, long lens. 3) Slow with high f-stops - True, so keep ISO on auto or be quick to balance changes in zoom with shutter, though the bokeh from this lens is always apparent; use a tripod, monopod, or flash in darker situations. Want to try before you buy? Rent from an online rental house. That's the route I went and then paid full price to keep this lens after renting for the month. I bought this in lieu of the 70-200 2.8 and am glad that I did. I'll get the 70-200 one day, but should have bought this 100-400 straight from Amazon and saved the rental fee. Here's to happy shooting! +5 quick focus and like the stabilization features. Haven't really had a chance at taking some moving pics yet. Tried some filters with it and they didn't seem to work but didn't have the time to just play with them. +4 This lens was the first L series lens I had purchased; I did not know what to expect from it. It is a ten year old technology and tolerances required of L lenses were likely not so exacting when it was designed as now. It was better by far than my Canon kit lens - but never convincingly better than, say, my Tamron 70-300mm VC (an exceptionally able but significantly less expensive lens). It was nonetheless the longest lens I owned, and I used it when I wanted the reach. However, after my purchase and experience with two later L series lenses I became convinced that the 100-400L lens was not delivering on its reputation - and I sent it to Canon for recalibration. While such servicing is not cheap (out of warranty), the Canon service group examined the lens and indicated that there was a fault in the focusing mechanism; they repaired it. The lens that was returned to me was like a different lens. While it does not compare favorably in sharpness, speed of focus or stabilization with the L mark II series of lenses, the 100-400L is very capable of delivering exceptional sharpness and will stand up to some real pixel peeping. I use it for professional work. If and when I can afford to spend 5 or 6 times as much on a long L prime, I may spring for it, but until then I will get good service from this lens and won't hesitate to rely on it. Having said that, be aware that shooting technique will affect your results; you must minimize camera shake, especially at the long end and with distant subjects. If upon purchase you find the lens less than impressive, send it to Canon for recalibration under warranty, preferably with your camera body, and you will be pleased with the result. Given the current prices for Canon's fast L tele lenses, this lens offers good value. Further, if you will generally be using the lens' full length, you might consider the 400mm f5.6; the prime lens is sharper - although lacking stabilization. But the flexibility of the zoom works for me. For the record, I did not purchase my copy of this lens from Amazon. +4 I tried it out at a local camera shop, and they were nice enough to mount it onto a 5D3 which is what I have. I have and absolutely love the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras-- Have the old one Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameraswhich I love and still use on my 20D and 7D, but the 5D is not as forgiving on the focal plane and I ruined a lot of shots with the 5D3 vs the 7D, somehow my af points were always off and I would get the nose instead of the eyes etc which is frustrating. The new one talks to my 5d3 better, but I digress. I decided to go with this plus the 2x extender to get to the equivalent. f5.6 and 400 zoom which is what this offers. I might have still picked it up, but when I tried it, the push pull mechanism feels just plain weird. I am a woman with small hands, and when I extend out to 400 which is where I would use it to get my backyard birds etc. the whole set up is completely unbalanced and I could not dream of hand holding all day at the zoo like I can with my 70-200 2.8L -- Wide open, and max zoomed my combo was as quick to focus as the 100 - 400 and I did not look further than the extender kit.Canon EF 2.0X III Telephoto Extender for Canon Super Telephoto Lenses The 70-200 IMO is a must have basic lens, and far superior to the 24-105L for your everyday kid shots with dreamy bokeh etc. So, while you are spending a little more than double you get an amazing lens, plus a reasonable workaround. The store owner also told me to be on the lookout for a 200 - 400 F4L lens with the built in extender coming later this year from canon to round out the 70-200. I also have the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameraswhich is great for parties and wide angle enough for me since I am just fitting in the aunts and grandmoms into the picture. Not photographing architecture or anything at this point. did not feel the need to go for the super expensive 16 - 35. +5 Great lens. +5 Amazing lens. The DOF on this is amazing. I wish there was image stabilization but nonetheless one of the best lenses I've ever used +5 One of my favorite lenses. You get such beautiful blurred backgrounds and a razor sharp subject.. Although I have lenses that are much more, ok , a lot more expensive, this is one that I use a lot. +5 After 5 months with this lens I'm absolutely in love with it. This along with my 50mm f/1.8 are my go to portraits lens and at times I even use it for street photography. Are first shots can be a bit challenging you aren't use to such a shallow depth of field, but once mastered you can create some amazing photos. Image stabilization isn't is issue as long as you watch your shutter speed or shot with a tripod. I highly recommend this lens for someone looking for a dedicated portrait lens and you don't wanna break the bank for the canon 85mm f/1.2 or some of the 3rd party lens. +5 Great Lens, but you have to make sure you are not right up close on the subject. Its not a wide angle lens either. +5 I really love this lens. I use it for my portrait, street, and pet photography. The quality is absolutely stunning! +4 I truly love this lens, but it's so heavy that I find I don't reach for it often! +5 Beautiful lens that takes great pics. +5 This classic focal prime costs just the right amount. It's fun to use, makes you feel like a pro, without breaking the bank. The F/1.8 is really good enough, especially with newer bodies that have great ISO performance. I use this on a full frame 6D Mk II and what little of the distortion and vignetting are easily corrected with software. The things to just keep in mind with an wide-open portrait prime is that it still has a telephoto-like minimum focusing distance at just over 3 ft, so you won't get close to the subject. There is also some purple fringing in low light high contrast scenes (and likely some even in bright light). Lack of image stabilization IS hasn't bothered me much. The F/1.4L IS costs 4 times as much, and that's nuts, so I'm glad this lens exists. +5 Nice lens for the price. +4 A very nice portrait lens. Its kind of like the poor mans 135 f2. It does best in good light. You can get your subject pretty sharp and have a nice soft background. In darker scenes it is not as friendly, focus may be not as sharp etc. All in all its a great lens for the money. I would recommend it for portraits and close ups, flowers, wildlife etc. I use this lens with a Canon m6 believe ir or not, and have gotten great results. +5 Best lens purchase I've ever made! Love this lens, the photo's I've captured with it and the quality of the materials. +5 It's amazing lens down side is not good at focus up Close but takes beautiful pictures +5 New favorite portrait lens! +5 This is a well made product from a mechanical, electrical, and optical point of view. The controls are easy to reach and not complicated. It's heavy so be prepared to rig something for hauling it around all day but once you get used to it, it is nimble and allows me to get photos I never could with the small-glass ultra zoom lenses that come with cheap SLR packages. I will begin throwing away photos taken with lesser lenses as I continue to enjoy this lens. It's worth watching a few youtube videos to learn some of the unboxing tricks and features of the lens. +5 hi im a surfing photographer and this len has changed my life! amazing quality the crystal will provide u with some of the best pics u ever taken... incredible fast, smooth and exc AF... its heavy of course it is but u can handle it... and the results are only amazing!!!! u can check my pics at carlos palacios photography at facebook and see it for yourself this is my everyday len and its the best!!!! money well spent! exc!!!! +4 Very fast lens with amazing clarity and results. Using with a 60D and liking every picture taken with this. Great zoom and ease of use. IS (img stabalization) could have been a bit better, but may be its not easy with such focal length. +5 I wasn't really sure what to expect when I received this lens. Of course I watched all kinds of youtube reviews and read all the dxomark specs, but sometimes you get a lens in your hand and only when you use it do you know what it's true value is. So, I mounted this on my 5d4 and went camping for the weekend. We snapped maybe 100 images through the three days and I purposely left it in f/1.8 the entire time because I wanted to see what this thing can do, because if a lens can't exceed at it's maximum aperture it's not much value to me. I was thrilled with the results. Every picture was sharp. No microadjustments were necessary. I thought it might be similar in quality to my 50mm 1.8 STM, but the 85mm is far superior in quality in every way. My only complaint is that some of the images in the shade do have a purple-ish tint, which of course you can correct but it's a pain as the amount of tint is different depending on the amount of light/shade. +5 Truthfully , it just TOO close up . Bring a fixed lens , it was impossible to get portraits done . I like to be right up close and personal to my subjects . The frame was too tight . The bokeh was DELICIOUS however . Incredibly milky . It can definitely work for those not shooting close subjects +5 All good +3 OK for what it is. +5 My favourite lens +5 More often than not - my "go to lens" Sharp, handles indoors and outs doors well. I have to sya this is the most favorite lens in my bag +5 I recently had to shoot a wedding and they asked that I not use flash during the ceremony. Im on a budget and decided on this lens, so I can be far enough away and open the aperture as far as 1.8. It worked out great once I bumped my ISO to about 800. I also like using this lens for candid shots during events. It focuses fine and Ive been surprised with my quality of images. Highly recommended. Oh I shot this on my Canon 5d Mark I and mark II. +5 I LOVE this lens! I rented the Canon EF 85mm F/1.2 and was IN LOVE with it, but couldn't justify spending so much for the lens, I got this one instead after reading a lot of reviews (for months.) It is perfect! +5 good +5 Works as advertised. I use it extensively for environmental work where I want to remain a short distance from my camera. It's great for portraits where I am near and concentrating on my subject and can shoot remotely without losing contact with model. The remote also came in handy for several self-promotions where I seated seating myself in an office atmosphere. +3 I'll admit that I got this as almost a novelty item, but it turns out that it is actually fairly handy. With long exposures, I'll use it on my D50 so as to prevent camera shake (camera has to be on a tripod of course). The term remote may be a little misleading, as the only camera function you can control is the shutter release. It's kind of like those "Easy" buttons selling at Staples. You push it, and thats it. In this case, you need to set up your camera for the shot first, then walk away, and towards the front right to get the sensor in the camera to see the remote, which is a little annoying, but I can also be a fair distance away and trigger the camera. I do like having a wireless cable release, though if I ever end up in a place where more than one person is using it, there will be trouble as there is no way to change the channel the remote works on. You also need to have line of sight to the camera, if anything gets between you and the sensor on the camera, then you can push the button all you want, with no luck. In summary, it's cute, it's handy, but it's no replacement for a pocket wizard, once you get to the point where you need one. +5 Very, very sharp. Extremely easy to use. Push pull zooming is no problem after several uses. Need to get a quick release mount for tripod use. +4 I don't like the push pull design of the lens but I can handhold it and that's worth it for me +4 Great lens....Very sharp and good focus. Lock ring and manual focus ring are very close..Takes some practice..... No other issues. +5 I bought this when my youngest son started junior football. My 70-200 just ran out of zoom too soon, 300mm didn't seem like enough, and fast 400mm primes were a little too rich for my blood. Despite all the warnings about speed and sharpness I decided to give it a try since the conditions were not difficult. All the games are during the day so I can set the shutter to 1/1000th, the ISO to auto, and not miss any shots with a 5D Mark III. Now that I've shot it a month I have no regrets. The pictures are sharp and the zoom range is ideal for football since players can be six or sixty yards away. As for the push-pull zoom. I find it very intuitive for football. More than a few times I've been able to smoothly follow a play coming towards me while quickly pulling in the zoom to keep the player in the frame. Baseball has been similar although I have to be careful shooting through the fence. The autofocus is plenty fast if I do my job. It's certainly heavier than my shorter lenses but not that bad and I've grown addicted to the extra reach for other kids sports and wildlife. Certainly worth the money for sports photography amateur like myself. 6 month update: I've now got half a season of baseball finished and can highly recommend this lens for that too. The extra reach allows me to shoot in from behind left and right field as well as from behind the outfield fence. The shots are crisp and the focus is fast enough if I do my job. Probably my favorite sports lens now because it works from behind home plate as well as from the farthest reach of the outfield. +5 Arrived in perfect condition. +5 Product act advertised (and in original packaging with instructions.). +5 A must have lens! +5 I have had this lens for 3 years now and assure you that, for the price, you cannot find ANY better lens. It takes better portraits than my 70-200 L(uxury) 2.8 lens - a lens that cost 4 times more. I tested it on both APSC and full frame cameras. Enough said! +5 Good +5 We've rented this lens before from lensrentals.com to ensure it would be a good fit. I'm happy with the copy that we received; we have no issues to report. The lens does ship with its own Canon beige double-zipper carrying case and strap (and lens hood). +5 My only previous lens was the 35L prime so this is my first experience with a telephoto lens. I bought it with the expectation of shooting animals, airshows and kids at play. So far I've had a chance to try it out on the kids and pets out in the backyard and it's exactly what I hoped for!! With the prime lens I'm accustomed to my feet being the zoom so it's nice to be able to extend the reach with the lens. I guess I'm so use to the range of the 35mm lens and it's minimum focus distance it took me a while (and I might not be comfortable yet) to account for how far away you need to stand from your subject to get the lens to focus. This is not an intimate lens, you need to put some serious distance between you and your subject. I have a 40D body so the crop factor adds to the distance you need. I'm not complaining since I'm planning on using this for long range shots but a few times I found myself wanting to switch to action closer to me (<15') and the lens didn't work for that, much to close. The only issue for me to tackle is transporting this lens/body together or separate. The lens is actually shorter than I anticipated given it goes out to 400mm but the push/pull zoom really keeps the overall length down. With that being said it still is too big for any of my previous camera bags. I'm going to have to transport the body/lens detached and possibly in separate bags. Not a big issue, it'll just require a bigger camera bag. +5 Anyone that says this lens isn't sharp doesn't know how to use autofocus. I have never been disappointed with an L series lens. I have been using Canon equipment since the early 90's and have never had a failure. I have covered to many high school sporting events to count, many in the rain. I shoot in whatever conditions exist when I'm out, there's no such thing as packing it in because the weather isn't good. Canon has always delivered and this lens is no exception. Some have noted that it's heavy. Take into consideration that this lens and the 24-105L are the only lenses I need to carry. The push-pull zoom takes a little getting used to. It used to be much more common than it is today. You need to learn any new piece of equipment, after a day using the controls on this lens became automatic. On overcast days or late evening you may need a monopod but that's true of any long lens. Some people prefer prime lenses. All I can say is try hauling a 100, 150, 300, and 400mm lens around out in the field all day along with your shorter focal lengths. I don't hesitate to recommend this lens and suggest that you save your pennies, sell your guitar, and buy L series lens. They make a huge difference. +5 Looks like Canon has done it again, a quality lens you'll be proud to own and excited to use. I was originally concerned with the weight of this lens, I figured I'd have to haul a monopod around to help hold this monster up for extended periods of time. Though to my delight, it's so well balanced that I didn't have any trouble taking it to the zoo for several hours on a shoot. You definately get your moneys worth on this one. I highly recommend this lens! +5 I bought this lens after I received my first gig as a wedding photographer. This thing is tack-sharp, locks focus quickly and quietly, and the bokeh is incredible! Highly recommended. +5 A prize addition to my lens collection. Sharp. Focus is spot on. And such great bokeh. Portraits are exceptional. And good for other shooting as well. A good focal length. Came packaged securely. Happy with the lens and with Amazon! +5 I brought this to Puerto Rico. Combined with the perfect weather and colors, it took amazing portraits. It's not the best travel lens because it requires you to step back far from the subject, but it takes beautiful photos. +5 As a studio owner and professional photographer, good glass is very important to me. I shot with this lens for YEARS prior to purchasing the L series 1.2. The L series is huge and heavy compared to this lens. I still have both because I cannot part with my old 1.8. It has served me well. +5 Exactly what I was looking for. Adds to a nice photography lens in my bag. +2 Like another reviewer's, my experience has been mixed. I use this remote with the D50. Sometimes the remote works, then it goes on strike. Then suddenly it works again. Same distance and angle from the camera. I changed the battery - same result. I hardly use it anymore because it is so unreliable. +4 I had this for about a year. It's great compliment to my D70s. I use for low shutter speed to reduce camera shake and group picture to to include myself. Only thing negative about this remote is that it won't do a fucusing for you. you have to press shutter lightly to focus before you use the remote. +5 This inexpensive infrared remote controller is a must have because you never know what situations you want to shoot a picture of. It's so small, you better immediately attach it to your Nikon strap so that it cannot get lost! Also, it's so easy to use: make sure the camera settings are right, set the camera to fully remote, slightly press the shutter button till you hear a beep (to ignite the remote) and then you can use the remote by pressing the button on the remote to shoot. It's a marvel of technology making the life of a photographer more convenient and allowing more sharp pictures without blur. +4 Only bad thing. There is no sensor on the back of my camera. So you do have to reach around towards the front for it to work. Even so, its the best 20 bucks for camera accessories I've spent. I also like that the little velcro close pouch it comes with can be attached to my camera strap. How convenient is that! +5 A great little piece of electronics, and a mandatory accessory for your D50/D70. No more racing back to beat the timer for a group shot -- and better group shots result as everyone has time to do a proper pose. It's also great for the "bulb" shutter mode -- press once to release the shutter, another time to close it. With this I've taken 30 minute exposures, and left to have a cup of coffee while the camera did its business. But I am totally amazed that the remote survived a trip in my pants through my washer and dryer. I don't think that two Lincolns and a Hamilton is too much for the convenience that this gadget provides, especially if you've already laid down $1000+ on a camera and lenses. +5 I purchased this remote mainly for taking low light photographs from a tripod without inducing any camera shake. [+] It was more convenient for me than setting the timer, for the extended exposures where I didn't want to have to touch the camera to reset it back to timer mode. [-] But at the same time there was definitely a number of times where I pressed that little remote button and nothing happened. It could have been a number of things, but it was frustrating none the less. [-/+] I purchased this product in a store (authorised Nikon Retailer) and it DID NOT come with any sort of instructions. It came with a very handy little strap pouch to safely store the remote close at hand, but there were no instructions what so ever. This has to have been a Nikon decision (a bizarre one at that) but at the same time, there is only 1 button, and your camera's instruction manual will tell you as much as you need to know about wireless/remote releases. I do still continue to use the remote but I can't definitively say that I would purchase it again, or recommend it to someone else. For me, it's a matter of convenience for those types of shots that I purchased it for. It would just be super helpful if the camera (D70s) and the remote didn't have communication issues. +5 If I had only one prime, this would be it. I had the equivalent in the FD mount decades ago and it is a stellar lens. I shoot a lot of musicians in dark environments and this is the best choice for me. I typically shoot at 2.2 and ISO6400 on the 5D3 and get excellent results. I prefer it over my 135MM f2. If there is a bit more light I will go with the 70-200 f2.8 but this is just such a light weight inconspicuous lens that it is always my first choice. Add in the new 35mm f2IS and you are totally covered for low light. AF is fast and spot on, but I do use MF much of the time. This is a great value! Forget the 1.2L. This has faster AF, is half the weight and size and costs one quarter the price. Excellent is every way and the price just seems to keep going down. Grab one today! +5 Really fast lens, perfect for portraits. Overall a must have lens! +3 its okay +5 I've been drooling so long for this lens's big brother, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L. After considering countless written reviews, comparisons and videos in YouTube, I decided to buy the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 Ultrasonic for a fraction of the price of the bigger and better lens. Just arrived a couple of days ago. Well packaged and immobilized inside a sturdy cardboard box used by Amazon for shipping and delivery. Its a question of money and timing. I know I'm going to upgrade my Canon EOS 6D body during later this year for either a new 6D Mark II (coming soon) or a 5D Mark IV. So by purchasing the f/1.8 I keep within my planned budget and can start to enjoy this lens. Another consideration is that I'm not a pro. I'm not making a living with my cameras. I've been a serious enthusiast photographer for over 4 decades which means I don't make but spend good money in photography gear within realistic limitations and great personal gratification. The consensus among photographers is that the smaller Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is a good to excellent prime lens and a very good value for the price. Having the lens in my hand I can say this is a very decent prime glass, well built (not an "L" level), responsive, small and light. My preliminary evaluation is that the copy of the lens I received is focusing right and quick with my 6D. Its giving me crisp images with nice bokeh at f/2. So far so good. There are a number of other brands making good primes and maybe better lenses in this focal length. I'm giving this lens 5 stars not because it is the "best" 85mm. But for the high level of quality and the low price, Canon is giving us the option to buy a good solid lens with nice autofocus, crisp images and very good bokeh. I agree with the opinion that the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 Ultrasonic lens is one of the best values around so I gave it the 5th star. This doesn't mean that I'm not going to keep drooling for the bigger, heavier, brighter and special bokeh of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II prime lens. Also the rumor is that later this year Canon is going to release a new EF85mm f/1.4 L IS lens. :-) +5 Beautiful lens. However if you are looking for a portrait lens, stick to a 35mm. This fit my Canon Rebel T2i. Very sturdy and wonderful lens! Packaging was very good as well! +4 Takes beautiful pictures, focuses fast, and seems sharp! A great lightweight portrait lens for cheap. The main problem with the lens, at least my copy, is purple and green fringing. I've had quite a few good shots ruined because at 1.8, in a high contrast shots, the purple lines were thick enough to be a big problem even after trying my best to correct them in Lightroom and Photoshop (I'm especially annoyed when I need to spend ten minutes doing this in Photoshop because Lightroom doesn't cut it). Maybe those shots are okay for social media, but certainly not for a professional print. Anywa, if you stop it down to 2.8 or so this doesn't seem to happen, but unfortunately it makes me shoot this at 2.8 a lot, and then I don't get to take advantage of the beautiful backgrounds when shot at 1.8. +4 very nice lense +5 Thanks +5 Amazing lens!! Beautiful bokeh! +5 This has proved to be my standard wildlife lens, great for distances and really small birds. When you can't afford to put 10-12K in a lens, this is the perfect replacement. +4 This lens is awesome. I have had mine for 4 years without any problem with the focusing but this is what i do. Because the lens is heavy it comes with a lens bracket to mount the lens to a tripod or monopod instead of the camera body. I use a mono pod mostly. Yes this makes a lot of difference and the pod acts like a third hand and lets you keep the camera much more steady. You are not going to get really sharp pictures unless you use one especially extended at 400 mm. second is it is an outdoors lens. you can use it inside but your pics are not going to be as good as they could be with daylight even on a cloudy day. 3rd the more manual you can get with this lens the better. the I.S. is fast smooth and quiet but relying on the af when shooting is not ideal because when you push the firing button half way down on the camera the af feature is always adjusting so if you move so will the point of reference with the I.S. and the main focus point will change on you. I like it. It is not for everyone. Large zoom telephoto lenses take a little practice, it is worth the time and effort. The large telephoto non zoom lenses are much easier to use when trying to get a really sharp image.just in case you were thinking about going that way. +3 No product is immune to lemons... Even this lens. After happily using it for 4 months, i got the Err 1 message, which after googling it, it meant faulty IS, i shipped it to Canon and they fixed it for free, i had to wait for 2 weeks though to get it back. Now it feels like the lens is not focusing 30% of the time, not sure if this is a result of canon repair, or my mistake.. I am too scared to send it again.. +5 I was first worried about the reviews I had read about the weight of this lens vs the 70-200 L, so I went to a store and checked it out. There is no problem with it in my opinion. It's not that heavy to me, and the range is fantastic. I love it. It's really sharp as well, and with my 5D2 low light capability , the F4-5.6 is no problem, and the image stabilization works great as well. Great product. +5 If you haven't shot with Canon "L" series glass, you will (quite literally) gasp when you look at the quality of your images for the first time. This lens is that good. I bought this lens to photograph birds primarily. To say I've been extremely happy would be an understatement. The IS component of this lens will astound you. I've also used this lens handheld at air shows as well and quite frankly, when I get home to look at my photos I'm nothing short of astonished at how well image stabilization works. Note, however, that most of my work is done on a tripod to photograph our beautiful feathered friends. If you'd like to see what I'm talking about you can visit my site in my profile or just Google "Christopher Tippins" and see for yourself how the lens performs. All of my recent bird photography and air show photography has been shot exclusively with this lens (see "New Photos"). Also note that you will further be impressed to the nines when you are shooting at the short end of the focal length of this lens (about 6 or 7 feet, give or take). I've shot dragon flies, flowers and various other subjects and the detail is nothing less than spectacular. You will literally be able to count hairs on the back of insects/dragon flies, etc. I've used it on two bodies - the Canon 60d and a recently acquired Canon 7d. It performs superbly on both as is to be expected. Recently I was doing some shooting at a zoo and pushed the ISO to 1000 on the 7d to get some shots in low light at 1/15 of a second and got some tack sharp images (yes, I've had to run those shots through some noise reduction filters, however). I couldn't believe it. Note that Canon (and many people) recommend shooting with IS turned OFF on a tripod. While your mileage may vary, I find wind at the 400mm end of this lens to be a factor and leaving IS turned on helps considerably. Image quality with this lens wide open is also impressive. Also take note of this: I have a bud who shoots with this lens as well as a Canon 400 prime and I'll be damned if I (we) can see any difference in the quality of the shots. I also recently purchased the Canon 1.4 telephoto extender (older type II) and I'm equally impressed with how well they work together as well, but that's another review. Note that I am of the type of person who is a very harsh (but fair) critic of products in general. If you're the same, you will NOT be disappointed in this lens. +5 Hace tres semanas que tengo este lente, antes tuve un Sigma 50-500mm OS, pero el Canon 100-400 IS L tiene una calidad de imagen, nitidez de colores, definicin de las fotografas muy superior. El rango de alcance es el adecuado para uso semiprofesional, como ser paisajes, safaris, deportes, actividades en movimeinto e incluso macros. Su peso no lo es tanto dada su conformacin y materiales usados, que dan una sensacin de tener un producto realmente bien fabricado y resiste. El sistema push - pull del zoom es fcil de acostumbraste a su uso. Lo ms "difcil" es el uso del anillo que asegura que el zoom no se desplace cuando se tiene el lente en posicin vertical, pero tambin en cosa de tiempo usarlo bien. En sntesis, un lente zoom de excelente calidad en su fabricacin y en la calidad de sus fotos. +5 This item is wonderful to use if there is no one else around and you'd like a photo of yourself. A great product, reasonably priced, and a satisfactory transaction with the seller. +5 I really like this remote. If you have ever fumbled with the timer on your SLR and/or knocked over the tripod, rushing to get into the shot, then this is for you. I have found it very useful for long exposure shots; no camera jitter, just depress the remote! +5 this is a product i had to contact nikon tech support for help on using but once i learned how, it is a breeze. it is an essential part of my gear now, especially when using the telephoto function and when taking family pictures. +5 If your own the 50mm 1.8, the 85mm 1.8 is its big brother/sister. It's a step up. This lens delivers beautiful bokeh and shoots great in low light situations. It's price point is also great. +3 It's just okay. You get what you pay for. I couldn't afford the 85mm 1.2, so I snagged this one thinking it would be fine, but the focus is really soft and theres a lot of chromatic aberration. Not my favorite lens. +5 FAVORITE LENS OF ALL TIME +3 Still trying it out. Not used to operating a lens that I cannot adjust Pictures I have managed to take so far are great, but still it will take some adjusting to +5 Excellent lens, perfect quality, superb delineation and portability, excellent for background blur, would highly recommend. +5 This is a well done lenses which will fit for someone who is not a beginner. Probably, the best use would be on a Full Frame Camera because of the zoom. You will get sharp photos in low light locations. +5 I recently purchased this lens used from Keh.com and I'm in love. It's a great lens for portraits, although some would disagree. I, personally, love it. The pictures that I have attached were taken with a Canon 5D Mark II and this lens. (all at f/1.8) It creates a lovely bokeh. +5 Love it, Very Sharp Images Wide Open Aperture, Bokehlicius. Fastastic, Very Good Condition +5 Love the lens - I already own a 70-200 2.8 which does a good job but this 85mm is just way different. The focal length is awesome on people and models and the 1.8 aperture makes it bokalicious. Even if you have the 70-200 I would still recommend buying it. If you cant afford a 70-200 I would recommend this as alternative option for sure because you will see results fast. Even though this lens is awesome and is super sharp the only problem it has which can be fixed is the purple fringing when there is lots of contrast between dark and light. Other than that its a perfect lens. +2 Been a long time waiting for the opportunity to get this zoom lens based on reviews. It's my first L series lens and once received was horribly disappointed in the results. Based on the number of others who have shared they had excellent sharp results (even hand-held), I must have received a poor quality lens. The build date was Aug 2011 according to the stamp on the lens. Testing from 100m to 400m on and off a tripod, all results were soft or out of focus. My Canon D60 kit lens (18-135mm) produces much sharper images than this professional L series lens. I am returning for refund as I'm a bit leery now of trying for a replacement. I sure hope this isn't the quality of all newer builds with this particular lens. +5 I needed long lens for sport and landscape photography with fast focusing, enough light and not too heavy. This one was the right choice. It's sharp as 70-200/f4 but you have twice range 100-400 and it starts at f4.5 so pretty close to f4. It's true that I'm afraid about dust in pump system (friend of mine had some inside after 2 years) but I checked construction and it looks superb. IS works well in both modes, USM is as fast as in my 50/f1.2 If you need long lens don't be worry and just buy it. It worth each cent... +5 For the past 7 years I've salivated over a few friends' EF 100-400 L IS USMs. I couldn't afford to drop $1600+ on a lens and made do with my 10D and the EF 28-200 USM. A month ago the 10D finally gave up the ghost. I made the decision to get new glass along with a 60D. Originally I purchased the EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM. I thought I would be satisfied "settling" for that lens especially since I'd test driven one a few years ago and it was ok. Needless to say it just couldn't compare to the L series 100-400s I'd used. Everything was coming out too dark and the lens was slow to focus... So after a withdraw from my credit union I ordered the 100-400 L through Amazon(seller was Quality Photo) and received it the following day via UPS. Combined with the 60D it has completely changed the quality of my images. I know its limitations in low light, it is a f4.5-5.6 lens after all. But I bought this lens for outdoor action photography. Namely aviation photography. I work in airfield operations and carry my camera every day at work. You just never know when an interesting or unique aircraft will pop in. The 70-300 was not giving me much more than my 8 year old, 28-200mm USM was, except it had IS. The 100-400 takes everything to a whole new level! Perhaps it's greatest attributes are the tight, fast focus on the primary subject while allowing the background to pleasingly blur out at wider apertures. My other lenses just couldn't stay focused enough on the subject while getting the undesirable background clutter of hangars, construction equipment or ground vehicles to blur out. This lens gets on focus quickly and silently and holds it tight. The biggest "controversial" issue regarding this lens is the push/pull zoom. For me it's more a "re-learning" experience. Having used manual focus, push-pull zooms on my 35mm SLRs for the 30 years prior to getting my first DSLR with auto-focus I had to get used to the twist zoom. It's nothing that an hour of practice won't fix. The added feature of the .locking ring which adjusts the resistance of the zoom is very helpful. If you know you will be zooming out as you pan a shot, set it loose and you can smoothly pull back as your subject gets closer. If your subject is fixed or you won't be changing focal length you can lock it down. Perhaps my favorite feature is the full time focus ring. You don't need to switch AF off to adjust manually if you want to focus on something different in the same frame without changing auto focus points in the camera. This is a great lens for shooting airshows, sporting events, wildlife... Remember that on an APS-C sensor camera like the 60D you are magnifying the focal length by 1.6 so it is effectively a 160-640mm lens. All the better for distant subjects but you're going to lose more field of view up close. Just don't think this is going to be your "all purpose" lens. It's a telephoto zoom, not a Swiss Army knife lens. +5 good +5 I have enjoyed this lens since buying it. It's a good lens for portraits. Good value as compared to the L lense version. +5 One of the best lens ever. Great image quality, not too bulky, super fast focus, great boket. It tends to have some harsh CA, especially with night lights. +4 Nice for portraits +5 I am really happy with this lens +5 The best +4 I first tried out the 50mm 1.8 I was being cheap and bought the generic brand, still had many sales and really good reviews so I took a chance. Wasn't horrible. But it was a time consuming lens. Definitely felt cheap. And AF was basically non existent. Manual focus was VERY touchy. The focus ring wasn't that steady and would giggle and blur the image. And I've heard the exact same for the Canon 50mm 1.8. THIS lens however is a nice solid build. Obviously a difference in price. But I guess you get what you pay for. AF was much quicker and accurate. Get that beautiful bokeh. I took a quick picture of an item on my table and was so happy with the results. Paired it with the recommended polarizer. Tested it on the sky. I definitely suggest spending the extra 60 bucks and getting the good one. I haven't put this to a solid test so for now it gets 4 stars. But I will update in the next few weeks. So far very happy with it +2 Good while it lasted. Autofocus and manual focus stopped working. +5 All. OK. +5 This is an excellent inexpensive fast F/1.8 low light lens which provide very good Bokeh background, it is light weigh, fast, accurate focus, easy manual focus, one best thing I like is the front lens never move in/move out when focusing, it is small and easy to use and very high performance lens. This lens is made in Japan, good quality control. +5 very good +5 Canon's EF 85mm lens is a almost everyday must have lens. I have used it it for shooting my granddaughters VB games. Works quite well under gym lights. I am a hobbyest and I don't know a lot about lenses but I was told by a friend to buy it. Glad I did. The lens is used on my Canon 80D. +5 great value for the moments it captures +5 Make sure your body can handle this lense cause I don't think my CanonT6i can handle this lense I always need to be far away from my subject to take a nice portrait with this camera. So research well about which body camera is compatible with this lense. But even with my body this lense takes amazing portrait with that amzing blurry background and really SHARP in details. But do your research before getting you don't want to be like me and always forgetting that I can't be physical be close to my subject with this body and lense if I want to photograph them. I might need to continue researching the best body to use this lense with cause I do love the lense l for all the decend really in focus and sharp images. Is being creativing. +5 I love this lens. It performs as expected. +5 LOVE this lens!!! Great images, solid. +5 Perfect +5 Simply the easiest portrait lens to use and it has superb quality. Produces a gorgeous blurred out image. +2 This was the first Canon product (camera,lens,extender, etc.) that I was truly disappointed in having. First of all, the "sliding" design of the zoom is a minus. The one I received, when angled down at all, caused it to zoom,(but it slid smoothly!). The quality wasn't there for me, compared to the Sigma 120-400 at $600 less. I tried both lenses at the same time, and ended up sending the Canon back. +2 This lens is anything from being sharp at 400mm and auto focus is not very precise. I bought this lens for a trip to Costa Rica and many photos turned out unusable, and few are OK. To get this lens somewhat OK at 400mm range, you need to shoot at F8 or F11, because F5.6 is just too soft. I have done test with my Canon 70-400 F/4 L lens compared to 100-400mm lens, both shot at far end of zoom, and 70-200f/4 resulted in better sharpness at F4 at the same crop size! I don't need couple stops of stabilization, auto focus works properly, bokeh looks the same, I have flexibility with crop and I saved myself $1200 and my shoulders for carrying heavier lens. Sold my 100-400mm lens on eBay few days ago. I use 5D Mark II, but I believe crop sensor will have similar results. Hope this was helpful. I only wish I would do the same test before I left to Costa Rica. Darn it. ....and just to mention, I did compared this lens to my friends, just to make sure it wasn't a lemon from eBay. +5 This is my first pro lens and it is great for nature shots. The push pull zoom is amazing! I thought it would be weird at first, but it makes sense. This lens should be in everyones collection who loves the outdoors. +5 A must have if you take night shots or shots that require minimum camera movement. It is also invalualbe for those family portraits that in the past excluded you because your were the "photographer". Now, you can include yourself in the portraits!!! It works very reliably!!! I've taken numerous shots with it and it's never failed to fire. I'm completely satisfied and would definitely recommend it for the D70/s & D50 owners... +1 The range, or lack thereof, that you can use this item really makes it a worthless product. You would be better off just setting the timer. Completley worthless. +5 I use this with my Nikon D70S as a trigger when mounted on a tripod and it works great every time. It is especially handy when you want to be in the picture. You can join with the others in the photo shoot and can take many shots without resetting the camara each time. I would suggest using manual focus if you want perfect pictures for group shots. Where this item is almost a necessity, I feel that this inexpensive control should have been shipped free with the original camera kit. Dana D. +5 Not sure why it's listed as Nikon 4730, but this appears to be ML-L3 in Nikon's catalog... As a D70 owner, I found this little device invaluable and would recommend it to anyone. The range is good and works as advertised. It's a bargain that is far more useful than you'd first imagine (camera shake, anyone?) +4 The Nikon ML-L3 remote works as promised. The range is very usable, and it is quite compact. It comes with a case than can attach to your camera's neckstrap. This keeps it close at hand when you need it. +5 This is an excellent, inexpensive, Canon lens providing clean, crisp edged photo results with great, inherent, bokeh. Especially considering it's light weight this lens is a definite asset, replacing by 70-200mm Canon lens for most projects. +5 Finally got it after months of having it on my wish list and I love it! No regrets what so ever +5 This is my favorite lens that I own! +5 This lens is fantastic. It's really sharp and the color is really good. It's really good for portraits. I wish I had gotten this lens a long time ago. +5 My favorite lens. hardly ever leaves my camera. +5 Best lens ever! So worth every dollar! Have not taken it off my camera since. +5 I am not a professional photographer by any means. I take photos for fun, so take this review as just that..... not professional :) I don't have many lenses so I decided to take a leap and try this one based on other good reviews from countless YouTube videos and written reviews here on Amazon. I have had excellent results from this lens. You do have to allow a good bit of distance from your subject in order to fit the frame. This is, in my novice opinion, a fairly wide angle lens. It seems like a great option for portraits and small group shots. The attached photos are just a couple of the ones I took the day I received the lens. The only thing I can say that's remotely negative is the lens is somewhat heavy. If you're looking for lightweight everyday photography I'd stick with the 50mm. If you don't mind the added weight, this is a great lens for thr money. +5 Love it! +5 Bought this lens to use with my Canon T2i. It produces gorgeous portraits. At f1.8, the backgrounds are smooth and blurred. Amazing lens for the price. It's a heavy piece of glass though! +1 After several months of careful research about lenses, I decided that this was the one that I wanted. I have owned it for a few weeks but today was the first day that I actually had the weather to go out and shot some photos. I decided that I wanted to compare Image Quality (IQ) of the 100mm-400mm to the kit 70mm -300mm lens.(no IS and no USM) After finding a suitable subject, I took three images with each lens at 100, 200 and 300 focal length. (Same speed, iso and aperture settings for each lens). I also decided to go shot some Canada Geese but they were not a lively bunch since it is still only 10 F out here. After I arrived at home and opened the images, I placed them side by side. The IQ difference is simply amazing. One would expect a lens with an MSRP of over $2000 to take better pictures than a $200 lens but the difference blew me away. I have a 500D and before purchasing the camera, I had read a review by Ken Rockwell and he stated that the images (at 100%) with the 500D are almost Point and Shot quality. I agreed after seeing my own images at 100%. That is until I took a picture with L glass. No longer are the subjects fuzzy, they now they have real shape!( at 100% image enlargement) I am in the process of uploading the comparison shot so that you can see the difference first hand. I suppose that I need to say that the color improvement is also in line, i.e., it is outstanding! There are some folks that seem to have an issue with the push pull system. It took a while to get used to it. I would guess about 1/320 of a second! It is easy to use the push pull system if you have half a brain and I wish all zoom lenses were like this. The ring mechanism is the only drawback but one I can live with. I have decided that once I find the correct tension, I will use some clear quality tape and place it on the area where the tension ring meets the full time manual zoom adjustment so that it will remain locked at my preferred tension setting. If I ever need to change the setting, I can easily remove the tape. The IS system is also an amazing add on and a must have for a zoom lens. The IS in this lens DOES NOT disappoint. Once you press the shutter button half way, the IS kicks in and the subject in the view finder no longer shakes. Leave your tripod at home The USM is also up to speed and will not disappoint. I decided to keep the IS and USM review short. They both work and once you have them you won't know how you ever lived without them. I could go on about them but EXCELLENT sums it up nicely. I am in love with this lens and will use it for everything! One more thing: The lens is not heavy at 3 pounds and anyone over 150 lbs. should have the strength to carry/cradle this set up no problems. ENJOY the marvelous photos you will take with this wonderful lens. rc -------------------------------------------- UPDATE!!! 04/26/11 I just had to send the lens in for service after less than 2 months of use. I could not get a single sharp image even if the aperture was stopped down. Amazon agreed to take the lens back after Canon takes a look so I sent it in today ($30) and will have to wait a few weeks. I am glad that I buy from Amazon and this makes the this all a bit easier on my end (less worry) but I still do not like having to send something in after hardly using it. Update will follow in about 2-3 weeks. I love this lens but hope that this will take care of it once and for all. There will be no next time! rc _______________________________________________ UPDATE 05/05/2011 Canon repaired the lens. They stated that the lens did not Auto focus properly and they replaced the collars and checked and cleaned it, etc. The lens still does not work the way it did just a few weeks ago. I am now working this out with Amazon and Canon. All I want is for it to function like it did/should. At this point I can't recommend the 100-400. ------------------------------------------------- UPDATE about 1 hour later. Amazon called me back and a new lens is on the way. These guys rock and I am speechless. Customer Service is simply amazing. I have bought and will continue to buy from AMAZON! A new review of the 100-400mm will be up shortly. ___________________________________________________ More update 05/23/2011 Amazon replaced this lens with a new one on May 06,2011. I have had this lens for 2 weeks and she is going back to canon...again. I want to make clear that this is the replacement lens that is going back after 2 weeks not the repaired one. The images are crisp but the IS jumps a lot and even gives error codes. I love this lens even after all this frustration but....you decide if you want it. I had to argue to get free shipping to Canon to repair it. They said just to return it to Amazon and get a new one but I feel like I owe Amazon a favor and that I need to get it fixed first..again. I will have it back in a week and a half. I'll post more info then. ---------------------------------------------------- 05/24-2011 I had enough. After having spending too much time thinking about this lens, I decided to send it back. I will never own another 100-400. I am buying the 70-300L instead. If you have a working copy of the 100-400L, I can understand your love for it. Even now I still wish I could keep it but I can't deal with the "what if" anymore. I absolutely can't recommend this lens. ------------------------------------------------------------- The End! +5 Buy this lens but buy the other one that is available at Amazon and save a lot of money. It is the same lens for $200 cheaper. +5 Canon's EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM is a Great Telephoto Zoom Lens, that can get get you up close to subjects in Sports without have to use a Tripod if you have a steady hand. It has the Image Stabilizer which comes in handy. The f stop is fair unless your looking for a faster f stop, like Canon's EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens, you'll be paying about 5x's as much! +5 It took me a long time to decide if I wanted to spend the money on this Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens but since I decided to go for it I have been having so much fun with this lens. It's great for taking photos of birds, one of my favorite subjects. I've been able to ID birds from photos that were too far away to identify with just our eyes. It's a heavy lens and I have little hands and they are kind of wimpy and weak...but I can handle this lens with just a little mind-over-matter thinking. The weight of it doesn't bother me at all when I'm focused on some elusive bird, or some other wonder of nature, even when I'm not using my monopod or tripod! I still have a lot to learn about this lens but I get some great photos, anyway. +5 You cannot beat the range of this lens, or the features. It goes up to 400mm, and it is STILL SHARP at the 400mm end of the focal range, and it has image stabilizer! Now how cool is that? It's hard to fault this lens. Sure, the push pull is a little strange at first, but it works much better than a regular ring zoom. The price for this type of lens is also amazing. Not quite an all-purpose (that would be the 28-300mm, but it still isn't long enough for shooting birds) but close enough. +5 I shoot with a canon 5d Mark ll and generally carry two lenses. This one and my Canon zoom 24-70 which stays on the camera most of the time. I am an amateur and was not sure what to expect with this 100-400. What I learned is it is powerful and takes great shots at a distance you would never get the same way from close up because the subject does not know you are shooting them, this includes people and wildlife. The first time you shoot either with this you will be hooked. The shots are amazing and only when you look at them later on your computer screen will see the unbelievable detail. The power of the zoom is simply amazing, then when you crop a photo (as large as 30 MB on the 5D) you can really get some amazing detail. If you let a friend shoot with it they just nod in disbelief, much like the same reaction I had when I first used it. The other reviews are correct when they say it is heavy. It is built like a tank and after carrying it around your neck for a half a day you will feel it. It's not hard to use, in AF or MF you will do great with it. Just remember that shooting something far away requires the camera be held very still which means a tripod or supporting it on a wall or sometimes a shoulder of a friend. The lens is versatile also, you can follow a bird in flight and with a little practice get some pretty sharp shots. I have taken some pretty amazing shots of butterflies in flight and coming in for a landing on flowers along trails that were amazing. Dragonflies resting, frogs in grass, squirrels high up in trees, black bears stripping shrubs of berries are shots you can get when owning this lens. This lens will open many doors for any photographer, making all kinds of great shots possible. I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about photography. +4 Got this lens last week and just came back from a shoot with it in Salton Sea and Joshua Tree Park areas. Results are superb! Only negative (besides obvious weight -- will build your muscles!) is the push-pull focus. Maybe I am just not used to it, but I really prefer the ring focus of every other lens I have. That is the only reason for a loss of a star here. +3 After reading all the reviews online I decided to take the plunge and try out this lens. I had just rented the Canon 400mm f/5.6 prime lens, but wanted the flexiblility of a zoom and IS. I found the push pull design not to be a problem at all as is mentioned in forums often. This is a heavy lens, and found my arms getting a little tired after couple hours. The image quality was ok, at 400mm is certianly was not up to the 400 prime lens I had rented. The build date showed this lens to be a 2010 mfg. date, as often mentioned there are good and bad versions. After a short time I decided to return the lens due to the softness at 400mm. I'm sure with time I would have gotten better shots. I give this 3 stars because pictures were good, not great, it was easy to use for short time frames, handheld anyway. Interesting is that on my kit lens and another lens I have purchased crop pictures were much sharper than compared to crops of pictures using this lens, and was big part in my decision to return this lens. +3 Hi everybody, I've been using this lens for a period of 3 years and really loved it. I'm now using a CANON 500mm f/4 IS and a 70-200 f/4 IS, mainly because I needed a longer focal and the extra image quality. Here is my take on this lens. Pros: + Versatility. With this lens on your body, you can do pretty much everything (well, except wide shot..): landscape, wildlife, portrait and even some kind of macro. + Being able to go from 100mm to 400mm on the same lens allow you to get some really unusual shots, like you can work on a typical portrait, and then get a dramatic close-up, thing that you would maybe haven't done if you had to change the lens. + IS. I've never used this lens with a tripod. Even if it's not the best IS ever seen, it is clearly enough considering the amazing ISO performance of our body nowadays. + 77mm, just take the filters from your 10-22 or 17-40 and you're good to go. + With a X1.4 converter and a piece of tape, you can keep the AF working, you'll find more on that on the web. Cons: - Some say that the push/pull zoom system is gathering dust...I've never experienced the problem myself. - Weight. I would have maybe kept this lens if it was half the weight it is. I just can't hike with the 500mm AND the 100-400L. - Image quality is perfectible. This lens is a must have for those who can't afford/don't want a 500mm. It is incredibly versatile and can be used in an amazing number of situations (perfect zoo lens, kayak lens...etc..). Need real world examples ? just check my blog and gallery: [...] Thanks, Emmanuel. +3 This is a good basic product. Nice, sleek and handy. But there are 2 things: 1. Nikon should have supplied with this as a standard accessory with the camera at the same price. 2. A cable release and timer control combination works just as good. A remote shutter release only seems to b a gimmick! Or more like a way of making money for Nikon! Wish, I dint have to pay for it out of my pocket! 3. If at all, we have to pay for a remote control separately, it should have been multi-functional rather just a remote. A simple photometer could be an idea or a socket to hold an extra compact flash... or anything else! 4. I m scared that because its so tiny and not attachable to the camera/camera-bag with any clip-on or strap, I might drop it somewhere. BABS +2 Hello, Nikon's ML-L3 is poorly built and does not preform consistently. You would think one would only have to push the button and the camera would take a picture, but it does not happen that way. With the camera set properly for remote control, the unit makes the camera fire only 50% of the time. It will not work behind the camera (for macro work) that is why Nikon added a cable release on the new D70s. I am told the following remotes will work on the D70. You can find them here at: [...]. I have not tried them myself but have it on reliable information that they preform better than the ML-L3. A person does not have much of a choice when it comes to buying a remote for the D70 and for the life of me I cannot understand why Nikon would sell such a cheap and disappointing piece of junk. When consumers accept such poor quality in workmanship and function it lowers the quality bar one more notch. Thanks, Bill +5 I bought this for a Nikon D70 and it works great. It sould have come with the D70. It doesn't take much room in the camera bag. And it is yet another remote that I can play with. +5 If you buy a Nikon D50 or D70, this is a must have accessory. Costs about the same as a quality old style cable release but has the added feature of NO POSSIBILITY of shaking the camera while in use. Works from in front or from behind the camera and either operates the shutter directly or activates the self timer depending on camera settings. Great buy, flawless product. +5 You can't go wrong with this one, unless you have the money for a nice red ring L lens, then move forward +5 This lens takes beautiful photos! Great bokeh and fast auto focus. I consistently get sharp images with this lens and it's one I go to often for various situations. +5 This lens is the best! I enjoy using it for portraits and long range images. +5 Fantastic clarity, wonderful bokeh, super fast, somewhat heavy but of solid construction....but really, the attached photo says all that you need to know about this lens: there lays mine, having just fallen appx. 70 feet down an uneven rocky hill (minor mountain really). From the sounds of the fall, it hit every rock and tree along the way. Apart from a few superficial scratches on the body, it's perfectly fine. We found the lens cap about 30 feet away, meaning that it did at least half of its tumble without any glass protection. No visible scratches or cracks that would impair usage and it communicated as normal with my camera when I tested it back out. THIS IS A TANK. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. +5 I've used this lens for three portrait jobs in the last three weeks and I am ecstatic about the image quality. Not only are images sharp at f/2.8 or f/3.2, but the quality of the background at these f-stops is phenomenal. This and the Canon 50mm f/1.8 are my go-to lenses. If I only had to pick two lenses, these would be it. +5 Absolutely love this lens! It's definitely my new 'go to' ~ almost all the time! +5 This lens is everything I hoped it would be and more. It is so easy to use, when held properly - easy to use hand held. Even with the 2x extender the ease of focusing manually is dead on (and I have bad eyesight). The clarity is perfect - perfect photos of hawks at 800ft, and the smaller birds at the minimum have very interesting effects in the clarity of subject mixed with out of focus soft leaves. I love the push pull on the zoom - can create some very interesting effects and very smooth to move. I am thrilled - will probably never remove the lens from the camera. I highly recommend this lens - I have been shooting for 55 years - first really good camera at the age of 5. This is the most fun I have had with my camera in ages. It is a bit heavy - I am happy I can sling it around and hand hold it to focus as I hate using a tripod. +4 I'm glad that I order this lens through Amazon as I can return it without any trouble. The lens is very heavy for my family member, for me it's is ok as I put it on monopod. The lens was smooth and easier to handle than my Sigma 170-500 ( I compared at 400mm focal lens for both lenses). I like Sigma designed the ring that I can easily remove when sigma lens was attached to camera. Canon ring (include) can not be removed while lens attached to camera. Images: this lens gave much better image than my sigma 170-500mm (may be because of IS?); however, there is not much different between Canon this pro canon lens vs my 70-300 canon IS lens, or atleast with my eyes. The 100-400mm does have the feeling that it was build for the tank rolls over it (feel like metal lens). I sent it back to Amazon as the images were not much different from Canon 70-300 IS II lens. Try it before at local camera shop before you buy. I gave it **** as it not the best value lens for the money. +5 This is my first L lens I acquired a couple years ago and to this day, it 's still my favorite lens for any outdoor photography. The picture quality out of this lens carries a wow factor. It 's sharp, crisp, and contrasty. There is a slight degradation at 400mm. However, sometimes it could be caused by the haze in the distance. I do think that the fluorite element of this lens produces a very subtle distinction in terms of clarity and contrast. It stands out from my other L lens without such glass element. The push pull zoom mechanism has some mixed blessings. I like the fact that you can zoom in and out very quickly. On the other hand, I am also concern about the wearing on the tiny ball bearings inside the barrel. I have heard that they are easy to come out if you are not careful with the tension ring. The IS feature of this lens is useful but outdated. Most new lenses today have 3 or 4-stop IS already. For such focal length, I think Canon needs to update the IS to push the envelop of the minimum safety shutter speed. And perhaps replace that push-pull zoom mechanism with a regular twisting zoom ring just like everybody else. +4 I purchased this lens in June 2010. Since then, I have taken almost a thousand photos with it. I think the lens is excellent and would not hesitate to buy it again. If you are considering this lens, understand what you're getting into. This is a relatively slow lens (f4.5 on the 100mm end) and it's heavy. If you're carrying/shooting with it all day, it wears you out. The zoom mechanism is push/pull. It's not bad once you get used to it. I currently use this lens on a Rebel XT (1.6x FOVC) which makes it a 160-640mm full-frame equivalent. Also consider the new Canon EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS L if you want more than 200mm but don't need 400mm (and still want L-Glass). +5 I love it. You can't beat this lens for the price. Beautiful pictures! +5 Great. +1 I read such good things about this lens , but I must if got a bad item cause my lens never took sharp pics +5 I've used this for over a year now and it's great lens to have with you <3 +5 I like this lens, does what it should, good dof, fast lens for the money. I would buy this again. +5 I love this one except for the way it changes focal lengths I wish it were more like the 70-200mm L Hope canon can improve on that. One other thing I have to mention is that the sharpness is not as great at 400mm compared to lens from Sony Overall, it is a cannot miss lens +5 I'm not going to write 80 lines like some techy guys do. I'll just shoot from the hip. This is a great zoom lens. It zooms quickly, ready when you are, and tack sharp photos. I'll post a couple of my shots that I recently shot at the Atlanta Zoo. It was a big investment.....but worth it! +5 Perfect for fast, outdoor (or well lit indoor) action photography. Push/Pull zoom is far more practical with fast moving subjects. I read somewhere that IS auto-disables when mounted on a tripod(?), but I can still hear IS functioning while mounted on my monopod. +5 I'm a fairly new photographer that was looking to build a basic collection of professional grade lenses on a budget. I wanted to be able to produce high quality photographs, but since my budget was limited I opted to go with the Canon 7D first, since that was the body I wanted to (eventually) use as a secondary. Next, I needed lenses. I was willing to spend a little bigger on lenses because they tend to have a much greater staying power when it comes to their useful lifespan, and they tend to hold their value quite well over time (when compared to camera bodies). I decided my basic kit should include a fast 50mm prime lens (I went with the EF 50mm f/1.4), a mid-range (lens range, not quality range) lens (EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM), a lens to do wide angle work with (EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM) and a Zoom lens. I selected the EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM for the zoom lens. As a bonus, 3 of these lenses take filters at 77mm, which lets me carry (and buy) fewer filters. With an eye to the long term I planned to use this lens, I wanted to buy in the "L" class of lenses. The only real choices here are the EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM and the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM, both of which are "push/pull" zoom lenses. I didn't understand what that meant until the lens arrived - you literally push the end of the lens out to zoom in, and pull it back to zoom out. It was both odd and cool at first, and after I got used to it, I find it to be very efficient. I opted for the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM. Both lenses have excellent reputations, but the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM offers extra zoom range, and since zoom is the reason I'm buying this lens, that makes the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM stand out. This lens is just a little softer than the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM, but that isn't unexpected. It still produces sharp, beautifully colored images, has a fast, accurate auto focus, and enough zoom to get in nice and close for casual wildlife photography. The IS works well - you'll appreciate it for those high-zoom-panning-bird-in-flight shots. This lens also comes with the hood. It doesn't snap into place the way the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM hood does, but that was new for that lens, so not having it here is forgivable. My advice is that you keep the hood inverted on the lens when the lens is not in use, and that you always use the hood when you are using the lens. The hood reduces and in cases prevents lens flare and provides a bit of protection for the lens itself. Build quality is what I've come to expect of the Canon "L" class - fantastic. A word about the large, white, heavy Canon "L" class lenses. First, they're big and heavy. They're also magnificent. If you have one or more of these lenses you need to accept that the average camera bag is no longer going to be enough. There are good solutions available out there, or you can put something together out of bits and pieces. I also found that the standard camera strap was no longer acceptable. The big lenses also make people curious - you're going to attract attention. +4 The 100-400 covers a lot of ground, so to speak, in focal length. It goes without saying that the optics and image quality are great as this is an L-series lens. Mine is a *little* soft wide open (F5.6 at 400mm) but certainly not to the point where it detracts significantly from the image quality. I hesitate to even mention that because I don't want to imply that the lens has faults at that aperture - but I want to give as accurate a depiction of my lens as possible. Sharpness is phenomenal overall. This lens is ideal for someone who likes to shoot a lot of wildlife as long as you can handle the weight over long periods of time. Handheld shots at 400mm are a breeze as long as you are shooting at a reasonable shutter speed. I have no trouble dropping to 1/100th of a second at 400mm with IS on. If you are thinking you will be at 400mm most of the time you might consider the 400mm F5.6 prime as it is significantly less expensive and lighter (lacking IS though). It's a very popular lens for nature watching as well. I've found this lens to be sharp enough that I can use it for portraits as well and have found other professionals doing the same thing (I recently was looking through a photography magazine and there was an entire model shoot done with the 100-400.) If I am shooting a soccer game, for example, I can easily transition between 400mm for shooting the action at a distance or zooming in on player's faces to capture their expressions during the game and then easily move down to 100-200mm and shoot some quick impromptu portraits of families, kids, etc. If you are just getting into photography and looking for a lens specifically for indoor events like basketball remember that at 400mm you are limited to F5.6 for your max aperture. That being the case, if the lighting is not very good (like most gym lighting) you will need to bump your ISO up quite a bit to keep the shutter speed high enough for crisp action shots. If you are using an older camera you will start to run into the limitations created by your camera's high ISO capability. This isn't a flaw of the lens, just a fact of life and the physics of how aperture works. The alternative is to get the 400mm F2.8 L lens, but a quick look at the price of that will likely change your mind. There are competitors to this lens from Sigma and Tamron - for example the Sigma 50-500mm lens (nicknamed "Bigma" for its size). I can say from experience that the image quality of the Sigma is not in the same league as the Canon. I'd much rather spend the extra $500 and get the Canon. Haven't used the Tamron zooms, so I can't speak to their comparison to the Canon, but I have heard they were getting some good reviews. The last thing I'd say is that if you aren't certain you need the zoom range up to 400mm, I'd strongly consider thinking about getting the 70-200 F2.8 instead. For a mid-range zoom, this lens cannot be beat and having a max aperture of F2.8 throughout the zoom range is great. If I was going to be shooting basketball indoors, for example, I would choose the 70-200 F2.8 over the 100-400 even with the extra reach it provides. Again, this only really applies if you have some reservations about needing that much reach. All in all this lens provides excellent image quality at a very reasonable price when you consider the focal lengths it covers. Some don't care for the zoom mechanism (pull/push) but I find that this allows me to zoom in and out faster and more precisely. +4 I think the first thing that must be said is that this lens takes great pictures. The IS works really well and allows hand-held use, even in relatively dim light, if you are willing to crank up the ISO enough. I have taken some pictures I was very pleased with at about 7pm in the evening by using ISO 800 and, upon occasion, ISO 1600. Otherwise this lens needs either a monopod or, preferably, a tripod. The barrel slides in and out smoothly making it easy to frame your picture and the auto-focus works well. Fast and quiet. I have not had a problem with the AF hunting except in very low light. Except at 400mm the pictures are sharp and clear and, when the lens is fully open, the DOF is nice and slim allowing the subjects of the photo to really stand out. Even at 400mm this lens is much better than my Tamron 200-400 in terms of clarify and, what softness I did find at 400mm, was easily corrected in Photoshop. All in all a very nice lens except that ... 1) This lens is heavy. I know other people have said the same thing, but it did not become clear to me until I tried to use this lens as a "walk-around" lens. After about 30 minutes it started to become a real problem. And, because I was using this lens on an entry level DSLR (the Canon T1i) it felt as though the lens was not secure in the camera mount. The lens is so much heavier than the camera. 2) This lens is long and there is no lens lock switch as on some other zoom lenses. There is a barrel tension adjustment which, I suppose, is supposed to help keep the lens from "creeping", but it did not prevent the lens from extending to its full length when I used it. Since the lens, including the lens hood, is 14" long when extended, I found the lens handing down to my knees if I did not hold the lens when walking. 3) Canon provides a very nice padded lens case, but no case strap. The vendor I bought this from (Canoga Camera) provided a lens strap, but it was thin and without padding so using it became painful after a bit. It might be worth purchasing a padded lens case strap. 4) Obviously, because of the length of this length even when closed, you cannot expect to use the built-in flash without creating unsightly shadows in your picture, but I had no problems using even my small (270EX) Canon SpeedLite. 5) A comment. Some reviewers have warned against using cheap UV filters. I bought a UV filter which I believed to be just fine, but it caused really unsightly blurring in the pictures I took when I viewed them at 40% or more. I initially thought the problem was the lens and could not believe such an expensive lens would take such bad pictures. But after I removed the filter and re-took the pictures I realized that the problem was the filter, not the lens. Be careful if you buy a UV filter to make sure it does not adversely affect your pictures. I use my camera and lenses mostly away from home. I like to hike through the National Parks in the West and that generally means climbing up and down on a regular basis. Given that usually I also carry either a monopod or a tripod, it makes it difficult to use this lens as a "walk-around" lens. I need one hand to hold the lens, another to hold the monopod and a third to help me get up or down some of the hills. So to use this lens I would have to leave it in the case (swinging back and forth as I climb) so that I have at least one hand free, or use a back pack. Either of those means leaving the lens un-mounted and having to then constantly mount and un-mount the lens to take pictures. Given all of this I would recommend this lens if you expect to use it close to home (or car, or camp site) and do not expect to have to do much hiking. Under these circumstances this is a wonderful lens. Otherwise you are going to have to be constantly mounting and un-mounting it to take pictures. Not only is that trouble, but it means you are going to lose a lot of spontaneous shots because you will not be prepared. If, like I, you expect to be climbing or walking in rough areas, I would recommend a smaller lens. I reluctantly returned this lens and expect to replace it with the Canon 70-300 DO. It won't have the reach, and may not have the IQ, but it will be easy to use and I will be ready to use it. +5 I'm very happy with this lens and found it to be a great value. The IQ of this prime lens is pretty good when wide open and as you step down to f2.8 and beyond is very sharp. Color contrast and saturation meet or exceed all my expectations. Focus is fast and true (and quiet). If you're looking for a good prime portrait lens, especially on a budget, I think you will be quite pleased with the EF 85mm f1.8. +5 Perfect for Portraits! Use it to shoot actor's head shots. With this lens you have to stand farther away from subject than you would with a 50mm. Just an FYI if your working in a small studio. Need to stand a good 8-10ft away for a close up shot. +5 Great portrait lense. Highly recond. A must have in any portrait photographer. Item arrived in Canon packaging and was new cond. Happy with this purchase. +5 Worked Beautifully +5 Lens is wonderful should have purchased many years ago, I now understand why people like using prime lenses. Fast focusing. The extras that came with I have not tried out yet. +5 My new favorite portrait lens. The 85mm f/1.8 is well-known for Canon quality, and this (used) example doesn't fall short. Great seller and price. +5 Received and tried it out right away. Wonderful lens for the price. Glad I ordered it!!! +5 Sharp, great shallow depth of field. Love it. +5 Was birthday gift to granddaughter. She says it takes great pictures and is very satisfied. +5 Awesome lens,Compare it to the L version and its about the same Thing Image Quality wise. +4 It's heavy, but overall it performs great. +4 It's a good lens, well worth the cost! +5 What a great lens! It's more than i expected. Scary sharpness on my EOS 6D. Highly recommended! +5 outstanding! the sharpness,color,and clarity is excellent.this lens gives results i call the "wow"factor.dont be fooled by the portrait reputation, because its a general purpose lens as well.ive used it for aerial photography! +4 I do like this lens but it is at times tough to get 'great' pictures out of it. Under the right conditions and good light (fast enough shutter speed) it will take some very nice pictures. I use it on my 5D Mark II and I am pretty happy with it. Part of the reason is because the 5D II is so good at higher ISO! I originally used this on an XSi and in good light it would take good pics but was tough in lower light. It offers great reach and with the 5D II I can use higher ISO's to keep the shutter speeds up. I am happy with the size of this lens for reach that it offers but it sure will get some attention when it is extended out to 400mm with a hood on it! IS works good and so does the focus tracking. Some examples taken with this lens and a 5D II including some birds in flight while focus tracking. Click on 'all sizes' above pic to view large: [...] +5 This is a great lens. It's very big and gets comments almost everywhere. It's heavy, but I try to take it hiking with me as much as possible. You can hook the tripod collar foot over the chest strap on your backpack and let your shoulders and back carry the weight rather than your neck, plus it's closer to the ready position from there. It's one of the best birding lenses out there. The range is perfect and the push-pull zoom allows you to easily catch a moving subject and pull the zoom in to fill the frame. And with the crop factor on my 40D it looks like a 640mm lens from the viewfinder The optics are fantastic. My images with this lens are startlingly sharp, vibrant and full of color. The image stabilization is unbelievable. I hand-hold this lens 99% of the time and my shots are nearly always sharp. Granted I know what I'm doing, but still, the day it arrived I handheld a 1/60 sec shot at 400mm of a t-shirt about 10 feet away. It was so sharp you could see the individual bits of fuzz on each strand of thread. Handheld. +5 Bought this lens a year ago for the Rebel XSi and have taken thousands (yes, thousands) of pictures with it. I use it hand-held, to take nature pictures and of "events" such as parades, baseball games and historical re-enactments. The lens is fast enough to freeze action on the sports field, catch flames shooting from a cannon's mouth and gives me enough detail to crop a picture of a bird at the top of a tree to allow me to easily identify and print a good picture of the bird. A potential buyer should be aware of the 1.6 crop factor with some of the Canons such as the Rebel 450d (XSi). The 100-400mm lens becomes a 160-640mm lens as far as field of view in concerned - the magnification is still 100-400mm. I recommend this lens without hesitation for any type of long range photography needs. +3 It was an expensive purchase and I thought Canon optics should be superior. Wrong. I have had a mediocre experience with it thus far. Maybe some of the problems are operator error, but not that often. Even when I use a tripod the pictures are less than stellar. The autofocus and IS combination may be part of the problem... not sure. Seems when everything seems in focus through the view finder, the internal stabilization activates with pressure on the shutter button and the resulting picture is out of focus. If I use the IS and manual focus I get a 'little better' results but only when I partially depress the shutter button to activate the IS and then refocus. This is all coupled with the Canon XTi camera. With this camera and the EFS 18-55mm kit lens, the pictures are always well within my standards for sharpness and clarity. The 'out of focus' issue is a perplexing problem. It happens at all focal distances, day and night. Other than that the lens seems to be built to the highest of standards, it is very heavy and one needs to use a mono-pod or tripod. Hand held pictures return sporadic results, at best. Low light conditions are tough but doable with persistence. +4 I have had this lens a couple of weeks. I have nothing to compare it to;however so far I am very pleased with the Canon EF 100 - 400 lens. It seems to be easy to use. I have experimented with taking a photo on my tripod set at 400 mm and a photo hand held set at 400 mm. I am pleased as to how well the Stabilizer works. Both photos came out clear. Even being hand held. It works well to get those bird shots on the wing. +5 Bought this lens to take on safari and to use with sports. Works great for both. I especially appreciate it's ability to cover the complete range of 100 to 400 without a lens change. I'm sure primes may be sharper at a given focal length, but we weren't in a position to buy or carry that many prime lenses. But this lens. +5 I upgraded to this I series lens from a Tamron 200-500 telephoto lens and I am very happy that I did. The image quality is noticeably clearer especially at 800mm. (I'm using a Canon 2x extender). It's heavy but you'll be using a tripod anyway. Hey, it's a Canon! +5 This lens is excellent. Fast delivery! +5 Best lens I have used, hands down. Used for 99% of my photo sessions. Clear, sharp with beautiful shallow depth of field. +5 My favorite lens, next to my 50 mm canon lens. Much lighter and less cumbersome than carrying around a zoom, and probably clearer too. Most of the time, walking closer or further away compensates beautifully for not having a zoom lens. +5 Awesome lens!!! +5 Using this 85 with the MC-11 on my A6300. I am still learning to use the combination of this lens, my camera, and the MC-11 but just wanted to say that it works with some caveats and it is capable of producing some very nice and sharp images in my experience with it so far. The lens is made up primarily of plastic but it feels well built and sturdy enough to get banged around in a camera bag. The focus ring isn't great but it works. It is a little stiff and grimy but with some use you get used to it. I don't want to go over the image quality too much as I'm still learning to use it with the mount converter and the A6300, both of which it was never supported to work with. From my experience so far, the chromatic aberration can be pretty bad at the wide apertures although with some work in lightroom this is easily fixed. Stopping down does improve this but it does seem to be a common and constant problem with this lens. The contrast and colors so far have been decent to good but I'm not sure if that is only the lens or the compatibility issues with the MC-11 and my camera. Other than that the images are pretty absurdly sharp in the center and in the corners even wide open. I can't recommend this lens for the MC-11 and the A6300 despite all of its good qualities. I know this is a great lens for the system it was designed for and for that and what I have seen I can easily give this 5 stars, however I recommend that if you're planning to use this with the MC-11 and a Sony E-Mount, you find a way to try this combination before you buy it. I like it and I'm going to keep it but I recommend really exploring your options and your budget before jumping into the MC-11 or any lens adapter and this lens. I'll update this review as I have more time and experience with this lens with the MC-11 and the A6300 and I will answer any questions I am able to. I bought this in a bundle from Amazon but wanted to share my review here as well considering the price was the same($350). +3 All the reviews said this lens produces near L quality and it's a great portrait lens. To me, the main value is its size and weight, but image quality is nowhere near the 70 200 F/2.8 or F/4 and it's not even as good as the $150 40mm pancake lens. Maybe it's low contrast or some feature I can't explain, but the images at all apertures seemed pretty lifeless...no pop at all. As for focus, it's quick, but I had plenty of misses. A chain linked fence confused it but didn't confuse the 70-200 F/2.8 at all. think if you're on a cropped body, you'd be better off with a 50mm to achieve near 85mm. However, for full frame, this is really the only option that focuses quickly that weighs less than a boat anchor. +5 Up to now all of my lenses have been 100mm and below, since I take a lot of photos of scenery, macros and portraits. More recently I've wanted a bit of reach and this lense really does the job well. I read many reviews describing how it takes a bit to get used to the zooming mechanism and they were right it does take a bit of work, however once you get it adjusted to a comfortable tightness it works really well and makes it easy (especially on a tripod) to take pictures of any action. The pictures I took of my daughter's soccer game were crisp and had great contrast. I'm very happy that I finally took the plunge. I would recommend that this lens be used on either a tripod or monopod if it is going to be used for an extended period, though hand held shots came out nicely as well with the IS. -- UPDATE 12/28/2009 -- I just came back from a trip to Costa Rica and although it was a heavy lens to carry around, it was just what I needed for a trip like this. I used it on a 5D II hand-held for most of the trip and it performed very well. I was able to capture photos/videos of sloths, monkeys and more. The focus speed was sufficient for what I was doing and the IS definitely helped capture the shot when I couldn't use a tripod (most of the time). I did find as was mentioned previously that the Canon 1.4x extender does not work to auto-focus the camera with this lens. I can still say after this trip that this lens was: Just what I needed! +5 This is a great piece of glass. It was just too Big and slow for me. If you have good bright light And really need the reach this lens will make some really great shots. I loved the IS, But for me it was just a little slow and a bit cumbersome. I opted to return it and get the EF70-200 f 2.8L. No Bad words about this lens, it just fits in a niche that isn't for me. +4 I was surprised how heavy it was when I received the package from UPS. I wanted a long zoom lens, and this one is over 3 lbs - Heavy and Bulky. I have a monopod, but this lens is killing both of my wrists and my shoulders. I used it for couple times, then packed it away...However, absolutely amazing photos. +5 Great photos, fast focus, a little heavy... I use the lens for action photography, and I love it. I get the long shots I want with fast focus and sharp results. I use a mono-pod, so the weight is only a minor issue. +5 For the cost this is great value for money. Amazon shipping was also very good . all in all Recommended!!! +5 Great Price so I snatched it up. Mini DV's can be expensive so to get 10 for 25.00 was well worth it. I have used these tapes before and got good picture quality so I have no complaints at all. +5 This is becoming my favorite lens. I've got a 70-200 2.8 IS that used to be my primary portrait lens. This replaced it! I shoot this lens around 2.8 still but it is still fairly sharp even wide open. I do feel this lens is quite a bit sharper than my 70-200 though. My only gripe with this lens is the Chromatic abberation. There is A LOT, but this is easily correctable in photoshop and even the bigger more expensive 85 f1.2 L suffers from quite a bit. I honestly can't justify the price difference between the L version and this. Side-by-side the L version has slightly better bokeh and a larger aperture, but not almost 5 times the price better! The 50mm 1.4 is often compared to this lens. Imho, the 50mm 1.4 isn't a bad lens but the build quality of the 85mm 1.8, while they look the same, is far more solid. The 50mm 1.4 suffers from focus inconsistencies and is prone to damage (poor internal design). Autofocus on the 85mm is also far more consistent. Shooting the 50mm 1.4 wide open is useless, it is very soft until about 2.2. The 50mm 1.2L or a Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART is worth the upgrade cost over the 50mm 1.4. Overall this is a great portrait lens for the money and competes head to head with the bigger more expensive 85mm 1.2L. +5 I am still new to using this lens but very happy with it. +5 Amazing bokah, amazing lens just takes getting used to being at 85mm. +5 - relatively cheap lens considering its image quality - buttery smooth background bokeh - love using this for portrait shots and outdoor group photos - quick focusing by the USM - wish it came with a hood +5 This is a great lens I just need to figure out how to use it. I bought it for a wedding so I would have the zoom I wanted with a fast, clean lens. The distance is great. Just know that if you aren't really strong with lighting pictures could be soft. Lots to learn. +5 Great, sharp lens. I have a crop sensor & it works great. +5 Great lens. +5 Another well built Canon Lens! I love the weight to it! Shoots beautiful pictures! +5 I replaced my 50mm 1.8 for this and I LOVE this lens so much more than any other lens I have owned. The 85mm from canon is very good. No need for the L unless you want that super duper low light performance, but this is good enough for me and I'm a pro, shooting for 34 years. All of my other lenses are L lenses, but the 85mm 1.8 is working well, autofocus is amazing, and it's better built than my 50mm 1.8. The bokeh is amazing. Very compressed and ridiculous color. Love this lens soooo much. **** Also, some lenses need to be calibrated on your camera. Don't be fooled if you're having autofocus issues. You can micro adjust the lens. ***** You guys, please read up on lens calibration. Don't return your lenses. You can go through 3 lenses back to back that need autofocus micro adjustment. +5 I've gotta say I love this lens. We have one very specific reason we use it, so I don't use it often, but when we do it's great. We use it (video production) for low light situations when we need to get a little zoomed in but it's too dark for a zoom lens. That f/1.8 comes in handy. +5 Love this lens. its super crispt and fast. fast auto focus and quiet too. i use it for photographing bands and musicians where flash is not aloud. this lens teamed up with a 5d mkiii is a work hours. even give my 24-70 a tun for the money when it comes to image quality. +5 I've nicknamed my 100-400mm lens "the Great White", and I've put it to the test in safaris in Africa, looking for tigers in India, and shooting professional soccer in Chicago, and this lens has held up remarkably well. The push-pull zoom for this lens is a little weird to get used to, but it's now second nature. The IS feature features two modes, one for panning and one for static objects. For me, it helps with "shaky hands" because of the weight of this lens. In fact, if you're going to be shooting an event with this, get a support (monopod, bean bag, your kid's head, etc) for it. This lens is a light hog and not that fast compared to the speedier prime lenses. When I shoot soccer games, I notice the pros with 300 f/2.8 or better lenses. Well, since I'm not a pro nor do I make any money from my photos, I have to make the best of what I can afford, and this is it. Even when shooting a friend's kid's ice skating event, I was able to take awesome images in the relative dark with a fast shutter speed and higher ISO without issues. I had the 70-300mm lens before and I thought it was awesome until I borrowed a friend's 100-400. The difference in the quality of the images is just breathtaking. Like a previous reviewer, I screwed up by not investing in this lens earlier. It's a workhorse that has traveled with me everywhere. Sure, it's heavy, but it's an amazing piece of hardware that needs to be part of every serious photographer's arsenal of lenses. +5 I picked up this lens from my local camera shop last week, and wish I would have picked it up sooner. I just love being able to zoom in on wildlife without scaring them off. The pictures are sharp and clear. A few things that you should know about this lens. First, it's heavy. I've used the neck strap a few times, however I end up carrying the camera in my hands. I've taken to putting the lens and camera on a monopod and throwing that over my shoulder. Much easier to carry, and the monopod helps get those sharp photos. Second, you need good light, especially at the longer focal lengths. On a sunny day this isn't a problem, but when the clouds come out, you either need to raise the ISO or dial down the shutter speed. It's not a problem with the lens, just something to be aware of. Put the camera on a tripod and it's a non issue. Last, do your homework before you buy this lens. I spend months reading reviews about this lens, the Sigma 150-500, and the Canon 70-200 with a 2x converter, and looking at photos taken with these lenses. After going back and forth for a couple of months, I stepped back to determine what was important to me. I knew that I would not be happy with anything other than the sharpest image that I could find. In the end, I'm extremely happy with the purchase, and my only regret is not getting this sooner. +5 It can take good and sharp image but the lens is heavy. However, I still give this lens 5 stars! +5 I am an enthusiast shooting on Canon 40D and 5D. Pro: 1. Surprisingly hand-heldable, considering the weight. IS helps a GREAT DEAL. 2. Zoom is extremely smooth, way better than the twist and zoom on my Sigma 170-500. And it doesn't creek! (amazing engineering. In comparison, my old Tamron 18-250 and Sigma 170-500 immediately extend to the full length with a loud thunk when pointing downwards, while my new 18-270 is so tight it's hard to zoom in and out). This is my first push-pull zoom and there is no learning curve at all. I love it! 3. No issue with so called dust pump problem - actually the Sigma and the much smaller Tamron 18-250 suck in more air than this one - you can easily tell by put you hand at the back of the lens and zoom back the lens and feel the air flow for yourself. 4. The lens balances extremely well on 40D and 5D without grip. The Sigma feels significally top heavy in comparison. 5. The color and contrast is L lens at its best, thanks to its quality glasses. 6. The length is quite managable actually, but a very thick lens nevertheless. The Sigma 170-500 is quite slim in comparison. 7. The AF is very responsible and assuring, even in modest indoor light (blinders partially closed). There is no comparison between the Canon L ring type USM and the regular Sigma AF. 8. IS works SEAMLESSLY. No noise, no ify in-between states. It works its magic without my awareness. Tamron and cheaper Canon like 70-300 announce their IS effects in distinctive and sometimes unnerving noises. 9. Background blur is milky smooth if you give enough distance between your subject and the background. My 70-200/F4L has a much more nervous blur in comparison. 10. Very LOW CA (color fringe, purple ring etc) at the long end. This is another nice surprise to me since I've heard many saying otherwise about this lens. 11. Everything about this lens is top quality, hood, collar, fit and finish. Neutral: 1. Not the sharpest lens when pixel peeks, especially wide open. But the wide open shots are way more than 'acceptable' to me as an enthusiast. Here I am talking about hand held shots. I am sure the sharpness will improve on a tripod. 2. This is a very fat lens, white, not light weight, not fast, not cheap, no surprise. Putting this in perspective, this is a rather "cheap" and light weight tele comparing to the other fast tele primes/zooms. I tried out the Bigma in a Tokyo store several years ago and I didn't like the feel of it, the zoom, balance, IQ - didn't use it on tripod at the time. Con: None so far. Bottom line: A very hand-heldable tele zoom with great overall IQ. This is perhaps in the same vein as the Canon 70-200/F4L, 24-105L and 17-40L, relatively affordable with all the L lens advantages with great convenience and assured consistent IQ (AF speed and accuracy, weight balance in hand, mechanical quality all contributes to the end results of course) But they are certainly not the fastest or the sharpest lens on the market. But add convenience to the equation, these are certainly at the top of the game. +5 This was my first Canon "L" glass that I purchased and I'm extremely delighted with it's versatility and sharpness. So far, it's just as sharp as my Canon 16-35 f/2.8L and my images are crisp and full of contrast/color. Although it's not as fast as some of the other "L" lenses (300 f/2.8L or 70-200 f/2.8L), this lens does very well. We visited Baltimore on back-to-back weekends (Zoo & Aquarium Dolphin show)and every photo (handheld) was sharp, sharp, sharp!!! Indoors, I cranked up the ISO to around 800 and there are a few photos where I could actually see the water beads on the dolphins skin!!! Outside, it's great around ISO of 100-200. I would definitely recommend this lens to anyone & mine stays in my bag 100% of the time!!!! +5 I read 100's of reviews on the Canon EF 100-400mm IS USM zoom lens before taking the plunge. Most reviews were glowing, and from reviewers who advised "just do it". But there were also some from people who had a "less than expected" experience. I really needed the variable reach and at least 400mm of it at times, and also really needed fast and accurate AF for sports, so this seemed like the one to try. I've now logged over 3000 shots, and only wound up with about 20 that weren't properly focused (most of these were my fault since I was using ONE SHOT focusing mode on my camera). I now have to say - absolutely amazing results. When I got the lens, I played around with the Canon 50D lens micro focusing adjustment for an entire evening in low light, and with the LCD moire test pattern approach, and couldn't find a better setting than the default "+/- 0" for BOTH 100mm & 400mm zoom points. Then, on the soccer field, this lens blew me away with its clarity. And while I know that several people have complained about its bokeh, I couldn't disagree more - what I got was beautiful. Background spectators, coaches, tree's, and sky were all very nicely blurred - no artifacts and nothing strange at all, and this made each image subject stand out brilliantly. I shot sunshine one day, and pouring rain the next. Both gave me excellent results. I shot ISO400, F8 (bright day) and ISO500, F7.1 (overcast) on a monopod with the focus range limited on the lens to 6.5m and IS mode 2 (allows for panning). Based on all of the reviews, and my own experimenting between F5.6 and F8 indoors, I opted to shoot at F8 or F7.1 to extend the DOF a bit, and get the crispest images possible. I used ONE SHOT AF with center focus set on the camera. The results were fast, accurate, and as I said - left me with amazing images that were tack sharp. The Canon 50D also does a great job outdoors with ISO400 & 500, so no real sacrifice there to shoot stopped down a bit. Push-pull zoom? I wondered about this too from all the negative press in some of the reviews. I found the push-pull action (with adjustable friction) to be PERFECT for shooting on a pod. One other advantage point not made by others, that I discovered in the pouring rain - when you're outfitted with a rain bonnet over the lens and camera, it's trivial to push-pull the zoom in and out with your wet "free" hand with the camera and lens completely protected. This would NEVER have worked with a rotating zoom ring on the lens, as I was constantly going from 100mm to 400mm and all points in between as the action moved around quickly on the field. I would like to try the 1.4 extender with this lens and birds/wildlife, but think it would be a waste of time for sports, with baseball being the possible exception, since you lose AF capability with this lens. That would never have worked for me shooting soccer. As an experiment, I was also able to shoot about half a soccer game hand held, without the monopod, using IS mode 1 in bright sun, and got VERY good results as well, but did notice the camera/lens weight after a while. Fatigued arms tend to shake more, and controlled breathing won't help this, so I'd recommend a monopod or tripod for extended shooting. The lens mount for this leaves a very nicely balanced set-up that isn't always trying to fall forwards or backwards on your mount. In closing, I have to second everyone else who's written "just do it, you won't be sorry" on this lens. And if you are sorry, you've probably gotten a bad copy and I'd recommend returning it or sending it in to Canon for a tune-up. This lens CAN really deliver - I now have lots of proof. One other thing - I have been watching the rumor mill for Canon to release its F4 update version of this lens. Like others, I figured as soon as I bought the F4.5-5.6, they'd announce the new one a day later. Couple of points on that - (1) you might still be sitting, waiting, this time next year, and have missed some great shots, (2) if Canon rolls out a fixed F4, you KNOW it's going to cost a lot more, and (3) I believe Canon has steadily and quietly been making improvements to their 100mm-400mm all along; you can see a lot more "recent buyers" really, really happy with the copy they got, and older versions (especially those bought used) as the ones people complain most about. Now I can't wait for the rain to stop so I can go hunting some birds...Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras +5 It's well built, but doesn't quite feel like L quality and doesn't have weather sealing or IS. But I've seen a few L lenses that barely deserved that red ring. It's fast, sturdy, focuses just fine and has very good image quality even at 1.8. I've read that the 85 1.2 is quite soft wide-open, so unless you really need a tank with the DOF of an eyelash and considering that you *may* need to stop down to 1.8 anyhow to get sharp images with the 1.2, this is a steal and a no brainer for a lot of people. It really is the best bang for the buck in prime portrait lenses. It has some vignetting and purple fringing, especially on FF, but that's all trivial to fix in post and automatic if you shoot jpg (which I don't) on a newer camera. The snap on hood is really my single, tiny complaint. With the money you'd save over the 1.2 you could go buy a 70-200f4 IS or the older 2.8 version and have all your portrait folcal lenths covered. +5 Excellent portrait lens. This is in the top two of my lenses that I use regularly. Well worth the cost for such an exceptional lens. +5 This has become my wife's favorite lens. beautiful contrast and bokeh. +5 Everything just the way I wanted it. Can't wait to see what this bad boy can do!!! +5 I love this thing, wish I had bought it long ago. Great in low light and portraits. +1 Tested the lens immediately after receiving it, and every shot I took was completely blury. +5 This is such a gorgeous lens. It takes terrific portraits and allows you to stand back and capture "Moments" Great quality glass. Beautiful pictures! +5 Probably the best portrait-oriented lens in its' price range. Sharp enough wide open compared to other lenses below $600. Focusing speeds are surprisingly some of the best I've ever seen which is a welcome improvement to the comparatively sluggish performance of other lenses like the 50mm f1.8 STM and 18-55mm kit lens. My only gripe with it is that the lens hood for it is flimsy and almost completely worthless due to a ridiculously flimsy bayonet mount on the front of the lens. Additionally. pink chromatic aberrations are among some of the WORST I've seen in any modern autofocus lens, it's seriously appalling how badly this is controlled when compared to lens that cost a third of this. Still, this is something that is pretty easily removed in post processing so it's hard for me shave a star off the score simply because of that. +4 Nice 85mm f1.8 if you take photos for a hobby. Solid build quality, sharp, nice bokeh. +5 Excellent product conditions +5 I have several Canon "L" lenses, but this one beats them all in sharpness. I've taken this lens to the zoo (could be the perfect zoo lens) and even 70-100 ft. away images are tack sharp and bokeh is beautiful. It's true that is not a fast lens with its max aperture of 4.5-5.6 but in sunny conditions you can safely hand-hold and still get great sharpness thanks to the really good IS. In close-ups of the animals even at quite some distance, you can clearly see every strand of hair. It was between this lens and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras since I had budgeted a set amount. I sacrificed in speed and gained in range. The 400mm range is great, especially on a full-frame camera like my 5D. The push-pull zoom design was new to me, but now I actually like it better than zoom rings. It's a lot faster & operates very smoothly, I wish all my zooms were like this. I have not experienced the dust issues some people say you get with push-pull design. It is a touch softer at 400mm than it is at 380mm as another reviewer pointed out, so I just zoom all the way and pull back a notch for perfect sharpness. This lens is money well spent and if it had a faster aperture, I'd keep it on the camera all the time. UPDATE 5/14/10: I have had this lens over a year now and still think it's a fantastic investment. Even a year later I have not experienced the "dust pump" problem some others have stated, and regularly use it outdoors. Looking inside the camera end of the lens, you can see it's solid there, so I don't know how this is happening. Also, I've recently upgraded to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) which still has high IQ even at ISO 1000, so the slow aperture of this lens is less of an issue. It's still not the greatest low-light lens, but it seems camera manufacturers are addressing that problem from another angle. I will say the bokeh is excellent, but not as smooth as the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, so when I'm really going for a buttery out-of-focus background, I turn to that lens. I initially bought the 100-400mm primarily for wildlife, but find myself using it for landscapes/sunrises/sunsets more and more. The color, clarity and contrast are brilliant. One of the best photo gear purchases I've made. +5 Outstanding product very well constructed and easy to use, can't wait to use it this summer. +5 I was torn between three lenses. The 300mm F4, 400mm f/5.6 and the 100-400 F4.5-5.6. I ended up choosing this one and couldn't be happier. There are times when I don't need all 400mm of the lens and being able to pull back to 100mm is a huge advantage. And at 400mm it is still crisp and sharp. The only thing I think the 400mm prime does better is perhaps a bit sharper pictures and better bokeh. The 300mm would probably have been less zoom than I needed. In fact, I frequently find myself wishing for more zoom than even the 400mm can give, you can never have enough focal length! The biggest downside of this lens is the push pull design. I haven't found it that difficult to use. It does seem to gather more dust inside than other lenses, but this has not affected image quality. I don't find the size to be as difficult to deal with as I expected either. Your mileage may vary there, but in the instances where I need this much lens, I always find it very carryable. Overall this is an outstanding zoom lens for the price. +5 This lense has high quality and takes great picture's, it is a little heavy but you can adjust to the weight with a good support strap. I have no problem's with the push -pull telephoto ajustment, you get used to it quickly. The IQ is worth the effort. Highly recomend. +5 Mind boggling bokeh lens!! +5 Best lens for portraits, fast, sharp, nothing to complain about. Wished it came with my camera +5 This is a very good prime lens. It is as described. The price was very good. It arrived on time. +4 Lets in a lot of light! Great blurry backgrounds! Price was great used! However buying a lens hood is a very hard thing for this lens. +5 The quality of this lens is astounding. It takes beautiful pictures! A must add for portrait photographers. +4 Great quality for the price range. I have to agree with others when it comes to crisp clear images and being on par with L series lenses. It's not as fast as my 24-105 though, so when I need a fast lens I go for my L lens. +5 Perfect addition to my portrait lens lineup! +5 So much has been written about this lens (and note 98% rate it 5 stars) that there isn't much left to say. I own the 70-200 f2.8 and because of that this lens does not seem especially heavy to me. The 100-400 is the only zoom lens I use on a regular basis, and it always goes on outings with me. The lens focuses quickly and accurately and produces immensely satisfying colors. I use a monopod when I will be using it close to the 400 range to avoid sway; at that point I do feel the weight. This works very well for me. I use primes 90% of the time and this lens the vast majority of the rest of the time. Great lens for motorsports, horse races, zoo shots, etc. The push-pull takes a little time to adjust to, then is easy and automatic. Love this lens. +5 I've tried this lens on my Canon Digital Rebel XTI a couple of times in my house since I received it for Christmas. It's been too cold and snowy/rainy to try it outside. From the two photos I took (one of my dog and one of a Christmas wreath) it's not hard to see how incredible and sharp the optics are on this lens. I wanted this lense for outdoor photography rather than indoor shots so I can't attest to how it'll work outside just yet. The focusing is fast, relatively quiet and the slide zoom takes no time to get used to. From what I've read from reviews the cons of this lense are the weight and the look. Sure it's a little heavy and it catches a lot of attention due to it being white and fairly long (especially with the lens hood) but you have to expect that with a lens of this quality. Due to the weight, the use of a tripod is definitely recommended but the pics I took handheld prove that a tripod isn't necessary. I love this lens so far and I can't wait to get out and field test it! A++++ +5 I wanted a lens to shoot birds and wildlife. I have the 70-200 f/4 IS but it just wasn't long enough. I did a lot of research and decided to go with the 100-400. I am very pleased with the sharpness and ease of use. I like the push/pull. I don't find it hard to use at all. The IS makes it possible to hand hold at 400mm. While it is heavy I think it's pretty well balanced. I use it with a 40D. I'm glad I bought it. +5 The best non-L lens I have ever used! It can't be beat for the money. +5 The BEST purchase I've ever made by far in my photography career! This lens makes even an amateur look professional! And I'm just that! I love photography and although I have an eye for it and have been taking pictures for several years, I'm by no means a professional....but even I can use this lens and make average pictures come out looking breathtaking! It's all in the lens! High quality. Heavy and heavy-duty! You won't be disappointed. +5 Wow... Definitely becoming my favorite lens. You appreciate the detail when cropping and blowing up a photo. I use it on my SL1. +5 wow! AMAZING lens! Intense DOF!! Wonderful quality for the price!! Pictures are my cat and my daughter in the morning :P +5 I love this lens! It is fast and sharp. Great for portraits. The shallow DOF produces images that people love. The auto focus is also very good. +5 Such a good lens. I used it for an event the same day that I received it and my pictures were killer. Deff a new favorite! A must have. +5 Still my favorite lens, This lens is my go to portrait lens. VERY SHARP +5 As always great product from Amazon and Panasonic. I use these tapes in my Canon XH-A1 and have no problems what so ever! HD video even comes out perfectly! Thanks for a great product and supper fast Prime Shipping! +5 Works great. Thanks! +5 perfect +4 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00007FWP2/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_5 +5 Received my order on time. My order was upgraded which is awesome. Thank you! +5 I can not believe how amazing this lens is! I honestly got back from taking photos with my daughter and was astonished at the crisp images and amazing bokeh . I ended up coming home getting back on amazon and picking up the 50mm 1.4 because of how impressed I was with the 85 mm. I was shooting on my t51 and my t5. I will upload a photo or two of the quality. Came on time and packaged correctly. +4 I already had a canon 100mm f2.8 USM Macro, and needed something a little faster for low light action photography. I'm using it with a Canon 7D Mk ii (big problem), and was surprised when so many of the first images that I shot at f1.8 were so blurry as to be unusable. Through much testing, I discovered that I could get excellent images by manually focusing using Live View magnified (see image). I then tested the lens with my old Canon 7D, and 6D cameras and found that their autofocus was sharp under the same conditions. I then tried the Mk ii Microfocus Adjustment recommended by Canon but found the focus to be so inconsistent as to rule out front or back focusing as the problem. A bit of Googling revealed that this problem with the 7D Mk ii AF with fast lenses has been known for more than a year and that Canon has released two firmware updates (1.0.4 and 1.0.5) that were supposed to address it. I installed 1.0.5 and discovered that it did not help. Still the same fuzzy images at f1.8. Final conclusion is that while this lens may be fine for most cameras, I would not recommend it or any other faster lens (f1.4 etc) for use with the Canon 7D Mk ii. If you have doubts, do a little googling for 7D Mark ii Autofocus problems. Looks like Canon tried to cram too many AF sensors into too small an area. +5 I bought this 85mm lens to use with my Canon 5D Mark III. I should have bought this instead of being seduced by the 24-105 zoom that was offered as a kit lens. The 24-105 is slow at f/4.00, without a lot of light it is not going to make great images. This Canon 85mm f/1.8 has good reach, it's compact, light weight and is fast enough to shoot pictures of musical artists in very bad lighting without a flash. I also use this lens to shoot wildlife at night, I've taken some great pictures of raccoons on the trees in my backyard with only a little bit of light from my back porch light fixture. This lens is a bargain for the features, quality, speed of focus and beautiful pictures. +5 Love this for outdoor portraits! +5 My fave lens in my kit. I prefer it over my 50mm 1.4. Very hard to describe but there's more depth to the portraits taken with this lens. I use a Canon 5D +5 good lens +4 I read that this lens was just as good as the L series counterpart. I do have to say the sharpness is nice! What I do not like about the lens is the focus is touchy, it drops out quick, but you can feel it happening. I would recommend a high shutter speed if your hand holding this lens. +4 Verdict: If you need 100-400mm on a Canon EOS camera, buy it! This is your best bet!! If you need 300mm or 400mm and are on a budget, buy it! If you need a Zoo or air show lens this is it, buy it! You won't be disappointed!! 4-27-2009 I just got back from photographing the World Premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and once again the 100-400 IS L lens was awesome. I ended up mainly using two lenses the Canon 24-70 F/2.8 L zoom and Canon 100-400 IS L zoom lens with most photos taken with the 100-400. When you have only one chance to get Hugh Jackman riding by on his Harley you want to make sure you have reliable quick focusing equipment. Plus a lot of times you just can't get any closer to the action like at a World Movie Premiere, it's times like that when you absolutly need a zoom and the 100-400 IS L is one of the best! [...] 01-03-09 Canon 5D Mark II Update: Canon 100-400 F/4.5 - F/5.6 IS L lens. This is the second most used lens in my 5D Mark II arsenal. This lens was my biggest surprise and is not only tied for second place with the Canon 135mm F/2 for sharpness but is amazingly sharp wide open. It's a monster of clarity at F/7.1 like it never was on my Canon 40D. It also becomes useable on the 5D Mark II in wider shot situations where on the 40D it was only usable as a longer lens. Sporting the longest zoom range of any Canon zoom this lens has to be without doubt the finest Zoo lens ever made. You can frame almost any animal in almost any exhibit perfectly. This is also my lens of choice for taking photos of people at events and aircraft at air shows with the 5D Mark II and is the King of versatility on a full-framed sensor camera. This is my sharpest and clearest zoom lens by a long shot (no pun intended. It's as close to the you are there feeling of the 85mm F/1.2 lI lens as any zoom lens I have. After an extensive battery of tests both hand held and tripod mounted I have come to the following shocking conclusions. The Canon 100-400 L zoom is almost as sharp at F/8 as my Canon 85mm F/1.2 at F4 and that's saying something!!! Slightly sharper at F/8 as my Canon 70-200 F/2.8 and that's saying something to!!! I may have a very sharp copy and I hear there are soft copies out there. Make sure and buy yours here at Amazon.com where you can return the lens if its not as sharp as you thought. Pros: Super Sharp! Very versatile! Great Contrast Good bang for the buck 100-400mm SWEET! This is the perfect Zoo lens This is the perfect Air Show Zoo lens This is the perfect Renaissance Festival lens Attracts a lot of attention, you will be asked if you are a pro Image stabilizer lets you get away with crazy like shutter speeds Sweet Bokeh at subject filling close range and at all ranges on full frame sensor camera Raw photos respond well to sharpening and contrast / colors in Canon Digital Photo professional Cons: Can be heavy for the uninitiated! Does draw dust into your camera when zoomed! Old style image stabilizer must turn off on tripod Zoom locking ring is attached to the manual focus ring. No weather proofing, a strange thing for an out door lens Attracts a lot of attention, you will be asked if you are a pro Pulls dust into lens around the zoom ring when zooming in and out Slow auto focus compared to other L lens, slower then all of them except my Canon 85mm F/1.2 L II Strange black hole if you take a photo when jerking the lens to track a bird Lens sometimes seems to slow cameras response when taking a photo On cropped sensor cameras only strange variable looking Bokeh at some distances especially when stopped down and in sunlight with contrasting lines like branches. Wonder bokeh no full frame camera (5D Mark II) I gave it only 4 Stars because of the crazy way the zoom friction and manual focus rings are together and lack of weather sealing and variable Bokeh. It takes a dedicated photographer familiar with the lens to get consistent because of the variable Bokeh. Separate the manual focus and zoom friction rings, give it weather sealing, updated IS and great Bokeh at all settings and ranges and I would have given it 5 stars! Introduction: Longer range and versatility that's what I needed for my Canon 40D. What good is a prime if you don't get the shot at all? I mean I love my Canon 135mm F/2 it has the best Bokeh in the world along with my 85mm F/1.2 but it's a little short for birding even on a 40D and after renting a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS you know what the meaning of heavy (8.5 pounds) and specialized mean. Plus there's nothing like having a zoom, take time to change out that lens during a renaissance festival and you just may miss a once in a lifetime shot. My 70-200 F/2.8 L is a great lens but the zoom range is way too short at times like these. I want something with much more zoom capability. I wanted something I could take to the zoo and gets shots both near and far and the same at air shows and the renaissance festival and maybe even a football or soccer game or rodeo and all without a time consuming dust introducing lens change. At the festival you can go from a knight and damsel group portrait shot to a close up of a bird of prey flying by in a second and without changing lens. At an air show you can be shooting the crowd waiting in line to board a C5 Galaxy cargo plane and in the same minute swing up and get an F-16 cockpit shot as it roars by. On a cropped camera you are at 640mm and into serious birding territory on a full framed hey you still have 100-400. First shots: OK, I must have gotten a really good sample because after sharpening the Raw files in Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) this lens is sharp at all zooms and very sharp indeed stopped down to 7.1 between 300 and 375mm. No complaints there that's for sure!! It's very close to my Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 in it's sweet spot. Zoos: WOW!!! I visited the Phoenix Zoo this last Saturday with my Canon 40D and this new Canon 100-400 IS L zoom and all I can think of is wow!! Where have you been all of my life? With a zoom range of 160 to 640mm when mounted on my Canon 40D you can't go wrong. And with the image stabilizer IS you can literaly stick this camera in auto ISO and walk through the entire zoo with just one lens and get great closeup shots of everything. Need a portrait of that Tiger while he's walking the back wall as far away as he can get? No problem, zoom out to 400mm which equals 640mm, here kitty kitty kitty. And how about the Flamingo's right up next to the fence and you want the whole group, just zoom back to 100mm and bingo! I wonder why I hadn't purchased this lens from the start. No dust educing, time eating lens changes required, just go through every exhibit with the one lens picking off animals one by one or in groups. It's like shooting fish in a barrel, yeee haaaa!!! Notes: Seems sharpest at 375mm and F/7.1 and F/8 Variable Bokeh, can be the best or worst depending on use (see Bokeh below) Air (and dust) seems to enter and exit around zoom ring as you zoom (NOT into and out of the camera sensor as some would have you believe). Review: This lens takes some getting used to, it's different: longer, more complicated, push pull zoom and IS make it a little more complicated then the other lenses I have. The first few shots I took with it were rather disappointing but then I started finding the groove for this long-range photographic weapon and when used in that scope you can score some really fantastic jaw dropping photos. Overall my Canon 70-200 F/2.8 seems to make a slightly more pleasing photo at times and at other times the 100-400 does. The 70-200 as more consistently pleasing Bokeh. But the 100-400 200mm longer. The physical size when the 100-400 is at 100mm is very close indeed and the weight feels close to the same in the hand with the 70-200 feeling slightly lighter. The strange thing I find too is the zoom locking ring and manual focus ring are attached to each other and change position as you zoom in and out. This makes for a little confusion when reaching for it at first as you never know where it is when quickly reaching for it while keeping your eyes in the viewfinder. That and if it's tight at all you have to take both hands to release the tension and move the zoom where you want. The Groove: Make sure you have the IS in the ON position Shoot with plenty of light and hold her steady Shoot between 300mm and 375mm at F/7.1 or F/8 Make sure focus limiter switch is in the correct position Shoot in Raw and process in Digital Photo Professional (DPP) Don't be afraid to push the sharpness and color way up in DPP as needed Practice Practice Practice if you are shooting digital then you can practice plenty. Image Stabilizer (IS): I have taken HAND HELD SHOTS at 1/10s and 1/6s even zoomed out to 400mm of the neighbors house and car down the street and they came out so well you can read the license plate! I set my 40D to 3200 ISO and wide open aperture then simply propped my elbows on top of the trash can and took some night shots to see what this lens could do. I couldn't do it every shot only about 1 out of 5 to get my breathing and the timing of the shot right but the fact that I could pull these shots off at all is incredible!!! To get consistent shots I in better lighting conditions I have found with my elbows propped I can consistently pull off 1/30 second at 400mm which works out to 640mm on a 40D! With un-propped arms I could pull of 1/60 second at 400mm. This alone should be a good reason to buy this lens. Bokeh: On full frame cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II the Bokeh is great. At close range it's almost as good as any lens I have. Well except for maybe the Canon 85mm F/1.2 II L. But over all it's great. But, if you are using this lens on a cropped sensor then be sure to read the next paragraph. How could one lens have such fantastic Bokeh in one shot and such strange horrible Bokeh in the next? Up close with frame filling subjects near wide open aperture the Bokeh is a dream, but shoot at further distances with a cropped sensor camera like a Rebel or Canon 40D/50D etc with branches as a background stopped down so you can see some detail there are weird lines around each item. Shooting aircraft or birds in flight this is no problem as the background is just sky, but distant birds in trees with some leaves and limbs out of focus and the photos can look very strange. Lens Vignetting (Light Fall-off) Light fall off in the corner of your photos or vignetting is no longer a problem for any Canon lens on the newer Canon Digital Cameras like the Canon Rebel XTi, XSi, 40D/50D, 5D Mark II as the Vignetting can be corrected automatically in-camera and with Raw photos in Digital Photo Professional (DPP). You can even adjust the amount of correction to your photos as needed with Raw photos in DPP, sweet!!! In flight tips: Shooting in-flight birds and planes with this lens then follow these tips. Shoot in bright light Set minimum focus switch to 6.5 meters Turn Off IS if you have enough light, the auto focus seems a little faster without it Set Auto Focus Mode to AI Servo and Drive mode to maximum frames per second Set exposure compensation to +2/3 stop especially for darker birds or bird will be underexposed Make sure shutter speed will be at least 1/500s or faster set aperture and or ISO as needed I usually end up on Auto ISO on my 40D Pre-focus on something similar to the distance of the target bird or plane Pull zoom back to 100mm to ease acquirement of target bird then zoom as needed towards 400mm while tracking Start shooting as soon as a decent focus and composition of the bird is acquired (DON'T wait for the perfect composition) If needed try looking over the top of the camera and down the top of the lens barrel and try to acquire the bird first then look through the lens. Once acquired hold down the shutter and keep firing off photos as you never know which shot will be a keeper. Push / Pull Zoom This is a love / hate affair because I love the way I can quickly zoom from 100 - 400mm very rapidly, but... The friction ring to adjust the tension of zooming is attached to the manual focus ring. This means you can't simply reach forward and grasp the friction ring and adjust it with one hand. No you must hold the lens with two hands one holding the focus ring and the other the friction ring and then adjust. The friction ring and manual focus rings both move back and forth with the front part of the lens when you zoom. What this means is when you are in the heat of battle you can't always reach forward by feel and do a manual focus as the distance out on the zoom where the focus ring is located is highly variable. I don't know if it's possible but if it were I would have Canon redesign the zoom ring and the focus ring separate. This would allow me to reach up and adjust the friction ring by touch without having to hold the manual focus ring to keep both from just turning. And to adjust the manual focus without tightening up or loosing the friction ring. Anyway the whole process takes a little while to get used to especially for those of use coming from say a 70-200 F/2.8 zoom where I can always just adjust the zoom of the lens a little with no thought and without taking my eyes off the subject from the viewfinder. Uses: Any outdoor photography where you need a wide focal range in a really short amount of time and can't always get really close to your subject but need a close up of it. Zoo's, Air Shows, Renaissance Festivals, Rodeos, Football, Baseball, Soccer I can think of lot's of tests in the coming weeks for this lens and I intend to hit every one of them. Verdict: If you need a zoom with more reach then your 70-200 then this is your best option. Try it and you just might like it. Updates: As usual I will be coming back to this post and giving updates on my use of this lens. I have Canon a 5D Mark II on order and will update with how this lens works on a full frame body. Should be a whole another world. 11-04-2008 Update: I have found that by taking the tripod mount off the lens is much more comfortable to hold and you can get to the zoom friction lock ring and the manual focus ring much easier. The IS on this lens makes a tripod an option not mandatory and when out photographing wild life hand holding is much easier. 11-05-2008 Update: I put all my longer lenses up against the Canon 100-400 in a battery of tests both hand held and tripod mounted and was amazed at the results. At F/8 where it's sharpest Zoomed to 135mm and 200mm it's as sharp as my Canon 135mm F/2 prime and my Canon 70-200 F/2.8 zoom. And it has better contrast then the 135mm F/2. Both the 135mm and 70-200 have better Bokeh though but I was surprised how useful the 100-400 with IS can be in low light as long as the subject is motionless. I have found with practice and bracing I can consistently get good sharp photos at 400mm at 1/30 second and have scored a few shots as slow as 1/6 second by bracing both elbows putting the camera on high speed and shooting 6 shot bursts. One or two of the middle shots are always sharp. Simply amazing!! So if anyone is telling you this lens is worthless on a darker day or at sunrise or sunset they just don't know this lens. I have found even getting pretty sloppy you can get consistent shots at 400mm at 1/200 second. Next earl morning shoot at the bird sanctuary this 100-400 is the lens I am bringing. 11-07-2008 Update: I have found that you can actually rotate the tripod mount up 180 degrees so that it is facing upward and out of your way but still have it on the lens. Could be handy if you want to have the mount with you but not in the way when using the lens. 11-12-2008 Update: The more I use this lens and get used to it the more I love it. I can't see myself without it now. I am totally used to the push / pull zoom and now actually like it better. 12-2-2008 Update: Found this interesting information and thought I would pass along. The Canon 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 L IS also has fluorite and Super UD-glass. Fluorite has very low dispersion so the 100-400 exhibits less chromatic aberration than if it were made of ordinary glass. The fluorite lens element aligns the points of focus of the three primary spectral colors of red, green and blue to meet at one point for ideal correction of chromatic aberration. Also included is UD-glass, which is a special type of optical glass whose properties nearly match those of Fluorite. Bottom line on the fluorite and Super UD-glass, you get the best possible image even though you get a huge 100-400mm zoom range! 1-30-2009 Update: I just bought a new Zoo membership and took my daughter with me on my second visit to the zoo. She brought another lens along and quickly wanted to borrow the 100-400. There was no going back she didn't want to give it back and clicked off one perfect photo after another including the Male Baboon photo I posted with the photos here. I am so sold. Can hardly wait to try this lens at the Renaissance festival next weekend. 5-26-2009 100-400 update: So I came back from the Riparian Bird Preserve yesterday where it was rather dusty and I noticed that my sensor and mirror box were full of dust. I decided to do a test on my 100-400 lens and sure enough it does pump dust into the camera body. If you turn the zoom friction ring all the way loose and zoom in and out with the bottom end cap off there is no resistance. If you put the bottom end cap on tightly and zoom you can feel resistance. Then if you loosen the end cap just a little you can actually feel air being sucked in and out around the end cap as you zoom in and out. Thank God for my FIrefly digital sensor cleaning system! Be forewarned if you own this lens you will need to take care in dusty environments. 6-27-2009 Still very in love with this lens. You can see a lot the photos I have taken with it at a web site called flickr. They won't allow me to put a link here anymore but you can go to flickr and search for my name Grant Brummett then look through the photos. I used this lens for the majority of the photos in my Wolverine X-Men movie premiere set. Lenses I currently own: Canon EF-S 17-55 F/2.8 IS Ultra sharp, great colors, great low light, poor zoom action Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Rebel XTi Kit lens Muddy, slow, pile of junk Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L Fantastic colors, sharp zoomed 17 to 24mm, ultra smooth zoom action, light weight Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L Fantastic colors and contrast, sharp zoomed 40 to 70mm, zoom a little stiff at first, heavy, repair prone! Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Good budget portrait lens, light weight, disposable, sharp from F/2.5 Canon EF 85mm F/1.2 L II The best portrait lens for female and children clients, buttery smooth Bokeh, heavy and expensive it shares sharpness with 135mm Canon EF 135mm F/2.0 L The best portrait lens for males and tied with Canon 85mm F 1/.2 for sharpest lens I own, buttery smooth Bokeh Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L fantastic colors, sharp for a zoom, very versatile ego boosting and attention getting and heavy! My favorite zoom lens!!! Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L great IS, super colors, sharp for a zoom, extremely versatile, variable Bokeh, even more ego boosting and attention getting when extended and 400mm reach, will pump dust into your camera body. My next lens purchase I'm saving for right now: _Canon EF 300mm F/2.8 IS L the finest lens ever +5 I've had this lens for about half a year now, and really appreciate having a good quality lens for this focal range. I use it mainly for birds. I'm not going to go into the features - you can read that in the product description - but concentrate on my experience using it. The locking ring is a little irritating. You need to hold on to the focusing ring before twisting the locking ring. Push / pull takes a little getting used to, but not too bad. And it is actually very nice when shooting birds in flight. Zoom out, find bird, then zoom in. If you're looking at this lens, you're probably also considering the 300mm f/4L and 400mm f/5.6L. I chose a zoom, sacrificing some IQ (according to some reviews) for convenience. The 400mm f/5.6 is tempting, but costs only $200 less and lacks IS. The 300mm f/4L with a 1.4x TC may make more sense for some, but I found that the ability to zoom makes acquiring the subject much easier. Sharpness is still very good even with 1.4x TC, though you will lose the ability to auto focus without a 1 series body. If you're hand holding the lens, rotate the tripod foot to the top (or remove it altogether). It makes supporting the lens much easier. It appears to be more susceptible to flare when shooting bright light sources (e.g. sunset, the moon) than some of my other lenses. Anyway, if you want an L lens in this focal range, you just need to choose between this and the other 2 I mentioned above. If you want something less expensive, but with a shorter focal range, take a look at the 70-300mm IS (NOT the 75-300mm). +4 When I bought my Canon 5D, I could afford only one lens, so I started with the 24-105 L series IS unit. Last December, I treated myself to the 100-400 L IS unit. Naturally, the shorter focal length is handier for most things I shoot (people, scenics, architecture and so forth), but I really wanted to try a longer lens. For a long while, I waffled between the 70-200 F2.8 IS and the 100-400. Speed, obviously, is a major drawback of the 100-400 at 4.5-5.6, but the 5D is so noiseless at EI 400, that shooting outdoors with the longer lens is never a problem. I am satisfied that I would not be as happy with the shorter lens married to a 2X extender. Telephoto photography, it turns out, is much different than working with shorter lenses, I've found. Since December, I've shot animals and birds, GP motorcycles at Indianapolis and recently, an air show. In general, I've found it much more difficult than other kinds of photography because the subjects (often moving) are much harder to find and keep framed up than closer, non-moving subjects. Also, the atmospheric effects, like fog or haze are amplified making some images look like they were shot in an opium den. The IS feature definitely helps handheld shots, but when subjects move as fast as stunt planes and 150 MPH motorcycles, it is very easy to end up with blurred images (unless you want to stop the props on the planes and the spokes on the bikes). I tried mounting the rig on a monopod, but it caused more problems than it solved. Anyway, back to the lens. It is a brick, and weighs nearly as much. I can't complain about image quality, especially with the full frame sensor of the 5D. I have discovered that, if I'm going to do sports photography, I'd prefer an even longer lens, though. I plan to try the 2X extender, but on this lens, the extra glass may make it unacceptably slow. Of course, with smaller(Canon)sensors, this lens would enjoy 1.6 magnification. Another finge benefit is that, even at Indy, the "white" lens commands respect from the majority of the rest of the pack (unless they're endowed with even larger white lenses), even if it's not deserved. Evidently, this lens can make you look like you know what you're doing whether you do or not. At the airshow, I found it challenging to adjust the focal length with this lens (push-pull) as the airplanes would be alternately very close (50 yards) and then a 1/2 mile or more away in a matter of moments. Trying to keep the aircraft in sight and zoom at the same time actually requires more grasping apendages than I was born with. I was alternating shooting with a Sony EX1 XDCAM with a power zoom. Even with that feature, it was still hard to find, frame and follow the stunt planes. Similarly, if you are trying to fill the frame with a 150 MPH bike as it blows by, some advance planning is required, especially if you want it to be in focus at the time you pull the trigger. Other than size and weight, I have no real beefs with the lens, although I could react to moving objects better with a conventional zoom ring. Also, I would really like it to reach a little further, say - 600mm. Then, I would have a better reach for wildlife that is often just too small to render a really good image for enlargement. It would still have to be a zoom, however, as I truly appreciate the flexibility of a variable focal length lens. Well, and of course, it could cost less! Overall, I feel like this is a seriously professional piece of gear that will serve certain aspects of my photographic needs for a long time. +5 Great price and so far, no problems. Love this lens. +5 This is the only "new" lens I have purchased for my Canon 60D. All the rest are from eBay. I wanted a lens for portrait use. I can't imagine a better lens for that use. It is fast enough, f/1.8, that you are able to blur the background as much or as little as you need. The working distance for portrait use is about 6 - 7 feet, a nice distance for those individuals that are afraid of the camera. i took some pictures for a friend for her to use as Christmas cards. This is my first real use of the lens for portraits and I was floored how well they turned out. The Christmas tree in the background was out-of-focus, while her face was perfectly in-focus. Others have mentioned a problem with auto-focus with this lens. I certainly did not see this. Using Lightroom 6.0, I enlarged it to 1-1 and even at that enlargement, the face was totally in-focus, including the tip of her nose to the bow in her hair. I would buy this lens again in a heartbeat. While a little pricey, it is well worth it, especially if you do a lot of portrait work. There are much cheaper lens that will fit and some will even take decent photos. A short telephoto will take portraits, but won't produce anywhere near the quality from this lens. I know - I have both lenses and this one beats the pants off of the zoom. I bought this lens 8 months ago and it has become almost a "basic" lens for me. Buy it; you'll love it. +4 I love this lens I just wish I had FF camera, on my crop sensor is around 132mm and works lovely for closeup shots, the depth of field this lens gives is so creamy and I just love it. Good for small product photography on a crop-sensor. But is not all around lens on a crop-sensor you use it only in very specific situations I recommend this one more for Full Frame users or crop-sensor users who knows will move to FF in the future. +4 This lens is everything you've been wanting and has completely replaced my 50mm 1.8. It is very sharp and fast to focus. My only complaint in the VERY harsh chromatic aberation when subject has a bright background. It is very noticeable and difficult to correct for in LR. +5 Great product for the price. Super quiet, fast focusing. A very smooth lens so far. +5 This lens is great. Having said that, the first one we got was defective. The camera gave us an error when trying to shoot photos that said it couldn't communicate with the lens and told us to clean the contacts. Apparently, this is a problem with canon lenses (found this out googling) sometimes. Other than that, the lens is great. Amazon sent us a second one and we returned the defective one. The images are sharp, the colors great, and it is great for portraits. It's not fast between shots, but then again if you want this lens, you probably don't need it to be. +5 One of the best budget lenses available in the Canon line. Very sharp, nice smooth bokeh, quick to focus & very lightweight. +5 AMAZING!!!! I use this for weddings, boudoir, everything really it's such a beautiful sharp image! +5 These are getting hard to find but I am happy I found them here. They work great. +5 Product was exactly as described and at a great price and very fast delivery !!! Will be back to this sellers page !!! +3 I purchased the package believing that the video quality would be better than the old tapes that I was using. I got the package and was excited until I recorded. The video format was very poor like what I get from my old tapes that I have been using for a while. +5 sweet +5 the reviews before have been quite detailed, and really say it all. I have been shooting, professionally and otherwise, for over 40 years, and I have to say that the Canon L Lenses are the first 35 mm lenses that remind me of the days of shooting with Hasselblads. Incredible sharpness, and wonderful craftmanship of construction. +5 I bought this lens with the intended use of birding. The image quality is excellent. Very crisp thru out images. Image stabilization is a hugh plus for me in particular. I am a novice when it comes to photography and I have a very shaky hand. In my case I find that a tripod is an absolute must at the far end of the lens zoom range. I attribute this to my unsteadiness not the lens. With budget always being an issue, I carefully picked this lens. The lens seems to be very well constructed "there is nothing cheesy about it". It came with a lens hood, and storage case included. It is well worth the price of admission. I want to say that this lens is an excellent purchase. For any other undecided folks out there do the research, then buy this lens. I am happy to report that you definitely get what you paid for with this lens. +5 Its a case of you get what you pay for and this lens delivers! I'm still adjusting to the push pull and will know more when the amateur football season begins but I don't expect it to be an issue at all. Buy It!!! +4 I found out that hand held at 1/250 sec shutter, f/8.0, ISO 200, cloudy on WB, AI SERVO, internal flash on are the best settings for this lens on an EOS XSI body. Details are just so crisp, clear and vivid with less grain and still be editable in Photoshop by just changing a little on the brightness and contrast as well as some cropping. I am waiting everyday to be cloudy or set the cam to cloudy early in the morning or late in the afternoon to optimize my lens!!!!! People are saying I'm crazy to use my camera and professional lens on dim lit environment but this is where I am getting the best of this lens. Some reviews stated that the 400mm prime is a tad better than this lens but the best lens also depends on the user on his purpose to taking pictures coupled with some creativity on photoediting. At this point buying a 400mm prime is out of my mind, I should be focused on buying 500mm or 600mm or even higher if I have the cash handy. +5 I have been a dedicated amateur for over 40 years and recently bought a Canon 40D with the 28-135 mm IS lens. My next lens was the 17-40 mm L, a terrific lens in every way. When it came time to look for a telephoto, I naturally leaned toward the L series and the 100-400 IS L made sense. I wish I had read the reviews more clearly and saved myself and Amazon some trouble! This is a wonderful lens! The clarity is amazing and the IS a joy to use. If you are a pro and don't mind lugging this "tank" around, it will do what you need. If you are like me and need a travel zoom, this is way over-kill. I sent it back and got the 70-300 IS non L and I love it. It's light weight and does a good job. I know it's not as good as the L, but head to head, taking the same shots with the 40D at the same time and viewing on an Apple 23 display, I can't tell any difference. Bottom line, if you need this quality and don't mind the weight, size and price, go for it. It's one of the best! +5 Tack sharp photos, beautiful bokeh, and very challenging to use at events, I absolutely love it. +5 Great lens for portraits! Was really hesitant because of the price, but this lens has made a world of difference in my portraits! +5 Wow for being a non L lens it darn sharp and great boken blur. Watch your focus if your shooting at 1.8. Customers just love images from this lens. +5 Very nice lens. It does everything expect from it. +5 I absolutely love this lens. After owning it for over a year it has become my main lens and is a real workhorse. Love the fast f-stop and sharp images it produces. This lens has helped elevate my photography no doubt. +5 Having been on an Alaskan cruise twice before and being quiet happy with the pictures I took with my 20D and the regular Canon lenses, I decided it was time to splurge and upgrade to a professional level lens. After reading the reviews for this lens, I knew this would be the one. As a test run, I took it to Mount St. Helens to just take as many pictures as I could at all distances and zooms. I have to say, I had no idea my camera could take pictures like I ended up with! The lens is incredible! Showing people the pictures, their jaws dropped. The clarity in the close-ups of flowers is stunning, and a photo I took of an insect less than an inch long from over 10 feet away could be enlarged enough to count the ridges on its mandibles! A bee from 20 feet could have its hair brushed it's so clear. Just amazing! The image stabilization worked amazingly. It was VERY windy on the mountain area, and even with the extra interference, my pictures came out clear and focused even at ISO 100. Yes, it is heavy. But for this quality, it's a minor thing. Simply amazing. There is NO comparison to the regular lenses. They're good, but this is fantastic! +5 First, I just want to say... I waited most of my life to get to the point where I could take professional quality pictures. Now that I am there, it is indeed everything I wanted it to be. I'm loving this. :-) This lens came to me because I accidentally dropped my 75mm-300mm non-IS non USM lens in the Gulf of Mexico while shooting the sunset at Lover's Key State Park, Florida. Some would argue that I probably did this on purpose just because I was sick of the poor quality of that lens, and although I do share your sentiments, I assure I did NOT do that on purpose. It *was* funny in its own way, but after realizing just how much damage was done to the internals and realizing I'd have to replace it, I was in fact quite horrified. I will quickly say this for that lens - it CAN yield good pictures, IF you know how to work it. Keep your aperture around F13 and stick to bright light, and it will produce... BUT It is NOT a pro lens, and it will NEVER be a pro lens. I took over a week to convince myself to put down the huge money for this "L" telephoto lens, and it took me about that long again before I was sure I'd done the right thing. I am sure now, more or less, but the painful expense still haunts me. That's one thing you have to get over if you want to take exceptional pictures - good images do in fact require good optics, and good optics COST. That's how it is currently, and you have to deal with it or do without. The plus side is the resale value on an L lens is HIGH if you treat it right, so if one day you need your money back out of it, you can get most of it back just fine. When I finally got my new lens, I was immediately shocked by the size and weight. Unless you've seen or held one before, you're going to be intimidated. Honestly though, on my first long outing, I came to find that it is NOT that bad, honestly. Make sure that your shoulder strap is wide, and you won't be bothered by it that much. I keep my camera crossed over to my other shoulder like an ammo belt, and the camera and lens lay nicely against my hip, even when I am walking fast. I can very quickly grab the camera, slide it up to my eye, hit the power slider, and shoot within seconds. The birdies never see it coming, pow. Now, I should add here that my combo is a Canon Digital Rebel XT and of course my new 100mm - 400mm L F5.6 IS USM. The first time I shot at all with this, I was disappointed and worried that I made a big mistake. Yes, I was making a mistake, but not in the purchase, just with what to expect from the lens' behavior compared to the 75-300mm that predeceased it. This is NOT that lens by any stretch, and the major differences combined with a mild concussion from a whoops at my workplace led me to bad assumptions and generally poor thinking on how to use it for a given scene. 1) Aperture on this lens does not behave like aperture on that 75-300. With that cheaper lens, aperture has a dramatic effect on sharpness. Not nearly as much with this lens. 2) The extra focal length means that any motion in the image can create blur if your shutter isn't fast enough. Make sure you've got lots of light if you are shooting moving objects. 3) IS only corrects for camera shake, NOT for subject motion. Don't go into a dimly lit scene expecting IS to save you with moving things in the frame, it won't work. Open the aperture as far as you dare, keep your ISO fairly high, kick the IS on to reduce your own movements, and then just take a LOT of shots. Not understanding or appreciating this simple fact of photography cost me a lot of good shots that first time out, and today when I go back I will definitely be better prepared. 4) Learn to treat the lens as if it is the main component of the camera. Don't go trying to attach/remove/adjust the lens as if the camera is your anchor... Believe me, this thing makes my Rebel XT feel like a toy, and if you misjudge the weight of this lens, it could slip out of your hand and really embarrass you. Respect the lens, definitely. No, I have NOT dropped my lens yet... are you kidding??? $1400!! Now that that is all out of the way, let me tell you why I will die before I ever let my new lens go: The images, omg... I never knew I could take such amazing pictures with my Rebel XT and honestly now I know I won't replace the camera body with anything better until the shutter dies in it. After I got my head better around shutter speed and lighting, the good images were simply incredibly good. Even with a Bower 2x Teleconverter, the better images are way better than even the 75mm-300mm could do. It's the contrast, color depth, and sharpness... this is a professional level lens and my God does it show, and I don't have to stop down to F13 to get good sharpness. :-) The IS is a wonderful tool, believe me. If you can get your subject to hold still, and you have reasonably stable hands, you can pull off great pictures at 1/30th of a second shutter time. I'm serious. It's more in what is moving in your scene than how steady you are, so long as you don't try for senselessly long exposure times. I love the IS and I am SO glad I held out for a lens that has it. The USM autofocus is just... wow... After so long of shooting with a lens with no USM, this is like having my cake with a double shot of apricot brandy with a little umbrella in it. When I go shooting at the beach, I am there primarily to shoot the wildlife (sea birds). When I'd shoot a bird in flight, I would take many exposures in hopes that one would turn out and be a good shot. This time out, I did that same thing with the new lens and I was amazed to find that I was getting intact sets of images of each bird I did this with. One or two of the first shots would be a touch out, maybe, but several would be in sharp focus. The AF keeps up fine with moving targets, and this is something totally new to me. The focus motor is fast, silent, and tack accurate, MILES beyond the old cheapie I sank in the ocean. Detect a bit of sarcasm there? :-) The zoom range leaves a hole for me between my kit 18mm-55mm lens (yes I know, I have a crap lens for wide angle... you can help me fund another L-glass lens any time you like), but honestly I haven't missed it yet. I adore the long focal length of this lens and if there's a softness to the 400mm end then I haven't really seen it yet. In fact, I'm looking at a test shot I took today using the 2x extender and the new lens for a combined FL of 800mm... scary huh... and I am seeing great sharpness, surprisingly enough. Had the target been out of the shadows and in the sun, I'd say I could have pulled off a really good picture from it. Not bad for a 300' distant shot of a cute girl in a strongly shadowed stairwell at combined 800mm, 1/800th of a second (F8.0!) exposure time FREE HANDED. It's amazing what you can do with this lens when you really try. So... I've babbled enough, although I could go on all day. Here's the pros and cons. Pros: Very solidly built, feels like a tank shell. Amazing image quality Fast USM focus IS is GREAT when thought out beforehand Manual focus ring is right there when you need it Sliding focus rather than rotating is actually quite nice Tension ring for focus is a great touch Very nice very solid tripod ring with bearings! How cool is that? VERY nice carry case... they really did do a nice thing with that. Cons: Heavy... wow heavy. Weighs like a tank shell too... But, it's a PRO lens, what do you want? Ok so it IS white... actually beige white, mine is. Believe me, if you still care about the color a week after using it heavily, you are spoiled and should shoot with an old Digital Rebel 300D plus 18-55mm kit lens ONLY until you regain your sense of perspective. It took me ONE DAY to forgive it for being white. ;-) It's BIG. Its so big that you will likely have to reconsider your entire outfit and how you carry everything around in the field. I find personally that the size of the thing is actually a bigger deal to me than the weight, surprisingly enough. If you have a Rebel XT or similar, the camera does look a little silly stuck to it, but here again WHO CARES... the images omg!! Sometimes you can forget that you are balancing the lens with a hand under the focuser, and accidentally knock your shot out of focus. Also, since the focus and zoom tension rings move as one, it's easy enough to de-tense the zoom while focusing. It's a learning process, and not all that terrible really. Canon, honestly... almost $1400US for a lens and no UV filter for the front. Maybe this is me being nitpicky but really... what would it cost them to provide you this very basic protection for your very expensive lens? Just be sure not to forget to get one... and make sure you remember this is 77MM threading, not 58 or anything else! One last comment: If you are like I was, and struggling to make a tough decision... perhaps this will help. This is a Black Oystercatcher on the beach at Lover's Key, shot at full 400mm from about 40+ feet or so away in terrible light and free handed - no tripod. Note the tiny water droplets on the feathers. Before I got this lens, I would have told you I wish I could do pictures like this one. Now I not only can, I AM. :-) ISO 200, F5.6, 400mm FL, 1/640 sec. [...] Make like N**e and just do it! :-) Edit: Update Jan 7, 2012 - Some months back, a strange thing happened to my lens. At least I thought it was strange until I read others' comments about the very same thing happening to them. The tension ring began to bind on me, making tensing the zoom difficult to impossible to do right. Then it happened - tiny bearings began to fall out. I tried to fix the problem myself but it proved to be way beyond my abilities. I ended up removing all the bearings, which of course defeated the tension ring entirely. To fix this would be very expensive, so I just go around with it as is. I still love my "secret weapon" gigantic tank-shell L-glass lens, how could I not, but I am less than impressed with the fact that this is a KNOWN problem with these lenses and Canon apparently couldn't see this coming enough to jump on the problem quickly so that it would fade into myth and people like me would have been spared the horror of over a hundred tiny ball bearings falling out of the lens. Long and short of it? GREAT lens... not so great job on the tension ring mechanism! I would expect better from $1400+ worth of optical hardware. Another Edit: Update March 6, 2013 - I decided to blow a lot of money and get myself a Canon T2i to replace my Rebel XT that shot the picture of the Oyster Catcher in this review. Thus is how I discovered the difference between 8 megapixels and 18. With the 8 megapixel sensor of the Canon Rebel XT, my photos with this beast of a lens were always very sharp unless I messed up the focus, and I never questioned just how sharp the lens actually was. With the much larger 18 megapixel sensor of the T2i, all of a sudden I'm looking at my pictures and thinking, "What the hell! None of these are razor sharp! Is my lens dying?!" Only recently did the epiphany hit me and I realized that what I was seeing was the greater resolution of the camera sensor exposing my weaknesses in fine focus. Oh... ok... so that's what reality is like? I never knew because I never had such resolution. I'm pleased to say that I still love my lens, and I had better for all the money I put into it, but reality is reality and with a much larger resolution to work with, you simply HAVE to experiment with your camera settings or get over it and accept some soft edges. I took a LOT of pictures last month, at the beach and other places, and I learned firsthand that aperture is everything. Keep it wide open to grab light, and you pay with loss of sharpness and a razor thin depth of field will drive you crazy at times. Keep your aperture tight, and you maximize your sharpness but you lose a lot of light. Sounds like it sucks, right? Well, yes, it does... but it's reality and it's part of real photography. In a lot of ways, this revelation has been very good for me and has added considerably to the richness of the hobby. [...] FL:400mm, ISO:1600, F-Stop:F/10, Shutter Speed:1/3200 second. In retrospect I should have shot at a slower shutter speed with 800 ISO for less noise. It's still not a bad shot. :-) NR417 +4 Very happy with the sots, but it got mold inside just a few days after I arrived in a trip to centralamerica cause the humidity. +5 This is an excellent lens and I continue to be amazed at the images it allows me to capture, in various natural light conditions. The IS is a *must* for this lens, since it is so heavy. It is not easy to lug it around though, I must admit, but when you need to reach out and touch someone at a distance, this is lens really helps. +5 I shoot with a Canon 40D. The EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM is a fantastic lens and I am proud to own one. This is a serious lens meant for serious photographers. Being an L lens, it is a professional lens manufactured with better materials and tighter specifications. This is such an awesome lens, producing images with vibrant colors, clarity and incredible sharpness. The auto-focus is quiet and quick. I spent weeks researching this and other lenses, before I decided on this lens. If you want the best, this lens is for you. It is a bit heavy and you will probably want a GOOD tripod. It can work without a tripod in situations such as photo-ops and sporting events which may not require 400mm. The dual IS system has two modes. Mode 1 is for stationary subjects while mode two is for moving subjects. I did purchase the 2X II extender. The 2X II works great and provides additional flexibility. Zooming with this lens takes a little time to get used to if you have never used it before. Once it is gotten used to, it seems to be much faster than the typical twist zooming. A resistance ring is used to tighten or loosen the resistance to zooming. This allows for practically locking the zoom in place or providing no resistance at all. Zooming is as simple as pulling or pushing the lens. Included with this lens are the tripod mount, lens hood, and storage case. The tripod mount is the best option to use when mounting to a tripod. This helps to balance the load. I take mostly outdoor nature shots, so, I spend a lot of time trying to get the perfect shot. I purchase a Bogen Manfrotto 190XV Aluminum Tripod with Manfrotto 701RC2 Mini Fluid Video Head to use with the zoom lens. +5 Love this lens! It's my go-to lens for portraiture. I use it almost exclusively on my Canon 6D. Would recommend this to anyone who does senior photos, baby photos, weddings, etc. +3 To much purple fringing in a studio setting "bright lights", however I shoot a lot of jazz, this is a great lens for the low light "concert" type of setting or some ambient light portraits. You can remove the fringing in Lightroom or Photoshop, however in my opinion it takes away from the image especially when you have a lot of trees with leaves with sun coming through them. +3 Maybe great for older cameras. The 50mm 1.8 STM seems to have sharper images and better color for a fraction of the price. Just compared to the newer 50mm 1.8 STM lens i just don't the justification for the price anymore. the colors feel washed out compared to the 50mm 1.8 STM and not as sharp oddly enough. Might consider selling mine or whatever. +5 It's lit +5 Fast, sharp medium telephoto. I use this for high school sports photography. Love it! +5 Great product. Great seller +4 When I bought this lens back in 2011 I was shooting with a Canon 7d and had great success with it. Since then, I have upgraded to a 5d Mk ii and I must say that this lens shines on a full frame. Word of caution though - at 1.8, this lens, on a full frame, is extremely shallow and the resulting images can be soft. I used this lens for a few shots at a wedding this past weekend but never stopped it down past about 2.8. This is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. It's quick and quiet. If you're looking for a really good portrait lens and don't wanna drop the $'s on an L series lens - this one will work very nicely. +5 A little soft around the edges at 1.8, but great clarity and sharp for portraits. Very good bokeh. +5 Love my 85mm!!! +5 This is a very sharp lens. I use it on my 7D Mark II and even though its a crop sensor, it works great. There is some CA but that is easily removed in post. +3 love it +2 Wrong size, had to return +5 Thank You +5 bueno +4 worked well for my Canon Exel 2 +5 Great Price +5 Works Great +5 I've had this lens for nearly a year and it has been fantastic. It is the ideal outdoor lens and you can take some great hand-held shots at relatively low shutter speeds. Earlier, there were some complaints of this lens not being sharp, but recent production runs from 2007 and newer have been superb. Its slightly lighter than the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS. If you do wildlife and sports photography, this is the best lens you can buy for under $5000. +5 I only got this glass recently and wow, I'm impressed. Little things are awesome and everything else is incredible! I can't wait to get out into the mountains and play with it more. Spring is here and so are the photo ops! Yes it is heavy but I love the versatility. I've got the 28-105 L series glass and this is the perfect compliment. Next? Maybe the 2.8 70-200... gotta save up for that one though. A must have for anyone interested in great pictures! +5 I have a pretty good sized collection of Canon lenses, mostly primes which I use for shooting birds. I started with the 400mm f/5.6 which is very sharp, but recently got the 100-400 zoom because of its versatility. People argue endlessly about which lens is "better", but really it comes down to what you need for a given situation. If you expect to be in a situation where there are a number of possibilities for subject, distance, and/or size, the zoom really comes in handy. For example, I recently attended an owl festival where we had the opportunity to photograph several species of captive owls. These ranged in size from a saw-whet owl (about the size of a cardinal) to a Eurasian eagle owl (about the size of an eagle). We only had a few minutes with each owl, so I needed portability and speed. Also the weather conditions were overcast so IS was a definite advantage. This was an ideal occasion for the zoom. I was able to easily handhold and quickly adjust the focal length as needed for a variety of shots. I found the resulting image quality and sharpness to be great. I certainly could have used the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, but that would have been slower as I would have had to "zoom with the feet" and would not have had the advantage of IS. If instead I had been out shooting eagles in flight on a sunny day, then I'd opt for the prime due to its quick auto focus and light weight. I love my prime lenses, but the zoom is definitely a great addition to my arsenal and I can see it getting a lot of use. Personally I don't find the size and weight of the 100-400 to be large or intimidating, but that's likely because I normally shoot birds with a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras which weighs almost 9 pounds. +5 This is a lens that in order for you to appreciate it- the more you need to take it out and use it. This lens takes good landscapes at 100 MM. It does shoot pretty good at hockey games but you need to boost the ISO and do a little post production to lighten it up. It works at its best in sunny and blue sky days. Great for wildlife at 400 MM. This lens creates greak Bokeh for awesome portraits (Yes this can be a good portrait lens). I do not take too many bad pictures with this lens. My keeper rate is about 95% with this lens. You would think the weight of this lens would hurt your neck? Not so! I find that my left hand used to hold the lens gets a little stiff after a while but nothing to be alarmed about. (As long as your not a 120 pound weakling). I find that I can keep this lens in my camera bag as long as its attached to the camera body. So I can carry the Canon 30D camera body with this lens plus 2 other lens's in my camera bag so it don't really take up as much space as most people would think. I also find the autofocus very well at 400 mm as long as your not shooting in the dark. I find the only downside to this lens is the cost. You can buy a 200-500 MM lens from another manufacturer for around $400 less. (But once you get to the 500 MM lens's- thats where the weight and size really add up). But still- I would never part with this lens. Its perfect for any practical use. +5 Very satisfied with this lens. Very sharp, light and fast. Perfect for portrait pictures. I bought it so I can take picture of my baby girl. It does takes perfect pictures. It very important to me that the shutter speed is fast, cause my baby moves around all the times. And with this lens I can make the shutter speed very fast. Using it with Canon 5d mark III and Speedlight 430 EX II. cons: the minimal distance that you can shoot from is a bit longer then you'd expect. But that's not an issue for me at all. +5 This lens is clean and sharp. Really good buy on this. +5 I am an amateur photographer with a Canon 6D and Sl1. I've used this very frequently for dark events and it holds up very well and sharp. Combined with my camera's high ISO, the lens' wide aperture saved me quite a few times in getting usable pictures when flash was not an option. However because it is so wide, it tends to be hard to get multiple subjects to be reasonably focused at dark places. When used as a portrait lens, stepped down and with adequate lighting, this lens makes amazingly sharp and accurate photos. Also I dropped the lens a few times by itself. While it has a few lens near the lens thread, it does not affect performance because the construction is so sturdy. +5 I wanted this lens for a Long time. f 1.8 will do good things for me. Thanks Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens... CANON +4 The good: Fast aperture = great low light shooting Insanely sharp, almost as good as my 135 f/2L Bad: Fast aperture = paper thin depth of field at close distances (measured 1.5mm DoF on a FF 6D) Purple fringing on live view (although correctable in .cr2 editing) For the price: can't beat it. (maybe the 50mm if you have an aps-c, or do not need the added FL +5 cant express how much I love this lense +5 100% OK +5 What can I say, I love it!! +5 Awesome lens for portraits.! +5 This is by far my favorite lens right now. Provides absolutely stunning image quality. If you're looking at this, you already know how good this lens is. I shoot a lot of portraits and this is definitely the lens to do that with. Autofocus works flawlessly. Super buttery bokeh. Extremely shallow depth of field. I couldn't have asked for more. +5 Quality lens, good portrait background blur. Quick sale and shipping +5 Arrived when promised and in great condition. This is, by far, my favorite lens to work with for portrait sessions (and even event coverage). +5 LOVE this lens. +5 I bought this lens simply because I wanted it. But before I purchased it I researched many reviews on many websites. I have a Canon T3i and this lens is heavier and gives the camera a little more weight but that's no problem for me. I capped it off with a B+W Kaesemann filter (58mm thread) and it's like having a new camera! This lens is fast focusing and the B+W filter does not slow it down. These two together are nothing short of amazing. My pictures are crisp, clear, the bokeh is nice and creamy and the filter gives perfect color. I would recommend this lens for anyone looking to upgrade. I have a 50mm which I also love and these two are close in comparison. There's nothing to compare to a prime lens and I own several. I hope to upgrade my camera soon and when I do, this lens will be a perfect compliment. You will not be disappointed if you purchase this lens. +5 I have had this lens for years now and it is by far the one I use the most. +5 Love this lens. +5 I have a crop sensor camera, the 70 D. I haven't compared this lens on my camera versus my mother in laws full frame camera, the 5D Markiii (I know, I'm jealous too) to really see if it makes that much of a difference with the sensors. I've read and read that it does, and I've read and read that that is a load of hogwash, so I'll wait and test it myself. ANYWHO, this lens is my new favorite lens. If I could use it all the time, I would. I went from a lens with a low f/stop of 2.8 to this so you can say that I was AMAZED! Love, love, love it. +5 Affordable lens for great bokeh! +4 Its been a great experience and I am carrying it around since I bought it. But its heavy and is a really bulky carry on package. +5 I would strongly recommend this lens to anyone. The ease of operation and the quality of the results make this a great choice. I like to shoot wildlife and landscapes - this lens is at home doing both. When shooting birds in flight the auto focus works very well with the image stabilazation. I've have taken400-500 pictures with this lens and have had great success. So if you are looking for a step up from 70-300 this is a great choice. +4 This telephoto lens was a great performer for me. Sadly, though, I opted to let go of it due to it's very heavy nature. Not your average walk-around lens. Better have a nice comfy neckstrap and strong arms to constantly hold this thing up. +5 I purchased this to give me a bit more reach over my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8"L" IS USM. I am still getting used to the push/pull focusing for sports (mountain biking) when you have to make quick adjustments (but thats more an issue of my being a novice to the hobby than a fault of the lens). I use it on a 400D crop body XTi, and I have no issues with its weight or size (but I try to always use a monopod). Unless you have a large budget for primes, its the best option for the range! +5 I have been using the 40D for a couple of weeks now. I still have a 30D that I use as a back up. I was hesitant about upgrading like a lot of people but I bit the bullet and did it. WOW what a diffrence, this camera is everything I could have hoped for. There are so many techi reports out there so I won't bore you with engineering statistics. The 3 inch screen is awesome I can really see it in the sun so it is just what Canon said it would be. The shutter button is so much sweeter than the 30D it is precise and I know when it will go off a real bonus well I think so. Color is fantastic much better than the 30D is. AF is so much faster and more precise it is hard to compare them. The feel of the camera is bigger and heavier it feels like a pro's camera should. The live view which I was totally yawning over turns out to be a real advantage at times and when connected to a laptop you can set timed shots for time release shooting. You can control the camera from your pc which I think is cool. I could go on and I will later I am still figuring out all the features. Oh yeah don't forget the weather sealing around the battery lid, CF lid and along the hot shoe. I think there may be more but I am not sure. The auto sensor cleaning is a God send and works very well. I use long glass that sucks a lot of dust on the sensor so I randomly run the cleaner and I don't have those nast dust bunnies. On the down side unless you use CS3 or like me Lightroom you will have to use Canon's version or a 3rd party software for Raw format. Bummer but I my work flow includes Light Room anyways. +5 They always work for me +5 Exactly what I needed and delivered in a timely fashion. +2 Not reliable, These cassettes should work in video recorders and should not have to be matched to the same brand. For example, a Sony DVD-R should work on any DVD recorder or player. SOME of theses cassettes worked in my JVC camcorder and others would not. It is like the lottery, so it is probably a quality control issue. +5 Worked great...until we lost tape player +5 they all are working +5 very good. +5 Just awesome... It's a great lens with high quality pictures and fast shutter speed I love it. Amazon surprised me with one day advance delivery '... +4 I ended up returning this item, because I found one that I liked better, but that was all just preference. It was a good lens, I just decided I would rather have a macro lens. +5 Great Lens, great sharpness and nice to low light and mid-telephoto lens. +5 This is my first lens outside of the two kit lenses (EF-S 18-55mm f3.5 to 5.6 IS II and EF 75-300mm f4 - 5.6 III) which were packaged with my camera. As such, I feel that I may not be qualified to give a particularly insightful review of this lens. However, I WILL say that it took only a matter of hours for me to fall in love with this lens. Coming from zooms exclusively, it takes some effort to get used to shooting with primes but with this kind of clarity, detail and the EXCEPTIONAL low light performance, I feel that the effort couldn't be more worth while. This lens is an inspiring piece of equipment and well worth the money spent. +5 If you don't have this lens yet, what are you waiting for. Its a compact lens that has amazing clarity, and with a f/1.8 you cant beat that with a stick. It has the same quality feel an look you would expect from a Canon product. +5 I love this lens! Great quality/value. +5 Very sharp, relatively light, and the AF is quick enough for fast subjects. +5 One of the best lenses I've ever had the pleasure to use. I can read the house numbers off the house at the end of the street! (approx 120 yards). +4 Yes, it is a very nice lens for the price. The IS helps, but is no replacement for a lot of light. If you main focus is doing bird photography, this lens isn't ideal, as it isn't ideal wide open (5.6) at 400mm. If you are looking for something that only breaks your small piggy bank and not the vault, and you want the reach and flexibility of a tele zoom, this will work nicely. Consider the Canon 500mm f4 is you have the dough and want a really nice, almost hand-holdable wildlife lens. +5 I've spent the past year or so drooling over this lens and my wife (I'll love her always) surprised me by buying this lens for my birthday. I absolutely love this lens. It has changed my life and completely upgraded the quality of my images. I love every image that comes from this lens. I've even saved the very first image that I've taken with this lens. Almost nothing is out of reach or too far these days. It focuses fast and very, very accurate. The mechanics of the push pull character of the lens takes some getting use to. But so does a Ferrari when you have been driving a Ford Pinto. Put short, the lens is worth every stinking nickel that you will spend on it. I wish that I could upload some images that I've taken with this lens as proof but I can't figure out how to do that. Trust me, the lens is great beyond measure. +5 First a plug for Amazon where I typically buy almost all of my gear. Great prices, excellent, courteous and fast customer service and if you have Amazon PRIME shipping, you get it either in 2 days with FREE shipping or overnight if you really need it fast at only $3.99 shipping (often near end of the week, that goes down to only $1.99 for one-day shipping!). PRIME is the way to go, it's paid for itself several times over in our household and we'll renew it every year. I purchased my 100-400 from Amazon and added it to my other L lenses purchased there, the Canon 24-105 L IS and the Canon 17-40mm L. I recently gave it a workout shooting handheld shots (on my Canon 5D) of a practice session of a 20 crew rowing team. Many shots were while the boat was moving and rocking and quickly changing direction. I was firing off many shots consecutively using the IS #1 position (IS in both vertical and horizontal). Bottom line is that the images I brought home blew me away with high contrast, deep saturated colors and very sharp detail in images. Even at 300% mag on screen, the images still retain detail. Out of over 350 shots, only one was out of focus and that shot was my error. Focus is precise and fast and having seen every shot in focus, I know I can trust the AF on this lens. The moment you see your first results from this lens, the investment price becomes no concern at all and worth every penny. The first prints made yielded a lot of "WOW" from viewers as the prints are tack sharp and needed little level or other adjustments in Photoshop. if you are shooting to get the best results you can possibly achieve, then premium optics are the only way to assure you have that opportunity to get those results.. The push-pull zoom is not a problem to get used to as I had thought it might be. You quickly feel comfortable using this lens even due to it's greater size and weight. The weigh in fact seems to help steady it in your hands (along with IS assisting of course). I never really felt it was too heavy. If your fully engrossed in your shooting, you'll not be distracted by the way this lens works in your hands, not at all. In a world of "you get what you pay for", the Canon 100-400 will not disappoint you at all. A superb piece of glass. I love it!! It is going to get a lot of use. +4 Not too bad for the price +5 I have been a pro photographer for over a decade, why did it take me so long to buy this lens? It's amazingly sharp and contrasty and great for portraits and candids. +5 The lens was pristine and I was so excited to use it. I finally got to a few days after it showed up and I was really happy with the images it produced. Cant wait to use it more in the future for portraits. For someone that has a smaller budget and can't afford the super awesome thousand dollar lenses (like I can't), this one is pretty good in my opinion. +5 Works great on my t3i. Love how the photos turn out with this lens. It's a lot heavier than I expected to be. Not really a problem though. +5 Create beautiful Bokeh! It is a little on the heavier side, but worth carrying around to get the perfect shot! Usually I prefer L-series lens, but they come with a hefty price. This lens here still creates beautiful photos and is affordable. Highly recommend this lens to anybody who is in the market for a prime lens. +4 Purchased this lens for use with a full frame 6D. I've been using the 50 mm f1.4 for years (previously with crop 60D) and love it. It's the best value in the Canon prime range and far and away my favorite lens. The problem I ran into is that my primary subject is now a toddler and is easily distracted. At 50 mm you need to get pretty close for portraits and the little one will not have it. This lens helps put some distance between us, which is great, and it is capable of producing some really nice images, especially in lower light conditions. That said, in good light the image quality has been a little underwhelming. I generally stay above f2 shooting portraits and while this lens is not not bad, it just doesn't wow you with a creamy dreamy bokeh like the 50 mm f1.4. +5 works +5 very good +5 I like these tapes very much. This isn't the first time I have purchased them. I don't know that they are necessarily better than others, but they have been consistently good, so I recommend them. +5 I still use miniDV tapes for the quality of the recording and these are always dependable. +5 good +4 High quality lens. Love the performance. Pictures look fantastic. But crop sensor users be prepared to really move back to catch the portrait. 85 x 1.6 = 136. +5 A favorite. +5 I love, love, LOVE this lens!! It's perfect for portraits. Can't say enough good things about it! +5 A wonderful lens. Light, compact, with a fast f-stop allowing shooting in low light that would be impossible with a 'kit' lens. Ideal as a portrait lens. Image quality on par with some of Canon's best 'L' lenses, but without the 'L' price. If you're on the fence, just get it. You won't be disappointed. +5 After having this lens a couple months I can easily say it's my favorite portrait lens. The lens is well built with a full time manual focus ring that feels smooth and dampened. The AutoFocus is smooth, wispy quiet, and moves faster than a cat on a hot tin roof, even in low light the lens performs very good focusing quickly and accurately. The image quality is extremely sharp and clear on my crop camera with very little chromatic aberration and vignetting, both of which are easily fixed by lens profiles anyway. Really is quite a fun lens to use. The shallow Depth of Focus allows for beautifully blown out backgrounds and the rounded aperture blades make for wonderful bokeh quality. +5 good +5 Good points about this lens: 1) It is the cheapest long lens with image stabilization you can get. 2) It is flexible (100-400mm zoom range) 3) Image quality of a good copy is superb on a cropped frame digital camera such as the Digital Rebel series. A good copy is decent on a full-frame camera. 4) It is light enough to carry, and you CAN use it handheld in reasonably bright light. Image quality from a tripod is better, of course. Bad points about the lens: 1) It seems to have variable image quality between different copies. Some copies aren't as good as mine is (believe me, I don't say that about all my lenses!). My suspicion is that newer copies are on average better than old ones. Check out whichever copy you get while you can still return it. 2) Image quality drops a bit on a full-frame camera if you don't stop down at least one stop (to f/8 or f/11) and preferably back off slightly from 400mm to 370 or so. Image quality from 100mm to 250mm is as good as my prime lenses in that range. 3) It's a reasonably portable lens for it's focal length, but the size and white color will still draw unwanted attention from civilians, who will all ask if you work for National Geographic. 4) The "trombone" style of changing focal length is a bit gawky, and more important it does draw dust inside the lens. My copy (4 years old) has speckles of dust all over the INSIDE of the front element, unlike any other lens I own. 5) The image stabilization doesn't function reliably on a tripod. Canon recommends you turn of stabilization in that situation (and you'll get a better-quality image off a tripod for sure). +5 As good as I expected it to be - which is excellent. While not a light weight lens it can be hand held, but will get heavy after a while. I tested the lens on the bricks on the neighbors house across the street (using Rebel XT). Great Resolution. I did try my sigma 1.4x extender - taping 3 pins - and then using manual focus, but did it the day after I originally tested it. Results from that were disappointing in a way - the 1.4x extender degraded the picture - I would have been far better off just cropping a photo. One note - when you buy this on Amazon it offers the hood, bag, etc... as accessories which puzzled the heck out of me. It does come with caps, hood, bag & tripod ring. I have the 70-300 DO IS zoom that I use for travel - but this lens is much better. +5 The lens is great. The auto focus is so fast I thought it would break itself. Pictures are clear. I used the 1.4 doubler with it and had good results on my first outing (manual focus). +5 Great lens, on a Canon 20D it's a 160-640 mm for good nature shots and when you can't get close. +5 I did a lot of research on the internet for a zoom lens. I wanted a good zoom lens to use for wildlife photography. The Canon 100-400mm lens seems to be the best one out there. So I made the decision to get this lens (which was a hard decision because it is not cheap). I am using the lens on a Canon Rebel XTi. The first few shots I took with the lens did not impress me that much. Then I decided to go to the zoo to take pictures of larger animals (instead of bees and grasshoppers). Also I changed the "Sharpness" setting under the "Picture Styles" menu on the XTi to FULL sharpness. WOW...the pictures I took at the zoo were amazing. You could see every detail on the animals. I am very impressed with the lens and the camera. Yes the lens is heavy, but did not bother me at all. It made the zoo experience 10 times better than without the lens. Just trying to capture the animals in great situations is fun. I really recommend this lens and the XTi. Image stabilizer is great. Remember that this lens on the XTi is like having a 160-640mm lens. I sent a customer photo so you can see how good the lens is. Look for the photo taken by Steve T. +5 Love this lens for my pet portraits! +5 Great lens. No issues, shipped quick, and produces sharp photos +5 Fast, sharp and sweet !! I bought this to pair with an extension tube for some model detail work. Using a macro for the task is not an option due to the fall off on the detail, so, I decided to try this option. Couldn't be more happier with the results, can't wait to do some portrait work with it once this project is done. +5 i love this lens. it's currently my go to hike around lens. it is med. telephoto so keep your distance. but it's great overall in urban or urban park/trails. also it looks really pretty. that's something. :) +4 Great lens +5 tack on sharpness, light weight and fast focus. Ever thing you need for great portraits. Reconmend this lens highly. +5 Fast shipping Excellent product! Thanks!!!! +5 A great investment! +5 About the best prices i could find on miniDV tapes. My camera is a Panasonic so these seem to work really well in it too. from as much as I have used them they work well and have re-recorded them several times without fail so I'm happy. +5 Not much to say except they work fine in an old PV-GS9 camcorder. +5 Great Price, product and quick shipping +4 good +5 I love this lens, its great for shooting human elbows and wildlife. Its full weather sealed with the addition of my B+W filter, its got a very reliable IS and the USM truely is quiet. So far I've used this lens mostly for wildlife photography. I use to own a cheaper Tamron 70-300 and I find that its so much easier to take pictures of creatures that use to run away before I could even focus on them. Its been great for my work as well. Two weeks out of the month, I do professional studio photography of male and female elbows and this lens has been wonderful. It catches the curvyness and wrinkle of the elbow so well. I definitely recommend this lens to anyone who's aspiring to photograph elbows or shoot wild life photography!!! 5 out of 5 stars for this lens. Only wish it was closer to white. Online its an ivory colored lens, when I got it in person it was beige with a tinge of light yellow brown. Not a big deal. +5 The Pros: Wide ranging zoom Fast, fast, fast focusing SHARP IS L Build Quality The Cons: I sold mine!!! NOooooo. Weight No doubt, this is a heavy lens. It's also quite long when at 400mm. These two items are more than likely what combine to give some users soft shots, particularly at the long end of the zoom. Using a lens of 400mm is a skill. You need the same basic techniques as a good rifle shooter: controlled breathing, squeezing the shutter as opposed to mashing it down and a good, steady stance. You also need, even with IS, to keep shutter speeds up. Remember, at 400mm on a 1.6x camera, you're shooting with a 640mm equivalent lens. With the fl/shutter ratio of 1:1, you should keep shutter speeds up to 1/640. Even with IS on, you need to maintain a decent shutter speed if you want sharp shots. Use a gimbel head on your tripod and you'll really see this big guy shine. There's talk of copy-to-copy IQ issues, and as I mentioned above, I think they are linked to technique instead of variations of the lens - though I won't rule that out. There's also talk of the push-pull mechanism sucking dust. While air has to go in and out, it's a sealed lens and I think this is another widely circulated myth. Some dust is going to be present, but I don't think it's a "dust trombone" as some have suggested. Don't let this be your only source of info on this fine lens. Look to POTN and FM for other reviews. Learn how to use this big, bad boy. And don't ever do what I did! NEVER SELL IT! +5 This lens gives outstanding action images from distances as much as 130 yards. While the lens is somewhat heavy, within a short period of time I found I could take excellent action photos of plays during a San Diego Charger game...without use of a monopod. +5 This is my 3rd Canon L series lens, after the 24-70mm f/2.8 and the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS. While those lenses are faster and better for general work, I would not trade this lens for any other when it comes to sports and wildlife photography. For the price you just cannot beat this lens. I may drool over a 600mm f/4 or a 400mm f/2.8, those lenses cost 4 to 6 times as much money and are not at all portable. This lens is hand-holdable (though I strongly suggest a monopod), and has the benefit of being a zoom lens, so you don't have to switch cameras to go between moderatly close and far away shots. I use it for football, soccer, and baseball and softball, and it is more than adequate for my needs. Maybe someday when I land that Sports Illustrated gig I will want to go bigger, but for now this is perfect. +5 Took this to South Africa last month... tack sharp, fast focus, not as heavy as it seems. All pictures taken with this lens were very sharp. I used the EOS 30D and shot birds in flight using the continuous focus mode and most of the pics were very sharp! Perhaps the 70-300mm F4 would be another choice, but the 400mm X 1.6 came in handy on far off shots. Overall a great lens and great value. +5 I love this new lens. I don't normally buy a lot of lenses, but I knew that I needed to have this one. Now it will be fun to take photos once again! +5 Oh well, can I give it 10 stars instead? This Lens has become my best and inseparable friend, since the day one, as far as taking portraits goes. It is a somewhat challenging lens, to take pictures. Due to its extreme shallow depth of field, one has to know exactly what he/she is doing under the risk of getting a blurry nose or part of the face. With that out of the way, I use to joke this lens is as fast as the Roadrunner and as sharp as a Ninja 's blade. On top of it, add the excellent price and voil!!...you have the perfect lens. +5 I really dig this lens! I got some of the best indoor sports photos with it. I posted myself in a spot in the bleachers to get some great high school volleyball action. Crisp. Clear. Vivid. Stopped the action nicely. I tried being on the sideline, but I was too close to the action. I am quite happy with this lens. It is well-made - substantial - quality. +5 I really love this lens. It takes superb portrait photos in both outdoor and indoor situations, keeping the subject in focus while blurring the background. Is a bit slow on focusing so not good for objects with any motion. +5 I have been using this lens for more than 6 months. This lens became a standard lens for portrait pictures for me. Somehow it's better than EF 24-105L f/4.0 lens. +5 Great Lens. Allows for great close-up photography with excellent resolution. I use this lens for portrait work and some macro work although mt 55mm f1.6 is better for really close-in super detail. Both are excellent lens and well worth the price. +5 Soft wide-open, but better than any non-L lens (any mfr; tried a bunch) in this zoom range. Sharpens up very well; jury is out, because it stays in the bag only if with a 1.4x Extender it can deliver something sharp for outdoor sports and wildlife in good light. Don't expect a miracle; if you must shoot stop-action indoors/difficult light and cannot tolerate the noise of using high ISO, save your euros for a prime. Ah, but HUGE plus: You can handhold this lens, and you get used to the push/pull zoom. Note: If you're not SURE you need to get to 400mm, take a long, hard look at owning only a 70-200 f/2.8 IS + 1.4x Extender. Read all of the reviews in here -- Kudos to Amazon because these reviews are among the best I've seen, even from the dedicated vid/camera sites. +5 If the answer is "Yes!" then buy with confidence. This lens dominates its niche. It delivers on its promises and is one of the classic white L lenses. I got this lens to supplement the 28-135 IS, but I've ended up rarely using it. In fact, Ive decided that there may be a better choice for many photogs. First let me begin by stating the obvious. Most images taken with this lens here and on online galleries like photosig or photo*net are taken at 400mm. Duh! I was hunting last weekend and took this lens along shooting animal pics from a blind. I set it to 400 and left it there. For wildlife and landscape shooters in particular, if the lens is going to be used at 400mm practically all the time, I think a better choice might be the 400mm 5.6 prime- costs hundreds less and sharper to boot. Going a step further, one sucessful wildlife photog I know recommends that if you are thinking about shooting wildlife other than birds, forego 400mm(prime or zoom)and get the 300mm F4 prime. His opinion: the larger size of most mammals offsets the loss of that last 100mm, yet is sharper, has lower light perfomance for the times of day when most mammals start moving, and yes, less money. On the other hand, if your passion is shooting animals in a zoo, maybe this lens is for you. Dont have to worry about dawn or dusk shots and the range of the zoom might come in handy. Sports shooters might actually benefit from the zoom's ability to adjust to capture unpredictable shots, but unless you're right on the sideline I still suspect it will be left at 400 most of the time, so ditto the prime. Ive read that 5.6 can be a bit slow for for fast shutter speeds in anything but optimum light. Of course, the next step up, the 400mm F4 is over five grand, so 5.6 is the practial limit for most average consumers. In either case, you will be able to substantially reduce this handicap IF you have a sensor that takes good pics at ISOs of 800 or above. Thats not every camera. I put the lens on my 30D to check the aperture progression for you techies out there. The lens shows F4.5 100~135mm, F5.0 ~135~270mm, and F5.6 thereafter. People and portraits? Thats where it gets trickier. I can see using 400mm compression for compositional reasons in an environmental portrait, but how much is that market segment? 100mm isn't a bad length for people pics, but doing long-distance photojournalistic stuff had me feeling like I was Magnum PI on a stakeout. If you're like me and the majority of your work involves people and portraits, the 70-200 2.8 (even non IS) is a much better choice for around the same money. I would have gotten 100x the use out of it over the past year. I bought this one before I really had the need for it, thinking I would expand my horizons, and it just never happened. But this lens does shine with its strengths. IS allows you to handhold 400mm pics with greater success than the non-IS prime. I don't do weddings but I can imagine IS allowing this lens as a supplement when a photog is stuck at the back of a church during the ceremony... as long as the lights aren't too low. Right after I got it I was in DC and snapped a few pics of George Bush at the Capitol. Im nobody special and couldn't get any closer than the "Nobody Special" section...not close! This lens got usable pics that I could have cropped way down and still had good resolution close-ups. One of those pics is posted in the customer images here. Other benefits? The push-pull design allows almost instant adjustments. Because it compresses, its easer to carry than the prime (length- and size-wise, not weight). And, in spite of the fact that I use it far less than I imagined, I have no plans to get rid of the thing. So the question boils down to whether you really need the zoom, the IS, and the ranges of this lens at the higher price than the prime. Wildlife/landscape photogs that use tripods? Maybe not. Sports shooters with monopods? Maybe. People shooters like me? I've learned almost never, unless I someday find myself a private detective or a voyeur. That said, if you weigh your wants and this lens still tugs at your heart, don't hesitate to buy it. It delivers performance and value...within specific parameters. +5 This great lens is a joy own and use.... 100-400 on body with a grip & double batteries will get your attention during a days shooting with it. Does build muscle though, and gets easier to handle. It would be nice if you could see lens switch settings like focus range preset and IS mode 1 or 2 in view finder. Now and then if you do some closer shots and change the focus range setting, you can forget to set it back and wonder why your AF isn't doing well. But that's not a lens fault, just something Canon could do in camera. I posted some action/panning shots for this lens as there didn't seem to be any others. Update; June 26,2007 Lens is still working just fine and results are what I wanted. No problems. Update; Sept 25, 2008 Still cranking off the great shots, notice only one change... now and then AF does not want to focus at full zoom and I need to pull back to about 200mm to get AF to work and then can zoom back out and it will AF at 400mm. Only now and then and not a big concern for me. Update Nov 2010 Even though it seems most don't like my reivew for some reason I'll add that this is still a workhorse without problems, I have so many shots that I would NOT have without this lens. It's been bumped around some but other than a couple of small scratches in the paint it's holding up well. Plastic lens hood fits a bit looser these days because of mounting and unmounting, but is staying on the lens so far, not sure if it's the hood or the lens that is wearing more. Maybe both the same... +5 This lens is amazing. Nothing escapes it. It's like a black hole. Clearly the best lens I have ever owned. It's like the lidless Eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings. It is heavy and requires rethinking how you hold the camera. It comes with a beautiful case, a hood, and a tripod mount on the lens. Believe me you will need it. I took a few photos of my son from 250 feet away and they look great. I will now get to work reading the small manual. It has 2 focal settings and 2 stabilizing settings. Wow! +5 I have been shooting with Canon crop sensor cameras for about 6 years. First a 20D, then the 30D and now a 7D. I have owned this lens since 2006 and LOVE it. I use it mostly for photographing wild birds and it is extremely well suited for that. With my crop sensor cameras we are talking about an effective focal length range of 160-640mm. Even then a small bird won't fill the frame very much at all. Thankfully my cameras have enough resolution so that I can crop the image and still be happy with it (three of my bird photos are posted on this page under "Customer images.") I have to be honest and say that I would really love to have the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM II or the Canon 400mm f/2.8L but I just can't justify the cost of one right now. Now, if you think that this lens is too big, just compare it to one of those behemoths and you will be happy to lug the 100-400 around all day long. I would love for it be faster but it is a fair trade off for it be slower yet smaller, lighter and much less expensive than it's 2.8 brethren. I do experience some lens creep with this lens. I almost always use it on a tripod and if I point it down the focal local length ring will slide down a little. The other thing to mention is that this lens draws a lot of attention. Both from photographers with "lens envy" and from authorities who will usually identify you as a professional photographer, even if you are not, which can be both good and bad. Even when I pick up one of the faster fixed focal length Canon lenses in the future this will probably be my go to lens for field work. It is extremely sharp when stopped down a stop or two. I am very glad that I own it. +5 I was using my new Canon lens during the 4th of july Rodeo in Redlodge Montana. Although I was pretty far from of the bull and horse riders gate, all my photos were sharp and no blur at all +5 If you use this lens on a 1.6X camera body such as the XT, 20D, or 30D you end up with a 160-640mm equivalent which is an impressive range by any standard. You can also add the 1.4X TC for a 896mm upper limit or the 2X TC for an amazing 1280mm. Of course this comes at a price, and I'm not just talking money. You will have to use a tripod, cable release, and mirror lockup a lot of the time when using such long focal lengths. Plus this thing is very heavy and very large and people will take notice. So if stealth photography is your goal, go with something like the 70-300 DO. That being said, this is an amazing lens, admittedly a little slow near the long end, but to get down to f/4 would have most likely doubled or tripled the price and weight, so it seems like an acceptable trade-off. If you want sharp pictures, an amazing zoom range, and a good workout, but don't mind being the center of attention, this is the lens for you. +5 I agree with all the others comments about this lens. It works great but it is big, heavy and attracts attention. When I say it attracts attention, I am not kidding. I was at an airshow taking pictures along with a lot of other amature photographers. My 100-400mm lens, however, attracted the attention of a local newpaper reporter who interviewed me. However, I bought it to use with my 20D at airshows and I can honestly say I am not disapointed. It was well worth the money. I also bought a cheap Kenko 1.5x teleconverter for kicks. While the converter isn't "L" grade, I am pleased with the results and the autofocus still works which I understand is not the case with the Canon TCs. For those looking for a big zoom lens and you want IS, you are ulitimately going to wind up buying this lens. +5 I've only had this lens for a few days and I will say it has impressed me. It does have drawbacks, needs lots of light and is somewhat heavy. I would not like to carry all day,but for my need it isn't a problem. I have a couple of photos on display taken the first day I purchased the lens . It was a very overcast day and I think they turned out reasonable for the weather. My test at home when the sun popped out were outstanding. As for the push and pull adjustment I see no problem with it. I think with a little more experience it will be a very good purchase for my budget. I know there are higher quality lens but price becomes an issue,when you are a amature hobbiest like I am. I would recommend for any one who likes to take wildlife photos. The 5 star rating is for the money and quality it is a very good lens! +5 Amazing image quality, sharp little lens. Beautiful bokeh. +5 Very nice for portrait shots.... +5 Amazing lens! Especially for the price. It focuses faster and is quieter than it's counterpart that cost over $1000 more. I'm very happy with it +5 Love the lens. Fast and clear +5 I know the 85L is out of this world. I know it's a monster, a legend of the photographic world.. I'm going to make a faux paus and compare this lens to that one. I'm not so foolish to say they're the same.... but hell if they aren't comparable! Look. That lens costs a fortune. It's extremely heavy. It makes a 5D MKiii weigh that of a boulder. If you're shooting headshots and models all day, perhaps invest in the 85L. That being said, even if you were doing those things, you could still *easily* get away with using this lens. Yep, I said it. If you're shooting the next Elle editorial, then you really need to be shooting a hassie, anyway. Other photographers *might* be able to tell that you're shooting non-L glass.... maybe... But, who exactly is it that you're shooting for? +4 A great value priced lens for Canon cameras. It was a very good compromise in price versus performance over the f/1.2 that was almost $2K. I am a hobbyist photographer that wanted a good quality fast prime lens, and this fit the bill without breaking the bank. +3 Afforable 85 lens. but it's slow. I am a professional phtographer and have shot few times with this. And I am trying to sell it now. I think it's good for amateurs who are just starting out and need a 1.8 lens for portraits. +5 This lens will give you very nice subject separation for some outstanding portraits. Also, unlike other relatively cheap Canon portrait lenses (like the 50/1.4) the AF is accurate and consistent. +5 Good buy for the money. +5 Works great + cheap price = LOVE IT. +5 No problems at all. +5 Perfect! +5 Great +5 Thank you +5 Thanks...as advertised +5 Great lens for macro and portrait work. Sharp foreground focus with an amazing and soft bokeh. I do a lot of nature photography, and in the spring am constantly taking pics of flowers. This lens is perfect for that kind of work. It produces a dreamy background that emphasizes whatever subject I am shooting. I also own the EF 50mm f/1.4, but of the two I prefer this lens. +5 I'm a huge fan. Works every bit as well as my L lenses; I'm very happy with this purchase. +5 I actually just got this lens today, but with how happy I am from the shots I already have gotten with it, I thought I should write a review for it. I almost want to say I like it better than my 50 mm. Which is hard to beat. I'm very excited to shoot more with it, hopefully some more portrait shots and such. Definitely a great lens to add to your bag. +5 fantastic lens for less $$ +5 I'm just joining the choir of the people who sing sonnets to this lens :) +5 Great lens. I would recommend this over the 1.2 unless you really need to shoot at 1.2. Resolution testing shows the 1.8 having higher resolution across borders and extremes of the frame at all apertures. The 1.2 only has a little bit of an edge for resolving in the very center of the frame. Personally with these results, I'd rather have the 1.8. Check photozone.de to compare resolution, vignetting, CA, etc between the two. This lens is really nice. Great color, contrast. Very little distortion. Focuses accurately, quietly, and quickly. Construction feels solid. +5 Good +5 Nice lens. +4 I purchased this lens for Head-shots and Portraits. This is a compact lens, that has very fast focus and can give you great Bokeh and face compression. I use this lens on a Crop Sensor which gives me a good length for doing head shots and also nature photography. The lens has been around for a while and for the price and quality you get a good deal. The only downside to this lens is that is has no Image Stabilization and does not come with a Hood which gives you better contrast when used outdoors. I would recommend this lens for everyone to have, it serves both as a short telephoto and portrait lens. +5 excellent price and delivered an time +4 Quality tapes at a good price +5 Many cameras now use SD cards, and that's great. But some of us still have perfectly fine miniDV video cameras that we still use. These tapes are nice and they are relatively inexpensive in a multipak. Recommended. I've not had any problems with them. Still have cherished memories on these tapes. +5 I have not use the tapes as of yet, but I'm sure that they are alright. I'm planing to use them soon. +4 My years of relying of Panasonic tapes in my Panasonic handy-cams have been good. No failures. I am old-fashioned in that I like being able to archive the tapes after I download to PC instead of having everything in a RAM format from the start. The quality has been consistent. I'm sure I'll one day upgrade to all-digital hardware but for the time being I will still be using these things for normal use in my two Mini-DV units (Gs-29 and a 150 model too I also like the way they both use the same tapes.) +5 ok +5 I had no idea this lens was so superb. The image quality is awesome, it focuses really quick and silently. It feels like a premium lens and performs like one too. I love it. +5 I have just purchased this lens, and so far, used it twice. It seems to be a great portrait lens, my portraits have improved already! Looking forward to more great images! +5 Needed this! +5 Great lens. Very sharp pictures and fairly quick. Highly recommend if you're looking for 85mm. Good value +5 Canon has an incredible line of lenses for all of their DSLR cameras on the professional level. Getting an 85mm f/1.8 fixed lens for my Canon 5D Mark III and Mark II worked out fine for me and some of my portrait work. I generally use the 70-200mm Canon zoom lens but this 85mm lens gives me excellent shallow depth and incredible sharpness for a lens in Canon's less expensive line. I recommend it not only for portraits but for one of your cinema lenses for film shoots. +5 What a great lens! +4 smooth and sharp lens at a good value though a limited use lens +5 Great lens for the money. +5 Oh...my God this lens is so sharp....I wanted to throw my kit lenses away!!!!! And ever affordable. +5 Clear crisp and very sharp photos. Real nice bokeh too. +5 I doubt that you can find better, sharper optics with autofocus in any other lens. Not as sturdy as the "L" glass, maybe, but it is sharper at the same settings than my 24-105 f:4 L zoom. +5 ok, so its not the 1.2 mega L series... HOWEVER, its worth double the price and offers really great bokah and is super for portraits. I have several L series zooms and the images i get FEEL sharper (maybe just because of the depth of field). PS.. use a tripod or servo focus because if you move around at 1.8, you WILL be out of focus. If you are thinking of this, just get it. If you find it changes your life, start saving for the L series. +5 Love this prime lens. The photos come out great! +5 I'm in love with this lense. I've had it for about 6 months I think now? I've taken some incredible portraits for my clients and would recommend this lense to anyone in the business. +5 Excellent quality for portraits. +5 This is hands down my favorite portrait lens, sure it's not the L but it cost way less cash and is a great step up over the base lens. If your on the fence and have the money get the L it's the best of the best. But if you're on a budget and you still want a great lens for portraits you can't go wrong with this lens, the clarity is top shelf and the quality is great. I have tested both and found the L produces a slightly better photo but cost a whole lot more money. +5 Very happy with this purchase. I'm fairly new to the photography thing but I felt like this lens really added to my ability. (I know, it's about the photographer not the equipment, but it doesn't hurt to have nice things!). I have the 50mm and decided to add this to my bag for senior portraits. So far I have only used it in natural light outside but it is clean and sharp and provides a beautiful bokeh. If you are like me and want to take the next step this is a good lens to have, it won't steer you wrong. +5 AMAZING lens!!! +5 This is such a nice lens for the money. It produces super sharp photos and it is a great portrait lens. +4 It is old technology, but I didn't really want to buy a new camera and they worked fine for my project. +5 I have a HD video camera that I transfer edited videos to using a firewire to the camera and get great looking scenes and the Panasonic tapes are always dependable. +5 Perfect! Got a free upgrade to pro tapes, due to consumer tapes out of stockl!! Thanks! I love them alot! +5 Absolutely LOVE this lens. Who needs "L" glass? Seriously, you won't be sorry. +5 WOW and WOW and WOW.....if you make indi films, do your self a favor and use this lens for about 80% of your shots and you will be very happy, so will your viewers. nuff said. +4 Amazon took down my first review. I use a 70D and I am a long, long time photographer. The lens is great, when it is great and bad when it does not focus right. Generally I get the best when I manual focus. It is currently my carry along lens taking the place of my zoom kit lens. Being patient, maybe need to micro focus it. Really hope I don't have to send it back. Also, as we know with this kind of camera, the 85 is really a 135, making it a difficult to use a portrait lens. Twelve months later the lens stopped focusing automatic and manual. Still a week left on the warranty, thank God. Will see how Canon does on repair. What angers me is the large price drop on the lens. Sure would have saved some much needed capital if I would have waited. +5 Love this lens +5 This lens is amazingly sharp, focusing is fast and flawless. It's perfect for portraits when used with a full frame camera, with a cropped sensor camera however, it's much longer (136mm) and might present problems depending on the area where you're shooting. Something that needs to be mentioned is that this lens is a bit older now and when shot at wide open apertures, it produces substantial chromatic aberration; but nothing that can't be fixed in post. +5 Used this to shoot indoor volleyball matches - probably a more difficulty subject than even basketball to get decent shots. If you don't have literal thousands of dollars for higher end lenses to shoot indoor activity with, this is a good option. Took some time learning how to deal with the shallow depth of focus that wide-open f-stops force, but it's doable. +5 Such a great lens for portraits! Always in my bag whenever I step outside with my camera. +5 I use it for my portraits and product shots. My clients are speechless when they see what this lens can do. An excellent stand-in when you're saving up for the 24-70 II. +3 Up until this point I have had a love hate relatioinship with this lens.. when its on, it's unbeatable, but I have an unusual amount of misses.. tried setting the micro adjustments a few times but still can't say I love it as much as I expected.. maybe a got a bad copy, maybe my 6D needs servicing.. I plan on getting a 5D mark iii in about a week, so I'll hold off on final opinion until then Even on a tripod with high shutter speeds and good lighting I have a lot of misses more than my Tamron 28 75 and Canon 70 200 at similiar exposures When its on, the images are fantastic and is still probably my most used lens.. Love it for low light video +3 Don't expect more than what you pay for...it does great for blurred backgrounds but not in tight spaces. +5 I wish I had known about this lens sooner. The 85mm is now my go-to lens, and I recommend it to all of my friends and colleagues. If you're not sure about lens focal lengths, or don't know much about them, here's a link with examples of different focal lengths and their affect on the face: http://cdn4.mcpactions.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/focallengtharticle.jpg?7202e5 +5 love love love my go to portrait lens! very sharp and clear pictures. i cannot say enough good things about this lens. +5 This product is awesome!!! +5 This lens takes more that 50% of all the pictures we keep. It is the way to photograph grandkids indoors without a flash. It is sharp!!!!. It is fast. It allows you to show your main subject bright and crisp while turning everything else into a beautiful blurred background. +4 I use it on my Canon HV30 and it the picture came out really nice, buying as a packet really save my money. +5 About the only place to get Mini-DV tapes anymore is online -- even electronics stores have stopped carrying them. So I'm glad there's Amazon. I have over 100 tapes, and one brand's about the same as another. The only reason I started buying Panasonics is because they're the same make as my camcorder. They fit fine, they work fine. As with any Mini-DV camcorder, an essential purchase is a head cleaner tape and use it regularly, or you will eventually run into problems with garbled images and sound, with any brand of tape. +5 Haven't used it as yet, bought is to videotape daughter's engagement party but did not have time to load it in the camera. The price was very good on line compared to the local stores. +5 I ordered these MiniDV tapes to use on my next vacation. I am depending on the brand name to insure that I will not be disappointed. +5 They're Compact Digital Video tapes and do live up to the Panasonic name, going into a camcorder of the same name. No complaints on this end! +5 This is way cheaper than a $14 5 pack at Walmart. So yes, it's worth it. Performed the same as the other brand I used. I need to upgrade to HD 1080p digital. But until then, this is a good product for those of use who still use miniDV cameras. +5 Build quality seems better than the 50 1.4 I like this lens a lot with both cropped body as well a my full frame. +5 Nice lens. Does portraits very well. I don't use it often, but it was a good purchase. +5 Great Lens to have!!! +4 Excellent sharpness and beautiful color. The weakness of this lens is noticeable purple fringing and the high price for a plastic body. A good buy! +5 Awesome tack sharp lens!!!!! +5 Obviously if you aren't spending $1K+ for the L series, then this is for you! Everything you could expect from a Canon lens. Great! +5 Fantastic. I never experienced the arts produced by this 85mm f1.8 and 135 mm f2L ever before. +5 I did a lot of research before plunking down my cash on this prime lens. I'm trying to photo graph indoor sports, gymnastics specifically. My wider fast lenses could cover the whole gym. The slower zooms, sucked. This lens the best bet for me in this price range. My other option would have been the 100mm f/2 for $80 more, but I wanted the speed . more than the range, so that I could stop the action. Flash isn't allowed and are useless for indoor sports. It has worked great for me. The photos are very crisp. It gives me enough content, that I can still crop that I can still get enough subject. The extra accessories made it a no-brainer for me. +5 This lens is superb! Definitely the favorite in my collection. Super fast and sharp! +5 This has to be my favorite portrait lens. My bridal portraits in natural light look stunning. Not one single issue with it. I used the F 1.2 version of the same lens (85mm) which costs x4 more. I simply do not se a difference in image and if there's one, it's so subtle, the price isn't worth it. I don't remember the last time I used my 50mm at f1.2 . The DOF is just too narrow. Great glass. A must have for every professional (or serious) photographer. +5 Excellent lens! +4 I got one with dust in the lens, although it's new. Quite disappointed +5 takes beautiful photos, only thing is that it has a really hard time focusing in low light. really great for portraits and studio work +5 The tapes are good quality and the price was right. I found one tape at a local store that cost almost as much as the pack of five. +5 excellent product and deliver I as recommended for my friends if need more I use the company again,thanks for all +5 Needed some more tapes and these do the trick. Have a decent amount of space on them and playback great. +5 We've been using these for years and they've never let us down (some other brands have not worked as well). +5 It's getting more and more difficult to find affordable MiniDV tapes. Product arrived quickly, well packaged, and are just as trustworthy as always. For the price listed here, they cannot be beat. +5 Great lense for portraits or full body photos shoots, smooth background and bokeh. Happy I bought it, could not bear to spend the extra $ for the f/1.2. +5 Awesome for portraits, or whatever else you might want to use it for. Love it. +5 love it +5 I bought this lens for it's wide aperture, primarily. I was new to DSLR shooting when I bought it, and was interested in a prime lens, and saw this as an alternative to the "nifty 50" f/1.8 that most people get as a first prime. I've used this lens for well over a year now, and it's become one of my favorite lenses. The build is excellent, and the images can be truly stunning when captured with this lens. As others have noted, there is a serious amount of chromatic aberration when shooting into bright lights or areas of high contrast, and on a crop-sensor camera (Rebels, 60D, 70D, etc.), it can be a real problem under certain circumstances. Also, the focus mechanism of this lens is pretty old, and is not as fast/accurate as newer lenses - at least, that's the story with my copy. However, I use this lens all the time and have taken some amazing photos with it. Great for portraits and even street photography, in my opinion. +5 One of the best lens for the money. +5 One of my go-to lenses. I spend a LOT a lot of time researching each lens I buy and this one hit several needs at an affordable price. I only buy prime lenses, chiefly because I want to learn the lens and know what it can do simply. personal preference. Shooting live music at F1.8 isn't going to get you anything much, so it's better to stop this puppy down and adjust along the triangle. When sharp focus isn't that important, then go ahead and go to F1.8,--for environmental shots (such as when you just want the overall feeling of a scene), it does just fine. Just know that if you're going to nose-hair like detail, you can certainly get it with this lens, but that's not going to happen at F1.8 anyway. 85mm can help you make solid portraits and can replace a 50mm in a lot of situations. If you've the cash, go ahead and get the 85mm L lens or invest in a Zeiss. For everyday use, though, this lens works just fine either manually or using auto-focus, +5 This lens has been around for a long time for good reason. It's a great focal length to shoot portraits with, and the fast aperture lets you put the background way out of focus if you want to. Seems like it's very well made and the results are sharp. Even the big front element is beautiful. +5 excelente +5 Love it. Very Versatile. Can use in any shooting environment. MUST HAVE lens. +5 great value for superb glass... +5 Perfect portrait lens! Very professional looking! +4 It Is everithing OK. Tks +5 Love this lens! I don't use it as often as my 50 mm but the bokeh on this is amazing. Super sharp subject and blurry background! +4 I started with my camera's kit lens and then bought the 50mm f1.4 lens. What a huge step up from the kit lens! My next lens was this one. The focal length was much better for my primary purpose: photographing my kids. Use a low f-stop, learn to focus on the subject's eyes, have a fast enough shutter speed and it is hard to go wrong. My only negative comment is to those that say it is 'L' lens quality. Maybe in sharpness, but I haven't found it to approach the 'L' lenses in color saturation. Is it a solid value for the price? Absolutely. Does it approach 'L' lens quality in all phases? No. For color saturation it does not. +5 I have barely used this lens in the past, but recently during a family session, I pulled it out and LOVED LOVED LOVED the results! +5 I've pretty much always used Panasonic brand MiniDV tapes and have never noticed any problems with them. There's no going wrong em' +5 These are exactly as they were advertised. Good value for the price. It is getting hard to find these locally any longer. +4 The Panasoninc Mini DV perform as you would expect from a manufacturer like Panasonic. The quality is very good and very consistant. I use hundreds of these every year and I depend on them performing flawlessly everytime. The last shipment took longer that expected and I forgot I ordered them and ended up buying more while they were en route. +5 I got this item after a snag with the USPS because they messed up.lol Everything was packed nice and safe. I am looking forward to use these tapes. Thank you :D I'll buy again. +5 Faster shipping, excellent product, I am very happy with the tapes very good video quality and duration +5 Excellent lens. This lens meets all expectations. I use it on both my Canon 5D Mark II and D70 bodies. Excellent detail and bokeh effects. I am very pleased with this lens. This lens weighs 14.1 oz, sharp as my L lens or more so... Look for Ken Rockwells review of this lens. +5 This lens is a portraiture work horse! The AF is soooo fast and the images are crisp. +5 Great quality prime lens with superb price! +4 Snappy to focus and sharp (it reaches optimum sharpness at around f/2.8 - f/4), the 85mm f/1.8 USM lens is a great value and delivers an awesome performance for the money. The only knocks against it that I could possibly think of are the purple fringing that it produces when being shot wide open, and a loss of contrast due to lens flare when shooting backlit subjects, such as someone with their back to the sun. These issues can be easily remedied by using a lens hood to reduce the flaring, and Lightroom or Photoshop in post-production to eliminate the fringing. Overall, I'm very pleased with this lens. Here's a shot taken on a cropped sensor T2i: https://500px.com/photo/64591757/qays-by-alan-quicho?from=user and on a full frame Canon 6d: https://500px.com/photo/88364493/jennie-by-alan-quicho?from=user +4 nice lens. A little pricey +5 Perfect +5 Use this on all of my photoshoots. Must buy for headshot photographers. +5 I can't agree more with those positive reviews. Let's just say, that if you have a DSLR body and you can't produce a bokeh-licious photo then you miss the point and waste your money. This Canon 85mm 1.8 lets you achieve buttery smooth background and sharply focused subject photos at a crazy affordable price. On my 6D, the 85mm 1.8 and 14mm 2.8 II, none of which has IS, perform superbly well. Highly recommended! +5 Love this lens. This rapidly has become my go-to lens for low light captures of people in action. While it lacks image stabilization, the speed is sufficient to do some really nice depth of field effects. 85mm is perfect for clarity and generally a good telephoto for capturing people that aren't right next to you. I'm sure there are better lenses available, but I doubt you'll find a better portrait lens at this price point. +5 The most used lens in my kit now. It has almost entirely replaced my 50mm f/1.4. +4 This lens allows enough light to come in to allow for beautiful portraits. Since it is a fixed lens the only thing I was not used to was having to walk in and out to zoom into my subject matter. Great lens! +5 I need to use this lens more to write a review. +5 My absolute favorite lens! I don't leave home without it. I use it inside gyms for volleyball and basketball. +5 Never regret to choose Canon. +5 It's supposed to be a little easier on the record heads. Always reliable. Have use this tape for many years +5 IT WAS THE EXACT ITEM AS ADVERTISED NEXT IT WAS THEN SHIPPED PROMPTLY, AND WAS VERY SECURED. I AM PLEASED, THX +2 I have had trouble using these tapes. They do not record so great and I'm wondering if they are old or just not very good quality. +5 Great Product +5 I love this lens. It's extremely sharp, but since i'm on a crop sensor I barely get to use it. But it's by far my favorite, and can't wait til I'm working on a full frame so i can use this baby more! +5 Excellent quality lens, great price. +5 Great lens +5 Great lens, superb glass. This lens is super fast and accurate. Focus is silent and spot on. Creates great portraits for a great price. +5 Thanks, good quality and service. +5 These lens is an awesome addition to your lens lineup. I use this lens the most of all my lenses. +5 I bought this glass last week and was able to try last sunday for a photo shoot with client, I feel in love and great glass! i am glad i decided... lens flare is good on this glass with lens hood attached too it.. for now this all i can say.. i will update my review as time goes by.. +5 Best pound-for-pound clarity, sharpness and speed out of any lens I own. I purchased a $1,300 "L" zoom lens and was completely underwhelmed by it in most aspects. Returned and purchased this for $900 less and 100 times happier. It's only limitation is it's "fixed" status as a prime. I wish they made a lens this clear for this price with a zoom. I often find myself a little too close to objects to fully utilize this as anything but a portrait lens. But that's why I bought it, so no real complaint there. I love it. Buy it. Best "cheap" should-have-been-red-ring-L-lens other than the dirt cheap nifty fifty 50mm. Didn't buy through Amazon but the product is sound. +5 Build quality is excellent. The lens feels great when shooting. The F1.8 is super fast. This lens produces good background blur and bokeh. Shooting great primes like this one makes you realize how many compromises go into even great zoom lenses. This lens just gives the photos a distinct look, with crisp details and great bokeh. It might not get used constantly, but when it is needed for closeup family shots, sports, or action oriented photos, it is a great lens to have. +3 Great lense for portraits, but mine has a couple problems distortion of features (legs can look short), autofocus does not work. DO NOT BUY USED LENSES IF YOU NEED AUTO FOCUS TO WORK WELL. I tried it out late after purchasing and got stuck with a damage. Seller and Amazon were not helpful. Usually good luck with Amazon, but got zapped this time. If autofocus worked I'd give it 4 stars. Clear, but distorted features on full body shots. +5 Sharp, and great lens. It is 85mm, and better than the L series kit lens. Good image. +5 Excellent price, awesome photos, and very easy to use. +2 I purchased this lens Jan. 22, 2013. It was a new, never used lens, purchased from Amazon and fulfilled by them. I was pleased with the excellent bokeh and exposure in lower light situations. I used it for indoor athletic events with good results. The quality of photos was very good, especially considering that it cost only $359 at the time. Fast forward to October 2014. The lens now has lost the ability to focus in either manual mode or AF. Until now, it had never shown any indication of any kind of problem. Its warranty was for one year, so I'm now checking with Canon and other repair shops to get an estimate for fixing this problem. I am very disappointed that a Canon lens had such a short useful life. The lens was used moderately, and stored properly. There's no discernible reason why it had a lens failure. If my lens cannot be repaired at a reasonable price, I'm not sure that I trust Canon's quality control enough to buy a replacement. +1 Auto focusing not working only manual focusing +5 Excellent optics. Another solid lens from canon +4 I am very satisfied with my purchase...this is awesome! I would recommend to anyone looking for one of these items! +4 good tapes for the money. i have used these tapes for many years and they do the job for basic shoots. +5 I have been looking to buy the Panasonic MiniDv tapes (the sames ones I had gotten some years back) and the prices online were just not right, till I found this 5-pack deal on Amazon! I still use my so-called older digital camcorder and value wise this is a great buy. +5 I purchased two of these; the tapes arrived quickly and worked very well. With manufactures no longer producing tape style camcorders it may soon become a challenge to find these tapes, let alone at such a good price. Have a Magical Day +5 I remember when I first bought a MiniDV camcorder way back in 2001, the MiniDV tapes were pretty expensive(over six bucks a tape). This is a great deal at just under ten bucks for a pack of 5 tapes. Panasonic makes good quality MiniDV tapes(I have some going over ten years and picture quality is still fine). These tapes can be used either in SP(60mins) or LP(90mins) mode. Overall good quality and great deal for this pack. +4 Got it on time and as described. I am pleased with it. Just what I wanted. Will buy it again if I need it. +5 A few years ago I recieved a Panasonic PV-GS150 camcorder as a gift but never really used it much. In fact all the original stickers are still on the camcorder. I was in Best Buy and noticed they had a 5 pack of Sony 60 minute DV tapes for $31.99, when I asked why they were so much more expensive than I had remembered, the sales associate told me DV was being phased out. This may or may not be the case, if it was I would tend to think the price would drop rather than rise as is the case for most any product that's being sent out to pasture. Thinking I might get a better deal on Amazon (99% of the time I do and I average about 20 purchases a month) So that said I was shocked to find the Panasonic 5 pack of DV tapes for a mere $10.38!I didn't hesitate a moment, click - add to cart. The tapes are the real McCoy and the savings is incredible. I also found a head Cleaning tape for $8.00 (every place else is at least twice that) Click add to cart. Plus I found an extended battery which I priced everywhere I could think of online and found they ran about $60 - on Amazon $15.99. Click add to cart. I added everything to my cart and all products combined costing less than a single 5 pack of tapes at a Big Box Electronic store. Everything arrived well packaged and with lightening fast speed. When it comes to deep discounts, from luxury items to the most basic household products - Amazon offers pricing that's usually impossible to beat. And as a Prime member the two day shipping is free on items that qualify - and that's an enormous selection. I have no idea how they manage it - I'm just sure glad they do. +5 Classic Canon quality & performance. One of many Canon lenses in my bag.... +5 One of my favorite lenses. If you want to melt your background away, this is the lens for you. +5 Very nice lens! This lens does not zoom in or out for your information! It takes very sharp, clear photos! Love it! +5 Great indoor lens. +5 Great lens +5 ok +5 I have been shooting pictures for over 10 years weddings, portraits etc. This lens for the price out performs the 1.2! would be this handsdown! +5 This has made a huge impact on our families beginner/intermediate level photos! Lenses are so key, more so perhaps than the camera! +5 Received on time and in good condition. Love this lens. Love the pictures. Best investment I have done to my camera. +5 I've yet to test it on its original purpose of shooting low light indoor action shots however it did a wonderful job as I experimented with outdoor night sports. It was sharp enough that I could crop/enlarge professional baseball at a surprising distance under the lights. It also performed well shooting some well lit indoor media events but so do all the other Canon lenses I use...Nifty 50, 18-55 and 70-200 f/2.8 Sigma. Might I add that Canon shocked me by delivering the $50 rebate within 2 weeks! +5 Incredibly sharp lens, amazing bokeh, nothing much to add to the superlatives so many have already provided. I am using on a full-frame Canon 6D and the sliver of focus on facial portraits with blown out backgrounds is "as advertised" when wide-open at f/1.8. Very sharp images when closed down a bit to f/4-f/8. A recent group portrait of four people clearly shows all the details on a wristwatch watch-face, for example. And at the price range its in, the best prime lens I've used. +5 I'm definitely happy with this lens, works great, wonderful portrait shots are being taken often, my go to lens now! +3 Good lens! +4 Great lens, solidly built ...great for portraits. +5 Great lens! The photo quality is gorgeous, my pictures are a lot less grainy. I'm loving the creamy background blur. +5 Excellent +4 These tapes work very well, especially considering the price. I had a few dropped frames one two of the tapes, but this happens on almost all tapes, and doesn't mean the tape itself was to blame. Many reviewers have complained about dropped frames on one or two of the tapes out of the pack, and I must iterate that an isolated one is to be expected every so often, especially when using consumer grade equipment. That said, if you're shooting videos of your kids or some other "home" use, these tapes will undoubtedly meet your expectations. If you are a professional, you may want to consider something else, but more importantly, you should probably also upgrade to a format that doesn't use magnetic tapes-- the mechanical nature of them leads to errors, no matter how good the tapes and equipment you have are. There is no avoiding that, in any capacity. +5 This means I have tapes for a long time now and this will let me take movies of this christmas and put it on a DVD +5 Excellent price and excellent product. I will fallow buying to you for the good price. In Costa Rica, it cost about $10.00 each one. Panasonic is a very good product. +1 I'm a video professional . . . my normal brand was unavailable and Panasonic has a good name in the industry. Not anymore when it comes to media, in my opinion. I've had nothing but problems with my batch of 25 tapes. I'm experiencing a strange lack of recognition of the timecode, like i've never seen . . . not just dropped frames. It's Bad! Ya know . . . if you have an anomalous batch in your production, if it doesn't meet your quality specs . . . don't sell them to a discounter or something like that . . . just throw them out, will ya please! I don't have time for this crap. Guess i shouldn't be buying one of the cheapest tapes out there, but i've had great success with TDK cheap tapes. +4 If your video is for family and fun, this is all the tape you need. Why spend a lot of money on expensive tapes? On the other hand, if you are shooting something that your reputation and livelihood depends on, the higher quality tapes might just be your best bet. I have had occasional, though rare, problems on playback using these tapes. I can't claim definitively that it is the tape, but I do know I have never had the same problem with the higher quality tapes. +5 This is the brand I have used for many years. I only record on them once, and then I lock the tape so it cannot be recorded over. I trust this tape for all the special events and occasions in my family. These tapes have never failed me so I will continue to purchase these mini-DVs. I find the price to be very reasonable as well. +5 I have used 100's of these and reused some once or twice and never had an issue. I usually buy them in 50 pack boxes and on occasion had to purchase a single, three or five pack at a local store when the need arises. Never had an issue in my Canon GL1, GL2 or XL2. +5 the lens is fantastic! now that I had to sent it to canon to be repaired. right out of the box the lens wad defective. this was a brand new product and I had to send it to canon for repair. lucky it was under the one year warranty, now that canon fixed it the lens is working fine now. it also took the seller almost two weeks to get the product to me. the day after I ordered this product my credit card was charged and it took almost two weeks to get this product. I am not happy with this seller. I will not order from them again. +5 Nothing really to add to the glowing reviews, just that this lens is S-W-E-E-T! Works so well in low light, focuses very fast, and creates amazing bokeh. Plain and simple: a must own lens! +5 Great lens +5 A great sharp lens. +4 I have to say that I love this lens. Those that are complaining about its performance at f/1.8 are really just not using the lens properly. I'll attach some pictures taken with it. +5 I am using this lens on an EOS 7d and have gotten good results. Using the lens mostly for portraits, I have enjoyed very clear images with excellent color. The bokeh is nice and makes for a good background effect when doing outdoor portraits. This lens performs very well and my opinion is the price/performance is excellent. +5 Best portrait lens you can get. Almost as sharp as a 135mm 2.0 +5 Loooooooove this lens! +5 Simply the best lens I have ever used. Make sure you understand it does not zoom, but the pictures it takes are very impressive! +5 Very good as described +5 This lens is amazing! Why would anyone but the "L" lens and tolerate the extra weight? Images are sharp and color rendition is superior. +5 This lens is amazingly sharp; L quality sharp. It lacks the lens coatings of L lenses so the colors and contrast aren't as good, but sharpness leaves nothing to be desired. I found it to be easily sharper than my 24-70 f2.8L. I used it on a Canon 5d MkII and took some of my sharpest and best city/skyline shots with it. +1 Never bought it the co that sold it to me didn't know what they were doing so I figured if they didn't know about a 499 lens maybe I should leave it alone. +5 This recording video tapes are good. After reading some reviews about other brads I decided to buy this specific brand. We have no problems with this tapes. They work well. I will buy again. +4 Using them in my Canon HV30. Cheap and quality tapes. 4 stars are because on one tape had skipped frames. +5 I trust these tapes only in my DV camcorder,never had one mishap or hiccup! I don't buy other brands cuz had too many fails!!!! +5 Great price and great Tapes. They shipped fast and I am very happy with the product. +5 Nice lens,works well on my camera +5 Sharp, fast to focus, great bokeh - one of the essentials in any portrait photographer's kit! +5 For the money this is a great buy. A great portrait lens that produces sharp images and a lovely bokeh! +5 Super affordable and perfectly sharp in performance. I love shooting portraits with it but the shallow dept of field takes practice at mastering. +5 My friend needed this lens and i am giving this to him in 3-4 days from know. He likes this. Thank you +5 This is such a great piece of glass! It is a great portrait lens- Always great bocco, very sharp nothing bad to say about this 85mm lens- except.. I wish it had a small zoom- +5 So it has been a few months since I ordered this lens. I fell in love immediately. The sharpness and contrast is amazing, but the creamy bokeh is what keeps me going back to this lens. +3 very good, durable construction. Images are nice, but have a yellow color cast. Would prefer a wider angle for tight spaces. +3 I'm a professional photographer and wanted an 85 mm lens. the 1.2 wasn't worth the money for the few times I would use it and the 1.8 got pretty good reviews. However, I'm not so sure about it. It seems to focus fast enough, But I find I get consistently sharper shots with my 70-200 f2.8L. (I know I'm comparing an L to a non L). Shooting at 1.8 is not nearly as sharp or consistent as shooting at 5.6, but then what did I get a fast prime lens for? But still. I've used the lens more as a candid shooter on the second cam slung over my shoulder, and will update as I use it more. +5 This is, in my opinion (and many other people's) one of the all-time-best prime lenses. Super sharp, and a useful focal length. If thinking about it for a camera with a "crop factor" (a non-full-frame camera) be aware that it presents a somewhat narrow angle of view. You may have to step back to get your entire subject in the picture. Or consider spending 3x as much, and getting a zoom lens. All depends on what you'll be shooting... +5 I don't get to techky my thing is does it do what you want it to? And the answer is yes, it takes nice, crisp clear images end of story. +5 Debated getting an 85mm for a year+. Finally had a reason to pick one up. Read tons of reviews here as well as other sites and there seemed to be no real issues. This lens focuses fast and the images are amazing! I have been working with it taking images of my two yellow labs as they are patient and will stay in a position for a bit. (Normal Lab position is sleeping, so it is easy) Will move to portraits of family and grandchildren shortly after I spend some time experimenting with the lens. Shot some images of flowers and fauna and am really pleased. I have a feeling this may be a carry lens for sometime and my others may be waiting for use. Build quality is excellent. Some have complained about a plastic feel, but I have several heavy lenses and like having something that is lighter. I feel it is well built. Bought the Canon lens hood. I overpaid and could have gotten a knockoff, but have had some experiences with cheap and decided to pay for the brand. +5 You cannot get anything better than this lens. FAST, SHARP, Quick focus, and reliable. It has some chromatic abberation wide open but still very sharp and stop it down, it is as sharp as $2000 70-200mm II L IS f/2.8. +5 I think this has become my new favorite lens! I love it, it takes amazing photos, the clarity is well beyond expected and for the price vs the 85mm f/1.4 lens it is WELL worth it! +5 Fast focus, light weight, cheap, very sharp by f2.5, sharp enough for me at f1.8! One of the best budget lenses for full frame canon. The canon 85L f1.2 is super expensive, and very slow to focus. The Sigma 85 f1.4 is faster than the 85L, but some people report focus inaccuracy. The 85 f1.8 is just too cheap, focuses lightning fast and works too well not to own. I wouldn't trade it for the 85L or the sigma 85. +4 My husband is very pleased with this purchase. Cannon is a great brand and all he uses. Will definitely keep purchasing. +5 I needed a lens for low light and fast moving subjects. This lens works like a charm. I tried it at a basketball game and it really out-performed me slower lenses by a mile! Great addition to my photo equipment! +5 This is a great lens. One thing I really like about this lens is the fact that I can focus only focusing the lens instead of having to deal with zoom as well. The weight isn't bad, it is a bit heavy, but it feels better than the cheaper lenses. I think the look is very professional and the photos I get are great. +5 I needed this lens a long time ago but was shying away from fixed-length lenses. What a mistake! I would give up most of my zoom lenses to keep this one for the quality and ease of use. +5 I love the sharpness and wide aperture. Works great for both photos and for video. Can't go wrong with this purchase. +3 i gave it a 3 star becouse im using it on a canon t3i, which is a crop sensor camera, and it don't have image stableization. other than that a beautiful lens, excellent quality. my problem is i have to be about 15 feet away from the subject to get them in the frame +5 I bought this lens to use for portraits on my Canon 6D. I am very pleased with it. The pictures are sharp and good looking. +4 Not a professional quality lens but a decent and relatively fast lens for the amateur photographer. Works well with the Canon Rebel. +4 3.5 stars rounded off to 4. If i had written this review 1 year before, i could have rated it 5 stars. During the last year, my skill for photography as well as standards have increased specially since i am using Canon 135mm F/2 L which serves as a benchmark for quality. I got many amazing pictures from this 85mm, some of them jaw dropping - Beautiful colors, contrast and something magical. The quality of bokeh is really nice - beats 50mm 1.4 any day. USM motor in this lens is amazing - Silent and very fast focus beating ever some L lenses. Finally, 85mm is a nice focal range for portraits (i am using it on full frame, so 85mm stays 85mm). My copy of lens needed little micro adjustment and now it is focusing perfectly as it should. Why 3.5 stars? 1) Can't use at F/1.8, not even at F/2. Need to stop it down to F/2.8 for sharper pics. That gives away the advantage of keeping a fast prime specially when you have multiple lenses and need to prioritize which one to carry. 2) Color fringes - Yes, this is the biggest issue with this lens and i waste precious time in lightroom / photoshop. Compare it with 135mm F/2 L which shoot sharp at F/2 without any color fringing. 85mm color fringing is so bad that i can see them almost in every picture specially in out-of-focus parts and many times in focused parts too when there is a lot of contrast. Honestly, i was not good enough around 1 year back to notice these but now when i look back at those wonderful pics, i can see bad color fringes. My Tamron 28-75 F/2.8 fares better and hardly show any color fringing when shooting at same apertures and exposure settings. So, i feel no regret in leaving 85mm prime at home in favor of Tamron 28-75 zoom specially when 75mm still is good focal length for portraits and i mostly have 135mm F/2 L in my bag. So, inability to take sharp pics wide open and CA kills an otherwise amazing lens. I know it is little unfair to compare this budget lens with costlier L lens but all these rave reviews force me to do this unfair comparison. And, its not only my 135 L but also my cheap Tamron 28-75 F/2.8 which kills this lens. Recommendation: 1) If you already own 85mm F/1.8 and love it, don't purchase 135mm F/2 L, you will lose your love for 85mm F/1.8 2) 85mm is not really 85mm on crop sensor body (multiply it by 1.6 for canon crop sensors) and also crop sensors can't really take full advantage of its optics. 50mm F/.4 is really the lens i recommend for a crop body - crop factor makes it equivalent to 80mm which is nice portrait focal length. I have used 50mm 1.4 as well as 85mm 1.8 on crop body as well as full frame. I have sold my crop now and use only full frame. 3) If you have a good quality F/2.8 zoom lens covering 85mm or anything near (example: 24-70 F/2.8 or 28-70 F2.8 or 28-75 F/2.8 or 70-200mm F/2.8 IS), spend your money wisely. Get 85mm 1.8 only if you have very specific need for this focal length else i can tell you that it is not really usable at 1.8 +4 Used four out of the five so far and no problems or issues to report. Hopefully they'll hold up over the years. +5 I have never had an issue with panasonic products. Highly recommend this product to be used with consumer,prosumer and professional video cameras. +2 These tapes used to work OK for me. Not now. Almost every one of them I used this summer had one or more timecode breaks / dropouts when using in my Canon XH-A1 camera. (All the tapes were brand-new and not being re-used.) I film lots of live events and can't have even one frame missing from my footage! I'll be switching to a higher-end tape today. +4 The Brand name/Price ratio was right. I used a few of these tapes and only one had some errors - the video breaks into little squares and audio is missing for about 20 seconds.. +4 I bought these for use on three different camcorders - an older Panasonic SD camcorder, a newer consumer model Sony HD, and a professional model JVC GY-HD100. I shot in standard definition and HDV, and the footage I uploaded looked great on all of them. I also used a more expensive "Master" model of Panasonic miniDV Panasonic Mini DV tapes for some of the footage, and I can't tell the difference in quality. Unfortunately, I'm not really an expert in the field, and probably someone who was could give a good reason why to pay about four or five times as much for the more expensive tapes -- and it may have to do with durability over the long haul -- but for my purposes this one seemed to do quite well. +5 This tape is working as advertise, so far so good no drop frame . Price is excellent +4 This isn't my favorite lens in my collection. I like to be close to my clients and that's why it isn't my favorite. Other than that it is great. +5 Bought this lens to take better quality pictures and loved it! This lens is perfect for basic photo-shoots. It will give you quality pictures with a great bokeh background - perfect for portraits! You do have to stand very far away from the subject since the lens is super zoomed in so it's definitely not the ideal lens for full landscape shots, but again great for portraits and full body pics! +5 This lens is great on my Mark ii. It's my preferred lens for outdoor photography or indoor close ups. Sturdy and a great companion to the 50mm +5 Great for portraits. A bit heavier than I expected but very happy with the results. Terrific lens for the money. +5 One of my all time favorite lenses, especially for portrait work. Fast, sharp optics deliver consistent and predicable results. No lens distortion nor chromatic aberration. The 85mm f/1.8 lens is a good or better than many of my Canon L-series professional lenses. One of the most valuable lenses in my line up and THE greatest value for the money. Buy it! You won't be disappointed. +5 I'd been waiting to get this lens for months....I am so happy that I finally found it at a decent price.....it's a very welcome addition to my photography bag....I use this and only this lens for portraits...the images are beautifully crisp and clear with a lovely bokeh in the background when shooting at a wide aperture....great lens as are all the canon lenses! +5 This lens has a beautiful image quality! the bokeh is really impressive! I use it on my t3i for portraits. The pictures and video are just beautiful! I think I don't need the 85-L len +5 I can't decide if I like this one or the Canon 50mm/f1.4 better. They both take beautiful shots for an amateur photographer ;) Highly recommend. +4 The quality of the images I'm producing with this lens is great. I am having a little difficulty with transferring from a zoom lens to a Prime lens though, since you can't zoom in at all, you have to just walk closer and further from the subject to get certain crops. I'm shooting with a Canon Rebel Ti1, and the cropped body isn't exactly helping, since it makes it look like I am waaaaayyyy closer to the subject than I actually am. I absolutely cannot shoot with this lens indoors, because there simply isn't enough space for me to get far enough away to get my subject inside the frame of the camera. However, it is pretty good for taking outdoor pics of my daughter running around, because I can do it from further away. Can't wait to save up the money to buy a nice zoom lens though, because I love the large aperture, I just want to have more flexibility with my shots than a prime lens will allow. +5 amazingly sharp images, great contract and color. best lens for portraits. this lens has not left my camera 6d. Even at 1.8 this lens provides amazing results! +4 This lens has great low light capability. I've used it at events without a flash and was amazed at the quality of the pictures. The only thing you have to watch out for is the depth of field when using the f 1.8 setting. +5 I purchased a Canon T5i & a couple of manuals to help get up to speed on its capabilities. I already had a 28-135 mm and 70-200mm telephoto stabilzer lens, the midrange lens . The books all recommended a set lens to take one adjustment out of the equation. The 85 mm was perfect, again the mid-price lens, can't quite step up to an L series lens. Every picture that is enfocus is crystal clear! +5 I bought the product for my camera and it worked out pretty well. I am not overly snooty about it and am not concerned with max quality or anything, it records well and does the job. +5 Video quality is great. I'm very satisfied with the tapes. There's not much else you can say about a MDV tape. I would buy again for $11. +5 I have used Panasonic mini-DV tapes exclusively for the past 10 years. I can't remember when I had a problem with one. They always work. I use the 63 minute and 83 minute ones, as they are, in my opinion a bit better and the extra few minutes are always nice during a dance recital or Wedding. The important thing is, whichever brand of tape you use, stick with the same one, as switching around could cause clogged heads, etc., because of different tape formulations. +3 This was a gift for my daughter and her husband to go with the camcorder we bought them. They said they were happy with it. +5 I purchased this lens for my 6D for portrait photography. I am not disappointed. I generally prefer "L" glass, however the quality on this lens rivals the quality of any of my "L" lenses. The Bokeh is smooth, and the focus is sharp even wide open. I highly encourage you to check this out. +5 I use this primarily at indoor basketball games where the light is low. The pictures are sharp and I'm very happy with it. It would also be good for portraits, although I haven't used it for that very much yet. +5 One of the best prime lens for the price!! Sharp, fast and light !! BUY IT, you won't regret it +4 i shot some photos and videos with this on FF camera. it's a great lens for a very reasonable price. +5 Another product that is obviously great. I shoot headshots. It worked great for my 7D, even better for my 5Dmk2. +5 This is absolutely my favorite portrait lens! The things this lens does with bokeh just makes me melt! As a portrait and wedding photographer, this lens is definitely a must have for my arsenal. I would never do a shoot without it!!! +5 great lens. very crisp. Ive played with a friends 1.2 and , this lens is just as great. unless im taking crazy pills...works as beautifully as Derek Zoolanders "Magnum". The ONLY downside...it looks funny on my camera (6d) compared to the 1.2. A bit smaller. Also, the focusing is very fast. USM makes it quiet (obviously). The bokeh is strong and amazing. +1 I so wanted to love this lens. All the reviews I had read about it were positive. Most all agree that if you are going to do any portrait work, you NEED this lens. So I bought it. And like most everything I buy from Amazon it arrived in just a few day's. Soon as I opened it, I could see light damage (ruffled edges) to the Canon lens original box. So yeah... it had been opened before. My first thoughs were uh oh, this probably isn't going to work well. Someone must have returned it, and it got reshipped to me. Hmmmm put it on the camera, and sure enough the pic's were not sharp and clear. No where near as good as the kit lens that came with the Rebel (T2i). So I shipped it back the next day. I have sense bought the 50mm 1.8 (Amazon) and couldn't be more happy with it. It takes awesome pics. I still want the 85mm, just a little fearfull to order another right now. +5 This was a great price for a great lens. This is a solid lens to add to your collection. Or in my case I sold my kit lenses and a few others, and just bought this one. It is great. +5 This is a great sub for small to medium size rooms. Not just for the BOOM & BANG home theater crowd, but a MUSICAL sub that will add that bottom end punch and make the music MUCH more involving. Can think of no better way to upgrade a hi-fidelity system. A LOT of value for money spent. Will make an INCREDIBLE improvement in any system. I own TWO of these units, used in different rooms. Am using them with bookshelf speakers in the $2000/pair range. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Audiophile quality sound. +5 THIS IS A HONEY OF A SUBWOOFER.IT IS VERY POWERFUL,YET NATURAL SOUNDING.THE ONE THING POLK KNOWS, IS MUSIC.FROM LIGHT CLASSICAL FOLK, ROCK,JAZZ YOU NAME IT,YOU HERE MUSIC,NOT A SUBWOOFER.WHEN YOU POP IN AN EXCELLENT DVD,YOU ARE IN THE MOVIE.THE SYSTEM IS MATED WITH 3 CERWIN-VEGA SPEAKERS,THAT HAVE EXCELLENT SOUND ON THEIR OWN.THE LONG DISCONTINUED POLK PSW250 8 INCH SUB.WAS SIMILAR IN QUALITY OF SOUND TO THE PSW404. FOR MUSIC THE POLKS ARE BETTER THAN THE VELODYNES,IN MY OPINION.A GOOD DEAL. +5 Hey they are tapes, what can be so complicated. But pretty decent quality and value, amazon has decent deals on this one +5 These are the best tapes for the money. Never once had any problems with them. +4 The forums say stay with one brand and quality of tape, for the health of the camcorder heads. So I continue to buy these, here and elsewhere when I see a tempting sale price. I do not find these tapes great, as something clearly lacking in the quality - I have seen better. Yet these Panasonic DVC tapes provide reasonably good color for the price. I question their stability as when I reuse them on the second go round, I do notice dropouts and catches and drags. I have high def camera and monitor, so maybe I notice more than someone else. Price on Amazon, good when on sale - yet watch expiry date, source (yes low quality versions or fakes exist), and avoid buying from extreme temperature locations (tape sensitivity). Would not recommend using these for once in a lifetime memories (go better) such as world cruise, graduation, birthing, rare orchids, diva performances, etc. For daily and unimportant shooting of the swimming hole, job, traffic, your house and yard, new car, etc., these do fine. +5 I've been using this glass for a bit over a month and have had nothing but great things to say about it! It's not as price as the L lenses, but it does the trick! I love the feel of it, even if it is a little heavy for others, it feels sturdy in my hands. Sorry I'm not as technical as others, but just know you'll get some great pics with this portrait. +5 This lens is the best lens you can have. The pictures are sharp and detailed. Great for portrait and also for general use photography to create a bokeh effect. Great for its price and highly recommended. +5 If you think you have this length adequately covered with one of your zoom lenses, you may be mistaken. It is a great portrait lens, and even better for action shots. Focusing is fast, and it operates wonderfully in low light situations. +4 I had a tiny bit of buyer's remorse after purchasing, but not because the lens is faulty. The lens works great... I can only complain that, although it goes without saying given that it's a lens, it has to be handled quite carefully. I always handle my lenses carefully and don't recall ever dropping it or hitting it on anything, yet I found a discolored scratched up area near the actual lens the other day after only having it for a couple of weeks. My only other comment to add is that the 85mm range is a very interesting range. It's difficult for me to work with because it puts you too close up for anything large unless it's a good distance away, and it's too small for anything small that's a good distance away. I thought this lens would be a good one for using during my daughter's dance recitals and competitions because of the low light in theaters and seats often being set back a little ways, but am quickly finding (fairly recently getting into photography) it's not a good situation for a primary focus lens. If you like to have a variety of lenses, then this would be a great addition, but if you can't afford to buy a lot of lenses or carry a lot of lenses around, you may want something a little more practical. I do think the price is a little high though... I think 275 would have been a more fair price. +5 quite and great for portraits ONLY as it zooms in very close and you can see pores as well so keep a little distance +5 I chose this rating because I am so happy with my purchase. It arrived as stated it would, and the packaging was perfect to make sure it wouldn't get damaged in shipping. I stuck this on my camera and LOVE it instantly. the picture quality is great with my 7d and 60D canon camera's. I love that I can take nice pictures in low lighting and see such clarity. Definitely worth the purchase! +5 If you like portrait photography and own a Canon, I don't know of any other lens as good as this for the price. I highly recommend this lens. +5 Simply put, this is an incredible lens for the money. Sharp, beautiful color, extremely well made (heavy), and very bright. One of the best purchases I've ever made. +5 I shoot a lot of low-light shows, and not only do my images still come out quite sharp with this lens, but it focuses fast!! I mean, wow. I'm really frikkin' impressed. Snap it on my Canon 60D and go for it [gotta have that crop since I'm farther back...] I also use this lens in a lot of natural light portraits on my 5D Mk III and I can't get enough of this thing. I can't wait to use this on one of my upcoming weddings. I almost purchased the 100mm f/2.8 over this one, but I'm glad I went for the 85mm. Not that it's a bad lens, but for what I was able to afford at the time I feel that this lens was a great investment over the 100mm. I also have the 50mm f/1.8, but I rarely use it nowadays. +5 This prime lens is a must for photographers. and at f1.8 you get great bokeh. Your next step up from this lens is the 85mm L lens. +5 great lens, super sharp, good price! I use it outdoors for portrait photography it gets the job done and well! +5 I recently switched from the 50mm f1.4 wanting a little bit of extra reach as I felt the 50mm was a tad bit short and "in your face" for headshots. I currently have this on my Canon 60D. Just comparing with the 50mm f1.4 there's a bit more durability due to the size and at least to me the USM is quieter and focuses very quickly. Like the 50mm f1.4 though in low light situations I've found the same focus hunting issues but not a big deal as a hobbyist. For weddings and shoots that require low light setting this could pose a problem of course. While this lens is one stop more than the 50mm f1.4 lens, I've rarely shot them wide open unless I'm looking for a very shallow depth of field which to me is more of an artistic thing with VERY still subject. It can be done but shooting a subject with f1.4 and even f1.8 you have to be very careful where you focus or it easily made not-so-sharp images more often than one I actually kept. Most headshots I do around f2.2 and get a creamy bokeh and still have the face in focus. With that said there's some color fringing visible wide open up until f2.2 or so. It does go away after for the most part at f2.8 and stopped down. With the longer focal length the bokeh at f2.8 is still gorgeous compared to shorter/wider lens. I'm a big bokeh fan so seeing some shots of 135mm f/2L at f5.6 is still a jaw dropping beauty; the 85mm f1.8 may not be as good as 135mm with the shorter reach but it's still very pleasing to your eyes. Especially if you never owned a 50mm f1.4 or quality prime lens you'll instantly fall in love with either lens. Since it's not overly big it's a good walk around and provides tact sharp focus. Even wide open it's sharp enough while stopping down it gets even sharper. Sharp is all relative but it seems to be more accurate in focus than other lens I've owned. Definitely worth the price; I've bought mine used but you won't regret the purchase. +5 This lens is impressive for the price. The bokeh at 1.8 is amazing. I don't have experience with the 85mm 1.2L so I can't compare but for non-L series its amazing. +5 I love prime lenses. This lens is a prime example of why I love prime lenses. 85mm @ f/1.8 is fast. Way faster than any zoom lens. Fast aperture means your camera's autofocus system is going to work better, your going to be able to get higher shutter speeds for stopping motion and for portraits and things like that, you get bokeh!!!!. 85mm wide open, or even at through F/4 is gonna give you decent back ground separation. This unique quality, especially wide open at f/1.8, is what will make your photos pop and stand apart from the one's shot with the kit lens. This lens has been around forever but it's a great lens, internal focusing, small size, big aperture and small price. It may not be the first lens you want to own but it should be up there. you'll love the way it makes things look if you haven't played with any fast telephoto primes yet. The other thing that is nice about primes, and this one is no exception, they are generally sharper, and less distorted then their zoom lens counterparts. This means image quality can be as good or better than a much more expensive zoom lens. The only expense to you is having to change lenses to get new focal lengths. +5 This lens is required if you want to shoot portraits on Full Frame Canon camera and 1) can't afford the 1.2 85mm and 2) want auto focus. I considered the Rokinon 85mm 1.4, but I am very happy with the shallow DOF of this lens. In fact, at 1.8, it's almost too shallow on FF camera - when head is turned slightly, the eye away from camera will be soft. If you have a crop sensor camera (the rebels, 7D and 70D), then get the 50mm 1.8 which would be your 85mm equivalent portrait lens (actually 80mm). The 85mm will be 136mm on crop sensor, which is great for portrait too. FF cameras would have to get the much more expensive 135 F2 L lens to do the same job. Bottom line: buy this lens. +4 I had big expectations for this lens, but I'm still figuring out how to work around its quirks and flaws to get the photos I want. It has a lot of purple fringing at large apertures. I thought maybe I had a dud, but it looks like a lot of others are having this problem. Usually it can be fixed in Lightroom. (I just read a review that says the 1.2 also has bad fringing.) It also tends to give photos what I can only explain as a 'faded 90s grunge look'. Photos are low contrast but feel overexposed. People look ghostly. A blueish tinge takes over. It's pretty much impossible to fix in Lightroom. Not in every situation, but in many. Other than that, it's good. It's very sharp. It's a very convenient lens - a lot is packed into such a small package. On a full frame it's a versatile focal length that can be used for portraits or often scenery. The 85mm minimum focussing distance feels reasonable and is flattering to subjects, both human and cat. +5 This lens is, in a word, wonderful. The price-to-quality-of-image ratio for this lens is phenomenal when you consider what you pay for it. This is my go-to portrait lens. I honestly do not think there is a justifiable benefit to the substantially increased price in the big brother L version. You get very sufficient creamy bokeh at 1.8 and it is tack sharp (especially on tighter cropped images). I shoot with a Canon 5dmkiii and the results are fantastic. The USM motor is quick and silent. If mine dies for any reason, I will definitely replace it again. I recommend getting a cheap knock-off lens hood- they are simple little pieces of plastic and a very cheap 3rd party hood has done me wonders and saved me about thirty dollars. (The fact that all lenses do not include them, and further still, that canon tries to charge an arm and a leg for them is hogwash IMHO.) +5 I think I found my new favorite lens...in good light, it instantly focuses...and the pics are sharp...the bokeh is beautiful too...It makes me feel like a pro... +5 Excellent lens for portraits and general walk around lens. Sharp and beautiful background blur. Well built and has nice weight to it. +5 I just got this lens and couldn't be happier with my purchase. With the super fast shipping and I was so excited to put it to use as soon as I got. My images are super sharp and make beautiful portrait shots. I am so happy I decided to go with this. +5 I have to say, I read the reviews and I fired on this thing. Oh man, I have been so incredibly happy with its performance. Through my test shots (I have not done a proper shoot yet) I have to say this lens is phenomenal with only one caveat and that might be the camera body I am using so I will go over that later. The pros: Its quiet. It is fast in both aperture rating and the fact that it is prime and focuses quickly. It is a solid metal piece. Color saturation is exquisite. Hi-lites are great. Your images almost appear 3 dimensional and you get tack sharp images. The con: I cannot call this a con simply because I am 95% sure it is because I am using this on a Canon T2i and I simply do no believe this lens is built for the cheap body (hey you gotta start somewhere) so I will describe the problem. Oftentimes while shooting with this lens especially if you have shifted from a low to high aperture or high to low etc you oftentimes can not get an accurate depiction of bokeh and any focusing area outside of your focus point. For example, if you set the aperture to say 2.2 and you focus in you will see in the viewfinder that your focus point is the only thing that is in focus, then you switch the aperture to say f 11, you will notice very little sharpness change on the object that is outside of your focus point, meaning it will look the same in the viewfinder as it does at f 2.2, you snap the photo and viola the image actually was focused as the f 11 aperture changed the focus range and got more of the background / foreground in focus. I played with this lens at a store on a Canon Mark II years ago and I did not notice this effect so it leads me to believe it is the Rebel T2i that is causing this "False focus" It is corrected for me by turning the camera off and restarting it in the aperture I am shooting or by switching the shooting mode then switching back which leads me to believe that this is strictly a limitation in the Rebel T2i innards. So do not freak out if that happens! +3 I KNOW PANASONIC/QUASAR VERY WELL. THEY MAKE FINE PRODUCTS. I HAVE OWNED THE PRODUCTS THEY MAKE SINCE THE 1960'S. I JUST PURCHASED A MINI DV CAMERA FROM PANASONIC. IT CAME WITH A TDK TAPE. TDK, SEEMS TO ME HAS A VERY LONG HISTORY OF GOOD QUALITY VHS BLANK TAPES. I HAVE SOME THAT ARE OVER 10 YEARS OLD AND PLAY FINE. FOR SOME REASON I AM NOT CRAZY ABOUT THESE MINI DV CASSETTES FROM PANASONIC. I BOUGHT 5, AND OUT OF THOSE 5, ONE TAPE THAT I RECORDED, WHEN PLAYBACK WAS DONE, NO SOUND ON PLAYBACK. TDK, SEEMS TO RECORD BETTER THEN PANASONIC. I TRIED RECORDING IT OVER AGAIN AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. MIGHT BE A FLUKE WITH THE CASSETTE, BUT I WILL TRY SOME OTHER BRAND NEXT TIME. MAYBE TDK, OR SONY. THANK YOU +5 shopped around and this was the best price i found on these mini dv tapes, arrived as promised, no problems +5 For the price I paid ($25 for 10 tapes), this is definitely one of the best priced high-quality mini-DV tape on the market. I have used 3 tapes so far and everything seems to be fine (picture quality looks the same as others - I have a Sony HDR-HC3). I think the premium tapes are not worth it if you are going to import video on to a computer HDD. There may be a few drop bits here and there (according to manufacturer's claim anyway), but I don't think (most) people will notice them in the edited video. +5 Do not get challanged with other products like sony. Just go for it. +5 Excellent product at a very good price. I would recomend it to anyone needing Mini DV tapes. +5 I bought this lens over 6 years ago. It has continued to perform and I beat my gear up pretty good. I am a professional photographer and specialize in headshots. This lens hands down is on my camera 100 percent of the time I am shooting headshots. I prefer it over the pricier 1.2. It's super fast, it's light but it's made so very well. I feel that this is one of those lenses in the Canon line that they priced so fairly it's almost a steal! My sports Pro-Photog friends love this because of it's speed. On a cropped sensor camera you will even get a little more length out of it. I shoot a Canon Mark II 5 stars all the way around I own Canon Mark II, 40D, 50 1.2, 24-70 2.8 and 85 1.8 +5 If you are looking for great picture or video at an affordable price, this is your lens. Its great for night time with lights or inside doors. +5 I have used this on a Canon 60D and a 5D Mk 2. I have had the best results with the 5D Mk 2, though it was also good on the 60D. The crop factor of the APS C size sensor in the 60D means that the telephoto effect is effectively increased (to the equivalent of 136 mm). I've had better results with the full frame 5D Mk 2 where 85 mm is just that... Anyway..the lens really is light and fast, good autofocus and when I use it for portrait shots I do get a pleasing background blur. It has been useful for landscape shots where I do not want a wide angle but rather a portion of the view (such as in a Japanese garden). +5 This lens makes me consider to get prime lenses instead of heavy and bulky zooms nice color and bokeh absolutely recommended +5 Compares favorably to $1000 lenses! I impress my friends who have Canon L lenses with this. I can't get enough of this lens... I use it on everything. Example shots : [...] [...] +5 WOW everything looks close! HAHAHA Great lens for portraits. Love it, Love cannon products. Heavy lens. can tell it has a decent amount of glass in it. Works fantastic. +5 This was the very first lens I purchased, and I was very happy with it until I made the mistake of dropping it into the sea. In my depression for losing the 1.8 I purchased the 85mm f1.2, which is a stunning lens, but after a couple years of using the 1.2 I realized that the 1.8 is just as sharp if you compare 2.0 to 2.0 (there are sites that can back up my statement) it's considerably lighter than the 1.2, it doesn't have the issue with being an electric manual focus, and the results are stunning. Not to mention it's less of a tragedy if you drop it in the sea than a 1.2. I sold my 1.2 and went back to my first love, the 1.8. And used the leftover money to buy lots of other things. When anyone is asking me what lens they should buy for their kit, this is always the top of my recommendation. You will not regret it. +4 not much to say about these tapes...they're good, and that's about it. Pretty much what you expect from them. +5 These tapes (pack of 5) are very good in recording. I don't have any problems in rewinding/ fast forwarding the tapes to review what I recorded. I think the the price is reasonable too (nearly $14 for 5 tapes). +5 A great lense to add to your collection of Canon lenses. Made well and it shows in the quality of photos it takes. +5 She has been using non-stop since she got it. Seems to be working really well for what she wanted it for. +5 This lens is perfect for taking portraits and is very fast f-1.8, so it works well in low light situations as well. (Much better than the zoom lenses with 3.5-5.6 apertures) The lens produces very sharp images and separates (blurs) background perfectly. We use this on a Canon T2i, Canon SL1 and with a Canon Mount adapter (EF-EOS-M) on an EOS-M, where the smaller camera sensor makes an image equivalent to a 136mm lens on a 35mm format or full sensor camera. This is my favorite lens for taking photos of the family. Highly recommend without reservation. +5 I've owned this lens twice before an I'm actually in the market to buy it a 3rd time... I first owned it on a crop sensor camera when I was still in school and while I loved the image quality it produced I didn't really like the perspective it gave me on the crop camera. I picked it up a second time once I was using full frame and fell in love. Everyone has their personal opinion on what the perfect focal length is for a head shot (some like 100, 105 or 135) but for me, 85mm is perfect. The 85/1.8 is really fast, AF is quick, it melts away pesky backgrounds, and the color and contrast are superb. I've noticed that the CA/fringing can creep in if you're shooting into the sun but buy a $10 hood and it's fine. I ended up re-arranging my lens lineup a bit just before the wedding season this year and thought I could live without an 85mm for a while and found I really missed it. I've thought about getting the 85L or Sigma 85/1.4 but the 85/1.8 will do just as good a job for me at a fraction of the cost, and at least compared to the 85L, I find this 1.8 version to be much faster and even more accurate than it's $2,000 counterpart. +4 This is a very good lens, it could use an update though. It's an extremely nice focal length especially on a full frame camera. I sold my old one to upgrade, i considered the Sigma 85 1.4 and Canon 85L . The Sigma didn't quite seem to offer me what i desired in a $900 lens, the Canon is very expensive but the image quality is superb. After a hard debate with myself i decided to buy the 85 1.8 again simply because i didn't hate it and it's price came down ($319). +5 I like the lens a lot. Fast AF, great image quality. Absolutely no complaints. Price is also very good. Recommended! +5 I've had this lens for a couple of years now and love it. I use it more than my "L"'s. It has a very shallow depth of field which makes beautifully out of focus backgrounds. The clarity is amazing. I have shots where you can literally zoom in and count the veins in the whites of the subjects eyes. Awesome product! +5 Love this lens. Not too heavy and the pictures are very clear and beautiful. Great as a starter lens for any photographer. +5 If you want to make your first step up from a kite lens and don't want to spend L money I would recommend buying this lens, I use it at wedding all the time and it gives you nice crisp shots with great bokeh don't get me wrong it is no 85 1.2II that lens is just magic, but this lens is my go to for sure! +4 I just finished downloading my first set of pictures from this lens. I had been using a 50mm f/1.8 before for indoor pictures. This is the perfect lens to add to my collection. It is light, works great indoors with no flash, and pictures came out great with my T3i. Be careful to watch the depth of field when shooting in low light, but I'm already loving the lens. +5 this lens is my best one. sharp, good quality. love it overall. it is heavy but worth it. great lens +5 Sharp, fast, compact, and affordable. What more can you ask for from a lens? 85mm is great on full frame. This focal length is equivalent to about 135mm on APS-C "crop" bodies. If you need a fast prime in this focal length, this is a great option. +5 Not tack sharp like my 50mm but definitely my tool of choice for shooting volleyball and basketball. Great for a non-L lens. You might also try the EF 100mm f/2.0 which is superior optically. +5 This lens has exceeded all expectations! Before you give in to your obsession with L-Series lenses, don't look past these impeccable prime lenses. You get a huge bang for your buck and near-perfect optical quality. Beyond all other features I love about this lens, the bokeh is the winner. I have yet to use a lens with better bokeh at any price level! +5 I have used this lens to shoot a couple of high school football games and so far I love it. The optics are crisp and clear and the auto focus works like a charm. +5 Great lens; don't really know why but the pictures taken with this one are always seem to be my favourites in a set. +5 The clarity of this lens is fantastic! Love it!!!! When taking portraits, the individual really stands out! I would recommend this to any person who enjoys taking portraits. +5 this lens , is so sharp its amazing , i use it on my 5d mark II as a portrait lens in my studio , i cant say enough good things about it , buy one you will love it too +5 I debated between 85mm F/1.8 (~$450) and 135mm F/2.0 (~$1100). Both comely highly recommended for portrait photography and so I rented both of them before making my final decision. As an amateur photographer who does mostly hand held photography on a 60D, this is what I discovered. The 135 is an amazing lens, but not very easy to use. Its bigger and heavier. The extra weight combined with the longer focal length requires higher shutter speeds, more ISO and longer distances from your subject. Shooting wide open on either one gives very shallow depths of field and so getting dead on focus of your subject is very important on both, but quite a bit harder to do on the 135 since you are farther from your subject. For indoor areas, it completely rules out using the 135 in small and even medium size rooms. You need space to work with the 135 either outdoor or at wedding venues. With that said though, when you do hit the focus dead on your subject, the 135 image quality is amazing. The background bokeh creates awe inspiring portraits. The 85mm on the other hand is easier to use, lighter to carry around, more versatile in a wider range of scenarios from the shorter focal length and therefore generates a much higher yield of usable pictures than the 135. Its bokeh isn't bad at all, but its just not as good as the 135. After taking all these factors into consideration along with the huge price difference between the two, I decided to get the 85. Somewhere down the road I hope to be able to add the 135 to my gear, but its very specialized use doesnt make it as practical of a purchase as the 85. The 85mm complements my 28mm F1.8 prime perfectly when I go on vacation. With the two of them, I cover 95% of what I want to take while on vacation. The other 5% is when I wish I had something wider than the 28 or some object in the far distance that I wish I had a bit longer focal length. +5 I love this lens! It takes gorgeous portraits. I love the softness I get with it. Taking portraits with this lens is almost like cheating. +5 I've been loving getting to know this lens for about a year now. I got it for the low price (relatively) and large aperture. I heeded the warnings about being very careful about focusing when using it wide open. That did take a while. I found that when possible Live View zoomed in was the best way to focus. Hand-held it's not easy, but it's possible if you're steady or have a way to brace yourself. If you're shooting in daylight, the shutter speed will be really fast at f/1.8, so that compensates some, but not completely. I had to relearn careful focusing before I made the best use of this lens, which I think it shooting with a small area of sharp focus with quick and soft drop-off. It does all that. I was surprised that the low-cost model was so sharp at its widest, but it is. It may fall off toward the outer edges; if it does, it hasn't affected my images. Since the closest it can focus is about 3 ft, it feels limited in its range, especially if you're used to something like the 100mm macro. It was a great experience for me to get comfortable and get some very nice results with a lens type that I had no experience with. I love just walking around with this lens or with the 50mm 1.8 (even cheaper). They're small, light, and perform beautifully. +5 I love the crisp and sharp images that this lens allows my to make. The bokeh is beautiful as well. +5 this lens is amazing- creates seriously magical pictures. this was my first prime lens, so it took some time to get adjusted to focusing a prime lens, and not being able to zoom, but i love it. i am so glad i invested in this lens! +5 Perfect perfect nice lens +5 I was really on the fence between this lens and the 1.2L. However, after reading all the reviews and watching a bunch of video reviews, it basically came down to this... I'm not a full-time photographer that makes a living from his photography. So I couldn't justify spending the money for the 1.2L. However, I am very satisfied with this purchase. The images are really sharp, and focusing is rather good. Would I have been happier with the 1.2L? Probably, it is an L lens with the signature red-ring. However, I wouldn't have been able to purchase the 50mm 1.4 at the same time, as well as a new flash. If on a budget, this is definitely a great option and more budget friendly than the 1.2L. And you will be happy with the images it will allow you to produce. +5 After several weeks of holding off on buying this lens I missed deal after deal so I just decided to order it now new and hopefully a better deal don't come around soon. Reason I was holding off was because it's getting cold here in the Midwest and wouldn't be doing a lot of outdoor shoots and basketball season for the kids don't start until December so I had plenty of time to wait. This will be my first 'expensive' lens purchased and hopefully my last until I upgrade my camera. Probably the second best beginner lens must purchase. Think I'm spoil on primes. I got a outdoor test shot this weekend and will try it out. Being able to give the client room is a must, my last shoot I felt like I was all in the kid face to get a close up with a 40mm. This will give me plenty of room to shoot far back on a cropped body and full the frame with more of the face than the background. Hopefully this lens live up to the hype. Ordered today and get it tomorrow with less than $4 for next day shipping. Gotta love amazon prime. +5 I use this lens on a Canon t4i. To say I love this lens would be an understatement. Autofocus is fast and accurate. Colors are rich and vibrant. Subjects are sharp, and the f/1.8 aperture produces rich and beautiful bokeh. I barely even have to touch the photos in Lightroom because they just look that accurate. If the quality of all my other lenses matched the quality of this lens, I would be a happy man. My one complaint? 85mm is sort of an awkward focal length for a lot of things. You have to be a good deal away from your subject, which may prevent you from using it in the house, but it's not enough of a telephoto lens to zoom in to distant objects. I use this for portraits, where I can easily control how far I am from the subject, but as much as I love this lens, I usually take my 55-250mm lens if I'm out and about. And then I die a little inside because this baby is left at home. Would I buy it again? Yes. Absolutely yes. If you want to see a grown man cry, wait until the day this lens gets damaged or stolen. Then I will cry. I will cry buckets over the loss of my poor 85mm lens. +5 Point and shoot right out of the box. Love it! Just bought my camera this summer and love it with great ease. +5 It's 20 years old. It's still superbly-excellent glass. And it's about 85% cheaper (at its current price of $350) than its new $2200 L - Series big brother. [...] Watch the Digital Rev piece comparing the 2 lenses and I seriously doubt you'll feel the extra $1900 is really worth it unless you have tons of money to burn or REALLY need an extremely razor thin shallow DOF... and even if you do, you may hesitate. UPDATE: Let me add to this regarding the "Purple Fringing" complaint which folks make about this lens particularly when compared to the 1.2 L. You can spend $1900 more and lose the fringing (most but not all) or spend $100 and buy Adobe Lightroom (which you need anyway) and slide the fader marked "Fringe" to the right about 5 notches. GONE. +5 I find that 85mm is just the *perfect* focal length for people's faces. I'm sure there is some sort of formula or theorem behind it, but for whatever reason, people tend to look good at 85mm. It's a good lens to work with, too, since you can capture flattering headshots without needing to be too far away, or so close that you start to get fisheye-ish exaggeration. I know people rave about the Nifty Fifties, but I really don't like using them for portraiture unless the surrounding environment is really going to play into the look of the desired final product. 85mm on a full frame camera is just a joy to shoot with. If you fancy yourself as a portrait photographer, THIS is the lens you need to grab those breathtaking shots where the subject just jumps out at you from the background. So why this lens over the Sigma f/1.4 or the Canon f/1.2? Well, I tried all three. It was an expensive experiment, but a worthwhile one. The Canon f/1.2 is ungodly. It's a beast. A bokeh machine. I loved what I got out of it, but I didn't feel like the performance justified the price for me personally. If I were shooting full-time, and needed my shots to publish in order to survive, it wouldn't even be a question, but as an enthusiastic hobbyist, I couldn't justify the price. It's amazing, but not magical. I really liked the Sigma f/1.4, and found almost everything about it to be top-quality. The feel, the focusing speed, the colors... all great. The reason I couldn't go with it, however, was the color fringing. I'd read about the problem before, and was anticipating it, but didn't realize how present it would be in everyday shots. While Lightroom has a tool specifically for dealing with this problem, it's a solution that can add softness to high-contrast areas. Picket fences, eyelashes, jewelry... I just can't consider a lens to be sharp if the colors aren't aligned, and I just couldn't get past that fault. Maybe they'll do an ART version of it soon that addresses this? The EF 85mm f/1.8 has a nice feel to it, though certainly nowhere as smooth as the other two competitors. Focusing is really quick, and while you'll notice vignetting up to about f/2.2, it's not something I've ever really felt compelled to correct in post. There is CA and fringing in very high-contrast situations, but nowhere as bad as what I saw on the Sigma. Considering the price, it's somewhat of a no-brainer for portraiture and outdoor/landscape photography. +5 I ordered this product used and it took forever to get here... However, it was worth it! AMAZING LENS! I can not tell you enough how great this lens is especially if you shoot in AV mode! +4 This is a great lens for portraits and head shots and it is really sharp until you hit F/2.8 mark, then you can get fringing and chromatic aberration, and it is really soft at F/1/8 It's not as sharp as the f/1.2 and the bokeh is not as buttery, but it's still pretty good for the money. Also it has the advantages of being much lighter weight then 1.2. For the price you get professional quality images without spending a lot of money. +5 This lens is a must have lens if you are shooting portraits. The focal length at 85mm is just right to flatter people. It's ideal for full frame shooters like myself on the 5D3. You get sharp results with beautiful bokeh wide open at f1.8 and it's sharp as nails by f2.5 to f2.8 and above. All the great reviews here are true both for it's positive and negative traits. My first copy of this lens had issues. It had awful CA/purple fringing on high contrast subjects at f1.8 to f2.8 and the left side was soft. The lens had a de-centered element for sure. The replacement from Amazon was amazing. It had very little CA and was equally sharp at all 4 corners. Focus was actually accurate vs the 1st copy which was front focusing a bit. In conclusion, I have no regrets buying this lens. It fills the void I have between my excellent 135L and my terrific 50mm1.4 primes. It's fine for interior shorts and even outdoor candids, which I normally use my 135L for. Just make sure you test your lens properly. Amazon came through with a quick and painless swap and I will be back for more in the future. +5 In a side by side comparison with an L series 85mm 1.2 the differences are not worth an extra $2000. This lens is a solid performer which I use as a standard go to lens for portraits and low light conditions where a bit of distance is necessary like dance events or nighttime street scenes. The background blur (bokeh) is simply superb as are the crispness of clarity and rich colors. I own only two L lenses; a 24-105 and 70-200 2.8 non IS. Otherwise for the conditions in which I normally shoot I do not see the need to spend thousands on L glass when I can shoot pro quality with lenses like the 85 1.8. It's really all I need and my clients don't suffer for it. It has fast, quiet AF and a nice compact size that makes it much easier to carry than my 70-200 tank lens. I am very satisfied with the solid build and the excellent quality shots it can produce. Look to this before taking out a second mortgage for the red stripe. +5 It's not for every circumstance, and it is not an "L" series lens, but if you need a little distance between you and your subject and want great pictures, this is a wonderful prime lens for that. On a crop sensor camera, it comes out to 135mm equivalence. In very low light situations, I have learned that it takes a few minutes to dial it in during a session. But once you find that sweet spot, this lens really takes pro-quality shots. Lots of fine details, rich colors and plenty of bookeah if you want it, and it's relatively small. Some of the shots I've taken have really been outstanding. Autofocus works fine, Low light work is amazing. This starts out at 1.8, and you'll start finding perfection at around 2.4 to 3.2. That's when other "low light" telephoto zooms are just starting out and usually have to go a stop or two higher to get a good image. If you can't afford the "L" and don't want to take a chance on the Sigma 85, then this is your only cholce for 85 mm. +5 The build quality is excellent since this lens has no external moving parts. The ring-type USM lets you override with manual focus at any time. The focal length is slightly awkward on crop-sensor but it's useful for portaits and slightly far away objects. The focal length + the aperture size allows some very good bokeh results too. There is noticeable purple fringing on bright white objects when shooting wide open, but stopped down to 2.8 it's fine. +3 the 85 was on one body and my 70-200mm f/4L was on my second camera body during a shoot. if i hadn't been using both lenses on the same shoot it may not have been that apparent so quickly, but it was obvious, the canon ef 85mm f/1.8 didn't come close to matching the iq of the 70-200mm f/4L on any of the many shots i took that day. since then i purchased a 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS so i plan on trading my 81 f/1.8 and my 70-200mm f/4L towards the purchase of a 24-70 f/2.8L II. the 85mm f/1.8 is a good lens until you compare it to a better lens with superior IQ. +5 I needed a low light, short telephoto but the price of the 85 F:1.2 was just too high. My friend, a Canon rep, said that his testing showed that the 85MM f:1.8 was just as sharp as the pricier lens, much lighter and, more important, really sharp wide open. I took his advice and got one but immediately did a careful test - tripod mounted - taking pictures of subjects I would normally shoot with this focal length lens. To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I was, quite frankly, blown away. The lens is sharp at all of the useful apertures - from F:11 all the way to f:1.8. It has wonderful color and it provides a bright viewfinder so AF and framing is quick and easy. The images are clearly professional quality and the lens's construction is rugged enough for the kind of work that I do. I have discovered that there are affordable sleepers like this in Canon's line (e.g., my 17-40 f:4 is amazing, despite the low price and the 70-200 f:4 non-IS is a real standout) and with careful selection, I can get a bargain priced lens that performs like a pro lens. Need a short, fast tele for your Canon" Then you could not do much better than the 85MM f:1.8. Recommended +5 The best portrait lens I've used, hands down. LOVE this lens. Sharp, fast focus, and lovely bokeh. I highly recommend. +5 All the positive reviews you've read are true. This lens indeed delivers for its price! Pros: * Excellent IQ. Subject's skin are brilliant and pleasing. It's not too sharp, and not too soft. Perfect for portraits. * Fast AF, responsive. It's faster than my Canon 100mm f2.8 L macro lens for portraits. As fast as my 24-105 L lens. * Focusing distance is ideal for portraits. It won't allow you close-ups. * f1.8 allows dreamy bokeh. f2.0 is sharp. * Focusing ring is responsive (unlike the Canon 50mm 1.4) * Relatively cheap * Lightweight, for someone who is used to L lenses. Cons: * I'm not sure if this is a con, but the 85mm needs some working distance though (which is quite obvious! Well my 100mm f2.8 L macro doesn't have that limitation). * No hood. Notes: * This is not a recommended for street photography. The working distance is too tight (unless that's what you want). * It has a special niche. It's not something you would use everytime (unless everytime means taking portraits). +5 I purchase this to take photos of my baby grandson in lower light without having to use a flash. I am extremely satisfied with some of the shots I have taken. +3 I had high expectations for the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM, but it disappoints. I love the distance for portraits and that it's a prime. It's fast and sharp, but it leaves chromatic aberration in almost every photo. I've used it on two camera bodies and always with a hood. Requires too much post production for my taste. +5 I've had the 100 f/2.0 for awhile but wanted something a bit shorter to use in closer quarters. I may sell the 100 f/2 shortly since they are so close. The images are great, especially on my 6D with the built in corrections for falloff and lateral color fringes (a common complaint with this lens so I understand). For the price you can't go wrong with this lens, especially on a 6D or a 5D3, both of which have built in corrections for it. You can spend a lot more on an "L" lens like the 85 f/1.2 L II - I borrowed one from CPS - but unless you're making a great deal of money from it, it isn't worth it. +5 Granted I am not a portrait photographer, but I love the color and clarity of this lens. I thought that I would use it more than my 50mm 1.4 as a walk around lens but found out that I much prefer my 50mm for that. Still, this is a fantastic detail fixed lens and have shot lots of photos and video with amazing results. Its a great addition to my bag of canon lenses and have no regrets. +3 First off, I will say I am not a professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination so the 3 star rating is not for the technical qualities of this lens but more for the practical applications of this lens for the average mom. The lens that I primarily use is the Canon EF-S 18-135 f3.5-5.6, which I find very versatile and which allows me to get many great shots, but sometimes I find that it is too big and heavy to bring with me everywhere I'd like to bring my camera. I've become "spoiled" with the great pictures of the DSLR so I am no longer satisfied with the quality of pictures from my phone or a point and shoot so I was really hoping this 85 mm lens would allow me to take great quality pictures, including great close-ups of the action, while also being a bit more portable for impromptu outings. The lens IS a much more "mom friendly size" but, after trying it out several times on various outings and playdates, I ultimately decided that the focal length was just a bit too long for the "average" visit to the park (and way too long for standard indoor playdate venues) and I more often than not found myself missing shots because by the time I backed up enough to fit everything in the frame, the moment had passed. If I had the money to spare, I would have kept this lens because it takes beautiful pictures and I am sure it does have a place in the more serious photographer's bag but for a mom on the budget, I just didn't think it would get used enough to justify keeping it. +3 I have purchased this lens as recommended by a friend. This is a good product but I have seen better in terms of portrait lenses. +5 You can't beat this lens, particularly at around $400. The images are so nice and the bokeh is smooth. I always wanted to hold out for the 85mm 1.2L, but after purchasing this lens there is no way paying 5x for the 1.2L is worth it. I've rented the 1.2L and it is amazing but unless you are always going to shoot at f1.2, then there is no need to spend that much for the L lens. I will use this lens as my portrait lens primarily, but may also use it for my daughters indoor volleyball games. +5 Although it is not an "L" lens, this lens is well worth your consideration. If you shoot Canon and are in need of an excellent medium telephoto lens, and if you can't afford "L" glass, look no further. This is the lens for you. You won't regret it. +5 This lens is so beautiful you'll cry when you first handle it. It has a very reassuring weight and takes absolutely pristine photographs. I've been using it on a Canon T3 primarily for Street Photography. :-) "It's all about perspective baby!" :-p +5 Pros: Build quality is good, not L level, but not bad. Take portraits at f/1.8 or f/2, and you'll get great bokeh. Cons: Watch out when taking portraits of two or more people at f/2, it's a bit to narrow DoF to get tack sharp on all subjects. Not really a con, more of a suggestion. +5 I honestly don't know how much better the 85 1.2 glass might have been, but I do not regret for one minute to settle for the 1.8, especailly considering the price difference between the two. I am not going to let the absence of a red line bother me. The picture is sharp, sharp, sharp and the color is great, great, great. I can tell which pictures were taken with the 1.8 and which ones aren't. My lens is coupled to a 6D and I am taking full advantage of the higher ISO numbers offered. The new problem I encountered is that because the lens is so sharp whe it's properly focused, and because the depth of field is so narrow at 1.8, I have to be very aware of where my focus is. I've learnt to not depend on the camera's AI focus if I could help it, especially when taking portraits. There is a learning curve in appreciating the nuance of this lens. Take your time and you'll be rewarded. I did not notice or find vignette a problem. I take pictures of artworks and perhaps the presence of vignette actually helps to hightlight the center of the painting. My favorite stops are 1.8 and 4 on this lens. +5 I like this lens a lot but I have to say that for my video shoot I had to use the 50mm more often due to tighter spaces, you need to have more space to use this lens. I'm on a crop camera, a T4i so the lens is a bit different then it would be on a non crop camera, I think my next lens will need to be a 35mm so I can get those wide shots, you really can't go wide with this one at all but the photos are awesome, couldn't really tell the diff between the 50mm and the 85mm but the cheap 50mm is nowhere near as nice to shoot with as the 85mm usm lens. +5 I just started photography and I love this lens. It makes me want to buy more, better lenses. "If I can take photos this nice, imagine what I could do with even nicer lenses...' me thinks. +3 Shooting predominately with a 50mm 1.4, I quickly realized I that I was in need of a portrait lens. The 85mm was suggested to me and wasn't too expensive. After a day of using it I was happy with the results, but decided I would just save up for the 70-200mm which is considerably more expensive. +4 I love the quality of this lens, especially for the price. Fantastic portraits in the low f/numbers, and a nice crisp image. +5 Amazing lens, and for APS-C sensor cameras is actually better, used it for photography and video, really a beauty lens +4 It looks great. Obviously an L series would be nice, but I don't have that sort of money right now. This one does the trick for me right now. I can get some really nice shots on my 60D. Looking forward to using it on a 5D hopefully soon. I use this less than my 50mm 1.4, but when I need more bokeh this is perfect. Only potential downside is that the minimum distance for focus is pretty long (I sadly don't have an actual measurement), so you'll need a more telephoto lens for some shots. A couple times I grabbed this lens to get a close-up of text on a phone for a short and couldn't get anywhere near close enough. But that's a pretty selective use. I like it. +5 That was what I noticed after my first picture with it of my newborn son. Or rather the first thing my family said as they reviewed the pictures. I love this on my 60D! Background blurs amazingly well for portraits. The autofocus is very fast. I was testing it as my wife was driving and I focused on distant stationary objects and as we passed the autofocus kept it nice and sharp. I started to realize the advantage of my cropped sensor when, no joke, I opened my back door and 15 feet directly in front of me was a young buck grazing in our backyard. I had my camera in hand and turned on already because I saw a bird I wanted to snap but got a bigger prize instead! It just stood there for a solid 10 seconds letting me snap it until it leisurely walked away. Anyway, for now this is a huge upgrade from my 50mm 1.8 II. +5 Images come out mind blowing love it works just as good as a 1,500 lens. Would definitely buy over and over again! +5 I have been doing research if I want to buy this lens or not. I heard a lot great things about this lens and I bought it, finally! I don't regret buying it. It is an awesome lens. I love the bokeh! It's fast, small, light and decent price for great glass. +5 It's worth every penny, guaranteed GREAT SHOTS! The lighting on this lens is perfection. Do know this is a FIXED lens meaning there isn't any zoom or zooming out it stays at 85mm. Great for Portraits shots. +3 but be careful, 85mm is kind of long for everyday shots and is kind of short for a telephoto. this is good for very specific purposes. I ended up getting one longer lens (200mm) and one shorter lens (50mm) +5 this lens let's you make a nice shoots, I just used in a movie shooting and did excellent job, delivering clear images with very nice boke +5 The EF 85 1.8 USM is Canon's shortest full frame telephoto lens. The fast aperture and flattering perspective of this focal length make it ideal for portraits and candids. When shot wide open, the shallow depth of field creates beautiful background blur (bokeh) and makes the subject pop. Such shallow depth of field requires attentiveness to point of focus: lock AF on the most important feature of you subject, e.g., eyes for humans or animals. It's relatively small (71.5 mm L) and light (425 g) for a fast lens, slightly larger than the EF 50 1.4 USM. It feels balanced and nimble on my 6D. Although not a macro lens, it focuses close enough for head shots (.85 m/2.8') and is well corrected for distortion. I've found it extremely sharp, contrasty and flare resistant. Because it employs internal focusing (IF), the front element does not rotate nor does the barrel change in length. The 58 mm filter size makes filters inexpensive and common to many other Canon lenses. The ring-type USM is silent and shockingly fast. Like all ring-type USM lenses, it has FT-M and a distance window. FT-M (Full-Time Manual) allows you to manually focus without flipping the AF/M switch, even after locking exposure and AF. The manual focusing ring is wide, has decent dampening and turns smoothly. Construction is more beefy and handsome than the old AFD designs such as the EF 50 1.8 or EF 135 2.8 SF. The EF 85 1.8 USM uses the massive ET-65 III (or ET-65 II) lens hood, a clip-on design. It shades well but is a bit loose and pops off easily. The EF 85 1.8 USM has been in production since 1992 and such longevity is a testament to the effectiveness of this design. High optical quality never goes out of fashion. If you shoot a lot of portraits, this is a must-have lens. It's also excellent on APC-C, e.g., Rebel series or 70D, but may be a little long for small studios or confined spaces. For the price of a consumer zoom, you can have image quality that rivals the finest L series lenses. +5 Canon lenses that are made in Japan are just better. For the price, this is a great value. It renders sharp, good quality images. I'm very happy with this purchase. +5 I had read a review by Ken Rockwell that this lens was as good as the f/1.2 and I think I agree. It does not have IS (image stabilization) so this can be a problem when shooting subject's handheld. But this just means that you need to be aware and check the shots. Also, if doing portraits a tripod might make sense! Otherwise...this is a great, great lens. I have used the 1.2 and it is a good lens too but this f/1.8 is so much less in price and weight comparatively speaking that it makes sense to save money and buy other gear you need more. +5 I did a bit of research before purchasing a new lens for my portraits and came upon the 85mm 1.8. I am thoroughly pleased with the results and I am surprised there were 3 star and below reviews. Purple fringe...I got one tiny spot when photographing the chrome on my motorcycle. Easily taken care of in post editing. I think the other reviews are from people who don't know enough about photography to use the lens properly. It is a very clean and sharp lens with just the right amount of BoKeH!!! I highly recommend this to any photog's lens lineup. Unless you can afford the 1.2L. +5 Even though most people label this lens as a headshots lens, it can be use for a lot more than that. The image quality is excellent and the background blur is fantastic. Focusing is very fast and quiet and it doesn't take much room or weight. I'm very happy with this lens. +5 If you're going to buy a lens this is a must have. I've owned it for awhile and it is always the lens I come back to when shooting outdoor photo's and even macro. It's also great for shooting sports and gives a wonderful blur to the background. +5 If you're looking at doing portraits, this is a great bargain as compared to its f/1.2 brother. For a fraction of the price of the L lens, you get just slightly less picture "oomph" than the L lens. But that's only slightly. Photos taken with creamy bokeh wide open. Acceptably sharp. However this lens needed re-calibration at my local Canon service center. Perhaps it's just a different regional "standard" for calibration. I don't know. But it works. And AF is fast. Really fast. +5 It is one of the best lenses I have ever get. I am really surprised of how it is doing. it is very nice for portait photos. +5 I took a chance and bought this lens in hopes that it would improve my pictures. It sure did!! I LOVE the quality at f/1.8-f/4. I couldn't do that range with my old lens and I love the results! I feel like a pro now! My ONLY complaint is that now I have to buy a new camera because it's a pain to change lenses when I want my zoom lens. The lens is great and I would buy it again in a heartbeat! +5 This lens is great for portraits and also works well for activities like car shows. The focus is quick and accurate. +5 If I didn't have two wonderful beautiful little girls, this camera would be my most favorite thing in my life next to my camera. I wanted something better then my kit lens, and then I ordered this. I bought my 50mm 1.8 lens off craigslist before this arrived and fell in love with my 50mm... until this arrived on my porch and hasn't left my camera since. Beautiful pictures, people and flowers... not great for self portraits though unless you have a tripod and a shutter remote which I don't have. But who cares... I can use the kit lens if I really want a picture of myself, or better yet, ask a fellow photographer friend to take it for me heh heh. Worth the $360 I paid. +5 I did not expect to like this lens as much as I do. There are no weak spots at all. it is pin sharp on my 5D right from f1.8 I did notice that it exposes about 1/3 stop too bright from f 2.8-16 but at 1.8 it is perfect. I prefer this lens over the big and clunky 85mm f1.2L which I rented. The 1.2 focuses too slow and does not focus accurately until f 1.8 anyway. This 1.8 is every bit as sharp. great portrait and general purpose lens with fast,accurate and sharp autofocus..Well built too. +5 This lens is great and can't believe I waited this long to get it. It fits perfectly on my 5D Mk II and I don't feel the extra weight. I took some photos of my son inside our home at f/1.8-f/2.0 and it's insanely sharp. The autofocus is quick, spot on, and quiet. Compared to my 50mm f/1.8 II, it's a dream lens (the 85) to have on my camera. The only time I'll end up taking it off is when in a tight space and have to use the 50mm f/1.8 II. If you've been thinking about getting this lens, stop thinking and just get it. I assure you that you won't be disappointed. I plan on going back to just using primes, as I love the DOF that they give. My next focal length is either going to be 135mm or 200mm, haven't decided yet. Thank you for reading this review and I hope it helps you in your decision. +4 Switched from a crop sensor (t3i) to a full frame (5D mk II) and this is about the same as a 50 on a crop sensor. Great for portraits, or anytime you need a really shallow depth of field. For the price, you can't beat this lens in this length. If you plan on being a professional portrait photographer, you should probably look at the 85mm or 105mm L series primes since they're optically superior, but for someone looking for a medium-long fast prime, this is perfect. +5 This lens is a great addition to my lens collection. Can't believe the low light capability. I can easily adjust the focus and amount of blur (bokeh) I want on the picture. Very happy. Excellent substitute for the more expensive "L" series lens. On a 6D the pictures are just amazing. +5 This lens rocks. The pictures it makes are sharp as a tack and is great for low light and event photography. This is a no brainer. I wish it had IS but thats what you get for the low price tag. +5 Have been debating on getting the 85mm for some time. So I finally got to rent the two lens (1.8 and 1.2L) for 1.5 hours. My test scenario was in a park in really frigid temperatures. My subject was a kid that hardly stood in one place for a minute. I purposely chose the subject to test the speed of the lens. Here are my observations 1) Sharpness Both the lens is very very sharp. I couldn't believe that 85mm 1.8 can be sharp wide open So if you are looking for sharpness wide open they both are the same. And the sharpness is the same too If you open a 85mm 1.2L shot at 1.2 and 85mm 1.8 at 1.8 and crop it, the sharpness is the same. Both the lens at some point got shots that made me say "holy crap thats super duper sharp" 2) Bokeh. Now there are two scenarios (again 85mm 1.2L shot at 1.2 and 85mm 1.8 at 1.8) 1) The subject is close. A very tight headshot. verdict: The bokeh is close. Very close. Unless you keep them side by side you won't know which lens took which photo 2) If you are taking a wider shot. So subject in the middle (full body) and surroundings. verdict: There is a difference here. Here you will see the bokeh to be better in the 1.2L That is a great look. 1.8 is good but the 1.2 is great. I think its possible to get that enhanced blur with Photoshop blur. 3) Speed. The reason why I chose a child was to test the focal speed. And trust me I had quite a challenge chasing the kid 1) 85mm 1.2 L. Speed is good. I got the child in focus most of the time. I think it is fast enough for most shoots except scenarios of very different distances in-between shots. For example to shoot the child on a swing. Not possible. But if the child moves or even jogs a bit you can get it. So unless you are shooting a subject that moves few feet in few secs you are really good. 2) 85mm 1.8. Speed is great. Its fast, really fast. I could nail shots on a swing. You can do the predictive shooting. 4) Low light Due to the cold we kept moving back to the car to warm up. It was dark inside and I got the opportunity to test the low light focusing ability. 1) 85mm 1.2 L. This lens is a killer in low light. In low light this has no problem in focusing. 2) 85mm 1.8. This one struggled a bit but got the shots. So here are my observations Sharpness - Both are the same wide open Bokeh - Same when the subject is close but when far away and wider shots 85L wins by 30%. Must add the bokeh at 1.2L is 35% better than the 1.8 wide open Speed - 85mm 1.8 wins (But 85mm 1.2L was no slouch. I got 95% of a fast moving child in focus.) Low Light - 85mm 1.2L wins hands down (But 85mm 1.8 also focused it struggled a bit. Say 20%. I did not try really dark light) Other observations. 85mm 1.2L Lens feels like a metal canon ball and feels awesome in hand and as you have read the construction feels great. I loved the bokeh in 1.8L when I shot wider Can I get it via Photoshop, I think I can. So if you have the time to do it in Photoshop, the 1.8 will give you more than a starting point. For people who loves the shot right out of the camera and have less time to do post processing the 85L lens is awesome. Again nothing beats the looks taken right out of the camera and you don't have to second guess to get the great blur effect. +2 Fast lens in a compact package, especially given the reach on an APS-C body. Sharpness is good across the field and even impressive wide-open. Out-of-focus area look mostly nice, maybe a little bit of green fringing on blur circles. A negative, everyone who wants to buy this lens is likely very much aware of this, is the heavy purple fringing on high contrast transitions. This is not unheard of with other Canon telephoto lenses (my 200mm L lens does i too), but a bit more pronounced than in others. This does improve a little stopping down, but still very much visible at F/2.8. So far I therefore agree with most other positive reviews. However, one reason I got this lens was for indoor sports. After taking it to the park on a sunny day (shooting at least at 1/2500 sec) to try it out on running dogs and some pick-up basketball, that bubble burst: Zero keepers out of 60 shots due to missed focus (using AI Focus and Servo). In direct comparison, I used my 100mm F/2.8 Macro (non IS, same camera, same settings) and got about 40% keepers. Even when I was not tracking moving subjects, I found the auto-focus a little inconsistent with a tendency to front focus. Maybe it's the specific sample that has some problems here, but I can only review the one I got. +5 I use this lens on a Canon 7d, which is a crop sensor camera. The focal length is longer than I expected on crop, but I'm getting used to it. All the other aspects of the lens are great. USM autofocus is fast, silent, and accurate. No AFMA needed on my copy. Bokeh is very nice, and colors have great pop. Great sharpness through APS-C corners- can't speak for full-frame. the-digital-picture.com has a great review of this (and every other canon lens made in the past 15 years) if you want more details. My only quibble- not even worth deducting a star for- is that the hood is snap-on and not bayonet, which IMO doesn't give quite as secure a fit. It hasn't caused me any problems, but I'm not quite as confident of my hood on this lens. +5 Having had prime lenses in the past this was my first foray in to primes for the DSLR. I am very happy with it. The fast (1.8) lens works really well indoors. Thanks, J +4 This lens is super sharp, even at f1.8 on mi 5dmkIII. i love the DOF that it makes wide open. fast focusing. light weight. excellent for portraits, by now one of my favorite lens... until i get the 85 f1.2... ;D +5 I am absolutely in love with this lens! After not having the best experience with my 50mm 1.8, I splurged and bought this 85mm and I can't be any happier with it's performance. I was nervous at first because I had heard so much about the color fringing that occurs when using it in contrast-y situations however, I found the the 50mm has more fringing than this lens. Overall, it's VERY sharp when your focus is right, the bokeh is lovely, and the images are great SOOC (of course I add some editing still, though.) I have no regrets over buying this lens and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again. It's perfect for portraits, doesn't feel cheap, and I really have nothing but positives to say. Buy it! You'll love it! +5 Great lens for professional photography. Works to compliment my Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM for studio and outdoor shoots. Went with a fixed lens after having to return a used Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM because it was sent to me defective (wouldn't focus) from an amazon seller and while troubleshooting with Canon found out that the zoom lenses would typically have to be sent in every year or two for tuning while the fixed lens would be significantly less often because their simplicity makes them more durable. Plus if you go fixed you don't really need to get the expensive L-glass because there is less glass to cause distortion and aberrations. +5 I love this lens. It is perfect for portraits, the colors are bright and the image is crisp. We have spend $1000's and $1000's of dollars on L series lenses, and this is our "must have" lens. Fixed lenses are the way to go. Two thumbs way up! You won't regret buying it if you are into portraiture +5 I've been using this since mid-November 2012 to give more blur than the 50mm 1.8 can produce, and I'm pretty satisfied with these results. I don't need to get up in someone's face to get a good portrait or anything ridiculous like that. Chances are if they're ten feet away, they'll fill the viewfinder how I wanted from the get go. The only problem I've got is manual focus. I like to try and do that more than rely on auto focus for battery preservation and little things like that. Maybe I'm not used to Canon lenses, but I never had any problem focusing my 50mm 1.8 Nikkor manually. With these Canon lenses, I'll think I'm in focus, and BAM, oops, you were one centimeter too far or one centimeter too close. I never seem to win with manual focus here. :P The good news is this lens is ridiculously quiet, as much as I just knocked on Canon for being hard to manually focus, when you do use auto focus, you can't hear it. If you're more than a hobbyist, I'm sure the silence can come in handy, like not startling wildlife or something like that. +5 I purchased this lens for the DOF & it delivered, like others have stated, the images are so crisp they appear 3d the detail is amazing & the color saturation is very natural. I highly recommend this lens for portraits & close up shots. +5 This lens is one of my favorites to use on my Canon 6d. With a 1.8 aperture and a full frame camera with the iso cranked up you can virtually shoot in moonlight with this thing with shutter speeds fast enough to hand hold. Very compact design and light weight. If you've never shot with a fast prime before and plan on shooting portraits or anything else in that distance range this lens is just sweet. +5 I have both the 50mm f/1.4 ($340) and the 28mm f/1.8 ($450), which isn't much popular but does it's job as a "normal lens" in a crop-sensor body. They are both pretty good lenses, and I use them a lot for their specific qualities. But this 85mm is by far the best piece of glass out of the three. There's still a bit of Chromatic Aberrration at f/1.8, but those guys at Canon had to let you know somehow it isn't an L lens, right? Pros: - Very, very sharp, even at f/1.8. For the price, is the sharpest lens you can buy. - A bargain! For what it can do, I would pay twice it's price and still be happy about it. - Compact size. It doesn't take much space in the bag. I would say it's 30% taller and wider than the 50mm f/1.4. - Focuses really fast... almost every time. - All time manual focus it's a great feature on this lens. You'll need it when the camera fails to focus because of the extremely thin focus plane. It happens when you go from a near object (3 ft or so) to a distant one or viceversa. - The bokeh is delicious, and you can definately isolete subjects! Cons: - A bit of Chromatic Aberration at f/1.8, but it's ok. We all know that's reserved for L glass. - Kind of plasticky. It kinds of worries me to se all that beatifull glass cased in thin plastic. But that's what meakes it light and cheap, so... - No Image Stabilization, so you'll need to work on your pulse. But again, all fast primes lack IS, and I think that's great about them. It's great for studio or street portraits, as it gives great perspective and proportions, and lets you keep your distance from the subject. Paired up with a camera that can manage low light, it's great for wedding photography, as it lets you shoot practically without a flash. I've used for theater plays and corporate events as well. +5 This is another one of my favorite lenses. Great for capturing a good bokeh. Also, solid for portraits. You'll get great photos with these. It's built well too. +5 I am really happy with this lens. As others have pointed out, the performance is excellent for the non-professional user. The background blurs are very good. I shoot pictures indoors of my kids in pools and gyms. Using the kit lenses at f3.5 or higher just doesn't cut it for indoor stop action in most cases. I'm using this lens with a T2i and the tight crop does require a little more planning and positioning to get a full frame. I'll eventually complement this with a 50mm lens for the tighter spaces. +5 I love this lens it gives me clear sharp cinematic image with great depth of field and HD videos. thanks +5 I really like this lens. It's made a huge improvement to my images. I even added a Speedlite 430EX II which is a great combination. This focuses much better than some of the cheaper lenses I have. I find it easier to get a sharper image, but I think more of that has to do with my body. +5 I had wanted this lens forever...I am so glad I finally purchased it, Gorgeous colors, very sharp. Don't hesitate to purchase this--If you want it, buy it, you will not be disappointed!! +5 I read a lot of reviews before settling on purchasing this Canon lens. Its not an "L" series, but for the money it is hard to beat. The pictures are clear, sharp and noticeably better than what one normally gets from a zoom lens. It really improves on the standard kits lens that comes with EOS type cameras. Highly recommended. +5 great in low light or any light for that matter. the pictures are crisp and clear. one of my favorite lenses. +5 Extremely sharp, excellent colors and a fast aperture. The focal length is a little long for a cropped body (mine is a T3i/600D), but for outdoor shooting, is excellent. Really well built and the USM auto-focus is extremely fast and accurate, and with full-time manual, allows you to correct it if needed. I can't see a better buy for this price. +5 Great lens! Take awesome pictures and has nice bokeh. If you are on a crop sensor camera, please understand that when they say this is a "long" lens for this camera, it really is. You need a lot of room to be able to move away and around your subject. Most rooms inside would be too small and you couldn't back away far enough. I have the 50 1.8 and it does much better inside on a crop. +5 I do think I am going to be pleased with this lens. I quickly shot off a couple of shots and was pleased with the sharpness and the results. I can't wait to put this lens to use for real! I will write more as I work with the lens more. +5 There are lots of rave reviews about this lens already, but just wanted to add that my 2 cents. EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is extremely sharp & value for your money, this is the best portrait lens on the market. If you've been waiting to get this lens, don't wait any longer. Just pull the trigger & get it. You will be glad you did. Highly recommended & deserves 5 stars in my book. +5 The image quality of this lens is fantastic and is incredibly fast! has definitely become one of my favorites ... +5 I use this for all of my portraits, though it is cropped I always have to make sure the space I'm in is open enough to actually get a person's head in the frame! This lens is AMAZINGLY sharp and for the price it is the best buy there could be, 100%. I have not noticed it losing any sharpness as I stop down and it is absolutely phenomenal at f/2.0 [...] here is a link to a shot of mine, I never ever need to add any more sharpness or contrast. The only two downsides are: 1.) Chromatic aberration in sunlight [...] You can see it on the clotheslines and in some of my other shots, it is not too hard to correct in lightroom (back when I took these photos I did not use lightroom) A lens hood helps significantly 2.) Crop For a while this was my only functioning lens (somehow all my other ones at the same time had problems), and the crop factor was really annoying because I would have to literally turn and walk away a fair distance before I could fit anything other than a human into the frame. Basically my point is this is ONLY a portrait/telephoto lens; not multi-purpose (which is obvious but I'm mentioning it anyways). Other than the chromatic abberation and the crop (which makes sense for a portrait lens anyhow), this lens is TOP of the line, seriously, freaking buy it. +5 dont let the price fool you, this lens it's awesome, feels solid, it's smooth and fast to focus, and whats best, BOKEH! AMAZING... i love this lens, i am a prime kind of guy, and i love this one +5 one of my sharpest lens, i've used the 85L and it doesn't even compare to the quality of this one. I know some may shutter and bash that, but seriously this lens is my quickest and sharpest out of my whole collection. +5 I've only had this lens for a few days but I can tell why it's so popular. Sharp as a tack, especially stepped down a bit, good low-light capability, perfectly controllable bokeh thanks to the 8-blade aperture, fast autofocus, and a solid and high quality look and feel to it. It costs about a quarter of an equivalent "L" lens, but it is much more than a quarter as good. I'll follow with updates as I use this lens over the coming months, but right now I can unequivocally vouch for this lens as a must-have in almost any photographer's gadget bag. +5 I am currently using this lens on a Canon T3i, and it is MARVELOUS! It rarely leaves my camera. HIGHLY recommend it! +5 This the best lens I own, bar none. It rocks at indoor, daytime and night time sports with a fast lock, good focus and clear shots. +5 I don't use this lens as much as I have my others, but it does a fine job. It gathers enough light to allow indoor shooting and still produce sharp images. +5 Not up to snuff with Cannon's L series lenses, but certainly capable of memorable photos. Sharp, crisp, my go-to lens for portraits. +5 This is such an awesome lens, especially if you are on full frame. It is really sharp and the composition of pictures with it is awesome. I would advise people that are looking for 85mm on a APS-C camera to look at buying a 50mm f1.4 because this lens will have a really high focal length on cameras such as the Rebel series and so on. Other then that it is an awesome lens and I have owned two or three in my photography career. +5 Bought this for indoor basketball the 1.8 apperature is awesome and a big help with low light. BUT don't kid yourself if you like zoom lens you'll miss not being able to pull back. And at 85mm your too close if your on or near the court. It is an awesome lens though. Too bad the 24-70 prime is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ +5 This is by far my favorite lens ever. It makes the background look so dreamy. Love love love it. So glad I bought it. +5 One of the sharpest lens I own, I use it along 28mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.8 for low light dance photography. +5 Fast, sharp and small. This lens is great when you are taking portraits. It can also do quite a bit of macro. The depth of field is awesome. This lens is a must have. +5 I bought this lens after borrowing it from BorrowLenses.com for 10 days. I used it for a senior portrait session and loved the outcome for the photos. The fixed focus at 85mm made it perfect for portraits. Having the wide aperture at 1.8 makes it ideal for portraits and nature photography. I not only use this as another portrait lens (in addition to the nifty fifty 50mm 1.8), it also made a great walk around lens when I was on vacation. The only con I would say is that it's not super sharp. I noticed at certain times, the photos looked very soft. There is also no IS so it was easy to make some photos blurry. However, as a starting photographer, this is a great, decent portrait lens that is a step up from the 50mm. +5 I love this lens - I normally only ever buy Prime lenses but with this one I decided to go ahead and try this one out!! I LOVE IT!!! Its my new fav lens!! Dreamy bokeh - perfect for portraiture!! A MUST BUY - Save your $ don't buy the 1.2 but the 1.8 +3 This lense needs to be mounted on a tripod to obtain sharp (Non Blurry) images! Canon needs to add IS to this lense! +5 I must say, I was a little skeptical before buying this lens. But after shooting with it, I absolutely love it! You can read all the details in other people's reviews, so I will make it short here. It truly works great for portraits. Very flattering, without being soft. The only thing I wasn't ready for was to step back.....wayyy back from my subjects. I will have to get used to that, as I had to get much closer to my subjects. But if you want to get full length, you'll have to step back. Not so much if it's half-body length, so that's good. The light you get with the f/1.8 is just beautiful. Not to mention the dreamy bokeh. +5 Used this lens for formal and informal poitraits. Have great control over background blurr, and isolating the subject from the background. Very sharp. Great performer. +2 I wanted a 20mm prime to use for night shooting, so I thought I'd give this one a try. I chose poorly. Returned it the same day. Still on the hunt for a good prime night long exposure performer. This lens was really soft around the edges (even on my 40D with a 1.6x FOVCF). Although I don't need a fast focusing lens for night use, this lens still focused slowly during its day use. It's grossly overpriced. Should be only $299 at most. +4 The 20mm works great for those tite spaces in parties or rooms. I like it! +2 The lens is okay on a 1.6 crop factor digital camera, but it isn't particularly wide-angle then (32mm field of view). I hear that it is okay on a film camera, but I have no experience. On a full-frame digital camera, it stinks....Digital cameras can be affected by the angle a lens causes light to hit the sensor, and it seems to make a difference here. The lens produces smudged, blurry images on my full-frame camera. It is okay on my Rebel XTi, but not wide enough to be impressive. It stinks on my 1Ds. Build quality is okay, but nothing special. If you buy this despite my recommendation, spend a bit of money to get the lens hood (which doesn't come with the lens). It will help keep glare off the front element. If you can afford it, buy one of the wide-angle L zooms instead of this lens. If you can't afford those, get a Sigma zoom (preferably the 12-24, but alternately the 15-30) instead of this lens. +5 If there is one thing in this universe that is more rare than gold, it is a positive review of this particular lens. Now I don't know if I just got lucky and got a good sample. But this has been a GREAT lens for me. Sharpness is actually REALLY good. Now one of the BIG complaints of this lens is poor edge sharpness. But I have not found this to be a severe problem - especially when stopped down somewhat. And, since a lens of this focal length is more likely to be used for scenics or arcitectural use than action shots, this isn't the end of the world. But there is more going for this lens than sharpness. Distortions are VERY low for a lens of this focal length. You are NOT going to get anything nearly as good from a zoom. Also, color saturation and contrast are EXCELLENT - FAR better than, say, an EF-S 17-85mm lens. Colors REALLY come alive with this lens compared to most zooms. And chromatic aberrations are all but non-existant. Construction also seems to be solid on my lens. The materials seem to be of good quality. The focus ring doesn't wobble much. And nothing external actually extends during focusing. This last fact is a REAL plus in outdoor environments, since an extending element creates low pressure in the lens (which can suck in dusty air). I really have only two complaints about this lens. One it the price, which is somewhat on the high side. I personally got mine used for less. But $400+ is kind of alot to pay for a consumer grade lens. On the other hand, price is maybe not too bad, given the good overall quality of this lens. My other complaint is vignetting at large apertures. Simply put, vignetting is VERY noticeable at f/2.8 - even on an APS-C camera. I can only imagine how it might look on a full-frame camera. In fact, the vignetting makes this lens virtually unusable at f/2.8 in many situations. Of course, this gets better when you stop the lens down. At f/4, vignetting is no longer a problem. But the fact that f/2.8 is not nearly as usable as it could be is somewhat of a downer. Of course, much like the edge sharpness issue, this is not the end of the world. And at the end of the day, you can still take some REALLY good pictures with this lens. +4 I've used this lens both on 1.6x crop (Digital Rebel XT) and full frame (5D and EOS 3) cameras. On the 1.6x crop, the 20mm focal length looks like 32mm. I personally find that to be a wonderful focal length for general purpose use, and the f2.8 is acceptably fast for some indoor / low-light situations. On full-frame, the lens is amazingly wide, and can be challenging to frame an interesting picture. Nevertheless, sometimes you need the lens to be that wide, so it's great to have. On the downside, the lens loses sharpness toward the edges, and is more evident on full-frame cameras than on 1.6 crop cameras. This lack of sharpness is not always a big deal, as the edges of a photo are usually not the focal point. I'm overall happy with it, and when I want wide, I usually grab my 20mm over my 17-40mm zoom. +5 Recommend this for all who like taking portraits shots.. its a step up from the 50mm, but I enjoy it what I cam do with it creatively. Bought it because I heard great things about it. +5 I LOVE THIS LENS! Very sharp and detailed images. It gives the bokeh effect. Perfect for portraits! I have had it since couple of months and I'm loving every bit of it. +4 I've owned a few copies of this lens, mostly due to switching between camera systems multiple times. I've used all of them on the Canon 5D but have not tried them on a crop sensor body. My take on the pros and cons of the lens is as follows: Pros: + In terms of sharpness/resolution there is little to complain about. As long as the lens is properly focused, the lens is sharp enough in the center, even at f/1.8. + Bokeh/out-of-focus transitions are surprisingly smooth considering this doesn't have any fancy aspherical/ED elements or rounded aperture blades. Very well-suited for portrait work. + Fast autofocus - goes from MFD to infinity (or vice versa) in a fraction of a second. Also the USM focus motor is fairly quiet, and is the ring-type which is a step above the micromotor AF of the EF 50 f/1.4. Works for shooting action as well. + When stopped down the lens is quite sharp across the frame, which makes this suitable for landscape shots as well if you use this focal length for that. + Internal and FTM focusing - no extending/retracting parts when focusing, and it has full-time manual focus so you don't have to switch to MF to use the focus ring. + Inexpensive for what it is. I actually prefer this lens over Nikon's new 85mm f/1.8G, which is significantly more expensive but doesn't have as fast AF and is made in China. This lens has been around for 20 years so its R&D costs have probably been paid off by now, but it's still excellent for digital. Cons: - I'd read reviews saying this lens has very reliable AF, but my experience has been that several copies I owned required sending to Canon for AF adjustment to correct front/back focus issues. Once adjusted to match the camera, it is pretty reliable even in low light. The DOF being as shallow as it is at 85mm and f/1.8, I imagine there are quite a few that will need adjustment to be spot-on. - Bokeh fringing at wide apertures. If shooting in high contrast scenes (lights or specular highlights), this lens has a strong tendency to show green/purple/magenta outlining on the edges. Luckily if you have the latest version of Adobe Lightroom, this issue can be corrected with the chromatic aberration tool, but it does take some time. - Tendency to attract internal dust. You would think that an internally focusing prime lens would not have many dust problems, but it turns out that the rear element has gaps that allows dust to get in quite easily but not come out. Dust in this lens is more visible than most because of the large aperture. I would avoid cleaning the rear element unless necessary, and if necessary use a bulb blower or a wet solution like a Pec Pad and Elipse solution. I would not use a LensPen on the rear because the carbon dust from the pen can easily get into the lens. The good news is that dust has very little/no impact on the pictures taken, but it will probably affect resale value. In total, this is not a perfect lens but it is still one of Canon's best values for lenses. I would consider it Canon's best sub-$500 lens. +5 Really nice sharp tight crop lens that compresses and blurs the background nicely. I can't say enough about it, it makes everyone I shoot look amazing!. =) +5 This was the first high quality lens I've bought since my days using an AE-1 Program. All I have to say is Wow. Sharp, fast, clear and easy to use. I've taken nothing BUT great photos since I bought it. I have it on an EOS Rebel, and it is now my go-to lens. With the cropping factor of the Rebel's smaller chip, I'm glad I got the 85mm, as a higher power would have been harder to work with. I use it to take pictures of live theater shows I have worked on, and I needed a fast lens to deal with the sometimes dark scenes, and the ability to get good shots from the center of the auditorium instead of the front row. It also does excellent head shots and portraits. +5 If you shoot portraits, there is no reason to hesitate in buying this lens. I shoot with a crop 7D (so 136mm lens on a full-frame) and get amazing shots with nice bokeh. For the price, you can't beat it. The only warning I give is be careful with your aperture (like any other fast lens) because shots can easily get soft on the edges if you aren't careful. +5 This medium telephoto lens is great in all senses, specially for portraits photos. The blurried backround is just fantastic and the colors vivid and sharp razon images. It is a high quality lens without the red band of the luxury L series lens. I would recomment it to everybody for its quality and price. You can see some of the photos I took with this great lens. This lens has an exceptional image quality and is fast, accurate, sharp and has a great contrast and color. Love for portraits, landscapes and action pictures! +5 I am just a beginner but, taking portrait pictures with this lens makes me feel I have crossed a milestone in photography. I use this lens to take pictures of my little ones and they come out amazing. The only con of this, is that, it does not have the zoom in/out function. In jargon, you have to maintain distance from the object to take quality images. +5 I am very pleased with this lens as it allows me to take sharp photos in very low light or cloudy conditions. It produces crisp photos, even at f/1.8 and I feel that it matches the quality of Canon's more expensive L-series lenses. I currently use it on my EOS Rebel T2i (APS-C sensor) and it works as a zoom lens to some degree. I am looking forward to testing it on a full-frame DSLR to see how it works when shooting portraits. +4 I recently tested this lens out during some light sports activities event in the park. I wanted something small and light but fast and tele. On my 7D it gave a good focal length, equivalent of about 135mm on a full frame. That was actually a bit too long and I had to back up a bit but no big issue. I wanted to freeze the action and so was using f/2 - 2.8 mostly. I already know f/1.8 isn't great so I avoided it. Here's how I got on - The lens focused really fast, no issues there. In fact its fast enough that I could use one shot AF and shoot before the subject moved a significant distance. Truly impressive. Bokeh was lovely too. The distracting background just melted away. Loved it. At f/2 the dof is super shallow, just a few cm in most cases. I had a lot of blurry shots and out of focus shots. Chalk that down to user error. I shoulda used f/3.5 or more for the close ups. But I wanted to really push this lens at the wide end so I just kept it there. I had enough decent shots thanks to the 7Ds AF so I wasn't too bothered. Now, it wasn't until I looked at the images on my laptop that I noticed a lot of purple fringing. Visible even without zooming 100%! There was also some green and red CA too. Now, I know I can fix this BUT I don't want to HAVE TO fix it. even 20 pics that need correcting is time consumig let alone 200! Not ideal if you're a heavy shooter. Skin on bright background was the worst culprit next to metal and reflective sharp lines. No other lens I have used gives this much purple fringing. It's ridiculous! That said, as a f/2.8 prime lens for portraits it is a phenomenal lens for the price. But as a f1.8 its not that great. Seems like a waste. Though it is very sharp and the color reproduction is good too. Maybe not as good as the 50mm f/1.8 II which is freakishly good for a cheap lens! There aren't many other options for an alternative. I think there is a Zeiss but it's MF only. So that leaves the very expensive L option. If I was a pro and did a lot of stuff at wide apertures maybe I'd get the L instead. As it is I don't make money from photography so a bit of purple fringing for cheapness sake is acceptable, for now. I will use this lens to practice my technique more. When I feel it is no longer meeting my needs I'll think about the L! +5 I am a photo enthusiast and use an old Digital Rebel XT. I first upgraded from the 18-55mm kit lens to a 55-250mm zoom lens; but was ready to go for a prime. I wanted the sharpness/clarity of a prime and a faster lens to deal with lower light situations. I have had this lens for about a month and I am very excited with the images this lens was able to capture. In my favorites,the focal point is tack-sharp against a beautiful background blur. Because I had always used a zoom lens, I had to get used to moving myself rather than the lens to get closer or farther away, but the results are definitely worth it. With this faster lens, I can photograph in lower light and still keep my shutter speed at a reasonable point to capture and freeze motion. I love this lens. +5 Many people are deciding between this lens and the 50mm 1.4 lens. If you like bokeh and portrait, I would highly recommend this lens. It is as sharp if not better than 50mm 1.4. But it definitely has better bokeh. Many people get zoom lens like me when they start shooting. Eventually, we will figure out 85mm f/1.8 prime lens is a mush-have because you will notice the huge difference in terms of both sharpness and bokeh. +5 Yes, I confess it here publicly, I am in love with a camera lens. After the 18-55mm kit lens my T4i came with, this lens is a dream! The 18-55mm might work in general situations, with lots of light and no need for DOF, but not the ones I seem to prefer to shoot. The difference is night and day! I feel like a real photographer now! I should have purchased the body and gotten this lens instead of the kit. I don't think I'll ever use the 18-55mm lens again. +5 Very good for portrait photos,and under low light conditions.it's one of the top lenses.very sharp photos and allow us to be far from subject! +5 I don't know where to start. It's sharp, fast, silent, beautiful. It takes amazing pictures especially in the dark. this was one of my favorite lenses and I really wish I could have kept It but I needed a 70-200 f4L. Highly recommended this lens, on a crop sensor it's equivalent to a 135mm and is great for shows, and such where it tends to be dark. Amazing for portraits as well. +5 I'm really happy that I went for the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens. The bokeh I get on images is simply first rate. It has a sturdy feel to it and in low light situations, I'm okay with manually focusing instead of having it seek. When I post photos taken with this lens online I get more "likes" and comments than any other lens I've used. +5 I use Canon 7D and they match perfectly. The image quality is so very good compare with the lens price. It will always my most preferable lens for portrait. +5 I like very much of this lens. Not only very good for portrait also very good for take nature & landscape pictures especially when I can't take in far range, this lens can do it perfectly! I have tried taking landscape pictures and the results were really stunning, and my friends like them very much! This lens fortunately as a "cheap" version from the L seri that really pricey, something that I can't afford buying it but Thanks to Canon have created the non series lens that works beautifuly. +5 I have a bunch of Canon lenses, including L's. This lens is my favorite because of the bokeh, sharpness and depth of the images shot using it. I love it. You will, too! +5 Love this lens! Well built, decent price. I haven't used my 50mm since I got this one. The 50 was more one dimensional, this one adds more "character" to an image. Great for portraits, nature shots, still life. I would highly recommend adding this lens to your carrying case. Different bokeh than the 50, for that, I like them both. +4 This is the perfect real estate lens if you know how to use it. I see many complaints about soft corners, but I do not have any problems with my copy. Most prime lenses will not be their best used wide open. Even so, this lens is plenty sharp wide open for interior real estate photos. The great thing is that it has minimal distortion when you use the lens leveled. There are some corrections that I do in post using DxO, but it really doesn't require too much. The coverage of the lens is great for taking pictures of small rooms, like a bedroom, kitchen, etc. Using a wider lens like a 14mm is just too much and doesn't look natural. If you want sharp photos, stop down to f5.6 and use a tripod. I have not had any issues with the field curvature. As a matter of fact it works out well with interior real estate photography since the focal plain of the field edges is nearer to the camera - where the camerawill be closer to the walls when taking a room shot. I agree that the vignetting is quite a lot at f2.8 (over 3 stops in the corners), but this is also cured in post. The couple fixes that I do to correct the vignetting and distortion are done quickly in DxO. I start the batch in DxO (CR2 Raw to JPG) and come back in 10 or 15 minutes and the entire group is corrected. I really marvel at the crazy distortions, underexposed, orange photos that most Realtors use in real estate ads. Check out Zillow or Trulia for some horribly awful photos. You would think that hiring a knowledgeable photographer for a couple hundred bucks would be worth it to them. I have added a couple sample photos taken with this lens. One is of a family room and the other is a small bedroom. Tom +5 Really good lens. One of my favorites. Haven't really been bothered by vignetting. For someone with not too much money to spend, this is a good buy. +5 Just plain, an amazing lense with my full frame 5D +4 Does the job. +5 Wide angle is my favorite, both for photo and video. Any wider, and you'll get obvious warping in your picture. +5 I use this lens all the time and am very pleased with the image quality and ease of use. One thing you should be sure of is whether this will work on your EOS camera. Because sensor my 40D has, it cannot take advantage of super wide angle lenses. The more professional series camera bodies are designed to take advantage of the widest angle lenses. With that said, I highly recommend this lens. As I said it is one of my favorite lenses, but would like one a little wider but as Canon explains - "APS-C Sensor, the angle of view is reduced to ~108 Degrees" to take advantage of anything wider you need a full frame sensor (check the specs before you buy your next camera). +5 I use a T3i crop sensor camera and wanted a 35mm equivalent mainly for video work. I use this lens about 50/50 for photo and video. This one since it functions like a 32mm I find it is a very versatile focal length. I find it to be great in low light, vivid color, and sharp at 2.8. There is barely perceptible barrel distortion on the crop sensor camera. Overall I love this lens and would suggest it for both photography and video for a crop sensor camera. +5 This is my second oldest lens. I have had periods of time where I didn't use it much and actually listed it for sale twice. Both times just listing it for sale made me put it on the camera and within a day I realized I can't sell it. I have mistaken shots with this lens for shots from my 135L, which costs twice as much and is hands down my best lens. The only bad thing to say about this lens is the CA (or purple/green fringing) in high contrast areas wide open. I have felt the effects of this less frequently than I thought I would. I still long for the 85L II, but whenever I start thinking seriously about it I scratch my head and wonder why I'd spend 4 times as much. Then I remember the added stop and depth of field control that comes with it. Still, this little 85mm is sure to please. I've owned 3 of the 4 EF USM primes; 28 f/1.8, 50 f/1.4 and 85 f/1.8. I haven't had the 100 f/2. This one is the best of the 3 I've had, though they are all solid performers and great values for the money. I don't hesitate for a moment to recommend this camera, no matter if you are shooting a crop body or a full frame camera. +5 This product arrived 1 day before scheduled. I have a Canon T2i camera and this lens is outstanding. i noticed quite a difference right away from the Kit 18-55mm lens. the potrait pictures are fantastic. it is not however, good for landscapce shots. I recommend this lens. I am aticipating the arrival of the hummingbirds so I can capure them feeding with the 85mm lens. +5 As a photo enthusiast who owns five Canon lenses (two zooms, three primes), and who uses a Rebel T3i, I hesitated to buy this lens at first. What would I use it for? I already had a Canon 50mm f/1.8 that took great portraits (and still does). Yet I wanted something more "serious" and more telephoto for intimate portraits, nature close-ups, and goofing around. So I bought it and have no regrets whatsoever. I use this lens mainly for outdoor nature photography, close-cropped pics of foliage, sunsets, rivers, bridges, wild flowers, trails, even old farm equipment. I call this lens "The Mystical 85" because it slows me down, forces me to compose a more thoughtful picture and really think about what I'm doing. I almost always use my tripod with this lens, and the photos are incredibly tack sharp. The color saturation will knock your socks off. I almost never do any post-processing with pictures taken on this lens. When people see the pictures I take with this lens they almost always say, "These are professional pictures! What kind of camera do you use?" So I tell them I work for National Geographic. (Just kidding). Anyway, if all you want to do is take high quality photos in a point-and-shoot type of way, don't buy this lens. You don't need it. Canon makes a great all-purpose lens (the EF-S 18-135mm) that will meet your walkaround needs for general shooting. I love that lens, too, but if you want to step it up a notch and get a more serious lens for indoor and outdoor, telephoto, portrait, and creative nature shots, get this lens (and a tripod), and have fun exploring all your mystical instincts! +5 I think this is the cheapest lens I own, but I fell in love with it after the first shot. To be clear I consider myself a prosumer, not a professional -- I own a Canon 7D and I mainly shoot scenery or family portraits. I initially thought an 85mm prime was too long for my kind of work, and in many ways I still do as far as scenery is concenred. However, I was proven completely wrong with respect to portraiture...85mm is amazing for conveying a more intimate feel since it brings you up close and personal with the subject. The big f/1.8 apperture only enhances that feeling of intimacy as it helps you single out the subject from the background. Combine that with the incredible sharpness and superb bokeh this lens gives you, and you will be blown away. One thing I love about prime lenses in general (aside from the quality to price ratio) is that they force you to be more creative with your composition. That's particularly true with this lens since it is so long, but that only makes it more fun. In summary: build and image quality are great, the lens is fun to use, and the AF is fast and quiet. Why haven't you bought it yet? :) +5 I have not had this lens long and will update this again after I use it more. Having said that with only 2 days under my belt in using this lens I am totally impressed. The feel is so solid and sturdy. I did my own experiment using this lens and my 28-135 USM I put it at 85mm and shot a series of test pictures. I shot them in my kitchen at night time in low light. The difference was night and day. This lens focused faster on every occasion. The Sharpness was fantastic!! upon uploading the shots to my computer and zooming into it 100% the clarity was awesome to say the least. I had no purple fringe as others have expressed. I am so excited to use this for my next portrait session. I will post some pictures when I do and update this review. I was hesitant about spending the $400 to get this lens at first. If you are mulling it over I would tell you to grab it !!! After a series of many demanding low light test photos that I put all of my lens through I could not believe the performance this 85mm gave. Awesome product UPDATE 11/05/2012 I am still in love with this lens .. After much use and even using it on a wedding shoot I love it more. The only negative thing I have seen is a small purple edge on some of the brightareas (like a catch light in the eyes) which is easy to remove via Lightroom or Photoshop. Takes wonderful portraits with a creamy bokeh +5 Sure the 85mm f/1.2L is a legendary lens, but it is what? 3, 4 X the price of this f/1.8. No this isn't an L, but you won't know it from its image quality. I have now shot literally 1,000s of images across a winter of volleyball and boys and girls high school basketball. The gym lighting in this league is so bad that my f/2.8Ls can't stop action. This lens (along with the 50mm f/1.4 and the incredible 135mm f/2.0L) made my living. If you have the money and ONLY do portrait work, then get the f/1.2. For any kind of action or if you just don't have the cash you will not be disappointed with Canon's 85mm f/1.8 even if it doesn't have a red ring. +5 I purchased this lens after shopping and trying several ultra-wide lens options. I should have tried this one first to save me a lot of time and returns. The lens is well built, has great image quality and is just a well rounded ultra wide angle lens. I bought this to use on a Canon 6D to shoot landscapes and night scenes. Absolutely no regrets. +1 ok, so i got this lens because i wanted a compact wide angle lens that i could easily throw in my bag to cover events. however , i was greatly disappointed with the lens. it vignettes like there is no tomorrow, even using profile corrections on photoshop won't get rid of all the vignetting. PLUS this vignetting is not a pleasing vignette. its dark, ugly, and what it does is under expose images by more than a stop. another major issue is image quality. the image quality takes a beating with this lens. im assuming its because of poor optics. i own a couple of L lenses and the comparison is night and day when it comes to image quality. also im comparing it to my non L lenses like my 50mm 1.4 and my 85mm 1.8. pictures just look grainy with this lens and the color contrast is pretty bad too. I wouldn't recommend this lens to anybody really. Pros: -small - solid build - fast focusing Cons: -massive vignetting -poor image quality -horrible lens flares - bad color contrast -poor optics - more cons than pros. +5 Great lens for landscape photos. Only had it a few days, but very happy with the results. Much better than the wide angle zoom it replaced. Also works well indoors for family gatherings. Too wide for my Canon 580 flash, but my 6D has great low-light capability. No problems so far. +3 I recently upgraded to a full frame camera and needed to replace my Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (That lens is designed for APS-C sensors, and was useless on the 5D). I figured that with a 1.6x crop factor, my old 10-20 should be equivalent to this 20mm. I am a real estate photographer and videographer. When I'm doing outdoor pictures, this lens can get the job done. It lets me fit a whole building in the frame without trying to take the picture from 10 miles away, and in good light, there is ZERO vignetting and minimal loss of sharpness in the corners. Be aware that this lens is nothing like a tilt shift, and your horizontal lines are going to bow out like crazy. If you're doing more artsy photography this might be fine. For me, I try to avoid it with the old tricks, and correct it in Photoshop if needed. Indoor shooting is another story. I try to avoid flash most of the time because it either falls off, adding to the vignetting or ruins the contrast of the image (Shadows help the human brain understand the depth of a scene) so I'm normally shooting wide open at 400ISO with my shutter speed as slow as I dare. Here I run into MASSIVE vignetting. While this IS correctable in Adobe Camera RAW, the process is like boosting your ISO, it also boosts the noise. In addition, 20mm still isn't quite as wide as I probably need for indoor shooting. If your subject is anything but the room its self, you'll be fine, but in my case it just isn't quite cutting it. If you are shooting artistically, or shooting small subjects, I would rate this lens 4.5 stars. For my uses, I give it three. Pros: It is quite wide In good light, the center of the frame is sharp The weight is manageable Captures great color Price isn't too bad Cons: Heavy vignetting in low light / indoors High vertical distortion No lens hood included! (And the one you can buy here isn't great) At 21MP, a best case photo at 100% isn't very sharp (If you're scaling images down, you'll be fine here) +4 That is the question with this lens. I was looking for a cheap and light wide angle for my gear bag that wouldn't make me cry if it was broken. I'm a wedding photographer, and so it is a little different for me when I go out shooting. I am not just taking photography gear with me, I am taking my livelihood . Cheap was the name of the game, but I knew I wanted a prime lens due to their quality, wide aperture and lack of bulk. I decided to rent this lens and give it a whirl, spending $40 for the week instead of $500 flat out. I am rather conflicted about this lens, as I will outline below. If you don't like reading long reviews, please skip to the conclusion! TEST GEAR: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II 16.7MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) (Full frame camera) Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) (Cropped Sensor) Canon A2E 35mm Camera Body (35mm Film) PROS - Can produce extremely sharp images from F/4+ - Build is decent, more solid than the 50mm 1.8 - Focus is fast and relatively quiet compared to zoom lenses - Distortion (barrel primarily) is kept in check, better than most super-wides NEUTRAL - Color and contrast needs adjustment on most images CONS - As others have mentioned, images are soft around the edges - Vignetting is VERY noticeable on full frame/film - Seems to underexpose images (as also documented on The Digital Picture) Here's the thing, this isn't an L series lens. I have been spoiled in having the pleasure of primarily shooting with L glass, and so it is easy to become hyper-critical of the normal EF series. This is why I didn't give the lens 3 stars. Compared to a kit lens for example, this lens is a HUGE improvement. The images are sharper, there is less distortion, and you will see an overall improvement in general image quality. That said, there are some serious pitfalls with this lens. The images are sharp in the center but soft around the edges. This is fine with 80% of portraits (as you normally center the face), but as soon as you use this for landscape/photojournalism you are going to notice. Even more noticeable however, is the vignetting. Now, I edit around 95% of my images before they are saved as final copies so a little vignette removal is not a huge deal for me, but if you are shooting and uploading all of your files and you don't want to have to edit hundreds of files this may not be the lens for you. I put the color and contrast issue in the neutral area because I have experienced these issues even with L glass, so I'm not counting it against the lens. CONCLUSION Overall I am glad that I only rented this lens. If I had spent the money on it I think I would have been disappointed. On the 1Ds, the cons were HIGHLY noticeable. This was also the case on the Canon A2E film camera which is also (obviously) full frame. The 40D fared a little better, as some of the heavy vignetting and softness is cropped out. If you are a beginner/novice or you are on a cropped sensor, I would highly recommend picking up the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens and this lens to cover the two end focal lengths normally found on a kit lens - it will GREATLY improve the quality of your pictures and will teach you to move yourself before twisting the barrel of a lens. If however you are a "prosumer" looking for a great wide angle, or you shoot full frame, I would definitely suggest going for the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras or even saving up for the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L USM II Wide Angle Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras. You're paying two of three times the price of this lens, but the quality is absolutely worth paying for. As far as sub-$800 wide angles go, this is really the only prime in the category. It could be a whole lot worse, and if you're working on a budget this is a decent option. In that respect, I give this lens a 4/5 with a strong recommendation to upgrade if your budget allows! +5 All I can say, is HOLY-COW! This lens is outstanding! I use it for portraits, shoot basketball games, and pretty much anything decently close to me. I have a few other lenses if I need to bring in a shot further, or I need a more wide angle. By and far, though, this lens stays on my camera more than most of my other lenses combined. +5 Awesome lens, good for fast indoor action. I use it for gymnastics on a Canon 450d XSI. It is also good for head shots. I really like this lens. +5 This is an unbelievable lens. This is the WOW factor when you see your image on PC, even in low light situation the image is just so freaking good. My 60D with 1.6x crop sensor turn this lens into 136mm and its take very good portrait photos and the bokeh is unbeliveable. The focus ring is super smooth and over all well built. This lens will stay with me forever. +4 I am primarily a wedding photographer, but I do shoot portraiture now and then (especially engagement shoots), and so I have divided my review accordingly into those two categories. If possible, I would have given this a 4.5 star review as for my specific needs this lens is not ideal. In it's own right however, it is a great lens as I will explain below. GENERAL In general, this is a great lens. The optical quality is fantastic, it is built like a tank, and any photographer will tell you that the 85mm focal length is definitely the sweet spot for portraits. The bokeh is creamy wide open, and definitely higher quality that the 50mm 1.8 or even the 50mm 1.4. When stopped down a little, the images it produces are quite sharp, have very decent color (if a TINY bit dull in some situations) and I like that it produces such powerful results in a relatively small package. FOR PORTRAITURE This is probably the best non-L glass around for portraits, and I would venture to say that in the right hands it can produce L-quality results. As I mentioned, the bokeh alone makes this an incredible choice for your portraits, whether with just one subject or a couple. What I like especially about the 85mm range, is that you have to be pretty far back from your subject for a traditional head-and-shoulders portrait, which I have found makes people feel quite relaxed especially those uncomfortable around a camera. I always use a manual focus point for portraits, focusing in on my subject's eye before snapping the shot. In a relaxed environment such as this, the lens works perfectly and turns out great results... FOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY You might not think it, but Wedding Photography is one of the fastest paced photography categories, barring sports. The need to capture THAT moment in fact defines this profession, and therefore we wedding photographers need our gear to act right, and at the right time. Whether memory cards, DSLR cache or in this case lens focusing systems, it really irks me when I don't get the shot that I wanted. I have found when shooting weddings that this lens is less than ideal. I like to shoot without flash 95% of the time (venue allowing) and so all of my lenses are wide aperture such as this. The problem is, the focusing system on the 85mm is a little slow, so that I frequently noticed images coming out soft to the point of being blurry, as I don't have the time to wait for it to catch up. Initially thinking this might be a calibration problem, both my 1Ds MkII and my 85mm 1.8 went in for testing/calibration at Canon, both coming back with the okay. I tried a friend's copy of the lens, and came back with similar results. There are several forums that discuss this topic, and I found that many photographers found this same caveat with their lenses. When it does focus, it is spot on every time, but when the couple is having their first kiss, often you don't have more than a second or two to get it right. OVERALL If you are looking for a good portrait lens, are a beginner or novice user, you are absolutely going to love this lens. Even some pros will enjoy it in many situations. If you are specifically a wedding photographer, or someone who shoots faster-paced scenes, you might want to look at a different lens. On paper, this lens should work for these uses, but in real life, I have found it to be less than ideal. This lens has earned a permanent spot in my gear bag, and I use it often and with pleasure, it does not however make appearances at weddings unless the bride and groom set aside a couple of hours for bridals, which doesn't happen all that often! 4.5/5 +5 This lens is extremely sharp and has nice bokeh. The USM is extremely fast and quiet. The color saturation is beautiful. The 1.8 aperature is extremely helpful in low light. The lens construction is solid. This is a little tight on a crop body like the 7D. You can take gorgeous portraits of head and shoulders from a reasonable distance but for a full body shot you have to step back considerably. Its the equivalent of 135mm on a full frame camera. As long as you realize this upon puchase you will not be disappointed with this lens. +5 I really like this lens. Sometimes, on weekend trips, I will take only this lens, and it has proved to be a very nice choice. I would not recommend it if you have landscapes in mind. But for portraits, I like it better than my 50mm f/1.8, and that's saying a lot. +5 i have to be close to my subject to get a good shoot. but the quality of the video and picture are super. great wide angle but remember you will have to be close to you subject to get the fully of it or them. +4 I picked this up for a trip and love it. It's a great focal length for the digital Rebels with the smaller sensors (works like a 32mm on my Canon t1i). It is a little prone to flaring, so I highly recommend getting the Canon brand bayonet-mount lens hood (or even an off-brand, if you live dangerously). I bought a generic hood that screws on to the filter threads and this does not work very well. I thought that I would end up reselling this when I upgrade to a 17-40 f/4L in the future, but I think I may keep it around for the extra stop anyway! +4 I got the lens because I wanted to get wider than my standard zoom would let me. I shoot full frame, and it was a choice between the $1600 16-35mm f/2.8 and this $470 20mm f/2.8. At less than a third price, I went with this lens. I want to give this lens five stars -- it's well built, focuses quickly, isn't too heavy or large, and feels solid on the camera. However, it has significant amount of vignetting, chromatic aberration, and flaring, which affect how useful shots from this lens are. Now that I know how this lens behaves, I know to take all those issues into account when composing my shots, but at the end of the day, it's a hassle I'd rather not deal with. Canon doesn't offer too many other options at 20mm, but I'm tempted to save up for options in the L glass to make my wide shooting easier. Now, with all that griping out of the way, why did I still give this lens 4 stars? Well, because it does shoot sharp, quickly focused, bright and colorful 20mm shots, all in a compact, lightweight body. The full-time focus works excellently, and when all is said and done, I do get some beautiful shots off this lens, and it has become one of my three "travel kit" lenses, even if it is the buck-toothed step-sister of the bunch. +2 I used it to shoot from an elevated angle. The result were disappointing.....I paid $[...] but I don't think it is even worth more than $[...] to tell you the truth. The colors are lifeless, "burnt-out". There are no details on the images. You can see the samples on my site: [...] Look for the huge house with the red roof. You will see what I am talking about. Normally, I use the 17-40 L on my elevated system. I thoguht the 20mm would be a good replacement even if it not as good as the 17 40. I think even the 18-55 Canon kit lens produces better images. Add a few hundred bucks and buy a decent lens. +4 Always happy with Canon Lenses.. I am more a detailed photographer, I purchased this mainly for my husband. He enjoys taking more landscape photography. Overall, very happy! +3 This is one of the first two lenses I bought when I switched to a Canon SLR about five years ago. I've had plenty of opportunity to use it since then, both with film and (full frame) digital. The idea behind this lens is a good one -- 20mm is wide enough to allow for landscape and architectural photos, and it focuses close enough for entertaining photos of people's faces, taken about a foot away from their noses (note that you'll need either a ring light or lucky ambient light to pull off the latter). There is some pincushion distortion, but nobody would accuse the results of looking like a funhouse mirror, as would be the case with a fisheye lens, for example. f2.8 is fast enough; I've no complaints there. Unfortunately, this camera consistently vignettes -- the corners of every image are dim. This is true even with a bare lens, and filters make it worse. You can correct the problem in image editing software, or just crop the image, but what's the point of buying a 20mm lens if you're going to have to crop every photo you take with it? If this had been a cheap zoom lens, I'd have expected the problem and not been bothered by it. With a fixed lens, however, I think there isn't much excuse. Canon still charges about the same ($400) that I paid for this lens years ago. By now, they ought to have upgraded this thing, or dropped the price. It is the worst EF lens I own. -- addendum: I've recently been using a Canon EOS IX, which takes APS film. This lens is much more useful with that camera, though using even APS-H, you get something akin to the image you would get from a 35mm lens on a 35mm negative. +5 If you want a wide-angle lens for a Rebel that doesn't have lots of distortion, this is great. I have taken some very nice shots with this hand-held indoors and outside. The first time I took a stopped-down shot indoors on a tripod, I was really impressed. Because of the crop factor and depth of field, it's eye-popping sharp all over with great color saturation. It costs a good amount, but it's one of the most useful lenses I have. Drawbacks - A chunk of that price is for the 20mm optics of which we only see the central portion with a cropped sensor. The lens hood is extra. The lens diameter is 72mm so buying a polarizer lens will set you back. Bottom line: I would give up my 85mm f1.8 and 50mm f1.4 - and maybe even my 35mm f2 - before I would part with this lens. Great for landscapes on cropped sensor cameras. People who have complained about this lens must have gotten a bad build. +5 This was my first upgrade lens and I am still using it constantly. It became a challenge at first because it was my first prime lens but you learn quickly that the lens doesn't have to do all the work. I had to focus more on my positioning relative to the subject but I like to think I became a better photographer because of it. The quality of this lens is so great and the bokeh of the photos is pretty amazing! As an indoor lens, the f/1.8 delivers pretty good and as an outdoor lens it's outstanding! I have used it on a crop sensor camera and now that I'm getting the Mark 5D II, I will see how much nicer this lens can perform. It was definitely the perfect lens to upgrade to. +5 I use this lens on a T1i/500D and the images are just phenomenal. Very impressed with the bokeh quality and sharpness. Though I'm no pro, I'd have to say this lens is a must have for portrait photography. Always get compliments on images I take with this lens, even if they are technically nothing special. And yes you will get some chromatic aberration/purple fringing at wider apertures in high contrast situations (very easily eliminated in Photoshop), but it's not a big deal. Again, you can deal with that in post processing, shoot b&w, or you can just live with it and enjoy the images you get with this amazing lens. I usually just do the latter and unless I am pixel peeping I hardly even notice it in most situations. It's probably worth mentioning that I also have 70-200 f/4 IS, and even though there is some overlap with this lens and the 70-200, I find I still go to the 85mm 1.8 in a lot of situations, especially for portraits. That's saying a lot because the 70-200 is a pretty amazing lens as well. Like I said, I'm no pro, but I would highly recommend the 85 1.8 to anyone looking for a good portrait photography lens. So what are you waiting for, just get it! +5 I crossed my fingers and bought this lens used because I wanted a longer focal length portrait lens. I didn't like the reviews on the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (I didn't have the cake for the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Camerasor the Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras lens). I liked the reviews for the 85mm 1.8 and I couldn't stand the blurry images coming from the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens on my 5D Mark II. I also have the kit lens Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras WHITE RETAIL BOX they're not too bad!! I took it out to the park and shot quite a bit of photos through it... the lens seems to focus very well, the images appeared to be sharp and bright through the viewfinder. Ok.... still not sold on it... but when I got home and uploaded the images to my PC.... I liked what I saw.....AMAZINGLY SHARP IMAGES!!! I think it should have an "L" on it but who I am..... I'm just a new kid on the block in photography so I can't gave you all the technical jargon... All I can say is SHE'S A GREAT PIECE OF GLASS!! Try it for yourselves the chances are that you too will agree!!! A great bang for the buck!!! Update 5-8-12 Still loving this great piece of glass as it continues to turn out sharp images in low light!! When I grow up and put on my big boy pants I will step up and purchase the grandaddy of Canon glass: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras I hope this helps!!! Happy shooting!!! +5 I'm shooting with a 5D. I'm shooting video. Using this for a side angle in a 2-camera set up, but frankly, the shots from this lens are so beautiful, I am thinking of changing the set up to use my 50mm 1.4 prime as the side angle, and the 85 1.8 as the front angle. I'm going to test it out tomorrow. This lens takes beautiful photos and was pretty affordable, especially considering the quality. +5 This lens is a steal for $350.00 when it was on sale. The large aperture allows you to create great bokeh effects, not to mention it is tack sharp. +5 I am currently shooting with a Canon 7D and several L lenses. I wanted a medium long, fast portrait lens and I have always liked this focal length for close-up head shots. Back in the days of full frame film cameras I used an 85mm on a 35mm camera and an 150mm on a 6x6cm camera for most of my portrait work. However, for tight head shots I would go to the 135mm for 35mm work and a 210mm for 6x6cm shots. This lens, on my 7D, gives me similar results as an 135mm on a full frame camera. I used to own a Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 for my Contax RTS camera (boy, that was a long time ago) and I loved it. It was very sharp and had great contrast and color. I had Zeiss lenses on my Hassleblad medium format cameras and they were considered the gold standard. I thought about getting that lens for my Canon and the fact that it is manual focus appealed to me. When shooting at wide apertures I prefer to do the focusing myself. However, I rented one and was not as impressed with it as I used to be. For some reason the Zeiss' image quality didn't translate into the digital world as much as I had hoped for. Also, I have to admit that I was disappointed to learn that they were being made in Japan now. Don't get me wrong, a lot (I mean a LOT) of great lenses are made there. As a matter of fact, I used to work for a Japanese large format camera manufacturer so I have tons of respect for them. But for me, Zeiss is, and should be, a German lens. I then looked at the Canon 85mm f1.2L and really liked it. I borrowed one and planned on buying one for myself in the near future. Then, a project came up were I needed this focal length right away. I didn't want to part with the money for the 1.2 just yet so I bought this lens, the Canon 85mm f/1.8, and I am so glad that I did. The image quality is so close to that of the 1.2 that only an expert could tell the difference. I like the bright viewing image of the 1.8 but I seldom shoot it wide open, preferring the sharpness and DOF that I get at f/4.0 and 5.6. This lens is very easy to focus manually (unlike some of Canon's newer lenses) and a dream to work with. I may upgrade to the 1.2 in the future, but I am in no hurry. +4 I just purchased this lens 2 weeks ago. I can not stop shooting with it! It is more than I thought it would be! I read all the reviews and had an easy choice selecting it. It really is true that a good lens makes you a better photographer! The overall feel of the images quality screams professional! Really! I have been using stock lenses for 2 years and finally made a choice to ditch them both and upgrade. I sure am glad I chose this lens. It is heavier than the plastic stock lens, Naturally. The glass is thick and much larger , also. It is quality all the way. The lens is quick on focus and doesnt make mistakes like my stock lens. I have also noticed that I am not playing around in photoshop as much as with my old lenses. It has a better contrast and saturation ratio. The bokeh is superb! I do not limit this lens to portraits! I also picked up a Sigma 10 -20mm lens for my Canon and that is a joy to shoot with too! Go ahead and get this lens if you have been pondering it. You won't be sorry! I only gave it a 4 because I really wanted a Pro Lens but couldn't afford the price tag. But all in all. I think I did get one! There should be a red ring around this lens! +5 I needed a lens to take photos under the following conditions: 1 - Artificial lighting. 2 - Subject located less than 20 meters from the camera. 3 - Camera with a 1.6 crop factor (APS-C sized sensor). 4 - No flash. 5 - Shutter speed of 1/100 (or faster) to freeze action. 6 - ISO not over 800 to minimize noise. 7 - Indoor sport (Judo). Before choosing the Canon 85mm 1.8, I had read several lens reviews. Most reviews recommended this lens for portraits and indoor events. I choose this lens because of: 1 - Good reviews. 2 - Fair price. 3 - Maximum aperture of 1.8. After several photos with this lens, I have the following observations: 1 - This lens is solidly built and deserves good recommendations. 2 - Most photos were sharp and required almost no post-processing. 3 - Post-processing usually consisted of minor adjustments and cropping. 4 - Considering the above settings, the aperture ranged from 1.8 to 2.5. 5 - Since this lens is a prime, you get better results moving around. 6 - The focus mechanism is fast and silent. Considering my application, I am satisfied with the Canon 85mm 1.8. Please note that I am an amateur, not a professional photographer. +3 I chose this lens because I needed a good medium telephoto. When searching the web for one I wasn't happy with how much overlap to the focal lengths I already have and thought purchasing some varible zoom, like the 24-105 for example, would be a waste of money since I already have a very good 17-50mm f2.8. I did some simple test shots both indoors, indoors with flash, outdoors in sun, and outdoors in shade. I'm very pleased with how clear this lens is and the color reproduction is very canon, a sort of neutral blue. I took off a star from the review because at f1.8 you can tell it's not nearly as sharp as it is stopped down just a little. At f3.5 this lens is very sharp, every bit as sharp as my 100-400L lens @ 100mm and f4.5. I'm also a little disapointed that for a f1.8 lens it's not simularly priced to the 50mm f1.8 instead of the 50mm f1.4 which is a superior lens IMO. Lastly I took another star for the minimum focusing distance. I knew in advance it wasn't great on paper but in reality confronted with how limiting it is, even with a 13mm extension tube, I would really recomend another lens if price isn't an issue to you. With all that said however, I'm keeping the lens. I still think it's the best solution for me since I don't want to duplicate coverage of various focal lengths and considering the cost of this lens. I plan to borrow a Canon 85mm f1.2L from a friend and compare results. While I'm sure the L lens will be sharper I'm not sure if that's worth the extra 400% to me... Last thing to note, nothing related to the lens, just the seller. Shipping was free but it took well over a week to receive my item. I also didn't recieve the normal automated e-mails through Amazon as to the shipping status - I was however able to pull the tracking info manually by logging into my account. +5 This lens is nice and fast, and takes very clear pictures. I was using a tele-zoom, and was kind of disappointed with the clarity of my camera lens and body (Canon 5D MK2). With these fixed focal length lenses such as this one, the photos are unbelievable clear and crisp. I would recommend this lens highly! +5 Others have said this better than I, but I just had to add my praise to this lens. I was not aware that you couldn't zoom in when I first got it, but that was absolutely my error and does not detract at all from the wonderful qualities of this lens. Sturdily built but not heavy and bulky, wonderful bokeh, great f/stop control, clarity of image - my only problem with it, really, is that it isn't as sharp as I'd like, but that's all-too-easily fixed in Photoshop. +5 update: (after one day of using this lens) I ordered my lens thursday and delivered the next day through Amazon. I started taking photos that very same day (sept. 30) it was delivered (8:57 am--- that was a fast delivery!) , posted it immediately on my flickr website and was explored that very same day, found out today which is saturday! So I guess, I found my perfect lens and I have quite a few. ' MACKIEBU' Been taking photos for years now and I did some research for the best lens out there for portrait photography. I ordered this through amazon yesterday just after 6pm and I just got it. It was 8:57am when it was delivered. Awesome awesome!!! Walked around my neighborhood and did some test shots and here's the verdict after a few hours of playing with it--- tack sharp even without IS less motion blur fast autofocus I 'love' it! Get it now and don't wait. ;-) +5 I was used to zoom lens earlier and not since purchasing canon 5DMarkII, I have only bought Primes. I am absolutely amazed with the quality of photos I get from this lens. I have 5Dmark II and to capture low light photographs this I find a perfect lens for it. Nice Bokeh, low light, in house pictures are amazing with this lens. My friends are amazed when they see low light photos captured by this lens. I used to get background clutter with other lenses and sometimes not desired but since this lens, all background clutter is gone and pictures are sharp and enhanced. 1. Its fast 2. Its very sharp 3. Nice bokeh 4. No flash needed. Its now in my superb collection of other primes I have: Canon 135mm 2.8L canon 50mm 1.4 Don't miss this one. Absolute buy. Enjoy +5 This lens is a perfect addition to my collection. At the moment I am rocking a Canon t1i (crop camera), and needed another decent lens for portraits. At the moment, I have the stock 18-55 and the 50mm prime lens. I debated on getting another prime lens vs a better walkaround lens such as the Canon 24-70 f/2.8, but the $800 price difference swayed my decision. While this is a great lens, since it is a prime lens you'll still want to have a zoom lens on hand. I would recommend this for anyone who is doing portraits at an amateur to semi-professional level. Great buy. +5 Okay, I didn't buy it on Amazon, but I paid exactly the same price. The price is pretty consistent no matter where you look, except maybe at Dell where everything seems to cost more. This is a portrait lens. On my camera, although it appears to be a longer lens -- 136 on my Canon T3 which has the 1.6 optical factor due to the smaller sensor. However, the optical qualities are the same regardless of the field of view you get and these optical qualities are FANtastic. Does everyone look better shot with this lens? Maybe. The portraits I've taken with it are delicious. Color is beautiful and the bokeh? Wow. For flowers and other close up nature pictures, it may produce the most artistic images for the least amount of effort of any lens I have ever used on any camera and THAT is saying a lot because I've been taking pictures as a serious amateur and occasionally professional level for more than 40 years. It has a VERY strong focusing preference for sharp foreground with blurred backgrounds. If you try to convince it to work the other way (soft foreground, sharp subject back) it tends to argue with you and you have to either switch to manual focus (the simpler choice) or keep playing around with the autofocus until it finally takes the hint, after which you get a great picture. It is also surprisingly good for landscapes if you use higher apertures -- f8 and up. Sharp. Gorgeous texture. Great color. Since I'm fond of shooting from dark into light (e.g., in the woods on a dark path in deep shade out to a brightly lit lake using trees as silhouettes to frame the shot) and for this purpose, it works superbly and focuses without complaint. It helps to use center weighted or spot metering, or at least that's what works best for me. The lens is moderately heavy, especially for a prime, but not overwhelming. I have bad wrists and have no trouble using it. I haven't used it on a tripod yet. I haven't needed one because the lens is fast and with the IS working, remarkably forgiving. I was feeling guilty about spending the money, but I'm SO happy with the lens, I have forgiven myself. As really great lenses go, the price tag is pretty modest. It may be about as good a value for performance as you are ever going to get. Use it for things it is good at and you will be thrilled with the results. Use it on higher apertures for some remarkable landscapes. No broad vistas, obviously, but still some pretty cool stuff you can do with it. All in all, I am delighted with this lens. If you shoot a lot of people, it may be the best lens available regardless of price. If there is a better lens for portraits, I haven't heard about it. I should emphasize that taking shots of flowers twined with fences and other close focus nature pictures where a great bokeh can be the make/break for the picture, well ... I've taken pictures on the fly that I barely bothered to look at before snapping and they came out looking like art. Gorgeous. I can't find anything wrong with it ... assuming you have a grip on what it can do and what are its inherent strong suits. +5 Awesome Lens...Bought it 4 months ago and I've only used it occasionally. In the past few days I shot a tricky people-heavy job with a 35mm L on one 5d mk ii and this 85 on another. In post I frequently assumed an especially sharp shot was from a 35mm L file only to find it was from the 85...This is saying a LOT as the 35mm L is likely one of Canon's sharpest lenses. Bang-for-the-buck talk aside...this is simply a very very good lens. +5 So far my best lense...im totally in love with this lense...al pics turn out really sharp, color fidelity is awesome, the ability to take pics even in low light is just priceless, now i find myself taking more pics with natural light...i own a canon xs but paired with this lens is fenomenal. I wish i could find more lenses of this quality on this price range...my portraits now look professional...now my friends cant say anything about their stupid iphones taking better pictures...actually they want me to take portraits for them(paid) and that is what i want it! i just have it for 2 weeks but im sold on this lense...i will be posting some pics soon...if you are a amateur or advanced photographer you need to have this lense...sooner rather than later you will need it! +5 I'm by far not a professional photographer but this lens makes me feel like one. My images are so clear and the colors vivid. I purchased this lens with my 60D and have no regrets. +5 i read ALL the pro and semi-pro photographers' review who owned this lens and decided to buy it for my rebel t2i. i wanted a lens that would give me great photos in all kinds of light. i wanted to get much sharper photos than i was getting with the kit lens that came with the camera. this lens does it all. everyone that sees my pics taken with this lens says how wonderful my shots are. yes, the camera is pretty dang nice too, but i never got the quality of pictures i now get until i used this 85mm lens. you will not be disappointed! +5 When shooting models, I most often use the Canon EF 24-70mm L lens. But the model will give me a "certain look", and I always say ... STOP!, stay just like that. Then I grab my other rig which has the 85 milly attached, and I just start to walk all around and shoot. It seems to accentuate facial expressions, add emotion, and the isolation from the background is butta. When I get on my computer and start giving stars to my images, usually a large number of the shots taken with the 85mm stand out. I would never shoot a wedding (too much work), but this would be a primary lens. And I could't take a wedding/event photographer too serious without the 85mm or 50mm in there arsenal. If you do street photography this is a great length, especially for APS-C sensors. You can photograph people without being too close or intimadating. And close-up shots of any old mundane thing, with the right focus and angle becomes a masterpiece. It's also excellent in dimly lit rooms, you can keep the ISO's low with a high aperture. Very quiet focus and very good auto focus. However, to really expose this lens strengths (BOKEH and DOF) shooting in manual focus is preferred. Price, Image Quality, and its specializations all considered. This is a five star lens. Go get it. +5 One of the best lens values I have found for my Canon 7D. I love the image quality I get when taking posed portraits. I also often use this lens, hand-held, to capture available light shots of my younger grandchildren. They tend to move fast and seldom rest. I have even used it with a 1.4 teleconverter to capture a few excellent night football shots. The focusing is quick and accurate inside or out. The "bokeh" is very creamy and smooth at the wider f-stops. One of the best values around for a Canon EOS user. Note- it lacks image stablization (IS), but is fast enough to seldom need it. +5 I am an amateur having a Canon 5D Mark 2. I had been using F/4L 70-200 the most followed by F/4L 24-105 and the 50mm. All these lenses were having terrible motion blur in photos taken indoor without flashes or performances. I got this lens (Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras) and took it for a test run for an indoor function without flash and got excellent pictures. This is definitely superb for portraits and really fast avoiding motion blur. +5 Being an (a slightly advanced) amateur I found this lens to be excellent. Use it with a Canon Rebel primarily for portraits and the results are great. I am not sure one can get better quality for the price. +4 A great way to own a fast 85mm lens for portrait photography if your using APS-C you will have to stand a little farther back due to croping. +5 Faster focusing than the f1.2, and still has stunning image quality. Don't hestiate. Most of my best portraits come with this lens. +5 The Canon 85mm 1.8 is one heck of a lens for the money. It's razor sharp, including when it's wide open, and costs a fraction of the price of the 1.4 Canon or Sigma lenses with little loss of speed. The ultrasonic motor is silent and focuses fast and this lens is surprisingly light for a 1.8. On top of that it produces beautiful creamy bokeh. Buy it fast before Canon updates this older model and dramatically raises the price. Other than adding adding IS, which is not all that critical for a 1.8 lens, there is little Canon can do to improve this incredible performer. +5 Wonderful Bokeh... Not all pictures are sharp at F1.8 But stop down is ok.. Bokeh is creamy and nice.. Expect long working distance from subject. +5 The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is an excellent lens for portrait work even if use with full frame or on crop body camera. It's much better than you expect, so if you're reading this because you think you want one, then just go get one. You'll love it! +5 This was my upgrade from the 50mm 1.8. The colors are so juicy and the autofocus is so slick. I am super happy with the images I've been able to create with this lens...just wish I had a full frame body to go with it! :) +5 I bought the Canon EF 85 f/1.8 a few weeks ago and it's been practically welded onto my camera ever since. Fast primes, I'm finding, are addictive. Don't be scared by the effective ~135mm focal length if you're shooting on a crop sensor. I shoot with an XSi and haven't found the length to be limiting in the least. It's a great head-and-shoulders portrait lens from about 7 feet out, but has also surprised me with its versatility as a walking-around lens. I own Canon zooms covering from 10-250mm and they're spending much more time languishing in my bag since I got the 85 (and also the EF 35 f/2 but that'd be a different review). Autofocus is fast and accurate, colors are rich, and it's sharp wide open at 1.8. Bokeh is smooth and lovely. Construction feels solid, particularly for a lens in this price range. The full-time manual focus is very handy. I love the photos I've been getting with this lens and really can't recommend it highly enough. Given the low price and the stellar results, you can't go wrong. +4 An amazingly sharp lens, this 85mm f/1.8 produces crisp, nicely saturated images. The outstanding glass and the wide aperture make for lovely portraits and handle my nightlife/low-light shooting needs very well. Build quality is solid, with a smooth/quick AF. Images are sharp even at f/2, requiring stopping down to a smaller aperture only when the aesthetics require it. Apart from technical merits, the practical measure of a lens really boils down to: does it take many keepers? The 85mm f/1.8 takes more than its share of keepers, especially considering it's a pretty cheap lens. The only major caveat I found: on an APS-C body, the effective 136mm focal length is a bit long for indoors usage. That combined with the minimum focus distance of nearly 3ft doesn't allow for close shots. "Let me take your snapshot...from across the room". This is the only non-L lens that has really impressed me. For my low-light/hand-held purposes I could wish it had IS, but for the price relative to L glass, I have no complaints. The 85's images easily stand up to the same focal length on my favorite 24-105L. Highly recommended. Update May 2013: After owning this lens a few years, I find it's not one I often load into my kit. I have developed a bit of a love-hate relationship with it. In bright light / high shutter speeds and carefully handled, this lens turns out some amazingly sharp portrait-style shots which led to my original raving. But in casual handheld or low-light usage, even at a large aperture, I have trouble getting any "keepers"-- lots of less-sharp shots. Thus, I'm marking this lens down to 4 stars. It's still a great portrait lens for the price, but non-optimal for low-light usage. +5 I use this on my full frame Canon 5D as a portrait lens and the results are stunning. On full frame f/1.8 sharpness is much better than my nifty fifty 50mm f/1.8, but still better to stop it down to 2.0 or 2.2. Colors are great and the focus speed is lightning quick and silent. This is one of those lenses that is a must have for portraits on a full frame. If I had a crop sensor camera I might go with the 50mm f/1.4. +5 I purchased this lens a few years ago, it has amazing image quality on "L" level. best lens for the money bar none. do not hesitant on purchasing this lens... it even has a lot of advantages over the 1.2 L thats 2000. +5 I use my 85mm f1.8 canon lens for my daughters volleyball games. It performs really well in low lighted school gyms with no flash. I do shoot in RAW format so I can lighten some of the pictures if needed. I see other parents give up shooting in the dim light of a school gym because they are still trying to use the kit lens with f3.5 to f4.5. You need a shutter speed of at least 1/200 to stop the action. I have no trouble getting this at f1.8 or f2.0. You do have a very shallow depth of field at f1.8. This would also be very good for indoor basketball games as well. +4 I've seen some impressive photos from this lens so I had to have one. Since using it I find it produces a nicely sharp image with good color, decent contrast, and has reasonably quick and accurate focussing. There is a good bit of chromatic aborration on high contrast and backlit edgelines, but this can be corrected in processing. I think the build is quite good for a mid level lens and the focus ring works well but is not L quality smooth. It seems like this lens could use an update to reduce CA and increase clarity just a bit with the new coating canon is now using on the glass, but I strongly recommend this lens for portrait work in available light. +4 This is a great lens. The image quality is very very good! I am having a little difficulty with the autofocus, but at this point it may just be my camera, so I don't want to fault the lens just yet. The focus speed is great. The only problem I have with this lens is purple and green fringing on areas of high contrast. Stopping down the lens helps, but even at F4, I am still getting some of this. With photo's this can be fixed, but with video there is no easy way to get rid of it. It is worse than any of my other lenses. If not for this, I would give this lens 5 stars. In every other way the image quality is really great. +5 I am a hobby photographer, taking mainly action photos of dogs and other nature things. I have found that I am happiest using prime lenses over zoom since the photos come out clearer and sharper in all ranges, and it's certainly easy enough to switch out a lens. This lens is GREAT! It is just the right focal length for an area I frequent with the dogs and my photos are coming out fantastic. Overall, this lens is one of the most versatile lenses I own. The f/1.8 is great for pretty much any lighting conditions I run into, and stops even the fastest jumping or running dog. I have some great snow shots taken with this lens...you almost feel like reaching out and brushing the snow off the dogs faces. Photos almost look three dimensional and there is a sparkle in each dogs eyes! Buy this lens, you won't regret it!!! +4 pros: This is a great lens for indoor shooting! With the 1.8 aperture, it lets in amazing amounts of light even the darkest light settings. The auto focus is very quick, with the option to override if I don't like it! I love that! The pictures are crisp and clear! It has great Bokeh! Cons: 85mm is a short distance to work with in my studio. I have to stand back 20 feet to get a half body shot. It's great for faces though, but not group shots, unless you're outside with space to back up. Focus can tend to get a little confined at close range shots with the sides blurring out. I love this lens for it's clarity and aperture! +5 I bought this lens especially to take live action shots at high speed, fast action basketball games. I am still learning all of the functions of the lens and getting used to how it works, but so far I have had some amazing pictures. For the things I'm doing with it and the price you pay, it is SOO worth it! They shipped it right on time and I have been able to enjoy all the benefits of its f 1.8. its a great lens that i highly recommend ! +5 I have a T1i and i love this lens on it, its great for taking portrait shots. Photos always come out nice and crisp, focus is fast and quiet, and the background is nice and creamy awesome lens for the price +4 Great lens, excellent picture quality, really good build. I love this lens, even has USM. You just have to know what you're doing. There's no Image Stabilization, so if you're going hand-held, shutter speeds have to be pretty high. I still manage to get some sharp pics at 1/30 second. Also, this is not the best lens for walking around Disney, taking snaps. Take it along in your bag for the more distant shots, especially if you have a crop sensor camera, but don't dump your kit lens just yet, wait till you can get a better one with an equivalent focal length. I'm looking at the Canon ef-s 17-55 as the better everyday lens. That said, this lens has given me some of the sharpest pictures I've taken to date. Bokeh is beautiful, and at f1.8, shutter speeds can be pretty high. If you're a camera buff, you'll want one. Just get it already. Grinning. And save up for the 17-55, you'll need that one too. +5 This lens fills an essential space in my prime lens lineup. Between 50mm and 135mm Canon offers two lenses at this price point: a 100mm f/2 and this 85mm f/1.8. For me, the wider aperture and what I can only describe as a more "natural" feel of 85mm were the deciding factors. Evaluating this as a USM prime Canon lens, though, the performance is wonderful. Snappy focus, brilliant colors, sharp, bokeh, etc etc etc ... all those words that positive lens reviews usually use. But if you're at the point where you're buying primes, you expect all that, anything less is a waste of your time, so I'll instead focus on why an 85mm f/1.8 lens is useful. Now, while f/1.8 is awesome for low-light shooting, that is not the focus of this lens. Landscapes, architecture, abstracts, detail... yes you can shoot those with this (or any) lens, but this lens really excels at portraits. No, that's an understatement. Portraits are this lens's raison d'tre. This lens is a portrait taking machine, and while good portraiture also requires loads of skill and experience, this is the tool you will rely on throughout. +5 Everything you've read is true. Beautiful sharpness and clarity, great bokeh, superb low-light capabilities. NOT the lens for group shots in smaller rooms on 1.6 crop. Otherwise, BEAUTIFUL for portraits. Virtually silent and almost instant AF. I love the control over DOF by choosing the aperture you want. Easily isolate your subject in foreground, mid-distance or background for impressive effects. Or open it wide to 1.8 and isolate just one EYE in a portrait, if you prefer. Stop it down and add whole new dimensions for landscapes. For even more control, I'm a big fan of back button focusing on my 40D. (Visit the forum of your DSLR brand and "back button focus" to customize and learn to use this invaluable feature.) Separates focus from metering (often combined in half-pressing the shutter) to give ABSOLUTE control over focus point without risk of AF shift -- except when you want it, as in continuous focus. Virtually eliminates out-of-focus (OOF) rejects. Always-on MF on this lens is also convenient for tweaking AF, though I rarely use it. Not a true macro lens, but captures GREAT closeups and can be used with extension tubes, as others note. I like this focal length A LOT on a 1.6 crop. It's effectively 135mm, so you can stand well back from subjects and not intimidate them at all. (Though the lens hood makes it look formidable.) Terrific reach for candid street shooting, indoor sports, club and stage performances. Sharpness and quality, especially in RAW, as magnified for post-processing in Photoshop, is stunning. Always with me in my walkaround bag and usually on camera. My first thought in ANY situation is, "Can I use the 85?" By far my favorite lens. Great price with Amazon, as always, and really fast shipping. +5 This lens is fantastic. It's not labeled as "L", but sure gives sharp pictures. The bokeh is great too. One word of caution I would give would be to know why you are buying the lens. I bought it for portraits, and it's great for that. If you want to take pictures indoors, you need to remember it's a long lens (more so if you don't have a full-frame body). Also, if you're not used to apertures this big, you need to be prepared for the shallow depth of field - it's easy to get pictures where an object is in focus, but an adjacent object isn't, even though it's just barely further back or in front. +5 Excellent Lens. Very small and lightweight. Fixed focal length makes for a much shorter, narrower, lighter lens (as compared to a zoom telephoto lens). Perfect for shooting people. For a crop sensor camera (all Rebels, Canon 7D, etc) the Canon 85mm lens has an effective angle of view as 136mm lens on a 35mm film camera or full sensor camera. PROS: Technically, very sharp lens, excellent value for the quality. Perfect for taking candid pictures. Zoom lens in a crowd is intrusive if you are taking pictures of strangers. People are more accepting of this small sized lens. Very stealthy! Excellent portrait lens, blurs the background very easily. Most professionals would choose a 70-200mm lens for portraits, but the 70-200 is a beast of a lens. If you are shooting family, and do not want to carry all the weight, you can not beat this lens. You will probable shoot more pictures with this lens than you would with a longer zoom lens. Very comfortable to walk around with. Yes a long zoom is fun, but after a while the long lens is a pain in the a... You will end up not taking the zoom with you. Very fast lens (i.e. opens to f1.8) excellent in low light. Good for indoor sports like basketball or volleyball. No need for a flash. Great gift lens, for an amature who needs a telephoto, but does not want the bulk and weight. Perfect fit and weight to add to your camera bag. CONS: You will need to zoom with your feet(move closer or farther away from your subject). ### For a technical review and test of this lens just google "slrgear Lens Tests and Reviews". +5 I got this lens just before heading to a wedding and then vacation and it's been stuck to my camera ever since... this lens is amazing! With the 85mm you can stay far enough away that you aren't super obtrusive, but it's so flattering on people it's amazing! The AF is super fast and the build quality feels much more sturdy than the 50mm 1.8. Every "portrait" I've taken with this lens has made for beautiful colors and lines. The speed of the lens allowed me to capture wedding details, handheld, with no flash, in near-darkness... I was so impressed! I love my 50mm 1.8, but this lens just makes people look so amazing! P.S. The bokeh looks fantastic, my wedding details came out better than the official photographer's thanks to me shooting wide open with christmas lights in the background! +5 I sure preferred the lenses Canon made out of metal. The plastic they're using these days just doesn't feel the same. +5 I recently bought a Canon 5DmkI and was looking for a medium telephoto lens to take portraits with. I cannot afford an L series lens yet because I am just starting up my photography business. From the advice of Zach Arias I purchased this lens. Before I was just using the 50mm 1.8, but after getting this lens I cannot go back. It focuses much faster than the 50mm 1.8 and because of the USM it is super quiet. But picking it up the lens feels substantial, not light and cheap like most EF-S lenses. If you are in the market for a great cheap non L series lens, I would pick this over the 50mm 1.8. +4 I recently purchased this lens and found it to be an outstanding value for the buy. Everything you hear about it's sharpness is absolutely accurate. It's primary utilization based on focal lenght is portraits. It focuses extremely fast, and while it is a tad prone to bluring due to camera shake more than other lenses I have used, it's a fantastic piece of glass for the price. That being said, my personal taste has found that the 50mm focal length is more up my alley. On a cropped sensor such as my 7D, the 85mm functions as a 135mm which makes it very difficult to get any sort of photojournalistic style shots. I truly believe this is quite possibly the best value for your dollar of any Canon lens and would recommend it to anyone with a full frame camera. It's one of the only non-L Canon lens's that will fully take advantage of the positive effects of a 5D or even 1Ds. I can't state this enough, if you are concerned about the financial implications of purchasing L series glass, you can NOT lose by picking this lens up. It retains it's resale value very well. All in all, it's a fantastic piece of glass. +5 The pros and cons of this lens have been thoroughly debated already, but one significant weakness that I wasn't expecting was purple fringing on the boarders of high contrast areas. I planned on using this for wedding photography, but at f 2.2 and below I would get thick purple fringing around candles (or pretty much any light), around the brides dress, and basically any other high contrast transition. It wasn't every shot, two shots of the same subject, and same lighting would produce different fringing from different angles. The fringing was so bad that on a 22mp 5dmii image processed in ACR CS5 with "defringe all edges" set to ON, I have 3/4 length shots of a bride where there is still a visible purple ring around most of her dress when viewed at an 8x10 size (not pixle peeping).... but 2 seconds later I took a similar shot from a different angle and got no fringe. I may have had an unusually bad copy of this lens, but I would recommend to either rent this lens or buy it from a place like amazon where there is a good return policy, and try it under all the conditions you hope to use it. You may be very happy... or you may realize that you need to upgrade to the 1.2L **2014 update** I waited 4 years to try this lens out again - over this summer and nearly 10,000 photos later I have been extremely happy with the results. Either my new copy of the lens is better, or LR is better at removing fringes, but I haven't lost a single photo. This lens is more prone to fringing than many other lenses out there, but I keep grabbing it out of my bag because it takes beatiful photos. IMO a few extra seconds in post are worth it, and it is certainly not every photo. I've also borrowed the 85 1.2 and I found a lot of fringing in those photos as well so really I couldn't justify the extra cost. If you're making your living taking pictures, this lens = a high return on investment. +5 I regularly use this lens for my photography business. It is excellent for outdoor portrait photography, and does well in low light indoors also if you have enough space to get far back from your subject. This is my favorite lens for kid portraits. Clients are always in love with the photos I capture with it! The bokeh is perfect. It does take some practice to get people perfectly in focus, but once you get it figured out you'll be thrilled with the results. +5 This is an awesome lens! Pros: Super fast autofocus. Good for sports Great bokeh. Great for portraits! Sharp throughout Short lens but good weight Full-time manual focus Cons: 3 foot minimum focusing distance Sometimes I wish this lens can zoom because the image quality is stunning but prime is good in its own way. +5 I've become a fan of prime lenses. I own a 30mm Sigma 1.4 and now this 85 prime. I can only compare it to other Canon lenses and the two Sigma lenes I own (the others are zooms), and I must say that this is the best in terms of quality. I would not characterize this lens as a "walk around" or primary lens. I use the 30mm for that. It is however wonderful for sports photography and portraits. It's pleanty sharp at 1.8 and the bokeh is wonderful. The 85mm works out to somewhere near 135 with the aps-c sensor and it is just enough telephoto to give your subject some personal space. I use it indoors and out. 5 stars are well deserved. +5 I bought this lens for portraits and general walk-around photography. It complements my 24-70mm f/2.8L and 135mm f/2L very nicely. On a crop sensor camera (Rebel series, 40D, 50D, etc.) you will get a full frame field of view equivalent of 136mm, which may be a little long for some pictures. I have a 450D (Rebel XSi), and it works very well on it. Pros: - Lightning fast auto focus - Excellent sharpness, even at f/1.8. It's performance is similar to my 135mm f/2L, which is says a lot. - The price. You're getting a "sleeper L lens" without spending a fortune. The L version of this lens is roughly $2000. You're getting a lot of bang for the buck. - Excellent bokeh. Backgrounds are very smooth. - Well built. It feels solid when I hold it, unlike the plastic kit lens. - Small size and lightweight. It's very inconspicuous and doesn't stand out. Cons: - There's some visible CA when wide open at f/1.8, but not really a problem for most situations. Stopping down to f/2 or f/2.5 will generally fix it. Considerations when buying this lens: - This lens has a 3 foot minimum focusing distance. You can't get too close to your subjects. - The full frame equivalent FOV (136mm) may be too long for those on a crop sensor camera, depending on what pictures you're taking Overall, I love this lens. I've been very happy with its performance, and the pictures that I get are simply incredible. If you're interested in a good portrait/short telephoto lens, this is the one to get. +5 Love this 85mm fixed lense. It has a fast focus and takes exceptionally clear pictures. +5 PROS: * Very little "hunting" when shooting in low light...in comparison to the popular 50mm f/1.8 * Comparable image quality to the f/1.2 for a fraction of the size and price. * The f/1.2 feels like an anvil is attached to the camera. The f/1.8 is a beast also. Very strong and dense...yet practical and manageable for every day use. * Crisp focus. Great DOF. Silky Bokeh. Outstanding portrait lens. CONS: * I wish I could get a little closer to my subjects. +5 For the money, this lens offers the best in terms of bang for buck in terms of image and build quality that you can get on a Canon, especially on a full-frame camera. Anyone looking for a great portrait lens should get hold of one of these. End of story. Pros: Great focal length for portraits Amazing bokeh Good low-light use without flash Good build quality Fast, quiet focus Full-time manual focus override Price Cons: Build quality is not as high as an L lens - but still high enough* Not as good in low-light as the 85 1.2* Bokeh not as creamy as 1.2 version* *The $1,500 difference comes down to these major differentiators. Get one. +5 I read lots of reviews about this lens before I made a decision. I was on a search for a portrait lens and found that this one was one of the best on the market. When I finally made up my mind I went and bought it. It came super-fast, well packed. I couldn't wait to have it on my Canon D-40. I was speechless after seeing the kind / quality of shots you get from this lens. If you into photography this is a keeper. All you do is just aim and shoot. The lens would do the rest for you. Now I can see why everyone has rate it 5 star including myself. I could have give it a 10 stars. This is the best lens I have so far. +5 I wanted to upgrade my nifty fifty, and was choosing between 50mm 1.4, this lens (85mm 1.8) and 100mm 2.8 macro (non-L) or 100m 2. While I've yet to try 50mm 1.4, I've read enough reservations about it to decide to pass (especially since at the time I still had 50mm 1.8 in case I needed that focal length), so in the end it came down to 85 or 100. The macro in 100mm was tempting, even though I'm not a big fan, but it's a fun feature. 85, on the other hand, was faster, and as someone who prefers to shoot with available light, it was a big plus. I ended up deciding that either lens was going to be great, and went with the cheapest, which was 85mm. It's fantastic. If you're thinking about upgrading from 50mm 1.8 - you'll be blown away. It's silent, it's sharper, focuses much better, better color and contrast, beautiful bokeh, a pleasure to handle. I have since tried the 100mm, my friend and I swapped our lenses for a little while, and I must say, I still prefer my 85, and friend now wants one too. I love this lens so much, I've learned to work around certain focal length limitations (I have to move a lot more than with a zoom, and stay further back than with 50mm), so I just sold my 50mm 1.8 because I just could never bring myself to put it on my camera: I figured, I'd rather miss a shot or two due to focal length, but nail 90% of the shots I do take, than get more shots taken, only to throw half of them away because of focus problems. +5 Before I get into the review, let me give a quick primer on Canon lenses for those of you who may be looking at this lens for your first Canon and are not really familiar with the "L-series..." comment in my review title. Canon lenses can be grouped into 3 basic categories - EF and EF-S non USM, EF and EF-S with USM, and L. The EF-S lenses are specifically designed for Canon cameras using the APS-C sensor (the Rebels, the 7D, the 10/20/30/40/50D). The non-USM versions of these lenses are traditionally considered 'kit lenses' (ones that are packaged with cameras - for example the 18-55 EF-S or the 55-250 EF-S that often come with the Rebel series) and are traditionally considered 'beginner' lenses. They lack the ultrasonic motor driven autofocus (USM) and they aren't manufactured to the same optical standards as Canon's better lenses - this isn't a knock on the lenses, because the fact is that Canon needs a series of lenses that fit the specific price range these lenses occupy. For the casual photographer these lenses perform great. From these you move into the EF or EF-S USM lenses that use the ultrasonic motor driven autofocus - they are quieter, faster focusing, and also a bit more solidly constructed. Consider these the 'mid-range' lenses in terms of price and performance, with some lenses in this category excelling to the point where they could be used without any reservation in professional settings. Finally you have the L-series - these are Canon's top of the line lenses (when you watch a sporting event and notice the sea of white/cream colored lenses on the photographer's cameras you are seeing L-series glass in action). I own several L-series lenses, with my favorite being the 24-70 F2.8 (read my review on it if you are interested in this lens). These lenses are expensive - prohibitively expensive to many - but if you can save up for one, you won't regret the purchase. Note that this little primer didn't mention image stabilization - this feature can be found in each category of lens - I tend to think that people put too much emphasis on it, but it can certainly be useful. Now, on to this lens. The 85mm F1.8 would fit into that 'mid-range' category in regards to its price. Performance-wise, however, this lens is professional grade without question. It's L-series counterpart, the 85mm F1.2 is about $1300 more expensive - and while the jump to a max aperture of 1.2 is nice, many people just don't see it as being worth the additional cost when compared to this lens. The 85 F1.8 is pin sharp across its entire aperture range, producing beautifully blurred backgrounds and extremely shallow depth of field at F1.8 on both full frame cameras like the 5D and 1Ds series and on crop factor bodies as well. It is a hugely popular portrait lens - I'd go so far as to say it is a "must own" for a portrait photographer. At F1.8 it produces crisp eyes in portraits with silky smooth backgrounds - turning something as simple as the front yard into a perfect backdrop for a portrait. For beginners - the number after the "F" is the aperture - the lower the number, the wider the hole the light goes through and thus the more of the lens that is used. Many lenses tend to be a bit softer when they are set to the max aperture for that lens because it requires more of the lens to be used in focusing the image, letting imperfections at the edges of the lens come into play and impact sharpness. I've been extremely pleased with the sharpness of this lens its max aperture. Additionally - on a crop factor body like the Rebel series (or the 50D or 7D), this lens has an effective focal range of 136mm (85 x 1.6 = 136 - contact me personally if you need help understanding why I did this calculation - you can get my email address by going to my website - [...]). This makes it a decent mid range telephoto lens with - being able to shoot at 136mm at F1.8 is great for indoor sports photography such as basketball. Again, for beginners, the more light your lens can let in (the lower the max aperture number) the faster your shutter speed can be indoors. All in all, this lens is extremely versatile. This lens and the 100mm F2.8 macro (the older version) are the two non-L series lenses that I have no reservations using in ANY professional situation. I cannot recommend it enough and if you plan on doing any portrait photography you owe it to yourself to pick this lens up. For the price, its performance simply cannot be beat. I'm happy to answer any and all questions (that I can) about this lens or cameras and lenses in general. Again, my email address can be found at my website. +4 I bought this for Mother's Day for my wife and Amazon shipped it to me within 1 day, in time for Mother's Day, eventhough the estimated delivery date was a full week later. Awesome! Although we seemed to have some initial problems getting the lens to consistently focus, the problems cleared up the next day, probably a camera setting problem, and the lens has worked great ever since. My wife has taken some beautiful pictures with it and it is probably her favorite for portraits. +5 I am new to photography. I recently bought a Canon Rebel T2i with the 18-55 kit lens. That lens is nice and it has a versatile range. It's great for group shots. This 85mm is my second lens and it continuously amazed me with the incredible pictures it takes! The pictures are CLEARLY different/better than those taken with the 18-55 kit lens. It didn't take me very long to get used to the fixed focal length (no zooming in or out). I think 85mm is a great lens and I can't wait to use it more and MORE! Obviously, 85mm is more zoomed than the most zoomed-in end of the 18-55 so keep in mind you will need to be at least 6 feet away from people to take their picture and get their head and shoulders. I HIGHLY recommend this lens as a next lens for people that bought an SLR and are looking for something more than the kit lens. I LOVE IT!!! Stop reading reviews and BUY THIS LENS! ...or keep reading, it's good to be thorough :) +5 If you are shooting low light, need lots of bokeh, or want incredible portraits, this is the lens to use. I won't repeat what others have already said here about how good this lens really is. For the cost, you really can't beat it. I also use the nifty fifty (50mm 1.8 II). The major difference between the 50mm and 85mm, besides the obvious focal length difference, is that the 85mm has the ring type ultrasonic focus. This makes the 85mm faster to focus. I also think (subjective) that my 85mm image quality is just a bit better when wide open than the 50mm. +5 I bought this lens right before an overseas vacation to supplement the kit zoom lens Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras that came with my Canon D50. I thought the zoom lens would be my primary lens, but I ended up leaving the zoom lens in the bag more often than I had thought and used this one the most. I bought this primarily as a portrait lens but it performed so well at a variety of tasks and turned out to be much more versatile than I had expected. Our trip was for a month. I did have to shoot a wedding, but the rest of the time was purely personal. Don't get me wrong - the 28-135 did good, but after a few hundred shots I noticed a pattern of overall better color under natural light conditions AND better auto-focus on the subjects with the EF 85. Of course, fixed focal length lenses such as the EF 85 typically have fewer elements in fewer groups than zoom lenses, which as a rule of thumb should produce better images. While reviewing the wedding photos, I noticed that the EF 85 was more likely to focus on the subject's face than the 28-135, which tended to focus on who knows what - the clothing maybe? I was using auto-focus with both lenses, but was sometimes getting slightly blurry shots when using the zoom lens. I discarded more photos taken with the 28-135 zoom, and had I know this prior to the wedding I would have used the EF 85 more often. Once the wedding was over and I was just shooting for fun, there were a couple of times that I noticed a "busy" message on my camera that temporarily prevented me from shooting. I was both perplexed and upset. It said my battery still had plenty of power, I wasn't using the flash, and my memory card is fast and was far from full, so I couldn't determine what the problem was. The second time this happened I realized I had been using the zoom lens both times, so I switched over to the EF 85, and the problem went away. After a lot of research I learned that the IS system on certain IS lenses can cause temporary delays while compensating for low light or motion, but since the EF 85 does not have IS, there are no IS-compensaton delays. That being said, this lens performs just fine even without a tripod (unlike longer teles). Towards the end of our trip I was visiting the United Nations' Joint Security Area in the middle of the DMZ between North and South Korea, and they have a strict lens length limit of 90mm, no exceptions. A couple of people only had longer zoom lenses or teles, and they ended up having to leave their cameras behind - what a disappointment! By this time I was quite comfortable with the EF 85, and once again it exceeded my expectations. I always shoot in the highest quality mode (full "L" + RAW), and I was getting crystal-clear photos even when shooting from a slow-moving vehicle, and I was able to shoot at a rate of several photos per second. Again, great clarity, color, and the auto-focus was always spot-on. Keep in mind that in the days of film cameras, the best portrait lens length was somewhere above 80mm. For Canon APS-C cameras (non full-frame) like the EOS 50D, 7D, and Rebel models, this 85mm lens length would be the equivalent of a 136mm lens if it were on a film camera. For full-frame models such as the EOS 1D and 5D, this lens is the equivalent of 111mm. This translates into perfect portrait depth-of-field and produces awesome boke in the f/1.8 - f/2.0 range, and even a decent amount of boke up to f/4.5. But this lens can do so much more than just portraits - the fast f/1.8 aperture is much wider than most zoom lenses, yet the cost, weight, and length are relatively small. In short, an indispensable, very convenient lens. I couldn't be happier with this lens. The Ultra-Sonic motor works silently and flawlessly. As with all lenses, I would recommend using a lens hood and/or a QUALITY filter (think B+W UV MRC series B+W 58mm UVA (Ultra Violet) Haze MRC Filter #010) to protect the lens and limit unwanted light. L-series lenses come with their own hood, but for this lens you must purchase it separately Canon ET65III Lens Hood for Canon SLR Lens. *** UPDATE *** I recently added the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras AND the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras to my lineup. I mothballed the 28-135 kit lens (planning on selling it) and am using the 24-70mm f/2.8 L in its place. Still using the EF 85mm as my primary portrait lens with no regrets. I can't say it's exactly the same level as L-series glass, but it's pretty damn close. +5 Hi, I got 85mm today hoping was gonna be something different than other lenses, and........... nothing new really happend, It takes similar pics than 100mm macro, but with No macro feature,,, i was debating between 85mm and 70-200 2.8 non IS and i guess i went wrong, pics may be the same quallity but some times you need some extra Zoom wich is missing on 85mm , i guess i will keep trying till i find the lens of my dreams.. +5 Lens is an unbelievable deal. Tack sharp from f1.8. Currently I use no flash/strobes, so for basketball in lowlight gyms this camera does an amazing job. The auto focus is really fast. Shooting at f1.8 takes a lot practice. Overall a great lens and sturdy construction. +5 My three kids play a lot of indoor sports in the winter. Primarily basketball and soccer. This camera lens with the large aperture allows very fast shots in poor lighting conditions, with ISO set around 800. I use the (Rebel) camera in full manual mode, set custom white balance and the autofocus of the lens does the rest. No more out of focus basketballs being dribbled, or elongated soccer balls being kicked. This lens is the best value for the $$ if you want professional looking pics of fast moving indoor action at a reasonably near distance. +5 Between this and my 70-200 2.8 doing portraits? Give me the 85 all day. The 70-200 folks may call me crazy, to them I say, try it. This lens deserves the red ring! +4 A great value! Perfect mid-range. Excellent for portraits. Great bokeh. I'm really happy with this lens. +4 I've been using this lens to shoot basketball games on dim courts for several years. It's next to my 135mm f2, 300mm f2.8, and 70-200mm f2.8. It is not an L lens but what does that mean? Well, the 85mm f1.8 will get you chromatic aberration (also known as purple fringing) in certain conditions. These conditions fortunately are limited to the f1.8-f2.8 range when you have a bright light source behind a darker subject. Once you get to f2.8, the fringe is almost gone and even at f1.8 it's not likely to ruin your shot. Luckily almost every point and shoot digital camera suffers from much worse purple fringing so there are lots of actions in Photoshop to clear it up if you must remove it. Besides that, it's just as good as any of my expensive L lenses. Wide open is just a little soft but f2.0 is just as sharp as the much more expensive 135mm at f2.0. Autofocus is as fast as any of these lenses except for the 300mm f2.8 which has a huge USM motor and the extra two stops of light are a big help in dim arenas. If you're shooting on a small court, shooting at f2.0 will do a great job of blurring the background making your players look like they were playing on a much larger court. Some photographers are gobsmacked that I would dare to shoot sports with a lens that doesn't have Canon's elegant red ring (denoting an expensive L lens) when I have "superior" lenses like the 70-200mm f2.8. I guess that's because they can't deal with a lens that has some color fringing. I can tell you that the 85mm f1.8 will focus faster than any f2.8 lens I have in dim conditions (including the 300mm f2.8). +5 Five stars does not do this lense justice. I recently read all the reviews available on this and other sites they all proclaimed this lense as a fantastic buy, its better than that. This lense is a steal at the price, equivilent quality costs over $1000 usually, for portraits its the only lense to have at the price, if there is something better on the market in the price range I havn't seen it. The sharpness and clairity even in near darkness was way better than I was expecting and in comparison to my L lenses this is on a par. This is such a good deal I may get another just in case I lose the first one. If you buy no other lense, get this one. +5 This takes the absolute best pictures of all the lenses I have. I have bought consumer grade primes and "L" zooms. I wish canon's other consumer grade primes were as good as this since 85mm focal length on crop factor DSLR is good for only limited situations. +5 This lens not being an "L" series lens doesn't get the attention it deserves and is an excellent value for the price. I've had it for over a year now with regular use and not had any problems. Using the EF 85 f/1.8 on a full frame camera, like 5D and 5DMkII, for portraits or photos of children, you get excellent results using ambient light. It is exceptionally sharp and comes very close to the 85 f/1.2L lens in image quality from f/1.8 and above, but is lighter and at less than 1/4th the price. If you can't decide between this and the 85 f/1.2, then get this lens first as it will quench your thirst and then see if you can utilize your skills for a very thin DoF from f/1.2-f/1.8. The auto-focus is one the fastest in the Canon EF lens lineup and is quiet for not being an L. The manual-focus ring is also quite smooth. It is well built and is very easy to travel with on any camera body. I would rank its performance over the Nikkor 85 f/1.4 in terms of auto-focus speed. Since this lens isn't an "L", it doesn't come with a lens hood or case, but is made in Japan. Some people have complained about the chromatic aberration (purple fringing), but in-camera or auto correction in Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture can easily fix this. Even without it, its really not severe. Don't pass up on this lens if you're looking for top notch primes! +5 i own a 35L, a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS, and a 16-35mm f/2.8L..and this lens is by far my most used lens. super sharp wide open, beautiful background blur, in my opinion the best bang for the buck other than maybe the 50mm f/1.8...which i've never owned. the only downside is the purple fringing, it produces some serious fringe wide open with extreme contrasty situations. not really a big deal though. +5 Hello everyone. I bought this lens earlier in 2009 and had it for a couple of months. I bought this lens solely because I tend to shoot a lot of portrait for my friends on my cropped-sensor Canon 30D . I was using Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP ZL Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras as an all-around lens and it was a great lens for portraits. However, I have heard and read a lot of great reviews about this lens and it was reasonably priced so I bought it when I had the money. I was blown away by the quality of the photo it took. It is good for low light shoots and for portrait in general. The focusing is smooth and silent but I wish it had better build quality (I still use film camera and old lenses from the 70's-80's so you will understand why). The camera also gives a great bokeh (background blur). Now, I thought I'd write this review after I lent the lens to a friend for use with his 450D. He called me after a week and said that all his friends liked the quality of the pictures. One of the guys took the camera and shot random shots and said this lens always takes good shots, it just can't take any bad ones! Coming from someone who is not very enthusiastic about photography, I think for us Amateurs/Enthusiast/Professionals would find it even more convenient. You can read a lot of professional reviews for this lens and also view sample of pictures taken by the lens. Go check out video reviews of this lens as well as example photos on Flickr. You wouldn't be able to wait to get this masterpiece. I recommend this lens for anyone who wants to take quality portrait for family and friends and even on a professional level. You will not be disappointed. If I had extra money, I would consider 135mm f/2.0L or 70-200mm f/2.8L. +5 The picture quality that this lens produces is outstanding. I currently use this lens with a Rebel XTi and I love the results of the portraits that I take. Some of the photos almost look like professional quality portraits. In terms of picture quality this lens gives me better pictures than the 2 L lenses I own (70-200 F/4 L and 17-40 F/4 L). I usually try to take portraits between F/2.0 and F/2.5 and am really pleased with the bokeh I get. F/1.8 gives a very shallow DOF and sometimes blurs the face of the subject on the sides. This is my favorite lens in my collection, and it is the cheapest one! +5 This is my second prime after the nifty 50. It is much better constructed and is a joy to use. Indoors with a APS-C camera, it is not always usable. It shines in low light and is perfect for kids and sports. So far I have only used it to take pictures of my kids and everytime it has delivered. I am very happy with the purchase and look forward to using it for many more years. +5 i have no thing to add to others reviews. i just want to say if you are interesting for one, then get it. +5 This is an awesome portrait lens on a 1.6x crop factor camera, and pretty cheap too. The 8-blade aperture gives very nice-looking bokeh. An aperture of f/1.8 is very fast, so this lens performs well in low light. Build quality is good, too. +5 One of my favorite lenses i have. its a good range to capture candid portraits at parties or on the street. its very sharp from f2 and on. it has a quick usm motor to help its AF and the 1.8 aperture allows you to use it indoors without much ambient light. its definitely one of the better primes in canons line up. +5 This lens is great for taking portraits outdoors - one, two, three people. The 1.8 here is awesome and this lens has beautiful bokeh. Also for low-light at performances, I prefer taking medium distance shots with this versus a zoom with IS. The lens is crystal clear. If you crop the shot, you still have a lot of information. Couple that with some nice noise reduction software and you can get great shots of indoor performances. Many of my best shots have come from this lens. Because it is small for an 85mm (approx 135mm on cropped sensor cameras), it doesn't freak people out when you are using it and pointing it in their direction so it can be very nice for candid or, at least, "comfortable" shots. They don't realize how close you are. Frequently I take a Tamron 17-50mm and this lens with me as a two-lens combination. You will not be able to use it for everything because it is a narrow field of view - especially on a cropped sensor. But what it does do, it does like magic. +5 I love, love, love this lens. Beautiful lens. Beautiful shots. I have a 50mm 1.4. I'm going to sell it and move up to the 1.2, and with this lens, I will have my portrait lens needs wrapped up. Great lens. I absolutely love the shots I am getting with this lens, it focucses fast and the DOF is great. I am enjoying learning what I can capture with it. Was recommended by JD, Jasmine Star's husband, and he was so right. It is hard not to just stick to it -- but oh, by 50mm is hard to not feel like I am cheating on with this baby. +5 The title says it all. It was the most consistent lens I ever owned and I regret to this day selling it. I wish I had the money to buy another one. If I couldn't find another 85 in stock, I'd definately buy the 100mm f/2 instead. Both are phenominal lenses for the price. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! +5 I am an amateur photographer, turning professional. I use this lens for portraits (although I have used it for landscape too), and it is fantastic! The images are crystal clear and sharp, focus is exactly where you want it to be. Color, image quality, contrast, etc. are all great! This lens is one of the best portrait lens that money can buy! My only con is the minimum focusing distance of almost 3 feet. If you're in tight spaces you'll need something with a closer focusing distance, but if you do portrait work and want to let your clients feel more relaxed (without you in their face) this lens will help! UPDATE: After using this lens for close to 6 months, I still absolutely love this lens. It is THE lens I pick if I want to get great pics and don't need a wide-angle. This lens will always stay in my camera bag. Every Canon owner should keep one of these with them, it's the best lens you can buy for Canon for the money IMO. +5 The 85 f/1.8 may be the best portrait lens Canon offers in this price range. I think it is the best value lens in the Canon system. It is not limited to portraits however, this is a great lens for stopping action. The 85 f/1.2 has better bokeh, but that costs $1900. I would pay twice the price for the 85 f/1.8, you get a lot of glass! Peer into the bottom of this baby and you will know what I'm talking about. Great low-light lens, super-fast auto focus. The 135 f/2 is a great portrait lens, one of the best, but the 85 f/1.8 is just as good optically (or very close) and costs considerably less. You could almost buy 3 of these for the price of the 135! The only difference I can see is the weather sealing, focal distance, red ring, and cost. The 135 is built like a tank, but the 85 is well built and solid! I love the 135, but It is very hard to tell the difference when I compare the images (maybe a very slight advantage to the 135 in color and contrast). The 85 is very sharp when stopped down to f/2.8, crazy sharp at f/4, and extremely sharp at f/8, its the one of the sharpest lens I own, a virtual tie with the 135. Maybe too sharp at f/4, it will show every skin blemish in 100% crops. Images are a little soft at f/1.8 (most fast primes are a little soft wide open), but very flattering for portraits. At f/2.8 they are perfect. Colors are bright and vibrant, contrast is great, skin tones are excellent! Bokeh is awesome, comparable to the 135, very smooth. Very shallow depth of field at f/1.8, so make sure you focus very carefully. If you think you may need a lens like this one, just buy it, you will not be disappointed. This lens has L quality optics and I highly recommend it. +4 Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Camerasis probably the best value Canon lens. The quality of the image is very good, big aperture allow low light hand held shot and create a shallow depth of field. The auto focus is quiet and very fast. Build quality of this lens is very good, feels very solid and definitely a step up from kit lens. It is relatively short and light weight compared to general purpose lens (3.0" x 2.8", 15.0 oz. / 75.0 x 71.5mm, 425g). Application of this lens will be portrait, indoor sport (basketball, volleyball), art performance and candid photography. Using this lens for soft and sharp images * Wide open at f/1.8, this lens is soft but create a very nice 'bokeh' great for girls portraits. * at f/2.8, the center of the image is very sharp, my favorite setting for general portraits and sports. * at f/4 and above, the image is very sharp edge to edge, especially f/8 where you get the maximum sharpness. There is nothing that I can complain about this lens at this price point because it has very good built quality, excellent in low light especially freezing motion, and awesome for portraits. It worth every penny. I recommend this lens in addition to your general purpose kit lens. Image Quality : Excellent 4/5 Build Quality : Very Good 4/5 Price value: 5/5 [...]. +4 I purchased this lens to photograph a wedding. My goal was to be as flash free as possible and to get people's expressions from a distance. This lens definitely fit my needs, with the aperture open to 1.8 and a tripod, it was able to catch enough light out of most situations and the usm auto focus is incredible! This is a great portrait lens, but keep in mind that on a dslr you need to stand a good distance away from your subject for them to fit in the frame. Clean, crisp and simple. +4 I've had this lens a little over a year and have really enjoyed it. I doesn't see a lot of action, but when it shines, it SHINES! On a crop frame body, it is really only well suited for head shots, which I consider a good thing. In my opinion, 50mm is too wide, even on a crop body, for serious portraits. With some close-up filters, it makes a decent macro lens. Most of the images taken outside have been mediocre, but under ambient artificial light inside, I've never been let down. Certainly one of the best buys out there. +5 If you're a portrait photographer.. you need this lens!! In so many words, this lens is amazing in low-light situations, it's fast and images are extremely sharp. The price is incredible for such a great lens; go for it, you won't regret it. +5 Excellent lens for portraits and performs at the level of an L lens, but without the cost of an L. You get a really attractive bokeh on the wide end of the aperature, and images have good color and contrast. This lens is a great value for the money, you won't be disappointed. +5 The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 II USM lens is a moderate weight (15 oz), very well built lens. It does not come with the appropriate hood, the Canon ET-65 III. You get both a lens cap and a mount cap, all packed inside tight conformal foam to protect the lens during shipping. There's also a very brief manual and the usual warranty paperwork. The lens offers AF and manual focus, and allows manual focus even when AF is set to on, a very useful feature for low-light and other challenging focus situations. This is a USM lens, and as a direct consequence focus is fast and precise, just as you'd expect. The AF/Manual switch is in a reasonable location, close to the camera body. There is a range indication on the barrel of the lens behind a transparent window which serves to keep dust and debris out of the workings of the lens. Manual focus is controlled with a broad, easy to manage textured ring about mid-body on the lens. During focus, nothing external on the lens body moves or rotates, so there are no complications for using polarizing filters, and no concerns about the lens "pumping" air and so causing dust contamination in either the lens or camera with use. The lens lacks any form of image stabilization. IS is showing up in more and more lenses, though for the price... perhaps this is one of the justifications for building IS into the camera body. I'm sure that this design wouldn't be anywhere near its current price point with IS added to the build. One last point is that since the lens is a fairly fast design, perhaps there is less overall need for IS (though that argument falls completely apart the first time you *do* need it!) It takes a 58mm filter, though I highly recommend the use of the ET-65 III hood rather than a filter; filter use should be limited to polarizers, neutral density filters and so on, rather than keeping a filter on the lens with the idea of protecting it. Here's why: filters create a flat surface over the end of the lens that can (and often does) create low-level reflections. These are most apparent in low-light shots, but they are almost always there. In the case of a UV filter, no other benefit is gained (UV can't get through the lens system anyway) other than physical protection. The hood, however, keeps the lens out of harms way quite effectively, and it increases contrast and reduces flare at the same time by preventing light from entering the lens at high angles of attack. I have shot with both hoods and filters, and after decades of experience, I have to come down firmly on the side of hood technique. It only takes one shot ruined by a filter reflection to wake up to this reality; and hoods never, ever compromise an image. They're simply the best way to go. Finally, the hood for this lens is inexpensive, well worth the extra few dollars it costs. Aperture is controlled by an 8-blade system. The available f-stops range from f/1.8 wide open to f/22.0 fully stopped down. MTF (sharpness) peaks at f/5.6, and vignetting is almost gone by that setting. On my camera, an EOS 50D, resolution loss from diffraction effects begin at f/7.6, so in many ways, the "sweet spot" for this lens for me lands naturally at f/5.6. On a camera with a lesser sensel density such as the 40D, diffraction doesn't set in until higher f-stops, but you're beginning to lose sharpness from other effects, so I'd still call the sweet spot as f/5.6 (which also provides a fairly extensive depth of field) for shots where detail is the primary consideration. For portraits, you'll want to go right for f/1.8 if lighting conditions allow in order to take advantage of the shallow and pleasing DOF isolation this lens is famous for; background blur is very soft yet very strong, while the in focus region remains deep enough to keep the important features of the face in focus from ear to nose. The loss of MTF at f/1.8 is noticeable, especially once you get a feel for how the lens performs at f/5.6, but in my opinion, the compromise is perfectly acceptable in a portrait context. There's another benefit as well; at 85mm, and especially on a crop body like the 40D or 50D, this lens allows you to get some distance from your subject which tends to make them more comfortable, while giving you the modest compression that is the hallmark of any telephoto lens. Portraits "pop" and backgrounds blur away with commendable speed. Head-and-shoulders work will put you at about eight feet, and as the lens can focus down to just under three feet, this gives you considerable control over framing without ever running into a limit imposed by the lens design. This is also a truly excellent lens for not-very-wide field astrophotography, although at critical focus and maximum aperture, chromatic aberration will make itself felt on the brightest stars, which you will then have to compensate for. I have successfully used this lens to capture the the Orion nebula, Andromeda galaxy, Triangulum galaxy, and a number of other astro objects that range from the easy to the difficult, all using no more than a standard (non-tracking) tripod, this lens, and the EOS 50D. On a crop body, 85mm (136mm effective FOV) is definitely the place to be to compromise between star trailing and magnification, and the f/1.8 aperture allows fast enough exposures to eliminate trailing at ISO 1600 and above. I carry this lens nested in a large camera bag (a Tamrac 5612 Pro 12, *highly* recommended); I rarely put the lens on the camera until I am ready to use it, and when I am done, I take it right back off, cap it, and bag it without wasting any time or motion. I do both the assembly and disassembly "blind" in the bag, using the bag top to shield the camera and lens from the wind and environment as best I can manage. The lens has a raised alignment dot that makes blind assembly practical. It's the size of the overall investment that drives this behavior, of course; both the camera and a lens like this deserves -- demands -- good care and that is just what I try to provide. Physically speaking, this lens isn't as large as you might think. Canon did a great job of packing a lot of glass (nine elements in seven groups) into a decent form factor of 3" diameter by 2.8" long; even with the hood mounted, this lens provides a fraction of the intimidation factor of, for instance, the 70-200mm f/2.8L. But at 85mm, it can still "get in there" and catch a lot of action without forcing you to crop to extremes. It's light enough that you can shoot for quite a while before fatigue sets in, an issue that will rear its head in any situation that goes on a while, like a wedding or a play (and that low-light capability is great for stage work, where a flash annoys literally everyone.) Plus it is black, and so looks more like it is designed as part of the same camera system, unlike the L's with the white bodies. That's also less distracting in a dark theater. I can honestly say that this is definitely one of my favorite lenses. I have a fair collection of primes to compare it to, some of which are L glass, and I've got some great L zooms as well; yet for portraits, I inevitably turn to this specific lens as it outperforms everything else I own in the successful shooting methodologies I find myself returning to over and over. Frankly, at the price, I think it is perfectly fair to characterize this lens as a "must-have"; if you're ever going to shoot a portrait, trust me, this is the lens you want (even over the 85mm f/1.2L, which has far too narrow a depth of field for most reasonable portraiture, though you can't beat it for light-gathering.) Like Canon's 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, the 85mm f/1.8 is one of those where you're left scratching your head as to why it doesn't have an "L" designation. It is an outstanding performer. If Canon were to re-do this lens, I'd like to see them add image stabilization, and perhaps some modern anti-CA elements, as this is the one area where this lens occasionally bites the photographer in high-contrast situations. Until that day, though, this lens is unmatched by anything else in Canon's line for price/performance, and I can't imagine anyone ever regretting its purchase. +5 This lens is great for portrait work as well as studio stills, with a max aperture of f1.8 it's also great for shooting indoor sports. +5 A very nice lens. Sharp and fast af. In a small gym or interior area you may need the 50mm 1.4 due to the crop factor. On a Canon 40D it is the equiv. of a 80mm lens in 35mm film terms. Still a great lens for a lot of applications. +4 I got this lens a few weeks ago,and have been thrilled with it! It's definately not "L" build quality, but it's great optically. Color saturation is very rich, and I haven't seen any color fringing. And boy is it sharp! It's my favorite go to lens for portraits,as the bokeh is nice and smooth and the perspective is very flattering. It's usable wide open, and by f/2or 2.8 it's sharper than any of my 6 other lenses. Get the hood, because no other hood will attach to it . +5 I am in love with this lens! I don't think it's work the extra $700 for the 1.3 L series - this lens does the trick! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! +5 This lens is amazing! I purchased this lens to use for my daughter's vollyball pictures and I couldn't be happier... +5 Yes, you want this lens, (or the "L"-glass version, if your wallet can afford the $1700 plus cost-this "non-L" version is around $350) even if you have something that covers this range. This is some finely crafted glass, and a best buy in terms of cost-to-benefit ratio. You get speed, DOF control, beautiful bokeh, and it's darn cheap to get into the whole world of protraiture, if you think about it. You want this for portraits. Everybody and everything from your dog to the Queen of E looks silkier, more soulful and more loveable with this lens. It's perfect on a Canon 5D. People say that it's not the equipment-it's the photographer. But, in this case, it really is the equipment. You can do natural-light photography under difficult and trying conditions, and you've got plenty of room to spare in the ISO, aperture and shutter speeds, because this lens is so fast and responsive. The lens is light and portable so you can take it everywhere. Once you "get" the feel of the fixed focal distance you just intuitively snap pics of the sweetest sweetness. Seriously, my friends think I'm a good photographer. Between you and I it's just that this lens rocks! +5 I recently got to shoot an evening with the Canon 85mm F1.2L and was simply blown away by the quality of the pictures. After seriously considering the $1300 premium for the Canon 85mm F1.2L, I decided to get the 85mm F1.8. I was pleasantly surprised. The sharpness and color is just stunning. The lens focuses very quickly. The bokeh on portraits is more than acceptable. The build quality appears to be sturdy. I didn't see any serious chromatic aberration or vignetting in my images. I shot some comparable portraits with the Tamron 17-50 and the Canon 70-200 F.4L (non-IS) and I felt that the 85mm F1.8 gave me the best pictures, though I love the versatility and the quality of those two lenses. This one is certainly a keeper. Even after I save up enough to get the F1.2L, this lens will continue to be in my bag and probably be actively used in many indoor events. +5 This is an excellent lens for shooting portraits. Very sharp even in the corners. Reasonably fast focus. I think f1.8 provides all the versatility most photographers would need. If anything, I find the depth of field at f1.8 so shallow that it is useful only rarely. I don't see the point of f1.2. Usually I need more depth of field to get someone's head in focus unless I am some distance away. For just 20% of the cost of the f1.2 L series 85mm, this lens is a great value. +3 i'm a wedding photographer, and purchased this lens mainly for it's low price and f/1.8 aperture. i noticed that the clarity and crispness is hit or miss. sometimes it focuses perfectly, other times, even at 1/125 it seems a bit blurred. i used it on my canon 350D, so the issue could have been caused by the camera just as much as the lens itself, (although i haven't had this issue with any of my other lenses.) if you've got the money i would probably recommend the other canon 85mm f/1.2 lens, but this lens can serve it's purpose in low/dim lighting. +5 This is my first prime lens, and my second lens purchase, and it was exactly what I was looking for. If you're just starting out in photography and haven't shot with a prime before, it's an experience I'd recommend (removing the zoom forces you to think about where you're standing and makes me more inclined to fiddle with other features which have a larger impact in the resulting photos). The low f-stop is absolutely fantastic for shooting photos in real world indoor lighting situations. The only negative thing I have to say about this lens is that it has no IS, but that seems to be the norm for < 300 mm prime lenses... the lack of IS causes me a bit of a headache when I'm trying to shoot in low light without a tripod and want to ensure I've got my subject in sharp focus. +3 This is a great and fast portrait lens. I wasn't sure if I would need it, as I already have the 24-105 f4L IS USM and 70-200 f4L IS USM, but after reading the reviews and reasonable price I thought it would be worth the shot. I found this lens generally produces my best portrait shots, and is fast under lower light conditions. Most of my portraits are under window light, so even f4 sometimes is too slow at 1/20 of a second or more. This lens lets me get faster and the 1.8 ap performs great background blurring. I did post a picture here as well so you can see a shot example with the lens. My only caveat is with the rebel Xti you get that multiplication factor and sometimes i need to back up further than I actually can, so you may want to consider the 50mm if you have an Xti. Here's my take on what I use each of my lenses for: 1. 24-105 is my everyday walking around lens. Good flexibility, but not as sharp at f4, f5.6 seems to be the sweet spot. 2. 85 for serious portrait work and when light is low 3. 70-200, great general telephoto and great for kids portraits outside as it lets you keep your distance (so they aren't so aware of you) but still filling the frame. Overall, the 85mm (or 50mm) probably belongs in your kit if you do portraits, especially given the price. It provides L quality shots without the L series price. The reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 5 is because the lens stopped autofocusing after 2 months, and I've realized it is near impossible (at least for me) to manually focus at f1.8. I dropped it off at a service center, so hopefully it will return soon. +5 Not much to add to the other great reviews, except to say that I've had this lens for over a year, and it never fails to produce razor sharp photos. I've used it for photographing cars, mounted on a tripod and stopped down to 5.6, and the results are just stunning. There are some excellent comparisons to the 85 f1.2/L out there, and while the L lens is just the slightest bit sharper it's hard for a non-professional such as myself to justify the additional $1300.00. If this focal length suits your needs, don't hesitate. It really is one of the best lenses out there, and the price makes it a bargain. +5 This lens has got to be one of the best values in the EF lens lineup. This little guy has incredible resolving power and very good sharpness from f/2 onward. Optimal sharpness is around f/4 or f/5.6 by my eyes. Sharpness talk aside, I love it because it's so compact and lightweight. It's not a large intimidating lens, like the 70-200/2.8 and so when shooting portraits or candids, people don't freak out. I recently used it to shoot several young children/babies and they felt comfortable around me. I probably wouldn't have been able to get right up to them had I brought along a big long piece of glass. The creamy bokeh is quite good, though it doesn't have that etheral quality that the 85L produces. Then again, this lens costs about 1/6th the price of the 85L! The only thing I wish this lens would do is focus closer. 3 feet is a bit too far when using the lens for existing light shooting indoors. Other than that, no complaints at all. +4 Pro: This lens is fast (you can have faster shutter speeds/lower ISOs in low light at maximum aperture) Pro: on a 20D/30D/40D/Digital Rebel with a 1.6x crop factor, this lens acts like a 135mm lens (though a 1.8 135mm would cost big bucks), great for portraiture Pro: Huge bang for the buck, this is a great lens for the price Pro: Not too big or heavy Con: Case and hood aren't included (given the price, they should be) Con: being a medium telephoto prime, it can be a bit inconvenient to use as it requires a pretty big distance from the subject (3 feet minimum) +5 No better way to make a subject pop and have your background completely out of focus than to shoot this lens with its incredibly large aperture. Sharpness is great and bokeh is nice and creamy. +4 I just got this lens about a month ago and let me say it is probably the best lens you can get for under 400. That is not to say that the under 400 dollar price tag makes it fall into a category with other lens of the same price, because this lens is leagues above most lens at this price. It feels easily as solid as the L glass that ive used, and is small and compact. The AF is super fast (ring type USM, I hate non ring type lens'), and with a 1.8 aperture, you can shoot in really low light. I just used this lens for a college hockey game (notoriously bad lighting) and was able to get some amazing captures. Just to put it in perspective, even a 70-200 f/2.8 would be almost unusable in that light. I was able to shoot as fast as 1/1000 at ISO 800 f/1.8. To be able to shoot with that fast of a shutter speed indoors is amazing. Plus, the 85 is built like a rock, it feels so solid. The first time you pick it up, I promise you will be surprised at how good it feels to hold, especially if you aren't used to L glass. Be warned though, this is not a portrait lens! On a 1.6 crop body like the xti it is approx. equal to a 135mm on a full frame. that means you have to stand roughly 13 yards back from a subject to get their whole body into the picture. In a room this lens is very very tight. Shooting from the corner of a rink its perfect for net shots, shooting from the corner of a room doesnt work so well, and thats where you WILL find yourself trying to take people pictures. If you want a portrait go for the 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4, or even a 35 f/2. But if you are looking for a fast low light sports or concert lens this is it! Some head and shoulder shots are doable, don't get me wrong, but if your main intent is portraits you will be disappointed (as an outdoor lens its fine since you always have enough room but for group shots you will have to stand far away). Otherwise I highly highly recommend this lens...for the price its a must have i feel. Also it has great bokeh! +5 This is an example of where the hype meets expectation. It is SOOOO sharp and the colors are fabulous! And don't even get me started on the beautiful bokeh! Since I purchased this lens in July it has been on my camera 90% of the time outdoors. I'm a portrait photographer and it's SUCH a great lens...I can shoot wide open at 1.8 and it's still TACK sharp. LOVE IT! +5 As most of the others have said, this lens is awesome. I got it and with in the first 10 minutes I was taking some of the best portrait shots I have taken to date. If you have the $ even if you need to borrow it, get this lens +5 THIS LENSE IS ONE OF MY BEST WEPONS IN MY ARSENOL IT'S GREAT FOR PORTRAITS THE CLARITY IS UNBELIVABLE +5 I have two other lenses (17-85 EF-S IS and 70-300 EFS IS) which cover the 85mm focal length, but they are f4.5 at the fastest. I wanted less depth of field and the bokeh for which this lens is known. I'm extremely happy with this lens. It's just gorgeous, closest thing to my 90mm Leica Summicron I've used. I use it primarily for portraits. It focuses quickly and is very sharp when used with my crop camera. Amazon is also terrific, I make all my major camera purchases here. +5 This is a lens that should be in every camera bag. On a 1.6 crop body like the Rebel series or 30D/40D it really excels for portrait work or indoor sports. It's a little long for general indoor use and you can get some purple fringing when shooting high contrast scenes if it is wide open but generally not a problem. You have to spend a heck of a lot more in order to beat this lens. +5 This lens is like winning the lottery. You don't pay much to get in the game, but then you win big. It must be one of the best bargains in Canon's lens offerings. If you have been looking at the other reviews of the EF 85 you have read what a gem this lens is. Not much I can add to all the good news other than it is all true. I'm sure if Canon put a red ring around this lens and doubled the price they would sell just as many of them, maybe more. Crisp, clear images. Silent focusing. Easy handling. Light. Background can be as you like it, blurred or sharp. A joy to work with. Only one word of caution. You can focus from eyelash to eyelash, so compose and focus carefully. +4 Simply put, you cannot beat the 85mm f/1.8 without some very deep pockets. Wide open the lens performs as well as many L zooms with apertures 1-2 stops slower. And at all comparable apertures, it beats my 24-105mm f/4.0L hands down. +5 I just got this lens and have only used it for a short time, but already I can tell it will be a favorite. The details when you print pictures taken with this lens are awesome! Very sweet lens for the price. I was a little skeptical of the fixed focus at 85mm, but so far it's not been a problem. Low light shooting is a snap with this lens! I would recommend it to anyone shooting indoors, or in low light. It's great! +5 I shoot a lot of indoor sports and have found this lens to be VERY fast focusing with sharp colors. Great portrait lens. This is well worth the money. +5 I am very new to photography... it is something that I have always been interested in... and I'm finaly in the position to start enjoying it... I got the rebel XTi with kit lense... the camera was nice, but the lense... well it left me underwelmed... what could you expect for a little kit lense... so I hit the internet and began researching lenses... this one came back time and again as a lense that would deliver... I just got it today... it arrived early... I slapped it on my rebel and went out for a few qick shots around my home... wow wow wow it is amazing! it is sharp, fantastic blur, and it blows the kit lense out of the water!! I have a few other lenses that I have picked up, mostly used, but this one lives on my camera... cannot wait to go and test out the low light ability! I'm shooting a friends concert next week... I am betting that this puppy will pull through with flying colors! get one, you will not be disapointed! +5 This is one of the best performing lenses in the entire EF line for the price. Good ambient light usage at f1.8, good color rendition, and well controlled aberrations. +5 This is a very nice lens for the price. I have taken about two dozen images with it and they were sharp and the colors were well saturated. I received it in shorter time than I thought I would. I am very satisfied with this purchase. I use it both on my Canon XT Rebel and my EOS Elan. It worked flawlessly on both. +5 I had an opportunity to borrow the EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens by Canon and I loved it, I wanted it; but, alas, I could not really afford it as it was always priced around $1,900.00. Then I found this lens. The reviews in Amazon convinced me to try it. I needed a lens with an f/1.8 aperture to improve my portraiture work so that I could get tight focus on my subject while making the background into fuzzy focus. This lens does that, plus makes the focus softer at the 1.8 aperture. It is not too large, nor too heavy. I hope that, some day, I will be able to get the EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM, even with its price, but this lens is providing excellent performance for me and I could afford it as well as justify my expense to my wife. The customer reviews and photographs of this lens helped me decide but I had a mental reservation that I could return it, if it did not meet my goals. Just try to wrench this lens away from me now. I leave it on the camera and then switch to my other lenses if I need to, but I try to be portrait ready and often that turns into interesting photographs for other things. I'm really pleased with my purchase of this lens. +5 This lens is legendary. If you are after tack-sharp portraits with beautiful saturation and color, beautiful bokeh, and are on a limited budget, get this lens. It's fast, sharp, and relatively inexpensive. Definitely invest in the ET-65III hood, too. Consider it a required accessory of you don't like flare. I am using the lens on a crop body (Xti) so the effective focal length is about 135mm. This is a little long for much beside portraits, and too short for nature or outdoor sports. It might serve well in indoor sports, however. Another "portrait" lens you might consider if on a budget and using a crop body is the 50mm/f. 18. It doesn't look sexy on the camera, but at $70 you can't go wrong and the IQ is really astonishing for the price. +5 Chalk up another 5 star rating for this lens. I shoot portraits at charity fund raising events and this lens just BLOWS AWAY anything else I've worked with. The images are razor sharp on either my new 30D and my older 300d (dRebel) to the point of popping off the screen or paper. The images are visably superior to the kit lens that came with my 300d (easy to do) and even the 28-135mm f/3.5 IS zoom I purchased with my 30D (harder to do). Shooting with a COATED U/V filter to avoid green tint coming off the anti-glare coating on the lens front element - and with a lens hood - be it rubber or the snap-on Canon - the colors are true-and the medium telephoto slightly compresses noses and blurs backgrounds perfectly. My 300D and 30D both have hand straps and battery grips (BG-E1 for the 300D and BG-E2 for the 30D). The BGs give great balance for this big expanse of lens and the hand strap helps guide a slightly bulky camera package to precision. The weight WILL tell during long photo shoots - the hand strap helping as your arm tires... The price from Amazon was competitive - the free shipping when I purchased made my choice (Amazon) easy. Working through two days later ... - I find it hard to fault the lens... - slightly softer images from f/1.8 to 2.8 and then tack sharp all the way up the scale. - U/V protection with a front filter is a must - as this is a large expanse of glass you do not want to expose to the elements. Coated U/V avoids any possible green tint refracted off the front element of the lens which has been a problem for other users. - Canon lens hood is going to be somewhat of a problem - as it's "snap-on" attachment method also allows easy snap off as it encounters any side pressure - accidental or otherwise. While not an ideal lens for macro work because of a large minimal focus distance - I found the blurred background ideal for some outdoor object work - edited and magnified in photoshop - gave very passable results... I vote with the majority. 5 stars for less than $350. Buy this with no regrets +5 I just used this lens for a test shoot for a model. Wow is all I can say. The results we amazing. I did the shoot with an XTI. The sharpness and color saturation are great. While having f1.8 is nice I normally shoot at f8-11 for fashion and let me tell you this lens is so sharp it blows your mind. For $350 bucks this lens is a steal. +5 fast focus, amazing bokeh, razor sharp focus! available light portraits like a pro studio would generate! +5 Others have already written reviews that reflect my opinion. If you can't get top shelf pro quality images in the studio and in the field with this lens, the blame falls on the photographer not the lens. +5 Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is my most favorite lens, I own the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L series but I rarely use it, I am used to this lens better, it's affordable and great for portraits! I use it for all of my works. A MUST BUY LENS! +4 My first telephoto prime, this lens focuses quickly and silently. Great bang for the buck, you'll get amazing headshots and low-light event shots. The (not included) lens hood is the non-bayonet style, which is flimsy and can get knocked off without much effort. I've noticed a little bit of ghosting if there are bright lights in the frame (i.e. christmas lights in one corner, ghosted reflections of these lights in the opposite corner). But, I think that's typical of non-L len$es. +1 I tried this lens on a Canon Digital Rebel XT. I'm amazed at all of the positive reviews. My results were very disappointing. Maybe I had a defective lens, but I don't think so. Great Bokeh. Fast Lens. However, this lens had a VERY DIFFICULT time focusing on a subject. Auto focus was way off. Even in manual mode, getting a sharp focus was a real challenge at F1.8 or 2.8. I switched my Canon Digital XT camera to spot center focusing and still had a difficult time getting a sharp image after taking many pictures. I would recommend testing this lens out before purchasing. +5 I recently upgraded from an old Canon G2 to the Digital Rebel XTi (with the kit lens). I thought I would see an instant improvement in my pictures, but they remained unimpressive. I wasn't able to get my subjects into sharp focus, or hold the camera steady enough for lower-light indoor shots. After a lot of research I decided to invest in this lens... everyone just gushed about it. Right out of the box I found what I had been missing. The attributes of this lens really opened up a whole new world of photography for me. I was able to take some really special pictures within a few minutes of switching lenses. I'm not talking 'nice' pictures... I'm talking 'life-moments' pictures, where you capture your kids' faces with such clarity and sharpness that you can't stop looking at them. The fast 1.8 aperature is perfect for lower-light conditions, and gives me the shallow depth of field that I was looking for. The USM autofocus is very quick and quiet, and the build feels solid and professional. The 85mm on a 1.6 factor camera makes every shot a portrait shot, which is the only reason that I ever take it off and switch to a wider lens. For a family shot I have to scoot waaaaay back, or switch to another lens like the 50mm. I could never go back to the kit lens now. It makes me feel like I'm using a disposable camera. I've learned the reason why professional photographers have such a collection of nice lenses... they are more important than the camera is! In 4-5 years my Digital Rebel will be obsolete, but my lens collecion will still be worth most of its original value. And this 85mm is my favorite one of them all. +5 This is the best dollar value in Canon lenses I think. I have several of L series lenses and love them dearly but this lens is a better dollar for dollar value. Unless you really need the 1.2 for ultra low light the money is hard to justify. The lens isn't at it's sharpest at 1.8 but by the time you get to 2.0 or 2.2 it is unbelievable. This lens will take you leaps ahead in portraits. If you need this size lens try it before you plunk down the big bucks for the L lens. Of course that is just my opinion. +5 This is an excellent portrait lens. I recently purchased a Rebel XTi and started out with the included 17-55mm lens (would recommend buying XTi body only for future purchases). I wanted to get a good portrait lens and opted for this v/s the 85mm L series that is almost 4 times the price. The picture quality and focus is tremendous - you really get some awesome pictures. I have since purchased the 24-70mm L series and even that does not render the quality of this 85mm (however the zoom is very useful when you need it). If you have kids this lens is a must have - you will get some astonishing portraits you will cherish forever! +5 What can I say about this that hasn't already been said? I'll try. The is one of my favorite lenses in my kit. The combination of focal length and fast aperture make this perfect for portraits, small-venue events and I imagine indoor school sports. The image quality of this lens is what you would expect from a prime -- sharp. I even find it sharp wide-open with good color and contrast. The bokeh is silky smooth as is should be with it's 8 blade aperture. Quite possibly one of the best non-L lenses Canon manufactures. The build is fairly solid. Not too heavy of a lens, but balances well on my 20D so hand holding at lower shutter speeds isn't to bad (as long as the subjects don't move). At this price there is no reason the EF 85mm f/1.8 should be absent from every Canon owner's bag -- unless of course you have the cashflow to fund the 85mm f/1.2L. Buy this lens now. You will not regret it. +4 Bought this lens a few months back and shot volleyball with it, occasionally used it for football when it got dark. What can I say or add to other reviews?? F/1.8 is great, although the lens is sharper at f/2 or 2.2. I use it near the wide open edge all the time - indoor gyms simply do not have much light. The USM autofocus is great - demoing it in the store, it seemed to nearly anticipate my actions. No rotating front filter, and it doesn't protrude, either. It's got a full time manual focus ring, so I don't have to worry about killing my autofocus motor. In combination with c. Fn 4-1, this is killer. Why the four stars? Chromatic aberration at lower apertures. I do not know where it starts to go away, because I almost never shoot in good light. This was most apparent in a shot of a recent football game. Granted, the team's jerseys were white, and the background was the pitch black of an unlit parking lot, and I had to perform a 100% crop. Nevertheless, an alien-like purple halo surrounded the huddled offensive team. Oh well, you can't have it all! As for volleyball pics, this is the lens. I regularly shoot at f/2.2, ISO 1600, and 1/500, but I might change that soon because that is pushing it. The photos are pretty sharp and the USM definitely helps here. I bought this lens because my 50mm 1.8 just wasn't cutting it - I'd get shots with a tack sharp background and a beautifully bokeh'd subject - just the opposite of what it should be. Using the 85mm removed about 85% of those shots. There are still extreme instances when I swing my camera around and instantly shoot when the USM can't keep up, but there are other instances when I am amazed that it got the shot in focus. From the sidelines, 85mm is too long to get the outside hitter nearest to you, but that's why you move around! Shooting volleyball requires a strategy. The focal length is also good on my 350d for shooting events and staying a bit back from the subject. I'm overall pretty pleased with the lens. I can see what many people call this a "hidden L lens." +5 I recently purchased this lens along with the 24-105mm as a part of the fall cash in with cannon rebate program. So, originally, my main reason to get this lens was because it would save me another $50 off of the other lens via doubling the rebates and make it pretty cheap. But now that I have used it for awhile, I am really happy that I got it. The 1.8 maximum aperture does two things really well, lets you take low-light handheld shots and isolates the subject. See my example photos for examples of both of these features. I use this on the Canon Rebel XT and Rebel XTi which have a 1.6X crop factor and make this lens more like a 135mm which is good and bad depending on your usage. This lens produces very sharp results and doesn't weigh much, so it is easy to carry around. If you already have a good range of zoom lenses and are looking for something that will just take really nice, sharp, handheld shots, consider this lens. +5 This lens changed it all for me. I was happy with my Tamrons and Tokinas - I thought. Then I bought this lens. The colors and contrast simply POPPED out from the pics. It is amazing! While there's no red ring around it, it deserves one. The difference in the shots was incredible. It's very well built, focuses (like all Canon USM lenses) fast and quiet and provides the photog with truly beautiful bokeh. For low light, it's awesome. Using an extension tube for macro, it's great. And for portraits, it's nearly unbeatable. So what's the downside? For sure there is one: you'll be sold on Canon lenses. Since this one, I've bought five more, including two "L" series. If that's a downside, so be it! Just buy the lens - you'll love it! +5 I am really impressed with the results I get from this lens. This is my first USM lens and 85mm is new to me. It serves me really well taking people pictures outside - fantastic background blur and fast enough for low light indoor close ups. Full time manual focus is handy too at times. With my tamron 17-50, this lens is great combo for me. +5 Not much to add on top of the other reviews. The only thing you should be aware of is that the depth of field at f/1.8 is paper thin, which is excellent for portraits, but requires perfect focussing. The bokeh (the structure of the background blur) is nothing short of great, easily competing with much more expensive lenses. Yes, it has "L" quality. +5 The answer is most likely yes; since its price make it the best value for a fast canon prime lens. But before you make the $350 plunge here are few useful things to know about how it can be used. Keep in mind that I use this lens on the Rebel XT (1.6 factor), which means it provides me with an angel of view similar to 135mm on film cameras. SHARPNESS: Yes that's one feature you can count on when buying this lens. This lens produces very sharp pictures. So much so that it will blow away your 18-55 kit lens (if you have one) and all other zoom lenses. Exception to that are the L-series zooms. The sharpness difference will be obvious even in the smallest of prints (4 by 6). If you can't envision such difference then consider this. Sharpness can be viewed as contrast between the edges of different color objects. Hence, the sharper an image the greater the contrast in the edges between such groups of color. This lens captures the contrast in such setting better than most other lenses. SPEED: This lens is blazingly fast. As such you will have the opportunity to shoot at higher shutter speeds wide open (remember the inverse relation between aperture and shutter speed). More importantly you gain the ability to shoot in low light situations (concert for example) and still maintain a decent shutter speed for handholding. Here's the best part, if you're like most new people to photography, you probably plan to take self portraits. This lens will give you that ability, as you will be able to buy few clamp on lights coupled with 100-150W bulbs and start shooting at medium ISO speeds wide open. ANGEL OF VIEW: Assuming you will be using this lens on a 1.6 digital format consider that you will be having a tight crop, more like that of a 135mm lens on a film camera (1.6*85=136). What does that translate to in practical terms? You will have to stand 6-8 feet away from your subject to be able to cover their head and shoulders at landscape orientation. SPECIAL EFFECTS: Here are two special effects you will find useful in this lens depth of field and compression. To some degree or another every lens offers depth of field, which can be summarize as having only the subject of interest in focus and the rest of the picture blurred. This lens is unique in that it creates a very shallow depth of field in which the subject is truly isolated from the whole scene. Set the aperture to 1.8 and focus correctly and you can achieve such results. More importantly the lens quality of such blur (known as bokeh) is outstanding as there are eight diaphragm blades that control the aperture opening vs. 5 or 6 in many other lenses. As for compression, since the camera is a telephoto it will compress everything in its sight closer together to fit in its sight. For example, if you are photographing a person, their face will look wider and their nose will look smaller or flatter. Keep in mind that unlike some of the longer telephoto lenses (300mm for example) the effect with this lens is subtle and pleasant SIZE AND BUILD: Its size and weight are perfect! It balances my XT very nicely. So much so, that I can take pictures at very low shutter speeds with this combination (though I don't find my self doing that that often with this fast lens). All this translates to comfort and confidence when I am shooting with this lens. The build quality is excellent, I find no inherit weakness in the design. If you plan to photograph friends and family then this is the lens. You will take sharp pictures with the right kind of effects for portraits like compression and beautiful bokeh. The lens is fast and designed excellently for maximum control and comfort. You won't miss a shot because of shake with slow shutter speeds and even if you do (that's a big if) you can put its speed to use by dialing a higher aperture. It's only draw back is that it has a pretty tight angel of view on 1.6 factor SLRs. I can't think of any other prime in the non-L canon line up that matches this lens (other than possibly the 50mm 1.4). Truly an incredible value, buy it with confidence! Ps. By no means does this review cover all the merits of this lens. To name a couple, the lens offers precise auto focus and low chromatic aberration. Rather, I covered the features that were most useful for its intended purpose; taking pictures of people. +5 This was my second prime lens, the first being the "I-am-prime-too-50/1.8" lens and I specifically bought this to shoot a badminton tournament (and more for the future). FYI, badminton tournaments are definitely 1.8 situations at ISO 1600 and no flash permitted. And what a lens! The focus is absolutely sharp, crisp with gorgeous bokeh to make the subjects stand out. I took photos of professional badminton players (USA rank 1-5) and emailed it to them. Even though I am a serious amateur, they replied back saying the photos were gorgeous and amazing, and loved it. I shot the complete tournament at 1.8 ISO 800/1600 and have absolutely pleasing results. On just one or two occasions, the focus was hunting, but I would put that down as a one off occasion as there was aboslutely very challenging situations - moving subjects in low light. The focus is quick and absolutely smooth, no noise at all. The lens is compact, not at all heavy and is perfect portrait lens. My only disappointment is that it comes without a hood, and even if I buy a Canon hood, it does not have the same look as other (say, Tamron 28-75 2.8 hood is a really good looking hood) hoods. The relationship between the background and the foreground is something that impressed me with this lens, especially for an 85mm focal length. The lens makes the subjects stand out and you don't need to stop down for sharpness. I know I am going to keep this baby at 1.8 at all times in future. This in concert with my 50 1.8 for wider angle situations like awards and group snaps, the photos are absolutely stunning. The reviews I received for my photos are pretty good, thanks to this lens with my 20D. I am sold on primes now and will probably end up buying more primes than zoom lenses. Go on Canon, put a red ring around it! Definitely 5 stars. Other lenses considered before this purchase - 85/1.8, 100/2, 135/2L and to a small extent, 200/2.8L. Finally chose the 85/1.8 due to the 1.8 and the effective focal length on 20D with 85mm. No buyer's regret, I am very pleased with my purchase now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Mar 2009 This is a comparison of 85/1.8 and 135mm/2L. Ive had this lens for 3 yrs now and have taken so many portraits with this, simply put, amazing results every single time. Never been able to find fault with this lens or the images. Image quality has been consistently awesome, consistently 5 stars. The only lens that bests the images from this lens is my 135/2L, but that is of an entirely different league and shouldn't even be compared to this lens. Merely stating that for academic interest. Even then, the three places that the 135mm beats the 85 mm are 1. Sharpness - 85mm is very sharp, 135mm/2L is simply a notch above. 2. Saturation - 85mm is good, 135mm/2L is much better, image has a pop. But then again, 85mm has half a pop too! 3. Bokeh - Again, 85mm has a lovely bokeh, esp @1.8 and 2. However, the 135mm is in an entirely different league, one simply cannot, should not compare. Now, the $350mm lens compared to the much more expensive, much higher quality lens worth $925 is completely unfair. However, I would give the 85/1.8 4 stars assuming the 135mm is the gold standard with 5 stars. If this review second rates the 85mm, that is certainly not my intention. I have consistently enjoyed shooting with this lens and will continue to have a lot of fun. +5 I have this lens for about 1 month now on my EOS 20D. I am just an amateur enthusiast but I am very pleased with it's performance. This lens is really sharp. I use it mostly for taking head shot photos and get great professional looking pictures. The background blur is awesome. When friends and family view the pictures taken with this lens they are amazed at how they look like they were taken professionally. The only minor gripe I have would be when used on a DSLR with a 1.6x crop factor is you have to stand far from the subject to fit the subject into the frame. Like I said minor. But, I'm taking care of that by purchasing the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. What the heck for only $70.00 why not? +5 October 2006 Update: I thought I owed this Lens review an update after shooting with it for almost a couple of years and having the pleasure of shooting with a variety of L Lenses: 70-200L, 16-35L, Fisheye, 50mm and the Kit lens. This is what I've found: 1) Bar none, the best "portrait" lens I own. There's just something about this 85mm focal length + f/1.8 that brings out detail....faces have so much dimension with this lens, they look 3 dimensional. When I want to get shots of my daughter that amaze, I use this lens. When I look at my picture archive on my computer, I can easily spot the ones taken with this 85mm. My friends, some of which who don't know much about photography, pick pictures taken with this lens as their favorites - they ask wow how did you get that picture? I have a few blown up pictures to 16x20 and 11x14 of my daughter for my parents from this lens which are magnificent. 2) I thought that when I bought my 70-200L I would never use my 85mm again, I was wrong. I routinely find myself putting on the 85mm and shooting pictures with it. Also, Its much lighter and less imposing than my 70-200L so when I just want amazing portraits, don't need the higher 200mm and don't want the weight, and want a real shallow depth of feel and out of focus backgrounds, I go for the 85mm. 3) I also have a 16-35mm L which I use quite a bit for inside shots and panoramas which stays on my camera most of the time but there's just a special look to the longer mm rating that you get which makes portraits just work better with the 85mm - so when I take off the 16-35, I usually mount this 85mm. 4) I really thought that between the 16-35mm L and the 70-200L, I'd never ever use the 85mm, I was wrong. There are wonderful advantages to this lens which make it a keeper for me....the construction on this lens has held up very well, after years it looks brand new. I do have a UV/Haze filter that I use as a protector I got from Amazon (about $25) - great value. There's allot to be said for a non "L" lens which consistently winds up on my camera when I own several "L"s which cover the mm of this lens. To me, its an L: built like an L, color and saturation comparable to an L It's my "L" lens that doesn't have a red stripe. Original Review: I bought a 20D recently with the 18-55mm kit lens and to start out I bought a 50mm f/1.8 lens which really got me interested in the faster f/stops to blur backgrounds and take pictures in lower light. My kit lens was not fast enough (hard to blur background and hard to take pictures in low light) and both the kit lens and 50mm lens did not have Ultrasonic which made me miss focus more often with moving targets. I looked quite a bit and found the 85mm f/1.8 lens. Although Amazon only had a few reviews, the photography forums I found were buzzing about how this lens should've been labeled an L lens. Pros might know why but 90% of the reviews I read said it was comparable to an L lens in quality and that it was very affordable. I bought this lens and I have to tell you, I was very impressed with it right from the start. On construction, its heavier than the kit lens and the plastic 50mm II lens. It has a metal mount and very solid construction. If you look through it you can see allot of glass which tells you it has a wide aperture and consequently its much heavier than the kit lens or 50mm lens. But...its heavy in a good way. It balances the camera and makes it look like a real camera. So what's good about this lens? For one, you can take great pictures in low light with the f/1.8. I photographed a stage play handheld with this lens and no flash (non allowed) and I got tremendous results. Ultrasonic helped with every picture in focus and all very sharp with vibrant colors, very nice saturation, and I used ISO 400 and I could even freeze the action on stage. As a portrait lens, it really can blow the backgrounds into a very nice buttery blokeh and with the Ultrasonic - I haven't missed focus once. Its also wonderful for inside pictures with no flash. The F/1.8 is really versatile. A few notes. If you're going to get a 70-200 L zoom lens, you might wind up not using this lens as much but for parties, its allot less intimidating than a big white lens. I hear this lens was designed a long time ago and not really designed for digital and that some strange effects can be seen with it on digitals. I have not gone looking nor experienced any of these. Its just a tremendous value at $350. I was not able to use this lens as a macro as it was not designed as such but I have thought of putting an extension tube on it to see what I get but haven't done so yet. Constructed Solid. Solid feel, smooth focusing ring, distance window, autofocus with a real Ring USM. Five Stars! Amazon shipped fast on this for me - Great store. +5 I recently purchased the Canon 20D. I researched various websites to determine the different lenses that I would need. I am an amateur photographer, but desire excellent quality when it comes to pictures. With the 20D you have to consider the crop factor and the 85 mm was just right. To me the 135mm L lens was a little too long for me. I tried it out at a local camera store to see if it was too long, which I highly recommend for others to do before purchasing a lens blind. This lens fit my budget in the $300's and it is relatively light with excellent build quality. I try to use this lens whenever I can because the pictures come out vivid with color and sharpness. I highly recommend this product if you are lookin for a fixed focal range. +5 I just bought two high quality lenses for my Digital Rebel and what a difference this makes over the kit lens which I wish I hadn't bought. I bought this one mostly for indoor and outdoor portraits of my kids and dogs. It is just amazing! I was surprised by how much difference a good lens can make. I've been playing around and I took tons of shots of my kids today and the portraits are amazingly clear with GREAT background blur -- I feel like a pro. If you use the aperature priority setting and play around, you'll see that you too can make professional level background blur even if you barely know what you are doing (this would be me). In short, invest in a good lens. Don't forget to multiply the focal length by 1.6 if you have a digital canon camera -- 85 mm is really 135mm or so, really a telephoto type lens. Great for portraits! +5 It is a pretty good adapter. I didn't use the driver software that it came with because it was outdated instead It automatically found the necessary driver it needed on my pc and updated the driver using windows update. I haven't had any problems with it and it seems like it does just as good as the more expensive brands out there. I would recommend buying this one before wasting your money on something that costs twice as much. +4 I'll echo the previous review's sentiments about the ease of setting up the card with Windows XP - no problems at all. I did not have as much luck installing in a x86 box running Ubuntu 6.06 server. I never did completely resolve the issue but would appreciate any thoughts on the matter. +5 I use a pair of these cards in Linux (FC6) and Windows XP. They were easy to install and support jumbo frames. On Linux, I set the MTU to 7000 and on Windows XP there was only a setting to "enable" jumbo frames in the Advanced tab on the driver properties. The Netgear GS605 supports jumbo frames, too, and I saw the transfer of a 3.5GB file go from 3m40s to 3m10s after enabling jumbo frames on both hosts. Highly recommended. +5 Fiber optics have always felt like something from some distant future, but the reality is this stuff is cheap and can run over huge distances. We use these devices at a couple of warehouses to extend a network from one end of the building to the other. These boxes are cheap and flawless. Plug it in, hook up the fiber cables (just choose the right connector based on your installation), and plug it in. Connect the ethernet to a switch or hub and you're connected. Simple as that. Almost feels too easy. Keep in mind that you need a pair to make this work. Each end needs its own box. These are maxed out at 100 megabits. If you need faster speeds your cabling might work but you'll need a faster connection device. +5 Plug & play. Or if you prefer, "Set it and forget it!" That's how hard it is to use. Doesn't get much better than that! +5 This media converter works perfectly! Plug in the fiber cables, the Ethernet cable, and power - and it simply works. Remember the "transmit" fiber on one end is the "receive" on the other end. Otherwise, it is easy to install and works great. I just ordered four more. +1 Recommendation: Don't buy! I have two of these, one on either end of a fiber run of about 350 feet. The connection regularly drops between the fiber points. And it stays broken, until one side is unplugged for several seconds. WTF. This diagnosis is from my network engineer If the diagnosis is correct (and I tend to agree it is) Then the adaptor completely defeats the purpose of long runs. And adds hours and hours of expensive troubleshooting. I live in Montana, and walking 300 in knee deep snow to the mechanical shed 4 times today really really sucked. I'd like my money back for these. Pleaes Mark Smith +5 this was a replacement unit so I just plugged it in and went to work +5 very fast connection to upgrade your old Ethernet port +5 used it to upgrade workstation to gigabit speeds. haven't had any issues with it yet +5 worked as inteded +5 Works great no problems. +4 I added this to my PC upgrade and it still works! +5 This is a review of the 10Gb SFP+ model. Fantastic. Works well in windows, and installed flawlessly on Supermicro server and a Dell R610 server. Installed the driver using CD before reboot per the instructions, and then reboot to install. Card instantly and properly recognized as 10Gb adapter. I used a pair of 10Gtek for Ubiquiti Direct Attach Copper cables (DAC for searching) and connected to the SFP+ ports on my Ubiquiti US-48-500w switch. All connections negotiated instantly at 10Gb and worked flawlessly. These are connecting my primary Hyper-V server (Dell R610) to to my storage server (Supermicro X9SCM-F based) using SMB shared storage, and what a difference it makes compared to the old 1Gb connection. Cannot believe it's that much faster, but all the VMs are much, much more responsive. I'm alway nervous with SFP+ and DAC cables about compatibility, but these just worked! Super happy with the setup. Pros: easy install, half and full height brackets, windows 2012 R2 installed easy, 10Gb speed, compatible with 10Gtek Ubiquiti DAC cables! Cons: hate paying $150 for a single port Nic, but for 10Gb speed it's amazing +5 Works great, great price. +1 Do not purchase this unless you are planning on buying two and connecting them togeather to go from copper.>fiber.>copper 10000Base-T RJ45. As far as connecting them directly to something along the lines of a cisco gbic 1000-Base SX SC to run fiber directly from your switch and convert to RJ45 at a workstation they do not do the job. Additionally, these will not auto negotiate so you have to manually configure your adapter which is misleading when the device has the word "Intelligent" in it. +5 Works as expected... no hassle +5 The TrendNet fiber converters are great! Much lower cost than some of the other brands while maintaining quality! We have fiber connections between all of our buildings and I use the TrendNet product at all of the locations. Only issue I have ever had with these is when they have gotten wet........... +5 Got this along with a TrendNet TEG-MGBSX and both have been working great for well over a year now with not the first problem. It was just plug an play. Easy to use and does a great job. +5 Good +5 This Trend-net MGB Module is my 4th one I bought for a Trend-net 1600 Chassis Works well +5 This Trend-net MGA Module is my 4th one I bought for a Trend-net 1600 Chassis Works well Installs Easy +5 I upgraded a 100Mb fiber run with this to 1Gb. The other end is a rugged Trendnet switch. So far so good. +4 good +3 It does what it says it does. But with network switches with optical SFP ports as low as $50, it really doesn't make sense to get a specialized product such as this. +5 Plug and play, works as well as others, Trendned products just WORK +5 Drop in replacement for old 10mb fiber. Works great and quite cheap. +5 This is a great media converter. We use this device in a production data center environment to traverse traffic between providers. It functions as expected without issue. The price is great! +5 Very good quality. I bought this many years ago, and It's still being used in a Coast Guard vessel currently, on 24/7 since then. Still going strong. +4 I use them to test my Fiber runs to make sure the connectors work! A Cheap way to make sure it's all put together right! +5 Bought 4 of these after lightning killed lots at my house. Direct strike to the buried cable in the yard took out cable modem, router, a cable tv to ip converter and several switches and other devices plugged into that switch. I'm now using these as electrical isolation between my cable modem and router, and ip tv device and my LAN. +2 First of all this is NOT the device shown in the pictures (old H/W version A3.3R) which is completely useless for most modern transceivers second which is not a huge problem but worth mentioning : The box it comes in sates LX to SX which is completely wrong and it also shows the wrong model i have the funny feeling someone is offloading their old junk nobody wants to us If i cannot get what i ordered and what it shows in the pictures i have to send it back for a refund +5 Works perfectly! Was a new REV and fit in the 16-Bay Fiber Converter Chassis System TFC-1600. +5 I use this with a Cisco module to isolate an outdoor WIFI access point from my expensive Ethernet switch. +5 FANTASTIC! A very reliable brand and the only one I use for my fiber converters. Works as it should! No problems and will not disappoint. +5 6 months of uptime +5 Works +5 Put this wireless internet adapter in a computer that was about 15 years old. It fit in the PCI slot fine, but had to trim up my computer because the adapter is meant for computers < 10 years old. Windows 7 installed the software without the CD-ROM, and it also works on Linux OS. +5 Surprisingly reliable for the price. Only tested on Ubuntu Server 16.04 LTS. +5 Works great with Debian Linux. +5 Works great, easy to set up. +5 Works great. +5 Works beautifully, replacement for my external USB hook up, it installed easily and it really is low-profile. +5 Works great in a PC where I already used the only available PCI-e port. The Ethernet port on the motherboard stopped working. I don't notice any slower speed when using this in an old PCI socket. +5 Works perfectly. Chosen by recommendation and it came through. Used in a corporate network to link-convert a connection for two buildings and 48 port system. I attached it in a few minutes and it was up and running from the very second it got turned on. It has now been in use for a while and is easily recommended for business use. Great job. +5 Works lie a champ. +5 Great Job +5 Most of these media converters lock you into a fixed Ethernet speed of 100 or Gig-e. These don't, which is great. Assume you put a pair of these with a fiber in the middle - either Ethernet port on either end can be 100 or 1000 mb. Like an autosensing switch port. the TP-Links wouldn't do this - if one end is 100mb and the other is gig-e, it won't work. These will. I can't speak for long term reliability of these (yet) - though I will if I have any problems. Also, I like the way the screw loosens to remove the unit as card that can be placed into a rack unit with an optional dual-power supply. For a few more $ you can add an SMNP module to keep watch over them. Another nice thing is the way the LEDs work - if there's a fault (either a down link, etc) a yellow light will appear. If everything is working, then it's green. So at a glance, you can see if there are any faults in a bank of them. I'm using these with Mikrotik bi-directional SFP modules for single fiber links. Will update with reliability issues if I find as some of these will be out in the cold. +3 I've used these for years, but for whatever reason, have recently had some trouble with them after power drops. As others have reported, if the power drops on one or both ends of a link, sometimes (but not always), the link won't come back up again afterward. The fix is an incredible nuisance, but does at least seem to work reliably: You have to power off both ends of the link, *physically plug the ethernet cables on each end into different ports on your ethernet switch*, and then power things back up. I have no idea what could be happening, but apparently the switch's MAC address/port-mapping tables get scrambled in some way that they can't recover. The other nuisance factor, also reported by others, is that the Link LED on either end only lights when the full link across the fiber has been established. So you could think your ethernet cable or switch port is bad when you don't get a Link indication, when it might actually just be that there's a problem on the fiber side. I bought one more of these to have as a spare, any other Gigabit fiber paths I set up, I'll use something different. +5 Inexpensive and it performs like it should. doesn't get any better. Not much else one can say about a product. +4 As expected.., a good quality device, simple and soundly constructed. Serving the purpose that it was acquired for. Satisfied with the purchase. +5 I tried this item, real good for far, but it must work with 1G-base router or switch, 100M-base will not working, this is a good deal. +5 good fiber converter. This is one of several brands of fiber converters that I use a lot. TrendNet makes great products and this one of them. +1 Devices were faulty when purchased. There may have been an older model that was getting the better ratings on here. +5 I purchased the Trendnet converter over others because of the specifications and reliability of the converter, it has performed perfectly for my application. +5 this little thing has been working great for the past year. didn't meed anything fancy and have had zero issues +5 I'm using these as media converters for a new fiber installation while I wait for delivery of the switches that will eventually assume their role. These media converters are simple, reliable and transparent, just as they should be. Currently, I have six of them in use and they're the only components in my ramshackle network (non-profit) that doesn't give me headaches. +4 I didn't buy these through Amazon but had them purchased for me by our IT company. I pulled 850+ feet of Multimode fiber and used the Unicam system to terminate. They hooked these transceivers up and couldn't get a link. They spent several hours and I spent a few before I called in a cabling company to do a more thorough check of the fiber. All the the strands passed and we were baffled as to the problem. I stubbled on a review for a Startech transceiver that noted they had to put a gig speed switch on both ends before the two transceivers would establish a link. The IT company had purchased gig speed switched but never hooked them up when they were setting up and testing the fiber. After reading the review it dawned on me the switches were still in their boxes. After installing the gig speed switches on both ends, everything worked great. YOU NEED GIG SPEED SWITCHES AT BOTH ENDS!! At least this particular model will not auto negotiate down. +5 We use these to uplink to an ethernet port up too 3000ft away when we webcast events. Often times school gyms, field-houses or press-boxes won't have a network connection, so being able to long haul ethernet over fiber is a god-send. Often times, the cheapest option is the obvious choice, but in this case I chose the next to cheapest I could find for two reasons; first I have used TrendNet equipment before and know that they have a talent for balancing reliability, performance and price, and second, the realtek chipset that drives this medi converter is capable of actively matching different network types, while the other model I considered could only pass them through. The mix and match network conversion is the most important feature of this product, and one that is actually missing from many converters. What this means, is that you can match any 10/100/1000 wired network to any mini-gbic compliant SFP module, a 100m copper network to a 1.25g fiber module for instance, where many other converters would only let you go 1g copper to 1g fiber. As far as performance goes, I've used these several times on 100m and gigabit copper networks with foundry and zyxel 1.25g and 4.25g SFP modules and they've performed like champs! We rarely have our gear set up for more than two days at a time, but any drops in connection would kill us, and we haven't experienced any on the media converters. +5 My old converter died. This one came super fast, just plugged and it works. What else a person might need from a product =) +5 We have some of these (12-mile version) running over about 3-miles of leased fiber, and they just work. Reliability wise, we can think of it as a 3-mile Cat-6 patch cable. They do exactly what we want and nothing else. +5 Item as was described +4 Works great when Windows wants to recognize it. Had to get it for a Windows 7 machine for a kid's room. It wasn't connecting at first because the driver that came with it on the disc wasn't signed. I had to boot the machine into the boot options prompt and disable driver signature enforcement to get it to work. After a few driver updates it still seems necessary. It might be because the machine used to be a business one and it has Windows 7 Enterprise, but it was tedious to set it up. +3 Installation was quick but signal drops off every time I leave computer for a while and I have to re connect to network +4 Same chipset that was in my network. +5 I have an Olympus 500 pocket zoom camera. The stock battery is a Li-10B and lasted forever, until it was many years old. Now, I can't find that battery but the Li-12B looked the same, and fit both the charger and camera just fine. So far, the battery is performing just like the original. +5 Good price for this battery! +5 WORKS +5 works as expected +4 Just started using holds the charge well,Works great. +5 Work as fine for stylus 600 and stylus c-50 cameras. +1 weak +5 The photo showing this adapter is of an older version. The functional specs are the same. The new version is just as solidly constructed, and the USB cord is permanently attached now, which I consider a better design compared to the older version. The cord can't get separated from the adapter and lost - or accidentally pulled out of the adapter. The RJ-45 ethernet port is solid and seating/locking of an ethernet cable in it is positive - it's not going to fall out unless the plug on your ethernet cable is broken (and that's your own cable problem, not the adapter's port). Plugged it into the USB ports on a couple different computers. Both WinXP SP2 (32-bit) and WinXP /x64 SP2 (64-bit - aka 2003 Server /x64) recognized and loaded the drivers for it without any hassle or having to install drivers. Older versions of Windows (e.g. Win98 and possibly WinME) would require driver installation for it - these kinds of things didn't exist (nor did their chipsets) when those O/S's were created. Gave it 5 stars because this is about as easy as it gets - true Plug 'n Play in WinXP - and mechanically well constructed. You do have to configure your new ethernet port, but you'd have to do that regardless of what kind of network adapter you installed. +5 I have used this d-link brand and also belkin's usb-to-ethernet. Both worked great. +5 worked +5 Ontime. As advertised. Works great. No issues at all. Works just like the original or better. I would recommend it. +2 This battery states Olympus so I expected it to be better than cheaper brand knockoffs - not! I should have stuck to the cheaper brands as this one we paid more and ran out quickly. +4 This is much more expensive that other replacement batteries, but I haven't found anything that comes close to it in performance yet. So, I just bought one for replacement and a few substitute ones that are inferior but good enough to use while this one is being recharged. +4 We have an old Olympus C-5000z, one of the first 5 megapixel cameras. It takes very good pictures if you don't mind the delay between pressing the shutter release and the picture actually being taken. The original battery has long since failed to hold a charge, so it is great to get a new one. I would give it a 5-star if I had had time to test its ability to hold a charge more thoroughly. But it charged fine and is working fine in the camera so far. +4 Can't really tell you much, I bought this for a spare just in case my network card goes out. +5 Arrived today, I installed it in just a few minutes, inserted the cd and installed the drivers, called up networks and enterd the system to connect to and it came right up. +5 Worked great for a pfSense install. +5 Fast Shipping. High quality product at a great price. A++ Seller. Thank you! +1 My problem is not specifically with this particular product but that the item ordered was not what was in the package. Someone placed the wrong battery in the packing. I had to send it back because I could not use it. Amazon was very prompt at refunding my money. +5 These Olympus batteries are well worth the little extra over a generic brand. They stay charged more than twice as long as a couple of generics that I have tried over the years. Good product. +5 Perfect for my FE-200. I was reluctant to choose anything but this Olympus LI-12B. It was the most expensive of possibilities, but was well worth it. I'm very satisfied. +1 The camera still works great so I was bummed when it came time to replace the batteries, but I was tickled to find that replacements were still available. After the first full charge these batteries lasted at least two times longer than the originals did when they were new. However, when it came time to charge them the second time, they never worked again. Most likely reason is this is probably yet another counterfeit product. +5 works as advertised +5 Need to download the drivers for Windows 10 machine. For Linux, it seems to work right out of the box. Tested it with a pure stock Linux OS (no distro), as well as Raspbian, and Ubuntu 16.04. Seems to have excellent Linux support! +5 good +4 I purchased this device along with a "Upgraded Z83-F Fanless MINI PC Desktop, 4GB/32GB Intel Atom x5-Z8350 (up to 1.92 GHz) HD Graphics 400/ 4K/ 2.4G+5.8G WiFi/ 1000Mbps LAN/ BT4.0 [VGA&HDMI Dual Output] [Support Windows 10 64-Bit]" also from Amazon. The initial set up with the enclosed CD rom resulted in a repeated request to reset the computer but it would not support 2 monitors. At one point the error message said the software was incompatible with my mini-PC. Ultimately I went to the Trendnet website, downloaded the drivers, got a warning they might not work, installed them and I've got two displays! The only reason I didn't give this a 5 star was because I feel the CD version should have looked for later updates. +1 The item doesn't work at all. I bought that one to replace a Pluggable docking station that I lost through moving, but this one is garbage. I tried my existing 2 monitors, nothing is working. I just ordered and received 2 brand new monitors from Amazon, nothing changed. No signal found either through VGA or HDMI. Unfortunately it's too late to return it. +4 ok +4 It was a very good product +5 nice Ethernet adapter works great +5 Works perfect with windows 10. Great price and fast shipping is just what I needed. It comes with easy enough instructions I could figure it out. Be careful to make sure you purchase on compatible with windows. I made the mistake of browsing and bought one that wasn't because it was even cheaper. This is good for standard use. If your into hardcore gaming you probably know what you need. +5 These are inexpensive, good value adapters. I use them on my home network in several older PC's to upgrade to 1 mbit speeds. It is not an Intel, but works well. +5 yes it runs at 1000mbps +5 I've only had this one a couple of months; it replaced a generic battery I bought when I got my Olympus camera. The generic died, although the original Olympus LI-12B is still working fine. I like to have a backup battery, always charged, for travel. Also, the generic didn't fit well into the camera case; I had to shave off some of the plastic on the sides, and it was still hard to get in and out. This one not only works fine, but fits properly. It's well worth the few dollars extra for the Olympus brand battery. +5 good +1 At first these batteries hold a charge well. After a few recharges they are worthless. I own 8 of them and they are constantly being recharged. I take an average of 50 pictures daily and the batteries go dead after only 5 or 6 pictures. I won't buy another camera that uses this battery. Very very expensive, too. I paid about $30 or more for each battery. The retail price is $66 which is a joke. No battery should cost so much and be worthless after just a few months of recharging. I have had several begin to bulge at the center, too. One 6 second movie and it's dead. Thumbs down on this one. By the way, I do take very beautiful pics with my Olympus C-765 Ultra Zoom when I can get the battery to not go dead so soon. So disappointed. Wouldn't you know!! Made in China. +5 A reliable battery but would suggest two as they tend to run out of juice at the worst time. +4 This is a genuine Olympus battery. People sell in EBAY says genuine, but they are all fake China made battery. I recommend to buy this battery. But it is pricey I would say. Atleast 10 doller is high. +5 Excellent device that works basically right out of the box. We are a dell shop and have worked with several USB docks supplied by Dell (some Dell-branded, some not). 100% of those docks gave us problems with either the video or the network connectivity. We purchased three other brand docks including this Trentnet one and it was far and away the star. Always easy to troubleshoot in the rare event it has any issues (we have only had ethernet connectivity issues a few time but they're easily resolved). All in all I don't give 5-star ratings out but in this case it is well-deserved. Excellent product, well made and definitely worth every penny. +5 Needed a USB Ethernet adapter that would plug and play with my Pi on Raspbian. No issues. +5 I have an old one of same brand and modrl and it's still working. This one for backup and not yet use it +3 AS Expected +5 Got this to go with my new Dell Inspiron 5000 Touchscreen 15.6" Laptop . Works great and is less expensive than Dell's brand. NOTE: What everybody seems to call a docking station these days is really just a port replicator. Neither this one or Dell's charge the laptop when connected, it just adds the extra ports and the wi-fi connection. Still, this is a great convenience. A monitor, keyboard, mouse, usb drive, and wi-fi are connected to the replicator, and all I connect is one USB-3 line to the laptop. +5 This battery had a good price for a genuine Olympus model. Do not waste your time with the knock off batteries for your Olympus camera. They are junk. They will wear out in short order---as the one I bought with my camera did. The Olympus brand battery I bought with my camera 5 years ago is still going strong. That's why I bought another one as a spare. +5 I loove my Olympus camera and have had great success with the original rechargeable battery that came with it. On a recent trip to London and Paris I decided that I didn't want to miss a photo because my battery was low. I bought a second battery to have a back up. +1 I purchased this a long time ago, but ended up not being able to use it due to moving immediately after. After moving back, I started using this about month ago. It suddenly stopped working this morning, I restarted my device, reinstalled the driver, and it won't work on any device I've tried to plug it into. Luckily, I have already ordered an amazon basics one which should be arriving today, but I was really hoping to have two for two different devices. Now I still only have one that works. :: +5 A cheap way into the ASIX AX88179 chipset, which has good linux support and between the chip and/or driver is significantly less crash-tactic than some other options. Supports jumbo frames up to 15k for RX but only up to 4k for TX, so it's compatible with networks that send 9k jumbo frames but you can only set its MTU to 4k (ip link set dev eth1 mtu 4000). +5 Works Great +4 I got this to get gigE, it took some work with windows 10 but it does work, You need to not plug this in until AFTER you download the latest driver from the site...do NOT use the CD as it will create massive headaches for you. +5 I've tested this Doc with both a Mac and a Win 10 PC and both of them have no issues connecting * Using both the DVI & HDMI ports for the monitor out * Network and USB items plug in flawlessly * Small compact and fits perfectly between both my monitors snugly * Power cord is more than generous in length ***There are two small screws on the bottom if you wanted to lay the doc flat, but didn't need that option with my setup*** +1 Terrible, I needed a temporary fix for for my burned out integrated NIC, I thought this was a good solution as it offers 1000Mbps over USB3, but whenever I have large files downloading, this thing would freeze up and the system lose connectivity The OS has driver ver. 1.16.8.614 loaded for the TRENDnet card.. I would then have to go to the system disable and re-enable the card for it to start working again. if you need this to move around large file on your network and /or download from the internet, Do not buy this card. I would return it except I through away the box without thoroughly testing the card. So unlike me but it happened, now I am stuck using my APPLE USB to ethernet adapter at 100Mbps, it works fine without freezing. Specs: MB: GA-H61N-USB3 CPU: Intel Core i5-3475s Ram: 16GB DDR3 G.SKill Ripjaws SSD: Intel 80GB SSDSACW080G3 OS: Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard +4 I bought this to connect my 2nd generation Amazon Fire TV Stick to the Internet via a wired connection. It works great. For this to work, you'll also need a micro USB OTG cable (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CXAC1ZW). No configuration required. Just power down the stick, connect this adapter using the OTG cable, and power the stick back up. It connects automatically. If there's any complaint, it's that its not faster (such as USB 3.0, gigabit ethernet). However, I have yet to read about any successes with a USB 3.0 ethernet adapter working with the Fire Stick, though that doesn't mean it's not possible. That said, this Trendnet adapter should be fast enough for any streaming you need to do. Note: While I can confirm that this adapter works with the 2nd generation Fire Stick, the MonoPrice version should also work (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ACPST4M). Theoretically, any adapter with the Asix AX88772 chipset "should" work. Search for "AX88772" on Amazon to find adapters with this chipset, though obviously I can't confirm that they're all compatible with the Fire Stick. +5 Works great on my untangle firewall. +5 Just as listed. Very satisfied. +4 Works well with netgear modem, comcast and Win7 (32bit). Took a little initiation to get a working flawlessly. Would drop connection on every after every reboot then went worked fine all of a sudden. Might be the ISP, I do not know, but very likely. If you are looking for an inexpensive ethernet adapter for win7 and older system (since this is PCI only) give this a try. +5 Just installed this on a Win 7 desktop, absolutely no issues, the card was up and running folloowing the mandatory (Win) reboot. Recommended. +5 Works fine. I used this in my old Mac Pro desktop when the nic was starting to go. Just cannot force myself to drop $9k on a new mac when this old Dual Xeon is still flying along. Noticed a few glitches with the internet connection and googled for a nic with compatible drivers and this popped up. I installed it and rebooted. Was recognized right away and works great. Gives me another year (hopefully) on the mac. +5 Works great. This card got detected by pfsense, esxi, and xenserver without any issues. +4 It was a tad dusty and the metal guard was slightly bent. But hey, both were easily resolved. Performs at 1Gb perfectly. Good job. +5 Raspberry Pi users - if you've been using the cheap Chinese combined USB hub plus Ether adaptors, and have found that your Pi is crashing with a kernel "oops" error every few days - this is the solution. These Trendnet ether adaptors are robust and stop the crashes. Actually any adaptor with the ASIX AX88179 chipset will be OK, but this is the cheapest one I could find on Amazon. +5 Love these things. Ordered many over the years and they always work great. +5 worked every time I used. Perfect. +5 works well +4 Does the job and works great on Windows 10. I would love if I could found one of this things a little bit smaller, but this format seems to be the standard in the industry. +5 Plugged it in and it worked on my chromebook. Just what I wanted. +5 Works out of the box with my Raspberry pi 3 +5 Downloaded the software/driver from the TrendNet website. Plugged and play after on a Macbook Air. I was getting 89 Mbps Download, 94 Mbps Upload on my Verizon Fios 75 Mbps Connection. Wifi is in the 50-60 Mbps range. +1 Needed the exact trendnet adapter that is in the picture and description. I was sent a totally different brand. Consequently it did not work. I am using it for an Audi connect tether. Audi only supports 4 chipsets of Ethernet adapters. +5 This is a great, relatively inexpensive product that gets the job done. I bought this primarily to allow me to use two monitors and easily change between my personal laptop and my business computer. I've been using this for a about a month now and it works perfectly! Setup was super easy and I've not had any issues. It's not too bulky and has a sleek design, which was important as it has to sit on top of my desk. I have also address a dongle for a wireless keyboard and mouse as well as an external harddrive. It also charges my Fitbit and I still have 3 open USB ports. I would recommend this product. +5 I have owned several digital cameras, including numerous Olympi. I do Kite and Balloon Aerial Photography. The camera is usually several 100 feet above the ground and a pain to bring down to change out the batteries. So, I'm very concerned with battery life. Three of the Olympi have used the LI-12B. I still have three of these batteries (one is an aftermarket clone from Thomas Distributing) and two chargers. With my Stylus 410, I was able take about 300 pictures without flash and LCD display on one charger. The jury is still out on my new Stylus 800. I can't seem to turn off the LCD display on the 800. This sucks because the LCD is big (2.5") and probably draws alot of juice. All in all, it seems to last comparbly to the C123/dual-AAs in my Pentax Optio S55 but not as long as the four 2500mAh rechargeable AAs in the Canons. +3 This is not the adapter in the picture, read the specs. it will work fine if you get the right one. +4 Works great in an old Dell Optiplex 960SFF +5 Nothing wrong with the TREND net card but the. Computer that I installed had more problems than I thought. I'll give you another review when I install next. +5 Works great, easy setup +5 works great +4 Perfect low profile NIC. +5 Works exactly as advertised. Easy installation. +5 served its purpose at a decent price. +4 Plugs into my macbook pro and works as expected. +5 Works perfectly with the Nintendo Switch. I get a gigabit connection between the Nintendo Switch dock and my network switch. +2 This TRENDnet USB3 to gig-E interface was promising, and is supported under the default drivers loaded on FreeBSD 11.0 (GENERIC kernel), where it shows up as an axge device under the ue (USB Ethernet) driver. Unfortunately, in use, the TRENDnet had high input error rates, which result in re-transmits, broken sessions, and possible data corruption (they should never occur on a healthy network-- check for them with netstat on the interface). The problem seems to be the hardware but could be an interaction with the FreeBSD driver. The same cables and switch port tested fine with both the system's onboard ethernet and with an alternate USB Ethernet device (though one that uses a different underlying driver, so not an exact comparison). The alternate device is a Cable Matters and worked without errors. I have a support ticket open with TRENDnet and will update if anything comes of that, but for the moment and for my purposes (FreeBSD), this Ethernet adapter is Not Recommended. +4 product works fine. +5 This device (at least at the time I purchased it) seems to have the same chipset as the official Nintendo Switch LAN, except this one is about $12 cheaper. Plugged it in, selected wired connection, no problem. +5 Bets adapter in its kind +5 Works like a champ. This is being used in a laptop that did not come with a physical Ethernet jack. It seems to have a smaller footprint than others I've seen. Just plugged it and it worked. Windows 10 had no problems installing drivers for it. +5 using with raspberry pi2 consistent (SMB) file transfer of about 17-18 mbps 8-9mb more that the stock ethernet adapter. LOVE IT +5 I bought 2 of these and they installed and are working perfectly. Thank You +5 Works Great, immediately identified by windows 7, Used to sign on internet using modem, PCI adapter, Not PCI-E. +5 arrived on time. Installed and working in a Windows 2012 server i needed a second network card for. +5 Great, inexpensive 1Gb NIC card. I bought two for a PC to run as a Sophos UTM firewall. The software easily recognized the TRENDnet NIC and has been working great. Getting good through put on both WAN (TWC 200/30 speeds) and LAN side (1Gb network switch). +5 easy install, did not use the included software, just the driver. WIN7 handled interface, just needed driver. +5 Works as promised. +5 I have many of these I have used them to make firewall computers so needed 2-3 each depending on which type. They work great with Linux, the firewall program I use is Linux based. Actually use PFSense and IPFire.. +4 it does what it is supposed to do. +5 got it fast and works great. but had to find proper drivers with my integrated chip first as the disk does not contain the proper windows 10 drivers. my windows 10 64bit pro didn't install the correct drivers by default was only problem. recommend anyone buying this product look it up on realtech to get the correct drivers or trendnet. +5 like it +4 Works great in a Raspberry Pi running Jessie (2016-11-25) +5 The USB 2.0 version works with the Mi Box to bring ethernet to the wifi only Android TV box. Works at full speed 100 meg also which is plenty for a couple streams of 4k if you wanted to watch multiple 4k movies at once. +5 Very nice. I use it exclusively with my ethernet based Bitscope DSO. +5 It is plug and play. Works well and well made. +4 Worked for what I needed. +4 thank you! +5 works great for a low profile computer. +4 Works as expected. +5 Works great. +5 works very good 1gb/s +5 Using it as the FreeNAS NIC after the onboard intel NIC fried by lightening. It is slightly (<10%) slower, but I am still getting 50+MB throughput which is pretty good for a cheap card. +5 Yup, it's a NIC. Easy install on Windows 7. No extra drivers needed and works for a low profile Lenovo Small form factor computer. +5 Exactly as described. +1 While trying to install the Displaylink software which I downloaded from the TRENDnet website, the computer would not reboot. I purchased the laptop and this docking station together, so both of them brand new. Both items were returned. +5 Top speed on a gigabit connection, CAT7 ethernet via USB 3.1 port is 12.9 Mbps download, 9.9Mbps upload. Best cross-device compatibility rate of any adapter I've tried. I use Windows and Android. +4 Works very well for my daughters laptop that did not have built in ethernet. Windows 10 saw the device, installed and configured without issues. Speeds were very good for ethernet over usb. (You wouldn't want to game with it, but it works well for streaming and daily internet tasks). +5 Works great with my Surface tablet. Also comes with a power cord for charging multiple devices or in my case it can power my USB monitor unlike any other splitter I have tried. +5 Excelente producto. +3 Hit or miss. As with most of these, if the conditions aren't just right, the device will disconnect and drop your connection. So bear that in mind. It is certainly better than nothing if you need an additional LAN adapter, but I really wouldn't trust it for a mobile application like a laptop. TRENDnet is a good, quality brand, but the USB to Ethernet is just a hard thing to pull off due to the nature of both Ethernet and USB. +2 I did not have good experiences with the USB 3 Gigabit ethernet adapter (TU3-ETG). A Google ChromeCast (version 2) did not recognize the module. This is important because TrendNET is marketing multiple USB ethernet adapter dongles on the same Amazon page. Reviews that say a TrendNET module worked for their Chromecast are talking about the USB 2 version (TU2 models). The TU3 (USB3) models do not work with ChromeCast. On a MacBook Pro running OS X version 10.11, drivers were required to be installed. After installation, the machine became unstable, and no internet functions worked (not even on built-in wifi or built-in ethernet). The machine became slow and unresponsive. Uninstalling the drivers resolved the problems. For these reasons this dongle was not useful to me. +1 Never able to make the Internet connection work with a MacBook Air, and telephone customer support was mostly unintelligible and unable to help. Online support has simply asked me to reinstall using same drivers I had already used. +1 I bought this because my onboard NIC wasn't responding after my computer crashed. Turns out by the time I got this thing, I figured out there was some factory default setting in the BIOS I needed to change to make it work. Well, today I had to unplug my computer (yes, I need a cr2032 badly... just keep forgetting to buy one) and the settings go back to what they were. Well, rather than try to figure out what's wrong again, I just whip this bad boy out of the package it came in and plug it in. Operates perfectly for about 10 minutes, then craps out. Next thing you know my computer is telling me that the USB device I plugged in is having issues. I figure it might be the USB port, so i plug it into another... another, another, another... nope. Every single device I have plugged in is working on every USB port except this one. I don't remember what I paid for it, but it was that value too much. Brand new right out of the package it can't even work for an hour? Wow. +5 Excellent speed and reliability, and easy to use. It was plug-and-play compatible with Windows 10 and OSX. +3 Doesn't always recognize network and work properly. The price savings was not worth it. I have the authentic Microsoft adapter for my surface and it works better and always works, unlike this adapter. +5 Works, fast. You'll need to load the driver first. +5 Highly recommend this. I never thought getting Ethernet thru USB would be this fast, even on a Raspberry PI. This port is significantly faster than the 100 MB port on the PI, even though both are getting the same 100MB bandwidth. If you have a Raspberry PI and want to get better performance, buy this now. +5 Filled the missing link of LAN connectivity for my Asus Chromebook Flip. I use this on my job as a tech all the time with a Chromebook Flip to connect to, test, diagnosis, and work on customer LANs. This turned my Chromebook Flip into a solid work tool for me as a network technician / system enginner. +5 Works great, no drivers needed for a Raspberry Pi Zero. Just plug and play, and gets power off of the USB bus. Absolutely no complaints. +5 great !! +4 Works well but they sent a CD with the drivers. I had to network into my iMac to install the driver on my Macbook Air. But it worked well after installing the drivers! +5 Using daily no issues. +5 great when you have a tablet or thin laptop w/o an ethernet port, good speeds +5 This review is of the TRENDnet 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit PCI Adapter and not the other 7 network adapters in this listing. FYI. I got this PCI LAN adapter for a client as part of my IT practice. Their dedicated and very old Dell Optiplex with Windows XP experienced a failure of the integrated LAN interface. The embedded machine control hardware/software made it worthwhile to keep this old box alive. The Trendnet PCI LAN adapter installed easily and Windows XP drivers were on the CD and easily installed. In less than a half hour the old box was talking to their file server and running the process machinery. Newer operating system will likely already have drivers for this gigabit LAN card built-in. As a replacement network interface or to add a dedicated port for a virtual machine or an upgrade from an old 10/100 LAN interface this Trendnet PCI adapter does its job well and is very simple to install. It helped my client out of a jam. I've used these cards with other clients too. They have just worked and that makes everyone happy. 5 Stars for the Trendnet 10/100/1000 PCI LAN adapter. +5 Driver disk outstanding ... along with board. Never could have believe so many OSs. Saved our xp Haswell project. http://www.prosefights.org/malwaretips/haswellxp.htm 5* plus. +4 worked to help aging CPU. +5 for work +5 It is what it is. +5 You never know when you might need an extra set of these network cards, lightning struck my house multiple times this past year and I have already gone through 3 of these things, but they are a great product! Very affordable and work fantastic! Lightning is no electronics friend. +5 Perfect option for low profile desktops needing to replace the on board nic. Chipset is directly supported by Windows 7 so I didn't even need the driver disk. +4 I read the reviews AFTER I ordered the mouse as part of a Dell laptop package. Hence my expecations were very low. However in general, it exceeded these expectations. I'm going on 3 weeks using it on the desktop all day and the batteries have NOT died yet. Hence I can only assume that the mouse is smart enough not to transmit when it is not being moved. Maybe I got a better revision, but this mouse has far more battery life than the 3-5 days I've read in reviews. The movement is fine. It is sensitive, but you can adjust this. The only disappointment is that the range is indeed quite small as indicated. 3 feet is about right. Therefore this mouse CANNOT BE USED FOR PRESENTATIONS. It is too bad really. If the range was even 6 feet, it might have worked for my presentation purposes. +1 I had originally purchased a logitech wireless mouse when I bought my laptop a year ago, and loved it. Being able to use the mouse on practically any surface within 4 to 6 feet of the receiver was so handy, and the freedom from sticking rollers and wires that kept getting caught was great. I ended up installing the software on both my desktop and laptop and switching the wireless mouse back and forth because it was a thousand times superior to my old mouse, especially when gaming. The only downside was that I had one of the bulkly corded USB receivers. I decided to devote the old mouse strictly to the desktop and buy a notebook wireless mouse with a key receiver. The store had this mouse and a logitech, and though I've never used a kensington product before, I decided to give it a try because the mouse itself was more comfortable in my hand than the logitech. Let me tell you: this was a BAD decision! While having a storage compartment for the receiver inside the mouse was handy, as mention before, the batteries were difficult to install. I also very much disliked having to go online to download the drivers--there was no installation CD with the mouse. It took two tries to get these drivers installed--the first time, I had to remove the logitech software and reboot, then I had to reboot again after installing the software. Once I got the drivers onboard, I had to register before I could begin using the product. When I finally got the mouse to connect to the receiver, the pointer movement was very slow and choppy, and going into the mouse properties did not help. It was so much easier to just use my touchpad instead of the mouse! Plus, the mouse's optical sensor wouldn't pick up on hardly any surfaces, and I tried it on my coffee table, my couch, and the back of a notebook--all places that the logitech mouse handled with ease. In fact, the only place I seemed to get it to act even halfway right was when I rolled it across my jeans right under the receiver. Needless to say, I quickly did a system restore to get my logitech mouse back on, and I am definitely taking this one back to the store and getting the logitech notebook mouse! If you're looking for a handy notebook mouse--don't get this one! The logitech is the same price, comes in 2 different colors, and is worlds better! +2 This was a total rip off. I was excited when opening the package, in order tu plug it and start moving all around he screen; Instead, the hardware recognized the mouse but it would not work until ten minutes had passed afetr pluging in. After that, the mouse seems to work only when it feels like working, and that is not very common. It freezes for many minutes with no response whatsoever. I am considering returning it for a full refund +5 When I recently changed jobs and moved from using a desktop to a laptop as my primary machine I decided to pick up a wireless mouse to use with it. I would be in different locations so it had to be suitable for travel. I wanted something normal sized (not tiny) and it had to work with OS X. After looking at all the options I settled on the Kensington. In the past I had much more luck with Kensington drivers than those from MS and Logitech and the other brands didn't even support OS X. The Kensington Wireless has a small receiver that fits nicely into the USB port of my laptop and then stows inside the mouse to prevent loss. Ingeniously the mouse powers down when the receiver is inside, so battery life is improved. +4 The Wireless Pocket Mouse Pro is ideal for a travelling laptop as the USB receiver slips inconspicuously into the shell of the mouse. While a little small, it still fits nicely in my large hands. The biggests issues I have are that is is sensitive to shiny sufaces (moreso than most optical mice) and that, when the batteries begin to run low (which takes a while), the software starts acting funky. +3 This is my second wireless mouse for use with my laptop on travel. The first was the Targus wireless mouse, which didn't work well and had a very rapid battery drain. Kensington makes good products overall, so I was optimistic about this one. My first impression was that the mouse was quite large for a portable mouse. It fits well in the hand, but it is a little bulky for throwing into a laptop bag. One nice thing is that the wireless receiver has its own compartment for storage inside the mouse itself, which lessens the risk of losing it when traveling. I agree with one of the previous reviews which stated that the mouse movement was a little faster than desirable. It makes it hard to make precise movements with this mouse, although the tracking itself is smooth. I haven't installed the driver software, since I've had problems with third party mouse drivers. Windows 2000 recognizes the mouse, so the driver software isn't necessary anyway. Battery life seems to be fine so far. It runs on two AAA batteries, and it doesn't seem to drain quickly when not in use like the Targus mouse did. The battery cover needs a coin or key to get open, which is less convenient than those that can be opened with the fingers alone. Overall the mouse works ok, but a few design decisions prevent me from rating it higher. +1 It does not "Add three 5 Gbps USB 3.0 ports". It doesn't work on my Macbook. +5 Works perfectly to add wired Ethernet to a Chromecast. Used in conjunction with a "Y" adapter: Male USB Micro to female USB A and female USB Micro allows you to charge or power your device at the same time. Also tested to work with no additional configuration on a OnePlus One. It's not gigabit, but it's real cheap and this plus an adapter is almost the same price as the official Google Chromecast Ethernet adapter, but available on Amazon. Once I run Ethernet to my other TVs, I'll be back for a couple more of these! +5 excellent +5 I work as a Local IT person traveling to various sites in the state where I live. I have a newer machine that my company has started using, and some places I go to do not have a docking station for me to use. With universal dock, I just hook up one monitor with the cable it has and the other monitor I have a HDMI to DVI cable that I use for it. One thing I did notice is since the laptop has a network jack I need to use it and not attach the cable to the universal dock. Other than that this is a fantastic docking station! +5 This is a review for the Trendnet TU3-ETG USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet LAN adapter. I'm using this on a cheap Acer Chromebook (CB3-111 series). I needed a more reliable connection than the flaky WiFi connections here. This device is plug and play and was instantly recognized by the Chromebook as an Ethernet connection without the need to install any drivers whatsoever. The addition of this device makes the Chromebook a bit faster than using a wireless connection and far more reliable than hunting for lost signals. This makes it harder than ever to justify a full-on laptop for most users. Nice job TRENDnet. +1 Looks good. Feels decent. Works well.... WHEN IT WORKS. 1. The USB dongle you plug in is too thick, so you can't use your second USB port on many laptops. I actually used a large flat file to file down the sides of the part that plugs in so I could use my 2nd USB port again. This alone makes this thing JUNK. What were they thinking? 2. Massive battery hog. I'm lucky if this thing can go a week on one set of AAA batteries. There is no off switch. It turns off when you unplug the dongle from your laptop and put it inside the mouse via a small door. Nice idea. But if you use your computer on your desk every day, you don't want to be unplugging the dongle every day because... 3. The dongle is a cheap piece of crap. After a few months, it has started acting up. It have to swivel it around to get it to work again. So the rotating contact mechanism must be going, and it isn't making reliable contact any more. 4. Randomly goes into "stall" mode where it jerks and won't respond. This mostly happens when the machine is busy (but it's a 2.4 GHz P4, and it isn't running above, say, 50% CPU. All in all, NEVER AGAIN. +4 Have been using it for a week now - works well so far. My only advice to Dell Notebook users - DO NOT install Mouseworks - it replaces your touchpad software and does funny things with the mouse - such as on left click does right click, on right click does nothing. On Windows 2000 on Dell laptops - just plugin, wait for default USB install and tune the speed settings slower than your touchpad settings and use. More updates a few weeks from now - battery life, durability etc. +2 I would first like to say that I don't have experience with other wirelss mice so I don't know if my experience with this one is common to all wireless mice or only with this particular model. When I bought my new laptop I thought it would be nice to have a small mouse since I can't stand using the trackpad or other pointing devices. I decided on this model because of its size, (about the same or slightly smaller than a regular mouse) optical sensor, and wirelessness. I thought the wireless feature would be nice because I won't have to bother with tangled cords and since this particular mouse has a receiver that can swivel, I thought I won't experience too much problem with the signal not getting picked up (I was wrong). I was also attracted by the fact that the mouse turns itself off when yous store the receiver inside the mouse itself when its not being used, to conserve batteries. At first, the mouse seems to function well. I plugged it into the laptop and it was ready to go. But after using it for one night, I began to have problems with the signal. At first, double clicking occasionally failed. I would click twice and it would recognize only one click or act as if I had held down the button. I tried swiveling the receiver to try to improve reception but that didn't work. Then the cursor sometimes failed to move when I move the mouse (so it would sometimes have like jumpy movements), again probably due to poor signal. These are occasional annoyances that are tolerable if just browsing the web but I would definitely not want to be using this when playing a computer game. Also, I tried to conserve the batteries by putting the receiver back into its little cubby hole in the mouse whenever i was done with using it (maybe a couple hours of use a day) but still the batteries died within 3 weeks. I was pretty disappointed with the performance of this mouse and would not recommand it. I've since bought a cheapo corded Fellowes optical notebook mouse and it works great with no problems. Its a bit smaller in size, which I find fits my hand even better. Also, I don't have to worry about batteries dying. It even has two extra buttons on the side that allows you to go back to a previous page or forward to the next page in internet explorer. I bunched up the excess cord with a twist tie and that took care of my worries about tangled cords. +1 very very poor optical mouse, at least on Macs. cursor jerks around, stops occasionally. acceleration is set ridiculously fast. the recess for the USB key is a nice feature, but the mouse itself just doesn't work that well. i returned it and got a Logitech Cordless Optical Mouse For Notebooks, it works perfectly, and tracks many, many times better; feels like a wired mouse. i really like it. didn't even need to install drivers, worked fine out of the box. +5 Excellent function for a universal docking station and quality appearance. Used with an Acer S7 Ultrabook to connect peripherals. The OEM (Acer) no longer sells a docking station for the S7 so this was the next best choice. Has a good array of video, USB and USB power connectors. +5 Used this adapter during an internship at a university that only offered internet via ethernet cable. I used this with a 12" Macbook and plugged it into my USB-C Adapter. This device does not auto install. YOU WILL NEED TO INSTALL THE DEVICE DRIVER! Google "U3-ETG driver Mac" and you'll be directed to an easy install application proved by the manufacturer. This product worked excellently, reliably, and is a great value. Pros: +Sturdy construction +Provides ultra-fast internet +Worked wtih USB-C adapter for Macbook Cons: -Ugly giant logo on device -The need to install a driver takes me back to 2004 The Verdict: Great product as long as you know how to work google and get the driver! +5 Works good on Wii U +4 I'm using this along with a USB OTG cable to provide wired ethernet connection to my Chromecast. I forgot where I saw the recommendation for this particular model. It may have been in one of the Google Groups results. This adapter, along with Estoreimport Micro USB Host OTG Cable w/ USB Power for Samsung Phone I9100 I9300 I9220 9250, gives my Chromecast the ability to connect to wired ethernet just like the official Google Chromecast Ethernet adapter. It's a tad unwieldly with all of the cables dangling from the adapters but it works. +3 This is a no frills product, that work(ed) well. I had this product and used it occasionally, and now that it's a month out of warranty, it decided to stop working. It no longer even registers as being plugged into a device. When it worked, it worked well (for the handful of times I used it). But after 3-years, it just died. +5 Kensington got this one right... I've owned several "travel" mice, both wired and wireless, but this one takes the cake. The first small travel mouse I bought was a wireless one from Targus. It had several problems, namely pitiful range, terrible battery life, and it was cumbersome. 1) The range issue was because the receiver was parallel to the table, and my USB port was on the opposite side of the computer from where I use my mouse. Kensington addressed this by making their receiver swivel 270 degrees to a vertical position. 2) The Targus had the mouse and receiver. This required me to keep up with both pieces. The Kensington mouse has a cool recess in the body of the mouse that holds the receiver when not in use. It also serves a very critical function described below next. 3) The battery life of the Targus was greatly reduced because it would NEVER TURN OFF. If the mouse did not detect motion in a few minutes, it would stand-by. There was no hardware on/off to conserve the battery. The problem is the mouse, when in my computer bag, would move around and the mouse would power up. This is a poor design. The Kensington mouse includes a switch that is automatically triggered when the receiver is stored in the body of the mouse. Very cool. I also own the retractable cord Kinsington Mouse. This is a good mouse, but the retractor and the cord are very fragile and the scroll wheel is too jumpy. The wireless mouse eliminates the retractor and cable, and the scroll wheel is a much better design. KUDOS TO KENSINGTON!!! +2 Seems to work just fine, but nothing like the product picture included. Almost twice as wide, so not sure it will work in the use case I have. Box looks like it's been sitting around for 15 years, although the product appears to be unused. +5 I bought this adapter three years ago and it is still working perfectly. I would definitely recommend it for the price. +5 Works perfectly with my HP laptop running Ubuntu Linux 14.04. It was recognized by the kernel right away and with a little easy config became my eth1 adapter. Throughput is good. +3 Not the best as it claims but it works. +5 Speedy delivery, product matched description and ease of purchase. Will recommend to family and friends +5 Works precisely as intended. Speeds are as expected. Been perfectly reliable 24/7 in a home server for several months. +4 Purchase this to keep my old computer running, old ethernet connection on motherboard went out of date 10/100 speed, speed test was 24 mbps, decided upgrade using the new card, brought up the speed to 90 Mbps, I'm using Windows xp pro and I'm a cheapie, build computers from scrap. For now, its good enough for me as long computer works and virus software updated. +5 good product, good value! +5 worked perfect even in my XP computer +4 No probs so far +5 Working as expected highly recommended +5 all working flawlessly. +5 item as described, easy transaction +5 I'm a network engineer that occasionally needs a Mac to hook up to a wired ethernet port. These do the job just fine. No drivers or installation, just hook them up and see a new interface pop up in network manager. Recommended! +5 It works well on my Raspberry Pi +5 Used with a chromebook. Worked like a charm. +2 So, it seemed okay for a while, but when I put it on my Mac at home, it fails to initialize when I reboot, or just start up the computer and I have to unplug it and plug it back in......makes it kind of useless. +5 Product is solid. No issues. +5 I did not feel I should down rate it because it did not work with my equipment, I don't think there is yet a Ethernet port adapter that will run 10/100/1000 yet. It said it " might" work, My tablet has a place to check if you want to use an Ethernet port, so I tried. +5 Replaced USB 2.0 genuine Apple adapter which was 10x slower. Just as fast as my Thunderbolt network adapter on my Macbook Pro mid2015. +5 Works just like it says, even better. I have a mac mini (late 2012) running OSX El Capitan. A couple days ago my ethernet port dies, fries or committed suicide. My diagnosis came nothing short of what just happened although I was a bit in denial about it..So, I purchased the TRENDnet USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet LAN Wired Adapter to solve my issue. I had concerns about how this would work considering I had never needed to use one. At this point it was wifi forever or try this adapter. I prefer a hardwired connection over the network over wifi any day of the week. My ISP is TWC, we're paying for 200Mbps Downstream x 20Mbps Upstream. Now, although I do not have screen shots of my previous speeds before the ethernet port died, it was about 150mbps down (bottlenecked) and maybe 10-15Mbps Up. Since installing TRENDnet adapter we're pulling blazing speeds on downstream full throughput and no bottlenecking on downstream whatsoever. See image. I highly recommend the product. Aside from everything else, it works like it should! +5 I ordered mine using Prime Now so it doesn't show up normally in my order history just yet, but I bought the USB 3.0 to Ethernet adapter - worked exactly as described. Once I got it set up, it gave me the solid, reliable connection I needed for an important business video call on my MacBook Pro Retina (2015) running OS X El Capitan. For anyone who is going to use this on a Mac, you may need to download the drivers for it first like I did. Once you install the drivers, all you need to do is restart and the connection will show up in your Network settings automatically. I think if I was to purchase this again, I would get the version with the additional USB-3 ports as well since the regular adapter worked as expected. +5 Connected to my Android HDMI Small PC, as my security camera feeds needed more bandwidth than the built in wireless on the Android could handle. This unit allowed it to communicate at around 400Mb/s, which is pretty decent for over USB 2.0 on my Android unit. Connected and didn't even have to load drivers! Excellent packaging, good quality unit! Have used for a couple months without any issues. +5 Works perfectly! It comes with a CD to install the drivers, but since it is plug n play there is no need for it so long as you plug it in while you have wireless. Only took about 15 seconds to start working for me. Speeds are great off of this. I would suggest getting one of these for any new laptops that do not come with a built in ethernet port, never know when you will need it. I primarily use this to stream video on a new laptop, speeds and reliability are a lot better than any wireless in my mind. The device itself is fairly small so it should not get in the way of anything. You will know when it is working since it has the connection and speed lights. +5 These work well on the Raspberry Pi 2B. USB3 is largely a waste, but I do get close to 130 Mbps using these even on USB 2.0 ports on the RPi. +5 Works perfectly on Macbook Pros. There is a light that will turn on when a connection is established so just keep an eye out for it to make sure things are running smooth! +4 Worked for when I needed it. +1 Great adapter as long as it works. I was using this on a dual interface OPNSense [...] router box that only had one internal nic. Was delivered Dec 3rd. Past week I had been having intermittent network issues. It finally stopped working Feb 8th. Swapped it out for an older 100MB USB nic I had .. everything returned to normal operation. Honestly on devices this inexpensive I don't save boxes; so this became a $17 experiment with Trendnet USB adapters. I've used other Trendnet products in the past and chose this specifically for the brand because of the good performance and reliability. So no slam on Trendnet, but your mileage may vary. +5 This device is plug-n-play, working well on Windows 10 as well as Fedora 23 (Linux). In non-scientific testing, I was getting around 100 megabytes / second on my local network. I currently use this as a network interface on a custom router I built. It has been running 24 x 7 for 6 months, averaging 85 GB data transfer per month. I haven't had a single issue with it. Update after one year of use: It is still going strong and has had 2 terabytes (TB) of data pass through it. +4 Works great with Linux. Buy this for your Mac instead of thunderbolt adapter; it's cheaper and works through a USB3 hub. Requires a supplemental kernel driver for MacOS but installs easily enough. +3 When it works, it works great. Mine just up and died on me one day - no real reason why it seems to. I was using it with an Android car stereo, and used it often. The day it died, I also tried it on my laptop and my desktop computers. It was cheap enough that I didn't bother trying to get it replaced. On to the next, I guess. +3 wrks well +5 Love this docking station. Compact and easy to set-up. Only problem is my external monitor audio will not work with it. The only way, I can get audio to play with the external monitor is to use an audio cable from the external monitor plugged directly into my laptop. I have tried everything from downloading the newest display link driver, connecting the docking station 3.0 out port to my laptop 2.0 USB vice 3.0 port, switching audio out functions on my laptop, etc. The product is so new it is not addressed on it's website, but I searched the internet for a solution and it seems this is an issue in general with WIN10 and docking stations, so I'm not sure the problem is all TRENDNET. Feb 2, 2016. Happy to report, I still like this unit. Only issue, I have is there's no way to turn-off the unit without unplugging it, so the power light is always on. Doesn't really bother me, but my partner is crazy about "vampire" energy waste. So the light is an indicator the unit is always on. +5 osx, linux, just works great! normally I don't like dongles because they always have heat issues after long use. But this one is rock solid, connected to my raspberryPi and passing I/O 24/7 . With the internal NIC on my Pi I would max out around 8MB/s with a bit of load on the machine. With this dongle, I get consistently upto 15MB/s.. just depends how much work you're pushing on your Pi. The performance increase is great when you're pushing 10-200GB files around. +5 Works as described, no trouble using out of the box on my Fedora Linux-based server. +4 Functionally, it is great - however, the slot plate is mounted 4mm too low so the board will not fully seat with it attached - had to remove it to seat the board. +5 Works great. +4 Works well, no complaints. +5 This card worked perfectly in my Dell 521C +5 it fixed a old pc , limp arond the web . +3 It worked just Fine. +1 I have a dell XPS 13 2015 laptop. My goal was to have a fast and reliable way to connect to my router at gigabit speeds because this very thin laptop does not come equipped with an ethernet port. After 5 solids days of troubleshooting I am returning this product due to intermittent connectivity. The same issue was present went tested on a separate machine. Operating System: Windows 10 PC: Dell XPS 13 2015 Driver date 7/28/2015 +5 Plugged it into a Raspberry pi 2 running raspbian, did apt-get update and a reboot. Now the RPi is a router/firewall between the home wifi and the interwebs. 2017-03-19 Still working flawlessly 24/7. +4 Adapter works great on most computers, but on others the driver will not load and even using the tp-link driver will not work. Will not work on Linux without driver +5 I plugged it into a Linux laptop and It Just Works. That's the way Linux is. No drivers necessary. Makes it easy to troubleshoot WiFi issues. Use the 3.0 version if you have 10/100/1000 Gbit Ethernet. +5 It works. +5 love TRENDnet !!! everything is simple and useful (my router, switch all use TRENDnet brand, never need to do reset) +5 Works great with linux and windows. I'm seeing around 110 mB/s on a ubuntu 15.10 system. +5 Works like a champ for a Mid2013 Macbook pro. +5 Fast shipping, Product was just as described +5 Purchased for use with my Raspberry PI 2/Kodi setup and it works great and was recognized instantly by the Pi 2/kodi with no extra effort needed to get it working properly. When running Ethernet directly into my Pi 2 I was getting about 85-86 MB's down and with this I get about 106 down. +5 Looks like a great product. The build quality seems very good. I like the look of the design also. So far everything seems to work as described. I didn't even have to install driver for windows 10. The addition of the external power supply is a bit of a hassle but I think it is necessary to make it works right. +4 Great for Chromebook. We use Chromebooks in the field and occasionally need LAN connectivity. These work 'out of box' and well. Had one die after a couple years or so, but given the price. Wasn't worried about it. +5 Use it on one may PlayStation ports....so far no problems. +5 alternate for old laptops. +4 Works... no complaints.. +5 Worked as expected. Easy install and software load from included disc. Booted right up with no further user input. +5 The ethernet port on my motherboard burned out so I needed a replacement. This was the cheapest and fastest one I could find. So far I've used it for a few months and it works great. +5 excellent value! +5 Works just as expected. +5 Worked perfect on first install. Bought this to replace an existing built in Ethernet motherboard port that stopped working. I always worry about these cards being a pain in the a$$ to configure - but I needed to do nothing. +4 Got a refund it didn't work for me but maybe it'll work for you :) +4 When I first received this, I couldn't get it to work with Ubuntu Linux 14.04. I set it aside a few weeks, applied updates now and then, and when I tried again it Just Worked. +2 I have a Mac Air and this product has a disc to download...product is useless. +3 Nice small footprint for extending your display. I was hoping to use this for my MacBook but unfortunately it's only compatible w/ OS 10.9. Hopefully TRENDnet will roll out and update to make it usable for the latest versions. It does work well for Windows machines and I like having the ability to plug several peripherals into it. I'm hanging onto this in hopes of better Mac compatibility in the future. +5 I picked this up at the same time as the Dell USB 3.0 Dual Display Universal Dock for the same purpose. Running multiple monitors on my Alienware Alpha console which I use as a desktop. And I much prefer the TRENDnet. The set up was much easier. While I had to go digging through forums for the Dell, the TRENDnet was almost just plug and play. I ran an HDMI cable to one monitor and a DVI converted to HDMI to the other and had no issues with set up and getting this rolling (Running Windows 8.1). The lack of sound from the converted DVI was a not issue since I run external speaks powered by the USB. Which brings up another thing I love about the TREND, the thing is almost covered in USBs, 2 USB3 ports and 4 USB2 ports. I was able to drop my 3 USB port dongle since everything I have (keyboard/mouse/speakers/Xbox remote) have their own ports now. The only downside for me and my use, which is not typical since I am not docking a laptop, is that the TREND is a much high profile piece of equipment compared to the DELL. The ease of use for me more than make up for that. And I guess if you are running multiple monitors it is not much of an issue. As with all docking stations if used with a laptop though you may suffer lag and poor video performance in certain apps and most games so keep that in mind. I only play fair low graphic/video demanding games on mine like Pillar of Eternity, Shadowrun, etc and have had no issues. +5 it was recognized by my linux distro on plug and play, I'm happy with the purchase +5 It just work, nothing to write - you plug it in and ETH connection is a go +5 it works when I need it. no problem with it. +1 You might want to either delay updating your Mac, or for TRENDnet to come up with a compatible driver, or skip this item altogether and go for something that will work out of the box. +5 I like my iMac pretty much, but it definitely doesn't have the same plug-in ability as other computers or even previous iMacs. That's why I was glad to try the TRENDnet docking station out. It allows me to connect more things to my iMacthings as diverse as android and iPhones, headsets, high-def projectors (through the HDMI jack) and more. I was worried I would have to install software or something but I just plugged this puppy up to my iMac, inserted an iPhone on the other end and voila! good to go! The packaging and logo are a little '90s but the product itself is slick and very Apple-Esque. With its great functionality, it's a great complement to my iMac. +5 I am using it right now. It works with Windows, Mac, and Chromebook as advertised. (tested) You just need to install drivers once (if not on a Chromebook) and you're good to go. +5 This is a really useful dock, with a wide variety of port-types and 6 USB Ports (2 of them 3.0). Previously I had four or five cords plugged into the poor little tiny lap on my office desk -- one from the auxiliary hard drive, one from the monitor, one from the desktop speakers, and one from a USB hub. This made it difficult when I wanted to take the machine on the road, and it left of litter of unconnected devices on the desk, to which my wife took exception. Now I plug all those devices into the dock, and have only one cord plugged into the laptop, easily removed while keeping the desk neat and organized. The footprint is small, and the case of the gizmo is sleek and elegant. It hides nicely behind the monitor. I'm please, my wife is pleased. Unfortunately this doesn't make all those cords go away, but it does a better job of hiding them than before. +5 Works fine, and delivers a much more stable internet connection on my Wii U than the built in Wi-Fi does. +5 Im using Windows 7. Great small footprint docking station. Easy to set-up. Nothing challenging to have to deal with. Great to have duel-monitors. Everything is basically plug-and-play. I wish it had more USB-3 ports. . . and fewer USB-2 ports. I also wish it had a USB-C. Nonetheless, I can work with it the way it is, as my laptop isn't the newest anyway, but these features would be nice when I upgrade. The docking stations Ive used previously were clunky and didn't offer the duel monitors. So this one is certainly an upgrade from what I have used in the past. Overall Im quite happy with it. +4 fast shipping, not the best net card, good seller 4 stars because i don't like the pci card +5 I have an aging PC that I use as a HTPC, and the on-board LAN died. I plugged in an old 10/100 card but was only getting 6-10 MB/s when transferring files, which is incredibly slow if you are moving GB of video files. Since at some point I'll rebuild my system anyway, I wanted a very low cost solution for the meantime. Now that I plugged this in, I can get up tp 70 MB/s when transferring files from one computer to another on my network (which is as fast as the one older PC can write). +4 Bought this to put into a desktop converted to a server. It's low profile and works well enough. No drivers needed. +5 Good Fast ethernet CARD. Most affordable in its space and does the job with lightning speed. I need to now upgrade my Mother bard to get the full potential of this PCI Card +5 works great with windowos 98 +5 Works as it should. No complaints. +5 works as it should. no issues at all. +5 This network card is cheap and it is fast when connected to a gigabit network. Highly recommended. +5 Had to buy this after my motherboard plug got burned out. It works just fine it actually was plug and play for me. +5 This docking station is very useful if you have a laptop or portable device that you want to use as a "desktop" without having to attach a keyboard, mouse, monitor etc using multiple connections. In the old days I would use a KVM box which is keyboard, video, mouse but those days are gone with this device since it only requires one USB 3.0 port. This makes it very convenient but also fast allowing for dual monitor output. The TRENDnet docking station was very easy to setup and it works very well. +4 It works with my Acer Chromebook 15, but it didn't tell/show me that it was connected/working. The reason for 4 stars instead of a 5, is the lack of any paper instructions re using it with an Acer Chromebook 15, and that it works, but doesn't show that it is connected/working. I lucked out and tried to see if I had a ethernet connection. It worked and is very fast. The connection is a simple/easy~plug the ethernet rj45 in the Trendnet connection slot and plug the USB connection into my Acer 3.0 USB port.. However, there is no icon showing that you are connected to the ethernet. I can now use my Acer Chromebook 15 like a desk top. With the above connections, I use a HDMI cable to connect my Chromebook to my new View Sonic 22 " monitor. I also, use a Logitech USB wireless keyboard/mouse. I have incredible HD images on my View Sonic monitor. The Acer Chromebook 15 with this setup is very fast. I can sit back in my easy office chair and do what ever I need to do with the increased security of an ethernet connection versus WiFi with the USB keyboard/mouse on my portable lap desk. Now, I'm in my family room with the ethernet plugged into a TP link in a nearby wall socket and connected to my Acer Chromebook 15, and I used this connection to place an order to Amazon for to use this with my Android Tablet. +5 completely satisfied. Ethernet - USB3 or USB 2 plug-n-play operation for the Chromebook! +5 Works perfectly on both a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, I did not need to install the software that came with it. Just plugged it in to a USB slot, connected my ethernet cable, and I was off to the races. +4 Really a good product for the right price. +2 The TU3-ETG drivers from Trendnet's website does not work. When I plugged into a win8.1 PC and look at the device manager, it shows up as "Dlink DUB-1312" as the hardware id. Googled drivers for "Dlink DUB-1312" and found the driver's on dlink's .au ftp site. Unzipped and ran the setup.exe and it works. Actually super fast when it does work, hence not a 1-star. Same problem when trying to install to a macbook, but the apple DUB1312 driver didn't work. Macbook was the main reason for buying this adapter tho, so very disappointed. +5 May NOT be the HIGHEST QUALITY around but sure gets the job done for me every time. I have several Gateway desk top machines that run on Vista and Windows 7 and have had to replace all of the built in onboard eithernet devices and these work for me every time. +5 LAN went out on my motherboard, so I bought this, and everything works like new. Saved a lot of money buying this LAN controller. +5 Just what the doctor ordered. Works well, is super easy to install and is priced fairly. Can be used either to have a faster internet connection or if your having issues with the built-in one this is the easiest and fastest and cheapest fix. A++++ +5 Worked great +4 Good basic gigabit PCI NIC card. +5 It works fine. So far I don't have a need for the 1000 Mbps speed, but maybe in the future. At one point I tried removing the card, and installing an old 10/100 card, but then my XP computer wouldn't boot into Windows (XP). I had to re-install the TRENDnet card, boot into Windows, uninstall the TRENDnet software and uninstall the card in the device manager. Then the computer could boot into Windows again. +4 Worth every penny +5 Good product and good delivery. +5 Worked great. Now I can get the speed I subscribe to which is 150Mbs. I see steady 160-180 with this. +5 Needed a cost effective (read cheap) adapter for an old PC I use for media. That PC only had a 10/100 NIC interface, wanted and needed a 10/100/1000 interface so I ordered this. All in all it does the job it was intended to do very well and it did not break the bank. Very happy with this product so far. +3 Update: I had uninstalled the display drivers required to use external monitors and reinstalled them to try again. I don't know if they updated the drivers but both monitors now work at 1920 x 1080. The Apple icon is still missing, however. ---------------------------------------------------------------- The description said you could hook up two monitors to a Windows or Mac laptop. I was excited because I have an Elgato dock that you can't hook up two monitors to but it is connected via the Thunberbolt port. This one connects via USB. Two monitors work but you may have to restart several times. I have two identical ViewSonic monitors. Unfortunately through this dock I can only go up to 1600 through the DVI connection. Directly connected to my MacBook it will go up to 1920. HDMI works fine. The Apple icon is missing off of the menu bar on the external monitors. You have to install their drivers. No Thunderbolt. I have two devices that connect via Thunderbolt. With this dock I have to have 3 connections to my MacBook (including the dock on USB). With the Elgato dock I only have need two connections: one of the monitors (can't run two through the Elgato dock) and the Thunderbolt to connect the Elgato. This has more USB connections: 4 USB 2, 2 USB 3. The Elgato has 3 USB 3 ports. This stands up, the Elgato sits flat. This one is easier to get to and takes less space. The Trendnet has a wider usage over USB. It can be used with Windows or Mac. But it also has two problems so I can't even use it. I will update if those get resolved. +5 I've had some, but by no means extensive, experience with docking stations and I'm pleased to say that I had absolutely no trouble with this one. I have a 17" laptop running Windows 8.1 and my main display is a 23" touch screen monitor. TRENDnet's directions are clear and easy to follow and connecting the various cables took just minutes. From there, I inserted the included CD and downloaded the required drivers. The docking station was recognized immediately and I was able to configure my settings. TRENDnet offers two 3.0 USB ports and four 2.0 ports so it can easily accommodate my full-size wireless keyboard and the mouse plus speakers and a few other peripherals. I prefer to use only the single 23" display but the TU3-DS2 permits the use of your computer screen plus two others for a total of three, should you desire. Also featured are HDMI, DVI/VGA and Gigabit Network ports. It seems there's never enough room on my desk so I appreciate the vertical orientation and the clean, spare design of this capable docking station. +5
 When we went on vacation we took one of these docking stations along with my hubby's tablet. It allowed us to plug his tablet into the TV in our room and access our Amazon Prime videos and Netflix. Besides that my hubby has several of these that he uses at home, his office and while traveling. The docking station allows him to plug in and use several different devices, like printers, keyboards, screens, portable hard drives, etc, to his tablet or laptop. The advantages of this docking station: 1. Very easy to set-up. 2. High speed, with one gigabit port and USB 3 ports. 3. Stands upright, so it doesn't take up much desk space. 4. Power plug can be adapted to use outside the United States (additional purchase required). There are 2 USB 3.0A ports as well as 1 USB 3.0B to connect to your laptop/tablet and 4 USB 2.0A ports. A possible disadvantage to some, actually, is that it stands upright - a double edge sword - since it cannot be hidden away and it raises the cables up off the desk into view. Sits nicely, however, next to your monitor so you can easily access the ports, headphone jacks, microphone jack, etc. USB 3.0 provides exceptional speed, over 10x the speed of USB 2.0. In fact, using USB 3.0 you have theoretical maximum throughput of 5gbps (640MBps), so the I/O of an external drive nearly equals the speed of an internal drive. With 2 ports you can connect two back up/storage devices for redundancy, even setting them up with RAID 0 to double the size, or RAID 1 to provide redundancy. For a really good backup solution, plug a 4 bay RAID box into one of the USB 3.0 ports using RAID 5,6, or 10 - you will never lose your data and can set up incremental backups of your device(s) you plug into the docking station. I give this docking station five stars. Watch video for full review. +4 Read a review that this won't work with Windows 10, but I found that if I installed the DLink DUB-1312 driver it worked just fine with windows 10. Just got it today and other than the issue of finding a driver all is well, but will report back if I find anything odd. +5 Good USB 3.0 docking station. I have a windows 10 laptop and often want to use a monitor, full size keyboard, mouse etc... This unit works great and I've not experienced any issues with the keyboard that others have. I also have external storage hooked up to the USB 3.0 ports and this too works good. It is all plug and play. Windows 10 downloads some drivers when you hook it up and you are off and rolling. +3 I'm really mixed about this. I also have a previous version of one of these, a Plugable USB 3 dock, which is identical in all ways except for the HDMI port. The one I had previously only supports a single monitor. But I've been insanely frustrated with these units in all flavors the entire beta of Windows 10, and now after it's released, I still am frustrated. I have a couple keyboards that these just don't work with at all, or are insanely sporadic. I can plug the keyboard directly into the computer and it works fine, but plug them into these, and nothing. The illuminated keys light for a second, then it's just out and inop again. I had hoped I would have a better experience with this, and it's just the same thing. I tried using the drivers I had for the plugable unit, and everything worked the same, then I tried the ones that came with this on the CD, and had no better luck. The video outs work fine - decent response, span well, and other than the annoying Windows issues sometimes with adding desktops really messing up the desktop icons you may have there, The network port works well, which was another issue during the Windows 10 beta, it would only run at 100MB, but that's cleared out. Speeds are fine, just what they should be. But it really bothers me that this is a USB 3 dock, yet four of the six USB ports you can use are 2.0. And none of the ones on the back are USB 3, so if you're like me, and want to use this with a drive to use for backups, you can't just tuck everything behind it, since you have to have a USB cable hanging out the front then snaking around to get the fast USB connection. The previous version I had was all black, and I preferred that to the white color here, but that's simply a personal preference. It does what it should, although you may find you have issues with some keyboards... But the lack of better placed USB 3 ports is a letdown. +5 I have a Dell Venue 8. It is a fully capable Windows computer in a very small package with an 8 inch screen. It is fast enough for ordinary purposes such as email, browsing, general productivity (word processing, etc.) and, surprisingly, light duty video switching and editing. I also have an Asus Windows tablet with a 10 inch screen and an attached keyboard that holds a 500GB hard drive. As I get older I want to carry less. CPUs have become smaller and more powerful. Prices for Ultrabooks and Sub-Compact form factors are plummeting. Still, these lightweight machines aren't well suited for productivity off the shelf. Theyre powerful enough in terms of CPU and sorage, but you really need something close to a full sized keyboard and mouse and perhaps more storage than the device natively has. The Trendnet Universal USB 3.0 Docking Station is relatively small (but not as small as I dream of) unit that massively expands your Input/Output (I/O) capabilities. The device provides two USB 3.0 ports, 4 USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit CAT5 cable socket, HDMI and DVI/VGA connectors that allow you to output to two separate HD monitors and separate audio and microphone jacks. (Physically, by the way, theres a DVI port on the device and a DVI-to-VGA adapter included. Phenomenal. Everything works. You can now have a powerful system with a keyboard you can type on, a Terabyte or two of storage and more in a set-up weighing less than three pounds that will fit in your messenger bag or backpack. There are some design and packaging points I am not totally overjoyed with. The unit is larger than I would like. By the same token, I don't know if all these functions could be put into a smaller package. The ergonomics, however, are great: plenty of room around each port making it easy to attach and detach peripherals. The AC adapter is a too large, in my opinion, wall wart that plugs directly into a socket. In some motels, youll go nuts with this. I think it should have been an inline adapter with an AC cord. I would suggest carrying an extension cord, if you already do this. They don't include a carrying bag. And the big one: all those USB ports and none can be used go charge a device. So don't think you can leave your phone or tablet chargers at home. Overall, a really great accompaniment to your little computers. Jerry +4 The comments say that it is compatible with the wii u, but it may be true just for the usb 2.0 version. The gigabit usb 3.0 is not. Wasted money for me. Otherwise, it worked perfectly when connected to PC. +3 Well, I'm surprised that nowadays some laptops don't have built in Ethernet so I had to buy this NIC. The only con I could find is that the sort USB 3 cable that's attached to the card is a bit stiff. Edit: The USB conector failed on mine after an accidental pull, this connector is a bit flimsy when compared to most USB cables. +5 Plug and Play with Windows 7, it was working 20 seconds after I plugged it in. Trendnet's stuff is cheap and works pretty well in my experience. +4 I bought this for my Macbook Air and Xiaomi TV. It works for both. For Macbook, just need to download the driver manually though. However the speed is less than 800 mbits, but I can live with it. +5 Electrically identical to the SIIG USB 3.0 product, but the price is slightly higher, and the package is not as attractive. And it has one less LED. Generally I am stuck on TRENDnet for price/performance, but this is a rare exception. Go buy the SIIG; it is superb. +5 Awesome! +5 cheaper than a thunderbolt. Works well. +5 Dynamic, works as advertised and super fast +5 It just work +5 It performs very well as is expected. Simple to install and the driver disk was great.not a single blemish. A++ rating +5 Easy to install configure and zippy wired networking, all at a decent price. +5 Easy to install works great on the older computer I installed it on. +5 Functioned exactly as expected. I installed the card and booted up the PC. Windows 7 instantly recognized the card and installed the correct driver. I move large data files between PCs on a Gigabit LAN at about 100 Megabytes per second, which is exactly what you expect from 1,000 megabit networks with 8 data bits, a start bit and a stop bit. No problems at all. Very pleased. +5 Turned an old Dell 2400 into a gigabit capable PC. Works great as long as you have a Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable. +4 Sometimes my internet disconnects and I have to disable and re-enable it to get it working again, especially when I'm downloading something close to 100 megabits/s. +5 Removed this hub from the package, plugged it in to my Chromebook, plugged in an ethernet cable and was online! No fuss, No muss it just works! It also adds 3 USB ports to a Chromebook which are USB port starved............ I wish Windows was this easy! +4 Will try +5 These are very small compared to the previous versions. No compatibility issues with Linux or Windows. Great product for configuring switches and routers or throwing an additional port on a Raspberry Pi. +5 Much needed speed boost in my WiFi congested neighborhood. I cant blame it on TRENDnet but I wish my laptop just came with a NIC built in. +5 I have a Dell XPS laptop/tablet that gets backed up daily from my home server which runs Server 2012 essentials. I am usually able to do a complete system restore with a bootable USB Drive on all of my other machines, but recently when I tried to restore the XPS - I was unable to connect to the server. (The XPS only has a wireless connection and I was going crazy trying to find different drivers that would work) With this Adapter connected to the 2nd usb port, I booted the XPS into the recovery environment and then used the option to "load drivers" to load the driver which I had copied to another USB drive. I found drivers on the included CD (Drivers > Windows > Win8 Setup > Program Files > TRENDnet,inc >Windows 8 Drivers > 64 bit). I was then able to connect to my server and fully restored the XPS For $15, I am very happy with this solution. I also had a similar problem trying to restore an Intel NUC that has an ethernet port but again, the proper driver is very hard to find. I am sure that I could have easily used this adapter on the NUC also +2 Editing my review because I agree with the comment that Amazon sometimes combines reviews for different products and I wish they didn't. The 2.0 with just an Ethernet Adapter works great. 5 Stars. I have many of them running in a factory and no issues. The 3.0 Ethernet Adapter with a USB hub I had problems with. After 30 minutes it would stop working. +5 Performs exactly as it should. Now if only my university had speeds higher... +5 excelent +5 AAA +5 Got this to pair with my Surface 3 Pro to provide a wired connection alternative when WiFi isn't available (or best). It was truly plug-and-play, kind of refreshing. The normal connection when at my desk is through the wired Ethernet port on the docking station. When I tested this the first time, the Surface was still in the docking station. I unplugged the cable from the docking station and plugged it into this adapter. The system connected immediately without any issues even while still in the docking station. As with any USB device, having it connected does shorten battery life, but it's not oppressive. The Surface 3 Pro (now on Windows 10) has pretty decent battery life for such a small machine, and plugging in anything does make a pretty significant difference. Adding this isn't a bad as using an external display with an extended desktop, and there's still more than enough endurance for a 2-hour teleconference with both of those plus a USB hub and video teleconference camera/speakerphone. +2 I bought two of these. The first, purchased in 2013, is still working. The second, purchased in April 2014, lasted 15 months then died. Not sure what went wrong with the second one, but seems to me it should have lasted longer. +5 Got this for GNU/Linux/*nix projects; most of those operating systems have great plug-in support for the product. Perfect way to add an extra port to a *nix-based networking/router/firewall/switch project. pfSense, OpenBSD and Debian vanilla pick it right up. +5 Had a laptop with a dead ethernet port, worked well to get back online. +5 It just works, got this from my chromebook since I don't like having laptops without ethernet adapters. This adapter was immediately recognized once I plugged it in and connected super quick when hooked directly into my router. FYI: I am using this on my Toshiba Chromebook 2. (Model: CB35-B3340) +5 FROM LAPTOP TO ETHERNET LAN WIRED!!! +5 works as it should +5 EXACT match, worked fine--what more can you ask? Pricier than I would have liked but the universal ones didn't work so this was IT. Glad it worked; mine just stopped working for ? reasons. +5 Good +5 I bought these to replace older 100Mbps NICs in my pfSense firewall. Once Comcast upgraded me to their 105 Mbps (I get about 125Mbps) the old NICs couldn't handle the speed and were the limiting factor. I dropped these in, pfSense (FreeBSD) picked them up and I assigned one as LAN and one as WAN and was up and running. I consistently saturate my cable modem now and the firewall is no longer limiting my speeds. +5 Works great. +5 Easy to install and works as advertised. +5 Worked right out the box. That's all I need. +5 Very good. Support my home network with the computer for 1g bandwidth. I bought 2g external HD so it connected with a switch to the computer and I wanted the traffic to work fast on the network and this card allowed me to do that. +5 Received exactly what was specified in the production description. Arrived ahead of time in. +3 I own a macbook air. It does not work for me! +5 Good!! +3 Not recognized by vostro1000 XP. +2 Still didn't use Ethernet with this adapter but USB hub is a disappointment. IT cannot run external HDD without external power supply???? +5 It works reliably what more can I say. +5 Works great and recognized under Win 7 with little or no effort. I stream video to this network adapter and tried up to 6 mbits without any problem. I'm sure it can handle more but this fits my need. +5 Works great with the Nexus Player. +4 After charging it can be difficult to remove the battery compared to the original one that this one replaced. With some batteries I find it necessary to not only push down on the release tab but also to pry the battery loose with a tool because it is so tightly held by the charging unit. Other than that it works O.K., as it is designed to do. +5 Excelente cargador, lo recomiendo 100 % a todos (a b c d e f g h i j k j) +5 Works as advertised +4 No one thinks about the NIC in their computer until it starts misbehaving. I haven't had to think about this one since I installed it in a a slimline Dell Optiplex which had a dead 10/100 NIC on the motherboard. That's all I ask. +5 great +4 Good replacement card for times when the one on the motherboard stops working. +5 Always like using trendnet products. +5 Grate! No problems with installation very simple and grate value. +5 very good NIC for the price. CD with drivers does not work but you need to get the newer drivers anyway. Went to the web page and downloaded no problem easy install works fine. +5 These work great. My work just purchased a bunch of Dell laptops only to find they don't have Ethernet connectors. I bought this for myself to test it before I had my work buy 6-more. +5 Great Value for the Money! - Simply connected it to my CHROMEBOOK and it configure automatically. +4 Works well for adding Ethernet ports to a VMware Vurtual machine which won't recognize USB 3.0 adaptors +4 It works with wii u, but I only see little improvement in smash bros..My connection is 8mbs down and like 1 mbps up +5 Priced right and works great. Lost charger and battery but was able to find replacements on Amazon. Sent to Denver while on vacation and used them there. Worked out great. +5 It was the correct charger that I needed for the battery of my camera. It was a good buy for the price. +5 This is an exact replacement charger for our digital camera. Works exactly as described. +5 It's been charging a battery or two or three a day for about 4 years. So far so good. I am very happy with it. I just wish the batteries would hold the charge longer. I date them when I open a new one and the older ones hold the charge longer than the new ones. There you go, backwards progress!! I take many photos a day. Annie +5 Works as expected with the Dell XPS 13 2015 model, provides fast speeds. Only con is that you do have to install drivers but that is not their fault, more a Windows thing. +3 Quite difficult to get it setup on a Macbook air but work at the end. Fair products +5 Works with 2015 12" Apple MacBook Retina (OS X 10.10.4) using the Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter. I tried the Jelly Comb adapter first but OS X was not recognizing the network device. After some testing it appears that the Jelly Comb does not provide enough power (or any power at all) to the GigE adapter. +5 Plugged into my ASUS Chromebook USB port, plugged in the RJ45 network cable, and it took off running. Nothing to download. The way it should be. +4 I strongly recommend it. +5 This is arguably the best way to connect your Wii U to the internet. It uses a very similar chipset to the Wii LAN Adapter, if not an identical one, so compatibility isn't an issue. I have had absolutely no issues with dropped packets since switching to this adapter, and I'd recommend it to anyone who plays fast-paced games on the Wii U. If you're a fan of Splatoon or Smash 4, this is a must-have. +5 I read a few reviews about these adapters and the common problem is that they die/slow down after a while. I just got mine so I can't comment on that, but it has been easy to install and setup. I connect this device to my Monitor's USB port and the monitor is shared between laptops effectively any device connected to the monitor has gigabit ethernet :) Build quality looks like it is going to last. +5 A nice replacement for a failed motherboard Gigabit Adapter. Have used TRENDnet products in the past and never had any problems. +5 The on board NIC in my computer went out and I bought this as a replacement for it. I popped it in, turned the computer on, and windows 7 recognized it right away. It's been working great ever since. +5 Fast shipping works great, Thanks!!!!!! +5 These work perfectly in all the small case pc's at work and eliminated replacement of several motherboards and also used in vpns +5 Worked perfectly. As others have suggested, forget the install disk and just let Win7 handle it. It took me like 5 minutes to install this and it was up and ready to go without any additional work. Well done Trendnet. +5 It's a network card, it just works. Just had to find the right PCI slot for it to work in. +5 Great Card! +5 Works well, easy installation. +5 I bought it for someone I work with -- Don't ask. Our office is happy again now that the co-worker has an ethernet port. +5 worked first time I pluged it in. +5 excellent +5 Works very well, much better then expected. I'm using it with older laptop which only has USB 2.0 and it's still works good. +1 Did not work after placing computer in sleep mode. +5 This is one of the smart buys that any digital camera owner can get. It's not a glamorous product, but it's practical: it protects your LCD screen on your digital camera with a thin, clear plastic polymer. You get three generous sheets that are 3 1/8" by 3 7/8". It comes with a double-edged squeegee, and a tiny packet of screen cleaner and equally teeny dry cloth. The price is right, and much cheaper than an ugly gouge or a nasty scratch on your LCD screen. +5 I bought these for a Canon digital camera. Seller offered to cut these to the size of my camera's LCD, but I was unable to find the exact dimensions, so I was sent a few uncut protective films, and did the cutting myself. Worked like a charm--I put one of these puppies on my camera, and now it feels protected, and doesn't materially change the clarity of the LCD. No glue or anything needed to make it stick, it just does, and well. All in all, I'm glad I made the purchase to protect my investment. +4 Works as expected, very reliable and durable and a must have for those all so popular proprietary Lithium ION batteries that we all have in digital cameras. +4 I went to charge my battery when our twins were born, and my original charger, after 3 years, was DEAD. I ordered a new one and started digging, it turns out these things overheat like mad and burn out if you leave them plugged in all the time. That explained things because I had never left it plugged in for an extended period until just before it stopped working. Needless to say, this one I will be plugging in ONLY when charging a battery. +5 I bought this item to replace the original charger that came with my Olympus C-765 camera. I always left an extra battery charging in the charger 24 hours a day, so that's probably why it quit working after about three years. This new item is an exact duplicate of the original. This time, I only leave the charger on long enough to charge the battery and then I turn it off. The charger is small, light-weight, durable, and there are three features about it that I really like. First, I can use it here in the USA or with a wall plug adapter, I can use it in Europe. Secondly, the AC cord can be unplugged from the unit itself. That means you can plug the cord in the wall, have it come up through a desk or from behind a table, leave the cord plugged in and then just plug the cord into the charger. Finally, a small light on the front of the charger comes on red to indicate that the battery is charging and changes to green when the charge is complete. It never seems to take more than about an hour to charge a completely used up battery. Olympus LI-10C/12C Battery Charger (Charges LI-10B & LI-12B Battery) for Select Stylus and C series Digital Cameras +5 Put it in an older Vaio PC. The owner wanted upgrades to continue using it. I did run into a snag with Windows 7 drivers and the NIC needed upgrading. Worked right out of the box and driver software installed everything for the device. Now I have internet access and updating Windows. Perfect! +5 Worked really great, bought for my father in law. He was given an old computer. I worked on for days on end could not figure out why it would not connect to Internet. So bought this, was easy to install, connect almost instantly. Could not have asked for a better price. +5 Built in LAN card on a pre fab computer went out after a lightning strike and this was the replacement. Works well. Not much to say here. +5 Over the summer one of the small business' that I work for computers was an unfortunate target of a thunder and lightning storm. Although plugged into a surge protector, one lightning strike was a little too close. Luckily the only thing that went was the ethernet card that was installed in the tower PC. After searching quickly on Amazon for a suitable replacement, which really was any cheaper card that could get the job done, I found this particular card from TRENDnet and sold by Tiger Direct. I have to say that Tiger Direct was AMAZING in this purchase. I think this is the first time I have ever bought anything from Tiger Direct, so it was a great first experience for me. After being the cheapest seller with FREE shipping, the time it took for the package to get to camp grounds was only a few days after I had purchased the product on Amazon. I couldn't believe it. So, that is my first recommendation. If you have the opportunity to go with Tiger Direct, certainly try to do so. Maybe I just got lucky, but it worked out great. Finally, the ethernet card itself has been working great ever since the simple installation in the tower PC. Just slipped it into the PCI slot where the other ethernet card was and the connection was fine and has been fine since. +5 Plugged this in and it worked almost instantly. Simple and to the point. +5 I was about to return this as DOA, however when I wanted to put this back I realized there is a CD in it, which has document and drivers, I bought this because I run Redhat workstation and have my own USB3 hub that works as a port replicator, and was using D-Link USB2 adapter which works with Linux out of the box and is OK for internet surfing but not home network file copy. For Windows you just run a setup.exe (I did this first) but for Linux you need to compile the code, and very easy to install. I did some performance testing with another machine which has SSD (same as my laptop) and it was equal or better than Intel Ethernet adapter on my machine. Pretty happy with the price too +5 I needed an Ethernet connection for my Samsung Chromebook and this just worked. Plugged it in and it was immediately recognized by ChromeOS and the normal WiFi icon in the status bar disappears and the network connection shows as Ethernet. +5 Awesome. Does need a driver though. +5 Works Great +4 Does it's job. +2 I bought a pack of these based on the high-ish review of them. When I received them, I realized that a lot of people don't have an idea of what a really GOOD screen protector should be like. Yes, these are adequate for minor abrasions and scuffs, however, they are much too thin and rigid to be good for a long period of time. As other reviewers have said, these scratch easily (more easily than your LCD would without them). While I was pressing out small bubbles with the edge of a coin, I noticed that it was leaving scratches on the protector. The screen protector from another company on my other camera is significantly thicker and feels more fluid than these ones. This made it easier to remove bubbles and while you could create a "scratch" in it by pressing your fingernail hard into it, the "scratch" would heal itself and be invisible about 30 seconds later. I have had this protector on the camera for almost two years now and it still looks as clear as the day I put it on even through moderate use. I have NO expectation that these screen protectors will last even 1/4th that long as look as good as they do at application. +2 I used films on two different types of Palm PDA before. Those were custom fit type. This one needs to be cut to size and very difficult to apply. The film is thinner than the ones I use for Palm. It is easier to tear and difficult to get rid of air bubbles. I use this on the LCD screen of a digital camera. +4 I liked the idea of the presized cutouts on the back of the sheet however since it didn't match the size of my screen (Canon SD 1000 screen) I had to measure it out myself. Not a big deal, really. I'm really glad for the extra sheets, though, because after a few days of heavy usage, the screen protector somehow got peeled off, probably when I stuffed my camera into my back jean pocket. All in all, the protector does the job but be careful of edges sticking up as they'll get caught on stuff and get pulled off. Save those extra sheets; you'll need them. +3 I found that because I keep my digital camera in a leather case when I'm not using it, it only took about a week of using the camera for the screen protector to peel back. An easier system of application would be nicer, and a stickier protector would also be helpful. Luckily, these are inexpensive and it is easy to apply a new one. My MP3 player also got a screen protector which is still on it, because it does not get pulled in and out of a case very often. +1 After trying this product and being completly unsatisfied with it after finding all the faults listed in past reviews I decided to try a little experiment. First I measured the LCD screen on my Canon Digital Rebel XTi with a ruler and mapped them out on a piece of paper. Then (on the same piece of paper) I drew the dimensions of the LCD screen so I had a drawn out square the exact size of my screen. Next I took a piece of Glad Cling Wrap and laid it down over the square on the piece of paper. After taping it down so it couldn't move, I used a picture (rotary) trimmer to cut out the saran wrap laid over the paper square. I then had a perfectly sized protective sheet for my LCD. I simply laid the saran wrap over the screen and had a better protector then the Digital Concepts product. And it was free. +2 As other reviewers have written the first thing I noticed is that there are only 3 sheets, not 12 as the title implies. The way you achieve 12 sheets is by cutting them in fourths which makes them too small for my camera. I can get 6 sheets effectively. Furthermore, the kit comes with a wet cloth to clean the screen before applying. The drawback is that the kit comes with only wet cloth, so unless all 12 (or 6 or 3) protectors are applied at once, the single will only be moist for the first application. Finally, I agree that it is very difficult to apply these cleanly. This product works great for a single use if you have the patience to apply them. +5 A pack of these came with my Sony years ago... still have the original protector on that camera, works great, no peeling, doesn't hinder quality of view. Just got a new Canon and first thing I did was put a lcd protector on which I had from the pack that came with my Sony! Would't be without these things, work great. +5 shipped quickly and works well. I wish I had bought one with Wifi built in but that was my fault and had nothing to with the device. I works well and was easy to install. +5 Performing just great!! +4 Works as expected. Good price for this item. +5 This worked as expected and was inexpensive. I am using it now. +4 Good Adapter Card just not as fast as intel's +4 works +5 Works fine and great price. Using with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS has drivers installed. +5 No need to run any software install on OS X Yosemite. +5 Works great as extra internal lan +4 After application, the plastic is not as clear as I would expect, but certainly does the job. More importantly perhaps though - after you turn on the camera's LCD - you can hardly tell it is there. +2 I recently bought a Panasonic Lumix FX01 after a long camera search. I planned to keep it in my pocket most of the time, so I thought that I'd better guard the screen by getting some of these protectors. They would have been relatively easy to cut and put on except they aren't premeasured to fit 2.5" screens. That's a bummer--every camera I looked at had a screen at least this big. So I had to measure it myself. (Also, I had to waste the rest of the sheet, which should have had enough room left to make 3 more covers.) Once I put it on the camera I was kind of disappointed. The Lumix has a beautiful display, but with a plastic protector stuck on it it just looked a lot less amazing. It wasn't harder to see or anything, just less appealing. Anyway, after a few weeks of use I had to remove the protector. The corner started peeling up and of course couldn't be stuck down again. I'm not willing to hand measure and cut one of these things every month, so I guess I won't be using them anymore. +5 Easy to apply, easy to remove, protects well. Does everything it's supposed to. Wish i'd bought these years ago. Used on my new cell phone and has protected it from scratches and fingerprints +1 This product is poorly made. The actual laminate is hard to see through. It does not adhere to the glass without having bubbles. I do not reccomend. +3 The protectors pretty much try do the job in the same way the original cover that came with the camera did. You have to cut to fit, make sure the screen is clean and lay it on. If you don't have it on right the 1st time, it's easy to pull off & reset, but doesn't adhere for as long as if left alone & bubbles occur after the fact. Can be difficult to separate from the paper, but not insurmountedly. There are several in the kit, but a little less than what I expected for some reason and seems to be thinner than the original but figure better than nothing. +4 I got these for my new digital camera, cell phone and whatever else i could find that had a screen. They're great, with two notable exceptions: first, the application system is a pain in the @$$. With the nimblest of fingers, it will probably take you at least 2 tries to apply everything. Second, unless you are able to push the edges under the edge of the screen, they tend to peel off items that go in-and-out of pockets frequently -- my camera protector is rendered useless within a week of application. After a point, it's almost more cost-effective to buy another camera. +5 This product is cheap insurance for the glass that covers the LCD display on a digital camera. I am using it for my Canon Rebel XT. I feel that the material/film is thick enough to add a certain amount of protection to the glass, yet thin enough as not to reduce visibility of the display. One use that I find helpful is that I tend to get finger prints on the glass, but with this material, I don't have to worry about wiping them off with nothing more than a shirt corner instead of having to dig out a lens cleaner. I had no problem measuring and cutting it to fit including rounding the corners to match the display. After applying it, I tried to work the bubbles out. The large bubbles were easy but the small bubbles were not so easy. However, the next day the small bubbles were somehow gone. I definitely recommend this product for your camera. +2 I cut it easily enough for my 2.5" Cybershot W50 screen, and at first I was happy with it (I will use the extra for my ipod). But in just a few hours one edge started coming off, and three days later my husband was putting the camera in its case and the whole thing came off. It does come with 2 extra sheets, but I think I will do without. +5 I can't say this is the easiest product to use but if you take your time and follow all the directions, it's the cheapest and best way to protect your camera LCD. My best advice is plan on giving this project your full attention and use razor-sharp scissors to cut the film. I don't believe this film is made to last indefinitely so I just plan on keeping a supply to replace as needed. To make it easier for next time, I kept the little cardboard backing from the film that I'd cut to use as a template for measuring and shaping. I shaved off the edges by micro-millimeters until it precisely fit before lifting off the backing and applying. Be sure to clean and dry the screen as directed and 'squeegie' the backing, working out air bubbles as you go. If you get bubbles in the middle of the film, just gently lift off and squeegie again. Then again, if you have specks and dust, you might as well start over with a cleaner screen. All in all, this item is essential to protect your camera's LCD. +5 I had bought a similar product from another company and it sporadically dropped the connection to my network. This one has worked without a hitch since I got it. Very satisfied. +5 Works great on my Chromebook (Acer C720). Just plug it in and it worked! Have not tried it on my Macbook yet. +5 Arrived exactly as described - I am very pleased with this product. +5 Product received as expected in good packaging. Performs as expected. Good seller. Very happy with performance. +5 Works just fine and was simple to set up, which is all one can ask. +5 Excellent! +5 This has been a perfect little device to use with my Chromebook when I want to use Ethernet instead of wireless. I can use this in either the 3.0 or the 2.0 USB port with no problems. Great item and price! +5 This card is fast and works great use it for my homemade NAS +5 Works well +5 Installed without any problems and so far still working fine. I would recommend with item. +5 Great little NIC. Nothing glamorous, just does the job its meant to do. No issues whatsoever +5 a perfect update to my system +5 item was exactly as described, promptly delivered, and worked as expected. good price. +5 Driverless in Windows 7 (SP1) + Ubuntu... +2 I bought this for a Sony H1 camera. This camera has a LCD size of 2.5 inches so none of the presized lines on the back could help me. Where others could get 12 films out of it I can only get three. My first one got a piece of dirt on it and it ruined my field of sight. The second is not sticking to the bottom. I have a very snug camera bag and everytime I pull the camera out or place it in it rubs the film. I've only had it on a couple of hours and the bottom is already curling off. I've taped it for now but needless to say I'm still in the market for some type of protection for the LCD screen. It's inexpensive but you get what you pay for. +5 After investing in a new camera, I wanted to protect it. I bought this product and now I feel more confident in breaking out the camera more often - that it won't get scratched. I'm happy with the purchase. You just need to be very meticulous when cutting the protectors to fit. +3 I was frustrated that it was difficult to get all the small bubbles out after I applied the film. I placed the film on a little at a time as instructed, and used the enclosed squeegee thing as I went, but still had bubbles that I could not get rid of. However, I think it is very wise to use this on the screens on my digital cameras and plan to put one my nephew's iPod the next time I visit him given all the publicity about how easily the screens on iPods scratch. +5 I use this to protect the screen on my new Kodak digitial camera (V550) with it's large 2-1/2" screen. It was very easy to cut to size and looks great on the screen. A small investment to protect a great screen! +1 This product failed permanently after only about 15 mins of ordinary use +5 Works fine +1 first of all, installing it was a pain. it took three attempts and then i had to restart my computer twice before it finally worked (i use a mac running OSX 10.10 Yosemite). then after all of that, it stopped working after two uses. don't waste your money here. spend the money to get the one with the better reviews. +5 As an ICT Consultant it's good to keep these accessoires in stock. Easy to install. Looks good and works well. +3 I bought this for use on my a new Nikon S4 my daughter uses. We were both woried about the large LCD getting scratched. I bought this after reading mostly positive reviews here. The S4 has an LCD that sticks up above the rest of the camera and is really close to the right edge. As a result your fingers catch on the edge of the protector when you use the camera. After less than a week we were already installing a second piece as the edge had started to peel away. The other Problem is no matter how hard I try I always end up with several small bubbles that will not go away. I would not recomend this product for anyone whose LCD sticks up above the surface. If it was like many others we own where the LCD is below the surface than this product would work well. I bought a case to protect the camera instead after the second application of the protector. +5 I bought these after witnessing a gouge in my friend's unprotected LCD screen on his Brand New $500 digital camera ! I have several cameras with varying LCD sizes. This product is perfect as it allows me to cut out the different sizes that I need without spending a small fortune. Btw, it comes with cut-out templates on the back of each card which is extremely helpful ! A Must-Buy !!! +5 I got an Ipod for Christmas and vowed not to be one of the poor saps that pays as much for accessories as the Ipod itself cost. The new screens are amazing, but scratch easily. After searching elsewhere and realizing $10 was way too much for a tiny screen protector, I saw this product and decided I could cover 10 Ipods with the amount of film they give. The protection is great and there is no quality lost. The applicator card is hard to use when you apply the first section of the plastic, so you have to have steady hands or a helper. The guide on the back is great for screen sizes up to about 2", so I had to measure my own lines for the Ipod. But I highly recommend the product to anyone looking to protect any device. I'm going to use it on my digital camera as well. +4 Let me tell ya what this thing exactly is. At first I was a bit confused about how this thing works. I bought one and here goes the description. The LCD protector is a self-adhesive thin plastic sheet. There are three of these stickers in the pack. Each sticker can be cut into four pieces (max size of each piece is suitable for 2.2 inch LCD). This way you could get 4x3=12 stickers altogether. If you have a camera that has say a 2.5 inch LCD (e.g. a Sony digicam) you can only get 2 pieces from each sticker - that's a total of 2x3=6 stickers. You cut out a piece according to the size of your camera LCD and stick that on it. Then as it becomes dirty or comes off over time you replace it with another one. It is pretty simple and a good value for this price. +1 Arrived dead. Tried multiple USB ports and network cables, nothing, just dead. +5 Great adapter. Much improved and the powered usb 3.0 ports work well. +5 Very handy little adapter. Great way to give a Virtual Machine its own network adapter. +5 Worked as expected with my Surface Pro2 and Pro3. I was completely pleased. +5 just because I have to +5 This product works as t should, flawlessly. Handy device to have around, for sure! +5 Works great on OSX, Linux, and Windows. I don't know if you will see 100Mbps out of it as USB isn't as fast as a PCI card. Theoretically, you should be able to, but I've never tested it. I know I can pull 50/10 from it by doing speedtests on my cable modem. +5 NICE +5 Tested in Windows, Mac, and Linux. Keep in mind you have to install drivers for both Windows and Mac! Ubuntu 14.04 picks up the adapter automatically, but if your OS doesn't, TRENDnet has drivers on their website for download! +5 Works great with my Wii U +5 Even works on my Dell USB 3.0 slots just fine as most chip-sets for USB 3.0 don't for some odd reason as Dell has in my opinion sold out & now makes only cheep junk with crud support for what they do make. Unlike TRENDnet! Larry B. +5 This is a handy tool +5 Use it on the Google Chromebook, no issues +5 Works perfectly with my Wii U. +5 Plug and play on RPi running Raspberian and Pidora. No powered hub needed. +5 very good item +5 Works great, Windows 7 recognized immediately, no problems with it so far. +5 If you're looking to add gigabit connectivity to a legacy PC this is a great way to go. Inexpensive and well made. I've been running 4 of these for a few years now. As easy to install as any other card. It works well. +4 Inexpensive and solid performance. Recognized by most OSes for traditional use...some challenges when binding multiple NIC cards together under FreeNAS to increase bandwidth (works fine splitting across multiple subnets, providing fall-back NIC support, etc). +5 does its job +5 I've used these cards extensively on many of my pc's. At some point in time the mobo netwrk port will fail. You might as well buy one of these and be ready or just go on and use it when you get it. +4 The driver on my iMac went kaput. Tech guy at cable company suggested I get one of these. He was right! Worked like a charm straight out of the box. Plugged it in, connected the ethernet cable and BOOM! internet access was restored. +5 Works great. I get at least 30Mb up and down on this using it as a WAN firewall adapter. That is much better than many usb 2.0 adapters. +5 Not much to say here. Trednet always build quality gear. I haven't had a single problem with this USB ethernet adapter. I've used it on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 and the built in Win Drivers detected it correctly each time. A great buy. +5 Allows me to remote into my management PC via internet then access the internal mangement network since I have 2 adapters. Have had 0 issues throughout ownership +5 Plug it in and away ya go. Not the fastest gizmo to sub for a faulty mother-board, but ok for the price. I wish I had discovered it months before when I first started having com problems. Good product +5 Worked great! Easy to setup. Needed to work with my existing NIC, for a separate Static IP. +5 Lost the onboard during electrical storm. Great price and delivery on this card. Quick install and it is much faster than the old onboard adapter. Highly recommend. +5 Just load software and install. Up and running in no time. Still hums along with no problem. Will outlast the PC. +5 the card is working well with a windows 7 pc. the router is several rooms away and i still get a good signal. +4 Got it working within minutes of installation. I recently installed it and it appears to be working well so far. +5 It does 1000mbps and works great without any driver help. Litterally just a plug and play device that gets the job done. +5 My on board LAN stopped working for some reason after a BIOS update, so I had to order this card. Thankfully it works great, and installation was a breeze. +5 work perfect exact what i needed good quality and durable fast shipping, and easy to use excellent tool and it does the job +5 Son uses it all the time. He had an Apple product that only had a USB port. +5 Perfect great price +4 functional, does the job when you don't have an Ethernet jack +5 probably the best adaptor like this that I have purchased. I have had a few employees purch AIO pc that don't have ethernet ports and I don't support WIFI on my business network, thus this littler guy here is a great option. It is fast, installs easy on windows 7 pro and 8. +3 Works as expected. +5 I have Yosemite on my early 2014 Macbook Air. After installing the most recent downloaded driver, the TRENDnet USB GigE adapter went right online and began working immediately. However, there is one difference between this USB adapter and Apple's Thunderbolt adapter. If you are using multiple network profiles, you will need to load the device onto each profile manually and separately. This is unlike Apple's Thunderbolt GigE adapter which loads across all existing and new profiles automatically. So, for example, if you create a brand new network profile, you'll need to click the + and then choose the TRENDnet adapter to add to the profile. Once added, it lights right up and comes online. How would you know to do this? If the profile doesn't contain the adapter when you plug the adapter into the USB port, it won't light up or activate. I quickly realized that the profile did not have the adapter listed and added it. If there is one thing I would like TRENDnet to change is to automatically load the device into whatever profile is currently active so that the adapter 'just works' like Apple's Thunderbolt adapter. However, the TRENDnet driver does automatically load onto the profile currently active at the time the driver is installed. It just doesn't install into any existing profiles or into any new network profiles you might create. Note that I would have used Apple's Thunderbolt adapter for my needs except that I'm using that port for a second monitor. So, the only choice left is a USB GigE adapter when I use the second monitor. I'm also a little surprised that Apple doesn't offer a USB version of their GigE adapter because of this exact issue. Though, I'm glad that this adapter works as well as it does. +4 Bought this to use with my Wii U. What a difference it has made. I downloaded Super Smash Brothers over WiFi and it took all day. Then I ordered this and used it to download the new Mario Kart and it was done in no time at all. Very pleased with this purchase. +5 Great for what I use it for: remote connection to a Mazda 3 2014 onboard computer. it's TRENDnet USB-> Ethernet adapter -> ZyXEL wifi router. Then connect a PC to the router and that gives a nice remote access to the car's computer. Works flawlessly, and the price "is right". This adapter seems to be "super compatible" with many embedded linux or other Unix-related OS. +5 Great product works as avertised, feels solid and well constructed only time will tell though. I bought this to use with a otg cabe and nvida sheild tablet. It works perfectly with the tablet. I also tested it on my desktop and its usb 3 port and it worked there also, imidiatly and with no hassel. +5 I ordered this when I was trying to configure my router with my new 13" MacBook Pro and realized that the new MacBooks don't have an ethernet port. It works well in both OSX Yosemite and Windows 8.1 in Bootcamp. I didn't need to install any new drivers as it was automatically recognized by both systems. Much cheaper alternative to the Apple branded Thunderbolt connector, especially with how infrequently I'd use it. +4 pros: provides provides stable fluid connection especially valued in live online gaming competitive play Cons: I can no longer write off my average ability losses in game to lag or connection dropouts over Wi-Fi. USB 3.0 would be preferred of course but not a requirement in the current environment. +5 Nice quality. +5 plug and play, easy, works as advertised. cheapest way to replace bad LAN Port without to much fuss and muss +5 It works quite well with both Linux Mint 17 Qiana (ASUS N53SV) and my ASUS TF300T Android Transformer Tablet. It worked "out of the box" in both cases, with no special steps taken. If you plug it in while the computer/tablet is already running, it may not immediately recognize it. In this case, all that is necessary is to go to the menu and disactivate/reactivate the ethernet and tell it to use the USB trendnet cable if it gives you a choice. Basically though, it's been really easy to use. +5 Works well with my internet! +5 This adapter is compatible with all Macs from OS X 10.4 (driver on the CD) up to OS X 10.10 (10.5 through 10.10 driver is on the TrendNet web site: http://www.trendnet.com/support/supportdetail.asp?prod=280_TU2-ET100&SUBTYPE_ID=1544#Driver ). Works great on our March 2014 MacBook Pro with OS X 10.10. +5 Excellent product! This wired adapter serves as an excellent communication bridge from my MacBook to the hard wire internet. No complaints at this time. +5 Really well-made. It's as well made as an apple adapter, at one half the price. +5 Have bought stacks of these over time to keep in inventory and use when someone's NIC fails, and have had zero issues with them. For the price they are good to have around. +5 trendnet parts have been very reliable to me, after purchasing several trendnet parts for various uses my built on board Ethernet adapter broke and this was the best solution. running flawlessly after a good month of heavy use. +5 OEM nick was having issues with the XP drivers since I had just nuked the XP box and I was in the process of loading all of the drivers and the on board nic drivers were being a pain so when I was younger I would have fixed the issue, these days I just buy a new card, reason be I charge so much it's a better use of my time to purchase new plus it might act flaky for the client, not worth the gamble to save a cole bucks. Card works like a dream, not sure why I bought a gig card, maybe that was all they had cuz desktop certainly would not need it but all is good and the Pc will probably out live me. +2 Worked as advertised. Nothing but a card. No driver problems installing. Would recommnd to anyone needing a cheap working card. +5 I used this in a customer's computer to get network functionality since their onboard NIC had died. They use their computer for web browsing. I did an OS install and updates and I can say with certainty that this card transmits data over the internet. (I also have a TRENDnet switch that I like.) +5 Good Item, works great! +5 This is an as advertised device that works plug and play with Windows 7 and Kali Linux. It doesn't have gigabit but I doubt I'll need that much as I use it as the network adapter for my Nexus 7. +5 What type of Elvin mischief is this?? I can't wrap my head around how it works ....but it works perfectly and it saves an Ethernet port on your modem .......wonderful wonderful wonderful...get one immediately +5 used on TIVO +5 Small and effective. I needed a port on my Surface and this fit the bill while being much cheaper than the one from Microsoft. It is not gigabit but I didn't need that anyway. +5 Works wonderful for those of us that might be lacking a Ethernet port. Compatible with most devices. +5 Works with Linux, that is all that I wanted, I don't see and lags and or problems. +5 Works great on HP Chromebook 14 in a wired or wireless or static or DHCP environment. I like how the Chromebook saves its most recently assigned static network settings. Have yet to try with a Mac, but will and update this review when done. +5 Seriously speeds up wireless device download and transfer speeds. I have a 1GB hard wired system. +4 Instantly recognized and worked on a Linux System, both windows machines (win 7 and Vista) needed drivers. Once installed, it worked great on all three systems. Very durable and should last several months in the field. +4 Worked great for my Chromebook. Needed a physical connection for streaming HD content reliably. +5 No compatibility issues +5 item works with all windows 32 bit or 64bit from xp to 8.1 +5 Slapped it in the computer and it works like a charm. Auto-detected by Win7 so it was an easy deal. +5 Got this to upgrade my HP PC to have Gig-Ethernet support to have better transfer to my Gig-Ethernet NAS. This installed fine on my HP PC running Vista (yes... Vista) 64-bit and has been working good. +5 It does what it's supposed to do and was extremely easy to install. The only problem I had was re-doing the assigned IP address from my DHCP router, but that is no fault of the card. +5 To start, Im by no means a computer expert. Unable to afford an entirely new desktop pc right now, am gradually updating some hardware pieces of my 8-year old Dell XPS 400. Decided to substitute the motherboard network adapter with this adapter card in the hope that it would improve my online speeds. Settled on this one (based on Amazon reviews.) After a minor setup change in the BIOS (translation: disabling the motherboard network adapter), the card was immediately discovered and the applicable (Windows 7) drivers installed. I have no complaints as to the performance of the card and / or details about the speeds generated, but for my (solely productivity software) needs, Im entirely satisfied. +5 My desktop PC (Win 7 Pro - 64-bit) could no longer access the I-net. So, I diagnosed the problem to the integrated LAN circuitry on the motherboard. I ordered the card one day and it came in 2-days later. I installed it according to the instructions (turned off the onboard LAN feature in the BIOS first) and the Windows OS found and installed the correct drivers, even without I-net access. This was the only card I found whose description included mention of Win 7 64-bit compatibility, for the price. +3 This product is good. I would purchase it again. I think it is stupid to require me to type this many words. +5 Installed from CD on OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) on a macbook air. Reboot per instructions. Worked immediately. +1 Dead on arrival. sent it back and bit the bullet for thunderbolt adapter. +5 useful! +5 There isn't much to say about this except that it works. The card plugged right in and windows 7 recognized and installed the drivers right away. My only issue with it was a user error where I used a non-gigabit cable... once that was figured out; windows shows it as running as a 1.0Gb connection. +5 Very inaxpansive way to add an extra ethernet port. Easy installation of the drive with the disk that was provided. +5 I buy these all the time, a great product! +4 No frills, no issues, nicely priced brand name, low profile NIC. Go for it! One thing I would recommend the manufacturer to change is to make it fit both low profile and regular PCI slots. +5 Only took a minute to install and Windows recognized it right away without needed the included installation CD. Works great so far. +5 This product was returned (duplicate), but it seems like it very good one, and got it for spare network adapter. +5 i bought this to replace the 10/100 adapter in my vista / debian box when the adapter died. i was in the process of rolling everything over to gigabit on the home network, so the timing was great :) anyways, i noticed a quick gain in speed when transferring from the pc over to my buffalo nas, but not the jump in speed i was hoping for. the pre-installed drivers within vista were outdated, so i grabbed the updated drivers. this gave me access to additional settings, including jumbo frames. i initially set jumbo frames to 7k, but this would cause the nas to drop out. i backed it down to about 4k, and the nas finally started playing along. i'm not entirely pleased with transfer speeds (about 25MBps max to the nas), but i know the fault isn't with this adapter. my router is also causing a bit of a bottleneck, so upgrading that will improve things even more. i'm giving the adapter five stars because it's very easy to install and set up for basic use. the advanced setup stuff (updating drivers, changing frame size settings, etc) is all easily searchable online, so most people with basic computer knowledge should be able to tweak this adapter for better performance. for the price, this quick and easy upgrade from 10/100 is very much worth it. just make sure to use cat5e (or even higher) ethernet cables too! +5 I got these to install a Sophos UTM Home Edition computer as a second firewall on my home network. They worked great out of the box. Anyone looking for a quality, free web filter that works with every device on your network I recommend these network cards with the Sophos UTM Home Edition software. +5 Worked perfectly. I used it to SSH into my 2014 Mazda 3 infotainment center and it was just plug and play. I honestly didn't expect it to work but it just popped right up. Quality seems solid. No complaints =) +5 I have a server with two ethernet ports that has one connected to the Internet and the other connected directly to a NAS. The owner of the company I work for asked me to set up a couple of bitcoin blades that used ethernet to communicate so I grabbed this little ethernet adaptor. Seems to do the trick and hasn't caused any instability on my personal Debian testing server. +5 I was at a job when the lead tech laptop failed. I plugged this into my Dell Venue 8 Pro and then he was able to test and verify all the networks drops in a large office. Highly recommend this device. +4 When my port stopped working on my laptop, I was concerned that I was going to have to go wireless all the time. That was an issue due to uploading large image files from my camera or audio/video files as well. Thankfully this little gadget arrived and fit the need perfectly. Does just what it claims! Was a lifesaver. +5 It's good! +5 Works very well for my Windows 8 laptop (broke Ethernet port inside), No Complaints! I bought this one because I trust the Trendnet brand more than the generic ones even though they are idential inside (ASIX chipset)... +5 Great product! Great Price! +5 Excellent Lan adapter. PnP in Windows 8/7 +5 Great item - compact - packaged well and delivered on time! +4 Then I discovered that I did not need it so I returned it. iMacs were smart enough to get things humming with just the simple LAN Trendnet router. I'm on a learning curve. Amazon is excellent! +2 I bought a couple of these to work with a pFsense router. Not many of you will know what that is, but it is essential an obscure but highly secure router/firewall software package, based upon FreeBSD. It is likely this has nothing to do with your life, so take this with a grain of salt. +5 I purchased this USB connector so I could hook my ethernet cable into my apple laptop without any drivers or hassle and get on the interwebs and write this review on the amazon and everything worked perfectly ... win! +5 Little setup to get it working on my mac. Installed drivers, reboot and done. I use multiple of these on my mac for packet captures and testing different Virtual appliances. They work 100% of the time. +1 had two of these and they seem to break or altogether stop working after about 5 to 6 days . +5 this little piece is wonderful. It costs much less than the Apple one, and works perfectly. Just drop the driver that comes with the CD and plug the trend net on the usb. Go to the Systems Preferences and check it, and that's it. Ultra-fast connection via ethernet. Mountain Lion AND Mavericks, working perfect!!! +5 Our netbook was having a hard time with the WIFI signal because the router was too far away. We had an Ethernet drop nearby but no port on the netbook. We tried this and it worked. +5 I am the IT person here at my job. We have two different network connections, one for phones and one for data. Normally our computers are on the data side but every now and then i need to switch over to the phone side. With the help of two small BAT files and this product, i can switch back and fourth between two wired networks with ease. It is a really big help when i need it and has never let me down. A great product. +4 I have this hooked to my Wii U to reduce congestion on the 2.4 WiFi band and it does exactly what it says. No complaints. +5 I have used two of these now for users who needed a second fixed IP to access our store system at different locations on different subnets. The included driver disk was necessary for Windows 7 Pro; fortunately I can't attest to their compatibility with Windows 8. +5 About once a year, I computer crosses my workstation that lacks both a functioning ethernet port and wifi card. I use to spend hours troubleshooting it and uploading updates and patches via the jump drive. Those were not happy times. Now I just load the disk, connect the Trendnet device, connect us to the wall, and, ta da, we're online. Literally, one can be online in less than two minutes. Troubleshooting and updates are all automated now. This is the second one I've owned. It's a bit faster than the prior version, but both worked wonderfully well. Its a "must have" in my tool bag of tricks. +4 There is not much to say, works great with the Apple MacBook series, doesn't require any drivers and is affordable. +5 this device was bought to work with my android tablet as a pwn pad with an otg cable and works as expected! +5 Great price, works with MacAir - that's about all I cared about when I purchased this. It is limited to 100 Mbps, so if you're looking for a 1 Gbps adapter, this isn't what you want. But for my needs, 100 Mbps is just fine, and this device is tiny so it is easy to carry around in my carrying case. This is the second one I ordered, I misplaced the first one... darn it! +5 In a PC where the Intel chip set has been abandoned by Intel (there is no Intel support for the Intel chip set used in this 10 year old (formerly WindowsXP) small form factor PC) rendering the built in Ethernet useless, the TRENDnet USB to Ethernet adapter comes to the rescue. This adapter is working great in a Linux small form factor (there are no card slots) PC. +3 I use this adapter almost everyday with my Tablet connecting it to the internet as wireless is not avalaible in my current location. I purchased a extra one of these, as I have pulled the cord part way out of the Ethernet side, but is still functions normally. I am just careful that I don't pull it the rest of the way and break the connection. +2 I ordered this four months ago and somehow it has already loosened itself to oblivion. I have to hold the ethernet cable a certain way in order to get it to work and the second I release it I lose my connection. +5 If you have a Desktop computer, often times one of the first things to fail on it, especially if it has been the victim of an electrical surge, is the ethernet port built on to the motherboard. Don't fear the end of the motherboard. Slap one of these into the machine (CAREFULLY) and move on. This is built for a full size desktop, but I believe there was a slide included in the package to allow it to be sized down to fit a slimline computer. If not, it's really not going to go anywhere as long as you don't move your computer around a lot. To remove the large slide for the full size computer, it simply requires two #1 Phillips head screws +4 Originally I had purchased the Intel version and that was a huge disappointment. It was a bear to install and I still don't know how I got it to work. Then, it just up and quit on me after just over 2 months. I ordered this one for about 40% of the cost of the Intel one and it installed itself (Windows 7) and was running like a champ with no problems! I'm very happy with it. +5 I needed for a motheboard that his network stop working, that same me from buying a new motherboard, Great product +5 Lightning took out the same computer 3 times in two months - each time it was the network card. Sigh. This network card installed easily (driver installed first) and worked on first boot. I will return to purchase again if needed. +4 It does what it is supposed to do with no real problems. Although the internet is very far advanced past the tools on my Win 98SE box, I'm finding. +5 I use these adapter for work and they always come thru for me. I have tried some cheaper brands but not the quality and reliabitly of these units. I am a service tech and some of the equipment I work on I need to have a second Ethernet Adapter, these always come thru for me. Highly recommend. I use on one on my laptop also when I need to setup static IP address to communicate with equipment then keep my on board Ethernet port as Dynamic IP for Internet use. +5 This adapter seems to work with anything - other reviewers have pointed out that it works on their setups, and I've been using it with a Raspberry Pi set up as an ad blocker for months. It just works, and it continues to work day after day after day. +5 Neat Gadget!! The integrated NIC on my desktop died and this was an effective, inexpensive solution. I highly recommend this device +5 I bought some cheap cheap ones the caused BSOD (windows 7) and frown of disappointment (Windows 8). So far on the rare occasion I need Ethernet on my ultra-book this device works fantastic. +5 I bought this to use with an android mini pc. I'm very pleased with this adapter. When I bought it, it had the wrong image, but it looks like they fixed that. +5 A great adapter for Win 7 & 8. Be careful to configure exactly for your LAN specs. Works great with DSL. +5 Works for my Tivo 2. I needed a way to get my Tivo online and I did not want to use a WiFi solution. This adapter did the trick. I was able to connect my Tivo 2 directly to an ethernet switch. +5 A great way to have a wired ethernet connection! I have a few of these units on various electronic devices that are wired directly to my network. It leaves the my wireless signal less congested for the devices that absolutely cannot be wired. This particular adapter I have on my new Wii U. Pretty much plugged it in, went through the Wii U's setup and told it I had it connected to a wired network, and the Wii U configured the rest without any problems! +5 I use this product often when a laboratory peripheral manufacturer request two network interfaces to the computer and only one interface is on the computer itself. Easy to install and configure. +5 This adapter was very easy to install. The software auto installed, and then all I had to do was plug it in. A cheap and easy fix to a network adapter that went bad in an older computer. +5 its neat and it does the job. I would recommend it to anyone. thanks for a great product. must write more +5 5 stars because it works well and the price was good. Buy one you can't go wrong. (words words words) +5 Plugged this into a rather ancient e-machines box I had upgraded to a basic server (Opteron 180 dual core and Windows Server 2008). Integrated fast ethernet adapter remained functional but this one popped up and installed instantly on boot-up. This is hooked up to my 47inch LCD and is used to stream ESPN3 and NHL Gamecenter. The faster gigabit connection has reduced dropouts and instances of reduced resolution (Radeon 4650 video card). Quite happy. +5 After getting a few new PC's with gigabit ethernet capability, I wanted to upgrade some older PC's that only had 10/100 megabit onboard ethernet. These cards installed easily and Windows XP recognized them and started using them with no problems. I did not perform any "scientific" benchmarks, but did test some file copies (individual large files and a large number of smaller files) between 2 of the PC's with these TRENDnet cards. The times to copy files dropped by about 40%. I am very pleased with that performance improvement. +3 This is an alright way to upgrade a PC or replace an onboard nic for a basic PCI interface. Would prefer an Intel but cost wise this is a good deal. +5 It helped me convert my 56 inch TV into a monitor for my Desktop. Works very well. Now I can get fast internet from Desktop on the TV. Good substitute for an expensive net ready TV. +5 I was experiencing extreme slowdowns with the built-in gigabit adapter. So got this one to get my computer back up to speed. It worked perfectly. I've always trusted Trendnet for their quality products. +5 This insatlled fine in WIndows & Pro 32 bit system. I actually had to take it out afterwards because the exisitng card was not malfuctioning like I thought so Ican't say how the card will perform at a later date. +5 I bought this card simply because my router and my PS3 had GB nic cards, and my home server did not. Installation was easy, windows installed the driver for it. Simple, and done :) The card performs exceedingly well, esp when I'm streaming 1080p video from the home server to the PS3, no network stuttering. That is about the strongest test I could put it to, and it did it flawlessly. I will recommend with 5 stars because it does exactly what it claims to. +4 This item works well and seem to be built as well too. Since I use it for travel, I did not want to get a super cheapo type of item that would brake/fall apart when I am traveling. Good quality wit this unit with no issues so far. Would be nice if it was USB3 but USB2 works for me. +1 Was looking for an adapter that I needed quickly. Didn't notice until after the fact that the last version of Mac OSX was supported was OSX 10.6 which was released 4 year old ago. Trendnet support was useless. They told me to return it. Found the review here about downloading the driver from the chip manufacturer, Prolific, so I downloaded md_PL2303_MacOSX-10_6up_v1_5_1.zip and it worked for me. In any case, saying it works with a Mac when the version is 4 years old is pretty ridiculous. +5 Purchased because our netbook's ethernet plug went dead one day. A couple of days later, the ethernet port was working again - the problem hadn't been hardware, but software (thanks, Windows . . .). In any case, for the two days I had to use this product it worked flawlessly on my high-speed cable connection. Of course since then it sits in the drawer unused (to return it would have been too expensive), but that is not a fault of the product itself. +5 My older laptop Ethernet port died. This fixed the problem. Price of the cable [includes driver disc] beat the cost of taking the laptop to the shop for repair. +2 Even though picture on same page on Amazon.com and linked together as normally purchased together, I did not get any Ethernet link when connected to the radio. +5 just what the doctor ordered since my ethernet port is not working anymore. trendnet always seems to have what i need. +5 easy to use and works great with my destop computer and is good for the price. I love it and am happy with it. +5 I'm not a hardware guru so I can't write a very detailed review, but I grabbed a few of these to complete my Linux firewall. I haven't noticed any speed issues, though I've not benchmarked them. If you don't need heavy-duty hardware, definitely consider picking a few of these up. Great price. +5 It's an ethernet card, it's speedy. 10/100/1000. Now transferring files over my network doesn't make me want to cut my wrists. +5 My ethernet connection on the mother board of my PC failed, and I was unable to connect to my router. After identifing the problem I ordered this card on-line for a quick fix. After receipt, I installed the Adapter Card in my HP computer and was up and going in a matter of minutes. +4 If you are using a Gerber Edge Maxx or (Edge 2 I believe) you can connect the Edge with an extra network adapter. That is the use I needed this card for and it does so perfectly. Have not used it on a "real" network though. +5 I bought this to improve speed for a couple older computers and really does what I want. If you want to get out of slow speeds on your home or business network, this is perfect. +3 Not a bad little card however if you are intending on using this on a linux box be prepared to go through some hours trying to get this working with distros like Deb, Ubuntu. The latest kernel still does not have the firmware in it. You must rely on other tools to get it working. Even ndis-wrapper did not help with this card. Im sure if you can compile the kernel ur self you could add the firmware. Chipset info: [...] Had to end up using Latest Mint and it worked out of the box. So again. Sucks on Linux until new kernel updates for the chipset. Or use ur windoz install. Once its working it does work flawlessly. Very happy with N range on this card. Bought it for a small media computer and streams rather well at 200 ft with several walls in the way. +1 I put one in a Dell Dimension 3100, because the on-board Intel NIC was only 100Mbit. Connected to my gigabit switch and main PC that's gigabit, the on-board LAN would transfer files at 99% utilization, indicated by the task manager Networking tab. Can't ask it to do better than that really, but I wanted gigabit. I knew something was wrong right off the bat with this card when Windows XP couldn't locate a driver for it. Even after installing the driver on the CD, XP would go into this loop of enabling the card, and then wanting to reinstall the driver again and again. Finally after a system restore, I was able to get the card installed and working, only to find out it wouldn't transfer files above about 200Mbits (19% utilization,) in either direction. I tried other drivers from Realtek, and other settings, to no avail. I then ordered an Intel PWLA8391GT PRO/1000 GT PCI Network Adapter, and installed it. XP also went into this weird loop of wanting to repeatedly install the driver, so realizing I still had the Trendnet drivers installed, I did a system restore to before I did anything with the Trendnet card.. and when XP started back up, it saw the Intel card and installed drivers automagically without need for the CD, like I'd expect it to. And the Intel NIC transfers at over 50% utilization, solidly, without any tweaks. Windows 7 shows a sustained speed during large file copies of 57.7MB/sec with the Intel. So for $13, this NIC isn't worth sending back. I'll throw it in a box and maybe I'll come across a need for it sometime, but it clearly isn't up to par on the drivers or the gigabit support. +1 So I was hoping this would work with my Mac, and it has a very bare bones functionality. It can transfer data, but it is extremely slow and the installation instructions say that it is only compatible with OS X 10.4 - 10.6, which would have been nice to know BEFORE purchasing. If you are looking for a cheap alternative to the Apple version, this is NOT it for newer Macbooks. Plus, the TRENDnet site doesn't have the Mac driver on the site, so you are forced to use an external optical drive to use the in box CD. +5 This adapter was bought to connect an older TiVo Series 2 to use broadband internet access instead of the telephone line for downloads. It works perfectly, all one could ask. +5 Bought this Trendnet Adapter for a mobile install and it works great, no fuss whatsoever. there is no setup and once on it simply does what it's supposed to do.. +3 I bought it to connect my NAS drive directly to my PC. I was hoping by doing so, the NAS interface may behave like an USB drive. Not so. It still behaves as though the drive is connected to the PC over LAN. Anyway, it works fine. +4 The images on Amazon suggest that the device is quite small and sleek, therefore a good match to use with a tablet that lacks built-in Ethernet jack. However, the physical size of the device is about 2 cigarette packs stacked on the top of each other. Not a major problem, but a slight disappointment. At least the device works well - no driver issues or freezes even on Atom powered Win8 tablet. +1 After a week of light usage, it now gives "This device cannot start. (Code 10)" on any machine it's plugged into. Worked wonderfully at first! +5 I do a lot of Android development as a hobby and have several Chinese tablets that I work on. One of them is an Ainol Hero that has a wifi/bluetooth chip that is busted, so I bought this adapter to get it back online. Used an OTG cable and plugged it right into the router and it worked with out a problem. +5 This lovely gadget was just what I needed. First I should note, I received the BLUE item pictured, not the white one. It came nicely boxed with a drivers CD which thankfully had a nice unobtrusive driver that installs easily in a WINDOWS XP SP2 environment - just what I needed. I tried a few cheaper $5 adapters, and they all lacked a compatible driver. One seller even tried to tell me his would work just fine with no driver, even though XP kept asking for one. Spend the $10 extra on this one - it isn't worth risking a virus and wasting your time searching around online for drivers that may or may not work. Go ahead - laugh and snicker all you want at me for using an operating system that is at least 4 generations behind the times and no longer even supported by its maker. I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and no one has yet given me a compelling reason to upgrade. +4 What is there to say about something like this? NIC's have been around since networks came about, and perhaps in the early days of a 10/100 card their were a few manufacturers to avoid, but today many use the same chip, slap it on their board and it works just like another one would. I needed a Gigabit PCI NIC to connect my media PC to wireless router and when the price dropped I picked it up, it arrived, I plugged it in and Windows 7 took care of the rest of the installation. No regrets. +4 Took a few reseats and driver installs to get it to work, but it has taken my LAN speeds from 7-8Mb/s to 70-80Mb/s. HD video streams use to be choppy if at all possible, now they are smooth with no latency! +5 I buy Trendnet because you can get them at a good price. Running Speedtest, I do not see a difference between this product and others that cost a lot more. +5 My old Linux box doesn't have a gigabit NIC built in so adding this made a significant difference. CentOS found it right away with no driver shenanigans and I routinely see it hitting 45MB/s which is probably limited by the single core P4 CPU. I don't know that I'd use this for a work environment but for home you can't beat it. +5 Just clicked this in place and it worked perfectly. I have been using it now for several years and have had no issues. +5 Using this card there were slight speed increases from using my onboard ethernet card. There are no drivers to install, just plug it in and you're good to go. +4 I just snapped it into the computer's motherboard, turned on the computer, and voila! It worked exactly as I expected. +4 At the price point I bought this network adapter I have been considerably pleased. No noticeable increase in speed over my old card. However, I just wanted a cheap functioning replacement. Great turn around time on the order as well. +5 Had a major cp crash and no drivers for the on mother board ethernet, cp to old. This product replaced on board unit and I still can use cp to get on line BILL +5 PRO's: --Cheap --Works CON's: --If you accidentally toss the driver CD, drivers are VERY difficult to find (see below) --Some argue it's too big, but I'd prefer to have this amount of cord length to provide some extra flexibility rather than place additional stress on my laptop's USB port BOTTOM LINE: Don't be a dolt and toss the box including the CD, presuming it will "just work" when you plug it into a Windows 7 machine (32- or 64-bit). It doesn't. Worse, at the time of this writing, TrendNet does not appear to offer downloadable drivers for the current model (revision 4.0) unless you're looking to connect it to a computer running Windows 8 (perish the thought). Here's a time-saving link to the actual chip manufacturer of the components found within, and their own drivers for a plethora of operating systems: [...] ASIX's own drivers are ever-so-slightly newer than the ones provided by TrendNet along with the adapter. Beyond that, I've no clue if they make for a more stable device; I'm using this to connect to pbx's addressable only on separate networks from the default one, for admin purposes. Great little device if all you need is a 10/100 Fast Ethernet. Probably would look for a USB 3.0 Gigabit adapter if you actually plan to use something full-time, and provided you have the newer necessary ports and/or a need for the speed. +5 Most of the ultra slim notebooks don't have an Ethernet jack. This is fine 95% of the time but when traveling\working, I occasionally need to use a hardwired connection. This pigtail is small, durable, and best of all, no power brick required. You will need to install the driver provided. Worked like a charm on my My Windows 7 and Windows 8 devices. +5 Thing just works. I cannot find anything bad to say about it. I plugged it into the USB port, it found the necessary driver online (from the wireless connection). Out of the box, plugged in and working....less than 5 minutes. +5 Unclear why these cost as much as they do, but it is a must-have for my macbook air when i use google voice on it for phone calls. +5 It functions very well in my Hackint0sh (Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion). That's why I bought it. It also functions well with Windows 7 using Directory Opus 9 and 10 file manager. I don't know about Windows 8 because I won't use that thing. I'm switching to Mac and Linux only. So, get it..and Enjoy this board. +5 This works perfectly and has was easy to install. While most techies will tell you that getting 1Gbs from your router is not possible (and they are right), the fact that my router, Ethernet card and cable are now all capable of doing so, just makes me happy! Will wait for that fat pipe which should be coming soon! +5 Arrived quickly, and was very easy to install and get set up. Works well and great product for the price. +5 Easy to install and windows 7 found the drivers with any problems. Great network speed! This is a great product. +5 My NIC on my motherboard went out. It's kind of a no-brainer, but make sure you have a PCI slot available! mEasy install, works great. I would recommend. +5 This item was in great condition and perfect for what I needed it for. Works great for my computer. A definate must buy if you need a quick adapter replacement. +5 I got this as I don't really like the dock that came with the Series 7 slate, but on rare occasion need to use it with Ethernet. The cable seems well manufactured and was instantly recognized by the slate. In other words; it just does what it's supposed to +4 This was purchased for a mechanics automobile scanner, it works great and has saved so much time since I purchased it. ABM. +5 Surface Pro doesn't come with a RJ-45 network connector and this fits the bill. Plug and play and bam, I get the hook up to local router or whatever else. It's super awesome and I LOVE IT! I LOVE THIS THING! It IS SO TINY! YES YES YES! +5 Bought a small handful of these for use some ultrabooks and Macbook Airs without network ports and they are plug-an-play. On Windows 8 machines, it crashes the OS hard. I bought "Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter" for my Win8 ultrabook and that one worked fine. +5 This connector worked exactly as described. wanted to connect second computer via cable to router. Great for when family is home. +5 Plugged it into my Windows 7 box and my switch and I was connected. Suprisingly Simple as an additional connection or backup in case your NIC fails. Nic Cards most frequently fail after a Lighting Strike or Power Loss when system is not properly Surge Protected using a UPC Battery Backup +5 Bought for my NEXUS 7 and I use it for a land line and works great. Just have to squeeze the end a little for tightness. Great buy. +3 There aren't a lot of settings you can change on the properties for this nic, like no ability to shrink the buffers, nor for flow control, also the driver's weren't plug and play with windows 7, clicking windows update found no drivers either. I had to go the website manually, then download and install the drivers myself because I had a mini PC with no CD drive, pretty common these days, but it did work once I rebooted. The device is so big they should just store the drivers on it in memory on the usb so we won't need a disc, nor a download to get it working. Hey, but it was cheap, so that's okay. +5 It only has to do three things: #1 be an ethernet to usb adapter. #2 work. #3 not fall apart or fail to work. It does those things. 5 stars. +3 This USB to Ethernet adapter works great if you can load Windows. But if you need to to restore a PC, the CD that comes with the adapter does not have stand-alone drivers that the restore CD can load. I checked Trendnet's website, and they don't have any either. Using an Ethernet to USB adapter for restoring a volume on a PC is one of it's most useful purposes, so I don't understand how Trendnet has missed this. +5 When my built in Ethernet port broke, I believed it was something else. So, I replaced the switch, router, and cable all to no avail. It finally dawned on me that it was the computer port that was at fault. Already own a lot of TrendNet products, so I thought I would give it a try. Installed as the directions indicated and it fired right up. Problem solved. Have no desire or ability to run speed tests so I can't comment on that. But, seems to work just as well as the original did when it was new. +5 This unit is certainly rightly priced and rightly does its task. I like the mere simplicity of design as well. +2 I saw another reviewer was able to use this with his Windows 8 laptop, but in my experience it wouldn't work. I was hoping it would be "plug and play" with my Lenovo Yoga but the drivers never loaded properly. I downloaded the drivers from the Trendnet web site too, but they didn't work either. I found a chart on the Trendnet site that marks this ethernet adapter as "TBD" (to be determined) with Windows 8, so perhaps it will eventually work, but meanwhile I'm returning it for another adapter that advertises Win8 compatibility. +5 For those times when I need to connect my laptop with two separate networks at once this is invaluable. Easy installation and it works great. +5 I used this when I turned an very old netbook into a router running pfSense. Since pfSense is very picky about USB adapters, I looked around and found out that this one seems to be the least problematic. When I got it, I just plugged it in, fired up the netbook and it was recognized immediately. Just a quick setup and I was online in minutes. I'm considering buying a few more. +4 I got this for my Nintendo Wii U. It seems to work so far. The setup was somewhat problematic. It took power cycling the console, the switch in the room and the router in the house a few times. The switch still does not show this connection is in full duplex. Probably Nintendo's fault. +5 Needed the ability to connect to networks on my Dell Latitude 10 tablet. I found this and was able to use the USB port to connect. I plugged it in and the drivers were immediately installed. Works with no problems. I would highly recommend this if you don't have an ethernet port on your device. +5 I love this adapter. It's perfect for expanding the USB ports on MBA. It's compact and sturdy - great for business travel. +5 the extended wire between the RJ45 end and the USB end allow the flexibility needed to avoid putting pressure on the connection. This is a superior design to the compact one piece models. +5 The Ethernet port on an old macbook I had was damaged which wasn't a big deal at the time because I connected via WiFi all the time. Ended up upgrading and storing away the MacBook until I decided to dig it out of storage and turn it into a Minecraft Server. Over WiFi we would experienced a few lag spikes so i ordered this to connect it over Ethernet. The thing works exactly as I expected. Handled the connection of 12 people just fine. The minecraft server itself however running on a Mac left much to be desired, so I loaded up XP on Bootcamp and gave it a go again. Connection is amazing with 15 people connected just as if I was running it through the actual Ethernet port. I also tried it on my Win 7 laptop just for fun. Worked perfectly. I would recommend this to anyone who had a bum Ethernet jack on their computer or laptop, or someone just looking for a USB to Ethernet. Fine product with a fine price. +5 This works! A few others out there definitely do not work, or do not work easily. Pretty good fit and finish also. +5 I like this so much I bought two, one to keep plugged into my usb hub and network at the office, and one to keep in my bag for travel. Hard to beat for the price. I highly recommend it! +4 I got this for a much older PC running Win ME that had no Ethernet card, and it does work. However not right out of the box, as the comp will not and can not install the correct drivers for this adapter. Also the new version of this adapter does not come with any legacy drivers at all, so to get this working with older computers you will need to get the correct drivers from a trusted driver db on the internet as they are no longer available on the Trendnet site. The driver set that worked for me is the following and may work for you. If you find you need to use this on an older computer try "TU2-ET100 v2" Drivers. To get this up and running plug in the adapter if no install screen pops up, go to control panel add new hardware, select the drivers for your os you just dl'd and follow the add new hardware wizard screens, after this your computer should re-start and the adapter should complete the install and now work. I hope this can help others that may need this to work on older legacy systems. +5 I used with my mini android PC mk808 on my TV. worked as expected allowed me to connect to the network via ethernet. +4 I had no problems getting it to work with openSuSE 12.2 Linux. It serves as the intranet side of our home network. It appears to be very fast, but I have not really tested it, because it it connected to a wireless access point. Maybe overkill. +5 I had no problems installing it. My Win7pro picked it right up and I was in business again. If it lasts a couple of years, this, will be a great card. +4 its a great device , works fine and its simple , good for the $$, the entire brand is good. +5 Five stars for this PCI network adapter card. It sped up my internet connection significantly! Don't forget to look for updated drivers for this card online. Highly recommended with no negatives to report. +5 Bought this because I was having intermittent issues with my on-board network card. I've had this for about a year now and haven't had any issues with it. +5 Easy to install, drivers work perfectly with Windows 2003 server. I have an older box that I'm using as file server at home and it does not have gigabit on the motherboard. I had another older card that would freeze up frequently, but this one has no problem. I've copied over 2TB across it, and no problems. Highly recommend. +5 I got this 1 day early and it plugged into my Vista computer and after inserting the CD-Rom it was set and ready to go. We lost our Ethernet connection on this computer and since it was on the mother board I had to either buy a PCI card or this. This was an amazing deal... I found one locally at Best Buy but it was $30.00. For less than $10.00 including shipping it was a life saver. I was actually considering getting a new computer but I only use this for UPS shipping and I hated to spend the money. This thing worked like a charm. Not a bad item to have in a pinch! +5 I bought this based on the positive reviews here regarding the use with a Tivo Series 2. They are right. I plugged my ethernet cable into the one end and then navigated on my Tivo to the "Phone & Network" setup page. Changed to "Use the Network" and plugged the USB end into my Tivo. In just a few seconds it was recognized and assigned an IP address. Easier than I expected. For the price, I expected this to be clunky or feel cheaply made. Neither is the case. I'm quite happy. +5 The TRENDnet USB to 10/100Mbps Adapter TU2-ET100 good quality product, easy to install looks good and works great, i love it! +5 This was a lifesaver. With a fried NIC on a motherboard and no expansion bays what to do but use USB. It's plug and play and that's it! +3 This item arrived earlier than scheduled and did the job I needed it to do. I required an additiional LAN port for a camera that needed a static IP address. I ran this configuration until I had a better solution a few weeks later. It did the job intended. +5 The wireless internet connection for the Wii was slow and unstable. Everyone complained that Netflix took too long to load. The device worked right out of the box, "plug n play". No dropped WiFi signals, kids are happy. The actual unit looks different from the one shown on amazon, its white with no indicator lights. +5 I bought this USB Network adapter to use on a Security Onion network Monitoring, and intrusion detection device. I had to install it on Ubuntu. The install was quite easy. I am using the Adapter in permiscous mode to capture packets with Snort IDS. Works very quick. 0 dropped packets afer a few months now. I have bought two more so I can monitor other parts of my network. +4 I bought this as an alternative to the official Nintendo Ethernet adapter. It works great as a cheaper, yet effective alternative. +4 had ordered a TU2-ET100C from amazon ("C" designation was quite important at the time) a couple years ago for use with an ARM device. and it worked quite well. recently wanted another, and even though this listing says simply "TU2-ET100", it still came up in a search for "TU2-ET100C" - not to mention, the picture was of the exact same older product. well, I used the "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com" vendor, and the product was very different from the picture. the one I received is all-white, the cable and body as well, and much slimmer than the blue dongle depicted. in addition, the label states it as hw.v4 (rather than v3 of the ET100C). more importantly, instead of the admtek ADM8511 chipset, this is asix ax88772 chipset. which is luckily well-supported in linux, and even included in e.g. android distributions. so, I basically got the incorrect item, but it works really well after all, so no real complaints. +4 After reading a reviews on this product from someone how had the same problem, the ethernet card cooked by lightning. I desided to purchase one from Amazon. It worked great. After configuring the new adapter. +4 Product is good, and actually works. I purchased one of those $5 ones here on Amazon a while back, and it didn't work at all. If you're willing to pay the $30 something for this, then you will have something that guaranteed should work. Just pop in the CD, install the drivers and you're good too go. Note: I did order 2-day shipping, and it came in 3, so slightly annoying, but eh, the product works, so I'm happy. +5 So I plugged the cable from a conference call cube in a conference room into my ethernet connection on the laptop, thinking I'd get access to the network. You know that kind of burnt electrical smell when some appliance is going bad? (Need I say more?) Having fried the onboard ethernet connection on the laptop, I bought one of these. Works perfectly. In fact, so well that I bought a second one. I leave one attached to the docking station at the office, and keep one in my briefcase for travel. I'm using it on an HP Probook running Windows XP. No problems. +5 I've used this on a number of Windows and Mac PC's and it works well. I think there might have been an occasion where I needed to download the driver, but most of the time it's plug and play. +5 First, many thanks for Michael D. Adams review on using this adapter to connect his TiVo Series 2 DVR, his review gave me confidence I could convert from a Wireless adapter to a Wired Adapter. My Humax TiVo Series 2 DVR with DVD has only a USB port, no Ethernet port, so the TRENDnet USB to TU2-ET100 Ethernet Adapter was needed. With my DSL router on the second floor front of the home, TV/TiVo on the first floor rear of the home, and wireless connectivity typically "Poor" (though OK to update the schedules each day) I decided to try to use a ZyXEL PLA407 HomePlug AV 200 Mbps Powerline Wall-Plug Adapter (Starter Kit - 2 Units - http://www.amazon.com/ZyXEL-HomePlug-Powerline-Wall-Plug-Adapter/dp/B003ULOZ5W ) to connect to the TiVo box. I had previously set-up another ZyXEL PLA407 starter kit to connect my Apple Airport Extreme to the DSL Router between the room where the router lives and my home office(which works perfectly. So buying another starter kit I was able to take one ZyXEL PLA407 and plug it in next to the TV/TiVo box, connect via a 2' CAT6 Ethernet cable to the TRENDnet adapter and just as Michael said the TiVo box instantly recognized the new wired set-up. I confirmed Internet connectivity by doing a Schedule Update as well as On-line features access - all A-OK - and delighted it was plug & play. While I recognize the DSL speed will challenge Video On-Demand through TiVo I like the fact that I now have a Powerline=based wired connection over the spotty wireless connection. I highly recommend both the TRENDnet adapter and the ZyXEL PLA407 Powerline, both purchased via Amazon. +5 I bought this for the Wii for quicker streaming of Netflix. I was worried that I had to install a driver in the Wii for it to work. How would I do that? But I didn't have to. It was plug and Play! And now my Netflix serves up the video fast. No more buffering and interrupting my videos. Great product at a good price. +5 This card works as advertised. It even works well on OpenBSD. I used it as a second NIC for and old desktop loaded with OpenBSD 5.2. The box is being used as a router and everything works with this NIC as expected. +5 My pc's mobo had gigabit LAN & it stopped working, checked the reviews on Amazon for a card & this one seemed like a good pick. Installed it & booted the pc up & connected the cat6 & it worked immediately, no need to even load the drivers from the included dvd - excellent! +5 It's a PCI ethernet adapter, so it's legacy hardware. I dropped one of these into an old Pentium 4, installed Linux on the machine and it uses this ethernet adapter for its net source -- it's...a no-brainer. NB: while the card arrived pretty quickly, it didn't come with a driver disc, which could cause problems for Windows folks. +1 The product may or may not have worked but it cost me over half the price of the item just to view it. I probably could have gone to a regular retailer and seen an unopened package for free. +5 I use this as my second NIC in my pfsense box. I have it connected to a 24 port gigabit switch and it works flawlessly, haven't had any issues. +5 I have only had the card for a little while, bit it was easy to install and works as expected +5 I originally ordered two of these (a long time ago) to use with my old Tivo Series 2 DVRs to network them since they didn't have a built-in ethernet port (crazy, I know). They worked GREAT for that, so recently when I needed one for a desktop computer with a fried ethernet port I came right back to the trendnet USB adapter. I hadn't used trendnet much befor these, but based on the quality and reliability of these adapters I'll definitely give them a shot in the future on other products. The adapter was easy to install with the computer -- simply put in the included driver disc and it installed the needed drivers and I was up and going within minutes! No problems, no failures so far -- it just worked! +5 This unit saved an ageing, but still useful laptop I use for music. The laptop's Ethernet NIC had failed. This TU2-ET100 unit gave me an Ethernet connection easily and without fuss. The laptop has a USB1.0 socket, which is working fine with the TU2 for Pandora and other audio streaming. (I have not attempted video.) Moreover, it's a classy little unit, comes with driver CD which you install first. I am very pleasantly surprised and pleased by this product. +5 One of the problems with the new Ultrabook technology is the lack of ports and conveniences found on larger and heavier laptops. Missing a land port is not a killer at home with my wireless network but can be a real inconvenience on the road when staying in hotels with only hard-wired networks. This wonderful little gizmo solves this problem. Connection is flawless, W7/64 recognized it immediately without additional driver installation, and the adapter is small enough to add to your array of cords, bricks, and other items without adding bulk or weight. Still makes my Ultrabook a light travel companion. Wonderful product, inexpensive, and works very well. Get one - you will not be disappointed. +5 The NIC card died in my PC and I was unable to connect to the internet or anything on the network. I didn't want to go to all the trouble of taking apart the computer to install a new card and thought this was a perfect solution. It was. I just ran the setup CD, plugged the Ethernet cable coming from my cable modem into the device and then plugged it into an open USB port on the computer and bingo; I was up and running again. It took about 10 minutes from when the UPS guy dropped it off to full install and working. +5 After lightning took out the modem in my Series 2 Tivo I mistakenly re-initiated the guided setup. Without being able to connect to the Tivo servers, I was not able to complete the setup and not able to use my Tivo. With this adapter I connected my Tivo to my home network. The Tivo did not require any additional setup to recognize this adapter or connect to my network (cable modem - Internet connection). Within minutes my Tivo was back online and working. +3 I didn't expect much when I ordered this item. I was hoping for a reasonable amount of function and be satisfied with that. I was surprised to see it functions well on any laptop or computer that I own. I would recommend this as a cost effective way to connect to your network. +2 I have purchased two of these, one for an office computer and another for an older laptop, both of which had lost their onboard ethernet. They worked great, but both have quit in less than a year. I am trying another brand next time. +5 My On board nic stopped working so I needed an easy, cheap replacement. This Trendnet card installed easy and works great. Nothing to complain about at all and I highly recommend it. +5 It was a good purchase I made, it came on time, it was the best purchase price by far anywhere. +5 I bought one of these to use for my Hackintosh workstation. Since these are the cards that are native to Mac OS X, my workstation had no trouble recognizing the card and using it right away without any need for installing any drivers. +5 After a storm came through I was without internet on one of my pc's and narrowed it down to the ethernet card. Ordered this card as a replacement and my computer was back on line in no time. Works really well, no hitches. +4 I purchased this card, not paying any attention to the item description in detail thinking I was ordering the TEG-PCITXR not the TEG-PCITXRL. Unlike the Intel and other gigabit controllers I have recently purchased, this item did not include the full height bracket, but instead was fitted only with the low profile bracket. Now after having this particular card for a couple of months, just figuring I would eat it due to my mistake, I emailed TrendNET tech support offering to buy the full height bracket. Instead they send me the bracket no charge, no questions asked. Now with that all said and done, here is my assesment of the card. This card, whether the full height or low profile version, is a basic single port PCI bus based gigabit NIC using the Realtek RTL8169 chipset. Linux (CentOS 6.3 64 bit) sees it right out of the box and configures the correct module without a hiccup. Once configured the kernel module / card negotiate gigabit speeds no problem. File transfers both large files, and small are at the expected speed range. Windows XP requires the driver from the CD be installed, or better yet, the latest driver from TrendNET be installed. Once installed the driver / card negotiate gigabit speeds no problem. File transfers both large files, and small are at the expected speed range. Windows 7 installs a Microsoft driver for this card automagically, once your network parameters are set up, things get interesting. The card refuses to auto negotiate gigabit speed on the Auto setting. Manually setting speed / duplex to 1GB / full fixes the issue, until a reboot and you are back where you started. Installing the driver from the included TrendNET CD fixes the problem quickly. Not sure why Microsoft includes a buggy driver, but okay, whatever... This is an excellent upgrade to older PCs that shipped with onboard 10/100 controllers, and allows me to take full advantage of my gigabit network. +5 I bought this card after my onboard card started to give me problems with not recognizing the drivers. It is a simple install. The drivers installed easily. Only thing different than the instructions called for was I needed to restart my computer after the drivers were installed and the network cable was plugged in. My computer did not want to recognize a network connection. Even though it is not mentioned in the installation instructions or the trouble shooting guide, a simple restart of the computer and the card was recognized and I was up and running again. +5 I purchased this device very the ethernet port in my computer quit. It is very easy to install and works great. +5 I normally keep one of these around for emergencies. I use these in a pinch a NIC on one of our POS's goes bad or starts acting up. +5 The TrendNet TU2-ET100 adapter has a USB cable which plugs directly into any USB port on an Acer AC700 Chromebook, and another cable which plugs into the Ethernet port on any modem or router. This allows you to establish a hard-wired high-speed internet connection if you do not want to use WiFi or if it is not available. The TrendNet unit worked well for this purpose right out of the box. You can ignore the software disc which is included. This adapter is fully compatible with the Chromebook. I am using it right now to hard-wire my Chromebook to my router in order to have high-speed internet access without using WiFi. +5 Working great, no problems. Plugged into a Series 2 Tivo and it worked immediately. Lights blink to indicate network traffic. Have been using it for about a year and a half - still no problems, works fine all the time. Update Jan 2013: now connected to that Tivo for about 3 years and this usb to ethernet adapter still works flawlessly all the time. Hooray! +5 Ethernet died for some reason on my 2004 iMac G5 (rev A.). This unit is allowing me to defer purchasing a new system at a very cheap price (until Apple comes out with modern hardware that's as good as this older model). Plug it in the first time and the Mac operating system detects a "new network interface". Open Network Preferences and set USB Internet configuration to "Using DHCP" and you are good to go. It is plug'n play thereafter with no discernible functional difference compared to the original built-in Ethernet. The unit comes with a CD for Windows users, but this CD is not used under Mac OSX. +4 I bought this item specifically for its support under Linux, not Windows or Mac. I'm working with a device whose built-in networking abilities are severely crippled by the Linux driver, and no one knows how to fix the driver. In that context, the TU2 worked beautifully. No driver installation, the drivers Linux uses are solid, and I haven't had to think about networking since I got it. The adapter is fairly sizable in comparison to what it could be, but it is still manageable in any sane working environment. All that said, I do expect the USB3 version to include Gigabit support, not just 10/100. +5 It works as advertised. It handles jumbo frames up to at least 7K which is the limit of another device on my LAN. +5 Works very good & for the money this item is a great value. I've had this card about 2 months and works great! +5 Not really anything glowing to say, it does exactly what it's supposed to which is more than can be expected from a lot of products especially in the field of cheap technology. So giving it 5 stars for being exactly as expected and advertised. One unexpected note I would make is that the computer I installed it in required the stock metal bracket to be broken off due to the computer case not being standard sizing, the stock metal bracket had a cut in at exactly the break point I needed, whether intentionally or not I'm not sure but it was a nice feature that made breaking the bracket to the length needed much simpler. +4 fit perfectly, the installation was easy to do, and the setup was done automatically with windows vista. I would highly recommend this item. low cost +4 I got this item for my friend whose onboard network interface quit working. The item works fine, and he hasn't complained about it once. +5 The gigabit ethernets is great for fast internet access. It makes my life so convenient to not have to upgrade all my computers at the same time. I can keep old hardware and keep using it down the road when onboard connectivity starts failing. +5 I broke the ethernet port on my HP lap top. I bought this ethernet cable adapter so that I can connect to the internet using a USB port instead. It works great. I'm very happy with my purchase. I'm running Windows 7. +5 Used with older Tivo (Series 2) and it works great. Just plugged it in and that was all I needed to do. Was up and running within seconds. It has been working for more than 6 months without a hiccup. +4 I use this adapter with my Viliv X70 ultra mobile PC, which has no ethernet port. The adapter works fine. It also is very light weight so that taking it on trips adds nothing to my load. My only complaint is that it is a bit bulky for its function. The adapter measures 1.75"x1"x3", not including the cable. The ethernet socket contained in the adapter is less than 1"x0.75"x0.75", so I am sure the adapter could be smaller. +5 We needed an extra card right away and were happy that we paid for the fastest, overnight delivery option. The card came in time, and we used the card extensively on our trip to Australia. +3 I got this card free with the purchase of a camera. Though it's not as fast as some others (SimpleTech, for example), it has not given any errors to date. +5 I have had no issues with this SD card. I was apprehensive on purchasing the Viking brand for i have not heard of them...but no issues! +5 I purchased this to connect the Wii to the internet. Easy plug and play and it works well. Not much of a review, it does what it says it would do and that's a good thing. +3 I have a linksys router which isn't wireless. theres no usb port on it. so i though, in all my wisdom, i could take this adapter, hook it into the ethernet port of the router then plug in the Sierra USB598 so i could have internet on both computers netwrorked thru the router. wrong. this is no relfection on the seller or the device. i'll keep it incase i lose my ethernet on one of my motherboards. wtf.. +5 This is a great card. The shipping was fast. I am very pleased with this product. +5 This SD card is very easy to use and works fine. It was everything I expected to be, just load it in the camera, and works automatically. Transfering files is moderately quick. I would recommend others to get this product. +4 Easy installation and worked well with a simple reboot. My integrated ethernet must have been fried by lightning. This card saved me from replacing the whole computer. +4 My older desktop needed an upgrade for new network capabilities. The card filled the bill and the price was right. +1 Bought it in February 2012; it died November 2012. They have no general email to contact the company. They require customers to register before you're permitted to email them. I won't buy another product of Trendnet's. 'nuff said. +5 The onboard network jack on my brother's motherboard went bad. Everything else worked fine, so I didn't want to replace the whole motherboard for just a network jack. I just needed a basic network card, nothing fancy. I ordered this card, and popped it in. Windows 7 saw it and I was up and running with a working PC. Simple no hassle. +5 Bought this NIC for my home media server. Both onboard and pci NIC that i had on it were showing crc errors on my switch. Once i plugged this baby in no more crc errors. +5 If you have an older PC and want to have faster network speed, this is a good card to get. Inexpensive and works like a charm. Got 4 of these for my home PCs and can transfer between PCs at gigabit speed. Note that if you are NOT using gigabit hubs, then you do not need this card. +5 Amazon is amazing sometimes. I ordered this yesterday for two day shipping and this thing was already here the next day. Due to a power outage my on board motherboard adapter stopped working. I guess it got fried during the power outage. I put it in and it worked without having to use the install disk that came with it. Now I'm back on the internet again. +5 I was gonna buy the Intel card for more than twice as much. Glad I bought this instead. This card is fast enough for me. I can transfer files between computers with speed ~90-110 MB/sec. Not bad at all. This is through my wired GB network using CAT6 cables/patch, BTW. If your network is not fully GB network, then you might have the transfer speed in the range of 10-30 MB/sec. Buy this. It's cheap, and it just work. +5 My father's computer is old enough to where it doesn't have any Ethernet ports. While upgrading to a new router, the new router would not have any USB ports on the back of it to connect to a computer. So i decided to invest in a short Ethernet cable and the TrendNet USB adapter. The device arrived before the upgrade router and i set up the USB device so it would be ready to go for my father. Setup was a breeze, after putting the CD in, and it was done in about 3 minutes. The router came later that evening and i set it up, and made sure it worked with the router and everything, well it did. The next day, my father didn't even notice that i had switched out the old router and connected this device to his computer. After i told him, he noticed a little bit of a speed hop. I guess it increased the speed a little bit, and all is good. I recommend this product if your computer does not have any Ethernet ports or if your Ethernet port has died. +5 I was looking to purchase a USB>Ethernet adapter for my Series2 Tivo. Since the Tivos are known to be a little picky about the adapter used, I did a lot of research to find out what was out there. This adapter kept popping up, so even though it's not listed on Tivo's website ([...] I decided it was worth a shot. It had gotten great reviews pretty much everywhere. The adapter (TU2-ET100) arrived yesterday. The USPS shipping was a bit slow, having actually PASSED my house in route to another hub before coming to me. But the packing was good, and it was in a nice box with a CD and fairly basic instruction book. I did not need either. The adapter itself is pretty light weight, but not fragile. It's a little boxy, but that actually is a good thing as I want it to sit flat. Within a second of plugging this in to my Tivo, it had obtained an IP address from my router and was churning away with full-duplex speed! The world of networked Tivo has opened lots of cool doors, thanks to this simple little adapter! According to the box, this adapter WILL work with the Nintendo Wii, as well. Note to those looking... BE CAREFUL not to mistake this with the TRENDnet USB to 10/100Mbps Adapter (TU-ET100C) adapter, which sells for a similar price (slightly cheaper) and looks more "modern", but only operates on the USB 1.1 specification. Also note... don't waste your time going to Best Buy. They don't sell these, and the guy who offered to help me find it told me matter-of-factly that "there is no such thing as a USB>Ethernet adapter." Sure thing, buddy. +5 Got one for $27 with a $12 rebate to use on a vacation. I have a Panasonic Lumix FZ-20 (incredible camera!!!) and this card holds 102 pictures at max size and resolution. There is a short write time that may be longer than a pricier SD card but I wouldnt know. If there is a rebate go ahead and order one (or two)!! +5 I bought it for my Nikon Coolpix 4600 and it is really a very good product for a low price. +4 I have had this for a few weeks and so far, it has not suffered from my 6 year-old daughter's handling in the camera she uses. for the price I paid - I would have bought another if the rebate were applicable for more than one! +5 I have an older PC that is only used occassionally, mostly by guests. It decided to stop accessing the internet and along with the help of an inexpensive signal tester I was able to determine the card was bad. Ordered this one, arrived very quickly and works just fine! Will keep the ole' PC running a while longer! +5 My Windows 7 PC (64 bit version of the OS) started crashing every other time on boot up and progressively got worse. Suspected everything from Intel 5320 series SSD (recent addition) to memory, other HDs, graphics card etc. After a lot of trouble shootind, swapping hard drive, memory, graphics card etc one by one, found out that the PC boots and runs fine in 'safe mode without networking' and disabling built-in LAN in the BIOS of my Intel motherboard made the PC boot and run reliably. Needed a replacement Gigabit Ethernet card urgently and got this from a local computer store. Took a few minutes to install this and Windows 7 booted up nicely, recognized the TrendNet ethernet adapter card and installed RealTek drivers automatically. PC is stable and file transfers between PCs on the same LAN are as fast as before. Very happy with the product. +5 It was easy to install with windows Vista. The NIC card works great! I did use the drivers off the internet instead of the disk that came with it. +1 I may have gotten a bad one, but when i plugged it into my PCI slot, my PC refused to restart. Luckily I was able to save my data with another product bought from Amazon :) +1 I couldn't get Windows XP to recognize the card. I worked with Support but they couldn't help either. Have to return. +5 Received on time in a well packaged and identified retail box. Came with install cd, manual, and card. Installed software from cd, turned off the system, popped card in, rebooted and worked right away. Been up three days solid as a rock with huge data transfers without error. Another good buy from ths mfg. +4 I had to remove a star because the first one was bad. Wouldn't let my computer boot up. Amazon replaced it quickly and the second one works fine. I needed gigabit to speed up transfer of movies to my htpc hard drives. I have an htpc with 2 usb 3.0 seagates full of movies. Transferring movie files from my desktop to the htpc took a long time with 10/100 Lan. I couldn't get on the internet while transferring movies because my network card was maxxed out. After installing this card my transfer rate went from 10MB/sec to 80MB/sec. So I can now transfer movies to the htpc or any other computer on my network plus surf the net without any problems. Note that you will only see 30MB/sec if you are using usb 2.0 drives but that has nothing to do with the card. Didn't need any special drivers with Windows 7x64. Worked straight up. +5 At first, I am skeptical with the brand since I'm usually using SD card made by either SanDisk or Lexar. But it turned out this brand work quite well. I am using this SD card for my Canon SD110. Already a good price after 75% off, plus $16 mail-in-rebate. No complain. +5 I guess since my expectations for this card were low, I got more than what I expected. On a single large file test, it achieved a write speed of 16.5X and a read speed of 46X. So, no its not a high speed card, but I have had bottom line LExars write at much slower speed than this for more money. +4 I bought the Viking SD256 in November of 2003. It works perfectly with my Palm m500 and has been reliable all that time. (Speaking of the Palm, I have found that a utility such as Handmark's SuperUtility is very useful for manipulating files and folders on the external memory card, and copying items back and forth. The Palm's supplied software is, I think, a bit lacking in these functions.) I bought my memory card to store eTexts to have with me as a portable reading library for my Palm. I currently have the complete works of Dickens, Poe, and Shakespeare, the complete poems of Dickinson, plus some Jane Austen, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson... etc. etc., and I still have plenty of room for more! For reading eText files, the speed of this card is perfectly fine. Sometimes if I am loading a particularly large file -- such as David Copperfield or the King James Bible -- which was last left scrolled a good way through the document, it takes 5-10 seconds for Teal Doc to load the document and find the right location, but this is tolerable. Once the file is loaded, single-paging through while reading is not noticeably slower than with docs in the Palm's memory. If I were doing it over again, I would probably get an Ultra II or other "fast" SD card just so the files would open a bit faster, but for my purposes I am quite satisfied with this Viking. You, dear reader, might wish to spend more for a faster SD card if you are going to be frequently transferring files to and from the card, or if you need more speed for your device (i.e. if your camera will have to wait longer between exposures if it is held up by a slower memory card, etc.) +3 I bought this card for my dell pocket PC. This card along with its mailing rebate (which I got within a resonable time) was the best deal out there. There does not seem to be any realiability problems with this card but it is really really slow. It takes ages for me to transfer mp3 files to this card from my PC. Its so slow that I have stopped transferring files! So I would suggest that this card not be used with any device which benefits from fast data transfers. +3 I ordered one of these and was going to send in for the rebate making this card a great deal but when Amazon shipped the card it came in a plain cardboard box with no vendor packaging. Therefore, I couldn't send in the required UPC code to get the rebate. The card isn't that good a deal without the rebate. Others are less expensive and better quality. +5 Easy to install, No Problems, New Packaging. I ordered this after an electrical storm took out the ethernet on Motherboard, installed in seconds, worked right away. +3 I have bought a dozen or more of these the last three years and seem to have the same problem with most (if not all) of them (the network connection is lost numerous times through out the day so it gets frustrating when you're in the middle of a download)! I've gone back to using my on-board LAN connection on all of my personal machines and have not received "a lost connection message" on any of them so I know that it means this PCI LAN Card has an issue (I have the latest hardware drivers on every machine that has this card installed and that has not corrected the problem). I'm not sure I would buy this card ever again! I have NOT contacted TRENDnet to see what their response/fix is for this issue; if I do, I will update my review with their reply! Good Luck & Think Twice Before Buying this LAN Card! RH +5 I got this for a FreeNAS (A linux-based storage "server", for you non-techies) box, so I can confirm it works with those. Currently my file transfers are transferring at half a gigabit, but I think that might be because of my old IDE hard drives I used in the FreeNAS box (I might actually have a ATA66 in there). Maybe not, but either way it is 5x faster than an 10/100 card, which aren't much cheaper than this anyway. Great price, and a must have for large file transfers. UPDATE: Not any faster after upgrading to a SATA drive. I'll update if I find any tweaks that speed up the speed. Not positive where the "bottleneck" is... could be my PC, I haven't tested speeds against anything else. +5 I bought this for a PC which had a malfunctioning integrated 100BT port. As this was Gigabit it was a replacement and a step up in performance. I plugged it into the PC, connected the CAT6 cable, powered up the computer and was done. Win7 loaded the proper drivers and it has worked trouble-free since. Data transfer rates have been right at the top end of the capabilities of my server's disk. I have it connected to a CISCO POE Gigabit switch. +5 It is Low-priced, has a very simple design, has a small form factor, no stability issues and my Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit recognized it immediately. After Windows auto-loaded the drivers I was surfing the web at a great speed. Came in box with a CD and instructions. Arrived in 2 days. Install had no hiccups. Took a total of less then 10 minutes to open up the tower, install the hardware, and install the software. +5 I tried buying a very inexpensive one of these, but it died after six months. This still has a good price, it installed easily and I can now get back online. Plus it has a three year warranty so if it does stop working prematurely it can be replaced. +5 This card worked without an glitches when installed in my old Dell Dimension (running Windows XP SP3). I measured ~300 Mbps data transfers between my PC over Cat5e cables through my Cisco WRT310N router to my Synology DS-211j NAS. Everything here is Gigabit Ethernet. I used Tutosoft's LAN Speed Test configured with a 1GB transfer. This is consistent with what I expected: not 10x but definitely faster than transfers through the onboard my Fast Ethernet (100M) card. +5 I popped this in to replace a failing motherboard solution, while also springing for some CAT6 cable for the first time. I thought I might see a modest increase in speed, but I am getting over 100 MB/sec transfer rates to my home server with this card, about 10x as fast as what my network was transferring at before. Jumbo frames are set to 7K. Anyhow, for $10 this is a great deal, and I don't really think you can outperform it by much since its already operating at 85% of the theoretical capacity for a gigabit network. Drivers installed automatically in Win7 x64. +5 These NIC cards just plain work right out of the box. XP, Vista and 7 just lock and load. I am very satisfied with this product. +3 Unless you limit these to 100Mbps in linux using mii-tool, you'll see lots of packet loss (50%+). It's a well documented problem with any RTL-8169 based NIC that I've experienced with multiple of these using high quality category 6 cabling. +5 Jeez, it's this easy to take an older machine to Gigabit speeds??? Sigh.... Works fine, installs quickly, shows up at 1000. Worth every penny if you are trying to breathe new life into an older machine. Made easier because most modern OS's don't require 3rd party drivers. Plug n play high speed connectivity. +5 Its cheap, it works, no complaints, no driver disk needed with Win7. Not sure why I need more words, its a very cheap nic card. +5 ETA was Wed 21. Ordered Sunday 18, shipped same day. Got it Monday 19. Fantastic! And it works great. Very easy to install. Just follow the instructions. +5 I've been bit lately with some after market cards (SATA add-0ns) that are supposedly plug-and-play but never work. This card was a flawless install. Although I have an on-board Gigabit controller, it wasn't doing Jumbo Frames to my NAS. At this low cost I took a chance. PROS: Gigabit Jumbo Frames Gigabit Full Duplex option Windows 7 64-bit compatible CONS: Minor. But Jumbo Frames settings are fixed options: 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7K. A variable rate would be nice, but it works. OTHER THOUGHTS: I never believe that supplied disks carry the latest drivers, so I downloaded the latest one. Also, I install drivers before installing the card. Otherwise Windows may install a Microsoft driver which can be hard to override later. After doing this and starting the machine eveything came up and installed correctly. A simple CAT 6 cable plugged into my network hub and off we go. At this low price it does what it should. No conflicts with interrupts or memory allocations. +5 My old pci card was working but I wanted to upgraded my internet connection, so I could upgrade my wireless capability later to N Router. I got a faster connection with this card over my old Intel Pro 10/100v3. even thought they are both running at 100mbps. The card arrived in about 2days with free shipping from amazon I was very surprised. The price was very good for the product. I am very please with the way the product works. +5 The integrated network device on my motherboard mysteriously stopped working. Without this handy little PCI card my computer would be severely hobbled. I even bought a WiFi adapter at Staples which failed to work reliably on this machine. The network card is automatically set up by both Windows 7 and Ubuntu 10.04 without requiring an internet connection to begin with. The price is excellent. Highly recommended. +3 I bought 2, so that I could hook up 2 old Win XP machines to a gigabit switch and share content from a WD MyBook Live. The Asus motherboard took it just fine and it works great. I'm not a newbie, but I could never get the Dell Dimension (which had onboard ethernet) to connect. It loaded the driver and reported the hardware, but never succeeded in making a connection, even if I shut the onboard off in the BIOS. I'll save it for another day, another old box. +5 You can not beat the price. It cruises at a Gig all day long. Easy to install, does exactly what the higher priced nics do. Even if your network does not have a Gig connection it is there when you upgrade your network. +5 I recently upgraded my home based LAN (Local Area Network) from a 100 Mbit network to a 1,000 Mbit (called Gigabit) network to have faster internet access and faster NAS (Network Attached Storage - disk drives connected directly to the network for all computers to see & share) response. This NIC works perfectly! +5 Hi, I have purchased this Viking SD card for more than three months now. It works fine with my mp3 player as well as my Kodak DX6440 camera. No complaint for the excellent price at Amazon (...). Rating: highly recommended. +5 Fantastic results in my Minolta Dimage G500! Speed, reliability, and the right price. Nary a problem from day one. +5 works great, from the first time to the last time +1 I just received this card for use in my digicam. I've used and owned many digicams with various types of memory cards and I must say that without doubt the write time of this card is the slowest I've ever seen. I will be returning it ASAP. Spend a little more and get a Panasonic. +1 I was not deterred by the previous reviewers' comments here; they mostly referred to shipping times being poor, not on the quality of the unit itself. The other critique was that it wasn't a full 256MB, which is true, but is also the case with all "256MB" SD cards. Having had good experiences with Viking CF cards, I decided to chance it. Got my card quickly (from another reseller); unfortunately, the card was DOA (defective on arrival). Writing data to the card was extremely slow, and would generate many, MANY write errors when sending it large files. What's the point of getting a 256MB card if you can't write large files to it? So, I returned the Viking card and got a Lexar 256MB SD card instead & it works great. Maybe I just got a rare, defective card, but I'm not brave enough to waste anymore time on it. So, though, I didn't agree with the previous reviewers' reasons for rating this card so low, they did get the ranking right. +5 This card just works with linux. Put in ubuntu 10.10 & 11.04 machines. Had no issues, faster than 100m other than that no testing done. +5 Get this, it works just like you'd expect a network card is supposed to work. As I write this using it, ha! Win 7-64bit recognized it right off with no drivers required, though I did use Microsoft Update and installed latest driver. +5 This was a replacement for a failed function of a 2 year old Gigabyte EP45T-UD3P motherboard. Although not clearly stated for windows 7, instructions starting at item 7 of how to install worked for me. For windows 7 64 bit system, turned off computer, inserted card, plugged in cable, and turned computer back on. Card performs well and has been problem free. A quality product at a fair price with delivery as promised rates the 5 stars from me. +3 Bought this didn''t really need it. It was not the product it was that my computer crashed and didn't really need it any more. +5 Great price, easy install. Has worked flawlessly for several months. Appears to be very fast. Warning - this is a PCI bus card, not PCI Express. Just purchased a new HP Pavilion and it doesn't have a slot for PCI, only PCI Express. The slots look very similar but are not interchangable. +5 I installed this on Windows XP SP3, was a surprisingly smooth and easy install, quickly recognized by the system. I disabled my onboard NIC in BIOS after I installed the new one, during the reboot, and I had no problems. I have it hooked up to a gigabit wireless bridge and it is noticeably faster for streaming video. +5 I bought two of these cards (along with a Trendnet 8 port Gbit switch) use use in an XP machine, and a Windows 7 machine. Transfer speeds between these machines was abyssmal -- even after doing lots of tweaks, replacing cables, etc. I finally decided to try upgrading the XP box to Windows 7. After that, transfer speeds between the two Windows 7 machines skyrocketed. I've gotten up to 700Mbit transfer rates between the two, with these cards. I also determined that antivirus -- especially if the target machine isn't very fast -- can also make a big impact on transfer rates, especially when copying many smaller files. +5 I wanted to be able to get large files to the computer that we use as a media server more quickly. The 12MByte/second transfer rate I got on our 100 Mbit/s cards was OK and more than enough for streaming, but I wanted more speed for copying movies from one computer to the other. Installation was very easy. They just slid into the PCI slots on the two computers, Windows 7 installed the drivers (I didn't use the disk that came with the cards), and I moved my CAT5e cables over to the new cards. I use an external 2TB USB 3.0 hard drive for storage on the media computer so I am limited by its speed. I now get sustained 50+MB/s transfer rates from computer to computer which is about the same rate I get transferring files locally to that external drive. I don't know if they live up to their 1000Mb/s claim, but they keep up with my external hard drive and I now can transfer at four to six times my old speed.....all for $20 for two computers. +5 Up and running in Seconds. Works good, Works Fast! I will probably order 2 more of these at this price! +5 I have been using this card for about a month & all is well so far. My transfer speed before was 80 mbps & now it's 300 mbps. I am limited by the hard drive speed. I set it up by first disabling the on board ethernet via the bios before I installed the software. I then installed the card..no problems on 64 bit vista. The inital setup was the default with dhcp enabled and it worked fine. I then set up a static ip with no problems like one of the reviewers had. Possibly he made the same mistake I initially did...you have to set up a gateway and dns server manually when you use a static ip. The gateway is the ip address of your router. The dns can be set to the same address and it will use whatever is used by the router. +4 For the price, this adapter card is a great buy...it installs easily and works quite well. I originally used the CD for driver (2006 version) installation but, I recommend just installing the card and either letting windows update the drivers automatically or getting the (ralink) drivers direct. If using the card in an older system, you may want to use the older driver version for possible better compatibility. In any case, the chipset of this card is pretty good with decent network control features. Again, for the money, this is a 5 star card...I give 4 stars because it isn't the fastest nor the most feature rich card comparing other Gigabit cards available..plus, I am a bit partial to Intel. +5 $12.99 gets you a gigabit card? That's awesome! Installing this card was a piece of cake. I've been running it for about 6 months now and have had absolutely no problems. I'd highly recommend this card to anyone that is setting up a gigabit network. Also, check out their gigabit switches - also really sweet! +4 This product fit in the Dell slim line system without any problems. Network connection was great. So far I have not had any problems with this card. +5 After installation, this card worked flawlessly for me. If you look at the instructions, they say to install the drivers BEFORE installing the hardware, which seemed strange, but I did as I was told and everything worked great. +5 I bought this card to replace existing card in an older, P4/Windows XP machine, and it works just fine. Installed the drivers, plugged in the card, and I was back on the network. I can't say much for its lifespan but its been running fine for over a week now. At a little over 10 bucks it's a steal IMHO. +5 I purchased this adapter to replace a 10/100 adapter. I needed to transfer files from one system to this one. So far, so good. The adapter was easy to install and has been working great. I usually like to use 3-com, Dlink or netgear for networking stuff, but this adapter was low cost and just what I needed. I will start to try other Trendnet products, since this one is working great. +5 Lets face it, every circuit boards with no moving parts can fail and my initial purchase did after approx' 45 days. I came back to review this product because a small item like this might seem like it's not worth the hassle of obtaining an RMA. After all if you are busy and it takes you an hour being passed through numerous people to get an RMA, it's probably not worth it. My communication was brief, the person knowledgeable of the product and after confirming a few tests I had already done he issued an RMA and the card was replaced. The replacement has worked perfectly. Money is tight for many people right now so a hassle free warranty is important. I was very happy with mine. +3 Card is cheap, but it does what it says. Unfortunately, you can't assign a static IP address to the card, which made it's intended use somewhat limited for me. +1 My network uses a Gigabit router and switches. I got this card to upgrade my only remaining Windows XP machine from 10/100 Ethernet to Gigabit. As in the title - the card was easy as pie to install. It did not use the higher speed for a week or so. Then I re-booted for a Windows Update install. After that, the machine inexplicably reported it was using Gigabit speed on the network connection. Four weeks later I rebooted the computer and the card no longer worked. Windows reports that it has a gateway and an IP address, but it can't ping the router or anything else. The old 10/100 card works fine in the same machine, with the same configuration. I would only recommend this to anyone who only needs a cheap Gigabit PCI card for a month or less. +5 I ordered/received two of these 10/100/1000 NICs (already had one installed in the Frankenstein mid-tower that's almost "completed") to bring all three PCs up to the same network speed (using a DLink Gigabit switch). You should install the software/driver first, then, power down/off, unplug the power cord, if applicable: wait for any LEDs on the motherboard to go out, if applicable: remove existing NIC, find suitable PCI slot, install the new NIC, power up, if applicable: go into BIOS setup to disable onboard NIC, and you're done. I found all three NICs were "tight" to install, i.e., you have to push the board (by its edge) away from the mobo's center towards the mobo's outer edge for the adapter's PCI connector to be aligned and allowed to be pushed into the mobo's PCI slot. I haven't performed any thorough throughput tests but a couple of test copies to/from the "server" resulted in at least 5x-6x improvement from the previous configuration (100 Mbps NICs and 100 Mbps switch). Very happy with the inexpensive upgrades. +5 I received 2 of these cards packaged very neat and professionally. I installed one into an older desktop that is only used for internet access but having faster capability wanted more than the 100. After installing software and card, rebooted system and my light turned green on my switch and noticed that video watching and online gaming was as if I were accessing it from one of my newer systems. Transfer of data from a shared storage device was much quicker. Will have to buy more of these. +5 This card is awesome! I bought 3 of these for a pfSense box. All 3 work flawlessly. I was skeptical as I am familiar with Linksys and Netgear. I've had issues with both due to the various chips used sometimes within the same model. These Trendnet cards have given me no issues. I highly recommend these cards, bsd, linux, windows... whatever. They work well. +4 I needed to upgrade my media server (win2k3 home server) and my home theater pc (win7 home premium) to gigabit from their built in 100bt NICs. I couldn't stream large 24gb+ 1080p high def mkv files, the network wasn't fast enough. But i also didn't want to dump a bunch of money into new cards so i checked out these Trendnet cards, i picked them up for 10 bucks each at another store. These cards install in a regular 32bit PCI slot. Both windows 7 and windows server 2003 recognized and auto-installed the drivers. These cards are based on the Realtek RTL8169 chipset and although my 2003 server had a driver already, i had to download a newer driver from Realtek to get Jumbo Frame support. The windows 7 driver that auto-installed was full featured. You will want to enable Jumbo Frames to get the most performance out of these cards. Unfortunately the driver only supports jumbo frames up to 7k (rather than 9k), but turning on jumbo frames upped my transfer rate for around 20meg/sec to 40meg/sec. So you'll want to edit your network card config and turn on jumbo frames. Overall pretty happy with the price/performance ratio of the card. Being based on the budget Realtek chipset, it's not the fastest gigabit card on the market. It is however plenty fast enough to stream 24gb 1080p mkv files between my media server and theater pc, something i couldn't do with the built in 100 meg nics. +5 This thing works fine. Plug it in and install driver. I thought my Asus mobo built-in Ethernet port went out. All I had to do was reinstall Vista and it works, so now I have an extra Ethernet card. I decide to keep it. Performance wise it was similar to my mobo port. I have vista network meter gadget on and the only thing I see different is the download speed. I got 7mb DSL so the mobo fluctuate between 6.5 to 4 mbps during Netflix's streaming, and this device is more consist at 5.5 to 5 mbps. All other website I see no difference. So it is no better or worse then most gigabit port. It was cheaper then D-link, netgear and cisco brand with the same specs. +4 The TRENDnet Gigabit PCI Adapter of the few network cards I'ved used that was recognized (though not at full speed) without installing drivers. However, you still need to install/download the latest drivers to get full Gigabit speed. Simple installation, good speed, performs as well as any of the other gigabit devices I have. It's Vista, XP, and Server 2003 compatible. Keep in mind that via PCI, your network speed can be limited by the PCI bus or mobo if you've got a cheap chipset. +5 Unless I'm doing something wrong, this card is slightly faster than my 100mb/s onboard nic. I copied a 4.7 gb iso file over from my NAS drive using the computer's onboard nic. It avg around 7.5-7.7 mb/sec. Then I installed the pcitxr gigabit card and it definately was faster, but it only went up to about 11mb/sec. I didn't expect 10x improvement, but was hoping for just 2x (think about it, 1000/100=10x). BTW, I'm running a dlink dgs-2208 gigabit switch between the computer and the nas if that matters. Update 6/14/10: The slow speed is due to the dlink NAS drive. I have a dlink 321 and 323. They are both slow and even though they are advertised as NAS with a gigabit interface, it will only average 8-11mb/sec. Some have seen 15mb/sec (I have), but that's not average. I've been running this nic card for about 1.5 years and it's been reliable. I'm updating the rating from 3 to a 5. I also noticed someone gave me a thumbs down on this posting saying it was not helpful. Well, I made a mistake and i found out why over a year ago, but I forgot this review until I stumbled upon it today. I guess I deserved that :).. Cheers! +1 Figured I'd save a few dollars and get an "off brand" ethernet card. It claimed to be plug-n-play; how hard could it be...? I spent two days trying to get my computer to recognize the card, to no avail. Ended up returning it, replaced it with a Linksys card. Popped the Linksys card in, and it was working in seconds, no muss, no fuss. +1 I installed this in a brand new Vista 32-bit machine and the device manager reported that the device "could not be started". I tried the latest drivers from TrendNet's web site but that didn't resolve the problem. TrendNet's Knowledge Base also didn't have any information about Vista. Installing NIC's should be easy and this is probably the first that I've ever encountered problems with. I replaced this with the slightly more expensive Intel PWLA8391GT PRO/1000 GT PCI Network Adapter Network Adapter and everything works perfectly. For an extra $10, the Intel board will save you a lot of time if you have Vista. +2 I bought this card as an addition to a Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition computer I run at home as my network server. It does it all: NAT, DHCP, DNS, file server, print server, and domain controller. I also have it set up to be SQL Server and web server for my own experiments. It is true that I was able to install it by simply connecting the card in a PCI slot. The OS picked it up as new hardware and I was not even prompted for drivers. The problems became apparent later on: The card is hooked up to a 16-port switch that connects all of my computers. I had no trouble navigating the Internet on other computers, but it turns out that I was having a lot of intermittent problems accessing other Windows services. For example, one Vista laptop could not print all of the sudden. It could not even connect to the server to enumerate the file shares! Nothing helped, and my Vista desktop was having no issues connecting to the server. The next day the laptop was working just fine, being able to print and enumerate file shares. I was also having problems copying a 6 GB file from the server to my Vista desktop. Most of the time the copy operation would be interrupted for no good reason, and when I once or twice was able to copy the file, a SHA1 hash revealed it was corrupt. So, troubleshooting my problem I notice this: My Windows session on the server was being cut off suddenly during the file copy; nothing remained in the Windows event logs to help me out. After that, my Vista desktop was having intermittent problems reconnecting to the server. I looked up updated drivers (the driver I was using for this card came from Microsoft) in the TrendNet website and the problem was largely resolved, but not 100%. I have experienced the same problem once already with the new drivers. I just hope the problem will not appear that much anymore, but to be 100% honest, I would not buy this brand again, or at the very least I just won't recommend this particular product. One more thing to note: When they worked, the Microsoft drivers were able to sustain a rather constant feed of 260 Mbits/s while the updated drivers from the manufacturer oscillate a LOT between 290 and almost 0 MBits/s. True, the new drivers don't cut me off as the Microsoft driver did. +5 AppleCare is always a smart buy, and my purchase, via an Amazon merchant, has proven to be a good deal. +5 I can tell you that this can come in extremely handy and is not a waste of money. The iMac's hard drive failed and needed replaced after the 1 year warranty. The hard drive replacement procedure requires removing the glass off the display and going in that way. Not an easy replacement. The repair wasn't cheap but luckily with AppleCare it didn't cost me anything. +4 I do love my I-mac Intel, but "Apple Care" is a contradiction in terms. I bought the extended 3 year Apple Care, which has not come in to play yet, as I am under 90 days from purchase. I am an Apple neophyte (many years with Windows, new to Apple), and I tell "Help" that when I call. Bottom line, the first level of Apple help personel seem to know less about the Apple than I do. Without a doubt, the first level of Apple Care specialists are the worst "help desk" I have ever dealt with in decades of PC usage. They simply know too little to help you with anything but a simple problem. Shame on you, Apple! I have spent many quality hours on the phone with Apple Help (at least 12 hours in under three months), and only ONCE has a first level person actually helped me solve the problem I called with. After at least half an hour with the first level folks, I always get referred to a "Product Specialist" and in Applespeak that means: "someone who knows something about the Apple". This is a terrible waste of your time and theirs. The first level folks put you on hold, so they can e-mail someone who knows something, and then come back and give you instructions from the actual "Product Specialists". The last time I called them, they declared my brand new Airport Express defective out of the box, issued a return order and a refund to my credit card. This was handled by a Product Specialist. Later that day, my son set it up in under 5 minutes, and it is running fine, clearly not defective. But now I am wondering how to pay them for the Airport without their charging me twice. This is poor service. So, if you purchase the Apple Care, I recommend that you request a "Product Specialist" from the beginning of the call, as I do now. And then good luck! I have told Apple about this problem over the phone, but does "Apple Care"??? UPDATE 9/2010- Apple does seem to care. They have drastically improved their ability to assist customers. Unfortunately, having turned things around by the last year of my contract, they would not extend the contract, so only four stars. +5 The AppleCare Protection Plan is a wonderful thing for any Apple product. The best thing of all is that you have an ENTIRE YEAR to purchase it after you buy your Apple product. PC manufacturers usually REQUIRE you to purchase the warranty at the time of purchase or you don't get a warranty at all. Apple gets five stars for this AppleCare because it is a VERY good price for a three year warranty. Besides, when do Apples crash? HARDLY EVER! However, with all electronics, there is always the possibility of a fluke happening and in case you get one, AppleCare will get it taken care of and you have nothing to worry about. Yet again, Apple amazes me. +5 I've ordered this brand of VHS tape before and had no problems so I ordered the same again...no problems this time either. The product (a 3-pack)arrived in less than a week and in the original shrink-wrap (brand new-never used). I've already used 2 of the tapes and plan on using the 3rd in the near future. The color and definition of this brand seems to be much better than others (such as TDK). I would definitely recommend this brand of VHS tape(for those of you who, like me, haven't entirely given up your VCR in favor of digital types of media). +4 This item was extremely easy to install and works as advertised. It is a workable alternative to having a built-in network print server. The only unaesthetic aspect is the requirement for an external DC supply ("wall wort"). +5 Excellent +1 I gave these tapes a positive review because I never had any problems with them until now. I taped a movie today on one of them. it sucked. The tape skips and the audio is garbled and 'chirps.' It's really hard to watch. I'm taping the movie over and see what happens. I'm very disappointed in the performance of this particular box of tapes. +5 I was having trouble with 2 USB printers, bought this product and now I have zero issues AND my printer is wireless. Just a note, you have to change the IP of your router or this product to perform properly. +5 10 years and twenty products later, after giving up on connecting the trusted LaserJet 5000 with its parallel cable to my home network (okay, I did get it connected via a parallel to usb cable running across the floor in my office), I get this gismo and, blink, its on the network and the entire family can use it even if they are connected to the network wirelessly go figure! +5 this white version replaces the older (ugly) Trendnet typical blue, otherwise it's the same. I deploy many of these in a factory setting to print from Linux postscript formats and they are quick and reliable. they will also print from Macs and Windows since they are essentially a network passthrough server and don't interfere with the printer at all, so if the printer can print directly from your OS, it will print through this print server. supports LPD, HP DirectJet or other network printing options. note, these do stick out of the back of most printers, make sure your printer has room for it and even though they can take a few hits from a forklift, these are plastic, make sure they're somewhat hidden. +5 We bought many print servers from Amazon at this price point to see if we could find a replacement print server for our printers. Our printers are no longer supported and they have vulnerabilities that will not be patched (thank you Dell). As a work around we bought this print server and it has worked just great. Not only does it function well but a quick Nessus scan showed that it was much more secure with the only issue being that it allows basic authentication without HTTPS (which none of our printers had anyway). The GUI is VERY simple and it has no extra features other than basic printing so if you wanted something more than IPP or JetDirect like printing you will need something else. The strength of this device is it's simplicity and low security footprint. If you have a printer that has vulnerabilities without a vendor fix we have had very good luck with this print server and plan on buying 30+ more. One more thing, if you use Dell 1700/1720 printers be aware that the print trays get reversed if you use this. We don't know why but it only affects these Dell printers and you only have to worry about it if both trays are the same size. +5 The tapes arrived several days earlier than estimated. So far they work just fine. +5 Works perfectly. +3 cable made me give up var's do not need tham any more +5 I don't have any networking experience. Just followed directions and it works! I have been using it for over a month and it is 100% reliable. Cannot recommend more strongly. I am using it to put a HP Laserjet 1100 printer on the network. +4 This box has replaced a lot of our DLINK DP-301P+ units and has performed much better. It just works and is a no frills parallel print server. My biggest complaint and why it does NOT receive 5 stars and is worth noting is that it does not retrieve an address via DHCP when first turned on. It self configures at 192.168.0.1 which is pretty ridiculous. This makes it necessary to configure the unit from a local device using something on this subnet or use their utility they provide. The utility which is for Windows only it appears is quick and dirty and works well but I'd love to forgo the utility altogether and just be able to configure it via the web interface right from the start with a DHCP assigned address. I suppose this would require finding the DHCP assigned address but that is usually quite simple and they could have still used the utility to configure the device when necessary. Great little box with no frills that simply works. +5 I had to connect a Parallel printer to my laptop with no parallel port. I used this, assigned it an IP address and connected to the network with no issues. This thing works great if you have an older printer. +1 I had used some previous Trendnet spoolers in the past, primarily the USB Print Servers, and found them very easy to use and configure. We had a similar style (maybe identical hardware inside, actually) D-Link that failed, and I ordered this to replace it. What I found was that instead of using RAW/9100 standard for Generic Servers, it used an LPR with Spool Designation configuration, which was unnecessary on a single port server like this. Regardless, I am returning the product because no matter the configuration method -- manual or using their wizard -- the printer ALWAYS prints garbage characters. We verified the printer was working correctly through cable-printing, and used another older-styled and larger HP spooler to test, and everything is solid. Their website does not contain firmware or support for this v3.0 version of the hardware either, or even acknowledgement that revision exists. +4 I had to retire my SMC 7004 router (which had a parallel port) because it could not talk to my new Cisco wifi router. So this device was a great replacement and after some minor struggling, I'm happy to say it does work. My printer is HP Laserjet 2420 - my workhorse for reliable, fast, duplex printing. Basic prep steps: 1. Look at the install CD - the manual PDF in the CD is the pretty solid there. The one u get (printed booklet) included in the box is somewhat useless. 2. This device comes packaged as 192.168.0.1 (usually the router address !!). So you may have to rename it to some higher address. See next item - related. 3. Additionally my network is not in the 192.168.0.x, so I had to also use an old router with 192.168.0.x so my browser could access 192.168.0.1 of the TE100, change the IP of the TE100 to match the range for my current network system-- since I didn't want to mess my running router. So for the first hr, I couldn't even get to the print server. 4. If you're doing a OSX 10.7, change the 2nd port to 631 - as mentioned in the PDF doc. It's a catch 22 - their wizard software can't find your router, so it's useless (to me). I had to use the web URL method to find - after making changes for #2 and #3. My Windows 7 Professional: 1. Did not use the autorun method, because the wizard could NOT find my TE100-P1P. 2. Followed page 45 as in the user guide - everything worked fine. My OSX 10.7 1. Follow page 65 with some adjustments that worked for me. While the server did show up when I click the "+", it defaulted to Bonjour and I could not change it. So I ignored this method, and added it by IP address. 2. I used the IPP protocol 3. I setup a second port method for 631 4. I left the queue to be BLANK This made my Laserjet work ! I'm sure there are better steps to doing the Mac 10.7 setup - hope this saves you 1 to 2 hours of unnecessary work. Because of this, I've taken away 1 star ... in reality I think it's a 3.5 stars. I'm surprised there's really no competition for this needed device. +3 Losing our good printer I wanted to get our old HP LJ 1320 on line only I couldn't get the old print server to work. Thus this - an inexpensive replacement I thought I could get going in a couple of days (2nd day shipping, though it took 3 days, or 4 if you include Sunday). First little inconvenience - the address. This print server can do DHCP so why is it shipped with a hard address? An address that is often the default router address? Of the hundreds of networks I've worked with if .1 is available in the subnet I've very rarely seen it not used as as the default gateway. How about press a button to put it into DHCP mode or to send a page with the IP info? OK, so I have to isolate this print server - take one of my computers off line, disconnecting network drives, etc. Fine. The software can find it at any address. Anyway, I get it up and running. But not printing. I've worked in IT for quite a few years and have never seen a print server that didn't take a normal printer cable. I had 2 at home. No go. I waited until I got to work so I could borrow a print-extender cable - I found over 50 print cables and 0 print extenders. I called around to a few facilities in my area. Nobody had ever seen one. Ever. So I went back to Amazon and ordered one. Second day shipping wasn't an option so it was another 6 days, for a total of about 10. And of course I now have even more invested in this little stop-gap. I was able to change the IP address with a web browser but not set up a printer for some reason. Nor can a printer be set up using the normal Windows printer utility, like you can with an HP print server. Of course the HP print server is much more expensive... Using the software was pretty simple but I'd like to be able to set up a printer using just the IP address and port number and not worry about using someone else's software. OK, I will admit that the picture clearly shows a centronics end and not a parallel end. I'll take a hit for that, though I think it is unusual. And some of the reviews mentioned the address issue. Still lame. Setting up the printer was easy so I shouldn't complain about how I set it up. In other words, there was a handful of little things about the set up that bugged me but nothing too extreme. So far it seems to be working fine. A good, average C+/B- for this - it ended up costing a little more than I expected (due to cable issue). It works well and isn't bad, but it isn't great either. +5 This unit is fixed on ip address 192.168.0.1 initially, so you must setup a router, or a computer with a reverse cat5 cable to initially interface, and then change it to sit on another ip-address, but I do not know of any other way really to set it up in an easier fashion. +5 My old D-Link print server died so I purchased this TrendNet (wired) print server based on reviews. Setup between my network, Win7 computer & Oki Microline 320 printer was quick and easy. Up and running within 10 minutes. +5 Like many people, I have an old workhorse of a printer (HP Laserjet 4P) that uses relatively cheap ink. I upgraded my computer and it does not have a printer port. It just has USB ports for today's printers. Today's printers are inexpensive, but the cost of ink is ridiculous. So, I wanted to find a way to use this printer. I bought a cable off of EBay that connects Centronics (Printer) to USB (Computer). I had no luck with that! I'm not saying that the cable doesn't work. Just it didn't work for me. So, buying a print server was really my only choice. As a side effect, it becomes a network printer in which my wireless devices can connect to it. The printer is located near my router so I bought the wired (cheaper) version along with the "Cables To Go 02677 Centronics 36 Male/Female Extension Cable, Beige (6 Feet/1.82 Meters)" after the fact. Once I got the 2 products, installation was quick. Inserted the CD and set the IP address to DHCP. It took about 5 minutes. The only weird thing is that it installs a utility on your system, but you have to configure the printer using the setup program that installed the utility. I thought the utility would do that. No big deal though. The printed instructions were clear and easy. So far so good! +4 Bought from a private seller off Amazon.com After reading other Amazon.com reviewers, I was aware this would not be a "novice level" device to install. However, I felt I had enough of a basic understanding for setting the IP address as detailed by other TrendNet owners. I simply copied the IP Addresses used one then by the second of two reviewers. More later on why I changed it. I bought this to install on an HPLaserJet 5 and was aware this device needed an extension parallel printer cable as described by another Amazon.com review. However, I chose to wait for the TrendNet Server to arrive before getting the cable. MOUNTING "NAKED" WITHOUT THE PARALLEL EXTENSION CABLE Soon after the TrendNet server was delivered, I felt it best to check if it was working right away and accomplished this without the extension cable. On the HPLaserJet 5 printer, the parallel cable exits the HP case with a snug fit. That is the TrendNet Server does need this extension cable. Being without one, I removed the TrendNet Server case and plugged it in. So I have an operational but "naked-caseless" device. The case is not difficult to remove. It has one screw under the top of the label and then must be squeezed to disengage two plastic hooks that snapped the case together. The label is very sticky and must be slowly pulled away. FRAGILENESS? Regarding it's fragility when mounted "naked" with out a case? The printed circuit board is thick and quite sturdy. Upon inspecting, the TrendNet case serves to keep the circuity clean from dust and cover the exposed ciruits. Even if the cover were left on, the majority of the mechanical stress appears to be borne by the circuit board and the cover is "protective dressing." When I put the HPLaserJet 5 printer cover back on, it adds rigidness by holding the circuit board in place. Of the HP cover could be trimmed a tad to make a perfect fit. The printed circuit board is 99% inside of covered the HP printer case, so at this point I will not get a parallel extension cable referred to earlier. WHY TWO DIFFERENT IP ADDRESS CHANGES With one router, it worked as I wanted it to. The laptop was able to print to the remotel located printer. However, I later installed a 2nd router plugged into the first router and ran into IP addressing issues. The routers use different IP address ranges. Computers attached to the second router can use the printer. But the laptop attached to the first router cannot anymore. I found solutions to my dilemma on the internet. I've not gone back to fix that. For those wanting to know, I have to make the 2nd router a switch. That's for another day. +5 I bought the wired version of this print server. Seems like it's rock solid. It prints every time reliably (unlike the parallel to USB adapters which I've tried). The setup instructions, which tell me to use the software on the compact disc, didn't work for me. It could be because my local ethernet is numbered in a non-standard way. I was, however, able to follow H. Tan's instructions in her/his highly rated Amazon comment for this product, and that worked a treat. It's nice to be able to use the printer from any computer in the house. They ought to change the picture for this device. As others have noted, the plastic housing is like three times the width of the device which is pictured. On my Hewlett Packard 4L laser printer, the jack for the plug is recessed, and so I decided just to take the circuit board out of the TrendNet print server, and plug it in, like I would place a pci card into a computer. The 4L case is built so that there is protection from impact and moisture provided to the bare print server circuit board. Another option for people who have recessed jacks on their printer, is that they can use a standard printer cord along with a converter. Search Amazon for the words: "Centronics 36 Female to DB25 Female," and you will find what you need. +5 I installed and had this little device up and running in just a few minutes. Compared to many other print servers, this one is very small and attaches directly to the printer which I liked. I will likely buy a couple more. +1 Followed the directions exactly, have not been able to get any of my computers to print via normal means, though I can get the server to print a test page to the printer. Haven't contacted customer support yet. +1 Be aware that this device does not work with all printers. In fact any printer that relies too heavily upon it's Windows driver will probably be too dumb to work. At least that's my take from this Trendnet Tech Support response: "Please check with the manufacture of your printer and make sure that the printer is not a Host based or a GDI printer." I'm uncertain what "host based" or "GDI" mean, except that wikipedia says GDI is a Windows component. In practice it means that my old Xerox Docuprint P8 laser doesn't work with this gadget. Too bad the Trendnet website doesn't offer more clues about which printers work and which don't. +4 This print server adapter works well with today servers but not with legacy servers. I first installed this adapter on a fairly new HP laserjet printer because the internal HP JetDirect Card did not work. The printer was able to print from the network from a newer server running Windows 2003 Server but would not print from a legacy HP server which I'm ashamed to say is running a DOS-based application. Keeping my fingers crossed, that legacy server will be decommissioned within a couple of months. I have decided to keep the print server adapter anyway just in case I could use it for a different project. Price was very competitive and shipping was fast. +5 I received this product promptly. I also ordered a parallel male/female cable because others said that the Trendnet would not fit in the space where my printer's (HP LJ 6P) port connector was located. Physical connection was easy. As suggested by others, you DO need to use the installation software that comes on the enclosed CD. There are two programs, one sets up the device with a name and an IP address. The second creates a print driver on your (Windows) computer. If you already have a driver installed for the printer you are connecting via the Trendnet, the software uses that driver so the setup is fast and no other drivers are needed. So far, so good. But I just got it today. I set up both computers (one running Win XP the other running Win 7) and they work with the new network printer. Setup of the device was about 5 minutes (because I did not know what I was doing and was not sure about what IP to use). The computers were each set up in less than 2 minutes (this was adding the "new" network printer using the existing driver software). +1 I just installed this print server on my home network. Originally it worked on my Linux and Windows 7 systems. Now it works on neither. It reports the printer is off-line all the time. When it was printing it was very slow. I have updated the firmware to the latest. The only driver available is several years old and will not even install on my Windows 7 machine. +4 UPDATE 11/10: After messing with its assigned IP settings while trying to get it to come back to life following switching to a new wireless router, I thought I'd bricked the damn thing when even the software downloaded online for setup for my OS (Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit) wouldn't find it. Tech support is slow (10 minutes to answer), based overseas, and civil though not exactly warm. HOWEVER, these guys know their stuff and will get you out of the woods. When the "wizard" software won't cut it, you'll be needing such expertise, so good show Trendnet! When this thing is good, it's VERY, VERY GOOD!!! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I'm incredibly pleased with this little device which has added years to the life of my never-say-die NEC SuperScript 870 printer and the years' worth of toner I had stocked for it. Parallel port, non-networking dinosaurs become 25th century androids again, and considering how printers these days are almost as disposable as their ink cartridges, that's a good thing. As others reported, installation was pretty quick, although you definitely must use the disc included for this task. It will find many legacy printers to suggest drivers for, but if one does not specifically exist for your printer on your operating system, it won't work. I had to cobble together a driver using some advice on a board for my Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, and found that once again, you must add the printer using the included disk rather that just Windows wizards. It requires a power source. I wish this were dual voltage (120V only) since I move overseas regularly, but that's picking nits. It's also a bit odd that it doesn't show up on my router as network item, but as long as my computers see it as a printer option, I'm satisfied. +5 I have an older laser printer (NEC Superscript 870) which has been bulletproof for many years, but it only has a parallel port. I had connected to it prior via another parallel port print server device (D-Link DP-301P+), but it was behaving erratically in recent months. I don't normally buy TrendNet products but wanted to give this unit a try since the price was comparable and the other reviews seemed positive. It installs very much the same as the D-Link, and one needs to create a TCP/IP port on their Win machine in the same way. It has worked flawlessly for the few weeks I've had it. It does take some minor geekness to get it fully up and running, but if you follow the directions carefully you should be good to go. I am now again printing to my undying laser printer over my house network with both Windows and Apple machines. +5 This product works great and installs pretty easily. The only problem I had was clearance issues. There was not enough room around my parallel plug-in for the bulk case to fit. TRENDnet really should have given it a 1" extention at the plug to increase the fit potential. I suspect that the wireless version has the same issue (the body looks identical in the pictures, except for the antenna). If your printer is like mine, you will need a Cables To Go 02677 Centronics 36 Male/Female Extension Cable (under $10) to make it work. +4 I am using this with an HP Laserjet 6P with postscript with both Mac (10.5 and 10.6) and Windows (XP and 7). I had to cut out part of the back of my HP 6P printer to get it to fit (open up the connector section). Even with the cutout, there is a metal piece of the printer that creates a tight fit - but it does fit. That said, it works very well after installation and IP address settings change. Thanks to other reviewer that pointed out the odd IP address that is the default. I recommend this product, with the caveat that some modifications to the case are required. +4 It took me a little bit to get it setup with Windows 7 but I have not had any problem since. It is a good product that just works. Was super easy to add as a printer on my Netbook. +5 Excellent print server. Installation was a bit of a pain because the default address conflicted with something else on my network and I had to connect to it off the network using a spare hub to reset the address. I suggest "pinging" the default address before you try to install the unit to make sure it's free. +4 The TRENDnet parallel Print server solved a problem for me. The new Vista machine that we had gotten for my son had no parallel port connector. When he moved out, our network printer did not go with him, so I gave him an older personal laser printer. However, he could not connect it to his computer since he had no parallel port. The TRENDnet print server was easy to set up and now, after connecting it to his wireless router, he can print his school work from his main computer or from his laptop anywhere in his apartment. This unit is easy to set up has operated as a "set it, forget it" part of my son's network. +5 Vista Hm Prm laptop Following not in instructional book that came with PS. 1. Turn off firewall 2. Select DHCP or static IP. I set static addy of 192.168.10.197 but the PS decided to use 192.168.10.196. Go figure when 198, 199 & 200 are used. 3. Run print test to determine what the address really is [prints printer IP addy]. 4. Go to printer properties>Advanced>Ports and tick P1 standard TCP/IP Port 5. Click on Configure and type the new IP address as per test print out[default is 192.168.0.1 which conflicts with AT&T modem]. 6. Must supply own CAT5 straight thru cable. Useless LED. Lights green with either xover or straight cable. Works great after install. +4 I bought this set of 10x50 binoc's to replace an old Nikon 7x50 model. The Nikon cost more than this Pentax when it was purchased. The differences between the two are amazing. First, the 50mm lens on the Nikon is actually smaller than the 50mm lens on this Pentax. Perhaps because of this, the view through the Pentax is considerably brighter. It is much brighter than I would expect simply because of the slight size difference, however. Secondly, although the Pentax has 10x magnification rather than the 7x of the older unit, the view is much sharper and clearer. I would have expected the reverse to be true. My only complaint is that the "built-in tripod socket" requires an "optional tripod adapter" in order to actually use a tripod. Why? It would seem simple to make the socket the correct diameter and thread to fit a standard tripod. And why should the adapter be optional? It must cost all of 25 cents to make. So, four stars instead of the five I would give it based on quality of view. -dan z- +2 Mine were TERRIBLE. Focus is impossible! Focus adjustment is rough and sticks. If you try to fine focus, you go right past where you want to be. . I thought these would be good binocs from the other reviews. The body is metal, but the eyepiece assemblies are completely PLASTIC. They warp and they are not quality. Even the eyepiece "lenses" are plastic, not glass. The main objectives are glass, but the eyepiece lenses are plastic. That's not quality in my book. I wanted to send them for repair, but Pentax wants me to pay $25 AND shipping, to repair them! That's not a warranty, it's highway robbery! . Never again Pentax! +5 These are great binoculars. Compared to several other sets I have purchased, these binoculars are much more clear and are particularly good in low light conditions. In low light, the image through the binoculars is brighter than with the naked eye. In addition, compared to my other binoculars, these produce a very sharp image. The price is certainly right for Pentax quality. Hard to believe you can get them for this price. I keep a set in my car and another set at home. These are not small, but they are not too heavy either. +5 Needed an extra set (pair) of binoculars to keep in the car for unexpected birding moments and I am pleasantly surprised and pleased overall. After I received them I did a comparison with a pair of Nikon Action binoculars with the same specs. These binoculars give just as clear a view, and it is a fine, bright, clear view. The only difference I noticed between the two binoculars is that the Nikon binoculars give a bigger field of view in the circle. That is, I noticed a slightly larger black circle around the edges of the viewing circle with these Pentax binoculars. Still, they seem excellent for my application and I was able to recently view a nearby loon and duck with ease. These binoculars also are very well designed ergonomically, allowing me to get a good grip on them when holding them. +5 Nice item for the money Never take a trip without these. +5 They have worked quite well and I've been extremely happy with the performance & quality. +5 Pentax has always been a great brand & these are no exception! easy focus and well worth the money! comes with strap and case case doesn't have strap but Binoculars have one you can attach! Super power full, great illumination at dusk!!! +5 Awesome...better than my Nikons +5 I rely heavily on user reviews before purchases and these binoculars truly rate their high marks. I use them for both field work and sightseeing, and they perform equally well for either. They are well designed and easily adjusted to the user....comfortable to hold and very sharp imaging. They are exactly what I wanted. +3 Dude, can't focus on both my eyes, granted I am not normal. Just in between normal and jet pilot. But still a solid buy. +5 Good deal for the price. My kids love it +5 awesome binos work great +5 I bought these as a gift for my sister, who has a house on a lake (with wildlife and birds) because I'm so happy with mine, and they give you much more than standard 8x42. You have to brace yourself, somewhat with 10x for stabilization of the image, but I think it's worth it for a quick and close look. The 50 means it has bigger lenses out front for more light gathering. Alternately, you could go even bigger with a tripod mount. +5 I love it. +5 Its my first pair of Pentax binoculars, and I'm completely satified. Used Steiner and Nikon 7x50 before. Very neat and bright image. No "double image" at all ! But being a 10x, you have to use at land or on a steady boat. I have always heard that 7x was the maximum magnificaction you can handle on a boat. Now I can tell it's true. Off course they are not nitro filled, nor they have any kind of stabilization system, nor a built-in compass, but look at its price ! +5 I really am glad I got this. The view is very clear and bright. Object could be brought in from far away. Very impressive product for the price paid. +2 My daughter bought me the 16x50's based upon the comments that they were great for football. Perhaps the 10x50's are. However, I found the 16x50's totally unacceptable for watching a game. The depth of focus is incredibly small, meaning that items in front may be infocus but things a few yards back are out of focus. Trying to follow a play was also impossible. +5 Very well made, large field of view and good in low light. I have several other moderately priced binoculars used regularly (Nikon, Simmons and more) and this pair beats all in low light use. Good purchase and perfect for bird watching and more. The only con is that they are slightly heavy, but with more glass and being full-sized that is to be expected. EDIT: 01/10/13 I have since purchased a another pair of Simmons binoculars and have had the time to spend comparing the different binoculars I now own. (6 different pairs.) These are rapidly becoming my favorite. They bring in the most light, they are smooth and easy to focus and the sharpness is at least tied with any other pair I own. Certainly a 5 star. +4 I have purchased at least ten of these cases as I have helped friends get these fine Canon S500 and SD550 cameras. The only thing I wish Canon would do is put a pocket on the side for an extra camera battery which you should absolutely have at all times. This case is my favorite as it protects this fine little camera and is not intended to carry half of your belongings like ladies sometimes do with their pocketbooks! This is still the best choice to give your camera protection and can be worn on your belt very comfortably. +2 After a year of use, I tossed it out as the velcro on it could not stick anymore and I got tired of its basic function. It tightly fits the camera and thats it. Good for a night out, not for travel. I guess I would recommend for the look of it if you are not on travel...but definitely not recommended for your next trip abroad. +4 This design is minimalist. If all you want to be carrying around is the camera and the case with the least amount of space taken up, this is the case for you. It fits my Canon 550 perfectly. If you want to be carrying around anything extra, this won't do. The case has a stiff front and back to it so it gives it a sturdy feel. I would feel comfortable that if I dropped it or if it were rolling around in a purse, the case would protect the camera well. +5 You can place it in the purse or wear it on your belt. It sure is convient so pull it out anytime. Never miss the moment. +5 excellent leather pouch for Canon Elf, easy to carry and the price is very reasonable for the its high quality. +5 This case is compact and to the point--no bells and whistles, just a solidly-constructed, slim case for the digital Elph series cameras. This model generally isn't overpriced like many other camera cases I've seen. Well worth the $10 to protect your investment. +4 I bought it to use with my sd400. I have the hard case for my wife's sd200, but I like this case better because you can get the camera out quicker for those fleeting-moment shots. Best would be a case you don't have to take off the camera and would protect it during use - like the old 35mm SLR's cases - except with a belt clip. +5 This case could best be called a "camera glove" because it has no extra pockets, zippers or straps. It simply holds one of the best small digital cameras made. The more you use it, the older it gets; the softer the case becomes. On a recent cruise I kept the camera on my belt and found it handy for quick shots. Its metal/velcro fastener keeps the camera secure. Canon should make it standard equipment with all their SD camera kits. +5 I am very happy with the case. It fits the camera very well and is not bulky at all. +4 I am using this case with SD200. There's no pockets, but I didn't expect them. So I would say it's good enough to me, considering the price. I gave 4 stars here just because there's nothing to compare. +5 All I can say is that this is SUPER!!! Looks way better than anything out there. Its DESIGNED for canon cameras by canon, so you really can't go wrong. Good quality leather. Perfect fit. Looks great. What else do you want from a $10 case ?? Get real. If you own any of the cameras that fits this case & you need one, then go ahead, buy this case. I love it & wouldn't take my camera anywhere without it. +5 The SC550 is my 2nd camera, go every place camera. My Nikon 5700 is great but big to take around. I want a case that protects the camera and a case to not add bulk. This serves the purpose very well. True, part of the camera is exposed, (not a problem for me). Also true, a bit of a pain to put the wrist string through the camera each time the camera is put back, but I expect concessions to a case that makes the camera easy to tote around. I think a small external pouch could be added to hold a battery and extra card. Those items are very small, I may get some black leather and modify the case or another option is to get a slightly larger case, and put my camera in the PSC-50 case in another case for traveling for instance to my kids games. I would then shed the 2nd case, but if I need a battery or card, it would be nearby. Another option is to use a pocket in my wife podketbook for the battery and card, of course whe won't like that, she isn't always with me, so that suggestion is a poor suggestion. Really, I find this a great case for simplicity, fits great and I think protects fine for normal use. +3 The case fits my SD500 very well. The slot at the top of the case/flap is a great feature because it allows the camera strap to go through it letting you carry the camera using the strap rather than just using the belt loop. The camera is not 100% enclosed though. At the top there is a gap on the sides where the camera is slightly exposed. Its fantastic for regular useage in fair and not extreme conditions. +4 This is a great cover for the camera to protect the camera casing. It is not a camera bag or storage case for disks, instructions, lenses, or cleaning kit. It should be included with the camera as it really just covers the metal casing. For the price it Canon should add it to the set. +5 This case is compact, protective and a perfect fit. Highly recommend it to protect the Sd500 especially since the screens are so fragile. Love it! +5 This leather case is designed to fit like a glove, thus, there is no room for ANY accessories. It looks great and provides protection against minor bunps and scrapes. For $9 it's a steal! +5 It is a nice protective case that I can wear on my belt for carrying the Canon S410. Now I have carry anywhere camera with a protective case. The price was good. +5 Here is the secret to having a very fine, soft but still protective camera case. You crush it. Yes, you take the case and place it in the middle of your palm and crush it with as much force as you can muster. You squeeze it tightly maybe a dozen times (or more) and it is then very soft and pliable. It fits the camera perfectly and does not feel like a big rock in your pocket. Very simple. +5 This cover is absolutly the best for my S410, perfectly fits my s410 and protects from scratches (Leather is pretty thick - better than i expected), people may complain about no additional pockets, but i don't see the necessacity for additional pockets for s410 or s500 cameras, i have 512 MB CF card which can hold over 300 pictures. and battery lasts practically forever, i still had charge left in the battery after 2 days of continues use and after taking about 200 pictures (more than 100 with flash). for the people looking for case with some additional pockets, they can look at some generic cases but the bulkiness of the case defeats the whole purpose of compact camera. +3 I looked at this case for my new Canon SD400. Three major problems with the three Canon cases I looked at (Coach, PSC50, PSC90): 1) They attach to your belt with the camera vertical. A horizontal mount is much less intrusive. 2) No room for an extra battery. With no battery life indication on this Canon model I want an extra battery with the camera always. 3) They either are very expensive looking (Coach) or have a metal Canon logo on the front. This is a big sign that says steal me! The metal logo tag is also prone to scratch things. My previous camera and case was the Canon S330 and the soft case made for it. It had a perfect size pouch for a spare battery and I removed the metal Canon logo. Alas it is no longer available. I bought the Pentax PTX-L40 for my new Canon SD400. It is a perfect fit in all ways. The embossed Pentax logo is subtle. +5 I recently got a Canon SD500 Elph (wonderful camera) and this case for it. The case fits just right, goes on your belt or in your pocket, opens and closes quickly with a Velcro flap, gives you quick access and portability, and good protection for ordinary use. I'm delighted with it, it's perfect for the camera and for nearly every situation. I nearly didn't get this case after reading some of the negative reviews here on Amazon. Don't believe them! I gambled, because how much could I lose? Nothing, as it turns out. I'm delighted with this case -- and I'm very particular about my camera cases. A camera is a substantial investment, and I want quality and function to protect my baby. Some people here have said that the leather is so thin that the case is only cosmetic and doesn't offer protection. NOT TRUE! The leather is NOT paper thin but fairly substantial, a good feel to it, and with the stiff protruding stiched edges on the side and the bulk of the Velcro flap in front there indeed IS cushioning to protect your precious camera. And as I said, I very much care about this. If you whack your camera onto tabletops or drop it from 6 feet to a concrete floor you'll probably break it. So don't do that. Unless you slap your precious high-precision baby around like a drunken gorilla, you do not need a bulky mattress of a case. This one does in fact give the protection you need for nearly every situation. Another complaint aired here is that it's a nuisance to thread the camera's cord through the slot in the case's flap each time. Well, that's true for every small camera case. I've had several compact cameras, and I NEVER thread the carrying cord through the case flap. Why would you? Just give it a couple quick folds on top of the camera and flip down the Velcro flap and bingo! Fits perfectly. All tucked away -- and ready for a quick draw when a picture beckons. Another gripe heard here is that you can't put a spare battery or memory card in the case. Folks, this is an ultracompact snapshooter, not a safari rig. You want it with you and ready on a moment's notice, so that you don't miss those precious memories as they're happening. Because of its compact size, you're much more likely to carry a small case than a bulky one, so you'll have it with you instead of leaving it at home. There's really no hesitation to strap this case on your belt or toss it in your pocket, because it's small. That way you'll have the camera with you, instead of sitting in the drawer. And how many times will you actually need that spare card? The SD500 with a 1 GB card (which I got -- you should too, you'll love the extra memory) will take nearly 150 pictures. Other Elphs will also hold a lot of shots. How many snaps will you take before uploading? If it's 200 or more, put another SD card in your pocket. Some of you probably haven't seen one of these amazing things, so I'll tell you that an SD memory card is TINY. And the spare battery is very small. On those heavy snapshooting days when you'll take hundreds of shots (how often is that?) you will not bulk up any of your pockets with with these amazing, tiny gizmos. The inside of the case is soft and velvety and will not scratch the camera at all, another gripe I saw here. I suppose if you slam the little camera in and out and grind away at it, it might be possible to inflict wounds, but for those who are less than gorillas with their gear it's a nice, soft environment inside. If you plan to do serious trekking in hazardous environments, buy a second case with all sorts of bulk and pockets. Then you're covered for those serious vacation events, but that's likely to be an occasional need, if at all. For everything else, this case is what the doctor ordered. It's functional, high quality, compact, protective and on top of that it's attractive. My only suggestion is that Canon should include it with the camera, because it's like a natural part of the kit. Once you have this case you'll be delighted, and, like me, you'll wonder how anyone could make any sort of fuss over it. It's just right. And -- you'll use it all the time. +1 IVE HAD GOOD SEVICE FROM AMAZON.COM TILL NOW JAN.7 7:53PM CST.I WAS PROMISED I WOULD HAVE MY PSC-50 BY TODAY STILL NO PRODUCT.WHEN I FIND OUT WHOM IT WAS COMING FROM I WILL UPDATE THIS REVIEW TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM SO YOU CAN BE CAUTIOUS OF THEM.SAD TO BE WRITING THIS REVIEW.ORDER WAS PLACED ON DEC. 25. I KNOW TIME IS ALLOWED FOR THE HOLIDAYS BUT GIVE ME A BREAK. NOW I WAS TOLD TO WAIT TILL JAN.11. BULL HOCKEY.I FINALLY GOT MY CASE OM JAN.10. THREE DAYS AFTER MY ESTAMATED DELIVERY.ITS WHAT I EXPECTED FROM A GLOVE FIT CASE WITH NO PADDING.MY CANON S500 FIT PERFECTLY. I LIKE THE BELT LOOP INSTEAD OF A CLIP LIKE A PAGER BECAUSE IVE HAD PAGERS FALL OFF & BREAK.I SEE AMAZON DESNT CARRY THIS PRODUCT ANYMORE.YOU HAVE TO GET SOME WHERE ELSE. +5 This case is perfect for what it was designed for: preventing camera scratches from pocket/backpack/purse/bag storage. It fits any of the Digital Elph series cameras perfectly. If this is what you're looking for, you will not regret this case for a second. It's also sharp looking and perfectly compliments the ultracompact style of the camera. If you are looking for a case that will protect against severe impact and dropping, you may want to look elsewhere: while it has thusfar prevented any damage from the two or three times I've dropped my camera, I don't like hearing the sound it makes as the leather is still thin and the case is obviously not designed with this sort of protection in mind. The PSC-50 is first about light protection, and second about aesthetics. If you are looking for a case that has storage room for extra media, extra batteries and other extra nonsense, what were you doing buying the ultracompact Digital Elph in the first place? You could have gotten a better camera for the same amount of money (think Canon S45/S50 or A75/A80: almost identical price, much better features, but bigger size). +4 This is a tight little jacket that I bought for my Canon s500. It provides light cushioning for the camera, and prvents the camera from getting scratched up, since it has a soft cloth interior. Visually, it is stunning; black leather and a silver steel square in front. Of note, the stock photo they have of the item is slightly skewed--it's not that wide, it exactly contours to the camera. I wish, though, that they had made the case zippered along the side instead of having an overhanging velcro pull-over tab in the front. It adds quite a few significant centimeters to the overal bulk of the camera, and less convenient to carry in the pocket. I can still do it, but it's not at small as I would like. However, this will not be a problem at all if you use the belt loop in the back of this case, and attach the camera to your belt. You won't have ANY room for accessories in this case; that is no exaggeration. It's more of a leather jacket than a case. Understand that before you buy it, that if you want to carry cargo, you will need a larger bag with pouches and additional pockets. The hole on top allows the metal protrusion of the camera to stick out, but necessitates rethreading of the lanyard every time you want to take the camera out and putting it back in. This has not proven to be a severe problem yet, but it can get annoying. I don't see though, how else it could be done; I'd suggest just removing the lanyard. It's not really necessary anyways, and I think the camera looks more stylish without it. So overall, this is a great little jacket for my Elph s500. It provides light cushion and scratch coverage while being quite handsome in it's own right. I wish they could have cut down on z-axis bulk, but it's by no means too bulky to still carry in a pocket. The design seems durable enough--good stiching and quality leather, and a large velcro patch, so it's secure, and it won't wear out too fast--smaller velcro patches seem to be less reliable. +5 Snug fitting case for my S400. Has a slot for the leash. Perfect if you need to carry just the camera. +5 After 18 months of wearing this all the time, well whenever I'm wearing trousers which is about 16 hours a day 365 days a year, it has finally started to show some signs of failure. So after about 9000 hours of use the stitching has started to come loose on the belt loop. But I know why, the high sides on my friends BMW M Roadster seats catch the camera when I dump my 270 pound frame into them and the case takes the strain. I heard the first stich go about six months ago and now the rest have started to come loose. I'll actually stitch the current one and use it as a spare when the new one arrives. This case is actually one of the primary reasons I bought the S500. The similar case for my old Ixus was a surprise and a huge bonus. The case fits like a glove and allows you to capitalize on one of the primary features of the Elph/Ixus line, size. My decision to buy the Ixus many, many years ago, was based largely on the fact that I never had my SLR with me when I saw a photo opportunity. For years the Ixus lived on my belt, it went to work and on vacations. It has been on most rides in Florida including the biggest and fastest coasters and I've never had a problem, it's always right there when you wnat it. It's been on horses, bikes and in planes and it was never in the way. If you want a manly purse then buy an SLR and you can feel like a pro as you hump all your gear around. If you buy a mid sized case for this then you might as well buy a bigger camera because you just lost most of the advantage. If you want to always have a camera handy without it ever getting in the way then buy a new S410 or S500 and one of these cases then get yourself a Sandisk 512Mb ultra II here on Amazon and you are all set. +3 designed to match your compact powershot camera, very stylish. do not purchase this case if you are expecting room for an extra battery or CF card. +4 I wanted a case for my new S400 that was like the form-fitting leather case that came with my ELPH 2 APS camera. This was the best I could find. The leather is stiffer than the ELPH case, which means it's more bulky in your pocket. However, I think it will probably provide better protection for the LCD than the softer case would. The construction seems to be good and the case is a very good fit for the S400. The velcro closure on my ELPH case worked fine and I anticipate that this will, too. I experimented with using my ELPH case with the S400, and it fits, but I didn't like the overall feel in the softer case since the S400 is quite a bit heavier than the ELPH. Canon markets this case in a package along with a battery pack and a larger carry-all case. The cost is about the same price as the battery and the small case alone, so if you want both the case and the battery, get the package and you'll get an extra case. The carry-all is big enough for extra batteries, cards, and a lot more, but it's not too huge to be impractical. Having said that, I still agree with the reviewers who believe that Canon should include a case as part of the equipment that comes standard with the camera. +4 High quality leather with a belt loop keeps the camera safe and convenient. No room for accessories, but if what you need is a "holster" for your S200/230 - this is a nice case. Recommended. +4 Back in either the late eighties or early nineties my parents bought a 35mm Canon SLR. Amazingly, the 50mm 1.8 prime lens they bought with that camera works on my Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens. The autofocus is a little loud, but it works great. The only problem is that the lens cap was lost long ago. I purchased this one as a replacement, and it has worked really well. The only problem is that $10 for a piece of plastic is a little on the expensive side. +5 This is a perfect replacement cap for the one that I had misplaced... and found 2 months after I got the replacement. +4 I always take an extra Cap in my bag for my lenses. Just in case you lose the one on the lens, it's not really worth damaging your lens, or probably even your filter. Some caps that come with filter sets are 'usable' on the canon lenses / protective filters, but often they just fit better when used with the filter they came with, so i tend to shy away from this approach experimentally. I would like to see a 3 or 4 way cap with that many tabs, so when you brush it, it doesn't just come off, but of course this might make it harder to take off than is desirable. Summary: + Fits properly. - Cost (should be at most $4 MSRP). - No 'cap keeper' included. +5 I lost my lens cap for my "nifty fifty" 50mm 1.8 Canon lens, this is the perfect replacement for it. Yes, I spent a couple extra bucks to have it say "canon" rather than buying a third party lens cap, but it made me feel better. +5 The Canon replacement cap work well on my lenses. For Canon Lenses I highly suggest that you purchase Canon snap caps! +4 Does what it is advertised to do, nothing more nothing less. It snaps on easy, even with a uv filter in place, and comes off easy. It's a bit easy to misplace though. +5 Canon 52mm lens cap fit perfectly adn securely on lens with 52mm filter size. It attaches much more securely to the lens ring than my old third-party lens cap. Beautiful Canon logo too. Price is quite affordable as well. Hightly recommended. +5 I am the proud owner of a Canon Powershot S1 IS, and it comes with the pop-off tethered grey lens cap. That thing annoys me to no end. First, it pops off. Lame. Second, it has a tether, which is forever getting in my way, no matter what I attach it to. It was time for a change: enter the E-52U Snap On Lens Cap. Now, this doesn't fit the S1 IS lens all by itself, which initially made my stomach feel like I had left it on top of the refrigerator and I had jumped down. However, you can remove the lens ring, attach the 52mm extension tube, and then snap this puppy right on the end. It stays in place, and there's no annoying tether to get in my way. This was just what I needed. +5 A bit on the expensive side, but it is a genuine Canon cap. I lost my original cap a decade ago, while at Yosemite Park, and bought a generic replacement. It was the right size but kept falling off at all times, especially with my camera in a bag, so it was not really protecting the lens. I finally lost the replacement a week ago, so I bought two of these, to be safe rather than sorry, but it is clear I really only needed one. It snaps on and it holds its position. If I lose this one, it will be because I will have misplaced it, not because I will have accidentally knocked it off the lens (or actually the UV filter screwed on the lens). Some would say all caps were created equal, but if so, this one is much more equal than the others. A perfect cap, well worth the extra cost! +5 Sometimes you need hard drive expansion in an older computer, and this one does the job. The C2G 20413 14in One 5-1/4in to Two 5-1/4in Internal Power Y-Cable is a good choice for those looking to add an additional hard drive to a legacy PC. Connector 1 has one 4-pin Molex (LP4) male and branches out to two 4-pin Molex (LP4) female connectors. In other words, if you are adding a 5-inch hard drive, this will split your power to allow for hookup to two 5-inch HDDs. Does the job, and there's enough excess length for almost any PC application. 9/26/2013 +4 Its just a little cable no reason for it to cost $14. But I trust the Cables-to-Go brand and it works as it should. +5 Product is as described and straightforward. be aware of what length you need - as there are different lengths available. all parts are standard and work. cables are not sleeved or pretty in any way, but the description and pictures reflect that. +5 does what it was made for. works well. Its a good product and I have had not problems with it . +5 This worked the way I needed it too. Had to use the power from the SuperDrive to add power to the Orico PCIe Adapter Card installed in my 2008 Mac Pro 2.8 Quad Core machine. Installation was a beast but it was possible. Works great for what I needed it for. +4 what can one say about a product that works, addresses the need, and had all of the parts working well together. +5 Used on a old computer, no problem, works as intended. +4 Used it in a video surveillance DVR to add a fan. Price was give away, but there is a wait for things coming from China. +5 Works. No problem. +5 Product works as advertised and is on the Job. +5 EXCELLENT.. +5 It is what it is supposed to be. +5 I got these so that I could expand the drives in my PC. I have more slots that I do available power connections and these helped me out tremendously. I would have liked to seen the wires in a bit larger gauge more like what comes with the power supply, but they do the job and can still handle the load I am putting on them. +5 works. +5 Good cable for the price . Good quality and arrived on time. +5 works +5 Works +1 FAIL....not even close to the right cable...sad sad sad +1 I had one of these introduce shorts into a server. I was upgrading to Server 2012 with new drives so opening and closing, but it's just unacceptable. Then doing the same thing on a home pc testing some drives and a wire actually fell out of the connector. The good reviews may be because if it works and there's no opening/closing of the case, it just keeps working, of course. But, they are apparently not well made for industry use. Also, the gauge wire is thinner than standard. Will try the StarTech's version now... They are all basically cheap, so not reason to chance it. +5 They worked for what I needed them for. +5 Shipped fast product is as described +3 They are just "OK" - wire used seems too thin in gauge especially for the length, and female connectors' molex pins were loose so one has to manually center the 4 pins before inserting the male source plug. +5 As expected, its a power splitting cable. Works great! +5 works perfect A++++++++ +4 Works why way it is suppose to +5 Cable worked nicely to cram extra hard drives into an older tower computer. +5 Well Built with good wiring and plugs. +5 Installed a new cooler fan setup to my laptop cooler pad using a NZXT Sentry 2 fan controller. The fan controller is made to be inserted into a pc tower, I am using a special ac power adapter that has the molex plug. Since the power adapter provides more than enough power needed for the fan, I am also using it to power a 2 meter strip of green led lights, requiring this adapter to utilize the single molex plug of the power adapter to power two separate devices. I have tested the adapter and it functions. I will update, if required, once I have it longer. +5 Purchased a few add on items to my computer but my power supply didn't have enough power leads. These worked perfect and are not junk!! Great price too, compared to my local computer shop! +3 These are your typical cheap but functional molex connectors, and this Y splitter helps in the case you don't have enough of them in your case. Be sure that your supply can actually supply the wattage you need before you go off infinitely splitting connectors though. 1 star for cheap connectors that are often frustrating to actually plug in. (Like most/all of these power connectors. I wonder sometimes if the cheapness is actually in the spec somewhere.) 5 stars that I've always had these actually work in the end. I used a bunch of these in a NAS I built recently that just needed a lot of drive backplanes plugged in. (The supply had plenty of 5V rail, but not enough connectors for this server.) So overall 3. These will be pretty much what you expect. +5 I have now owned my Tivoli Audio PAL for almost a decade, and have replaced the battery pack once, recently. From the moment I first put it into sevice to last night when I used it to listen to a ballgame, this radio has been flawless. Its strongest points are sound quality and flexible function. The design was by the famous Henry Kloss of KLH and Advent fame back from their inception when they were some of the best products available at their price; may he RIP. The tuner shares the same 5:1 tuning ratio which he first introduced in the venerable Advent 300 home AM/FM receiver, but the tuner circuitry was upgraded using technology shared with cell phones. This 5:1 ratio enables very precise and easy tuning. The sound quality is amazing for such a small unit and speaker. Air suspension speaker design was Kloss's forte, and it shows. There is more bass with this speaker than any other portable I've owned at anywhere near this size. However, midrange and highs are even better, voices sound natural and cymbals have all the crispness and sparkle one could ask in such a design. The sound is so good that you won't care that it is mono and not stereo. However, plug in your favorite headphones and then you do get full stereo sound; that is smart design. As for flexibility, the unit has an auxillary jack which can be used with any device which has a headphone jack; in my case that is a Zune MP3 player. With a simple adaptor cable for a couple bucks from radio shack I can plug my Zune into the PAL Aux input, then use the headphone jack of the PAL to plug into a home stereo thus using the PAL as a preamp/tuner. I do this when I travel to my inlaws. I usually get 20+ hours from a single charge - and the charger is built into the radio, so that all you have to do is plug it's removable power cord into a wall outlet. Few radios include the charger built in and that is extremely convenient. I love my Tivoli PAL; it is the perfect travel companion. I do own other portable radios however, including a Sangean and a Crane. The Tivoli sounds the best, but the Crane and Sangean have more sensitive and selective AM tuners. If pulling in distant AM stations is the most important function for you, then check out the Crane CCRadio-EP and Sangean PR-D5, which I have also reviewed. All three are good for FM reception. If best sound quality in a small package is most important, then the Tivoli is hard to beat. It's even harder to beat collecting all three of these over time, as I did, and using the one for the purpose it performs best. Few folks will do this, though, and there is really no need to do so. Choose the one which fits your purposes best, and if that is listening to music then consider the Tivoli seriously despite its higher price; besides neither of the other two have a built-in charger. Few people ever regret buying a Tivoli. +2 I've owned this radio for less than a year and in that year I have replaced the batteries twice,now the radio won't play unless I jump start it plugged in, after that it will work several hours unplugged but whenever I turn it off I again have to jump start it. While removing the battery one of the two fragile screws snapped off. Another problem is terrible reception,mostly static. I called Tivoli and was told they will repair it for $50.00. So you can make up your own mind whether this expensive radio is really worth it or not. I registered it immediately after I recieved it and Tivoli will not fix it without a receipt, Does anyone keep a receipt that long? Total cost $200 for the radio, over $50.00 for batteries, and now another $50.00 for repairs plus the shipping charges. I have only taken it out of my house one time and the rest of the time it stays on my desk plugged in. I personally will never buy another Tivoli product. +5 Great sound. Back: AUX in the back, for use with mp3 player. Headphone jack Front: Dial: AM, FM, Off Tuner Volume Rechargeable battery. No remote control. No music presets. A simple player with excellent tuning and sound. +5 I got mine years ago when they first came out. The style, the soft beauty of whatever sort of rubbery-flocksy kind of finish, the legendary designer and the promised performance was compelling enough to buy. The controls are especially nice, with a precise and quality feel to them. The radio is very heavy for its size, obviously filled with good stuff, the reception is much better than my BMW's radio parked in the same location and it has a nice, quality sound to it. The battery lasts a long time. If played alongside my Sony clock radio of about the same size, the difference is huge and the Tivoli weighs about 3X as much! Mine was to be used as an inside radio, but hasn't been in the house for many years now. It is in the garage, the shop, the yard and even gone fishing. It has acquired a patina of heavy and inappropriate use, a real beater that would not look good in the house at all now. The battery pack finally died after a, has it really been that long?, decade (!) of constant use. I ordered a new one, and an antenna as the old one was broken in half after a fall off a fence. The parts were shipped promptly and now it is as good as new functionally. Nothing will remove the grease, bent grill, fish juice, charcoal smudges, etc. All well worth it, though. +4 My two cents here only reinforces what a few others have said before. This compact and rugged little radio has impressive sound and better than average reception. I can pull in every station in my town with only minor adjustments to its antenna for FM and positional changes of the entire box for AM. Truly, the sound quality and frequency response is surprising. It has a bit of that Bose wow factor to it. It gets decent lows and highs at a very listenable level without any distortion. Any audiophile would appreciate its overall output. So here is what keeps this little piece of ear candy from receiving all 5 stars: the dreaded rechargeable and thus, irreplaceable battery. I know these things don't last forever in any piece of electronic crap that we use, but when a rechargeable and irreplaceable battery quits recharging, it changes the whole point of its existence. Now I have a nice sounding radio that must stay tethered to its electrical umbilical cord, greatly limiting its usefulness to me. Normally, she followed me out to the garden to keep the pesky sounds of nature at bay. No longer. My ears are now under constant assault from the birds, bees, and my neighbors' various gas-powered lawn gear. Want a radio for your nightstand or bathroom? Perhaps one for your crawlspace at work? Then this will fit the bill. Otherwise, stay away from rechargeable units. We all know that "rechargeable" is a euphemism for "temporary" which all batteries are anyway. My "I stand corrected" update: The battery can indeed be changed (which a few commenters kindly pointed out) and this little bad a** of a radio is almost like new again. I say "almost" like new because (and this is why it still gets only four stars) for some unexplained reason, the non-slip rubber-like shell (that I used to consider the radio's best feature) has become tacky (as in sticky). It feels as if it's in some weird melting state without ever actually melting! I've tried wiping it down, drying it off, rubbing it, tickling it, and even giving it a full-body massage... all to no avail. Still, I've made the best of it- I just stick it to the side of my face whenever I leave the house for great portable radio goodness! +2 I've had one of these for probably 5 years now (the original PAL, not the iPal). While the device is supposed to be weather resistant, I found that after about 18 months the tuning knob became very "dirty" and staticy when tuning. I think this is due to moisture getting into the case. We keep the Pal on a shelf in the bathroom, and I suspect the steam from the shower did this. But the serious problem is something I've just noticed recently. The rubbery material the case is made out of has started to deteriorate. The rubber case material has gotten almost sticky and can't be cleaned. And if you make the mistake of trying to clean it with Windex, the material almost melts. So you're left with this device that's totally absorbing all the dirt that comes in contact with it, and can't be cleaned. Even just a damp rag makes the rubber case sticky now, leaving marks in it and not getting the dirt off. I've seen other rubber things break down this way- usually it's the little rubber feet on older components, or certain cables. And while the Tivoli still works now, it's kind of gross looking and worse is kind of strange to touch because of the permanent stickiness. This is an expensive radio, and I just think it should have lasted longer than it did. My only other operational complaint is that there is no "AUX' input switch on the front panel... you have to plug and unplug the jack from the back, which makes switching from radio to Ipod a hassle. +3 I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Given the reviews about great reception, I thought that this would be a great purchase. Well, maybe I have a defective radio, because the reception my radio gets is pretty bad or, better said, no better than my $15 clock radio. AM reception is particularly bad. On other radios, I can routinely get New York AM stations during the day without much difficulty. Not so much with the Tivoli... Case in point for folks in Philly: On other radios, I can usually get WRTI 90.1 (Temple's home of classical and jazz) with little difficulty and little/no static. On the Tivoli, static has a way of ruining the fun... That said, it DOES sound great. It DOES look pretty cool. If you are in a city with great AM/FM stations, buy one without hesitation. If you aren't, well, be aware of Amazon's return policies!! +5 [One small catch: predictably when I plug a CD player into the unit, I'm getting only one channel. One would think Tivoli could resolve this problem through some sort of input that would mix the stereo signal to mono, but that does not seem to be the case. Moreover, trying a stereo to mono adaptor doesn't seem to remedy the problem, because it's essentially duplicating the configuration already in place. Any solutions?] Be prepared to be shocked by the small package that arrives, not to mention its diminutive contents. Your first reaction is less likely to be "how can this possibly sound like anything?" than "how can they justify their asking price for something so simple and slight?" Perhaps some other reviewers' testimonials on behalf of this little overachiever's "miraculous sound" have been overdone. I wouldn't count on this doing the job at your next backyard block party or as a substitute for the DJ's gear at your daughter's wedding (in fact, at above-normal volume levels, the tones on the PAL will begin to distort and break up). But I purchased it after having tried to play audio CDs in a Sony LCD stereo television claiming "SRS WOW Audio Technology Enhances speaker performance by creating three-dimensional sound with deep, bass and wide separation." After being less than wowed playing my CDs through Sony's virtual reality audio technology, I'm greeting the Tivoli Pal with welcome arms (make that an open palm). It's full-frequencied (less boomy bass than the Model One or Three), very "present," quite spacious and natural-sounding, filling the room much more efficiently than Sony's so-called three-dimensional surround sound. It runs on a battery-charge system so there's no problem moving it from room to room. The remaining questions: Yes, the battery charge is ample, permitting the device to remain disconnected from AC for easy transport from one room to another (forget about the gadgets that allow you to play the audio files on your computer to any speaker in your house--this is more practical, especially if you use CDs or change FM stations). Also, the device will charge slowly while turned on or rapidly when turned off. The FM sensitivity is as good as a Sangean and even has an edge on the Tivoli Models One and Three because of a telescoping FM antenna. Finally, the only difference between the PAL and iPAL is color and Tivoli's throwing in a cable with the iPAL to connect to your iPod. (Don't know why owners of CD players or black iPods don't deserve the same consideration.) Finally, why not save thirty bucks and order the Model One? Mainly because of the portability factor. If you listen to your music primarily in one room, are close to an electrical outlet, and occasionally like to crank up the volume, by all means save the thirty bucks. +5 $[...] for a portable radio? Worth every penny. This little gem is a great addition - whether it just gets moved around the house, garage or garden, or finds a permanent home in a biookshelf or kitchen counter. The sound from this radio is quite stunning given its size. The on/off and volume switches are a little fiddly, but you soon get used to them. We live in something of a valley, radio reception has never been great. This thing though, picks out radio stations we never thought we'd be able to tune in to. I even connected the earphone socket into my 'audio in' on the family stereo... you know, just to see if it would work. Great idea! Despite a single speaker on the unit itself, the headphone output is in stereo. On a full charge, this will keep you going for an entire day, no problem at all. The surface of the unit has an almost rubberized texture - most definitely not got the feel of 'black plastic'. I've picked this thing up with wet/damp hands, near frozen hands and gloves - with not so much as a slip. The input/output DC in ports each have rubber plugs to keep unwanted dirt or moisture from the openings. +5 I have been searching for a bathroom radio to make those long boring tasks, like flossing your teeth and shaving, go by more quickly. I like my daily dose of NPR, but unfortunately our two FM PBS stations are 30-60 miles away. This coupled with the foil radiant barrier installed in the attic of my home makes distant FM radio reception challenging. I have tried several radios with marginal static laden performance. I suspected the PAL would work better, but was amazed that the reception was flawless, even without extending the antenna I can get excellent reception. The gear driven tuner locks in stations with ease and the volume is room filling, and loud enough to overcome the buzz of an electric razor. Oh, and when the news is over the classical music is absolutely amazing coming from this little compact black box. The other thing I like is the power switch that is not connected to the volume control allowing the volume to remain where desired when the radio is powered up or down. Best of all is it is rechargeable so no cord to worry about around a wet countertop, and no batteries to buy every other month. +5 I live in Los Angeles where many stations compete and go in and out, especially with the pathetic pig tail antennas that are stuck like a joke in the back of many radios. But the Tivoli has a great antenna and is easy to use. I only wish this radio had digital tuning presets. Also don't be turned off by the one mono speaker. Its sound is clear and brilliant. Post Script: After owning the PAL for two years, I've come across some pros and cons: Pros: 1. Can be used with an Ipod. 2. Rechargeable battery and rubber casing make it good for outside use. 3. Speaker sound is good for radio of its size. Cons: 1. No digital tuning so it's not always easy to know what station you're on. 2. AM (MW) sensititivy is only average. (The best AM available is ironically on the cheaply priced GE Superradio III which boasts an 8-inch interal AM ferrite antenna, twice the size of all competition.) 3. For 50 dollars less you could get an Eton S350 Deluxe which has analog tuning and no presets but features SUPERIOR FM sensitity. +3 I wondered why I was unable to copy video to certain "Cool Colors" (red and yellow!) Had I know that this was a problem, I would have bought the "Tried and True" silver...I'll know better next time. Three stars for the product... +5 These are great....but who the hell buys CD-Rs anymore. Seriously....look into clouds. Get with the 21st century. Your mother will thank you. +1 I have one of these cds, it will play in my car, but not on any computer in the danged house! +1 This is the second spindle of Memorex recordable media I've had to trash because they are not compatible with my Macbook Pro - I earlier tossed a pack of 25 Memorex DVDs, too. Shame on me for getting fooled twice, I guess. I'll never buy Memorex media again, that's for certain. I have no problems using Sony media with my machine, and I will stick to that brand even though it costs a bit more. +1 Quite simply these do not work... I have a brand new Dell M1530 with a top of the line burner and it will not recognize these disks. I have tried several colors and they won't burn. There's a beautiful red Memorex "coaster" on my desk as I type this. Junk! +5 Will buy again!!! Great Product...Great Seller!! +5 good +5 Excellent Product! No problems +5 THANK YOU GREAT PRODUCT +4 worked great +5 excelente +5 Excellent timing, will buy again! +4 So far, no issues with my nightly backups.! +2 I thought my tape drive was broken after loading one of these tapes. The spindle is all over the place and I've never heard so much noise from a tape before. It's very simple noise=poor engineering. Will never buy HP tapes again. I am very happy with Sony or other top brands. Why did I bother to mention the labels? Try buying labels for LTO tapes and see how expensive they are! HP has their logo and some lines and a bunch of stuff you don't need or want on your label. Why they did this, I'll never understand. But if labels are important to you, your expensive tape comes with one of the worst. (And yes... there are brands that don't even give you one, but really...) +4 I left out a star for what might seem like a small reason. The labels that come with HP product have the HP Logo and other graphics written all over them. Not much point in having a label with writing already in the place where I need to write. If you go on the internet and try and find blank labels, you will find them to be very expensive. This product should come with blank labels, and yes, I know, some products don't even provide any at all. Never had a problem with HP tapes and to find a good tape at a reasonable price is certainly worth 4 stars in my book! +5 The price point was just right and it was the media type I needed in my backup storage environment. Great buy! +5 Tapes are tapes and I've never had a problem with any except for they do wear out after many uses and that's to be expected. I imagine you can get at least 100 backups out of an LTO tape, which is good. +5 Cartridge works as advertised. Pop it in then when it's done take it out. Using on an HP Ultrium 448 SAS drive +5 The only difficulty I ran into was that the MIDI interface didn't show up to be used until after I had rebooted my computer twice. After the second reboot I have had no issues. +1 I'm trying to hook up my Yamaha P120 with my PC. I've spend about 3 hours now, tried about 10 different variations of installation method including deleting all the USB drivers on my PC... Still can't get it to work. Not sure if I got the lemon product or if I'm doing something wrong... It drives me mad now.. What I like about? nice long USB cable that is plug and play.. only If it works!! Well.. trying to think of other ways to get it to work... Sent the tech support mail today.. If I don't get the result back tomorrow.. the one star will stay... Well got it working in 10 second by exchanging it... dang... 5 hours wasted... and it was all because of a defective item. Hate you ... whoever inspected this item... Well, the sh*ts happens... It seems like a good product.. Leason learned: 1. don't spent too much time trouble shooting a modern day devices that are suppose to be a plug and play. 2. Guitar Center, well sometimes, sell a defective product (I think what I bought was someone's return)... But anyway, they are nice folks, I'll continue to use Guitar Center. This is an isolated incident. Well.. would like to change the stars to 4 but don't know how.. So here it is * * * * +5 I hooked this interface up to my laptop and my Clavinova keyboard, installed the driver and the included Cakewalk software on my laptop, and was playing music right away. How much simpler could it be? +5 Works like a champ! Simple and easy to use and install. +5 A good interface is a must. This is good +5 Hooked it up to my Virus TI2, got the ports properly assigned, and works excellently! Super thrilled! Great cable! +5 Awesome +3 Having compatibility issues with Mac OS 10.11. Support confirmed that it's not compatible. This should be clear on the site. I'm getting stuck notes occasionally. If you have Mac OS 10.11, I recommend this instead. I just got it, and it works perfectly... CREATIVE EMU XMIDI 1X1 USB MIDI Interface +5 finally a cable that works! Worked great with windows 10 and my Zoom GF9.2tt pedal. +4 Works well so far. I use it to connect my microKORG synthesizer to my Windows 7 laptop. To have it detected by Windows 7 I had to go to the M-Audio website, download the latest drivers, install them, and restart. If I recall, the drivers that came on the CD with it were for Windows XP. +5 Worked great! +5 This is an inexpensive and quality MIDI - USB interface. It just sits in the dust behind the equipment and works without glitching. +5 Used this based on recommendations online for backing up and updating midi guitar pedals (boss ES-8 and Strymon Mbius). No issues using MacBook with El Capitan. Plug and play. Seems to be good quality. Can't go wrong with M-audio I have a few of their products. +5 I have been using this item for years almost every day trouble free. +5 works great! +5 using with a Korg digital piano +5 works great +5 Bought this to connect my Strymon TimeLine and BigSky to my computer. Works fine just make sure you have the current drivers downloaded. +5 This MIDI interface has worked flawlessly for every application I have come up with. It has worked with Windows 7, 8 and 10, OSX and Debian on a Rasberry PI. So far it has worked with every instrument I've thrown at it (including the Rockband 3 wireless MIDI guitar that a much cheaper usb MIDI interface couldn't handle.) +5 I use this to connect a Win7 Pro laptop to a Yamaha 01V mixer. This is to use an iPod app to wirelessly control the mixer through a virtual server application on the laptop (written as part of the iPod app)..It works perfectly. I decided on the Midisport after a lot of research. The one thing that I found important was that the Midisport apparently uses "older" technology that can handle large MIDI SYSEX messages. Apparently they are not in common use these days hence many (most?) newer products are not designed with this capability in mind. The 01V app creator even warns that the mixer can send out "a glut of SYSEX messages." For some strange reason the app is called "01V Remote." I have no way of knowing if I experience a "glut" of SYSEX messages from the mixer, but it's highly likely (from what the app creator says) and the Midisport has not had any problems handling them. Yes, it might be an "old" product, but this interface has been rock-solid for me. +5 A great way to connect you iPad to your midi devices. +5 Works great and as advertised. I use it to upgrade my firmware for my Peavey Vypyr 100. +1 Total garbage. I would have thought that something coming from M-Audio would be better quality (I have several over M-Audio products that all work great), but no... This thing reported bad MIDI messages all over the place, missed notes, sustain hold, etc, requiring a constant MIDI reset to get it back. I returned it and bought the equivalent with no branding for $7 and it works great. If you're looking for a simple MIDI controller, don't buy this one... +5 Works great with my Roland Fantom S-88 +5 Simple, good midi interface, good value. For when you need the "old school" 5-pin MIDI plugs/jacks, like on my Line6 M5 and M9 pedals, and my M-Audio Trigger Finger controller. Used with a late-2011 MacBook Pro, and Line6 Monkey software, and M-Audio Enigma editor software. +5 Item exactly as described and delivered very quickly. +5 Great midi interface. I needed a midi interface that would work with old Windows 98 laptop. This was the only one I could find that you could still get Windows 98 USB drivers for. I need the old laptop, to work with old DOS floppy-disk management software and SYSEX software for my old classic synthesizers/samplers. This was the only USB midi interface I could find that would work with a Win98 laptop, cause you could still get the old USB drivers. +1 the in worked but not the out. +3 Returned, did not meet my expectations. +1 I've been fighting software issues galore with this interface for months. I thought that it was just my computer, but nothing improved after doing a new system build. Basically, the device won't enumerate following a computer boot. You have to manually unplug it, then plug it back in after the computer has booted to get the device to be recognized. Even if the computer enumerates the device correctly, software (Sibelius, Sonar...) frequently still can't connect to the device. Sure, it shows up in their lists, but when you try to use it, you get some MM_ error from the audio system most of the time. On rare occasions, it has actually worked as advertised, but I'd qualify that as 10% of the time. This interface also has an issue with spontaneously sending notes, usually really low ones. I've never been able to figure out what causes it. Save your money. Buy something else. +1 GO TO M-AUDIO AND HEAR THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEERE NOT BEING YOSEMITE OS X 10.10 DRIVER UPDATE. I'M DEAD IN THE WATER BECAUSE THIS COMPANY REFUSES TO PUT OUT AN UPDATE +5 Bought this for my Line 6 DT25 amp. Works great +4 It does what it's supposed to do but it has no external power supply so it can bog down if too much midi info is running through it. Great for playback on a gig but only okay for programming. +5 I've used this specific product for a couple years now. Very sturdy. +5 I use this with my Macbook Pro running OSX Maverick and it works like a charm! Only issue I ran into was finding the compatible driver for my version of Mac. I record with both Garageband and the Logic Studio suite with my Yamaha Motif XS8 and Roland V Tour drum kit. After adjusting the settings and mapping keys on my software and instruments, it gets recognized as a MIDI device and works instantaneously. No issues and have been using it regularly for a little over a year now. +1 This thing never worked right, but I always thought some other part of the rig was causing the problem. Sometimes it worked right for a couple minutes, but then always glitched out, held notes randomly forever, and was generally unusable, so I just kept setting it aside. Finally ran a diagnostic program on its output, found that it's defective. Tried to get support, but M-audio's parent inMusic was nasty to deal with, and they only offer a year of warranty support in any case. I'm going to upgrade my gear, and from this point on, no M-Audio for me! With the amount of one-star reviews for this, there's obviously a problem. Support means a lot to me, so I'll be avoiding all of inMusic's brands: AIR | Akai Professional | Alesis | lto Professional | Denon DJ | Denon Professional | ION Audio | M-Audio | Marantz Professional | MixMeister | Numark | SONiVOX* Good luck! +5 The interface works perfectly well and has given me no problems in the months that I've had it. I've had no issues at all, and the sound seems to be perfectly fine. No complaints! +5 Excellent! It just works...unlocks the potential for all of my midi devices. Good for Strymon pedals and any keyboard application. +1 This never worked the way it should have. I bought this many years ago for my mac, never worked. Recently got a pc, same problems. The midi information sent to my computer is "drunken", timing is way off, notes come in jumbled groups separated by gaps of nothing. It seems the processing power is just not fast enough. +5 Most MIDI devices go straight to USB these days. I've also learned that products that say "MIDI I/O" are basically USB passthroughs for these devices. I have an older, quality Casio keyboard that needed to plug into a computer/iPad. Well this product performs exactly as expected with no lag or issue. I'm glad I paid a bit extra for the "name brand" model, as reviews on others made them sound finicky. I plugged this in months ago and haven't looked at it again since. It just works. +5 Works great for me. I've found USB to Midi cables to be somewhat finiky. Some work, some dont, depending on your application. I have a JamManager by Digitech... and they recommended M Audio UNO.. I tried Hosa, but the two wouldnt talk. I also use a RJM Mastermind Midi foot controller. This M Audio usb to midi worked, while two other brands did not. I own two, for backup. +5 Great USB interface for the price. I use it for updating the firmware on my Line 6 DT-25 and it worked perfect!!!! +5 I purchased a new iMac and my midi keyboard wasn't working. My son suggested a USB interface. I did and my music writing program works perfectly. This was an inexpensive, easy fix to a very frustrating problem. So if your music writing program isn't working with your Mac try this interface unit, it did the trick for me. +5 It performs its function well, installs in two seconds, and there is product support readily available, if anyone has trouble. +1 There is absolutely nothing positive I can say about these cables. They just don't work. My wife bought 4 of them so I could set up a lab for her with computers using Piano Marvel software being connected to digital pianos. Drivers from the included CD didn't work properly so I downloaded drivers from their website. Occasionally I could get the drivers to install and see the cable, but the cable wouldn't register a signal from the connected digital pianos. In the rare moments that I got it to work, restarting the computer would end all that as I'd have to go through a long, arduous process of trying to get the cable to work again. I tried with Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista x64, Windows 7 x64, and Windows 7 x86. I'm an IT professional so I have access to a lot of machines and operating systems. These cables are complete garbage and I implore you to stay away instead of wasting your time and money. The guy at the music store insisted that the cables worked great with his Mac, and I've noticed Mac users here being happy, so if you NEVER intend to use it with anything, but a Mac, you MIGHT be safe. In the end, I just went and bought the absolute cheapest generic Midi to USB cables available on Amazon and they worked perfectly. I recommend others do the same. You can buy 8 of the cheap cables for the cost of just one of this crappy cable and those things actually work. +5 Works with my MIDI devices from my Windows 7 64 bit PC. Some reviews said 32 bit only, however all the drivers needed were actually installed automatically. +5 I've used the midisport uno for several keyboard setups with different computers. Never have had an issue with connection or signals. I've used it with a m-audio prokeys 88, prostation 88, alesis micron, Yamaha s-95, and Yamaha cp-30. Computers have been everything from a Sony Vaio desktop running xp to a MacBook Pro early '11 running Logic. I've also used it with an ipad using the camera connection kit. This is my go-to when connecting for midi signal. +1 Only used it once since it would not work. It did not work well when I connected my Roland AX-7 Keyboard Controller to it. +5 I use this to get a midi signal to my pc from my professional Peavey keyboard which is quite old. Tweak the software to make sure there is no latency and you're good to go. I don't remember much about the set up but it went pretty smoothly and I used this to teach kids piano lessons with various software programs. They had lots of fun learning that way. As other have said here, check for compatibility with your OS before purchase. This is a pretty old model. +5 As a complete newby to MIDI, I did the following: 1. Plug it into my Yamaha keyboard and computer, 2. Used it to record notes in a composition program. It's that simple. I do expect latency problems because I'm using a USB connection to a dreadful built-in audio interface, but that is not the fault of the MIDI connection. I will address that as I go along. Great product, great price. No complaints. Price/value ration is good. +5 I am totally happy withy it. I use it with my Alesis DM10 Studio Drum Kit. very easy to setup and install. Awesome to have for a MIDI Interface. AWESOME! +1 This is probably one of the most worthless pieces of equipment that I've ever purchased. The company that markets them doesn't have the drivers updated and the ones that you can download only load half the time (if you're lucky). I threw this in the trash heap. +5 After purchasing a cheap chinese $6 cable from ebay, and it not working at all for my Yamaha YPT-300Yamaha YPT-310 61 Full Size Touch Sensitive Keys with 500 Tones and 32-Note Polyphony I purchased this one after reading reviews. I was very pleased at its ability to do exactly what the description says. +5 I actually bought this without any real research, primarily because of an immediate need. Once I had it, I noticed a lot of negative reviews around the web. However, I've had no problems. As a matter of fact, this thing works great and I highly recommend it! I set it up with my Mac and it works like a charm. Thought it was faulty at first but it turned it to be my own error. It's the right price and does the job. +4 I used this with my Casio CTK-630 for a few years, and it worked well with that. I had an old keyboard and an old computer. Then my computer died, so now I've got Windows 7 and the Uno doesn't work with that. I'd love to see the new version of the Uno available on Amazon! It's got a transparent blue shell. Apparently M-Audio is all out at the moment. +1 It takes alot of nerve to continue to sell a product that will not work on the latest and widely accepted version of Windows. It's not like Win 7 just came out last month, and there should be enough similarity between 7 and Vista in terms of driver architecture that creating a driver for this should not have been a problem. M-Audio apparently does not want to invest in providing drivers for anything but their most expensive products, so if you have Win 7 or believe you may anytime in the foreseeable future, look for hardware from a company that will actually support its own products. FAIL. +1 This is a horrible company. I would recommend staying far away from anything M-Audio makes. They don't support their own hardware. They refuse to make 64 bit drivers for some of their devices (Radium49 for example). I would recommend getting a different brand because you can be guaranteed that this company will not provide updated drivers for any product you buy in the future. Buyer beware. +3 With this type of product, if you run into problems, you might be left wondering if you have a software issue, a driver issue, or a glitch somewhere else in the chain. Whenever I've used it, there are stuck notes, and a random note-on here & there. Always assumed it was something else, but after over a year, I'm officially giving up on it. Too late to take back, and it does not fall into the range of serial numbers that would be affected by a recall (for a defect that causes the same symptoms). I tried contacting their customer service, but the link did not work (for a few days, anyway). It's a brick. AFTER ANOTHER FEW MONTHS I SENT THE UNIT BACK WITH A LETTER EXPLAINING MY SITUATION. I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT THEY SENT A REPLACEMENT THAT HAS BEEN WORKING PERFECTLY. +1 If you have Windows Vista or Windows 7 chances are it will NOT work. The company is still in the process of developing drivers that work and it is completely hit or miss (MOSTLY MISS!) The Uno was developed for XP and works for that system. Beware - check out the forum and judge for yourself. According to the M-Audio website, my uno should just connect to my Vista 64 bit OS without ANY needed driver. Needless to say it DID NOT WORK. Even trying 32 bit drivers did not work. Completely frustrating. NOT RECOMMENDED. UPDATE: I ordered a generic "USB MIDI Cable Converter" PC for Windows Vista by HDE from Amazon at 1/10 the price! According to several reviewers it works for Vista 32 and 64 bit! It worked for me on a Vista 64 bit system out of the box without a problem. I am using Band in the Box 2004. Now why can't M-Audio do the same? +1 Complete waste of money. Did not even register with M-Audio Midi Controller. Definitely a "Do-Not'Buy! +5 this is the 2nd one of these i've owned. i've had the 1st one since 2001 and it still works. hopefully this one will stand up as well. +1 Didn't work with my Yamaha keyboard on either PC or Mac laptops I tried. Called in for tech support, and was told by the technician they've been having a lot of issues with the Uno, and was it a Yamaha, Roland, or any of a half dozen keyboards I was using? Um, yes. He told me to send it back and get a MidiSport 1x1, because that was basically the same product except it works. Yes, he literally told me the Uno didn't work, and that they were working on a fix but had no idea when they could fix it, and he didn't want to waste my time. Which I appreciated. But I wish I hadn't ordered it in the first place! +1 I have repeatedly tried using this with a yamaha keyboard. I rarely have any problem with software and hardware installs, but I have NEVER gotten this to work on my Mac. +1 Whatever batch of these that were available during the Christmas 2008 buying season can not interface any keyboard to any computer without mistakenly converting keyboard strokes into command functions, making the product useless. The m-audio forums are littered with tales of this same failure for multiple keyboard and computer brands. Stay away and be very afraid until M-Audio gets this corrected and makes good on all the duds placed under the Christmas tree this year. Must be a bad run. Earlier serial numbers from a few years ago work fine. +4 Works fine for me with an old Yamaha PSR-500 on my Gentoo Linux desktop PC. The latest kernel (2.6.27) recognizes it as soon as I plug it in. KMidi will play MIDI files on it just fine, and I can record into Rosegarden without problems. I don't seem to be having any of the problems other folks are having with PSR keyboards. Guess I'll have to wait and see how it holds up long-term. Based on some googling, there seems to be two primary issues with this device: some marginal electrical connectivity that works with some keyboard/controller MIDI outs but not others, and a broken implementation of MIDI input running status. The Linux driver actually compensates for the latter issue. The former is a crap shoot. +5 When it comes to this kind of hardware, the best products are the ones that are invisible. I had an old MIDI keyboard workstation with weighted keys. I also had a truncated USB controller that I used as a computer input. I didn't see the reason to have both. I did a quick search for a MIDI to USB interface and found the MIDISPORT. I use it for sketches in Garageband, but I'm sure it would be fine in any composing software. Since I don't do much with keyboard electronics, studio gear or MIDI in general, it took me a minute understand the MIDI path, and the directions were not very thorough. After some trial and error it just worked. +1 I actually got this to work with my Yamaha P-80, but I paid dearly for it. I'm running Windows XP and during the driver installation, I got the "...has not passed Windows Logo testing to verify its compatability with Windows XP" message. OK, the next paragraph was really scary - "Continuing your installation of this software may impair or destabalize the correct operation of your system either immediately or in the future. Microsoft strongly recommends that you stop this installation now and contact the hardware vendor for software that has passed Windows Logo testing." M-Audio's user guide ACTUALLY INSTRUCTS you to click the "Continue Anyway" button, so instead of stopping the install and returning this item for a refund, I trusted them and continued the install (you actually get warned twice not to install). BIG MISTAKE! After the install, I found out my Email and Internet services were not working. Somehow, the Midisport installation managed to turn off my Broadcom network adapter, and if I hadn't had the help of AT&T tech support, I would have concluded that I had a hardware problem with my Ethernet connection. Don't know yet if anything else got messed up. As an added bonus, there's also a warning sticker hidden inside the package advising you, for reasons I won't even get into, to wash your hands after handling the product. I am not making this up. I have never had this type of problem installing a USB device, and I have about 6 of them. Avoid, unless you can take the risk. +1 If you use Windows Vista or plan on switching to Vista, your M-Audio equipment isn't going to work the way it did in XP. M-Audio has a Vista driver for the USB Uno but it doesn't always work. Initially, after I installed the Vista driver that I downloaded from M-Audio's support page, everything seemed to work fine. But after a few hours of working in Reason 4.0, I noticed that the sounds weren't quite right. Everything that I was playing through my keyboard, which was connected via the USB Uno, sounded like poor quality samples. At first I thought it was my soundcard (M-Audio Fast Track USB. I wrote a review for that as well) but I played a drum pattern in ReDrum without my keyboard and everything sounded normal. I then tested the USB Uno with another MIDI controller and got the same results, low quality sounds. After uninstalling and reinstalling the USB Uno driver a couple of times, the sounds triggered by my keyboard seemed to be working okay again. When I decided to use it again later that week, the same sound issue reemerged. Personally, I will not be purchasing anymore M-Audio products due to their poor Vista drivers. +3 I bought this device hoping it would work with Cakewalk_9, a midi controller/keyboard, and my laptop. I was really disappointed. The device looks like it's receiving data from the controller but my software just refused to see that there was any midi device attached. I know this company makes a quality product so I'm sure it's my software's fault that it's not working for me. After doing some research it seems that it is probably designed to be used with a different midi recording software package than what I'm trying to use. In short, don't buy it unless you are fairly certain your recording software supports it. Unfortunately I lost my reciept so I'm left with something I can't use. +2 I also have a roland A-37 and the uno randomly misses some notes. I am able to use the UNO if I patch some other device between the A-37 and it. I'm also an electronics expert and I have a pretty good idea of what the problem is: Neither the UNO nor the A-37 fit the electrical MIDI spec well enough to tolerate each other. I opened the UNO to see how it works. It has an optocoupler that is powered at slightly less than 5 volts. (around 4.4) The uno has a good 5 volt power supply from USB according to my measurements. I am not sure if the designer deliberately biased the optocoupler thru a resistor or what exactly is the reason for the slightly lower power at the 6N138. Whatever the reason is, I suspect it might lower the uno's margin to cope with devices that are marginal. Meanwhile, the A37 sends a weaker than normal MIDI signal. I have not dug inside it to find out why, but I have measured the current that it is able to drive thru a midi input and it is lower than what most other keyboards can push. The two devices together don't work, but if another device is inserted (and the uno is patched to the thru) then everything is OK. This is the easiest work around. +5 I'm pretty well versed in MIDI and computer support, so it might just have been easier for me, but I didn't have any issues, works great. +2 I finally got my Uno to work with my Yamaha keyboard. Yes that's right, I have a Yamaha keyboard (YPT-200). Here's how I did it: I installed the drivers before I plugged in the USB device. Strangely, the Uno was not using M-Audio drivers even though the hardware wizard looked like it figured everything out correctly. I checked Device Manager to see if the drivers were installed correctly (they were not). To get into Device Manager: 1. I right-clicked on My Computer, then clicked on Properties 2. Clicked on the Hardware tab 3. Clicked on the Device Manager button 4. Clicked on the plus (+) sign next to Sound, video and game controllers. 5. Double-clicked on "USB Audio Device" (if you have M-Audio USB Uno Driver in the list, don't go any further. Your drivers are fine though you may want to update them. As of 3/3/07 it is version 4.2.0) 6. Clicked on the Driver tab, then clicked on the Update Driver button. 7. Clicked on the "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)" radio button, then clicked Next 8. Clicked on "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install." radio button, then Next 9. The M-Audio USB Uno MIDI Driver should be in the compatible hardware list. You will have to select it, otherwise it will use Microsoft's generic drivers. Click Next. 10. You will get a scary message about "The software you are installing ... has not passed Windows Logo testing to verify its compatibility with Windows XP... yada, yada... Just click "Continue Anyway." 11. If all goes right your "USB Audio Device" will change to "M-Audio USB Uno Driver" or "Audio USB Uno MIDI Driver" or both. Yes, I got it to work, but for M-Audio to have me go through these steps is unconscionable. The drivers should install without fuss. This is not a true "Plug and Play" device... not even a "Plug and Pray" device. It's just stupid. Giving 2 stars is generous. For those who gave 4 or 5 stars... maybe you have a Mac... or maybe you just live right, but this is not a great product. Even though it now works, there are some latency problems (press a piano key... hear the sound a couple of miliseconds later), and it sounds a bit muddy. I can live with that (muddy sound & latency issues), but a bad install experience does not make me want to purchase an M-Audio product in the future. Cheers! 5/12/08 (I've been wanting to update for awhile... I just got around to it now) After I got the Uno Midi to work and played around on the piano keyboard, I turned it off and when I returned to the application that I use the Midi in again, it was back to the Microsoft Midi drivers... dang! Okay, I can drudge though setting up drivers once, but everytime I turn off the keyboard or unplug the USB? Too much work. So I purchased the E-MU Xmidi 1X1 USB MIDI interface, and it worked straight out of the box. Perhaps needless to say I have not used the Midisport Uno again. Good luck with your usage. +4 I had little problem getting this to work under Windows XP SP2. The unit I received warns you *not* to plug it in until after the drivers are installed. I was able to get it working with Finale Songwriter after swapping the 5-pin MIDI connectors to match the MIDI In and Out on the electronic piano. If using extension cables, have some female-to-female adapters handy... +1 I was encouraged by a review of this product on another site which said they had resolved the Yamaha PSR keyboard problems. Silly me. I believed it. I tried the XP drivers, the ones on the M-Audio site, and the one included on the CD and while it may work with some Yamaha PSR keyboards, none of those drivers let it work with my PSR-230. I returned it and bought a Yamaha UX16 instead. +5 I unwrapped my new Uno, plugged it in, ran "Audio MIDI Setup", and Uno was recognized immediately; no drivers needed. Then added my MIDI keyboard (Yamaha PSR-270). There are no problems sending or receiving MIDI between my keyboard and computer. The Uno works as advertised. +4 I bought the Midisport Uno a few days ago in hopes that it would replace my 15-pin midi connection I have in the back of my computer (with which I have had no problems, I was just trying to free up the PCI slot it was occupying). Anyway, I have since tested it with two different keyboards, a Yamaha PSR-273 and a Casio CTK-471. #1) My main concern was that there would be latency issues. This was not the case at all. Rather, I never experienced a single problem with latency. #2) It worked flawlessly with the Casio keyboard, I couldn't have been more satisfied with it in that respect. #3) It worked horribly with my Yamaha PSR-273. Imagine using it underwater, or after bashing it with a hammer. Completely inoperable with this keyboard. I called M-Audio's tech support line, and they quickly admitted that the device doesn't work with Yamaha PSR keyboards. He also mentioned that they don't work with another Yamaha model line (other than PSR), but he claimed not to be sure as to which one. He suggested I buy a Midisport 1x1 as it has none of the known compatibility issues that the Uno has, but I have yet to test it. Bottom line: If you're not using a Yamaha keyboard, you shouldn't have any problems. If you ARE using a Yamaha keyboard, it's very likely the Uno isn't going to work for you (100% likely if it's a PSR). If you are willing to use a PCI-slot-based piece of hardware, I suggest a cheap soundcard with a joystick (15-pin) port in conjunction with this set of cables: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008VF52/sr=8-4/qid=1149323626/ref=pd_bbs_4/104-2313201-5844738?%5Fencoding=UTF8 If you're using a Yamaha keyboard but you still want to connect via USB, you apparently have to get the Midisport 1x1 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006I5HD/ref=sr_11_1/104-2313201-5844738?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=11091801 Hope this helps. +1 I bought this product to support two different MIDI devices. It works fine with my DigiTech GNX-3 (to move settings between the PC and the GNX-3). It does not work with my Yamaha MIDI keyboard. As noted by other comments, it only gets a few notes here and there. I took the same Yamaha keyboard and connected it through a joystick/midi port, and it worked great. So the fault is definitely with the UNO. Tech support has not been helpful thus-far, but will give a full update after we have tracked the incident to the bitter end. +3 I wrote a review of this earlier that I have since deleted, because it gave too many stars. I've found that a problem I had inputting notes into my computer was apparently not a problem with my keyboard, but with this interface. I couldn't get this to work with my Yamaha PSR-275 keyboard, and I couldn't get any support. I tried to connect the keyboard to my PC (which has an Athlon 64, 1 GB RAM, etc.; there's nothing wrong with the computer) so I could play into PrintMusic 2006 notation software. Using MIDI ExpLab, I could output to my keyboard, but when I inputted from the keyboard to the computer, the computer only picked up what I was playing in little bits several seconds apart. Same thing in PrintMusic 2006. I couldn't figure out if it's the product, or something else. I borrowed a Yamaha Clavinova, and the interface cables worked fine with that keyboard, leading me to think the interface works fine and that my PSR keyboard was the problem. But then I found an online forum where someone said M-Audio admitted this does not work with all Yamaha keyboards. Note that XP users probably shouldn't install any drivers (there is a CD included); that isn't made clear in the very sparse product insert, but the company's web site says XP should just recognize it. The company apparently hasn't obtained an XP compatable logo from Microsoft, but they swear it works on XP, and it seems to. Eventually I returned this and got the Yamaha UX16 interface, installed the latest drivers from Yamaha's online site (which, strangely, don't always seem to "stick" to my computer), and my keyboard sends notes to the computer correctly. That seems to prove that the M-Audio Midisport Uno interface was the problem. This interface works with some keyboards, but not others. If you get it, save the packaging in case you need to return it (it is very nice packaging in that it just pops open instead of forcing you to rip it apart). +3 I have tried out almost every conceivable large capicity MP3 player out. Hands down, for price, value, look, and durability, the Nomad Zen has it. Here's my breakdown. Nomdad Zen Looks nice and from an American company, Creative Labs. Its easy to use interface, great sound, slightly smaller than the archos and a bit bigger than the Ipod. Built in battery but dies after 2 years or so. No problem, according to the Creative Labs website. They'll replace it at no charge when it dies. And yes it has shuffle and such an easy to use playlist, including a LCD screen remote -- how cool! Battery life is pretty good too. I found the Zen to be a superb overall value. IPod A great looking player built by an American company, Apple. The Windows interface is *okay*. The ipod is the smallest, and it has a built in battery, which when it dies, the Ipod is useless. Too expensive for a disposable MP3 player. Decent sound. Archos Jukebox A lot of features, looks strange, and a bit heavy from the French Company, Archos. Who needs a 1.5 screen to view multimedia -- a useless feature IMO. To change the volume, you have to go through a series of buttons. Why? Ridiculous. However the Windows interface is the best out of them all; just drag and drop in Windows Explorer. Sound is okay, it sounds flat. Net MD This is the Sony MiniDisc player from the Japanese giant, Sony. I tried out the N707 and N1. They're small, great battery life, and they look great. Minidiscs are cheap and they hold 80 minutes of music plus data. Minidiscs are about a dollar a piece, but can only hold 169 MB of data -- its major drawback. You have to use Real Player with the Sony MD plugin to bypass the stupid anti-piracy software Sony included. I own over 750 CDs, and it made it impossible to make discs of my favorite songs if one song was on more than one minidisc. To get around it, I used the RealOne player from RealNetworks. Price, a bit expensive for low capacity. But they are by far the smallest and look the coolest. +5 I bought the very first "IPOD" ever made, and it was not made by Apple, but by Archos. Archos was literally years ahead of the competition. Now, it has been outpaced by the competition and so has been branching out into video. I have owned this particular model, the Jukebox Multimedia 20 GB, for about a year. I have had only very minor problems. This is a machine for a person who loves to tinker with electronic devices. It's not for novices. Buy an IPOD instead. Maybe, in a few years, Aplle will produce an IPOD that can store movies too! A revolutionary concept! Watch Apple take the credit too! No, Archos is not perfect, by any means. First of all, although rgeir devices tend to look rugged, you have to treat this player like a baby. Never ever... ever drop it! I dropped the first "IPOD" ever made, and it never worked again. It is very delicate and sensitive! Also be careful not to expose it to too much sun, heat, or cold. The video, at least with this generation, is just a novelty. If you wanted to, you could watch 20 movies in a row with this device (if only the batteries would last that long). But, needless to say, you wouldn't want to. The screen is too small, and your eyes would start to hurt from squinting too much. At best, it's good for a quick movie on the plane. In my experience, the battery life will allow 2 1/2 - 3 hour of continuous video viewing. In other words, at least in my experience, battery life has never been a problem with Archos products. The best thing about this device, though, is playing MP3s on it. The sound is great! You can adjust such things as bass boost, treble, loudness, etc. Also, for only a few more bucks, you can buy a camera attachment to allow you to record video and pictures on it. The quality is okay... better than you might expect. In conclusion, if you're a movie lover and don't mind squinting too much, buy this product. The quality of the video is superb. Part of the reason you squint so much is that you are able to distinguish so much detail on such a small screen. It really is amazing, but hardly practical. Since this came out, Archos has put out a product with a screen about twice as large. The only problem is it costs twice as much. For the price this is a good buy. For less than the price of the IPOD you get the exact same thing and a little more. +2 I've owned a few Archos products, and I still use the slim 20GB portable hard disk on a daily basis. But I cannot recommend Archos products, because, two years after they started selling here stateside, their quality control and customer support are still very, very poor. While not a looker, the Jukebox Multimedia looks good on paper, with MPEG4/DiVX support (although you need to convert the files, a tedious process) and expandability. As you can tell from the picture it's quite bulky. What's interesting is, it's actually smaller than it looks, but heavier, too, the exact opposite of the RCA RD2840 40GB Personal Jukebox, which I recommend for its 40GB capacity, great price point, and good quality. I cannot recommend the Archos at all, read on. First, the screen on this thing is really small. Tiny! Don't expect to watch video more than a couple times. Once the novelty factor wears off -- and it'll only take a few minutes -- you'll want to shun watching anything on the small screen, even JPEG pictures. (Sorry, Larry, no carry-anywhere porn viewer for you yet.) There are no details on the videos and pictures, and the LCD screen eats battery fast, very fast. Second, Archos really, really, really needs to improve their quality. I bought my first unit on a Saturday, it broke the next day, I took it back for an exchange, then by Tuesday the second one would not turn on. I went back for another exchange, but the very next day the third unit developed a heavy vibration midway through a song. That's it, I returned the unit to store for a full refund. All this time, I did not bother to call Archos tech support, because from my past experience I knew them to be rather useless. With my compact hard disk, for example, it came with an instruction sheet that had whole sections missing! When I contacted tech support, they asked me to refer to the missing information on the sheet! You should take a look at the support section of their website, and you'll see they are not very serious about keeping their customers happy. (Archos is a French company, FYI.) If their products were reliable this could be forgiven. But unfortunately the products are not high-quality at all. So I think if you buy this product you are basically playing with Russian roulette. You might get a reliable unit; my Archos hard drive and one previous Studio jukebox work fine. But, then, if you take my advice and check out the RCA 40GB Jukebox, I think you'll save yourself lots of frustration over a not-cheap purchase. +1 This is by far the worst product I have ever purchased! I was undecided about buying this or the Nixvue Vista (I should have gone with the later). I was also a bit incredulous regarding the bad reviews of this product, as I have an ARCHOS Jukebox; it's never given me any trouble. The scoop is that I got it (from another store - not Amazon) took out of the box, charged it as per instructions, the thing powered up for about 5 seconds and then... it DIED! For as much as I tried the thing would not power up no matter what. I called ARCHOS tech support, only to be placed on "eternal hold" for 30 minutes, I never got in touch with a single person. I tried again that same night just to get the lame response of charging the unit fully and giving it "another try"... like I didn't do that in the first place! I'm in the process of returning this product to the store. Last time I'll EVER buy an ARCHOS product, they are very unreliable (you might get a good one or you might not... wanna gamble?). Tech support and answering times are the worst I have ever experienced for any product that I have purchased in the last 20 years. I can classify this as a big waste of time and money +5 I bought the JBM along with the CF/SM/Photo module for one reason - to dump images off the 512 MB cards I use with my Canon 10D. This makes my life sooo much easier! Just plug the card in and copy the files over to the drive. Granted, when I shoot in RAW format I can't see what the image looks like, but I did not get this thing to view images with - just as storage for when I am out in the field taking pictures. The other functions on this thing are just bonuses to me. Archos makes some really nifty products and they did a great job with this one. That said, if you want something that is going to survive being beaten up every time you use it, this is probably NOT the unit you are looking for. However, if you want something inexpensive that does the same and more of units that cost twice as much then this is for you. +5 This thing does just about everything, you can watch movies, listen to music, transport files, and even record interviews. Mine has worked flawlessly, ive put it through its paces, roadtrip, jogging, around campus. And it makes your friends jealous as a added bonus...;) It even plugs into macs without any software. Great gadget, great price. +5 I've had my Archos Jukebox Multimedia (JBM 20) for two weeks now and I don't know how I survived without it! This thing does it all!! It holds an amazing amount of mp3, jpeg and .avi (video) files. The only drawback is that you can't feed live video into it, although the recently released JBM 120 can be bought with an attachment that allows "real time" video input from a camera, TV or other source. Yes, it's true that it's heavier than an iPod and doesn't look quite as cool. However, when you can use this for literally everything (incl. backing up your most important data), I'll take it over the iPod any day! I can store hours of divx and other video on it and either watch on the screen or output to a TV with VCR or better quality. The microphone serves its purpose well, too. It is sensitive and the data is stored in mp3 format. The video/digital camera attachment that came with it does an okay job, but, of course, there is no flash. The cool thing is that the same module works for both the video (avi) and the photo (jpeg). The card reader modules also works well and allows you to quickly download photos from your digital camera without processing it through a computer first. One great idea is to buy this and the iRock Wireless Music Adpater for [dollar amount] to beam your audio to any FM radio in your car or house. Wish List: 1) Ability to download real time video without conversion; 2) More cool modules and third party software/operating systems; 3) Ability to turn it into a basic PDA; 4) Cooler looking design with changeable color plates; 5) Ability to upgrade HD to 60, 80, 100 gig drives. Buy this unit today!! It's cheaper and better than the iPod. The only thing better is the recently released JBM 120/140. +5 I was waiting for wireless to be faster then 11mbs. This linksys router does it for the RIGHT PRICE. For about the same price as 11mb you can get 5 times the speed. The range is terrific, I am using this for my home and I was transferring at 50+mbs from my backyard. Easy to configure, and the price is right, great technical support. I had an issue where the laptop could not see the router, for some odd reason the default channel did not work in my house, go figure, after speaking to a patient technician we worked it out. If you are going wireless THIS IS THE ONE TO BUY. +5 I took delivery on this router today - wow amazon.com was fast!! Anyway, the router was purchased to replace my SMC peice of junk. The SMC would constantly drop the connection, even when sitting right in front of the router. But back to this router! The setup was incredibly easy and took me all of 10 minutes to get all of my pc's up and running including my 802.11b laptop. The setup interface is amazingly simple but yet very powerful. It allows you to configure all of the standard stuff like WEP and addressing but I was really blown away by the security options - the SMC was nowhere this powerfull! You can disable broadcasting the SSID and most importantly you can create an access list of MAC addresses that are allowed to connect to the wireless interface - so sorry warchalkers!!! I could go on and on - the setup is great. The performace has been excellent so far using my 802.11b laptop - sorry I can't tell you how great the 802.11g speed is - I only have a 802.11b card. Actually I have a Dell so I am waiting to see if Dell releases a mini-pci 802.11g card - now THAT would be cool!! AWESOME ROUTER!! Great delivery and service from Amazon.com!! +2 Very limited life to recent Linksys products. +5 One of the best, most flexible routers available on the cheap side. Also, being able to flash tomato on it is a huge bonus +4 Worked well, but seemed a little light-weight in the durability department. +3 Is in good condition despite not fulfilling my expectations +5 GRACIAS +5 Good +5 Now to note, the WRT54GL is arguably the best consumer wireless router, as there is business-grade stuff that obviously is built much better with a rackmount steel chassis. But when it comes to something that just works in the home, the WRT54G is it. It has many different firmware options... With ddwrt firmware you can boost output power to 251mw vs 70mw stock... This is the best of the best 802.11g router ever made for home use. +5 This is a classic router that does a very simply job well with all the usual basics included you would expect from a name brand router. If you need simple effective, this is it. +5 Very reliable WiFi router. Still running strong after 12 years. Does not support WPA2 with stock firmware. Since some modern devices do not recognize WPA-AES encryption (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S6) you may have to run it in less secure WPA-TKIP mode. +5 ok +3 It is a used router and works perfectly and was under $10. I reset it and am using it in my home network. +5 Very nice Items. Fits my needs and very fast shipping. A++++ Seller. +2 Setting this beast up with a Mac was a hassle. IDK all the weird codes and stuff it needs. I ended up getting an AirPort. Costs more but it's simple to set up and just works. +5 This is a classic. Have used mine for 10 years. +5 It works great +5 look ma, no wires +5 You can always depend on Linksys Routers to last a long time. +5 Linksys is always dependable +5 Excellent +5 Great Deal - Recommend +3 I one of these that broke so I wanted to get the same model for ease of setup. The firmware was a lot newer so it took a while. I actually called tech support with a question (the day after I received it). I gave them the serial number and they said they were sorry but the 3 year hardware warranty expired a year and a half ago (even though I just opened it). I eventually got it to work but am kind of bummed that there is no warranty on something I just opened. If it lasts as long as the last one did I am still happy. +5 I bought a long time ago but I'm back using is wonderful and seller fulfiled +5 I love it +5 I love everything. I do research to make sure that what I am ordering is the item I love before I submit. I order in advance so that it is not important that the item gets to me instantly. (I am impressed by the quick processing on this one.) This is what I ordered. Thanks for an enjoyable transaction +5 Great product, good price +3 Having trouble setting up the router. +5 fast shipping and great price +5 Worked well in its time. Their are better out there now. +5 Linksys use to be the top of the line in quality...not so much any longer. +1 Even after factory reset, this unit doesn't seem to work correctly. The admin web page times out again and again. +1 I recommend you NOT purchase this product. I charged 6 sets of batteries before a trip and discovered that the amount of charge I got from this charger gave me only enough juice for 2 photographs - without flash! Thankfully, I had a set of batteries I charged with a different charger, that had been sitting in my flash attachment for 2 weeks. I took those batteries out, put them in my camera, and they lasted the rest of the day. Can't even give this one star because the company leads you to believe that your battery is charged when the fact is, it's only charged enough for 2 or three photos. This is based on the usage in RAW mode in my 5 mpx camera. +2 This unit charges batteries very fast (Hence the name Rapid Charger), It does make the batteries very hot during charging, I believe that it might damage the batteries in the long run, But so far it seems to work correctly, The provided 4 batteries are only 2000mAh (*New Updated*) which are worthless, My 4 year old Creative 1800mAh Batteries are better even after all these years of use.(You get the point?) The A/C adapter is good for only 120V AC, wish it had dual A/C selection switch for use in other countries, Car Charger adapter is added bonus, But that is rarely used. There are better products out there, But for the Price I think it does it's job okay. +5 Perfect device!!! +5 Works as advertised. +5 Does a great job! +4 WORKS GREAT +5 Shipping from the seller was super fast and I have to say thank you for that. I picked this up because I wanted to make a network bridge after installing DD-WRT on the unit. I also found out that you can add this in to your home network and cut out all the popup adds and side advertisement on webpages too after a few tweaks in DD-WRT +5 Working great so far. +5 GREAT!!! +5 Worked fine +4 Linksys always makes great products. The one I received from my seller was great except for 1 thing, the cat5 cable wouldn't stay plugged in to the back of it. It was damaged, instead of returning it I just used some tape to make sure the cable stays in. It works fine other than that. Has a decent range and gets the WiFi extended to where I need it. +3 Once the data is extreme, such as the data rate of today's standard, it freezes up and you don't have Internet anymore. Put in more money and get an updated unit. +4 If you're close by this WAP, it works great. But if you're more than 20 feet away, the signal drops off to the point where using an ipod or kindle with it gets impractical. I'd like to buy a WAP with more signal power, but the descripions on these devices never mention range. +5 WAP54G Version 3.0 Pros: - Four configuration modes (Access Point, AP Client, Wireless Repeater, and Wireless Bridge) - WEP and WPA compatible Cons: - Difficult to set up - Single RJ-45 port Overall, the WAP54G is a decent product. I am considering purchasing another WAP54G. Quick Tips: - To reset the WAP54G, press and hold the reset button for one minute or so. Still holding the reset button, disconnect the power cord and wait a few seconds before reconnecting. - Consider temporarily disabling your current network's security settings while configuring a WAP54G mode - Use the LAN MAC address located on the "Status > Wireless" page of your WRT54G/S router when configuring a WAP54G mode +2 Work horse router! Best when flashed with WRT. +5 great router love it +1 received it with wrong power cord, not in original box but in a cereal box instead. Oh and it didn't work - Called Linksys to resolve & was told it was 'bricked' which after research means it is not repairable. +5 Got what I paid for. +5 good price. worked as described. +5 Great little wireless router. Worked great. Never had any problems with it. Inexpensive, but nice. +5 very good product. +5 Worked perfectly +4 I support the network at a local school. I've installed 8 of these AP for wireless access. They are easy to setup and they work. Note, I don't use the software setup utility. I log in to the AP and set them up manually. So, I can't really say how the sw set up is to work with. But, the web-based manual setup is easy and works well. Are building are long metal structures and the coverage is good considering the material construction of the building. The most difficult thing about using AP devices is getting power to them. The device itself works great. Linksys looses 1 star (4 instead of 5) for NOT labeling the AC adapter. At least put Linksys on it. Yes, a piece of tape and sharpie marker works... +5 The product is excellent, even though it is an older model. I have always used the WAP54G access point because it "does the job" and will probably continue to use this device/model for a while. The item was shipped and delivered in a short period of time, well within the period that was projected for delivery. +2 CANT ADJUST OUT PUT TRANSMIT POWER. DROPS SIGNALS. DOES NOT REACH THE 150 FEET THEY SAY IT WILL MORE LIKE 40 FEET.. +2 I had to search around the interne looking for a guide on how to set up WAP client mode, And the included CD-Rom doesn't even come with a wizard or anything to help you do that. You had to set your network adapter to Static IP, then find find the WAP's default Static IP, which wasn't even written anywhere in the packaging. After all that, it wasn't too difficult to finish what I started. But gosh darn! Why the heck is it so complicated?! there's not even a manual to get you through all this, hence why I had to search around the internet for help. +5 The Cisco-Linksys WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point is easy to install and use. The security is easy to setup. Works great. The range is perfect. I highly recommend. +5 Individuals should really specify which hardware version they're reviewing. There have been at least three versions of the WAP54G, with reviews for all evidently (based on review dates) lumped together here. This review is for the latest hardware version (3.1). The current WAP54G has been set up to function right out of the box using the default settings. In other words, most wireless devices should connect without any changes, as my two netbooks did. However, to avoid confusion with other nearby wireless networks (the neighbor, etc), you'll want to change your wireless network's name (SSID). Likewise, to avoid any unauthorized intrusions or snooping, you'll want to change the default password ("admin") and add data encryption. The easiest way to do this is to run the Setup Wizard CD on a computer connected to your wired network. The Setup Wizard will take you step-by-step through each process with explanations and occasional advice (this is better, write this down, etc). If you want to run the Setup Wizard on your computer without the CD, simply copy the folder from the CD to your "Program Files" folder and add shortcuts to the "Start" menu. Delete the folder and shortcuts to uninstall. Another setup method, assuming the client device you're connecting also has this capability, is to use the SecureEasySetup feature. Run the Setup Wizard and follow the on-screen instructions. At some point, you'll press the SecureEasySetup buttons on both devices (the glowing "Cisco Systems" logo on the WAP54G and wherever on the client) and the SSID (network name) and WPA-Personal (WPA-PSK) key will be generated on their own. You'll see the result in the Setup Wizard. Only one SecureEasySetup device is allowed. Other devices must be set up manually (previous paragraph). By the way, if a client device does not have this capability, it's probably a good idea to stay well away from the SecureEasySetup button on the front of the WAP54G. With no experience with the WAP54G and very little experience with wireless networking, I was quickly able (using Setup Wizard) to connect the WAP54G to my wired network (two PC's, D-Link switch, & broadband router) and set up a secured (WPA-PSK) wireless network including two ASUS EeePC 1000HE netbooks. The entire process took less than an hour (much easier than expected), most of that time spent carefully reading the manual or on-screen instructions in the Setup Wizard and testing the settings. There were a couple of small surprises. For example, after I initially connected to the WAP54G as described in the second paragraph above (no security, etc), the netbook obviously no longer connected after security was added and I could not figure out how to get out of the original wireless connection. Luckily, after double-clicking on that connection in the "View Available Wireless Networks" screen, Windows XP decided it was a bad connection and deleted it. When I refreshed the network list, there was my desired wireless network. After everything was set up, I roamed around the house with each netbook to check the wireless signal strength and test internet access. House is a modern cement split-level with main floor entrance and downstairs facing rear fenced yard. Signal strength is very good or better throughout, with the only weak spot (poor signal) on the toilet in the main floor bathroom - behind a metal washer & dryer roughly 45-feet from the WAP54G with five cement walls between. However, I was still able to access the internet. Moving the netbook out from behind the washer & dryer increased signal strength to very good. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the Linksis WAP54G. The blue faceplate isn't very attractive and it's a bit too easy to accidently press the SecureEasySetup button, but I was able to accomplish what I want without any major fuss and wireless range is pretty good with no disconnects so far. +1 I wanted a wireless repeater with WPA security. As far as I can find from information online it will not work like this. It may work in WEP but that is old and weak. I didn't want to go backwards. I had problems connecting it to my router a WRT54GS with the CD and after mutiple attempts it would show up. I can't tell you how it works in the other modes since I didn't want it to work as a wired AP. I wanted to extend the range and strength of my wireless signal to an area in my home with a weak signal from my current router location wirelessly. I've decided to upgrade my old trusty WRT54GS with a newer router. We'll see if that helps and If I have to return it I guess I'll research some stronger antenna options other than my Linksys 7dbi that are currently on the router. Good luck! +2 I have had this charger for about 6 years. This is a fast charger. It has charged my batteries in 15-20 minutes. At least thats how long the charge would last until it said it was done. This is what this charger is intended to do, BUT... Charging batteries this fast is NOT good for the batteries. I was only getting about 7-10 photos with my camera before it was saying that the batteries were dead. I was blaming the camera for this, thinking there was a short or something. Turns out that it is NOT the camera but the charger. These batteries need longer charge times to cycle properly. They will eventually burn out the batteries. This charger is only good if you absolutly need somewhat charged batteries in a hurry. Otherwise get a longer charging system. +1 While the model I bought is similar to this one (CK1005) it is doing the same exact thing everyone else reports. I tried charging all my rechargable batteries a couple of times with this charger and NONE of them work in my digital camera! At first I thought it was my camera until I put two ordinary AA batteries in it and it worked fine! What a waste of money. I'm buying a better more reliable brand. Thanks everyone for your reviews, otherwise I wouldn't have known what was going on! +4 I bought my first charger 5 months ago and still works perfect. No problems with the batteries or the charging process. It gets hot but you won't burn. I decided to get my second charger because for $ 10-$14 you can normally get only the 4 2000mah batteries. The charger works perfect at home and in my car. Works for me. +5 We still are using this years after it was purchased. Totally reliable. Inexpensive. +5 Thanks very good product recommended 100% +5 Old Technology but great when it came out. +4 This inexpensive radar unit for autos works to track signals from police magnets, thereby informing you of the presence of police in the area and it is especially at high alert around donut shops and restrooms. The theory behind this is that you won't get a ticket if you know a copper is in the area, hence people will slow down and put away their crack pipes. It can also pick up strange alien frequencies, Pavarotti concerts, AM/FM radio signals and certain Republican conventions, which are a complete bore. +5 Had this exact same router 6 or 7 years, always on. Never failed once until recently. I've had to replace several modems in the last 5 years. +2 Good product. +2 Back in the day was a good router, but as with many Linksys products, it lasted about 2 years and then had problems regardless of firmware applied and resets. Ended up replacing it. +5 great product, great price +2 This product works as advertised. However there are facts you should be clued to. 1) it suffers from FTP upload/download issues. It cannot do large FTP transmits or receives without hanging. This is a known problem having to do with some memory leak and their help desk's only response was "well if you want to do that, you need to get something more robust". What an answer eh. 2) the device has upgrade compatability issues. Since my friend having gotten the above answer from their tech support, needed to upgrade in order to branch out into his new B2B FTP processes, he bought a good powered wireless VPN router. But as one reviewer indicated, the WAP54G will only talk to others of its kind. Indeed every setup option has a restrictive use complication. Thus these access points did not work with his new router. This means that when it comes time to upgrade, you cannot just go out and buy any old thing if your intent is to try and reuse these components elsewhere. The new router works fine, but these devices refuse to talk to it. The documentation confirms that indeed the linksys accesspoints won't talk to anything but others of their kind. That means my friend must upgrade not only his wireless router, but also the wirless connection method used by his store front pcs, and also his router setup in his home office which also uses the related linksys product. What should have been a 150$ fix is now a 600$ total replacement because these WAP54G are useless with any other equipment but themselves. 3) it is slow compared to newer equipment. The speed difference between the WAP54G and corresponding router, and the new VPN wireless router was dramatic; visually noticable. Maybe this is a silver lining for my friend. He si somewhat excited about the possible speed improvment he might see at his point of sale units. The new router was painting internet screens very fast whereas the old liksys router was not in comparison. I wish I could give a comparison of wireless PC performance so that I could comment on the actual performance of the WAP54G but since we could not get the wireless connection made to the new router what can I say. And before someone says that we never tuned the WAP54G setup, know that my friend had network professionals install and optimize the WAP54G equipment when it was initially purchased. They came to his store and home office to do the setup. It cost a few bucks but he was happy at the time to know it would all work. So to recap: 0) works as advertised but... 1) slow 2) memory leaks 3) upgrade incompatible Hail Flavius! +4 I bought this to provide access from my 3rd floor to a WRT54G router that moved from our 2nd floor to 1st floor when we switched from DSL to Comcast cable. Installation took a little longer than I expected, but total was less than an hour to get it all set up. Once installed, there have been no problems at all. Like all Linksys products I've used, it just keeps working perfectly. The WAP54G provides a strong, excellent signal, very good on 3rd floor, and also good on 1st floor in our kitchen. One point to note: the download speed has been a little lower, like 6MB on the WAP54G repeater, instead of 12MB on the WRT54G router connection; upload speed seems the same on both. In other words, no visible difference (at 6MB download, our browsing life is pretty sweet!). Quick summary of steps to install; I followed what "my sources" said to do, instructions at these two links: [...] [...] 1. BEFORE hooking up the new WAP54G: Start with login to the WRT54G router ([...] is typical IP address) to get the wireless MAC address (use the one under Status/Wireless, NOT the under Status/Router). Also get the wireless channel number and SSID (name of your wireless router). After you have the MAC address, wireless channel number, and SSID: 2. I disconnected my laptop from the wireless network. 3. I reset the router (plug it in to power, hold down the reset button in back with pencil point, and watch until Act light on front flickers and then goes out), then unplug the power. 4. Now from your favorite web browser on your PC/Laptop navigate to [...] 5. On the PC/laptop, open network connections for LAN and config TCP/IP to a specific IP address: 192.168.1.240 / 255.255.255.0. No DNS or gateway settings need to be set at this time. 6. Plug in cable between PC/laptop ethernet connection (RJ45 jack, the usual one for network connecting) and the port on the back of the WAP54G. 7. Plug in power to the WAP54G.....wait until lights come on, Power, Act, Link. 8. Navigate laptop browser to [...] and you'll get a linksys login screen...leave the User Name blank, and enter "admin" as password. 9. At this point, you are configuring the WAP54G with the wireless MAC address, channel number, and SSID saved from the WRT54G router in step 1. 10. On the main page of the Web interface, change the channel number to the same one the WRT54G uses (5 in our case). As with all chgs, click save and continue. 11. Click "AP Mode", select the "Wireless Repeater" radio button, and enter the WRT54G's wireless MAC address (from step 1). 12. Click "Password" and change the default password (I changed to same as used for WRT54G router). After save/continue, use the new password to get back to the admin interface in browser. 13. Finally, click "Basic Setup" and change the SSID (I used a different name from WRT54G router, adding a "2" to end of name, so that we could decide manually which to connect to from various points in our home. You may want to use the same name as router--supposed to be seamless--but I preferred unambiguous knowledge of which one used). 14. If you use only MAC filtering for security (which I do, enough for our little home network), you are finished as MAC filtering is automatically "inherited" from the WRT54G. If you use WAP/WEP security, follow the rest of the instructions from the links above. 15. Finally, disconnect the cable between PC/laptop and WAP54G. And reset your network connection (step 5) for LAN, config TCP/IP, back to DHCP or whatever you were using. +2 This unit installed fairly easily. I mounted it in a first floor closet where it now provides an excellent signal to the entire first and second floors (my base wireless router takes care of the family room floor in the basement). HOWEVER, I find that I constantly have to power it on and off to get my portables back online when they have been "asleep" for awhile - so frequntly that I installed a power bar in the closet just so I wouldn't have to unplug the Access Point to reboot it. None of the standard approches to "fix" the connection from the computers themselves works. One portable is an IBM using XP while the other is an HP using Vista, so it's apparently not an operating system or hardware issue. Besides these same computers did not have this problem connecting to my base router (also a Lynksys, although older), before I bought the Access Point. +3 It worked for the time being +5 Excellent +5 Wonderful product , I dropped it by accident. +5 great +5 A classic router that has truly stood the test of time. If you plan on putting on your own firmware, do some homework and get the right version of the router that will have more memory on it, however this thing does support DD-wrt, and works great. +5 VERY GOOD +5 Works like a charm in my 2 bedroom apartment. No packet losses in sight! +5 Everything the ad said it was. Worked for me! +5 Like mew. +5 On TIME! GREAT PRODUCT +5 Linksys v8 +5 nice item,fast shipping +5 Excelente!! +5 Several years of excellent performance +1 I ordered this item to provide my house with wireless internet. After it arrived, I took it out of the box. The instructions read "insert the enclosed CD and follow the on-screen instructions." I put the CD in. When the icon appeared on the desktop, I opened it. There were no instructions! Instead, I was presented with a baffling array of 13 different icons, none of which had self-explanatory names. So I called the 1-800 technical help number. Over approximately half an hour, I spoke (with difficulty) to two different women located in the Philippines. Both spoke English with a heavy accent, and at times I had trouble understanding them. I was asked my name, my telephone number, and the model and serial numbers for this device. I was asked who my internet provider was. I was also asked "how I was" today, thereby pointlessly wasting both my time and theirs. I spent all of the 30 minutes answering THEIR questions, but was never told how to install or set up this device. Instead, I was informed that this device would not, in fact, provide me with wireless internet as advertised. So, there you go. If you are a technical person, then perhaps you can figure out for yourself how to install this thing. But I would not recommend this device for the average person. It will not provide you with wireless internet, and you will get no help from customer service. +1 Spent a day trying to get it to work in repeater mode to no avail. Linksys tech support helped me to get it working for ten minutes. This is complete junk. I am returning it. +4 I am no luddite, but I wouldn't say that I'm that tech savvy when it comes to networking. After a few calls to Linksys I finally got set up and running great. +5 good +5 This router has been working since 2004 with few interruptions: Numerous power outages and a couple of moves. Just plug it in and it keeps on keeping on. I reprogrammed it using DD-WRT making it even better than its factory settings. +5 I had it for a long time recently upgraded to a N+ for better speeds besides that it still works and i use it when i go travel +1 I have to reboot it every day. I can not flash it. Cisco/Linksys purposely killed this product because it could compete with their more expensive offering. +5 I bought this to make my internet connection wireless and it was easy to use! It did the job and I would highly recommend it. +1 According to the tracking number the package was delivered, but I never got it. The Post Office was no help. I wish I would have had it insured, but I don't recall seeing that option. I MAY try again later +5 I've used this Linksys AP in many applications. Extending my wired network to wireless with one of these APs is almost brainless. The new wizard does the trick especially. The price is still a bit high compared to an AP+router today. Not sure why but because I know this product works, I don't mind paying the price. +1 This is the text from the web control panel. It doesn't work with other brands and so you can't get a signal even though it's in range. Would not buy again since the functionality is so limited. "Note: When set to "AP Client" and "Wireless Bridge" mode, this device will only communicate with another Linksys Access Point (WAP54G). When set to "Wireless Repeater" mode, this device will only communicate with another Linksys Access Point (WAP54G) and Linksys Wireless-G Router (WRT54G)." +5 Very good product. Allows me wireless access throughout my entire house. I have always trusted the Brand Linksys. Good Value for the price. +3 I needed a WAP to link my blue ray player to my in house wireless network. I have a WRT 54 GS Router. The setup was a bit tricky, but use the instructions provided in the reviews here and you can set it up. The first item at some point turned into a brick and I sent it back, the replacement is working fine. Amazon's replacement policy was excellent. +3 Works great, I do have to power cycle the device every 3-4 days because it stops responding, and I loose connection. +4 I already had a Linksys 54G router in the basement, and I added this access point upstairs to give better coverage for my iPhone. I used a hard-wired connection between the router and the access point. Ithen set the access point to a different channel, and the whole setup seems to work fine. +5 I have been using this router for over 9 years. When it died I spent quite a bit of time determining the new on to purchase. I decided this is still going to do the job! Wireless Laptop connection, 2 Desktop connections, and an Xbox connection!! You cannot go wrong with this router. The only thing to watch is you internet speed. If it is not fast enough that will kill any setup. +5 We have had this type of router forever! We just ended up purchasing another one because the antennas finally broke off our old one. Very nice product and nice shipping/delivery. +5 Since I'm connected to DSL via a modem which incorporates a router, adding a WAP was the easiest way to add wireless capability for my wife's laptop. I was concerned about range after reading a few reviews, but I have the WAP in an upstairs bedroom and we usually use the laptop downstairs. It always gets a strong signal. (It even sees the neighbor's network 100 yds away, although weak) Set-up was extremely easy using the included CD. I would definitely recommend this product. +5 Using this device as an access point only. Connected to a D-Link DGL4100 Gaming Router. Network of 3 PCs is wired with 1 laptop, also wired. Before setup, I read about security, WEP v. WPA/WPA2-Personal and MAC address filtering. Security concerns were the reason for the wired network. I used the CD to auto setup, and then manually configured after logging into the address my router assigned to the Access Point via DHCP (your router will change the default ip if you have it set to do so. It's status page should tell you the new ip). At first, I used simple WEP encryption. Connection was quick. Then I played with the WPA encryption. Had problems connecting and stuck with WEP. I then disabled SSID broadcasting. Tried again next day and realized after making changes to the AP's login page, and saving, you must EXIT the page before you can make a successful connection. Once I figured that out, I went right to WPA2-Personal encryption (the highest level for me), and filtered by MAC address. No problems. Connects my Dell Latitude immediately and excellent range on the second floor as well (AP is on first floor). Very satisfied. Only complaint is the bright blue..wish it was all black to blend in more. I plan on mounting it high on a wall in my basement stairwell, which will be a pretty central location in my house and will keep it out of sight. +5 The Linksys WAP54G is well suited for personal and SOHO use. It supports a variety of security modes, from open networking, to WAP with RADIUS authentication. Initial configuration is simple. +3 Have replaced this unit with a wireless N Cisco machine (already rated here) In its day, is was a great workhorse of a machine. No complaints, ever. +5 This router is very reliable and will always buy Linksys because they always come thru for me and very reliable routers +4 This is still one of the best 802.11g routers, but only if you get hardware revision 1, 2 or 3 and install the DD-WRT third-party firmware. After hardware version 3 they reduced the amount of flash and main RAM and switched the firmware from a linux-based firmware to one based on vxworks. Because of this reduction in hardware capability after version 3, your third-party firmware options are much more limited. With only 2MB of flash you can still install the "micro" version of DD-WRT, but you'll have to use "vxworks killer" software to overwrite the boot loader which makes it much more likely that you'll brick the router. If you get a v1, v2, or v3 router then the boot loader is already going to be a linux-based "CFE" bootloader and you can upgrade the firmware to the latest version of DD-WRT with very little risk of bricking the device. Since the bootloader doesn't get overwritten, the worst case scenario is usually that you'd have to use TFTP to reinstall the vendor's firmware which is a pain, but nowhere near as much of a pain as having to get a JTAG interface and solder wires on the circuit board to unbrick a router with no working bootloader. Anyway, the WRT54G (at least versions 1 through 3) is a classic. "Wireless G" is still faster than the vast majority of internet connections out there, so it's perfectly fine unless you need extra speed to transfer data between local devices. And the features you can get by installing DD-WRT on the thing are amazing (multiple networks, client bridge mode, "repeater bridge" mode, etc.) I have a WRT54G with DD-WRT and I use it as both a "repeater bridge" (range extender) and a client bridge for all the non-wifi devices around my TV set. It works perfectly. The RP-SMA antennas are a big benefit because many routers these days don't even have external antennas. +5 I added it to my hard wired network system so that I can use my new wifi capable 10.6" Acer lap Top computer in my backyard. It works great and was easy to add to my harwired Linkseys router. Prices vary so look around for best price. +1 This router worked for about three weeks......then it stopped working n their tech people walked me through n hour of trouble shooting till it started to work again.....2 weeks later it stopped working again......I resold it for parts on eBay +5 Good packaging and worked right out of the box. All the information needed to make this router work is freely available on the internet. +5 I made a instalation of DD-WRT firmware instead of the original Linksys firmware. The pieco of hardware is very good and with DD-WRT it is a full featured access point. However not al WRT54G is able to use the DD-WRT firmware. I am not using it as a main access point anymore because it does not have 802.11n. I used it as a repeater, in my house, that is now connected to a Linksys EA4500. +5 Linksys WRT54G is still working great with a longer distance after 5 years in operation. We can video stream or torrent all day long. There is no reason to let it go. In general the new Wireless Routers are nicer looking but terrible in performance and much more expensive. Just buy 2 more WRT54G Wireless Routers for spares at dirt cheap price from Amazon. Although Linksys has changed ownership and products are no longer available, I just download the latest firmware from open source. +5 Update October 10, 2010 I've used this WAP now for an extended period of time with generally no insurmountable problems. This is a replacement unit as the first one was returned to Linksys as faulty. When I was setting up the replacement I had to call Linksys to help me set up the WAP. It appears that the setup process can be fraught with problems. Yesterday I lost wireless access again and had to reset the WAP. Recalling the problems I had the first time, with the replacement WAP, I checked the notes I kept and also checked on line and discovered a lot of people are having problems with the setup of the WAP54G. In spite of all this I still had several hours of frustration in trying to get the laptop back in wireless operation. The installation disc never did work and I noticed one writer said to not use the disc; the following steps are a condensed summary of what I used to get back in wireless operation. The following steps finally did the job and got the laptop back in wireless operation. 1. Reset the WAP using a paperclip in the reset button on back, press the reset button down until the small green light on the front of the WAP goes out and then remove the power plug for at least 10 seconds. This should restore the WAP to the default factory settings. 2. Make sure your WAP is attached to the router directly, not through a switch. 3. Using a computer which is attached directly to the router, open a browser window and type in 192.168.1.245, this is the default IP for the WAP and should open the settings window. 4. Once the settings window is open I recommend leaving the IP in the static, default position at the above IP that worked much better for me. One thing to keep in mind is the necessity of saving any change before you go to the next window; if you don't any changes are lost. Go to security and click on reset security and it should rotate to a higher security setting as the default is no security. 5. Select a name for your wireless network so you can easily identify it when you use your laptop to search for a local signal. In my area I have around 7 wireless networks available so it really helps to be able to quickly recognize yours. 6. When you are done, having saved all of your changes, just close the window and you should be back in business. When I was going through my setup process I saved the IP address to my favorite places and let my computer remember the password so I could just click and be back on. 7. One very important thing before you close the window; record your passphrase as you will absolutely have to have it to access your secure wireless network. You are given the option of choosing a passphrase or letting one be automatically assigned. However you do it, record it in a safe place as you will have to have it to establish a connection to your network. 8. When you open your laptop, right click on your wireless connection icon and search for available networks. You will recognize the name you have given yours and select and click connect. A window will come up requiring a password and that's where you type in the passphrase you have setup for security. Your laptop should than connect to your WAP and you're in business again. Original review I have an Ethernet home network which is working perfectly. I decided to get a laptop and at first connected it to the network by an Ethernet cable. I had been told that in no time at all I would want to go wireless and that turned out to be true. I researched connection options as I wanted to add the wireless capability to the existing Ethernet network and found that something called a wireless access point existed. This seemed to be the right answer as I did not need another router. All of my network equipment was Linksys so I decided the Linksys WAP54G would be the best way to go. As usual, Amazon had as good a value as anyone on the equipment so I ordered it from Amazon. Once the WAP54G came in it set up and installed without any problems. I had read a lot of information about wireless security so I followed the Linksys instructions very carefully in selecting the highest level of encryption available for home use. This was not difficult to do but did require that one read the installation alternatives and proceed carefully. It is now in operation and has not given any problems. It has been interesting to note that there are 6 wireless networks in my area; three of them have no encryption at all, two of them have the lowest level of encryption, and only mine has the highest level. All that says to me is that they were not careful in setting up their security level when they installed the software. I guess the moral of this story is to carefully read and select the highest level of encryption if you don't want your network to be public. +2 I bought this product after I moved to a bigger place and needed a Access Point to widen the signal range. After setting it up, I realized there were a few things I wasn't aware. 1. The device must be physically connected to your existing router (so it's not totally 'wireless') to be used as Access Point. 2. If you want the device to be completely wireless, it needs to be configured as Wireless Repeater. 3. To use it as Wireless Repeater the model of the existing router you have must be WRT54G. (not WRT54GC, WRT54G2, WRT54GS, etc.) After spending hours on chatting with Linksys support (apparently she wasn't even aware some of these restrictions) we found out this device won't work with my router so I decided to return it. +5 When did I buy this? It's been so long, I don't remember. But guess what! It's still going strong and hasn't given me a lick of trouble. After 275 giga-quads of data passed by, it still works. +1 The box says it can act as a repeater with your existing network, however it is only compatable with other linksys routers and access points, a completely unnessecary restriction if you know anything about wireless networks. They use standard frequencies and languages, the only reason it would only work with certain routers is that linksys specifically wrote the firmware that way to force you to buy more of their products. This wouldn't suck so much if it said so ANYWHERE on the box, but it doesn't say it until you've installed the device and connect to configure it, then you get a small warning at the bottom of the menu that it will only work with their other products. +4 This is one of the heavy duty wireless routers that has been in the market for some time now. I have been using these wireless routers for years now at home and at work. They are well build and have a good range of connectivity. They are widely used so you can find lots of info (and new firmware versions) on the net on how to set them up. This particular one came with a dead adaptor which was a surprise to me since I have never experienced this before. I had to buy a new adaptor from amazon ($5) because I did not have the time to send it back to the seller and wait for a new one to arrive (the wireless router itself was ok). Hence the 4 stars. +5 Overall this has to be one of the best wireless routers ever made. For the most part, stands the test of time. Even after nearly a decade these early linksys routers were great. However with that in mind, these have become quite dated. Should you upgrade? That depends. People think that if they have a new router they will automatically get lightning speeds. That really depends on your needs, as well as the computers/devices/tablets etc you have. My years of online gaming are pretty much over so I decided to hold onto this router because my internet speeds were fine for what I need. However if you want to make use of gigabit speeds, then you should consider a new router. At the same time, make sure your computer can support gigabit Ethernet. Also make sure your wireless devices can make use of the new faster protocols. If surfing the web and checking email is your main thing, then this router is still worth it. But with regards to online gaming, HD streaming and faster wireless speeds you would definitely need something more modern. Bottom line: Figure out your own personal needs and go with that. +5 Why Linksys makes newer routers is beyond me. This is the quintessential perfect wireless router for home - throwing the DD-WRT OS on it and it rivals routers that are $1000 now. Easy to modify, top notch without modifying... +3 Did the job for its time which is well past. I am all apple now and these things are relics. +3 The wrt54g is an older model and is no longer supported by linksys. The cd, that came with it would not install the router. I had to install it manually. I called tech support but they couldn't help without a fee but offered me a deal to buy a newer model. That was very disappointing. There are a lot of online how to videos and setup advice so I was able to find one the worked to get it setup and it now works just fine. You get what you pay for. +3 My goal was to find a router that had replaceable antennas. The new ones are either "hard-wired" into the board or they are internal. I researched and found that Linksys routers, versions 6.0 or older had replaceable antennas. I found this one and it said it was refurbished; so I ordered it. When it arrived, one of the old antennas was broken (crappy packaging). No biggie because I had ordered high(?) gain antennas. My goal was to get a stronger signal to my office, which is furthest away from the current router location. After I got it all hooked up and the antennas changed out, there is no difference in signal from the Linksys Router I have; same model but version 8.0. So needless to say, I am disappointed with the results. +1 I have had my Linksys router for 3 years. I also had to get a bridge to extend the range because it couldn't go through walls very well. I had to call them a lot because sometimes the bridge or router somehow lost the address. They used to have free support until just very recently. My beef is with the cost of support. 3.99 a minute. ( I don't know if that includes listening for many minutes to bad music.) You can get 3 months support for $199, 6 months for $299 or 1 year for $499!!! I can tell you I spent many hours talking to tech support so I would go elsewhere. +4 I have two desktop computers connected to a Linksys WRT54G router and two wireless laptops. I have a large 1800's farm house with many room and walls. I also have steel siding that probably adds to the problem. I could connect to the network with the laptops in the front of the house but not the back, about 40-50 feet away. I have a cable running from the router to the back of the house so I got the Linksys WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point. I plugged it in, ran the installation disk and it worked -- sort of. I could connect to all of the other computers but I couldn't connect to the internet (Local only). I checked all of the settings and read many forums and nothing worked. After hours of frustration I shutdown all of the computers and the modem, router and the access point and called it a night. The next morning when I turned it on (you guessed it) it worked. Don't ask me what I did because I don't have a clue. This access point works flawlessly and now I have coverage over my entire house. +3 This product is advertised as Vista-compatible. Apparently that means only that Vista machines can talk 802.11 to it. But the configuration app that comes with the access point won't install on Vista. Vista has been out for a long time so that is really disappointing. Fortunately I have an XP machine and had no trouble setting this up via XP, works great & I appreciate all the different forms of security that it supports since WEP is really weak. +5 I have 5 of them, some working as bridge, some as access points. No smallest problem during over a year of use. Setup is trivial. Most likely, this equipment, as simple as it is, is too complicated for some guys giving it one star. I am giving 5 stars, only beacuse more is technically not possible. +5 I have two of these. They are connected to a 24dbi directional antenna and are placed 4 miles apart. They work at full "g" capacity. You have to turn off diversity and pick which antenna you want to use but that is easy to do. The signal goes to my brother in laws house and is uploaded to my web site. Now I can be anywhere in the world and check my vacation home IP cameras to make sure everything is fine. I also have motion activated IP cameras that take pictures of anyone/anything in the area to catch any intruders. I have lots of video of coyotes and antelope walking past the cameras. Linksys is a great product. They are all integrated and I love the service after sale support if needed. +5 The router arrived just like it stated from the seller. The Router arrived within a couple of weeks. It was an upgrade from my older router and with this version I down loaded updated software. My home network is very stable now and I couldn't ask for more right now. +4 este producto es muy bueno gracias por el buen servicio, me funciona de maravilla y la calidad muy buena me gusta +5 Works well, Good price. Easy to use. Works great as a range extender as well. I use it everyday. Would definitely by one again if needed. +1 hated this.. I tried everything to make it work but nothing! even had someone that knew stuff about wireless routers from than I do but nothing. +3 If you get the v8 model, prepare for some issues. During heavy TCP load (such as torrenting for example), this router will become overloaded and drop connection for all devices. DD-WRT firmware helped slightly with this, but overall, I can't say I'm too happy with the v8 model of this router. Linksys apparently thought it was a good idea to give higher versions of this router less RAM, which is why heavy TCP load (or just load in-general) can and will cause the router to just become non-responsive. Simply put, v8 = no go. You may want to do research into other versions though :) +5 llego como se esperaba. arrived as spected. This is a very good router and wifi. Funciona muy bien, parece nuevo +5 Bought this in 2004 and it was one of the most reliable, bullet-proof routers I've ever owned. Especially with hacked firmware, this is a great router. +5 The WRT54G has been a true "set it, forget it" product. I've had it for over 5 years, and except for the occasional change of WEP key, I can't remember the last time I had to mess with the settings or troubleshoot anything. I used it as a router for a few years, and for the past couple, since we got Uverse, I use it as a switch and a wireless access point for a kind of sub-network in the house. No problems whatsoever. I'l admit I'm not a fancy user - I did once set up some hours-of-use limits for my then-young son's computer, and I did have to fiddle with a couple of settings when my wife's iMac seemed to have trouble holding on to the wireless connection - but I'm very pleased with the stability and reliability of my WRT54G, and I live in fear of its inevitable obsolescence and replacement. +5 What the primary reviewer says about version 5 may very well be true. But I bought mine a long time ago (version 2) and it is still great. My home network has been getting more complex over the years and when I recently added a NAS device to a network that had both a Mac and a PC I couldn't browse the NAS device when the Mac was connected. Well, checked the firmware version. Hmmm, I had 2.xx and the current version is 4.xxx. Think that could be a problem? I did the firmware upgrade and everything is great. My network has a PC and a Mac and the NAS device and the wireless network supports a PC laptop, an iPad and an iPhone. Gotta love that. +5 I can't believe I purchased this 7 years ago... Surprisingly it still works great and the technology hasn't evolved to the point where it's worth upgrading. Our internet is lightning fast and seems faster than most other wireless. It doesn't need to be reset about once per month, but all you have to do is unplug it and plug it back in... +5 I bought this WRT54G router back in 2005. I've had three different desktop computers come and go during that time, and this router has always been a snap to set up each time I got a new computer. I've never really had any problems with it at all, and it works just like it should very consistently. I've done the firmware upgrade through the control panel a few times just to keep the firmware current, although I have not noticed any difference in performance (either good or bad) from any of the upgrades. This thing just works like it is supposed to. We have another desktop PC that uses a linksys wireless adapter to get signal from this router. Since they are both linksys products, linking them together was pretty simple too. We also have two laptops, and iPod touch, and my phone, which can all connect flawlessly. Setting up the wifi security features is pretty straight forward, and since this is a pretty popular model there is a lot of help available online if you're not too computer savvy. I've considered buying a newer wireless router, but I just can't justify spending money on a new router when this 7 year old WRT54G is still going strong and giving me zero problems. Quick Tip: If you want to "boost" your wireless signal, do a google search for "windsurfer antenna". It is a neat (and free) little way to increase the effectiveness of your wifi signal by making little signal deflectors out of paper and aluminum foil. It helps when you have your router on one side of the house and get a weak signal on the other side of the house. It doesn't actually boost your signal, but it just allows you to get the most out of the signal. I did notice a difference when I utilized this tip. +1 Although this router sends out an excellent signal it is very difficult to keep password protected and after your warranty period help with this tedious process is very lacking! Look around when your are traveling and see which wireless routers are unprotected. 9 times out of 10 they will be a Linksys router. Customer service is "my way or the highway." I now have discarded a technically good router to have password protection. This is an inferior product by design. +4 I wanted to connect a wired computer to my wireless network, so I bought one of these, and a WRT54G router (which I needed anyway) which claims to act like a Access Point (it does but..), spent several hours attempting to configure it. Then used the on line linksys help (via the web) and then was told that in Access Client mode, this device will only connect to another WAP54G device. So bought the second one, configured the first to be an access Point, and the second one to be an access client. (pretty quickly as I'm now very familiar with the web based interface) And it works! First, it's a bit unnerving because have to configure each of the two devices one at a time using a computer attached to your router. Be sure to set the IP address to different numbers. And you have to use WEP encription, no other option appears to work. And once you have both with seperate IP addresses you can configure everything but setting the AP CLient mode. Do that last with just the client mode box attached to your router. Then to test it, first disconnect the AP Client from the router, then be sure that the other Access Point is connected and reachable (bring up the web page), then disconnect your computer from the router, and plug it into the AP Client box. It should work. A couple of notes, the AP Client works with the WRT54G router/Access Point IFF you turn all the encryption off. (This is why I spent so much time before calling in the online help. I kept thinking I had it set up correctly, then turning up the security levels and having it fail....) Of course I do not recommend this mode at all. Which makes me wonder why you can't make a WRT54G do the right thing, but you can't. And there is a diagram on the linksys website which shows the correct configuration. It just took me several looks to understand exactly what it saying. (that the WRT54G in access point mode is not equivalent to a WAP54G). Second, skip the stupid installation CD, go to the linksys site and find out the default IP address, and configure it using that. Third, look up the suggestions for increasing the security for your wireless network, and configure your boxs appropriately once you have it working on your test machine. (turn off SSID broadcast, disable configuration management from wireless devices, change the password etc.) Be sure to use a different channel than your other wireless router. (I still wanted to connect a different computer wirelessly to the WRT54G) And use the search for networks scan to see what channels the neighbors are using and pick a different one from them too if possible. On the speed issue, I've got a pretty small house so I regularly get the full 54Mps of data transfer. It's pretty nice. You need to pay attention to all the other comments about getting the antennas aligned to point from each of the two access points to each other for best reception. Not hard, but worth doing. And if all this becomes too confusing, use the Web based help from Linksys, the person I had was very helpful. (Be sure that your drivers are the most up-to-date as that will be the first thing they will ask you to do.) +5 I use the WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point attached to the bedroom Windows XP PC to connect to my 802.11b/g wireless network. The installation CD was an OK starting point but I had to use the web administration interface to configure the Access Point the way I wanted (disabling SSID broadcast and using MAC address filtering). You simply point your web browser to the Access Point's IP address. It's also worth noting that initial setup requires that you physically attach the CAT5 cable from the Access Point to your network (via a switch or the switch built into your wireless router). Once configured, you can then attach the Access Point to the PC (or other device) that you want on your wireless network. It took me a while to get everything just right. I found that initial setup was easiest by temporarily "unsecuring" my wireless router and the WAP54G Access Point (disabling MAC filtering, turning ON SSID broadcast, no encryption, etc.). Once communication was established, I then started locking things down. I have internet access via my cable TV provider at around 4 to 6 Mb/s. I have a Linksys WRT54GS Wireless Router in the kitchen located on the main floor between the basement and the upstairs bedrooms. My old laptop PC accesses this router from anywhere in the house using 802.11b while the PC in the bedroom connects via 802.11g using the WAP54G Access Point. I'm not sure what my wireless data rates are but as expected, big file downloads from the internet using the bedroom PC via 802.11g are significantly faster than the 802.11b downloads on the laptop. For browsing web pages the speed difference isn't as noticeable. Overall, I am very satisfied with the setup. A couple notes worth mentioning. Save yourself some grief and put everything on a few battery backed Uniterruptable Power Supplies (UPS's) to avoid having to reset devices during AC power glitches. The lights in my house flickered several times today due to heavy wet snow. I had to run down to the basement and power cycle my ethernet switch a few times today as it was the only network device not on a UPS. The brief AC power glitches put the ethernet switch in some unknown state and killed my network each time the lights flickered. I had it plugged into the wrong AC outlet on my UPS so I moved it to a battery backed outlet and life is good. No more running down to the basement to fix the ethernet switch when there's an AC power glitch. I have three UPS's throughout the house. A small $40 350VA UPS attached to the Wireless-G broadband router, a 500VA UPS on the bedroom PC and Wireless-G Access Point, and a 1000VA UPS on the basement PC, cable modem, and ethernet switch. I did this not so much for "uptime" and being able to work during power outages but rather to avoid corrupting Windows and possibly damaging a disk drive. It also helps to keep my network devices alive during those brief AC glitches. +1 This router was not the latest version. It would not work with XP. +5 5 stars of course, for the service, the price as well as for the item itself. Will definitely be buying from this vender again in the future. +5 I use to have a WRT54G then it broke got a Dlink DIR815 which sucked dropped connection 1 to 2 times a day so I get another used WRT54G. The WRT54G is a great router I really like that it has removable antennas I replaced them with Trendnet TEW-AI770B dual antennas that help improve the range of the router enough to notice it. Computer connecting to the router is 60ft away with a Amped Wireless UA600 usb adapter with a Dlink 7dbi antenna siganl 78% to 84% link 100% @ 54mbps. I got a used one without any software all I had to do to set it hook a computer up to it login to the router and setup the settings simple as that. This router has only dropped once connection since I got this used one 6 days ago this is the only router I will ever get from now on. +5 Figured I'd contribute since this is essentially the energizer-bunny of routers: It never dies, and keeps going and going and going. It's got great support for most (all?) third-party firmware such as DD-WRT and Tomato, and if you switch to those you'll have a really stable experience with your router. You can also buy third-party antennas and so on, which will easily allow your router to connect as a client, bridge connections, whatever. Anyways, great router; what I've said has been mostly said by others. +4 This may not be a well-publcized fact, but the Lexar JumpDrive 2.0 Pro _does_ have a write-protect switch! There is a small slot in the side of the drive (near the L in Lexar) where you can stick a paperclip to move a switch toward the USB connector, and viola! The drive is now write-protected. Admittedly, this is not a terribly well-positioned switch, but by the same token, it's great that it's impossible to un-protect accidentally. I just thought I'd share this nugget with people, since even Lexar's own documentation dosen't mention this! +5 I got this item yesterday and it worked perfectly for me. This gizmo solves the problem of how to transfer data between computers, like your computer at home and the one at your office. A floppy is basically useless nowadays, holding only 1.4 mega-bytes (MB). Back in the days when you only had a 10MB or 20MB hard drive, 1.4MB may have been a lot of space. But now that our hard drives are 40 giga-bytes (GB) or 60GB, 1.4MB is useless. So the next idea is to burn a CD, but that's problematic. They take 10s of minutes to burn, many computers still do not have a CD writer, you have to use special software that you have to buy, install, maintain, upgrade, launch, deal with glitches, and learn to use, and sometimes it doesn't work because you get "buffer underrun," and you have to decide among music CD, data CD, importing previous sessions, track at once, disk at once, packet writing, finalize session, finalize CD, multi-session, CD-R, CD-RW.... Bleah. This device is an alternate solution. It holds 256MB. That's still enough to hold a lot of stuff. It's solid state, meaning it has no moving parts inside, so it's fast and sturdy. Best of all, it's tiny and extremely cool. You hot-plug it into a USB port and it appears on your computer as a disk drive, just like your floppy or hard drive. You use Windows Explorer or "My Computer" to drag and drop files on it just like you would to a floppy, only it holds 182 times more files than a floppy would. You can erase or replace files on it just like a floppy. Think of it as a super floppy drive. When you are done, you hot-unplug it and put it in your pocket until you need it at the next computer. The catch is that the computer must have a USB port, and you will need to download and install a driver on any operating system older than Windows 2000 service pack 3. I tried it on two different XP machines and just by plugging it in XP recognized it and made it work fine. When you think about it, any mechanical device with a spinning disk is just so stone age. That idea was invented back in the days of the old vinyl record album or even before. CDs still use that same idea. This widget is space age by comparison, it's basically a non-volatile RAM chip. That's awesome! Remember all the talk about "bubble memory" and how great that non-volatile RAM would be, but it never amounted to anything. Finally they have found a way to do it and this item is one result. +5 Wearable on the keychain, the new Lexar USB 2.0 Jumpdrive is a 256MB flash memory drive that works on both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 interfaces. If you use Windows 2000 or XP, you don't even need to install any drivers; it's true plug-n-play. The transfer speed is good, although you won't get 480 Mbps on USB 2.0 due to bottlenecks with flash technology and the actual interface. But that's not a complaint at all since the speed is comparable to hard disk-based drives. And best of all, you don't worry about any moving parts being broken. Ultra-portable, high-quality, fast... I'm happy with my Jumpdrive, until the 1GB version comes out. :) +5 Got this access point yesterday. Very easy to use, plug it in, boot up the laptop and instantly had access. The install CD used to lock it down from being a public unsecured wireless network was step by step and didn't require hardly any user input for settings other than picking a password. +1 I have a lot of Linksys equipment - 4 routers, 2 WRT54G wireless routers, 2 WAP54G access points, and a couple of switches. That collection built up over time, propelled largely by the admonition in Linksys documentation that "Linksys wireless units only communicate with other *Linksys* wireless units". I don't know if that's true, and I came to Amazon today to order a Netgear access point to find out. I have *had* it with Linksys. The wireless equipment works, then it doesn't work. As another reviewer mentioned, it is necessary to reboot the units frequently to get them communicating again. And Linksys support is HORRIBLE. They do respond relatively quickly, but they do not appear to even read the problem reports, sending only canned answers. If you do manage to proceed past that support level, you learn that they know NOTHING about their own equipment. It is extremely frustrating. I know it is going to be expensive, but I am determined to wean my network from Linksys equipment, at least the wireless equipment. I have, simply, had enough! +4 Don't know why others have had problems. Could just be different levels of technical experience and placement in a high resistance area. I have two of these, and set them up in 1 minute. They work great. Very reliable signal and I have no problem with signal strength throughout the house. +5 Very good product. No complaints. It is hooked up to my DSL router and delivers a powerful signal to my desktop and 2 laptops. Making the connection using a variety of devices including a dlink pcmcia card was trivial and took under 5 minutes to get the security key typed in and going. The signal is so strong I can pick it up anywhere inside and even from outdoors on my 2 acre lot (the walls of the house are brick), so be sure you have security settings turned on. I find the powerful signal to be an advantage because I can work outdoors on the patio or at a picnic table. +3 I upgraded from an old 802.11b wap11 which I bought about 6 years ago. Considering this is NEW technology, it didn't do much more than my 6 year old wap11. I thought the upgrade from b to g was going to be mind blowing. The only thing that was mind blowing was my waste of time to determine why there wasn't as much gain as I thought there would be. The connection says FULL, 54m ... however it doesn't SEEM faster. (perception versus reality). +1 I bought one of these as a present to myself, it was the christmas present from HELL! First, I am an IT professional with 20 yeas of experience so I know what I am doing. The one I ordered from Amazon worked great for about 20 hours, then quit receiving wireless traffic until it was powered off and back on. This seems to be a known problem from all the reviews and forum posts I have read since buying this product. LINKSYS technical support was just awful, the foreign techs didn't know anything about the product or networking. I had several two just hang up on me, the tech support experience was enough by itself to not buy this product. This is becoming a major problem with a lot of companies that offshore their tech support to India. After seven calls with tech support, they finally gave me an approval for an RMA. I had the RMA replacement shipped to me keeping the original one until I recieved it ( had to put it on my charge card and the price they wanted for it was $20 over the going rate). When I got the second unit, it was worse than the first. It would only support connection speeds of 12-14 Mbps and had tremendous trasmission errors. Tested it for three days against the original purchase, neither was worth my time and trouble. I shipped them both back and probably won't buy linksys products anymore. I used to buy all linksys stuff but after this experience it is time to look at other companies. I've had a Belkin wireless router configured as an access point for several days now and have not had any issues with it. It was cheaper, had more functions, and is capable of 802.11n. Save your money, read more bad reviews on this product here and chose wisely. I still have at least four or five more calls I am anticipating to get credited properly and I am out shipping costs for the returns and several hours each I day I had the product. +5 I already have a LinkSys BEFSX41 Firewall/Router and this was the perfect compliment to my Linux and Windows Setup. For me the CD that comes with it was only useful for setting up the initial IP address. Using Linux I was able to configure it with WPA in about 30 to 40 minutes. My mistake was trying to configure this first using a Windows Laptop wirelessly - DUH!!! Once I realized the error of my ways, I was using this with my Mandriva 2007 machine and a Windows Laptop with SSID off and 54 meg link. Would I buy it again? YES!!! The price given by Amazon is a good price! I just might purchase another one and bridge it. Hope this helps? +3 The first wireless G Router I ever owned. Ran for 3 or 4 years straight until one day the lights were on but nobody could connect. Unfortunately it was a model (I had version rev3 if it helps)that required a cycling of power about 1 or 2 times a month to keep it going. It was alright for back then, but there are far better routers today. Many of the Modern Routers without the external antenna actually get better range than this one. I'm not sure why the price is so high today for such dated equipment (This router came out in 2002). For that matter, I'm not sure why people are still buying this router as there are many far better and cheaper models. ** Wireless G range is pretty poor by today's standards. ** Only 10/100 connections and very laggy. ** Not recommended for streaming HD Video. ** A Single Network user might get by with this. Forget it if the family's on the internet all at once. Pretty stable on its built in feet and pretty solid plastic construction. *** Tend to just stop working after 2-3 years regardless of model revision. +5 I had much success setting up this wireless router..Linksys makes a excellent wireless G routers.. I give it 5 stars..Love this wireless router..It sure makes my life easier.. Will buy Linksys wireless routers again and again... +5 Before buying this router, I had a Netgear router and it was the worst. The Linksys is such an improvement. It was super easy to setup. It is so stable, it has not crashed even once. We have three people who use it, both for wired, and wireless connections. The uses range from, the Kindle to multipliable Netflix streams. I have had as many as 4 wireless devices, and two wired connections active, and going full blast, at one time, with nary a hiccup. The Wireless range is a huge improvement over the Netgear, I can walk almost to the end of the block, and still keep my connection, on my cell phone. Even something as little as the time it takes to establish a wireless connection is much improved, it went from minutes, to seconds. This is the router, that I should have gotten the first time around. +3 This was an ok product.. it didn't live up to my specifications, i was under the impression that it would repeat the signal much further than it did. I needed to expand my range by 500 feet it only expanded it by 150feet. +4 UPDATE: I updated my router/access-point and found that the WAP54G does not seem to work in mode 2 (see below: "wireless client") with the new router (D-Link DIR-655). This matches the documentation which says (from memory) words to the effect that "wireless client" mode only works with a compatible Linksys as the router/access-point. I read that as a CYA disclaimer but at least in my case it appears to be true. I suspect that modes 3 and 4 have the same story. ORIGINAL REVIEW: (Note to Brian: The WAP54G *can* be configured as a bridge. I have two of them in just such a configuration. Took me about 10 minutes to set them up.) Major modes of operation are: 1. Wireless Access Point (its default set-up) 2. Wireless Client (connect a wired ethernet device via cable to the WAP54G and you now have a wireless ethernet device) 3. Wireless Repeater (extend range of wireless coverage) 4. Wireless Bridge (connect two ethernet networks without running a cable between them -- acts as one end of a "virtual" cable; you need two to get the job done) A pair of wireless bridges is just what I needed but hesitated to buy the WAP54G because of Brian's comment that this wouldn't work. Because of my newness to the wireless world it took a bit of investigation to come to the conclusion that Brian was wrong. I bought a pair and they do work. I rate it 4 instead of 5 stars for a few reasons. 1. I understand that higher-end, more expensive, equipment can be had with more range than this box. Gotta leave some room to rate more powerful equipment! 2. One must dig very deeply into the users guide (a PDF on the CD) to find the default IP address in order to configure this device. Luckily I had read elsewhere what that IP address is (192.168.1.245). Other manufacturers make this info readily available, even going so far as printing it on the device itself. This will be critical info to any Linux user. Also, the users guide says that the default userid for logging in is "admin". Well, it's not. The only allowed userid is an empty field. This had me going for a few minutes. 3. Something that 99% of the world won't care about -- I like to have more access to the firmware. For example other Linksys products allow one to telnet to the box and do low-level analysis of the box and the network it's attached to. I think there are third-party firmware loads that enable this. +5 I bought two -- the second one after realizing that one will not work as a bridge. It plugs into the Linksys Cable Gateway in one room, and to a 5-port switch in the other room. Nothing more to say -- follow the instructions and it will work as advertised. Update Jan 2009. I reconfigured the two as an Access Point/Access Point Client pair, and the access point is now my main wireless transmitter. It has a great signal through the house, and I hope that it will eliminate the problems with the WCG200 Gateway wireless feature(which I disabled). +1 This thing is JUNK!!! Don't waste your money. I am a computer professional and I had it working for about 5 minutes, then after powering it down and back up it never did work again! If you buy one, go through the setup and if it doesn't work immediately SEND IT RIGHT BACK TO AMAZON! Don't waste your precious time trying to get a $70 brick to do wireless because the odds are that you will just be wasting your time. Finally, Amazon likes to keep the good reviews toward the top of the list to keep the potential customer from being discouraged. However, YOU SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE BAD REVIEWS THAN THE GOOD ONES. If the product is in fact good it won't have many bad reviews, or even possibly none at all if it is exceptional. However, look up all the bad reviews for this product. They should tell you that something is seriously wrong with this product. +1 I purchased a Linksys router WRT54G/Version 8 in 2007 or 2008. About six months ago I began reseting this router occasionally to maintain internet connectivity. Recently it progressed to having to be reset about every hour. I tried all the fixes that relate to the settings of the router to no avail. Finally I tried updating the software through a download from the Linksys website. I have not had to reset the router since I installed the updated WRT54G software! You can google "linksys wrt54g" and get right to the page you need. You need to know the Version number of your WRT54G router to make sure you download the correct software. Linkys has very good directions for this upgrade. Basically you: 1. back up your current router settings to a file on your computer; 2. download the new software to a file on your computer; 3. go into the router settings and install the new software; and 4. reload your previous router settings. Try this first before you smash your Linksys router with a hammer in frustration. Good luck. +3 If you're just looking for a simple 802.11bg router to use then this is fine. The Linksys software is fairly painless to setup and the router worked reliably once that was taken care of. If, however, you're looking for a customizable router then you're pretty much out of luck. The later revisions of this router were cost reduced and the ability to put on 3rd party FW like DD-WRT is limited to some cut-down versions with limited functionality. Further, the process for flashing the FW is pretty involved. +3 I own the following Lexar Jump Drive Pro (256MG). I love the ability to transport large files with it! It is great for storage! I have had this since May (it was given to me as a birthday gift). I just want to let you know that this is a terrible design. I have only had it for 5 months and the cap will not stay on! I have been forced to use a small strip of scotch tape to keep it on or go without the cap. I don't like to do the latter because this leaves the USB connector unprotected. I would not recommend this Lexar Drive to others. Lexar has other designs that are far better than this. +5 Does what it's suppose to do. Windows 2K, 98SE, won't recognize some USB sticks out there, but this memory stick worked perfectly with anything. So far, I always carry this unit without a cap in my pocket almost everyday, have never lost data yet. Not as slim as some of the latest USB sticks, but the blue definitely looks cool. Does what it promises. I like it! +5 This is a fantastic piece of technology and I really like it. I originally purchased the Lexar 128 Megabyte Jumpdrive, but used it so much I ended up buying this one and keeping the other as a spare at home. If you think about it, there really are only 4 ways to exchange technology between computers (for the average person). You could use a floppy drive -but they are not standard anymore on next generation computers, and they only hold 1 megabyte of infomation -hardly enough to handle more than a picture or two. Or, you could use a Zip drive. But here's the problem. You now have 100, 250, and 750 megabyte drives, and though you can read any of the older zip disks with a newer drive, you CANNOT WRITE ON THEM (and the reading process is REALLY slow). I made this mistake, and I am stuck with a 750 Megabyte drive that no one else has, so I can't do much more than backup my own data. Or, you can burn information to a CD-rom and move it that way. Yes, you can do this, IF you have a burner and a blank cd on the computer you need data from, but that very likely may not be an answer either for casual transfers. Amd finally, what I had been using most of the time, email. You can realistically email up to 3-5 MB of pictures or files. Pretty easy to use, and everyone has it, but not a solution for photos or large files. This is where the jumpdrive comes in -and I think it is the perfect replacement. It is the size of your little finger and (this version) holds 256 MB! Best of all, the price has come down to a point that it is a great value. Here's how it works. You pull of the cap and plug the drive directly into your comuter's USB port. (You don't need any software or drivers to preload -you just plug it in to any computer.) When it is plugged in the computer automatically recognizes it as a new drive right on your desktop. I.e. Go to your "My Computer" section and it now shows up as "Lexar Media (H:)" You then treat it like you would any other drive -you can save files to it, or you can just drag and drop files to it. Here's another cool thing about the Lexar version of this drive. There is a little green light on the memory stick that lights up and blinks when it is first plugging in, and also when it is loading data. This will prevent you from removing the stick before the data is loaded -which is usually something that happens very quick! I am very happy with this portable drive. It is something that is effortless to use, and is small enough that it can basically hang on your keychain so you have it wherever you need it. (In fact, there is actually a hook on the top of the drive so you can clip or hook it to whatever you want.) The only thing to keep in mind is that it is a little small, and can get misplaced easily. If you are not going to carry it with you (with your keys), I'd recommend putting it somewhere that you are not going to forget, or tying a bulky keychain to it so it can't get lost. Finally, it is something that I can feel confident that even non-techies will be able to use with ease -in other words, this is what mom and dad get for Christmas! +1 When used in the wireless security mode, you will OFTEN get disconnected by the router. So, unless you want an unsecured wireless network, do not buy this. Disconnects Xbox, laptops, DirecTV console and everything else in our house. Have owned for over a year. Even disconnects Linksys Wireless-G Gaming console at random... +1 We have had nothing but problems with this router. The first one was tempermental at best, then it died. The second one (the replacement) died after only 2 months. I don't know what other options are out there, but we're steering clear of this model!!! +3 All I can say is that this router is working, but there are several problems. First of all, it keeps saying Internet connection is not working even though my computer is browsing Internet websites through the router without any problem. There is a button to fix the problem, and I tried a few times wihtout any result. I just ignore the warning, but it's annoying. Secondly, sometimes I could not access the router for change of SSID, MAC filtering, etc. With previous versions of Linksys WRT54G, I didn't have to install the included program and I didn't have any problem with accessing the router through IP address(192.168.1.1). Now you have to install the included program in CD to use this router, and quite often I cannot access the router through the EasyLink Advisor(program name on desktop), nor does it allow me to access directly through IP address(192.168.1.1), which is very annoying. Once it is set up and you never want to change SSID or Security features, then it would be OK. Later products should be improved versions, not degraded ones. +5 I'm not a computer expert, though this is at least the 5th router I've installed on a home network (I end up helping friends who are way less "expert" than I am). I've had this installed for three years now and no problems at all. Installations, including setup, was pretty easy and I haven't had any issues at all since, so I'd say I have to recommend based on that. +5 This Linkysys WRT54G router has many revisions that make minor changes to its hardware design. Depending on your revision, you may be able to place 3rd partry firmware like DD-WRT that can make the router more powerful and customizable. Although the router isn't 802.11n, it is a reliable router and can be easily found found for a low price on third party websites. +5 I tested this device, among many others, while writing the Wireless# Certification Official Study Guide and have to say that I was surprised. It performed equally well with Netgear and Intel access points when an 802.11b client connected and when an 802.11g client connected it actually outperformed the others. The reason for my surprise was that the WRT54G wireless router from Linksys is horrible compared to Netgear's hardware. In the end, I can definitely recommend this device for small office and home use. +4 The product does exactly what it is supposed to do. I had problems with a wireless modem that constantly needed to be reset. Got the Linksys access point and have not had a problem connecting to my wireless network since. Did have a small problem setting up the security, but was able to work around it. +4 I'm using the unit in a REPEATER mode. My house have 3 floors and my router (WRT54G) is located in the basement. I get a signal of 11 Mbps on the sec flr using a centrino powered notebook. The signal would drop to 1 Mbps after some use and the only way to get the signals back is to to reboot the notebook for some reason or go to the first flr. Hence, decided to get this unit and use it as a repeater. Steps that worked for me are as follows: 01. Disable any security you have on the router (I'm using WEP) and enable SSID broadcast prior to any configuration . 02. Configure the unit using the setup disk and provided the ff:. ---- Provided a different SSID (or you can provide the same SSID) with enabled broadcast. ---- No encription ---- The same transmission channel (Chan 11) as with my router ---- New password 03. Exited program setup. Run browser and connect to the AP interface using the default address [...] 04. Configured the AP in REPEATER MODE placing my router's wireless MAC address as the repeated source signal. 05. Saved the setup. 06. Test if working by removing the wire behind the AP. On your PC/Notebook, open up a command window (START,RUN, type in "cmd" and click [OK]). Type in "ping 192.168.1.245" and press [ENTER]. You should see something like "Reply from 192.168.1.245 bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=225". If you get a "Request timed out." then that means your AP cannot be seen in your network and was not configured successfully go through STEP#1 again. 07. If successful, you need to enable security back (NOTE: At this point, the AP is running stand alone with no wires connected at the back from the router). Since I'm using WEP, connect to the AP using a browser at [...] Go to wireless security and enable WEP and add the key codes and save your setup. 08. Now enable security back on the router with same key as you have on the AP and save your setup. 09. Test connection again by running STEP#6. 10. Place the AP where you want it to. 11. With a wireless PC/Notebook, scan for wireless networks. You should see the new SSID as well as the old one. Connect to it so that your PC/Notebook would save that information. 12. Connect to your AP, disable SSID broadcast, save setup. 13. Connect to your roter, disable SSID broadcast, save setup. 14. You're done! I placed the WAP54G on the third floor. After all is said and done, my signal was boosted to 45 Mbps (max at 54 Mbps). Works like a charm!!! NOTE: - These procedures is specifically if you want to configure your AP as a REPEATER. - If you configure the AP with WEP security on the get go, you will never be able to get it to work!! I spent hours on this to no avail. - You can use the same SSID. I used a different one because I want to see what wireless unit I am connecting to when i transfer from floor to floor. UPDATE 031810 The unit I believe is starting to die on me. My internet access will get cut off all of a sudden and it has been happening frequently (like 4-5 times a week). I have to unplug then plug it back to make it function again. I might upgrade my system to the WRT610N and WAP610N soon. UPDATE 033110 I decided to get a new WAP54G instead since reading through the WAP610N manual, there is no provision for a REPEATER mode. I placed the old one on the first floor. So now, I have the WRT54G on the basement, my old WAP54G on the first floor and my new WAP54G (with a NETGEAR 5 port switch connected to it) on the 3rd floor. I noticed that with the new one, my web browsing is a lot faster compared to the old one! UPDATE 041110 So I had the NEW WAP54G for a couple of days since my last update and I still had the same problem of getting disconnected intermittently. I tried shutting down the OLD unit totally but the issue persists with the new unit so it looks like the AP is not the problem. Now, my IPOD TOUCH 32GB 3Gen needed repair and has been out of commission since last Friday 04/09 (bought this last January). And guess what? I have had no problems with my WIFI connection since then (both APs running). I have to see if the replacement Ipod screws up my wifi connection again but I do think I found out the culprit for my WIFI issues. UPDATE 042510 I got my new replacement Ipod Touch a week ago. My WIFI failure started again but not as frequent. Now, I always turn off the Ipod's Wifi when I'm not using it. I guess I'm stuck with it. UPDATE 072610 When I got the IOS 4 software update for the Ipod Touch, my WIFI issues disappeared. :) UPDATE 121513 No firmware update since last review for both WAP and WRT. All units still working. On very limited occasions, I find myself restarting the WAP since I lost WIFI and Ethernet ports connection. Other than that, it is humming along. +3 The Good News: I had no problem setting up the WAP54G. Easy to setup and deploy. The Bad News: This device appears to have been made obsolete by Linksys. Check their web site to compare models and current offerings. Also, the device died completely after only 1 year of use. So did my Linksys Cable Modems (2 of them ... you'd think I would have learned from the first one, but I didn't). I now use an SMC Barrier combination router/wireless access point. It's far more reliable and just as easy to set up. +4 It works well and is fast (w/ USB 2.0). No problems using it. However after carrying it on my keychain for 2 months, the plastic end broke and it slipped off. Other models seem to be studier. +4 I bought this about 6 months ago. So far so good. It has worked on every computer I have plugged it into and has not failed me yet. It is small and easy to misplace. I have lost it 3 times in my house. If it had a built in password protection I would have given it 5 stars. +5 After reading the reviews on Amazon.com i decided to pick up this USB memory key instead of several others avavilalbe. Most all of the USB keys have reports to varying degrees of speed/durability/compatibility issues, but the Lexar version seems to have the least of those. After receiving my JumpDrive, i can safely say that I have nothing to worry about. The construction is more than acceptable even if you are going to leave it in a pocket with keys, or flopping around in a bag. It is very light, but unless you are going to stomp on it, it should last for a long time. I haven't sat down and timed the performance like some other reviewers, but it has been plenty fast with a mixed assortment of graphic, text, and even music files. i normally move about 50-100MB at a time when i transfer files from my office computer to my home and vice-versa. It takes a little longer than if I were copying files from one folder on my hard drive to another. The only time i have noticed the speed issue is when i hook it up to the USB1.1 hub attached to one of my computers. And even then it is still fast enough. USB2.0 is REALLY fast. I have used the JumpDrive so far on XP Home, XP Pro, Win2k Server, and Win2k Pro and all seem to work fine. They are automatcially recognized and it just takes a few moments the first time to install the drivers (windows does automatically), afterwards you use just like you would a floppy or ZIP disk. My only gripe is that when you take the cap off, there is no where to hook it onto or into. So it just lays on the desk.... +3 As noted in some of the reviews, this product has evolved over the years. In particular, my version does NOT have a removable antenna. This is important if you want to replace the antenna with a larger one or attach a signal booster. Many of these signal-boosting products state that they are compatible with the WRT54G, but they are not always. My model is a V8, and the antenna is definitely not removable. I've had mine for a couple of years, and it works well (although with a pretty small range). It also needs to be rebooted every other month or so, which is quite annoying. +4 The router works fine and the linksys customer service is fantastic. But the two antennas really get in the way of everything and compared to the newer models, this one is a bit bulky and less sleek. +5 OK - One small problem with Linksys - I hate the CD setup program. I have setup so many of these, that I just start in and manually setup everything. The product has changed somewhat, but the setup has changed little, so it is very easy for me to do. I replaced a Ver 2 WRT54GS with this ver 6 WRT54G and it works great. Haven't tested distance, but it does a great job for my entire house and yard, giving a strong signal everywhere. The unit is high on a shelf on the second floor, as you want to put wireless as high as possible. I have had no problems with the old unit (it went into my 90 year old Dad's house) and do not see any problems developing with this one. +3 I've had three of these in six years time. They work for about two years and then just get all buggy or die on me. The only good thing is, they've gone down in price. The first one cost me about $100. It's been about two years since I bought the present one, so you guessed it, I'm having to look for a new router. +5 The product arrived on time and in good condition. The AQZONE Computer Group is very satisfied. +1 PLEASE BEWARE OF THIS SELLER HE / SHE IS SELLING USED OUT OF WARRENTY PRODUCT REPACKAGED AS NEW PRODUCT. i WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THIS IF I DID NOT NEED TO CALL LINKSYS FOR SOME TECH SUPPORT. AND THE SURPRISING THING IS THAT AMAZON IS FILLING THE ORDERS. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SELLER. +2 I was using this for around 2 years for regular browsing, email, chat etc. Recently I started using this to hook up my media player which can play streaming videos from netflix. and it started giving me trouble. The playback frequently stops and slowsdown. The internet connection speed gets slower and slower with videos causing youtube and netflix to not work properly. It takes 5 minutes sometimes to start the video on youtube. None of these issues are there if I connect the computer/player directly to the cable modem. I have tried changing the network cables, switching between wired and wireless connections, etc etc, but none of them helps. As soon as there is this router in the middle the playback is horrible. The only good thing I see with this is good wireless signal strength. If you are using this for just chat and email this is probably an okay router with pretty good signal strength. +1 This has got to be one of the worst routers known to man. I've had it 2 years only. It just bit the dust (kept resetting my IP address to some weird one that wasn't real). No lie I think we reset this router on average of 3-5 times a day during the week (when we were at work all day!) and maybe 10 times on the weekend. The speeds were laughable. It felt like using dial up again. Can you believe I was happy to be going and getting another router tonight? I think it was just a game (the router and I) of chicken - who was going to give in first and quit. HA HA. I WON. Into the trash with you Linksys! +2 I bought this in Feb 2007 for $70 and it broke after 9 months. They replaced it under warrenty. In May 2010 I replaced my PC with a new PC with Win 7 OS. Their original CD that I kept would not work in the new PC. When I called them for help they told me that since the warrenty was over they would not help me operate it on a new Win 7 PC .. UNLESS I paid $40 for 6 months of telephone help. I borrowed my son's 5 year old Netgear router and it worked immediately, was easier to install and easily get all the necessary data for adding other laptops, etc. Plus the Netgear costs $35 here on Amazon which is half Linksys cost and less than their phone support. Additionally Netgear's relibility appears to be much greater than LinkS. +3 the primary reason to get this AP is using it as wireless repeater however, I also would like to make it wireless ethernet bridge I found it has a lot of restriction to make AP client and repeater work, even with 3rd party firmware the configuration is fairly easy, pick 192.168.1.245 (or your own IP) on AP function page, it shows that wireless AP client works ONLY with another WAP11, WAP54G; and the repeater works ONLY with WRT54G and WAP54G (I have WRT54G V3.3) such restriction makes it far from perfect, because you can't use it to make your PS2 or XBOX to connect to wireless there're a lot of no-brand name AP has a lot of flexible function, such as regular AP, wireless client (AP-AP, AdHoc or Infrastructure), repeater (WDS) Linksys and 3rd party should consider this when writing newer version of firmware update: after figured out how to connect to my wireless router, it works perfectly use AP client mode, temp turn on SSID broadcast and turn off MAC filter, then use site survey, your wireless router info should appear, pick it, and revert to normal if you use MAC filter, you need to add the MAC address on your LAN card connected to WAP54G to your wireless router you can also use 3rd party firmware to adjust the output power, however, the signal don't have big improvement when the power is more than 40mW +3 This product was easy to install and worked fine right out of the box. Out of interest I went to the LinkSys site to see if there are firmware upgrades for it. That's when I found it was a version 1.1 piece of hardware and LinkSys does not seem to have upgrades for this version. LinkSys shows firmware upgrades for versions 2.0 and 3.0 leading me to believe that Amazon sold me an old unit. I have not had a sensible response to questions about this that I have sent to Amazon or LinkSys. The unit works but you may not be able to upgrade to get new features such as wireless bridging. +5 The product works perfectly, but Linksys' "We don't do Macintosh"attitude is for the birds. The setup CD is for Windows only, and there was no package insert nor a website describing the setup procedure. I had to email Support who gave me a) the magic key, e.g., the IP address of the WAP device, and b) instructions on what to do once I arrived at the WAP setup +4 This drive has an actual capacity of about 249-250 MB. It works fine with both Linux [RHL 9] and Windows [2000, XP etc.] so far. The Win98 drivers require some work on your own. Some helpful driver links in this regard would include: [1] [...] [2] [...] [3] [...] [4] [...] Link [2] is especially non-intuitive, and I found it to be the necessary file for the usb drive to work, and I found it via [1]. It's sad that the Lexar website doesn't provide a direct link to that file. Instructions: Download driver file [2], unzip it. Save all 3 files into a folder in your C: drive. Name it "Lexar" Now plug in the JDrive Sport. When the Windows 98 wizard asks for a driver, just point it to the folder "Lexar" you created with the driver files inside it. If the windows wizard never popped up, try running the downloaded executable [3], and it will at some point ask for the driver, whereupon you can point it to c:\Lexar etc. +3 I used to own a 128mb jumpdrive 1.0 and it worked great on all the OSs it claimed to support including Windows 98SE. Unfortunately, I lost it. I decided to go for this larger capacity drive as a replacement. Since one of my computers still runs windows 98se it is important to me that is supports this particular OS. When I went to download the drivers for windows 98se they were not available. Tech support emailed me some drivers, but they did not work either. I then tried it on some other windoows 98se machines at work with the same result. This is my only problem. Otherwise, it has functioned very well for me. If it worked with 98se (as it claims to) i'd give it 5 stars. +4 Finally got this router to work, through a 'nightmare' dealing with Lynksys to get item 'key', etc. which was not included, nor installation instructions. Took several hours of major frustration to save a little bit of money buying this used one. Shipped item fast though. Thanks +5 I have had this router for a few years and it is, by far, the best router I have owned. I have owned ones from D-Link, Netgear, ZyXel, and some off-brand one from fry's. I don't have any signal drop, no reception issues, watch hulu, netflix, etc. without any hiccups. +5 I have had my Linksys WRT-54g version 5 for I can't remember how long, probably since the version 5 originally came out and I will say this, if you are having problems with it, you are going to have problems with just about every router/switch/hub you will ever get. I have flashed it to the latest firmware available and have had virtually no problems with it, ever. If anything, I very occassionaly have to unplug it and wait 6 seconds to plug it back in and everything is back up and running within second flawlessly. I have NEVER had any issues that ANY other reviewer has claimed to have. I setup my wireless network and wired network with little to no issue and I am NOT a network/IT person but I am very good with computers. To all those having problems, I have to disagree whole-heartedly with you on how bad you all are saying version 5 is of this product. I love mine and while I would like to have wireless-n technology, this router gives me utmost confidence in Lynksis equipment. As far as my experience has been, this is a rock solid product and you can't go wrong with it. As long as it works, wireless-g will be fine for me. I have customized my setting and security and just plain had no trouble. I did see one persons claiming to be an IT person and taking 3 hours to set this router up, I have to laugh at them because if they had that much trouble, they shouldn't be in IT. I set this up in less than a hour on no formal schooling and not working in the computer industry in any capacity. I also saw people talking about how this version is not modder friendly as a reason this version stinks and I say big deal unless you really want to waste your time doing that as the average user does not care about that, plus the fact that is your own fault and not a manufacturers problem or issue and hence is not a valid reason to bash this product. Don't let the bad reviewers who "claim" to know what they are doing fool you, this is a rock solid product that has worked from day one with minimal problems. +5 Decided to use an Access Point with my Linksys BEFSR41 DSL router rather than replace my hardwired router with total wireless. Works like a charm all over my house - my son and I sat side by side in kitchen(Access Point is in an upstairs bedroom several rooms away) and both used our laptops with better performance than hardwired . Initial problem with Install/Setup and configuration, went straight to Linksys website, immediately got an online chat session with Linksys technical support and problem solved in minutes. Great support from Linksys - no waiting in phone queue. Their documentation may not be perfect but support is good. +5 I already had a Linksys wired DSL router. I debated over replacing it with a wireless capable router instead; but decided to avoid additional hassles and just do an AP. I knew I wanted to keep with Linksys because of their rep. and because of my current experience with them. The WAP54G was a breeze to set up. I had it up and running the first time in probably 15-20 minutes (w/ Windows 98). It hooked right up; and I stacked it right ontop of my router. I had connection to the Internet with my laptop in no time. The range seems to be just fine in my house as I can access from my den, my garage and my back deck with the AP in my hallway office (using mainly full signal strength). I also plan to use my Dell Axim PPC with the AP as well once I get it. This AP comes with the latest wireless security, WPA. I recommend setting up the security. Elect not to broadcast your SSID and "Enable" your WPA security. It is said that only about 10% of wireless network users have security enabled. Enabling your security will prevent unwanted "ease-droppers" and others from "borrowing" your connection. +5 This is the first time I have ever set up a wireless network. The installation was a breeeze and the connectivity is excellent. I'm typing this in my dining room, with my access point downstairs. A sold purchase. +4 I bought it in need of tranfering some files between my PC and the MAC in the lab, the MACs are old apple running OS9.x, and lexar 2.0 will not work on them because of low power supply, although the purple lexar 128M USB 1.1 works just fine. I am so sad that they don't sell the old purple any more, it was so pretty and useful... +4 I tossed out my zip drive after I started using a jump drive. The convenience is incomparable. I keep mine on my key-ring so it is handy and use it many times a day. It has gone through the wash-machine and come out OK. Only thing I would like is a password-protected encryption driver becasue I worry about losing it. +4 This Lexar has quickly changed the way I work: I now keep nearly all my files on this drive and use it on three computers-- a WIn XP (USB 1.1), Win 2000 (USB 1.1), and Mac PowerBook (USB 2.0.) It works flawlessly on all of them, and never causes any problems. The two small caveats are these: I can't find any easy way to add a password to the disk, which leaves me a bit uncomfortable-- I've already misplaced the drive a few times. I've found it every time, but still.... And on a Mac PowerBook, the shape of the drive means you cannot plug in another USB device (like a mouse) and use the drive. The ports are quite close togther, and the drive's slightly bulbous shape means there's no room for two devices side-by-side. Some other drives have a bit less of a bulge in the middle. In all, it's a great, inexpensive little product that does exactly what it says it does. +1 The on line setup was ,so slow that I could not get to the security pages. I sent it back for a refund. I replaced it with a Belkin N wireless router, which was up and running in no time at all. +2 The main problem with this router is that the connection inexplicably drops. When this happens, you have to go through some ridiculous ritual to try and get your signal back. Sometimes unplugging the router for a few seconds does the trick. Sometimes restarting your computer does it. Sometimes disabling the wireless connection and reenabling it fixes the problem. And other times, you have to waste 1-2 hours talking with technical support. The online setup/admin screen is also difficult to use because the passwords keep resetting. When this router is working without any hassles, it is a decent product. But because of its lack of reliability, I honestly cannot recommend it. The time wasted trying to reestablish a lost connection makes this purchase more trouble than it's worth. +1 This is a belated review. I actually bought this router 4.5 years ago. It was a Version 2.0. It was an awful first experience for a home wireless network. Initial setup wasn't too difficult. But, it would drop its wireless signal every few days and need to be completely reconfigured. I spent numerous hours on the phone with Linksys Tech Support (India) over several weeks to get my network going again. I finally gave up, but the return period had expired. After on-line research and word-of-mouth recommendations, I bought a Netgear WGR614. It has just failed after 4.5 years and I have purchased the same Netgear model as a replacement. It has never dropped its wireless signal. It is possible Linksys has improved this router over the years. I know this is probably the most common router out there. But, I would never consider one again. +5 This router is great for home or small office. Easy configuration through your browser makes it very versatile. +3 I don't have a lot of experience setting up a wireless computer, so I don't know if what I had to go through is just Linksys or if it is common for other routers also. My problem is that I have only one cable outlet in a very inconvenient location, so I wanted to get the wireless set up so I could use my desktop where I wanted it. So to me...WIRELESS should mean that I do not need to connect my computer with the mondem at all with wires. However, you have to connect them initially (which meant I had to disconnect my computer where I had it set up, bring it downstairs, connect it while sitting on the floor, set it up, then disconnect and take it back upstairs and set everything up again). So I did all that, and it worked great for a few weeks. Then I turned off the computer...and now I'm connecting to the network, but can't get on the internet. The troubleshooting with the Linksys system wants me to connect the ethernet cable with my computer again...this is really not going to work if every few weeks I have to dismantle my computer and take it downstairs and get everything working again. Not really my idea of a WIRELESS system. Maybe I'm doing something wrong because I have talked to others with wireless and they had no problems...or maybe this particular system is just not very great for desktops, I don't know. But I probably would not get this one again. +4 It's good, they guy who sold it to me worked with me to set it up so he is good to go too. +5 This is the best deal for the price. I've had, and still have, a lot of different usb media devices and this is the most resilient one of them all. The only two complaints I have are the cap, which easily comes off, and the fact that it requires a POWERED USB HUB to function, which is almost standard for usb 2 devices. The only usb2 media I've found that doesn't require this is the Sony MicroVault, which is more expensive. This means that the Lexar won't when plugged into an Apple keyboard, but the Sony will. +4 This is an excellent product...BUT the danged cover is too easily lost. It comes off extremely easily and that is a real annoyance. The drive itself is beautiful, real quick BUT... it drains a lot of power from your other shared USB HUB devices such that my HOT sync slowed to a crawl and cordless mouse pointer disappeared! ARRGGHH!! If you have a dedicated USB 2 port however,[like at the office] then this device rocks! Did I mention that the cover is easily lost? Hence the 4 stars +5 I already have the Lexmar 128MB and adore it. So I like this one twice as much!! They are so simply to use...don't you wish everything was this easy? Windows 98 users will have to download a driver, but everyone else it's a matter of plugging in and POW - instant use. No software, nothing to install. Your installation wizard will see it, click the bubble and it's ready to use. Perfect example when this is a MUST. My Gateway laptop power system went out. Suddenly, I was on battery and had to get everything off I could before I had to shut it down and send it back for service. I sent all my stuff to CD RW - it went through the process of doing everything and writing, but then when it was done, it says sorry, it could not write it properly as power was starting to go. HAD I had this memory storage, I could have sent all my stuff to this Jump Drive (same amount of time as sent to CD to be written, but then your done!) I can now move them off that computer instead of WAITING for them to be written. This works on any computer, even MACs...no reformatting like with floppys. The Gateway is in NTFS file system and the 3 Ashtons and the PC are in FAT32. Every time I used a floppy on the PC, it would refuse to read it...reformat it says. If you reformat you wipe out anything on it. So the only way to get files there was burn a CD. CD ROM and floppy drives are costly and pain to change out and it seems like their life expectancy is the same as a GE appliance - two years! So this drive replaces floppys - this one holds over 170 floppys and several CD RWs - replaces CDs. No more buying them - so right off the bat you are saving money! And the convenience, when I am writing, I finish, send everything to one of these jump drives - I have it safely protected and can move it to any of my other computers and instantly access the files. This is great for going on vacations, great for taking stuff between work and home, a great back up for all your important files! I have the 128 for everday use and this one for backing up all the major stuff. Super for kids at school or university. Hardly the size of a tube of lipstick or a Bic lighter, this is the perfect stocking stuffer for your computer addict. They will kiss you for it. Only caution, with this being on the USB - be sure to close the connection between the Computer and the jump drive before taking it out - the little icon is on the task bar. Double click it, select the memory storage by clicking it once - then click CLOSE. Same as when you use a camera. Peace of mind and freedom! Never knew they came so cheaply or in such a small package! Writers if you don't have one, you are playing Russian Roulette with your precious works! +5 I purchased this item with the Linksys WPC54GS Wireless-G Notebook Adapter with SpeedBooster and had no issue's that other reviewers spoke of. Installation and setup was straight forward to the point that it seems silly to mention it but all I did was follow the step by step instructions. I have the notebook adapter installed in both a IBM T40 running WinXP SP1 and a Gateway Solo 9550 running WinXP SP2. We have a 2400+ sq. ft. home and even when I am on the other side of the house the speed only drops to 36 Mbps or so. The access point is setup in a front bedroom in our home so the signal goes through many walls to reach the laptop when in use. So from my perspective, this works wonderfully and am thoroughly enjoying the freedom to roam around the house with my laptop. I should also note that we have 5.8Ghz cordless phones. My previous experience was that 2.4Ghz phones interferred with the wireless network. +5 I went from zero to fully secured (WPA protected) robust Wi-Fi network in 10 minutes flat! It was harder to set up the Wi-Fi access on the Windows XP side of things than it was for this Linksys router. Connection speeds are awesome, though there is some interference from my cordless phone (I drop from 54MBps to 3MBps when phone is in use typically), however I'll fix that with a new phone sooner or later. Kudos to Linksys on another easy to use networking component! +1 8/10/2006: After some early and initial troubles with issues that seemed to be stemming from this router, after many more months of use, i have changed my mind about this router. It has actually provided solid quality during the past months. I don't know why it's not giving me the old problems it did...maybe it was too close to another electrical device or maybe I had some settings set incorrectly. 2005-2006: I get disconnected at least 3 or 4 times a day using these linksys wireless routers. Do your research and buy something like netgear or dlink. At first, i thought it was just one bad apple. However, I currently own 3 linksys routers and dozens of wireless pc and laptop cards, and all of them are giving me problems. Stay away from these linksys routers. At best, each time i get disconnected i have to restart my pc and the router and wait 10 minutes to get back online again. if you're doing something important, forget it! +5 Setup was easy. I did not install the included setup software, but rather accessed the WAP54G console via the [...] address using IE6. The console was easy to understand. All security features are set to "off" out of the box. You must manaully go in and change setting to provide any level of security. They provide excellent directions on how to tighten up security ([...] I am connecting this to my Linksys 4 port dsl/cable router. Overall, I am extremely pleased with this product. +3 Don't buy this if you just want to use it as a repeator - it doesn't support WPA, and given that WEP security will only last 3-4 hours (if you're lucky) its not a very secure device to use to try and extend your wireless network. If all you need is a small access point to make your home network wireless (and don't plan on extending that wireless coverage), go for it. +4 I have a SOHO that uses a wired 10/100 switched network. Already part of this network is a Linksys single port Cable / DSL Router. When it came time to make the jump to wireless, the WAP54G seemed the logical choice, as I would not have to reconfigure anything on my existing network. For the record, I selected the WUSB54G and WPC54G adapters for two different purposes. Look for reviews on those items posted separately. I had no trouble installing my original piece of Linksys gear. Now, since Cisco acquired Linksys, this effortless installation is even easier. The software installed seamlessly and I was able to modify the default settings, to match my network and increase security, occurred without any problem. A nice touch is the included patch cord to perform the initial setup. If you have a single port Cable / DSL Router already on your wired network, simply plug the other end of the patch cable into any open port on your switch or hub and the WAP54G will establish communication. One small item left out of the manual was how to access the Web based administration interface. For first time installers, this may be critical. You need to open you web browser by entering the IP address for the Access Point. Once there, you can access the proper screens to assign a static IP address, strongly advised, and set any key options. If you are not familiar with WEP Keys, these are electronic codes that keep your network private. While not as fool proof as wired security, they do go a long way to keeping strangers from using your network. If you create a key, keep a hard copy somewhere secure but handy. Like any password, treat them as a guarded secret. If you enable WEP Keys on the access point, any network adapters must be supplied with the key before a connection can be established. Once the Access Point is configured, place it a good location and your done. Now you only need to add a wireless network adapter to any PC and your good to go. One nice feature is this model is also compatible with the 802.11b spec and will handle the slower traffic of this spec. With the 802.11g adapters, the network will send traffic at the full 54 Mb/sec for that spec. Bottom line: nice price, nice performance and painless installation. +1 Other reviews have explained how Linksys has deceptively changed the entire router in this "v5" version while leaving the product name WRT54G. What they have said is true, the "old" wrt54g v1-4 are better hardware, and yes, if you had the old one you can install third-party firmware to fix problems. However, what does this mean to your average consumer? The WRT54G is hard to configure for Internet games and consoles!! These routers also act as firewalls. The firewalls interfere with certain types of gaming, especially games on Playstation or PC games which connect directly to competitors such as Starcraft. Peer-to-Peer transfers also have these challenges. Most routers have a feature called "default DMZ host" which essentially tells your router to pretend that one of your devices is connected directly to the Internet without the firewall interfering. Alternatively, you can setup "port forwarding" for specific ports. These features allow games to work properly. However, these features are difficult to use on the Linksys! While the Linksys allows you to set an IP address on your network as the default DMZ host, the Linksys will randomly hand out that IP address to DIFFERENT devices! The only way to use the DMZ or port-forwarding features on the Linksys is to configure IP addresses manually for those machines. From the Linksys manual "DMZ: Any computer whose port is being forwarded must have its DHCP client function disabled and should have a new static IP address assigned to it because its IP address may change when using the DHCP function." This adds an additional level of configuration complexity, as you must decide on your own IP addresses, and make sure you don't create IP address conflicts. Products from other vendors have a feature called "static DHCP mapping" which allows you to assure the same device gets the same IP address and thus is always the DMZ host. This "static DHCP mapping" feature is missing from Linksys routers like the WRT54G and WRT54GL. If you must buy Linksys, get the WRT54GL, NOT the WRT54G, and immediately install the open-source Tomato firmware on it. Tomato does not have this shortcoming of Linksys firmware and has a bunch of other nice features. I use a WRT54GL with Tomato firmware installed, and I higly recommend it as the best and most stable wireless router option you can use. However, you need to be comfortable updating the firmware on the device. If you are not comfortable installing your own firmware. I recommend you consider routers from other companies. Both Netgear and DLink routers have static DHCP reservations, DMZ host, and port-forwarding features. I've had some trouble with Netgear's hanging occasionally, and I've heard good things about DLink, but I've never owned one. +4 I purchase this on December 2007 at the time Wireless-G was the fastest in the market. I still use this Router on a daily basis and after a year and a half I can honestly say that it is one of the best Routers I ever own. Last year I update the firmware as recommended (did not see any improve after that)so anyway. Wireless have a good range and strength. Set it up was pretty easy without the software. Using the software only makes it really complicated since the software itself is quite sluggish and buggy. The only thing that I regret is not to purchase the Linux compatible version since this is totally useless for the Linux user. I have to use wire networking to connect my Linux home server since the wireless never quite work properly on my Linux box. Windows XP, vista, and Windows 7, work just fine right out of the box. I pay for this router $45 in Dec 2007 so the $64 they asking now seems expensive more so if you realize that most Wireless-N Routers sell now for $60. Unless you have really old laptop or PC I recommend you get latest Wireless-N technology (chances are that you going to upgrade anyway in the next year or so since Windows 7 is coming out strong). Some Wireless-N Routers do have legacy support so look into the specs before you make the purchase to find out if that specific model will support your hardware(some models have Wireless-a, b, G, and N) +2 I don't know if this problem has been fixed in newer versions, but version 3 has a problem with port forwarding where it tracks old connections for 5 days which cause it to quickly stop working when you use any P2P app such as uTorrent or Limewire or anything else that creates a lot of connections. After I had this problem and my wireless internet stopped working, I tried upgrading the firmware to DD-WRT but that made it worse so I tried changing the firmware back to the latest linksys build but it still won't broadcast the internet. (I can see and connect to the network it creates, but the internet doesn't work even when I'm connected.) I'm done trying to troubleshoot this stupid thing and will never buy this model again. But like I said, mine is v3 and newer version may not have this problem. +5 Even with DD-WRT firmware, Version 5+ of this model keep crashing when using torrents because the memory has been reduced to half from version 1-4 models. The only reason people buy this model is to reflash the linksys standard firmware with DD-WRT (google it) one. So, if you're not sure on how to flash the firmware then do not buy this model and instead buy WRT54GL. +1 Beware of the incompetent customer service for Linksys. After easily setting up a wired/wireless network I called for help making it secure. 4 hours and 4 phone calls later my internet service didn't work, my network didn't work, my router didn't work, and Linksys said it was a faulty system (it had worked before I called for help). I had to call Earthlink to fix the internet connection and then bought a Motorola. They had it fixed and secure in 15 minutes. I told a friend this story and she said she had a friend with a similar Linksys customer service nightmare. Beware! Also, I never received a rebate from an earlier item I bought in '02, even after calling about it. +1 WAP54G is maybe the oldest 802.11g out there. It's been out before the 802.11g was finalized!!! (802.11g draft). This access point have some compability problem with many brand of Wireless Adapter, such as random disconnection, poor range, and even cannot connect problems. Plus the antenna connector on Linksys is RP-TNC which is non-standard compared the more famous RP-SMA. It's hard to find an external antenna that has the RP-TNC connector. I have no idea why Linksys do not follow the market standard. **Linksys is what people (end-users) know for Wireless LAN eventhough there are some great products with the same price and a lot more to offer (Proxim, Zyxel, Buffalo, etc). +3 The unit performs well with my Mac iBook, even WPA security works as advertised and without connection drops. The range is reasonable, I'll be trying out a better antenna soon. Note: WPA security does not work when the unit is configured for wireless repeating. This is an issue with the WPA standard, it does not allow for that. The documentation is as good as worthless for setting these things up. The troubleshooting section is actually a glossary, and is useless for getting things to work. Linksys can learn a lot from Apple in this respect, their configuration utility just works, and the documentation is actually useful. Apple's gear is about three times the price of Linksys', however. If you're a gearhead you can get this thing to work (hint: the default IP address is 192.168.1.245/24, empty userid password 'admin'). Otherwise keep looking. +4 No, I am not a Linksys employee and yes I have lost money in Cisco stock. But like all Linksys products the setup works like its supposed to and the units work flawlessly. I downrated this unit because of the difficulty of using it as a bridge. The box insinuated that you could bridge with it. When I tried to make it bridge it didn't work and tech support told me that bridging is not supported. I did find a work-around. E-mail me if you want the secret. Otherwise this is an excellent as usual product from Linksys at a great price. +5 I recently moved to a new office building with a prewired T-1. Connecting the existing network together was not difficult and the wireless range is astounding. There is nothing like having coffee at Starbucks and using the office network connection and not adding to starbucks bottom line for anything other than overpriced coffee. +5 Hi, I purchased this drive and am very happy about it. I once forgot to remove it from my pant pocket. It got washed in the washing machine. Still it came out in tact. No problems whatsoever. Great value, Great performace, Go for it!! +5 A student of mine had a jump drive that he brought to class, so I decided to buy this one for myself. I transport a lot of files between my office and home computers, and it works like a champ every time. It's fast, dependable, and holds lots of stuff. As soon as my wife saw mine, she wanted one for herself, so I had to get another one! +5 I had the Lexar Media 256mb JumpDrive for 2 months now and it works great. This is a easy way to transfer files from one computer to another. I take alot of digital pictures and when I want to share my pictures with a friend , I would just download it on this drive and bring it over to their house and just plugit in their usb port for transfer. It saves me from wasting cd's (from burning copies) and some of my friends don't have a iomega zip drive so this is the way to go. Its small so its easy to put away. you can save mp3 and tons of other files. This JumpDrive is for a usb 2.0 but work with a 1.0. I would recommend getting this instead of a 1.0 because in the future you will have faster transfer if you use the usb 2.0. +5 This is a product that you must have if you use more than one computer. I have been evangalizing USB drives (no, I don't work for any company that makes these) for the last year, and have a number of converts. Thus far, the JumpDrive Pro is the best bang for the buck going. Some warnings: 1) Don't put it on a keychain, the little plastic bit on the end breaks. 2) Easy to lose the cover, keep track of it. 3) Don't know about the speed issue, maybe formatting in NTFS is the way to go, but then you can't use it on older systems. If you need durability (like I do) for day to day use you may want to use the JumpDrive Secure. It has the ability to secure data, and is much more durable, designed to be carried around. Bad news: only USB 1.1, so it is slower. +4 I agree with the reviewers who feel it is not made to withstand very rough treatment, but it's not all that flimsy either. I find it absolutely wonderful for transporting documents from home to work. We've also used it to copy albums of digital pictures and of course to share (fully licensed) MP3s. The USB 2.0 speed makes the latter two tasks really simple with this Lexar unit. +2 This product is cheaper but in my experience don't work with good signal, sometimes my laptops loose the signal in small space, maybe are designed to work in very small distance. But i use it in my home and don't work like i wish +5 I bought this item because I read reviews that said it works for my fiber in the loop (ifitl) dsl. It is awesome. I have it in my garage thru cement walls in the house and even out to my backyard I have an excellent signal. I did have to use linksys support and got awesome help thru their chat support. I was so glad I never had to call anyone, they diagnosed the issue and mailed me the steps to setup and resetup when I had a problem. I couldn't be happier. Update 11/09 The router has to be reset very often which is really a pain. +4 Cannot find a real problem, it just works. I installed it in one corner of the house and covers the full 1000 sqft house + backyard with no problem. Initial installation took a bit, I did not need any help. The Easy Link Advisor is slow but I never actually needed it. +5 If you use two computers in different locations not connected by a network this will come in handy. (I also use compact flash cards and readers permanently connected to the computers.) The Lexar JumpDrive with USB 2.0 can work on both all usb enabled computers. It is very portable like the compact flash, but it is free from needing a reader. +5 I came to know this product from a colleague and immediately liked it. I have been using it and carrying it in my pocket with my keys for two months and have no problem with it. The USB 2.0 interface makes it quite fast to trasfer data. The 256 MB is more than enough for most daily uses. Now I can carry pictures, unfinished papers, and presentation slides around. And when I go to a meeting to give a presentation, I do not need to carry a laptop, just borrow one from the last speaker and plug this in. What a convenience! +3 This is a generic review of Windows XP's support of USB 2.0 mini-drives that are attached to USB 2.0 hardware ports. If this is not your environment, then please pass on this review. Otherwise, you would serve yourself well to share my experiences and testing. The rating of the Lexar Jumpdrive Pro 2.0 will either be a 5-star or a 1-star depending on your environment, so I gave it a 3-star. (There was no problem with any of my 2.0 mini-drives when I tested them on WIN98 with USB 1.1 ports.) I'm not picking on the Lexar. I'll go right to the bottom line and tell you that I've found that these drives may perform VERY poorly in Windows XP SP1. They will appear to perform well, compared with similar USB 1.1 drives, only if you are copying a very small number of very large files. They will perform incredibly slowly compared to their USB 1.1 brethren, if you reverse the scenario and copy a directory of say 500 or more very small files. I'll provide the solution now and then tell you about some tests I've run. THE SOLUTION: Format your mini-drives as "NTFS". (THEY DO NOT COME FORMATTED THAT WAY!) If you do, they will perform very well on USB 2.0 ports under WinXP SP1. It does mean, however, that you won't have portability to a WIN95, WIN98, WINME system (if you want high performance in WinXP). If I've still got your attention, read on please. I own an Iomega 1.1 Mini Drive and have purchased and returned two Lexar JumpDrive Pro 2.0 devices, a SanDisk Cruzer Mini, and almost returned my newest, a PNY Attache 2.0. I've also had a dialogue with someone in a forum who issued a similar complaint about his Sony MicroVault 2.0 device. I kept the PNY to have something to test with as I probed this issue, and have now just purchased another Lexar JumpDrive Pro because it prices well, and it also performs well if formatted as "NTFS". After considerable experimentation and a frustrating 20 or so hours on the internet, I made my discovery! After reading an Amazon reviewer boast that he copied a single 135MB file in under a minute, I decided to try that myself ... and it copied quickly, considerably beating the performance of my Iomega 1.1 device. Astounded at this, I became curious about whether WinXP had an issue with FAT and FAT32 on these devices. I created a benchmark of a directory containing 508 icons totalling only 1MB of data, occupying 2MB of disk. Formatted at the default FAT or FAT32, the copy took an incredible 2 min. 56 secs., and I could read each file name as Windows revealed them during the copy. I decided that, before returning the PNY, I would format it as "NTFS" just "to see what would happen". It copied in 2 or 3 seconds!!!!! To prove to myself this wasn't a freak event, I went back to my earlier benchmark which was a client's web site having a root folder weighing 44MB and containing 1800+ files. It had previous copied to my Iomega 1.1 Mini Drive in 1 min. 34 secs., but on my Lexar JumpDrive Pro 2.0 and the SanDisk Cruser Mini 2.0 the times ranged between 5+ mins. to just under 10 mins. On the PNY 2.0 device formatted "NTFS", it took around 52 secs. My newly purchased Lexar ran in about the same 52 secs. (compared to 8+ mins. when formatted FAT32) My final benchmark was a folder containing 3 files, weighing 44.5MB. They copied in 46 secs. to the Iomega 1.1, in 23 secs. to the PNY 2.0, and in 19 secs. to the new Lexar. To lend a bit of credibility to these tests, I should tell you that I had taken the Lexar 2.0, the SanDisk Cruzer 2.0 and my Iomega 1.1 to a demo computer at Best Buy and the results were consistent. That machine was a Compaq Presario with 6 "Certified" 2.0 ports with WinXP SP1. So it's unlikely that my personal environment was unique. This has been surely an oddball "review", assuming Amazon publishes it, but it should dramatically benefit many of you buying these devices. Thanks for your time. +5 I've had a 64MB USB 1.1 drive from another company for a few weeks and really love it, but when I saw the price on this drive, I couldn't pass it up. I've used it on my USB 2.0-compliant system with these results: moving 200MB of files, writes in <50 sec., reads in <15 sec! Very quick! Excellent performance. Excellent value. As I've not had the device for long, I cannot comment on its durability. +5 I bought this 2 months ago and have had no problems from it. It is also very tough. I left it in my pocket and my wife washed my jeans with it in there. After letting it dry out for 2 days (just to make sure) when I plugged it in not only did it work but all my data was there like nothing had happened. I was thinking about buying a 750MB USB ZIP drive but now I'm really glad that I got this first. I can buy 3 of these for the price of one of those, and I can use this on any computer. It loads the driver automatically on newer OS, but if it doesn't load automatically it's really easy and quick to go to the lexar site and download the driver for it, then all you have to do is plug and go. +4 I give this a four because it performs well. Look around and see if this 256 MB Flash Drive doesn't have a good price. It performs more than adequate for moving files that won't fit on a floppy or 100-250 MB Zip, back and forth between PCs. To speed up XP performance just format it to NTFS by right clicking on Removeable Drive under My Computer. When the menu comes up click on Format then where it indicates File System change it from FAT to NTFS by clicking on the down arrow. Click on start button and it will reformat. Be sure you don't have any files on it as it will erase them. I have a 512 MB USB Flash Drive for work and it is great. It costs a great deal more. This drive is half the size and only 1/4 the cost. One other thing, I have yet to see any of these drives perform particularly well on XP, so even though the one critic's information is useful, he should not have given this drive such a lousy rating without comparing it to several USB drives. Did I mention the cost? As for the time this takes to copy, I was able to copy a 132 MB Microsoft Service Pack file to it in 2 minutes and 10 seconds. Not blistering but adequate. I am slightly disappointed that after I originally wrote this review they increased the price by fifteen dollars. It is still a fair price, just not a bargain any longer. The drive is dependable since I have used it daily for a several months now on a variety of computers without any problems. +5 I purchased this WAP to add wireless capability to my existing wired network at home. It worked correctly right out of the box with minimum configuration. During installation I changed the following values: 1.) Changed the default IP address to coorespond with my addressing scheme. 2.) Changed the gateway address to point to my existing wired router. 3.) Changed the default SSID and disabled SSID broadcast. 4.) Enabled MAC address filtering and added the MAC addresses of all five devices on my wired and wireless network. This device has worked flawlessly and I am getting very acceptable data rates with no lost or dropped packets. Overall, I am very satisfied with this WAP and I would recommend highly for someone looking for an inexpensive way of adding 802.11g capability to an existing wired network. +4 I'm a Mac user, and at home I use the Apple Airport and Airport Express wireless routers. However, I needed a 2nd system to set up at work, so I bought a used version of the Version 5 WRT54G router to save some money. The install/setup CD had PC-only software, so I took some initiative to figure out how do set it up on my own. I just looked on Wikipedia to get the IP of the router, pointed my browser there, and set up the router and security in a few minutes. I was also able to download the latest firmware from Cisco and install it in a few minutes without any problems. I wouldn't consider myself too tech-savvy, but I know enough how to get started and find help online. If you're the same you won't have any problems setting this up without the setup software available. I suppose the Version 5 and later of the WRT54G is inferior if you are interested in uploading 3rd party firmware. However, for my purposes the Cisco firmware is fine and runs a simple network smoothly. For the $30 I paid for a used unit, it is a good deal. +5 i have owned this router for years now (i would say about 5) and it still works like a beauty, always on, always going strong! it is an earlier version of the firmware because i don't care about the updates (if it runs like a champ why change it?) i went through a netgear in about 6 months, i immediately realized how much of a fool i had been for giving money to someone to take their trash (yeah it was slow and constantly dropped signals) im looking to get a new wireless n router but lately linksys has crapped out.... now i don't know what to buy, i may just stick with this wireless g router until it dies (which i doubt will happen in my lifetime, even though im only 19) and linksys is still the best and i would recommend all their products, especially their older one (still better than anything netgear or d-link has put out) +4 Although this product works fine once it mounts on your computer, it needs a lot of power. What this means is that you can't plug it into the USB port on your keyboard and expect it to mount on your desktop. it won't... you'll get an error message stating there's not enough power. You literally have to crawl around the back of your entire machine and plug it into the USB port there. (Although I don't think that this is strictly a Lexar Media problem -- I believe that this is the same issue for *ALL* Flash Drives that are 256 MB or greater in size. If you get the 128 MB version of this product, you can plug it into your keyboard.) This product works just fine on Macintosh. [...] +2 Another reviewer says this model has a write protect switch. Where the write protect switch is on his model, mine just has a small hole. I suspect that maybe some early models had a write protect switch, but the one I got today definitely does not. (Lexar never claims this model has a write protect switch). The small whole exposes the circuit board, allowing dust, pocket lint, liquid, etc., inside. (At least in principal....) This is very annoying...I'd really like to have a write protect switch, and bought this because I thought that it had one. Otherwise it's nice so far. I echo other reviewers' that the clip on the cover seems superfulous. The drive is also a little large to be on a keychain. It is nice that the keychain is attached to the base of the drive though. This means you can't easily disconnect it from your keychain, but also means that it will be harder to lose. +4 This product works great for me on WinXP and Win2000. However, I'm unable to use it through a 4-port unpowered hub, since apparently this drive needs more than 100mA of current. (powered hubs provide something like 500mA per downstream port.) If you have an unpowered USB hub, don't plan to use your jump drive with it. I'm a bit annoyed that nowhere in the marketing materials is this published - hence this review. On the plus side - at least the driver told me about the power problem right away the first time I plugged it in so I knew what the problem was. +5 A CD comes with the product with a step by step setup wizard. I followed all instructions and it worked the first time. They should add an option to make the wireless network name unpublished in the wizard. I will now have to delve into the manual (PDF) supplied with the device. +5 If you've ever been browsing the internet or some other low-bandwidth intensity activity, only to have it come crashing to a halt because you're downloading something, running a server or using bittorrent to download the latest linux distro, this is the router for you. Keep in mind that more recent versions of it, 5.0 and beyond, are next to useless for using with third party firmware, so look for a used 3.0 or 4.0 version. With Tomato firmware you have the ability to create QoS settings (quality of service) something that is not normally found in routers below the $1,000+ dollar range. This lets you run all sorts of traffic at the same time without anything crashing, as the router prioritizes the traffic according to importance, making sure that one type of traffic (say, oh, bittorrent) doesn't overwhelm another (web browsing). Now Tomato *is* 3rd party firmware, but it's easy to install, it's free, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist or a level 3 network engineer to figure it out. And the results are well worth it. +1 if you just want surf the web and enjoy your wireless internet, then get this router. but if you're a gamer you should NEVER WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS JUNK! i bought 2 of these. first one was over 5 years ago. i couldn't connect to World of Warcraft through my wireless card connected to this router, or even if i plugged in the cat5 cable in the back of this router (wired connection.) the patching DOES NOT WORK! when WoW Launcher lunches it just tries to connect to dl the latest patch but fails every time. i spent over a week on testing things out. opened every single port that was listed on the blizzard website and still nothing! then i went out and bought a new version of this router 1 year ago. SAME PROBLEM! i spend with a Linksys tech support guy on the phone for OVER AN HOUR! he tried every single combo on opening every firewall there is in this router and IT DIDNT WORK NO MATTER WHAT! in the end he told me to return the router to the store but store wouldnt take it because all the sales were final and they were going out of business (CompUSA) Long story short-you get what you pay for. and if you're a gamer it is not worth spending money on this junk if you're asking for a bunch of problems. go google this router and youll see what i'm talking about. i am not the only one with these issues. it's better to invest in a good gaming router then settle for cheap crap like this. the only way i could connect to WoW was if i plugged the cat5 cable directly into the cable box. p.s. i had similar problems with Starcraft and Warcraft 3. i could join games on b.net but not create/host them. when id host a game others wouldnt be able to join. and yes, i opened all the necessary ports that were supposed to be open and still same stupid problem. so go figure... +4 We have had our router now for a few years it lives up and does a good job. It has a emac hooked up to it, Dell 4600, Have Recording box. As well as runs good with wi-fi things such as the xbox 360 wireless networking adapter,nintendo wii, hp media center pc in another room, and a playstation 3. The only issue i ran into it was certain things that happened with ps3 but found a solution as to how to fix that on a website online. Other then that it does a good job at running a few devices hooked directly into it as well as the wi-fi thing in our household. Makes computing,internet, and Gaming a breeze. If this goes up I wouldn't hesitate to buy the same model again as Its done well by my family and myself. +1 I replaced my old 54G with this one. My old unit had removable external antennas and plenty of RAM to support lots of traffic and advanced firmware like DD-WRT. This router is junk. The antennas can't be removed and the overall feel is cheap and flimsy. It is underpowered and can only support the WW-DRT micro firmware. I thought this unit would be identical to my old 54G. It isn't. My mistake I guess... Get something else. +1 I don't know whats the reason linksys don't upgrade the firmware of the WAP54g if it seems so inestable, I bougth a WAP54G installed and used until i tried to chance the WEP key(BIG Mistake), the AP just stop working, i tried everything and nothing seems to work until i hard-reset it, finally it work again, but if i want to chance anything and apply it then the AP just become a piece of junk. I try the Firmware upgrade and the same problem appears, Tech Support? Dont Exist...! Go elsewhere if u want to go 802.11g +2 This works ok but my onw quam is that it will now work woth my i paq 5455 on 802.11b. It seems to have some issues there. It is a known bug. that some b equipnment may not work with it. htere are some people that hacked it to make it b only and the stuff works, but that is not a normal option in the menu. +5 This becomes an awesome little router if you flash the firm where with WRT or tomatoe +5 I used to do field service computer and network setup/repair and I will tell you most routers I have setup have given me headaches. I purchased the WRT54G because it was the most reliable router I had setup. I am still using it and have NEVER had to reset it once since I bought it over a year ago. The signal strength is great and there is a lot of 3rd party firmware upgrades for people looking to get a little more out of it. +1 Had it running for a short time with not much luck. 802.11g has the same interference problems as 802.11b, as it will fight cordless phones, etc. I had the WAP in one room and the PC in the other. Connections would take a long time and would fail periodically. The fastest speed it would connect at, only two rooms away was 24Meg. Sometimes it would connect at 36Meg but quickly drop back down, sometimes to 10Meg. Someone around my house is running an unsecured WLAN as the card in my PC would get a week signal and pick up in IP address from somewhere else. Oops. I had to configure the PC end to look for my network only. If you follow Linksys's instructions, it will us the default configuration, which is wide open, and leave your network assessable to anyone around you. I soon tired of messing with it and got an RMA and shipped it back. I'll wait for 802.11a's prices to come down or see what new wireless protocol comes out next week. +4 I bought the WAP54 G Router with 2 Linksys wireless G Notebook PC Cards and I am very pleased. I am upgrading from Linksys' BEFW11S4 Wireless Router and the WPC11 Wireless PC Card. The increase in speed is definitely worth the cost of the upgrade. I am getting excellent signal quality compared to poor quality with the old system when using laptop in the same location. My DSL connection seems noticeabley faster and I am able to work with shared files on my desktop PC upstairs - old system it was just too slow to do that. The only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is that configuring the router was tricky. The Win XP setup instructions made it look very simple, but getting all the settings correct, especially for WEP, took some time. It could be just that my ISP required that I enter more settings than most. But now that it's set up, it's wonderful. Highly recommend. But keep your old 80211.b system for awhile just in case you have any problems. +2 If I were you, I'd wait before buying this or else look to another 802.11g vendor. The problem I have is that if I reconfigure the device via the web interface (say, to change the password or SSID) then the WAP dies. Wireless seems to still work but I can no longer connect to it via the LAN port. Hard reset is the only fix. I suspect this is a simple firmware bug (v1.05), but it's a good reason not to buy the product. The other problem is that Linksys support is awful. The website doesn't even have support pages yet. Calls to the 1800 number indicate "heavy call volume" no matter what time of day or night. Their email support guy in the Phillipines ignored my detailed request for confirmation of this bug and just gave me the generic "reset your device" instructions. Not helpful. +4 Linksys WRT54G replaced older Linksys B router. Slight improvement in wireless speed; no change in signal strength. I did not get an N router because of mixed reviews and felt I couldn't benefit from it with DSL signal of 3.3 MB. Even though I only run two wireless computers with it, the set up was not trivial. Involved three-way call to two ladies in India, one of whom worked for Verizon, the other for Linksys. Verizon patched the Linksys lady into the call when she couldn't get things to work. Linksys help was flawless. Part of the problem was that my DSL modem from Verizon had never been set up properly to begin with although it worked. Took a 90-minute conference call. Once done, however, the Linksys G has been extremely reliable. Only one reboot in three weeks -- probably a computer issue, not the router. I am very happy at the moment with my set up. +3 I purchased a WRT54G to replace one I had given to my daughter. My older one (>3 years old) was well built and worked flawlessly. The new model is cheaply built and seems to need a periodic reboot - might be my DSL modem but I doubt it. This router works but I wish I had seen one up close and personal before I bought it. I'm waiting for Uverse to appear in my new neighborhood (had Uverse before we moved, loved it, WANT IT BACK AT&T) - then I can retire this router. Hope it lasts long enough. +2 If you enjoyed computing in the days of the Commodore 64, and hey, who didn't, then this is the router for you! First the boring stuff: the router is acceptable in terms of performance, though in an older house you'll have trouble getting a signal twenty-five feet away because of the thicker walls. The real fun comes in setting up, or in my case re-setting up the modem. Let the adventures in user friendliness begin! Check out this link for a preview of what you have in store: [...] None of this graphical user interface nonsense for Linksys, we're back in the glory days of eight hour installs (Pool of Radiance, anyone?), physical copy protection and "press play on tape" if you forgot to tell the computer that your program was on the floppy drive not teh tape player. Searching for the Router takes a full minute. The thing is directly connected to the computer and it takes a minute to find. "Make sure the internet light is blinking", great strategy, thanks Napoleon! Linksys has a great way of helping you when your router cannot find the internet, you just chat online with one of their techs. I'll let you know how that turns out. I am 36th in line after a mere 15 minute wait. Go ahead, buy this router, everyone else does. But if you get it working, never ever touch anything ever again. Ever. Unless you want to experience the 1980s again. Excuse me while I press "play on tape". +5 I am extremely pleased with the Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router. I did not realize when I purchased same that it does NOT replace the cable modem. But that was fine because my computer is in another room far from the modem. The Linksys router is connected to the modem. My computer is not wireless. I have a long ethernet cord connected from the router to my computer. The performance is excellent! I highly recommend this product. The router has four ethernet ports allowing up to, obviously, four computers to be connected. This would include the master computer which has the cable modem hooked up to the router. One added note, with a wireless-G adapter, this router supports same. All the way around, it is an excellent purchase. +1 I've now had this router for 6 months, and I will not buy Linksys again. It works. The set-up software was easy to follow and the process went smoothly. I have no complaints about that. However, we have broadband (Comcast) and there have been numerous times--maybe 75% or more--when we log in after the PC has been in standby mode, and it takes as much as two minutes (I timed it) before the link to the net is established so that we can get e-mail, etc. With the old router, a d-Link that just died one day after over 4 years of reliable service, we never had a wait like that. I admit that I really have no way to determine if the problem is the router or Comcast, but, when a fellow from Comcast came to the door asking about our quality of service and I told him about a this issue, he asked if our router was either a Belkin or a Lynksys because they typically have more problems with those than with either d-Link or Netgear. Under the circumstances, I'm inclined to believe him. There are times when I can't connect at all and have had to unplug/reboot both the router and the modem. I finally was able to test this situation out enough to establish that unplugging only the router would fix the problem. Hmmm. Also, two or three times when I've opened up the Linksys Easy Advisor software to look at the security settings or such, the software thinks that the router is not operating, even though I've already been on the web just fine, thank you. Either the software or the router is not good, evidently. So, all things considered, I don't need an immediate replacement, but I'm going to keep an eye out for a nice deal on either a Netgear or d-Link and ditch Linksys. +4 this is best budget wireless device on the market. it is undoubtedly comparable to more expensive units. if you know what you're doing it takes 10 mins to set up and secure. i've yet to use the cd or the automatic configuration button. i would like a little more range though. +3 What do you expect. It is a $40 dollar router. I use for my home network and haven't had really any problems at all. This review is based on those facts and those facts alone. I don't do any manual configuring besides using EasyLink advisor. +5 I have two of these routers. One for my office and one for home. I've had good luck with them and im satisfied with the strength of the wireless signal they provide. For the money, they are a good choice and i recommend them for anyone who wants to go wireless. I give it 5 stars. +1 The only reason i have purchased this router is because at the time of looking for router my local electronic store had them on sale (> $30.00). For the first couple of weeks it has been working just as it should, after that i had nothing but trouble when using it. It has been dropping connection like every 10-15 minutes making my wife going ballistic (she uses internet for work) I couldn't figure out where the problem is; called local cable company to see if there is problem on their end, have them send technician, then replaced cable modem itself and still the same. It's not a cable provider, it's not a modem...it's this damn router. Many times in the morning i wasn't able to go online using my Desktop (night before it has been working)until i have manually by pulling cables out disconnecting this thing and using modem only....guess what, no problems whatsoever. I'm not sure what I'm going to buy now but i know it won't be another Linksys. It was "only" 30 bucks i consider myself lucky wasting only this much while some others have paid $50 just to find out they have purchased nothing but worthless piece of junk. I would never ever recommend this product unless u want something that will work ( if You're lucky)for some time and then it will simply stop and You won't even be able to return it per 30 days returning policy. +1 I purchase this wr-G router and 2 monhts later the antenas came out and broke easily. and I try to upgrade it from v2,2 to v 4.1.1 and the device stop working wireless.let only wire conection available .I contact linksys and told me that the divece garranty is expire. and they can't help me to fix it. when I told them that I just purchase it from circuit city and they told me that I need to purchase a extended garranty wich is not fair (a rip off)I need to to purchase a extended garranty for nothing since friend of mine told later that the way to fix it from others version problems is to reset the (WRG router) for 30 secongs and it did work it came back to factory settings. now I done but the service at linksys is a frustration . now wireless for me is available.linksys service suck. +5 Best G router for the money. It has never failed and it has always performed well. I would whole heartedly recommend it to everyone. However, I would get the WRT54GS for the speed booster which really works. I just upgraded to the WRT610N after having used this router for several years. If you are having trouble setting it up just go to the linksys website and they will work out all the "kinks" for you. I will never buy anything but linksys. +5 This router is quick and easy to set up (took about 5 minutes total) and is great for tying all your devices together, thanks to the wired and wireless capabilities. I highly recommend this to anyone with more than one computer in the same building. +5 i got the linkys router for gaming and it works great. my router is connected to a computer + a PS3 and someone is able to be online on the computer while i play my gaming system at the same time. +5 I just purchased my second WRT router. The great thing about them is that there is open source firmware that makes the router as good as the $200+ routers out there. The firmware upgrade allows you to do things such as remotely turning on/off your computer, advanced port options, advanced firewall, etc... For more info on it check it out at: [...] +1 ...get the acclaimed Linksys WRT 54 GL instead. It's a different and superior animal - a much more competent and reliable performer. They appear identical but they're not. A housemate originally installed his WRT 54G and we routinely had dropped internet connections, usually at least once a day. Had to go into the room where it was kept and recycle it, a real nuisance....disconnect the power cord and wait for about 20 seconds before plugging it back in. When the housemate moved out, he left the router; didn't want it back. I bought the model #WRT54GL after reading the mostly 5 and 4 star rated user reviews here at Amazon and have, so far, experienced smooth sailing...no dropped connections yet. UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Linksys WRT54GL that I bought went bad after 2 week's use. Worked fine then experienced extremely slow internet connections and constant rebuffering(quitting) with iTunes streams. The WRT54GL is going back to Amazon. I'll be looking for a better quality, more reliable router. . No more Linksys products for me. What a bummer! +2 I bought this about a year ago to upgrade from my netgear 802.11B router. I wanted the higher throughput (54mbps) and liked that it did WPA. My old router only did WEP64. I really liked my netgear router because it had good range and once i had it setup, it was rock solid. I almost never had to restart it because it had dropped my connection. With the WRT54G, however, I have to frequently power cycle it to have my laptop sync up to it. Also, with my WinXP machine there was an issue coming out of hibernation. Each time I had to "repair" the adapter. I never had to do this with my netgear router and the same Win XP laptop. I can imagine that it might be a WinXP driver issue, but I've had similar experiences with a newer Vista Laptop and in Linux as well (on both the older and newer laptops), so i highly doubt that it is a laptop hardware / driver issue. There is also an issue when i use VPN to connect to my office machine. I don't know what interaction with the router might be, but after I disconnect from the VPN, i lose wireless network connection. It doesn't matter what windows clean ups i perform (flushing dns, disabling wireless adapter and including restarting the machine) If i simply power-cycle the router, i am able to connect to it. So overall, i have a fairly low opinion of this product. I think I'll stick with netgear in the future. +3 I have owned this router for about a year and it usually works. I do have problems with it not allowing me on the internet at times. The only way I can fix it is to perform a hard re-boot by pressing in the reset button for 10 seconds. When I do this I have to re-enter in all my security info. I don't have problems other than that. It does have the capability to block out certain web sites. Overall, this isn't a bad unit, though I am in the market for another because of the frustration I am having with locking out the internet. +1 I lost the wireless connection about 3 times a day with this and had to do constant resets. Very frustrating. I ended up putting it out on the street and getting an Airport Extreme. (Which is outrageously overpriced, but hasn't given me any problems). +1 I am absolutely baffled that this product has so many positive reviews. I purchased this router about 2 years ago for my first apartment and since my mom has the same one, I assumed all the issues I was having were coming from the Motorola Surfboard modem. A friend came by after 2 months of my resetting and rebooting both and finally did some magic that made it more stable. I moved and had no use for it after that but kept it. Now, I've got my own house and had my cable/DSL set up Saturday about 2. By 2:30, I had the setup wizard frozen and was on the phone with India/Sri Lanka/ Philippines/Bangladesh or some other far off foreign country speaking with tech support. It was a challenge to follow the girl's directions since her accent was so thick I couldn't make out half of them! After she suggested I 'kindly' update my firmware, my set up wizard crashed and I couldn't access half of the router's website anymore! After 45 minutes of phone talk I finally just said it was working fine and it did for about 15 minutes. Then I had to run set up wizard again since when I tried to reset the router, it killed the WPA encryption I had set up and I had to rename the router and recreate the security. Not that bad... until you have to do it every quarter of an hour. LITERALLY! So this morning after spending another 45 minutes on the phone with the Philippines and having the new girl tell me that my CELL PHONE was the reason it wasn't working, and that I should really not have a cordless phone (including cell phones) in the same house as my router (Uhmmmmmmmmmmmmm... excuse me!!!!!!!!?????!!!!!), I decided that maybe it was time to try a new one. I now have a Linksys WRT54G paperweight. And a new, wonderfully reliable (so far, no disconnects in 3 hours...) Belkin F5D8233-4 N Wireless Router Belkin F5D8233-4 N Wireless Router that took longer to drive 6 miles roundtrip to buy than to set up. If you are looking for a new router, PLEASE do not buy this Linksys. It seems to be hit or miss. And unless you are GREAT at computer programming and such, you WILL call tech support and tho, to their credit, they will try to help, it's the same useless information that gets you a quick fix. And when I say quick, I mean the fix will last for about 30 minutes TOPS. Do yourself a favor and buy the Belkin. And no, I don't work for Belkin, and other than my iPod Nano armband, this is my first Belkin product. It will not be my last now. +5 It's a great router with easy to use configuration. This is my third one and I have no complaints. Linksys is by far the best home router you can get. +4 the router works great after installed,but we had trouble getting it to connect to the internet. we had to call tech support to help resolve this problem. after being on hold for about 20 minutes, the problem still took us another 20 minutes or so,to resolve it. after all of that was resolved we really love being able to use more than one computer at the same time. +2 I am personally not so familiar with computers but it should not be so difficult to hook up a wireless router and I had a lot of trouble with this. But once I got it together it worked great. +5 I knew nothing about wireless networking but wanted one because Net**** now streams 1,000's of their movies to a subscriber's television through a wireless networked system. Setup was very simple and I had no problems connecting the Roku and Wii to the router. However, I did notice it stopped my network traffic after long periods of time, but once I disabled my 3rd-party firewall and used the Windows XP firewall, that problem ceased immediately. I also updated the firmware to 8.0.5 as it came with 8.0. +1 This is probably a fine wireless router for those who use Windows, but it REALLY doesn't work well with Mac OS X, especially the Mac laptops (though apparently it does work somewhat for some Mac people). There is a lot more detail in the how-to article posted here, and especially in the comments section after: [...] I tried all the tricks in that article but had no luck with mine, so I wound up returning it. Fortunately, Amazon's service in that regard is excellent. I understand this router used to use a more open and flexible Linux system, but has since changed to something else. But Linksys really should specify that this product simply wasn't designed to work well with the Mac. From the manual and the CD you would think Windows was the only OS on the market! Also, IMO, as Linksys made a good reputation for how "hackable" the original was, they should have changed the model number when they removed the original functionality. This is probably a classic example of a big company "coasting" on the previous product's reputation. Rather sad. +4 easy to set up, and has worked without a problem since i got it. not much more i can ask for. i have great signal strength anywhere in my house. +5 OK, I needed to replace a well worn Belkin wireless router that served well for over three years and I bought a WRT54G by LinkSys/Cisco. Looks cool with its dual pseudo-rubber ducky antennas and bold color scheme. But honestly, that's not why I bought it. I'm a Mac user and it seems that most after market companies neglect to mention if their router(s) are Mac compatible. Now I know that basically, wireless is wireless and 99.9% of all routers probably work with Macs OK. But BEFORE I purchased I called LinkSys just to be sure and I was told very politely by an AMERICAN CS rep that YES, ALL LinkSys routers are compatible with Macs and that if I have any trouble simply call customer service and they'll walk you through. So I bought it. Got home, opened it up, hooked it up and just for s**ts and giggles I started up Firefox (Internet Browser) and I had internet. Now hold on. It wasn't really right. I still had to configure the router and I couldn't access the router's home page. I knew this would happen. No big deal. I called LinkSys and within five minutes a wonderful young lady by the name of Roxanne had all of my settings straightened out. Now I know that this isn't really a big deal. Or isn't it? I was going to buy Apple's Airport Extreme. The price tag didn't bother me. But do you know what did? No tech support unless your have an active extra care plan on your computer. You can get tech support but you have to pay for it. Outrageous, but I still love Apple. If your looking for an affordable wireless router with no bells and whistles and you appreciate good, American customer support. Buy this one or one of LinkSys's other routers. I've probably jinxed myself now and there'll be some problem coming up. Knock on wood. +4 The Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router by Linksys was the rather unattractive blue and black model (although there are newer models which look much nicer). We used it alongside Linksys' Wireless-G adapter as my roommate was using a desktop with no wireless card. My computer, as the master still had one wire connecting to the Wireless router which, in turn, was connected to the modem why was connected to the phone jack. The adapter plugged into my roommate's USB port. I recall that installation was really easy. One can either use the setup wizard software provided on the disc or go to address of the Linksys web utility. I used to software and it was easy enough for me, someone who had never used a router before, to figure out on my own. It included options like securing the network with a password, something I recommend to all. An unsecured network can lead to others leeching your connection, the least possible result is a slower connection and the worst is a hike in your internet bill! At the master computer, I had virtually no problems and any I did have were easily solved by resetting the router by the button on the back of the piece. However, my roommate had more problems than I did. The network usually worked well across a space of 25 - 40 feet (I'm not a great guesser) but obsessionally she would not have any connection while mine was fine. Sometimes this situation would remedy itself and others I would reset the wireless router, reboot my computer or physically unhook the router and modem to fix the issue. Sometimes this did not help and we simpyl had to wait for the issue to sort itself out. Now, I'm pretty confident that this wasn't an issue with my connection because, at the time, it was very fast and very reliable. Furthermore, I had few issues at the master computer. It seems that Linksys wireless options are at the low end of the spectrum and while this was only mildly irritating for us, for someone who requires constant uptime or fast connections, the Linksys WRT4G Wiress-G Router may not be the way to go. However, it is readily available and, if you find rebates, quite affordable. I think we ended up spending about $40 for the pair from Best Buy via a mail in rebate. For that price, I can't really complain. +1 Big and small problems -- requires a cable to initiate setup, complains when internet not connected, requires (for me) at least daily reboot, low signal strength unless nodes are close, etc. I'm giving mine away, and will replace with Belkin N1, which has great reviews for ease of setup and reliability, with mediocre performance. I'm not running a data warehouse, and don't anticipate a performance problem with the Belkin for my home/office application. +5 Was able to set up this product in about 5 minutes, has done nothing but please me since. Have it in top corner of my townhome and can use in backyard on other side, but not in the street, what I would call a perfect range. Probably could put in middle of apt for better performance. Speed seems good on my girlfriends Wireless B laptop and the only other wireless is an audio bridge downstairs that has no problems. I'm sure G flys but why not go for the N if you can use it right? +2 The WRT54G works intermitantly. When it goes down, you have to reset or download new firmware or generally spend hours trying to figure out what went wrong with it. Definitely high maintenance and I consider myself fairly knowledgable and patient, but I resent having to spend a weekend futzing around with it to get it to work. Buy this router only if you like spending time doing this sort of thing and have a fairly good knowledge of Internet protocol, WLAN and LAN. Also, if you have more than one computer connected, the problems jump exponentially. I have a desktop, two laptops and a Blackberry. It can't handle multiple devices connected to it. If you have a live-in network specialist, it may work fine for you. I am now down on all Cisco/Linksys products. Why can't they make a product that works out of the box? +5 Used to have a D-Link and no signal not even close to the router. Changed to this Linksys and now I get strong signal even in the other end at a different level of my spacious home. Highly recommendable. +5 I'm not one for leaving reviews (I like to read them) but after 5, yes FIVE, routers in 6 months I finally bought this. I have 3 macs and 2 iphones sharing the wireless. All previous routers were basically a nightmare. The kind of nightmare where it slowly creeps up on you. You're wondering down some friendly street and then WHAM you're in a weird dimension battling centipedes. I digress, buy this router if you want to save your sanity. It works. +5 All I can say is that this baby works.. I have had it for just over 2 years and after a few moves and network setups, this baby still works as new.. +4 I've been using this router for almost 3 months now. Initially I had problems setting up the router through the installation disk as the router could not detect the internet. I went through the installation a few times and somehow the router was finally able to make a connection with the modem to connect to the internet. I've had success adding other computers and my iPod to the network. The range is good enough (at least in my 900 sq ft home) that I can walk around with my laptop and still have a connection. I am delighted to have more flexibility with where I can do my work and not have network cords all over the place! +4 This inexpensive radar unit for autos works to track signals from police magnets, thereby informing you of the presence of police in the area and it is especially at high alert around donut shops and restrooms. The theory behind this is that you won't get a ticket if you know a copper is in the area, hence people will slow down and put away their crack pipes. It can also pick up strange alien frequencies, Pavarotti concerts, AM/FM radio signals and certain Republican conventions, which are a complete bore. +3 I bought this router as a replacement for a Netgear that died after 18 months or so. In reading the reviews, it sounded like the Netgear routers had heating issues and eventually would crap out. The Linksys was highly rated so I got it. I should have just gotten another Netgear. My old router was rock steady until about a month or two before it died. Then it needed frequent rebooting. This thing has to be restarted at least once a week. My old one probably got reset twice in the entire first year. I'm only a few months into the Linksys router but I'm not impressed. Range is good and speed is good too but this constant need to reboot is annoying, especially since I didn't have to reset my previous router. I'll keep this one and buy another brand when it dies. +3 I purchased the LINKSYS Wireless-G Router about two years ago for twice what it is being sold for now. Its simple to psychically set-up, but I found the software to be very difficult. Since I did not have a phone jack in my spare bedroom/office and could not get anyone to install one, I was advised to get a wireless router. I placed this router in my kitchen, which had the closest phone jack to my office (direct sight line). That way it only had to go through one wall (do not place any metal objects between the router and your desktop, like washing/drying machines, bookcases, etc.). I was on the support line in the Philippines for hours and then I had to deal with my phone company to get the right info (POP, STMP, etc.) Once it was up and running, it did fine. The connectivity ranged from fair to good most of the time, but was never at 54 Mbps at any time. After about a year, it simply burned out. I replaced it with a NETGEAR router, which was about the same, only a little more `even' with the connectivity. To increase it, I added the NETGEAR adapter (antennae), but that really didn't add much. In the end, I ripped up my carpet and ran the phone line around the edge of the room. If you have multiple (up to four) computers, the router might be your choice way to go, but I had lots of problems with mine. Every home set-up varies. +1 Poor performance, slow connections, drop out's, and dies 1 day after warrently expires. Get D-Link routers way better quality and performance. +1 This is a bad company. I purchased a wireless router from them and, truth be told, it never really worked right. The speed was ok, but it was impossible to set up without tech support and every so often it would simply stop working. When that happened I would be forced to call tech support and spend 30-60 minutes on the phone fighting with them about resetting the router. I recently purchased a new computer and decided to save a little money by moving this router to it. When I called tech support I was told that the router was out of its warranty period and they could not help me... unless I would pay them to. That's right, I would have to pay for the assistance on their product - a working product because it was not under warranty. So be warned that you are only buying the option to use Linksys' products for a limited time - that is if you have any problems whatsoever that require tech support. I am now trying a Trendnet. Let's see if they are any better. +5 Bought this to network my iMac upstairs with my PowerMac downstairs. Since it isn't Mac friendly to set up, it took a few extra steps. So far it works flawlessly. It has a good range, and I have had no problems. +4 I bought the Linksys wireless router thinking this would cure my ills that I was having with my old Belkin router. I was constantly having to reset it and it did not have the easiest access to it's reset button. It turns out I have the same issue with the Linksys. The saving grace with the Linksys is that the reset button is much easier to access than on the Belkin so it's not as much of a problem. Other than having to reset it every 3 or 4 days, the router works fine and provides a network for 3 laptops in my home. I would probably buy one again if I had need for it since it does the job and is not overly expensive. +5 I have done the wireless thing for almost five years now. I have used microsofts router (okay), isp providers routers (okay), d-link (solid) and now linksys. I have two floors in my apartment and about four notebooks/2 printers are on the network. The linksys was fairly easy to setup (didn't use the provided disk - instead set it up online through the generic linksys web address 168...), gives great coverage and has been consistent in its coverage. Previous to the linksys we used the d-link which would drop out from time to time (not often - maybe once over two months) and we would have to soft reset it. with the microsoft and isp routers the drop outs were more frequent (about 1/mo. with the microsoft router and every 6 weeks with isp routers). However I have had the linksys for four months and I have not had to reset it at all. It is as if it doesn't exsist....which I suspect is the way it should be. The only issue we have seems to be with apple notebooks in the house. While PC notebooks can "find" the network right away, it seems macs take a couple of minutes before the network pops up (we haven't figured out if it is a problem on the mac wireless adapter end or the security measures setup of the linksys router). Otherwise a fine product and worth a high rating. +5 When I asked around for recommendations on a basic wireless router to use with satellite internet, this is the one everyone suggested, and I think it was a good choice. I found it simple to set up using the installation CD, and it worked on the first attempt to connect it. In order to configure the network, the computer has to be connected to the router by a cable (which is later removed). It comes with a 3' network cable, but you may need to purchase a longer one if your router and computer won't be that close together. +5 I bought this router to divide our cable connection's bandwith and go wireless in the same time. Currently I have a macbook and would like to warn everybody with a Mac, that the installation CD is NOT compatible with a MAC system! This means that installation should be done manually. First you should connect the cable from your DSL modem to the router, then connect your Mac to the router with another cable (don't bother to try wireless for the first time). Next use any browser to "enter the router", the address is 192.168.1.1 (you just type this into your browsers's address line) and use the clone MAC address utility to copy the address of your PC or MAC to the router. In theory this is basically all that one needs to do with any router. These and further instructions can be found starting on page 7. (chapter 3, Advanced configuration) of the user manual that can be downloaded from the internet if one was not supplied with the router (acrobat reader / or preview on Mac required). The router has been working flawlesly for the last month and does not decrease the speed of our internet connection. Remember however, that the more computers you use on the same connection, the less bandwith there will be available for the individual computers - router only divides available bandwith and is not for increasing speed. Also lets not orget, that it provides wireless internet in a home, and is able to both low and high speed wireless (so you can use an old but still good laptop to hook onto your own system). Ours is a small flat so cannot really comment on what is the maximal distance this is working. It surely works in all adjacent rooms to the one the router was put. Also you should protect your wireless system with password and encryption - this model offers a range of possibilities on that point too, and all this for a nice price (it was undre $50.00 when I bought it). +5 It was easy to install and works great so far (2 months)....Great price and very good range throughout the house. +5 That said, all routers burn out eventually. Its been about 6 months and this one is still working perfectly. Never and cut-outs or any issues at all. +4 this is a nice little router. much cheaper than the apple airport and easy to set up. it doesn't say if it will work with macs, but it works perfectly fine with macs +4 Excellent product. Easy to install and set up, especially in the unsecure mode but the secure mode only requires a couple more steps. Very reliable and has excellent range. +5 Una excelente opcion para tener tu red domestica y sobre todo si tu portatil es wifi eres libre por toda la casa de moverte y estar online todo el tiempo y no atado a un escritorio como les sucede a mis hijos con sus desktop, Linksys es una marca solida en lo referente a routers y wireless +4 This router is very good, however, it cost me an additional $35 to have my computer guy to come by and set it up as the instructional information supplied is not at all user friendly. You might want to figure extra fees into the price unless maybe your a computer geek. Frank +3 After a 3 day battle to get the router installed it worked wonders. I didn't realize that the router only had a Ethernet connection and not a usb. I had to buy a Ethernet usb adapter to be able to get it to work with my computer. After I thought it had been installed i ran the software but it refused to detect the internet, then refused to detect the router. In the end I had to call my cable company to reprogram my modem over the phone so it would work. Overall, I am very happy with the way this router works, it has a strong signal and allows me to work at the levels I would expect from a wired connection. The downside was the installation, though generally find Linksys to be difficult in that aspect. +5 Got this from circuit city today for 45$ to replace a d-link 524 that dropped connections every 5 minutes. The instructions warn you 3 times to install the software on the CD before plugging it and turning it on. I'm surprised it doesn't require you to be wear a tie when installing the software. I ran the setup from the CD on a windows vista desktop. The installation screen comes up but the launch items are all outside the visible area and there's no way to size the window. I just clicked on the first link and that launched the setup program. If you're an advanced/expert user, you'll hate the setup nannyware(yes, I made that up). If you are an expert user, just ignore the setup instructions and connect the thing like you would connect any other router. A few resets later, everything will work flawlessly. A note to vista users: If you're trying to run an ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew from the command prompt, launch command prompt in the admin mode. Start->Accessories->Command Prompt(Don't click on command prompt yet). Right click on the command prompt icon and click on launch as administrator. In summary: If the setup nannyware bothers you, it's 3 stars. If it doesn't, 5 stars. +4 Easy to install, will sometimes lose communication with other computers in house. Have to press "Easy Access" button regularly. Will sometimes disrupt DSL, must unplug, setup DSL and replug. +5 I am not a geek. It did take me a couple hours from when I opened the box until when I had everything working right, but I expected that. +5 I have another router, but this one has replaced it. Works great with the PCMCIA card I bought, so my lap top is wireless, and my desk top is wired. I've had no problem with this. Great product! +5 Great deal for a wireless router. The name brand is solid and the price was right. +4 Overall I have been very happy with this router. The price was very attractive and generally it has performed well. I was advised by an IT professional to save my money and not purchase an "N" router, that for general home use this inexpensive "G" router's speed exceeds that of even the fastest DSL service. It is blazing fast and works well with 6 different devices (4 PCs, 1 iPod Touch, and one Palm). In several weeks of use I have only had to reset the router once. All that having been said, however, expect for the router to NOT install with the greatest of ease as promised in the the documentation. There will almost certainly be unavoidable installation issues which (as was the case at least for me) will require conversations with very cordial but distant tech support people in some transoceanic land. Thanks to being cut off a couple of times, for me it took three calls and two hours to get up and running on all my devices. +4 Brought this router almost 2 months ago. Setup was a bit tricky, u need to have some knowledge about setting up the wireless laptops and lan/wan IP address and such. I got this specifically so that I could hook up my VOIP phone, home PC and laptop. It works very well once u know how to set it up. Would recommend it to all. +3 I purchased the router to replace a DSL wireless router because I changed ISP using coax broadband. My goal was to connect my older Dell 8200 desktop, older Dell XPS Generation 1 laptop, PS3, and Nintendo DS. I was a bit apprehensive because I read good and bad reviews regarding the router and the problems associated with trying to get the wireless portion to work. After the cable guy installed the cable modem, I installed the Linksys Easy Link Advisor (ELA) software on my desktop. It took a couple of minutes for the software to install and I followed the instructions on connecting the wireless router. It worked fine without incident. I followed the ELA directions to enable my laptop to wirelessly connect to the router (make sure you have extra cat5 cable). My laptop has a Linksys wireless card so I was hoping it would not have any compatibility issues. The ELA software directed me to the Linksys website to download software to laptop and my laptop was able to log on the router with WEP enabled. The ELA software also had a print function so you can have a hard copy of your network settings which is nice. I was pretty happy to have the desktop and laptop connected and the next item was the PS3. The auto network settings function on the PS3 was the easiest of the three computers and all 3 items were connected to the internet. I turned off the PS3 and my son used the desktop and I was on the laptop for a bit. Eventually I turned off the laptop after a couple of hours of use. Later when I tried to log back on the wireless router, that's where all the problem and frustration started. I have multiple profiles on my laptop, 2 admin accounts for me and 3 limited accounts for my family. I was able to log on the router but not to the internet. I tried downloading the laptop wireless software from the Linksys website but that didn't work. Tried that multiple times. Eventually, I went back to my original computer/modem/internet configuration without the Linksys router and uninstalled all the ELA software and started from scratch. I was able to get an internet access for my desktop but the wireless laptop was still having problems. The ELA software kept getting hung up and would freeze on my laptop. Even more frustrating is that if had hard wired my laptop to the router via Ethernet cat5 cable, I still couldn't get internet access because I believe the ELA software prevented that capability. After about 2-3 hours, my laptop was able to gain access to the router and the internet with WEP enabled. I'm not sure what I did exactly but it was at 1:00 AM. I noticed on my laptop Linksys wireless software that I can save a profile of the wireless setting which I did. I logged off and tried the other admin and limited accounts on laptop. I wasn't able to log on the router/internet. I did notice under laptop wireless software there were options to import settings. I went back to my laptop admin account which had access earlier and exported the settings to a share directory. Logged off this account and logged on my other accounts and imported that setting into each laptop profile for the wireless software. Now each user account has internet access. Amazing but painful. The next day's effort was to reconnect the PS3 via Cat5 cable to the router and went through the network settings page on the PS3. No problem . . . the PS3 was the next easiest thing to set up. I have two external 500GB Western Digital hard drives on my desktop that I wanted to setup on a home network so I can access them by wireless laptop. I selected the drives to be shared and more problems occurred. My entire net work was down. I noticed on my laptop when I refreshed the wireless option that my router was not broadcasting my SSID. I thought I had to go through the entire setup again. However, I pulled the power plug on the router and powered it down for a couple of seconds and turned it on again. My network came up but I haven't been able to access my external hard drives to date. So far the router has been pretty good with some exceptions. I noticed couple of times the wireless signal has been down but then in a few seconds, my wireless laptop reconnects. I have had to reset the network settings on the PS3 a couple of times as well. I went back to the ELA to print out a network settings page and it was not available, in fact, the ELA software on my decktop reverted back to initial setup to start the network so basically, it's useless at this point as I have the network working. I wanted the WEP code to enable my son's Nintendo DS so I logged on the Linksys gateway. I entered the WEP code on the Nintendo DS and it was able to access the internet. It was the easiest of all the internet capable devices to set up. I have a wireless PDA to connect but haven't tried it yet. I hope this will be helpful in your decision making. Good luck! Note: After about 3 weeks of constant internet drops and requiring power cycling of the router (pulling the power plug) to get internet, I returned the 54G router. The 54G router wasn't indicating the active port either i.e. activity light didn't light up. I ended up with a used 54GS speed booster version of the router and installed it without problems and it's been solid performer-previous owner was having similar problems that I had with the 54G. Weird thing is as soon as I removed the 54G router and connected the 54GS router, my desktop saw the internet right away unlike the 54G. The 54GS was much more compatible with the ELA software as well. The 54GS was a version 5 and I updated the firmware. So far no problems. In fact the ELA software displayed all my networked devices correctly i.e. PS3, Nintendo DS, desktop, laptop. I plan on adding an additional wireless laptop and PS2 with a wireless access bridge. +1 I purchased this product having gone through a few over the years. It has always been a reliable product and I have used it very well. This time; however, it simply did not work. It dropped connections, the admin pages wouldn't come up...it just didn't work. Then I learned why. Linksys, in order to save money, gutted the product, replaced the operating system, cut the memory in half and essentially reverse engineered a d-link. So...naturally, it is now about as reliable as a d-link. Luckily, I learned that they kept the original version in the market for people who do their homework. It's under the model number WRT54GL (L for Linux). I did; however, learn the hard way, so I now have a $50 paperweight to show for linksys/cisco's stupid decision. Now, I have to second-guess all of my purchases of linksys equipment. Why did they have to do that to us and to themselves? +1 I bought this by mistake and had to return it. Linksys has lowered the built in RAM on this router in newer versions and it will not run full versions of most open source firmware (like Tomato or DDR). I returned this and got the nice WRT54GL version and am happily running Tomato right now. Please don't get this by mistake if you want to hack the firmware... +5 I bought 2 of these for my Canon Digital Rebel for a weekend camping trip. I didn't have very high hopes because they were so cheap, but I only ended up using one of the batteries for the whole trip, and I took appx 500 photos. They are a great buy! +4 The Digital Concepts CB-511-R 1200 mAh Replacement Battery for Canon BP-511 (Purchased on 02/04/2009) seems to perform as well as the factory Canon batteries. The price is right. +5 We needed a wireless router to work and protect our line. I am very impress with the product and price. I definitely recommend this product. +2 I do some basic network consulting on the side, and have seen three WRT54G routers fail so far. One was mine, two were customers'. Of the ten or so that I've worked with, thats around a 30% failure rate. Not so good. When they work, they're great. The failures generally came after power outages, so it's likely to do with the power supply and/or conditioning in the power circuit in the router. In any event, I have not seen this failure rate in the D-Link, Netgear or Buffalo routers that I have worked with. +2 I have the WRT 54g v8. Router. Every so often, it drops the connection. It becomes useless until you reboot it. I was surfing yesterday, using my Pocket PC. Everything was fine. I tried a couple of hours later and I got the message Invalid Key. I went to my wired computer and I could not get online. I used the Easylink advisor and it showed that it could not find the SSID or the key or anything. So I had to reboot. This has happened twice so far. I did not spend as much time trouble shooting this time because I had seen it before. It looks like it will stay up for about a week before I have to reboot. I can live with it but I expected better. +5 Though there have been many versions of this router, this is a classic and is always solid. Also for those worried about setting this up, the phone support is fantastic. Very easy, works great. +5 I find this wireless router really awesome, since the time I have installed it I didn't have to renew the IP even once. Prior to this I was using a Verizon wireless router, with which I had to renew IP almost every week. +3 This product doesn't come with a wireless on/off switch so even when I connected both of the computer by cable the wireless is still on. Not very healthy. +1 I tried 2 of this one. Followed all the setup procedures but cannot detect my DSL internet (Verizon). The ones I got is version 8.2. I will try the WRT54GL since it has great reviews. +2 The router is very reliable but the surfing is too slow when other clients are on the network. The range is also not good. I only get 3 or 4 bars on the meter and the router is only 20 feet away. Also the plastic case is warped. The 4 legs will not rest on the table at the same time. I have a version 6 router. I would avoid this and try a version 8 or a different model +2 I bought this router to establish a wireless network at home, under windows xp. I had a lot of troubles when i first installed in in my cousin's computer. Allegedly, there are compatibility problems with Mcafee products and this router. I bought this one because my uncle bought one a couple years ago and everything worked flawlessly. The in ternet speed was amazing and I did the installation in just a few minutes. They never reported any problems and they don't know anything about OS or networking. I had read about linksys reputation and being a cisco company I went and picked this one without a doubt, paying more than the average price of the competition (dlink, netgear or belkin). For my unpleasant surprise, i realized linksys had changed the operating system of the router for a much worse one. This is the reason of most bad reviews. This one, after version 5,included, has become an awful product. with lots of imcompatibily problems and in general a bad performance. The DHCP server doesnt work very well. If you use P2P programs to download from the internet your D/L speeds will be very low. You might find yourself losing connection without any reason or logical pattern, and it will result in long hours of frustrating efforts TRYING to solve the issues. If you want to stick to linksys for whatever reason, pick the one with linux compatibility and get some 3party firmware. Do not waste your money and time with this. Another good option (probably the best) is the Zyxel x-550. +4 I was hoping to put tomato on this router but BEWARE, they do not support v8 which is what I received. I ended up putting the micro version of dd-wrt on this router. It has suited my purposes but I would rather all my devices have the same firmware. There are instructions on the net on how to get dd-wrt installed on this model. Just figure out what version you have by looking at the sticker on the bottom before trying to install anything. This is a good router and it does everything I want it do but I wish I had picked up the WRT54GL instead. +2 Well obviously since I just bought battery I can't comment on lifetime or quality yet. However I have a cautionary story. When I ordered my Cannon EOS 40D from some website in NY or NJ I asked for a second battery. I was charged $[...] for a second battery but it was THIS one not a real Cannon battery, so the guy screwed me by sending me a $[...] battery and charging me full Cannon price. The Cannon battery is still going strong after 2+ years the "non-Cannon" battery lasted about a year. For less than $[...] bucks that's OK. Just DON'T let it sit discharged for long periods of time. +2 It does not last nearly as long as the rated Ah implies. I guess you get what you pay for. +5 good battery for the price. Have just started using it so can't say how long it will live +5 This is very close to being the PERFECT Router for the price. I use it with my iPod Touch throughout my home and it works flawlessly!!! +5 This is the easiest to install router I have ever had. It works flawlessly. +5 I am a novice when it comes to matters of technology but I do know this router is very easy to use and has a fast connection. In my last apartment, the landlord had a guy that took care of everything to do with the internet. I got this unit when I bought a house last winter, at Meijer with 15% off it was comparable to Amazon's price now. It is perfect for my husband and I, who each have Dell notebooks. I connected it to the Surfboard modem my cable co. provided, piece of cake. I used the included CD, set up a WPA key and was surfing within about ten minutes. The only time I had a problem is when I upgraded to Dell Support Center 2.0 (I got a "problem applying profile" message), but when I uninstalled Support Center that went away. It has been over a year and no major problems, I would highly recommend this unit for a beginner like myself. +3 Pros: stylish, tiny, lightweight, good audio capacity, voice activated recording Cons: no Mac support and low res image capture The blister pack includes... - W-10 unit - soft sleeve - windows software cd - earphone - usb cable I'd hoped that this device would connect as a USB hard drive but it requires pc-based software to download the images. The software is pretty good...I especially like the auto-download-and-delete feature which make connectivity amazingly quick as plugging in the cable switches the w-10 into PC connectivity mode, launch the w-10 software, download the images/audio clips, and delete the images off the w-10. The camera doesn't have a flash so indoor shots are grainy (outdoor shots are a little better but not quite as good as my first olympus digital camera, which also took 640x480 images). One nice thing is that the unit doesn't have any distinct modes to get into the way...you can switch between audio and image capture seamlessly. One caveat here is that when taking a picture, you need to depress the shutter to the first detent and wait for about a second...once it verifies there's adequate space it gives you a green light, then you can press to the 2nd detent to take the shot. Summary: A stylish little audio recorder with quick PC connectivity and limited video snapshot support. Don't buy this unit if you want a true digital camera as the results are not very sharp. +4 I bot this router recently n currently v are using a router at our apartment.....looking forward for a proper working when i go back home to India......Great product for a good price..... +5 I wanted to add two wireless laptops to our existing wired home network (a 2003 Linksys wired router that connects 3 desktops via CAT-5 cables to a cable modem). I am a competent user of MS Office software but know very little about how computers or networks work. I called Linksys' help line. And 50 minutes later, with the indispensible help of a very competent and pleasant lady from India, I had everything running beautifully. The signal strength and speed are fabulous all over the house. I still can't believe the value for the money on this product!!! +4 Got it in a couple of days, setup was quick and it works fine; recommended! +1 I have written to Linksys three times over the course of two weeks.....the last message to me from the Linksys Technical Department was in broken English..... they have refused to issue an RMA number..... I have already spent more than one hour trying to repair the unit myself.....I printed out some thirteen pages from the Linksys website and dutifully followed the instructions.....I was able to delete the old firmware but the new firmware would not install.....I don't pretend to be a technical expert ....but I shouldn't need to be in order to have my router repaired under warranty....... They now want me to spend another hour on the phone talking to someone in India.....this is evidently a cost saving measure designed to discourage people from having their units serviced under warranty.....(they only earn about 75 cents an hour in India) UPDATE: they have said that they will forward my concerns to a manager.... but still no response yet from "a manager" +5 super easy to set up and works well. i'm not great with computers, but I was able to do it all by myself. +5 I bought this to replace a cheapo wireless router. You get what you pay for. The old router had trouble getting a sigle one floor down, but with this router I get a nice clean connection with hardly ever a dropped packet. Despite the easy-for-dummies hold-your-hand install software that walks you through configuring your router, I ran into some troubles, but that turned out to be an issue with my ISP. +5 Linksys has always provided excellent products. The acquisition by Cisco only strengthened that credibility. Though I am a moderately experienced network technoid, I chose to use the EasyLink Advisor because I have friends and family who will soon be installing their own Linksys routers, and wanted my opinion on the ease of installation. I found the Linksys EasyLink Advisor a painless method of installation that should relieve any first-timer anxiety. In my case, I was replacing an older 11Mb Linksys router. Linksys EasyLink Advisor included an installation option for router replacement, making the exchange a relative ease. +5 I live out in the country and this thing covers nearly an entire acre....so the next time I need to go lay out in the middle of the backyard and get online for some reason..... I know that I can. Have had no problem with connection dropping (using computers with XP and 2000. Strongly recommended. +5 Works like a charm. Haven't tried the camera, but really didn't buy it for that function. This baby is ultra sensitive and picks up everything- including background noise I'd rather it didn't! Don't use it in a room where there is traffic outside or you will be able to count every vehicle that went by. You'll still be able to hear speaking in a room clearly though so all in all- great recorder at a great price! +3 The voice recorder works great, and is easy to operate. Forget the camera, I wasn't expecting much but taking any picture indoors is useless, don't buy it for the camera. +3 I bought this for occasional use to make quick recordings that would be the basis for written reports later. It is acceptable for that job. I've tried the camera but the light has never come on to show that it is ready to take a photo. But it is a very low resolution camera that I did not plan on using anyway. Cell phone ones probably work better. +5 Great signal. I set one up downstairs in my girlfriends basement and it reaches up stairs (1 level) with no prob! +4 It works as expected. However if you are using a Westel Verizon DSL modem, it will not work without a call to Linksys for new command codes that are not included with the setup software. Plan on spending over an hour getting it working. According to Linksys, Verizon DSL is different from other DSL's and requires a complete reconfiguring to get it to work. Edit: Also be aware the unit will on occasion just drop out and not function without a reboot. The solution is to power the unit with a UPS. The unit will drop out with any power fluctuations. With the UPS, it gets smooth power and no more loss of internet +4 Takes web-quality photos and records messages quite well. Would have given it 5 stars if the colors were more accuarate in the pix, but at this price point it is still a great deal. Would be great to have one in every car to record and take photos of any car accident, etc. Much easier interface then some of the same function I have seen attempted on feature-laden cell phones. Software works very well, via USB port. +1 The Camera is a piece of trash, it will not allow the picture to be taken unless it's sensor finds enough light or if there is too much light, it will not take the picture. You must move around all over the place looking for a green light to come on. Then the picture looks like crap and says nothing that if you had taken it 3 inch. to the left, it would have been worst. The Voice Album software is unstable and crashes with HP printer drivers. The USB function is then useless. The recorder is cheap in sound w/ the worst point and click camer...it should not even be called a camera slaped together with make shift software +2 I have had my Linksys router for 3 years. I also had to get a bridge to extend the range because it couldn't go through walls very well. They used to have free support until just recently. I had to call them a lot because sometimes the bridge or router somehow lost the address. My beef is with the cost of support. 3.99 a minute. ( I don't know if that includes listening for several minutes to bad music.) You can get 3 months support for $199, 6 months for $299 or 1 year for $499!!! I can tell you I spent many hours talking to tech support so I would go elsewhere. +4 Very nice one, As too many in america I stardet buying a very inexpensive chinese Router, in fact, i changed it 3 times, finally I decided to get a REAL one and got this one... Nice price, Reliable, and easy to use. +5 If you're a technical whiz, be warned that you need to skip my review. All others, read on.... After purchasing a laptop for my son, I needed to get a wireless router for my home. I put off getting on for fear that things would be "too difficult." Finally, I relented and purchased this modem. Even before it arrived, I had planned on having to get my IT brother to do the installation. Turns out, I didn't need him after all! Anyone can install this router! Just follow the directions and it is up and running within minutes. There is nothing hard to understand in any part of this at all. If you know where you're modem cable is and can reach the back of your hard drive, you're ready to install it. As simple as 1-2-3! I've had no down time since having it. And I've found that it works all through the house and even into the yard, so there is definitely great reach on this product. When it comes time to upgrade, Linksys will be the ONLY way for me to go! +5 This is the fourth unit of this product I buy. That does not mean I have destroyed the formers, but I am putting one of these everywhere I usually go in my life... It really rocks! At least for me, no need to buy the speed booster or range, this 1x/1x works just fine. I definitely recommend it. +5 Until I got a laptop last summer, we didn't have a need for a wireless home network. Still, I was hesitant to set one up, having seen friends search for unsecured networks for some quick internet browsing (and having done it myself a few times). But it got to be such a hassle to go plug it in at the office desk that, one day, my wife picked up the Linksys Wireless-G Router before I had a chance to do much research. But I have to say I haven't been disappointed. It was incredibly easy to set up, and we experienced no configuration or other problems - it was almost "plug and play" with very easy to follow directions included and no need for calls to technical support. I was concerned that speed would be compromised, being wireless, but it's as fast as when it's plugged directly into the DSL cable. The range is great, and we're able to use it easily even from the other end of the house or outside in the yard, but I can see that the range isn't extending too far into the neighborhood. Additionally, setting it up as a secure network was simple, and as far as I can tell, no one else is using it but us. A couple of times we've lost the signal and had to restart the router, but it's infrequent and easy to remedy. Overall, we're very pleased with this easy to use router. +3 I've owned this router for a couple years now, it is a solid wireless router with easy interface etc. But ALL wireless routers are very poor for network data transfer. Expecting 54mbps? Don't count on it. Properly secured with WPA2 encryption my transfer rates are barely getting up to 5Mbps, yes 5. I get 5Mbps internet and this router (WPA2 remember) get's a top consistent transfer to my laptop (wireless 802.11g card built in) around 4.5Mbps. Not even my internet speed. 54Mbps is optimal, without any security. In the real world, 802.11g isn't for much more than internet sharing and music streaming. I drop off two stars for this as I would any 802.11g product that advertises "multimedia" streaming. Always will wired be the preferred solution. I pull full 1Gbps off my Linksys SD2008 switch, wireless n, when standardized won't even touch a quarter of that in real world use. This review is for anyone who looked at the product and said "wow, 54mbps is good enough for the video I want to stream" etc.; well, it won't be if you are a wall away and secured. (Of course, this is, unless you plan on streaming content so low in quality you watch it thinking you need glasses). But in the end, this is my personal experience, WPA2, no SSID broadcast, and 15ft + 1 wall/door (simple sheetrock-2x4-sheetrock) yields <5Mbps. I end up transferring gigabytes of datafiles and streaming DVD quality video, wired (my internet too if I want my full pipe). +1 I use this for a few days and put it on the shelf . It is really very very very slow. Bought a Dynex for five dollars less that is as fast as direct connection. +5 Before installing this wireless router, I went on the web and read a lot about wireless networks, security, etc. Although I'm fairly computer savvy, much of the technical stuff was over my head, so I decided to just dive in. The box comes with a big red label that warns not to disconnect anything, DON'T DO ANYTHING to your existing setup, just put the installation CD in the drive and follow instructions. So that's what I did. Could not have been easier. Hit "Add a computer" to install my laptop once the desktop was up and running. I later installed a Roku soundbridge (also highly recommended) and the wireless software recognized it and asked if I wanted to add it to my devices. Said yes, and there it was. The router did briefly disappear at one point and the software guided me through some troubleshooting steps, which didn't help. Rebooting solved whatever issue there was. Only word of warning is to choose a password for the router that includes at least 8 characters. I don't think they told you that in the instructions, or I didn't notice, and my laptop and the Roku soundbridge wouldn't recognize anything with fewer characters and kept telling me the format was incorrect. Changing the password wasn't that big a hassle. +5 Linksys pulls through after my d-link falls short. So good that I bought one for my parents. +3 The WRT54G is still a solid wireless router, but Linksys seriously damaged its value by removing the RP-TNC antenna connectors from new units. The WRT54GL still has these connectors, making it easy to replace the standard antennas with stronger units, and increase the range of the router. Get the WRT54GL instead. +5 I like this router because it has a very straight forward install CD that makes novices like me get started right out of the box. The range is perfect for a standard home. One thing I didn't consider, when looking for one, was the fact that this unit is a (4)channel ethernet wired router as well. This may be a common feature but I'm glad this one has it, otherwise I'd be feelin' stupid. +5 I have installed three of these in the past Year. With the new installation CD that came with the last two units it is a snap to set up a network and get on line. The price is right and you will have to work hard to mess it up. The range is good and it works with no problems. Can't expect much more for 50 dollars. +5 This thing will do the job without a lot of fuss and bother. I had the whole network rocking along in just a few minutes, and now I can forget about it and get my work done. What more can I ask? I live out in the country and have satellite Internet, so this wasn't an ordinary setup, but I had no problems at all. +2 UPDATE- I emailed amazon to let them know about this router since their supplier may be giving them second run products and they have offered to allow a return of this and refund my money. So Amazon does stand behind their products! I bought this router and for unforseen reasons I was unable to install it until this past week, the dumb thing is defaulted to spanish and will not revert to english! I spent almost 2 hours on the phone to linksys and they could not do anything with it. After almost an hour I asked for the supervisor and even he could not get the router to english. They offered to send me a newer version but placed a hold on my credit card of $79! To make matters worse the new one would not even connect to the internet. I contacted tech support but I refused to spend another 2 hours on the phone so I sent it back and will be calling them to remove the hold on my card. I kept the spanish one only until I can find something to replace it other than linksys, it at least connects to the internet but I can't secure it since I can't read or speak spanish! At least I don't live where many could have any access to it. Why would amazon even sell one that is in only spanish!? +4 Man, I tell you. I thought I would be stuck to cords, Linksys help much it can to make it easy for you to get connect it to it. If you got McAfree, got to put the infromation that you original put and stuff on the box to get it protect it course name it, then call cable company or whatever internet service you have to something of other, I really can't remember, but I got it to work with help with mom cause she works for time warner and I have their internet services. +5 This product was easy to set up on our two computers so they could both enjoy wireless, secure routing. The provided software made the set up very very easy. No problems as of yet +4 NOTE: Regardless of which router you buy, always check the manufacturer's website BEFORE YOU START USING IT to make sure you have the latest software and firmware! Pros: I've been using this router for about three weeks now. Its range is very impressive. No drop off in speed anywhere in the 1000 sqft townhouse I'm in now. So this router does a great job getting through all of the walls in the house. One thing I like about this router is that it configures itself! You just have to hook it up and let the software run through the setup process. It sets up security for you, and if you have multiple computers, it will configure the security and connection settings for those computers as well. Cons: It drops a signal at least once a day. I know it's not my computer and dsl modem that's dropping the signal, but the router itself. Granted, there could be someone next door using a cordless phone (same band frequency as 90% of the routers out there), but it's a bit of a hassle because I lose the connection, and then it either reconnects itself after about a minute, or I have to do it manually. I would suspect that if you're in a house with decent separation between you and your neighbor, you might not have those signal drops. One more downside is that it doesn't filter websites. For the parents and other conscientious folks out there who want to block objectionable websites, there's no feature for that. My previous wireless router was a Netgear and with that one, I could filter out the websites. Final thoughts: I think the pros outweigh the cons for this router. And the price makes it very attractive. Good security (for older and newer computers) and very good range. UPDATE: Been using this for a while now and have had neighbors come and go. The newer neighbors seem to be using the "N" routers which has decreased bandwidth crowding. Thus far, no signal drops! +4 Would have helped to have some documentation. Problem is you need to configure this with your browser if you have a MAC, the wizard doesn't work, it is Windows only. If you have two computers you set one up on the Linksys and the other on the internet to get instructions from the Linksys site. I eventually started a support chat session because I was getting a freeze. Fixed. Having a single computer would have been harder but not all that hard. But works well. Ran a speed test and I get exactly the same results, 3000 KBPS, on both my hardwired and Airport MACs. As for the dude who said you had to change all of these settings, I just changed one. The IP of the router. From 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.2.1 pretty easy and in the Linksys instructions on their site for setting up a DSL modem. So, an ancient dual processor G4 desktop and a very new MAC notebook are coexisting nicely on my DSL connection. I gave it 4 stars because they should have included some written instructions. It was ridiculous not to. +3 I used this router for 1 month or two and had to return it back because it was freezing every time. had a good speed but I couldn't work restarting the computer and router. +5 I purchase the linksys wrt54g, followed the instructions and i haven't found any problems installing it. It comes with a software that guides you in the process, also guides you after the installation, when you need to install another device,like adding more computers is very easy; the process is simple, even for me, somebody not so enthusiast about computers and software. since i was in a hurry i just put it on the floor, and got a "good" signal strength, to improve the signal strengt i put it about 3 feet above floor and got a better signal. I recommend this product. +5 this is the forth Linksys Wireless I have purchased and installed for myself and my friends - it worked, as expected, right out of the box with no problems whatsoever - thanks Linksys!! +2 I ordered this wireless router based on what other said about its quality. They were quite correct; it is well made. I ran into immediate problems, though, with the setup. Here's my situation: I have a Macintosh G4 and a BellSouth DSL connection. I'm adding a MacBook wireless connection using Mac OS internal Airport. The problem here is, probably, not with the technology. There is, however, a serious problem with the lack of installation documentation. I've Googled online and found dozens of people in my situation. Among Linksys, Bellsouth, Apple, there walls of insulation that make this setup far from simple. First, if linksys had provided a Macintosh setup CD it would have been a tremendous help. If I had been a wired geek, I probably could have called on my powers as a nerd to begin entering an endless string of IPs and DHCPs and PPoEs, etc. that need to be configured. I'm just a regular Joe user. Next, Bellsouth DSL, which I have used for years and like for its remarkable uptime abilities, provides no documentation whatsoever about making a wireless connection to its router. Not that I could find. Finally, Apple's Airport is friendly, but unprepared to bridge the gap between linksys and bellsouth. I expected plug and play, but got plop and play dead. This may well be my fault, but I need a white knight to make this thing right. +4 I bought this to replace a D-Link DI-614+ which had worked flawlessly for almost 6 years before it simply died one night. The setup was exceptionally easy and I was up & running in under 30 minutes using the Linksys EasyLink Advisor software. I have two D-Link access points operating as wireless clients and a Linksys WGA54G gaming access point, all of which were connected and functional on the first try. It has excellent speed and range and there isn't a spot in a two story house with less than 80% signal strength. Great so far... The problems started when I tried to change the wireless configuration of the PS3 to attach to the new router. It seemed to connect fine, but when I tried to do a connection test, the PS3 got hung up. I rebooted it, tried again, and got the same result. I tried to get on the Internet and found out that all my connections were lost - desktop, laptop and everything else. So, I shut the PS3 down, reset the router, got on the Internet to research the problem and discovered that the WRT54G and the PS3 have compatibility issues and I have to disable UpNP on the router to make them work together. Sure enough, that solved that problem. The PS3 also indicates that the router is running NAT 3 (no idea what it means) and that it could cause issues with chat sessions. I don't do any of that, so I'm not affected by it. I did not get this warning with the DI-614+, nor any PS3 induced crashes. The EasyLink Advisor was very effective in the setup process, but keeps indicating that I have network problems when I don't, and every now and again it thinks it is connected to a new, unknown router and tries to re-run the configuration steps. Also, my Sygate Firewall software indicates a MAC spoofing intrusion at a rate of 1,500 warnings a day but it seems to be a phantom. This issue did not exist on the DI-614+. Other than the aforementioned annoyances, it seems to be working great and I am very happy with the speed and the range. +1 i purchased this back in january 2007 and i am no longer able to use it. i haven't had it a year yet and it is no longer working. after a few months of using it i had to start unplugging the power cord to it and pugging it back up before it would connect me to internet. it loses connection very easily and when you call their customer service you have to pay them $4.00 a MINUTE just for them to help you with it. the set up took 2 hours to complete and it quit working and they wouldnt fix it until i gave them my credit card for the $4 a minute. very poor service from product and customer service. i will never purchase another linksys item again. +5 The WRT54G is a fantastic router right out of the box with all of the functions a typical home network would require. With the use of third-party open-source firmware, it exceeds what almost any comparably priced consumer router can provide. Everything from increased power output to fully functional quality-of-service and filtering functionality. I've owned mine since the 2003 release and in these four years it has held up very well. It still handles three dozen wireless systems and almost a dozen via ethernet (through an interim hub, of course). It provides a strong signal, even with the router in one room and some of the devices connected (at about 80% strength) two rooms away. That's through two walls and about forty feet. The signal is still very usable a few paces outside. At half the price it originally released at, this is still a great deal and probably the best, most flexible router you can buy unless you absolutely require the yet uncertified and unofficial 802.11n. +3 This is a fine router once you get it working. I got ours working ok with one computer but when I tried to add an additional computer, oh my. I lost track of how many times I had to call customer support. The customer support is very good if you can deal with people with accents. I'm hoping I never have to push that yellow Cisco Systems reset button because setting it up again would be a major stress. +1 I bought this to replace a several year old "B" wireless/router that had finally given out. The Linksys CD seems friendly and well-designed but I had a very unpleasant detour of several hours because Customer Service and I took that long to figure out I needed a DSL/Modem username and password I hadn't seen or touched in four years. And I had to go through a cumbersome sequence of trial and error to get back to an entry page for that in the Linksys wizard. (Hours.) Then, two problems. First, the Linksys signal was no great shakes, barely penetrating a wall or two and 30 feet. (I was using the built-in laptop wireless, but that was my test, since various friends would use wireless in our house and wouldn't all have the exact brand of add-on laptop modem). Second, my main laptop had a strong signal in my office from the Linksys but the laptop never actually accessed the internet wirelessly, even after putting in all the passwords, 15-digit security keys, re-running set up software, etc etc. (It said "Connected, Excellent Signal" but "nothing happened.") Numerous reboots and hassles. Finally I gave up with this Linksys. Instead I got an electric-socket based (power-line) system from a major brand - it worked perfectly in 3 minutes, even out in my garage. +5 I haven't really had a problem with this router. It's lightweight and easy to set up. All my devices pick it up well. It was a good buy and I'd recommend it to anyone. +5 I purchased this router from Circuit City (by the way, no one at Circuit City was helpful, but since I didn't want to wait for it to arrive, I decided to go to the store and purchase this) in March. I've have had fairly little trouble with it. Prior to purchasing this, I unknowingly thought that I already had a router. Because my second (wireless) computer was picking up a connection with a Netgear adapter. But (I have since learned) that must have been a neighbor's because I only had a Westell modem from Verizon that did not come with a router. This router was a little tricky hooking up. Verizon walked me through it, though. Actually, I only purchased this brand because Verizon told me that they would not provide tech support if I purchased another manufacturer's brand. I suppose that doesn't matter too much because Linksys was the least expensive. I was on the phone with Verizon for over an hour until it was set up. A couple of months ago, I completely lost a connection on my wireless computer. I called Netgear (the manufacturer of my adapter) and was told to call Linksys. Linksys was helpful, although it was difficult to understand them because they were located in India. The Linksys associate told me that my connection was erased because of a bad storm (does anyone else think this is an odd explanation?) and she did walk me through setting up a new wireless network from the adapter to the router. Since my wireless computer has been set up I have had no difficulty keeping a connection. Every once in a while I will lose a connection (on my wireless computer) and usually if I turn my router on and off my wireless computer will regain a connection. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone that has a second computer like myself for nonessential matters. It seems like none of these companies (Verizon, Linksys and Netgear) train their employees to "think outside the box." That is very frustering and disapointing. They all acted like it was unusual for someone to have 2 desktops in their home. They always automatically assumed that one of my computers was a laptop. And, when they found out that I had AOL they also found this to be odd. I was being looked down on because I had a second computer with AOL hooked up to it. It's like checking into a Marriott Hotel and paying cash; you know that look the hourly desk clerk gives? One gentleman even sarcastically said, "AOL is infested with bugs." But it isn't any of their business what software I choose to have on my computers. Because, they should be trained to welcome all customers no matter what situation their customer is in. Another thing I learned is that you should always speak up. Always ask questions, no matter how foolish you may think it is. That is what they are there for! +1 I knew better than to get an "all-in-one" wireless gateway and router, but my Netgear has been acting up and I thought it might be time to get a new router, one that was highly recommended from an industry leader and could stand up to regular abuse in an area with strong wifi pollution. While the administrative interface is good and includes useful tools and settings, I can't say that the actual routing software is any good. After using it for a day, I left the unit turned-on but idle for the weekend and by Monday morning it wouldn't recognize (serve DHCP to) wired or wireless connections. I cycled the power on the router and was able to use it for the rest of the day. Overnight, between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, it decided to stop routing traffic to any wired or wireless connections although it was still handing out IP addresses. Rebooting the cable modem and the router (multiple times!) didn't help and I ended up using a direct connection to the Internet. Take the advice of those who have gone before you: this product is nothing like previous versions and is defective. Regretfully, I have to return this to Amazon and will have to look to other solutions to provide both wired and wireless Internet access in my home. +5 This router works good. I get a perfect signal from anywhere in my house. The setup of this product was easy for someone like me who has average computer skills. +5 This Linksys router replaced my 802.11.b router. With the "b" version, my work laptop would lose the VPN connnection regularly. With this faster "g" version, the VPN connection is solid. My daughter has good performance from her laptop as well. The installation was a breeze. I'm very pleased and will probably return to Linksys for the "n" version when the need arrises. +1 This is really a piece of junk. Over the last 5 years I have used at least 3 Linksys wireless routers. The first one was working OK then suddenly its wireless part stopped functioning so I had to buy a second one. Just like another Amazon user said in his review. This router only support wired connections. Whenever I connect my MacBook to it wirelessly, sometimes in seconds most often in a few minutes the router just freezes up, all my PC's connected to it will lose internet connection. The only way to get out of this is to do a manual restart. Yes I updated firmware, but it doesn't help. +5 Nice router. Just plugged it in and worked great right out of the box. My kind of hardware. +1 I bought the LinkSys WRT54G V8 router to replace an old LinkSys BEFW11S4 that I'd borrowed from work. At first it appeared to work, but then I discovered it would deliver choppy streaming video and/or just lock up when viewing streaming video. If that wasn't bad enough, it would sometimes just hand, requiring a power off reboot. Unfortunately, I'd lost my receipt so I couldn't return it to the store. I ended up exchanging it for the loaner from work and letting them have the new unit (it's only used periodically for testing where streaming video isn't an issue.) The older unit periodically freezes, but it's still more stable. To make all this worse, the support from LinkSys is terrible. They haven't fixed these problems. I highly suggest staying away from all LinkSys products. +5 I have been using it for about a month. Very easy to set up. I was able to set up my 3 desktops and my notebook computers without a problem. We are now on a secure network. Light weight router that doesn't take up much desk space. +1 I bought this because Linksys was the best and easiest to install. Nothing but a pain in my butt week signal and my computer is literally only 20 feet away they say thick wall affect it but I don't think they are that thick. Signal is always week I try to move it try to adjust the settings but nothing. It was not worth the money I hope newer versions are better I may not buy another one of there products after this. +4 I was waiting for a while for the price to decrease (it's now the next to fastest series since N came along) and got this at the same time as a wireless adapter for my notebook. It seems to work very well -- as you would expect from Linksys - Cisco. It is perfect for a SO/HO because it connects to my cable modem, 2 wired desktops, a wired print server (good savings over wireless - the printer is close to the router) with a 10/100 port left over. After I set it all up, we got a Nintendo Wii for the kids and it was not too difficult to set things up so the Wii can access the internet. The only problem I haven't resolved is that about every three days our desktop PC can't access the internet which we never had a problem with our old linksys router. +4 I purchased WRT54G earlier this year and used it for about six months before giving it to my brother (I got myself WRTSL54G because of the storage option). The main reason I chose this router was that it supports WPA. It was easy to setup and the wireless coverage was pretty good. The only thing I had to configure was wireless SSID and WPA shared key. Other than that, all I needed was to plug Cablevision's cable modem to the Internet port and my computer to one of the four LAN ports. The WPA worked well with my Dell and HP laptops (WPA performance was better compared to WEP). The main problem I had was that the wireless would freeze every once in a while and a reboot was needed to 'unfreeze' it. This is why I am giving it four stars. +5 I just purchased this item from Amazon. I changed high-speed internet providers and need to buy a router to replace my modem/wireless router. My other modem/wireless router was also a Linksys. I love this product. I have a small place so all I needed was a basic wireless router. The setup was simple and easy. I also like the changes Linksys has made to seting up thier products. Creating a secured wirless network could not have been easier. I would but this product over and over for a small apartment. +3 This is the third of these I have bought. It is easy to setup, provides nice control over access based on MAC address and time of day, and works well when it works. However, the two previous units have failed mysteriously. When the first one failed, I assumed it was defective. It would not communicate, and pressing the reset button did not help. When the second one failed, I no longer could assume it was defective, and I assumed it was related to hours upon hours of BitTorrent, because before my son started doing that the first one had run for years. I bought a third one without SpeedBooster, and also have put more restrictions on the amount of continuous traffic, so we'll see how long it lasts. You may ask why I continue to buy these - it's because I have no reason to think the competitors are any better. +4 I was trying to decide whether to purchase a wireless router from Netgear or from Linksys. Both of the IT guys at my work convinced me that Linksys was the way to go. Boy, am I glad I listened to them. Installation of the router couldn't have gone smoother. The only difficulty that I had was setting up the security feature (a must do btw). So, I called Linksys and a very nice lady walked me through the entire setup. Even after my computer wouldn't create a profile on its own, she walked me through this process manually. GREAT customer service from my experience. Since then, I have had zero problems with the router. Granted, I only have one computer running on it and some of you may have more but for my needs, Linksys fits the bill. +5 I just bought this one for another network location because the first one I bought a year ago works flawlessly. These routers are the picture of simplicity to set up and use. If there is any negative, it would be that they are not great at penetrating walls (if more than one) or floors (if more than one). However, the range expander that Linksys sells (WRE54G) is the answer to that and it, too, works flawlessly. +4 Gives me better performance than any other devices I used before. To enable the encription, I had difficulties, the menu is confusing. +1 60 days and it doesn't work anymore. All I get is the firmware upgrade screen. No internet. I used another PC to get the upgrade file to install, but it still behaves exactly the same. Yes it's from Cisco, but this one goes in the waste-basket. +5 This is a review of the WRT54G v8, which as of July 2007 is what's sold in stores. This is coming from someone who absolutely hates Linksys. The last Linksys I owned was over 5 years ago and I swore I'd never go back, so giving this router 5 stars is huge. Setup was bogglingly easy. I didn't even really follow the directions - I put the CD in and just hooked things up while it spun up. Everything worked anyway. The first 5 or so steps are walking you through hooking a cable modem to the router, and your router to your PC, and... plugging it in. So I did that part quickly but if that's new to you the setup has you covered. I was actually surprised to find one of the last steps automatically get me online, as I was expecting it to fail and require manual configuration like past routers - this one connected without my help. It then walked me through setting a custom password for the router, a critical step most routers let you skip. I was impressed with how simple changing the password was and its being part of the actual setup process, because a malicious web ad can make just one web request to login to your Router with the default password, and open your PC up to hackers and viruses. Few people realize how critical this is, and making it so convenient helps a lot. What put this router to 5 stars is that within 10 minutes I had my Boot Camped MacBook/Windows XP laptop connected, and my Nintendo DS. Both over 128-bit WEP. The Nintendo DS doesn't do WPA (a more secure method) so I haven't tried it. As a tip, the Nintendo DS works best with 128-bit WEP (not 64) and on the DS you need to enter the HEX password generated for you by the Router, not the PassPhrase. I've gone through an SMC Barricade (2804) and a NetGear RangeMax N, and both caused serious drama. The Barricade dropped Nintendo DS connections after 2 minutes and laptop wifi connections after an hour. The NetGear barely got my desktop online, wouldn't connect to my laptop, and wouldn't connect to my Nintendo DS. I only considered this Linksys after having it recommended to me 4 times by people whose technical knowledge I respect. I'm actually shocked this thing works, let alone flawlessly. I hate to say it but if I had to recommend a router to someone in the future, I'd recommend this one. I'd make clear that it needs to be THIS one, as other Linksys routers really are crap. +5 Great product! Has WPA2, plus a whole host of security features, such as MAC filtering and preventing wireless clients from configuring router settings. The best part about the whole thing is that most settings can be changed without a router restart, including the keys. Signal strength is very good across the whole house, (including different floors). The LEDs are not too bright, so they won't bother anyone at night either. Best part is that Linksys is very diligent in releasing new firmware for this router, so new features are constantly being added. +5 The router has solved my wirless issues and continues to work at the speed it is marketed to do. +5 Easy install and setup, great signal strength. I know this is short but this is all it took. Followed Linksys's setup instructions then followed my ISP's and I was done. Didn't diminish my main computer's access speed at all. Verizon customers.....remember to set your modem to bridge mode first. +5 I've been banging my head against the wall for a couple of months trying to get a netgear system working. I finally decided to give this a try. I wish it had been as plug and play as some have experienced. I had to spend over two hours on the phone with some east Indian before we got it to work. Once done it worked great! Until I tried to add a range extender. The auto configure completely screwed up everything that I had spent hours on the phone getting it up the first time. Another call to tech service. He completely jacked up my desktop pc and my laptop pc. He got frustrated and hung up on me. I called back and finally got someone who knew what they were doing! System is up and running and so far I couldn't be happier. But you shouldn't have to spend that much time on the phone......... +5 This router is just awesome, I've installed it in no time and it was up and running. Changing security settings was really easy on the web based interface. Linksys website is great too, easy navigation and clear/concise instructions for most tasks. The range is quite decent, this one is on the 2nd floor of my house and I could easily work around the 1st floor. Only beef I have is the price, found this for $40 as soon as I bought at $50 at amazon, but thats fine, I've good lot of other good deals on amazon before +1 This router doesn't work well and all I can get is limited connectivity throughout the day. It drops connection as often as 5 or 6 times a day. I have called the technical support and nothing helps. Searched online for solutions, tried everything I could and nothing works. If you have time to reset the router throughout the day, then buy it. I will just throw this piece of junk into the garbage. +5 Setting up my Linksys router was a breeze. All you have to do is insert the CD and follow directions. It took 15 minutes to get my secured wireless network going; you don't have to be a tech-nerd to figure it out. It works flawlessly for me--fast connections and good signal strength. +5 I've had no problems with this router. I purchased it about two years ago. +4 The product works fine but the installation process could use some serious improvement. Best as I can tell, if you want to change something, you have to start at the beginning. For instance, I first tried WPA2 following the direction for keys. However, Windows Vista didn't like the key length. So, I started over and gave it a new key. Then I learned that XP doesn't like WPA2. So, I used WPA -- again having to start over. Allegedly there's some web interface. I tried that but ran into problems. There was an obscure error, that I forget. (I didn't realize there'd be a "test" (this review) or I'd have taken better notes). Anyway, once it's installed, the router works fine. +3 With 1000+ reviews of this item a lengthy discourse seems unnecessary, so I'll focus only on my key observations of this product. I previously used a NetGear router hooked up to my Comcast cable modem to facilitate internet access. I host a small web site to share images with friends & family. My web server has always used a wired connection to the router. The NetGear died on me and I replaced it with this product. Configuration complexity of the NetGear and WRT54G products was equal. The WRT54G has proven more reliable than the NetGear, not a single reboot needed for 1+ year. The WRT54G, though being a significantly newer product, and with Comcast constantly increasing upstream and downstream bandwidth in my area, is significantly (4-8x) slower than the NetGear serving web pages -- so much so that friends & family no longer bother. 4* configuration flexibility 5* reliability 1* performance ============== 3* overall +5 These are super looking and work as well as the others. +3 This product seems to do the job. +5 fun stuff +4 Upload the latest drivers, configure the system. (Just go to the Linksys home page for the drivers and better instructions on setting it up.) The setup stuff on the CD worked well enough to get me running, after which I hit the linksys page and directly configured the webpage that controls the router. Oh yeah be sure to set up the security features unless you like sharing your bandwidth with your neighbors. And if they happen to download a heap of illegal music expect a call from the music industry lawyers and you'll be hiring one of your own. (I recommend configuring your router to just accept the MAC addresses of the wireless devices you have.) +5 Works very nicely for me and for many of my relatives for whom I have installed this same product. The only problem is that sometimes I have to restart it once in a while, for instance, by unplugging and replugging the power chord. Some knowledge of internet IP addressing is necessary in case you want to do some troubleshooting or fine-tuning by yourself. +5 Got this router to replace a 6 year old router that was acting up. Plugged it in. Linked up and followed the setup instructions. Lots of security features and extras in the router. Half of the PC's in the house are on wireless and other are on wired ports. All works fast. Very nice. Works great. +5 These disks are inexpensive and manufactured well enough that I haven't had any malfunctions or dead discs. Exellent for music or data. +5 I use them exclusively as they look good and not too many people use them. They are a little more expensive but worth the extra cost when selling media. +5 Continue to purchase these...used them for many years with no problems. Fast delivery too +5 This router works very well and was a breeze to set up with the security. +2 I am rating this with two stars rather than one or none, because LYNKSYS does seem to have good customer support options in place. But despite phone support, online support and user forums, I could not get this router set up to work. Sorry. I sent it back and my purchase price was refunded. +5 Pros: The most reliable and efficient wireless-G/B router in the world Cons: None until now... This's the tenth linksys router that I bought in amazon, nothin better that this... +5 Had the same router with B technology and worked well with another computer with the B card. Both had Windows XP. Upgraded receiving computer to a Vista system. Could no longer connect. Bought G router and G card and connected after jumping through only a few hoops, as expected. Found out later that I didn't need G router -- the B technology router works with G card. +3 I purchased this unit as a replacement for a hard wired router, since my new work laptop had wireless G, and my wife's new laptop also had wireless G. The unit performed well for almost one year, the I started losing the wireless signal when the portable computers were moved only a few ft away. After spending over 24 hours of time (over a 3 day period) with the technical and customer service they sent me another refurbished unit. This unit did not even work - no wireless signal generated!. Another unit was shipped (another 3 days lost) and this one finally worked! A total of over 1 week of work time lost because of this! Lynksys uses tech service personnel based in India - both men and women. The quality of knowlwedge possesed by men tech personnel was far superior to the ladies I had to deal with ! Incidentally since I had just gone over the one year warranty limit, I had to pay shipping charges for the last unit. +5 These work with no failures, and I am also on my 3rd 50 pack as well. Great stuff! Black tracks lasers better, whereas others I have bought have had failures and tracking issues. Very good consistency. +1 I do audio restoration and conversion for a living, therefore, when I burn CD's they are played by my clients on MANY different brands of CD players. I have had COUNTLESS complaints that these things won't play on SO MANY CD players, that I can't use them. They play on my $3200.00 Sony ES777, and on my OPPO Universal Disc Player, but they won't play on my brand new Alpine car deck. They also won't play on COUNTLESS other CD players that my clients use, and I have had TONS of complaints and have had to do TONS of work over again for them. This NEVER happens with ALL the other brands I have used. ALSO, don't let the cool black look of these CD's fool you. They are flimsy in nature, and they peel. Can't believe Memorex would put a product like this on the market. If they work on YOUR CD player, fine, but if you plan on burning CDs to give as presents or to clients, if you are a professional, don't take the chance that these CDs will be compatible with their CD player. +1 I purchased this product to burn cd's for my legally purchased digital music from iTunes and Amazon. I can not create cd's using the superdrive that came installed in my MacBook. I have also read where users are experiencing the same problem on MacBook Pros. The media is cool to look at, but it simply does not work using the built in drive superdrive. I spoke with Apple support and they offered to replace the drive under warranty, however, I have had my MacBook for less than two months and this media has been available for a few years. The tech support representative stated he did not know if the replacement drive would be newer or resolve the problem. Luckily I have an external Sony DVD burner that works fine with the media. However, I can make audio cd's using the external drive instead of the internal. +4 I haven't had a bad CD in the bunch yet, and the black color is very classy looking. However, since the entire CD is black, there's no place to write a label! As everyone knows, sticking a label on a CD is a bad idea because it unbalances the rotation of the CD and there's a chance that the label will come off inside the player, so that's not an option. They've left an area for a label - all they have to do is make it a color that a permanent marker can be read from. +5 I've bough and used many of these in various environments and have never been disappointed. +5 I plugged it in and did the short config and it worked right away. No problems what so ever. Went downstairs with the wireless laptop and started surfing. Great product. I have changed my mind about this router. About a year ago it just started turning itself off. No reason ever found. Out of warranty so not much to do but toss it in the garbage. When it worked, it worked well. I guess it was a power supply problem. I read many reviews that Linksys quality went way down when Cisco bought them. Maybe that's what happened here. I bought a NetGear replacement for it and it has been working well. +5 I browsed the other reviewers both before ordering and after receiving, and appreciated many of the hints. In my case, my work laptop, running WinXP/Pro, had no trouble - plug and play. My home computer, working just previously on an old 3com wireless router, couldn't seem to figure it out. The router utility could ping external sites; the pc could ping the router; but the pc couldn't ping external sites. The answer, I found, was that the pc's network setup had the router's ip as 192.168.2.1, and the router apparently comes configured at 192.168.1.1. Instructions on the Linksys website hinted at this - in an article on setting up the modem it mentioned changing the ip address of the router - so I checked the pc's network settings and found the problem. Editing that gateway entry, and changing to the ..1.1 ip address fixed the problem. To check and see if you have the same problem, open network connections, rt-click properties of the router, scroll down to ip properties, advanced, and see if the gateway is ..2.1 or ..1.1. You can ping ..2.1 and/or ..1.1 from a command prompt on the pc and see what it thinks. If these instructions are confusing I apologize. WinXP/Pro shows DCHP enabled, and no gateway, so it's apparently smart enough to figure it out. Router is now working fine on both. Cheers all. +5 Simple and quick to setup and get working. It works right out of the box if you don't mind sharing your wireless. And it's easy to secure your wireless if you're not into the whole open net thing. +3 The first year or so, the router worked just fine for wired and wireless connections. I was pleased with the port forwarding features for my home network-based web server/email server. Over the last year or so, I've had to physically reset the router (remove power, wait 15 seconds or so, repower) with increasing frequency. At first it was once a week. Now I'm up to a couple of times a day. I've blown the thing clean and try to keep it reasonably cool, but I'm thinking there are some component/design issues with this router after reading similar complaints. The bottom line is that I can't trust this router any longer and - after reading other reviews - feel like I'd better shuffle on. I'll be looking elsewhere for my next router. +2 I've used these discs for both standard PC data media (burnt ISOs for backups and general data), for CD/Redbook audio, and for some grey-market consoles (select people will know what I mean by this. :) ) Out of a 50 pack, I ended up with about 6 coasters. Not horrible, but not great either. These discs have a tendancy to be "noisy" when read from -- the thickness and size of the discs, despite being standard, must be off by a slight margin since they end up rattling around inside of drives at higher speeds (32x+). Other vendor's discs don't seem to do this. These discs do not perform very well under high speed operations (32x+) either; lots and lots of media re-reads. Again, other vendor's discs seem to perform OK. But the worst part, in my opinion, is that there's no writing surface on the label side of the disc! It's almost completely (99%) black. How are you supposed to write on the disc what the contents are?! Oh right, there's a 1cm strip along the edge of the CD (curved none the less) where you can write. Thus you're forced to buy stickers that go on the disc (which end up making the discs unbalanced in weight, thus making even more noise than mentioned above). I'd have given these discs 3 stars had the quality been better, but the lack-of area to write on is appalling. I really don't know what Memorex was thinking. +5 I usually have problems with Memorex CD-Rs, I've even had one spindle where every other cd was bad. But I've been through about 5 of these Black 50-packs and haven't had one CD-R fail yet. These are the only kind I'll use for my business. Very good product. +2 When I saw these I thought they were the old one's that Memmorex used to sell. Memorex used to be a really good brand for media, but their CD-Rs just keep getting flimsier and flimsier. I got these because the old black labels were really thick and lasted a long time. They also held up great to scratching. The new ones are cheap and the top often peals off which is even worse then a scratch on the bottom. These seem to be as flimsy and cheap as the regular ones except black. I would now choose a different media such as TDK, but unfortunately my old car stereo only prefers Memorex for some reason. The last 100pk spindle of Memorex CD-Rs I got weren't black but seem the same. Almost everyone has the top peeling or flaking off somewhere eventhough they were kept in a case most of the time. And again, when the top peels off it seems to be much worse than a scratch (Data is completely lost). Too bad a great brand turned to crap. +5 I originally got these disks because I was having trouble with my car's cd player skipping with regular silver disks. I read on the internet that black disks can track better and sure enough, all burns have played perfectly. I have used 4 or 5 different drives (from cheap OEM drives to Plextor) and they all worked. These are the only disks I use for music cd's anymore. +5 I purchased this in 2003 for use with a family desktop/music server, two wireless laptops and a Buffallo wireless access point for the kid's desktop. Internet access was supported via cable modem. Set up was plug and play. Setting up the encryption with a home network was kind of a pain (more Microsoft O/S issues than anything else) but I don't recall that taking more than an afternoon to do. Never had any issues after that. The only problem we experienced was with our 2.4 GHz phones. When the phones were in use the router would not function (it is also 2.4 GHz). So, we had no Internet access during conference calls. Obviously, an unacceptable situation. To fix this, we just bought a 5.8 GHz phone. I could see this causing a problem for folks in a high-density living situation like an apartment building. E.g., you can't really control whether your neighbors have 2.4 GHz wireless phones! Anyway, something to consider if guaranteed uptime is at a premium for you. We have had no issues with data transfer rates. We can transfer very large powerpoint slides and web-surf without any noticable difference from the T-1's we have in the office. From a distance perspective, we have had the router in a basement office and still had strong signals on the 2nd floor, in the backyard, etc. We've also not noticed any speed problems when all of us were using our machines at once. So, all-in-all, a very reliable and secure appliance for us. It finally went in a power surge after a couple of years -- so be sure to surge protect! I am writing this review as I purchase a replacement. +4 When it comes to most of us, we all have more than one device that works with a internet connection. Whether it is a computer, a handheld organizer, or a video game system like the Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii. It is very convient because DSL and broadband internet are now becoming musts in the average home in convient service packages from phone and cable companies. Unfortunately, most of them don't seem to include routers with the service. They do include cable and DSL modems that work nicely, but a lot of us just want more for the net. Linksys knows, as one of the best companies that makes it convient for subscribers, and here is why. Linksys WRT54G Wireless G Router, is a simple and convient router that works very well with computers through either a wired connection, or through a wireless card sold seperately in the stores. The setup is very easy to use, but it connects through an ethernet cable rather than a USB cable. That might be unfortunate for some who have a laptop computer, because they would need the wireless card. The router also works very well with video game systems like the Nintendo Wii or the Xbox 360 through the Wi-Fi antenna. The router also includes Norton's Internet Security software as a 60 day trial offer. It works mostly well, but it takes awhile to setup the software. Although there are other routers that might work well, Linksys is one of the best brands on the market for anybody who needs a little add-on to their wireless network whether it is in the office, or extra internet ready devices. I definitely recommend this for anybody who wants to get online, without the hastle in price. Thew WRT54G Wireless G Router is a great buy. Price: B+ Convience: B- Setup: B Software: C+ Overall: B 1/2- +5 I have been using this product for the past 2 weeks. So far it works great. no issues. +5 It has performed as expected. It provides port redirection, security features, IP realease / renew without shutting it down. (via management console), MAC address whitelist, etc. +5 fast shipping and product was in perfect conduction. works great. exactly what i needed for my secured wireless network. +4 I've owned this router for about a year now. It works well and you'll be hard pressed to find anything better for the price. I rarely have a dropped signal. To be fair though I am rarely more than 40 feet and one wall away from the router. I typically operate at a range of 30 feet with one floor/ceiling between my laptop and the router and get about 80% signal quality and 48-54 Mbps. The built in SPI firewall will block obvious dangers (the low ports like RPC, FTP, NETBIOS, etc.) but will occasionally let an intrusion thru on a higher port (above 1000). So don't turn off your software firewalls just yet. I have noticed some annoying bugs in the firmware. Even after upgrading my firmware several times, I am still not able to save my configuration setting out to a file, a fact which is annoying given the MANY advanced security settings I used. Which brings me to another caveat: DO NOT USE THE "SECURE EASY SETUP" SETUP BUTTON BLINDLY. The Secure Setup button is great for making that initial connection, but the default settings you end up with are incredibly UNSECURE. No MAC filtering will be applied, you will not be prompted to change the firmware password, your SSID will be broadcast for all your neighbors to see, and you will have NO encryption. Hardly "Secure" (though it is easy). Two of my neighbors use the same model (which is easy to tell given that their networks show up on my monitor as "Linksys") and I've been able to accidently connect to both w/o anything stopping me. Fortunately for them I like my neighbors... Lesson learned: read the manual. It has a nice 5 or 6 step guide for setting the security. +1 I purchased this router from Amazon. After four calls to India and two lost weekends I returned it to Amazon as the router was unable to recognize my Verizon DSL modem. I believe the router was defective but since Linksys tech support knew less about it than I did I can't be sure. I have since bought a router from Verizon which works very well. Unless you are an IT professional don't buy this product. BTW to add insult to injury Amazon deducted return shipping from my refund. Let's hope they didn't restock this item for the next poor customer. +5 For the price this product is GREAT! If you want to really play you can even download an open source version of the BIOS and play with programming new options (I have even ran an open source version of Linux on the router's internal memory). COOL! +4 I have had a few of these routers and I have to say that they don't have a long life expectancy. They work well for a while but tend to die out in about a year or two. I think there are better performing routers out there for a bit more money. Overall not bad, just not great. +4 Easy to install, good signal strenght and almost effortless configuration (if you know what you're doing). I took one star away cos it's been a hell of a time to plug it with my current modem, and my old PC, but it's not the router's fault! +4 It's a good Product, after a firmware upgrade everything works fine. it's stable on wireless connections and very easy to configure, I have 3 notebooks and 1 PC working, also good in networked games! Meets my Network needs, Good stuff for a good price. I like! +1 I get the impression that either this works for you or it doesn't. It depends on a number of things, including your internet service. I use Road Runner and when I plug their cable modem into the WRT54G, it runs sometimes but sooner or later in any case, I lose the internet. I've searched online and tried any number of fixes, none of which work. When my modem is plugged into my 2004 era router, 802.11b, it works fine. Maybe the problem is mobile phone interference from the neighbors. Who knows? But it does not work for me and it might not for you. +5 When I bought this unit, we did not have broadband, and used dialup for internet access. This unit is not advertised, nor recommended, for dialup internet access, but it can be done. I was able to reconfigure the unit to act as a router for sharing a dialup connection using our Dell desktop as the host computer. Two laptops and another desktop with a Linksys wireless card were easily set up for wireless service in the house. Since that time, we signed up for HughesNet satellite broadband access, and the unit has been reconfigured to act as an internet gateway in addtion to being a wired/wireless router. This router has been easy to set up, is configurable for multiple applications, and has performed flawlessly for four years. What else do you want for $50? +5 IT'S A GOOD ROUTER, IT'S WORKING PERFECT, EASY INSTALLATION, NO PROBLEMS. I CAN RECOMMEND THIS DEVICE. FAST SHIPPING.. THANKS. +2 I've had Linksys router for several years, replaced an older version of WRT54G with a newer model, but both models were giving problems: * DHCP did not work well with Mac OS_X computers. I had to manually assign IP addresses and DNS settings to make things work. * The range of the router was really poor, and I had to purchase an additional anntennae for $50 to make the signal reach through several walls into my living room. * Router would poorly support WPA and would hang the connection from time to time. I had to power-cycle the router to make my connections work again. After finally getting fed up with the constant slew of problems, I replaced my router with D-Link DIR-625 and I couldn't be happier. The web admin interface is way easier to use, more up-to-date and offers a lot more features. I can easily assign static IPs on my LAN to some computers (such as network print server), and make others dynamic. I can forward ports from outside to local computers, and I can even have a server on the DMZ. This is SO much better router, than I am amazed that so many people still buy linksys. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY, DON'T BUY THIS ROUTER. +4 As many have noted, the installer CD was useless. I also found the self-help website to be unhelpful. I had to use the chat feature to extract a phone number for phone support. While waiting on hold a message explains to download the self-help product- then a service provider came on who walked me throught the process and it sorted itself out with only one small bump in the road. It was very frustrating to have to update your firmware right out of the box, this seems wrong. But now that's it's set up I love it. It's just as fast as when I had the DSL wired right to the laptop, and I can now take the laptop anywhere in my 2 story house. Freedom! +4 I know the wireless N standard is becoming more common and I was sorely tempted but as all the laptops I have only have G/B cards, I decided to hold off. Prices were a bit too high and plus I am not a major fan of those PCMCIA cards sticking out of the side of laptops. The main reason to upgrade then was to access my network external hard drive which has a throughput of 100 Mbps. I decided to lower the rating as I noticed that the router throughput seems to show anywhere from 36Mbps to 54Mbps, presumably based on distance. That is disappointing as the router has been placed in the next room. I did notice that changing the wireless channel (0-11) can help as you may be facing interference from other routers/phones. +1 I did not have a good experience with this product. CD provided with the router couldn't install the software, so I called customer service which was useless. I was directed to linksys download website for some kind of upgrade. If I bought brand new product, why the hell I should to install any type of upgrade? I paid $60 for this unit and I want it to run without any upgrade. After all this upgrade mess, the router went online just to find out that there is language bug in router. The router setting page was not in English. Called customer service again,. after trying few commands in windows explorer and DOS prompt, I was told that router is defective. I will need to return back to seller. I have ordered for replacement, if it doesn't work then adios to linksys. Customer is useless. Every time I called them, some inexperience operator waster my time and then forwarded the call to senior technician. I bet there are other networking companies out there who are willing to provide good service and product for my money. +4 Good router for the price. Pitch the CD-ROM that comes in the box. Use the web interface to configure the router. Set security! The router works great! The software on the CD-ROM is just awful! Once set the router just works! My ranch house is very long and a Linksys repeater was needed to get the signal from one end of the house to the other. My "barn" has a Linksys as well since it is too far from the house to get a good signal inside. The two routers are wired together with Cat5 resulting in a very good signal everywhere on the property. +5 Very reliable. Not one problem in 2 years. To set it up, I just called Linksys and the guy was super helpful. He helped me make the network secure and had me up and running in 5 minutes. I would highly recommend this system. +3 Ethernet connected computer speed was great but the wireless performance was sub-par. We tried different locations and orientations of antennae placement to no avail. Returned for refund. We have the same unit in our airport office and it works perfectly there. We thought it was our house but another wireless router set up in the same place yielded much better connectivity and speed overall. I would give this router a try first then exchange it for another if your results are sub-par. A good router for the price but it may not always be the one that works best for you. Worth a try. +5 Easy installation and great signal strength. I get a 54 Mbps signal all over my house, even down stairs. Phone support is great too. +5 This is the best router I ever had. It is so wonderful because I can do whatever I want with it installing it community's firmware and I don't have to use the one from Cisco that restrics its use. I've had it for a long time working with more signal that it gives from factory and it has been working great! +2 I had to pay $150.00 to have the tech guy come over and do his thang. Otherwise, be a wiz kid before you think about installing this yourself. It works though. +5 I replaced a router that had to be rebooted frequently. At first once a month, till 2 or 3 times a DAY. I have NEVER had to reboot this item. I went wireless for one computer in my house was too far away. Their customer service is free and very helpful. I recently bought a laptop, again, customer service helped me download the latest firmware, and configure it to work on my own network. CS is 5 star, and the router has great range for my needs and is very reliable. Hope this helps. +5 Router has worked flawlessly after install on Windows XP desktop with cable modem internet access. Easy set with CD wizard provided. Setting up home network was a little harder than advertised. Directions were not totally clear when it came to setting up all security settings and working around multiple firewall programs on computers on network, specially McAfee Firewall, but once I figured it out, working great, Linksys web site was helpful throughout process. Outstanding range, I have not had to reset or reboot in over 3 months of use. Router had no negative impact on my primary computer, overall good speed for most work on laptop, although noticeably slower on video downloads. Would recommend and buy again. +1 Since "upgrading" from a Linksys wireless-B router, I've had to consistently power-cycle this piece of junk. Sometimes I lose my connection for 5-10 minutes and it will return without intervention. Other times, the connection goes down hard - and the only way to fix it is to power down the router completely, wait a few seconds, and plug it back in. I have to do this at least three times a week, sometimes multiple times in a day. All this on a device that doesn't even have an on-off switch. PING 192.168.2.1 (192.168.2.1) 56(84) bytes of data. From 192.168.2.101 icmp_seq=1 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.2.101 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.2.101 icmp_seq=3 Destination Host Unreachable --- 192.168.2.1 ping statistics --- 3 packets transmitted, 0 received, +3 errors, 100% packet loss, time 2012ms , pipe 3 Am I just unlucky? Is my network misconfigured? Was my router built by a disgruntled employee late on a Friday afternoon? Here's what Wikipedia has to say about this device: "Known issues As shipped, the Linksys firmware crashes under heavy peer-to-peer network traffic, such as BitTorrent. The reason for this crash is that Linux's connection tracking by default keeps track of old connections for five days. This five day limit quickly overwhelms the router when there are a high number of network connections, such as with BitTorrent, and can only be resolved by power cycling the router. For a detailed tutorial on how to permanently fix this issue on a pre-v5 router see the uTorrent FAQ[15]. Briefly, it involves installing a 3rd party firmware." End quote. And there's not enough memory in this thing to install a full version of DD-WRT (3rd party firmware) so you're essentially SOL. What can I say. I think this product is a lemon. By design. Update: I purchased a Buffalo WHR-G54S to replace this hunk of garbage. The Buffalo has been ROCK SOLID for more than a week - no intervention, no power cycling, no lost connections, nothing. It's like a dream come true. I will never buy another Linksys product. +5 I bought this router for my daughter's apartment. Easy to hookup but I did NOT use the CD that came with the router. I went to the Linksys website and downloaded the EasyLink Advisor program (22mb) that walks you through everything and more or less automates the process. I liked the router so well I replaced my standard wired router with this one after I bought a Wii so I could use the wireless feature. The setup for me was as easy as it was with my daughter's router. Signal strength has been excellent and I have no complaints. Your mileage may vary. +5 I run Linux, Mac plus I have an old laptop with Win2K...set this up thru a wired router as an additional network/access point. Setup is a breeze. My iMac picked up the connection right out of the box, but of course, that was an open access, I wanted encryption. It can be configured from within mac by using the web-based utility...I wouldn't use Safari...I went with Firefox. Again, a breeze. One Mac caveat...if you used WEP, when the dialog box asks you for the "password" to join the network, this is the 26-character hex key that's generated from within the setup utility, but make sure you choose "WEP/40-128HEX" from the drop-down menu!!! In less than 5 min, I was up and running on all computers. After all, Linksys is a div. of Cisco, so I am not surprised. +5 I am very pleased to tell you that this product has been working great since that I got it and I have a very good signal range all over my place even using an internal wireless adapter on my notebook. +2 Reception was excellent, but in less than a year I had to purchase a replacement. Not recommended. +4 first one i bought was defective. out of the box, the power led kept blinking. read a few forums and found out that a firmware upgrade is needed. i thought this didn't make sense as new products should work immediately. anyways, i decided to return the product and asked for a replacement. the second one was a lot better. it worked as soon as i've got the cables connected. signal strength was good and i haven't had any connection dropped. one issue though is i can't vpn to office network. again, read forums and found out that this is an outstanding issue. waiting for a firmware update that will fix this. overall, it's a good replacement for my old usr 5461 router which kept dropping connections. +5 I'm not sure what problems the reviewer below was having with his MAC computer, but I did not run into a single problem with this router, and I'm running two MAC's at home. One of them is hardlined and the other accesses the net wirelessly. I also have my XBOX 360 console hardwired into the router. All three work flawlessly with this router, and set-up was easy right out of the box. The disc media that comes packed with this router is formatted for PC only, true, but the same options that the CD offers can be made via the linksys website, so it's really no big deal for MAC users. The only thing I needed help with was setting up my WEP security, but not because it was hard, only because I had never done it before. The help desk personel at Linksys were very cordial and answered ALL of my questions regarding my Mac computers as well as my XBOX questions too. All in all, I am very happy with this product and would highly recommend it. It works right out of the box and tech support, at least in my experience, was extremely knowledgeable and had my security network running in less than 15 minutes. +4 I have had this product for about eight months, and am about to return it because it fried, but I am relatively happy because the tech support has been the best I have had on any of my computer/network/connectivity issues this past season, and they are replacing the product. Tech support is fairly easy to reach and very responsive. I have been using this router with both wired and wireless connected PCs, and we have had better luck with the wired connections, but the wireless hasn't been too bad. The compact adaptor works better than the regular USB one, aside from a conflict with the Windows Welcome screen, but we haven't yet tried out the PCI adaptor. We will do that shortly. In any case, I give this product four stars. It's not completely idiot-proof, it does take some tweaking and some attention, but most things seem to these days, and in the final analysis I find it's been better than most and I'd buy Linksys products again in a minute. +1 My Linksys wireless router went bad in five months (mid-December). That's what I was told by their tech support. (They were wrong on that one, because I wouldn't be able to write this review right now if it were so.) I found tech support and customer service an exercise in exasperation: One told me to go on the internet to request a new router. He couldn't explain how I could do that if the wireless router was bad. Another one told me she could take the request by phone. That seemed easier. They promised a replacement by the first week of January. It has yet to arrive. Their customer service apologized but the warehouse was closed from December 8th to the 27th. (Okay, that happens.) Second call to customer service was disconnected. There were frequent disconnections with tech support too. Third call to customer service never answered. There were no prompts like: "There's a two minute wait" or "There are three customers ahead of you" or "Thank you for your patience; please continue to hold." The only way that I knew I was still connected was that I saw the minutes and seconds moving in the phone window. After 11 minutes, I hung up. Last Sunday it took one hour to get someone to tell me that Customer Service wasn't answering. I had to call Tech Support. A supervisor verified that Customer Service phones weren't working. Fourth call, I was put on hold by the representative for eight minutes. Then, he told me that my order was being held up because there was a hurricane in the Pacific. (Can't they fly around it, I chirruped.) Another rep told me that I would have to get a new replacement number. Turns out, I didn't need one. Still another told me the shipment was delayed because they were moving their warehouse. Still another told me that my replacement was on back order, and he could not give me any time frame for delivery. You must provide a credit care for replacement or for tardy return of the old router that has gone kaflooey. They get one star because they are polite, and their English is comprehensible. UPDATE: Feb. 6, 2007. Discovered that Linksys charged my credit card $84.52 for router not received after seven weeks. It took 17+ minutes to connect to Customer Service, and another 15 minutes to get the transaction cancelled, and assurance that my card would be credited. They said, "two days." UPDATE: March 20, 2007. Linksys attempted delivery of the router after cancelling February 6th. It arrived one quarter of a year after my original complaint. "Let the Buyer Really Beware!" +5 Works as promised. Received tech support quickly and easily for a problem that turned out to have nothing to do with the router itself. I'm surprised that such good support could be offered for an item that cost less than $50. +4 It works fine as my previous routers that typically went down in about 2 to 3 years. I'll see how long this one can last. +4 The Linksys G router sets itself up - I used the ethernet ports from the start, and they connected each of my child pcs instantly. When I bought a linksys USB adapter for a distant PC (downstairs about 35 feet away) that machine picked up the signal immediately, even though it was weak (18 mbps). So...I moved the router around a bit, aimed the antennae towards the adapter, added a longer USB cord to bring the adapter a few feet closer and now I'm hitting 54 mbps. Also, I set it up for WPA personal security with a nice, long password to get in. The connection is not really fast, but the PC itself is the real culprit - it's just slow. Since I have a lot of experience on the enterprise level in using networks and sometimes fixing them, I recommend this device. It helps a LOT to know even a little bit about networks. +1 I happen to own a Linksys Cable Modem. So, when my old router died, I thought what the heck. Plus, even though the Linksys is wireless, it also has 4 Ethernet ports in the back, and I thought that this would be the perfect transitional item to help me on my way - when I made the decision to go wireless. WRT54G #1 - So, I got my router, and it installed easily (With the on screen tutorial coaching me every step of the way. Which is just what I was hoping for. Then, four hours later, it stopped. I know the drill by now: reboot the router (sometimes the modem too), and it continued to work well - for the next 2 days. Then it stopped again. This "on again - off again" situation would last for about 2 weeks until I finally had enough! It went back. Now, since the reviews for the WRT54G were good (save one - whom was having the same issue - go figure), I thought I'd give them one more try. Maybe it was just this one? Besides, with the same "box" as the modem, they stacked oh so nicely. WRT54G #2 - So, I got my next router. This one, for some reason, didn't install quite as easily. Same tutorial, but... It would talk to the computers, but not to the Modem! That was the last straw! It too went back. I was beginning to think it was me! Then finally, I went with a different router (Net Gear), and everything's been working fine. From the Tech End: You may ask, "Are you sure it wasn't the Modem?" Yes, I'm sure it wasn't the Modem, because in between the times that I didn't have the router, I was plugged directly into the modem. We also had the Cable Internet company come out, and it was not my equipment. +5 I will divide this review into two parts--product performance and customer service. The product was received quickly from Amazon and was easily installed without any difficulty. It had great range and worked reliably for the first six weeks. Then it failed and it was a time consuming effort to talk to someone in India who finally confirmed that it was indeed not functioning correctly and issued a Return Authorization number that I had to complete on line, then send the product, at my expense, back to the vendor. The vendor has had the product for nearly 4 weeks and a replacement is on "back order", with no indication when one will be available. When it works, it's a great product, but I would not recommend it at present because of the experience I am having with their customer support, based on this one experience. +4 The Linksys WRT54G wireless router is a good product for everyday home use. It has performed well in the past two months, needing only a couple of resets to fix connectivity issues. Setup in a mixed computer environment took a bit of time until I resolved a conflict with the Macintosh remote login service (which needs to be turned off). Downloads on our computers have averaged about 800K (one computer being used) with a low of about 400K during heavy shared usage on a 768K DSL account. We are using both the wireless connections and the ethernet LAN connections with Macintosh and PC computers. Setting up the router was relatively straightforward, as was implementing security. You can also limit access via MAC address and use preset IP address ranges. The wireless broadcast has a good range and has not been affected by our 2.4 GHz wireless phone or our microwave. Updating the firmware is easy, requiring only a visit to the Linksys web site and a download to your local computer. You can also rollback driver updates and reset the router to factory settings. We have the following computers hooked up to our network: Two Macintosh OS X machines, two PC laptops and one PC desktop with a USB wireless adapter (all running Windows XP). There have not been any machine conflicts or problems outside the remote login service conflict on the Macintosh computers. +5 This is the second Linksys WRT54G I have purchased. My first one has been in use for over a year with no problems. I used this one to setup my daughters network. The setup disk which is included makes installation very, very easy. This router as was the case with my previous WRT54G operates flawlessly. I am pleased with the knowledge that these routers provide a firewall which is highly rated by the experts. If I have need for another router this model will be my selection. +5 Very easy to setup, good range as long as its away from big appliances. +4 This product was received on time and worked as advertised ... No problems at all, I would buy it again and recommend it. +5 I have this wieless router for over two year. It is still working without a problem. Great product. +5 I was pleasantly surpise how easy this unit installed after reading all the negative reviews about it. I replaced an old Dlink router with this one and the upgrade took about 20 minutes. The only issue I had was on how to setup static IP address behind the router for systems I have that do not use dynamic address assignment. +5 Yup. I bought one for me and that one works great. I have reception all over my house. Easy to install, configure and lock down for security. It was so easy. I shipped one out to a friend in Iraq, one to my uncle and one to my soon to be mother-in-law. All of them love it. +2 I wouldn't recommend this router unless you enjoy spending lots of time talking to customer support representatives. In fairness, they usually can resolve the problem, but then I'm back on the phone with them again two weeks later. Save yourself the trouble and find a router that actually works. +5 Since I purchased the Linksys Wireless Router (WRT54G) I have had absolutely no problems with it. It has performed exactly as expected and has been on since we received it (3 months ago.) Definitely a recommended purchase. I was also very happy to see that Amazon's price was $20 less than any store near to me. The wait was worth it. +4 Upgraded from a Linksys B router to this. The process was okay - not super smooth, but no major quirks either. Once in place, it makes a huge difference and glad I did the upgrade. +5 I wanted to provide a connection for my laptop anywhere in the house, and this product was highly rated in a computer magazine. Installation and setup were fast and easy, and product works just as advertised. I was up and running in about 10 minutes. I can't comment on maximum range, as I haven't used it beyond about 50 feet, but it works well upstairs (through a ceiling). And it didn't slow down my fairly low-speed DSL. Since my nearest neighbors are 1/4 mile and no street passes nearby, I don't have security concerns, so can't attest to its performance in that area. +5 No manual except online. Tried to set it up by myself but failed. Called the tech support after 9 in the evening, fast response, first they had me update the firmware, then they helped me with a much better wizard than the one on the cd. Now my wireless laptop is very very close to the speed of my wired desktop. Yeah ! If it stays like this for the next few weeks I am completely satisfied with this product and I will keep it :-) +4 After needing to replace our aging Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router, which only supports 802.11b, to a router that supports both the 802.11b and 802.11g protocols, I purchased a Linksys WRT54G router. By following the simple instructions of first running the installation CD and making the correct cable connections between the router, modem and directly-connected PC, I was able to have the Linksys WRT54G router up & running in a matter of minutes. I was then able to reconnect several other computers and an XBOX 360 by setting up the wireless connections between them and the router. This included setting up data encryption between the router and each wirelessly networked device. Though several individuals have reported much difficulty setting up the Linksys WRT54G router with non-Linksys equipment, I had absolutely no problems connecting an XBOX 360 using a Microsoft wireless network adapter to this router. The other computers that connected with no problems use Linksys wireless adapters. With any wireless network, it is generally wise to use a particular router with network adapters from a common manufacturer to minimize the possibility of incompatibility issues. Though a particular wireless router from manufacturer "A" and a network adapter from manufacturer "B" are both listed as supporting an identical network protocol standard, there is a higher probability of an incompatibility between the devices because there is no guarantee that either manufacturer tested their equipment with a competing company's device. I fully expected the XBOX 360 wireless adapter to operate with the Linksys WRT54G router after researching recommendations from Microsoft. I then decided to purchase a Linksys WRT54G router because of both Microsoft's recommendation and the fact that our other wireless adapters are primarily Linksys products to ensure compatibility. Overall, I rate the Linksys WRT54G router with 4 out of 5 stars for its great coverage and relative ease of setup. My only complaint: Linksys could do a better job with documentation. +2 I normally have had good luck with Linksys products as I do a lot of home/small office networking setups as a sideline business. However a client of mine went out and purchased the WRT54G ver 6 router without consulting me first. What a nightmare. Linksys has really cheapened the WRT54G and WRT54GS routers with less flash memory and less RAM and a new embedded operating system. Router acted flaky right out of the box. Went into the web interface and discovered that the interface was in German. Flashed the firmware to the latest revision thinking that would fix the language issue. It did not. Do a Google and you will see this is a known problem with the this version. So off to Big Box Mart to exchange the router with an identical one. At least the replacement worked. Web interface was in English as expected. Using IE7 and discovered an issue with the web interface though. Was not able to set up MAC address filtering as the interface would not refresh correctly. Used another laptop with IE6 and was able to set up MAC address filtering. My advice: Avoid the new WRT54G and WRT54GS routers like the plague. Do yourself a favor and order the WRT54GL which has more flash and RAM memory and a stable embedded Linux for an operating system. +4 even though they stress all thru the instructions to use the setup wizard/CD - DONT. i tried the setup wizard via the CD 3 SEPARATE TIMES and still couldn't get out to the internet. then i exited out of the setup wizard, unplugged everything, plugged everything back in, and BOOM! i was surfin. so basically, ignore the instructions. plug everything in. type in 192.168.1.1 (the routher's GUI) and go ahead and configure your linksys from there. have fun! +1 i bought the Linksys WRT54G a couple years ago (v1) and encryption never really quite worked (WEP or WPA); the connections would always be excruiatingly slow, or there would be no connection. then one fine morning i woke up to find it inexplicably bricked and it was a dead unit. so i complained to Linksys and fortunately they shipped a new unit (v4). unfortunately, this unit also had defective WEP/WPA connections. after being frustrated, i decided to scrap Linksys altogether and opt for a Buffalo G54 Cable/dsl Router with aoss instead -- Buffalo products are 1) cheaper 2) easier to set up 3) WEP/WPA works out of the box 4) more compatible with Macs 5) could double-up as a Wireless Access Point (using Repeat mode). +5 It seems like other reviewers either love or hate this router, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents. I had a very simple purpose for this router, connecting two laptops wirelessly to a high-speed cable modem. I was terrified to even begin the install procedure because I've had such trouble with wireless networking products in the past, both from Linksys and other companies. But, I must say, the technology is finally easy to use! The install CD did it's thing, I picked a wep key during install, put it in my other laptop, and literally within 5 minutes both were up and running. Beautiful! Granted, my requirements were very simple. My condolences to those with more involved wireless networks. I may have to update this review when I buy my new laptop or desktop in the near future, as well as try to hook up my printer wirelessly. Also, I'll second anyone who says how much Linksys tech support sucks. +1 Some versions of the firmware don't play World of Warcraft - miscalculates the checksum for a particular packet, leading to the game being a 'ghost town'. Consistently, well documented among many owners. Google this before buying it, I had to throw mine away. +2 I bought one of these for my brother and was pleased with it at first. Setup was surprisingly easy and we had wireless access throughout the house for his Windows machines. So when I wanted wireless access in my apartment I bought one for myself. I tried skipping the installation CD since I have a MacBook and figured the default setup should be fine. Unfortunately I could not get an Internet connection working. When I tried accessing the router's configuration through my Web browser, it was in Italian! Apparently the router autodetects your language and if you have a Mac it thinks that you speak Italian. With no way to fix the configuration, I returned the Linksys and got a Netgear WGR614 which worked fine and is better looking. When I visited my brother again with my new MacBook I couldn't get on his network. After much tinkering and research I found that a bug in the Linksys router software prevents Macs (and presumably Linux or Wii) from getting IP addresses. I was able to fix it by installing an outdated version of the software, but that kind of problem is unacceptable. Do not buy this router if you'll be using anything other than Windows. +1 This was my third Linksys router and all three devices did not work. I owned the first 3 years ago. The latest two were this G model. I could not believe that two models in a row would be faulty, but sure enough they both were. I replaced the second Linksys router with a Belkin model today, and here I am minutes later writing this review. The pain created by Linksys is beyond belief. I even took my iBook to the Apple store convinced there was a problem with my laptop. The Mac was fine of course. No more Linksys for me!! +5 I've waited 5 months before deciding to write a review, I wanted to give ample time for the router to show it's bad side. I must say, this is the best wireless router that I have ever used, and I've used three other brands. It is easy to set up, works great, and so far, I have not had to reboot the router to reobtain an IP address, which anyone who has had a router with dynamic IP provided by their internet provider, will say that it is the most common headache. This router is by far the best I have seen. You will not regret this purchase. +4 Pluged it in and good to go, I skipped the installation disk in fear of what nonsense is loaded on that... went to the admin screen, a little overwhelmed with ALL the features, it could be more stremlined, for a novice user they would be entirely lost, install disk is ment more for the wirless application (easy setup), but my experience self, got through just fine, enabled the maximum security features (more so then the easy setup button, which itself is good but does not suffice my network requirments). Heard lots of issues, was weary, but out of the box works great, no issues, no dropped connections. And for that reason, since it works I do NOT intend to flash the firmware to the latest, as the saying goes if it isn't boke don't fix it. BTW home network is a mix of print server, wired PC, wireless Apple powerbook, everything running smoothly. EDIT Be sure to compare apples to apple, my version 6 firm 1.00.7 works great! Ooops bummer for everyone else newer firm 1.01.0 introduced a QoS upstream bug, guess I got real lucky. Check your version!!!!!! +5 I happy with this product. Linksys phone tech support is the best I have ever seen. You cannot go wrong with this when the tech support will walk you through it all for no fee even if you need just a small tweek. +3 I recently retired my WRT54G and replaced it with another brand. That was definitely a step up. With various incompatibilities in certain security modes (it won't talk to a PSP in WPA/TKIP mode - the replacement router has no problem), and with a long-standing annoying bug that necessitated regular reboots with certain usage patterns, this router is OK for it's price, but there are better choices for serious network users. +1 OK for first week or so. Afterwards needed to reboot several times a day as the wired connection to my WAN would lock up. Really frustrated the non-technical family members as they could never figure out why "email was down again". Additionally the computers on my network would periodically not recognize each other, corrected by rebooting the router. This was with the latest Linksys firmware update. I went back to my old Motorola BR700 which, to my knowledge, never exhibited instability in the 3 years I owned it. Thanks Amazon for taking it back. It was replaced by a ZyXEL X-550 router - so far so good. Followup 11/24/06: The ZyXEL X-550 continues to be a champ. Hasn't had to be rebooted yet due to connection issues. Unobtrusive, works well. +5 Este radio es muy bueno, facil de conectar y funciona a la perfeccion con cualquier tarjeta wireless, compre 2 aqui y 2 en otro lugar y tengo uno en casa, los demas los vendi y ninguno salio con problemas. +5 This is our 3rd router. Linksys is an excellent company and they have super customer service. +5 This is a great product, especially after what i have experienced with other router companies. The easy to read and do instructions on the router's manual are really helpful and very user friendly. It is all available in easy to follow format on CD. I had a Netgear router, which never really worked that trouble free like the Linksys 54 mbps. This Linksys router is very easy to install and is the best in the market in its category. It has got other features like one touch security, which makes your router secure and unsecure at touch of a button. Simply put, if you need a non-fancy reliable router with easy installation and trouble free service and good secured wireless connection, this is a right product for you. Try it and thank me later! +4 I purchased this for my computer and the other one in the house. They are hard wired into it; it was a very easy thing to do if you're not a computer wiz as many of us aren't. The price was good and much better than renting one from my cable company for $70-90 a mo. They said it would have compatibly problems with their modem. That was junk it didn't. The only problem was the bad modem they game me which I got replaced, since then were 100% good to go. This Wireless-G Router has great safety features and is something anyone can understand how to use. If you don't they have a very nice 24-7 support staff that answer all questions fast and effective. +5 I have been using this product for quite some time now, it's easy to setup and works great. +5 Works great, no problems since setting this unit up, lots of options and good signal strength. Works much better than my old "microsoft" wireless router. +5 I bought this to replace another Linksys router that gave up the ghost after five years. The router portion worked, but the wireless part failed. So far, the replacement works fine and seems to have an expanded reception area for the wireless. If the electrical power blacks out, then the unit usually should be turned off and turned back on when the power returns. Power gliches can affect it as well. Try powering it up to a UPS outlet rather then a straight outlet. +2 All reviews for wireless products seem to run the gamut from great to terrible. I would like to provide my input, but your experience may differ. I purchased 3 of these in a row (over a week period). The first one I got working for a bout 2 weeks, then it started to drop the signal, causing me to have to power cycle the unit. I called Tech Support, and after about 30 minutes of troubleshooting, the tech support person said the unit must be faulty and that I should return it. I did so, and the second unit would not connect to the internet, and after another 30 minutes on the phone with tech support, the tech support person said the unit must be faulty and that I should return it. Having seen so many rave reviews of this product I assumed I was just having a run of bad luck and got another one of these. I had the exact same experience. I returned the Linksys unit and purchased a D-Link D-634M, and it worked within minutes of being out of the box. I have had no issues for the last 2 months. Not sure if the store I was going to had a bad batch or what. +5 I have not had any problems with this router. I get good reception all over the house as well as outside. Setup and security is easy. Almost never drops connections. +1 The one I got came from EArthlink, so had no real instalation directions. Signal strength is so lousy that I have a better signal from my neighbors accross the street. I have to constantly force my other computer to retrack the network. On-line help takes forever and has all the usual problems with trying to deal with someone in India who is working from a script and has never used the product. As soon as I can pull the CAT-6 I am going to hardwire my system. This wireless stuff is garbage. My best signal at about 25 feet only gives me about 11 MBS. +4 For a long time, I had blamed my Nintendo DS for having a hard time connecting with my home network and keeping the connection while playing games like Mario Kart DS and Tetris DS. But when my WRT54GC finally gave out entirely and I was forced to upgrade, I found out what I really needed was a blue chip Linksys router list WRT54G. While my old WRT54GC was cute and packed a lot of features into its small package, it had spotty performance with different laptops and devices like my Nintendo DS. It ultimately gave up entirely and seemed completely fried after trying to update the firmware. But after getting the WRT54G going, I found that all my different hardware loved it, I had many more security options to choose from, and I no longer had any of the range problems I used to have. +1 I was drawn to the Linksys name given their reputation of quality. But, this model is terrible. I updated the firmware to the latest available with no luck. It randomly disconnects from the internet for all connections both wired and wireless. It also randomly freezes with no access to the internet or to the unit itself. I tried two identical units in the event the first one was defective. But, no. Both behaved the same way. I'm returning the second one as well for a refund and will buy a D-Link locally. My wired router is a D-Link and I've never had any problems at all. +1 Ok I purchased this unit and it worked for about one month. Then when I went to change the security settings for the WIFI that's when the problems started. I went from WEP to WPA, because is more secure and it's easier to add computers to network (you don't have to remember a 26 character hexidecimal password.) When I did that I found that the router wouldn't work after a couple of minutes. Powering off and on would again have the router working only a few minutes. Then I discovered that even then the wired computers were having problems. I went online to the Linksys's forums to find some other people with the same problem. The only advice from Linksys was to reflash the firmware for the router. No success. The thing became a doorstop. I replaced it with one from D-Link. Easier set-up and not as touchy. +4 This was very easy to configure - all you do is insert the CD and follow the steps. If you can follow a recipe on a box of brownies, you can hook this up to your modem. Upon completion, two of my laptops easily found this wireless device and connected to it. My desktop wasn't able to locate the device. This was odd since it had been finding my Wireless-B device prior to my upgrade to Wireless-G. After poking around in the setting a bit, I noticed that both Windows XP and my Linksys Wireless-G card were trying to "run" the access to the device. I disabled the Linksys card from this action, and immediately had the new device show up in my Wireless Connections. Now that all three have connected, I can say that performace is solid. Speed is good. No downtime (so far, but it has only been 24 hours). I'm very happy with my purchase. +3 I have this router set up in my basement, and I receive the signal on the second floor my house. It is usually connected at 54mbps which is its highest capability. I had initial installation problems and had to have tech support trouble shoot the problem over the phone which took about 3 hours, all to find out it was a firewall issue. The router worked fine for 2 months, then crashed. I had to call tech support again and spend another 2 hours on the phone with them to resolve the issue wich turned out to be a software problem. After the software upgrade, It seems to be working fine. I would recommend this router only to computer savvy people because perhaps you could get yours up and running without the assistance of tech support. Otherwise you will most likely end up spending a greater portion of a day, or night in my case, on the phone with them trying to get it working. But once it works, it seems to work fine. Never drops the connection in my useage. +4 The wireless range is good, about 150 feet from downstair to upstair in my house. The small issue with AT&T (SBC) DSL service, I have to set the DSL modem as a bridge and let the router do the authentication (that solved the drop connection issue). +5 I was a little worried about my new WRT54G at first. I attempted to set it up via the hard wire LAN. I could not access it at all and thought I was in trouble. When my daughter arrived with her new wireless ready laptop, I attempted to access it through the wireless side. Within 5 minutes, the system was set up and running. Now I can access it through either wired LAN or WLAN. It's fast, and we at one point had 4 computers running on it and had no slow down of traffic. Thumbs up to Linsys for a fine product! +5 I have been using the router since Dec 2004. We are able to recieve clear data through several layers of walls and use the net with our 2 note books at speeds that are 95% + that of the main desktop +1 It seems this router becomes worst every day by judging from the reviews from all the users. I did not quiet believe it and thought I might be lucky. Well I was quite wrong. My old router from airlink101 is not very stable when it is heavily loaded with trafic so I want to try a router from a well-known brand this time. However with this router I am only be albe to connect one computer to the network. With same setup I have no trouble to connect all my computer 2 laptop, 2 desk top and a print server. I am unable to connect my dell and the print server to the network. When I power the Linksys down and airlink101 on, those devices have no trouble to connect to the network. Since I can connect one Gateway desktop though Linksys, I confirm the network setting is right. Somehow the other devices does not like Linksys. I can spend more time to trouble-shoot but I 'd rather return it. +4 I wanted to go wireless so i bought this and a Trend wireless pci adapter. As I opened the package, I saw everywhere signs of "run CD first", and so I did, everything seemed to be running smooth until I got stalled on step #8 where it asked me to put in a password, did not said which one, so I put any combination I could, inlcuding wireless router's default and nothing, kept asking me for a password. I had to download the Linksys easy advisor (I recommend it) and my wireless network was set up instantly, so, in the end, I didn't use the software that came in the CD. I am testing it and so far no drops, just the signal range, I am a bit dissapointed because it will not reach the whole house, though I can't set up the router in the middle of house, but I put 4 stars to this product just because of its configuration process, after that, I really like this product and would recommend it. +5 Opened the box today, plugged in my DSL cable into it, Plugged the provided cable into the computer, Plugged it into the power and voila! It works great and the range is excellent ( my usual experience with Linksys). Including going to the browser page and enabling Wireless security and setting up a router password the entire process took no more than 3 minutes. I use Macs so the included setup CD was of no use to me but given the ease of setup without it I really don't think it is needed for Mac users. Not sure about reliability yet but my past experience with Linksys products was good so I am quite happy. +4 Ordered the router from Amazon. Had problems with set-up initially (its not like I haven't set-up wireless networks, this is the 4th I have set-up in last 2 months!). The suggestion from support to upgrade the firmware was useless. Anyway, after trying to reinstall with the set-up CD, the router kept doing the 'blinking power light' routine indicating there is a problem with it which could be fixed by firmware, but it doesnt help because the firmware cant be upgraded as long as the 'blinking power light' is doing its thing. Kind of a catch 22. Anyway, Amazon replaced the defective unit within a week, and the new unit is working for last 2 days. Lets see how it goes on. Did notice that the replacement unit was a Version 6 vs. the one I returned which was a version 5 (dont know if they had bug fixes for the version 5). +2 I have owned and installed this wireless router and have found it unsuitable for noisy and busy cable modem environments. This device is suitable in calm DSL environments and if you don't use a cable modem in a large city with lots of neighboring cordless phones, 2.4 GHz baby monitors, and other wireless networks. The router (wired and wireless) just cannot handle the simultaneous use of two computers on a wired network, a couple of laptops in a noisy wireless environment, and the automated hacker attempts coming in from the cable modem. Because this item is no longer easily "flashed" to use alternative software I can no longer recommend it. If you need a router I highly recommend you investigate the Belkin Wireless-G router series which work perfectly in all the above mentioned environments and have more features than this very expensive Linksys unit. +5 Okay so maybe I've only used Linksys products, but there's a reason for that. Linksys makes the best internet and communications devices including this one. Installation and setup were Very easy. No mess and no confusion. It's even easier if you call their 24/7 phone number, which provides very patient and helpful advice. Bottom line? Get this router. Forget DLink, Netgear, and all of the other brands. It's worth the money. Oh and performance wise, it's very reliable and the speed is fantastic. That's why I'm taking this router with me to college next week. BUY IT! +1 I got the v6, unlucky for me. This piece of junk is exactly that. Start by throwing the idiotic CD that comes with it out the Window. Of course when you start having problems, you'll think it'll help, but it won't. This product will NOT do the following: Hold a connection with the settings of 1) not broadcasting ssid 2) wpa or wpa2 encryption 3) MAC filtering on wifi 4) connected to an uptodate Macbook via correct settings 5) all this with the last two firmware updates. The macbook, despite having all the correct settings, will not connect at first, but only on the second try. Then, you have about 5 mins til your net connection dies (permanently). I have many years computer, networking knowledge, have used many wired and wireless routers. I bought it based on the supposed name it built with wrt linux based firmware. AVOID THIS POS like the PLAGUE. Please contact your state attorney general, and let them know they should start a class-action lawsuit against Linksys. They continually sell a non-working product, and fail to support it. +5 I just upgraded my house to wireless g. I have not noticed any big difference in internet speed but I did notice a high difference in computer to computer data transfers. It was very easy to setup and install. Advanced wireless security with 128-bit WEP encryption, MAC, or IP address filtering Interoperates with 802.11b clients at 11 Mbps Wireless data rates up to 54 Mbps - 5 times faster than 802.11b All-in-one Internet-sharing router, 4-port switch, and Wireless-G (802.11g) access point Shares a single Internet connection and other resources with Ethernet wired and Wireless-G clients Wireless-G is the emerging 54 Mbps wireless networking standard that's almost five times faster than the widely deployed Wireless-B ( 802.11b ) products found in homes, businesses and public wireless hotspots around the country. The best part is, since they share the same 2.4GHz radio band, Wireless-G devices talk to existing 11 Mbps Wireless-B equipment. Operates as a DHCP Server NAT technology to protect against Internet intruders Supports VPN pass-through Easy configuration with web browser based configuration utility +5 I can rate linksys WRT54G as one of the best router of the market, and the connection is really good i cant complaing; It has not fail so far and the range of connection is pretty good. +5 This router was a replacement for one that stopped routing. I found it easy to set up with security and easy to connect to wireless devices. Reception is good all over the house. Price on Amazon was far better than I could have bought it locally and shipping was free. +5 I gotta say, I was a little intimidated to set up a wireless network . . . It's been my experience that things like this just don't work the way they are supposed to. But except for a minor glitch on installation - which was quickly and efficiently remedied by polite and knowledgeable tech support - this thing works great! I don't know how I did without it for so long. Easy, inexpensive, and it works. What more can I ask? +5 The installation CD makes set up virtually foolproof. No problems whatsoever. Be sure to change your router settings and set up Network Security so your wireless network is somewhat secure. +5 The last time I bought a Linksys router, which was only a year ago, my office IT guy couldn't get it to work with our company's secure setup, so I took it back. I had to buy a new router this week, and decided to give this Linksys a try. It got rave reviews for the most part and was clearly the popular favorite. And now I know why! This gadget was up and running in no time, and the installation wizard even walked me through the secure network setup, which was something I've never been able to figure out before. I couldn't believe how easy it was. I *thought* there was trouble when my wireless laptop disconnected from the network after only a few minutes, but I quickly discovered it was trying to connect to the old default network. That was no problem to fix. Everything's running smoothly, and I still can't get over now easy it was to set up. I don't think it took more than 10 minutes. +5 I was having problems connecting a Tivo to my old wired router (also a Linksys), so I got this one. It works great with the Tivo (wireless mode) and two desktops (wired to its ports). This worked out so well I got a matching Wireless-G notebook adapter, and connected my notebook too. Everything works fine, both the wired and wireless connections. +5 I had difficulties setting up because of my spatial logistics -- using a desk top in one room with a cable modem and router in a closet near unit entry. Got all the help I needed. Also, had problems with a firmware update when my IT sophisticated son, tried to do it -- he had to use his laptop connected directly to router, which is why I couldn't do it; I was advised not to risk a disconnect by trying to do it wireless. Got lots of help and resolved. Only a mild technical issue. I noted that my connection strength varied widely from very low to very good without change in location of adaptor or router. Advised to do firmware update. This did not seem to resolve. Just did it yesterday and haven't contacted Linksys again. However, has not been a problem in a practical sense. Always able to connect. Dated 5/18/07. In the last couple of months have had transient disconnects -- i.e. "wireless not connected". Usually only for a few minutes, but an inconvenince; at least once for several hours. My next door neighbor with similar unit having similar problem. This seems to be some sort of interference because it is affecting two of us in the same locale, although I have no way to know if at the same time. But I plan to contact Linksys to discuss. +5 Warning: If you are changing from a wired to a wireless router, you might encounter installation problems. I went with Linksys after the D-link wireless router I bought failed to connect and I gave up hope of talking to D-link tech support after 45 minutes on hold. The Lynksys WRT54G encountered the same problems, but I was able to get through to tech support almost instantly. I finally called my DSL provider (Verizon) and they got me back online before tranferring me to a Linksys tech, who talked me through each step and got be back online sans wires! I know, normally I hate Verizon too, but they really came through. The Lynksys tech support makes all the difference! The WRT54G works very well! +4 I have a Toshiba A35-S1592 laptop, running Windows XP home edition. SBC now ATT DSL internet service provider with a 2Wire model 1000HW home portal. I wanted to go wireless with more laptop computer. I have an unsecured portable D-Link 54G wireless module I use when traveling. My laptop hooks up easily. But I wanted greater range and security at home. So I bought the WRT54G router. I thought it would be best to use the WPC54G wireless adaptor with this router instead of the integrated wireless on my computer. The adaptor arrived first. Installed and configured and it worked great. No issues. A week later the router arrived and the nightmare began. First day it took three hours before I could get the Ethernet line to work. Constant reboots reloads etc. Next another hour to regain the wireless operation. Frustrating day. The next day I decided to add the security features. As soon as I did that I could get no connection to the internet. All the lights showed that everything was operational. I could connect directly to the SBC DSL modem. I could go wireless to my D-Link. Nothing could get the laptop to communicate with the router. Three frustrating late night hours, I decided to go to bed. Third day, try again. Went on line and tried their help menus. After another two hours I finally got the Ethernet line to work. No wireless. Linksys software showed the card operational but no internet connection. Next day, I deleted the wireless software and started from scratch. Installed the router and used the integrated wireless on my laptop. Everything works. So for some reason the integrated wireless on my laptop interfered with Linksys. I had it disabled and it still did something. I had thought it best to use a Linksys card to talk to Linksys router. I have use Linksys products before in setting up friend's small office and it was straight forward. Read reviews on this router and I thought what could go wrong? Haven't put the security features back in yet. Now that I got it up, I am a bit scare to do that just yet. After all of this, I learned that this model of Toshiba uses Dlink as part of its integrated wireless system. Should have gone with a Dlink. Right now I am happy that everything is working the way it should. I would recommend this router. +5 I am very happy with my acces point. it works very fine, easy configuration and high security. It is a great product for your home or small office. +5 Easy network and wireless setup. Establishing security was no problem. Very simple browser interface for settings. The speed is great and we have not had a problem with dropped connections. The signal strength is not great, but the range covers the apartment with no problems. I upgraded the firmware from their website with no issues. Overall it has been a very effective and easy to use wireless router at the low-end of the price range. Used with 1 PC hardwired and a laptop wireless, both running WindowsXP. +3 I'm glad I read the reviews that told me to get the Linksys WRT54GL instead of this model. After version 4 of the WRT54G, Linksys is using a different OS and have downgraded their flash and RAM memory by half of what they used to have. Normally, a higher version implies a better product, but in this case, the opposite has happened. If you are wondering why some reviews are so bad and some are good, the version number may be one factor. Get the WRT54GL, which is what WRT54G is supposed to be. Then if you want, you can flash the firmware to a much better third-party like DD-WRT. +4 Do yourself a favor and bypass the included setup disk and go right to the web based admin utility ([...] If you have ever setup a wireless router before it is pretty simple from there on. If not, you'll need a friend that has or another internet connection to Google for the directions -- there's nothing in the package to help you. The setup program on the included disk is nice looking (when it runs) but never completed for me before it crashed or just gave up and told me my "system does not meet the minimum requirements for a home network". Give me a break. That said, once up and running it has performed flawlessly. It connects with everything I have (i.e. my laptop and Tivo). In addition, range has been much much better than the Netgear it replaced. If not for the time I wasted on the setup program I would give it 5 stars. +5 Purchased the item a few days ago, 07/2006, unpacked and went through installation. I initially tried to install without CD, did not succeed, but when inserted the CD all went smooth. Obviously they improved something in the process, as I expected problems after reading all the horror stories. I did not need to reboot the router since I powered it on on the first day. I definitely recommend that piece of hardware. One thing - it needs an active internet connection to configure. Installation will not work if you do not have one. +4 Almost any of the major brands nowadays can give you a decent home router. Linksys routers, however, are like the Toyota of networking products. They offer well built, well supported, and reliable products that are just better quality than the others. This one is no different. +3 ...but this router doesn't run Linux anymore. If you're looking to mod the firmware you're going to want a WRT54GL. There's nothing more annoying than getting the wrong thing in the mail and then having to ship the think back on your dime! +5 I bought this router to replace my old D-link wireless router. At my house there is a lot of RF interference from a local county airport and my laptop wouold only ever get poor to good signal quality. Once I replaced the D-link with the Linksys I've had excellent connection quality and great download speed. +1 After much pain and suffering at the hands of this router not being able to stay running for more than 1/2 hour with two wireless connections (causes both wireless and wired side to freeze up) I managed to get a lot of good information on why this is the case. Basically the box is vulnerable to all sort of attack (just causes it to lock up). Do yourselves a fovor and get another brand that has better support. +1 This has far too little memory in it to be effective. I switched from my old Netgear MR314, because I wanted to upgrade to 802.11g. I had read that you could upgrade the firmware on the WRT54G. As I soon found out, starting with version 5.0 (they're now on version 6.0), they changed the chipset and decreased the memory to go with a smaller OS on it that's not based on open source. It's still possible to flash it, but I still think this is too little memory to be effective. I'd rather use a product that works as it supposed to out of the box to begin with. The result? I am not exaggerating when I tell you that 1 out of every 4 e-mails would not send. Getting to web pages was even more frustrating. Probably 20-30% of the web pages I tried to access would time out. Geek speak follows. I apologize. DHCP? TERRIBLE!! The DHCP server built-in on this device would pass out an invalid DNS server address (the one I had reserved for my print server). I had to hard-code that address on my VoIP adapter and all of my computers for them to resolve any domain names. +5 I recieved the router in days, hooked it up, and has been working wonderfully ever since. No problems. I love it. +5 I am pleased with the range of this router in it's out of the box form. The router has had no hiccups on an open network of 4 PCs and Playstation PSP's. Yes, the router works at distance of 100ft with Playstation PSP's, behind two walls. I feel the saving feature of the router is it's low heat. Heat quickly damages electronic components: capacitors for example. The WRT54G connected to a 4mb Cable connection and downloading massive files for 4 hours, does not feel warm to the touch. Compare this to some of the other wireless routers on the market. All of this translates to the incredible stability I have had with this device. My company now sells these routers to it's wireless network customers, exclusively. +3 The product is simple to setup. However, I have experienced unexplained sluggish networks sometimes. And I am the only one using the network. It is really irritating. the downloads stop and I have to restart it. There is no way to go around it...I tried restasrting my wireless card and even turning the router on and off. It decides when I have been naughty and downs the bandwidth. +1 At first, I was skeptical because of all the bad reviews for the latest revision (v5) of this router. I bought it anyways because I had bought two other earlier routers, with the difference being the revisions. After a 2 weeks of trying to get this router to work I've given up on it. It continually disconnected the internet connection, and at last try the router wouldn't stable enough to ping it for a minute. I've updated to the latest firmware update and that hasn't help a bit. I've already sent in the UPC for the rebate so I can't even return this piece of junk. It's going out with the trash on next pick up. Interestingly, when I plugged in the router I bought with the older version, it worked, and has worked ever since with no issues. Do not buy this version! Buy the more expensive "GL" version instead which I hear is the same as the old version. It'll be worth the the time you save, and headaches you'll avoid. *** UPDATE 6/29/2007 *** Okay I couldn't throw this thing away, months after then initial review, I thought I'd give it another try. I recently sent this in to Linksys and they sent me the V6 model (instead of the V5 that I originally had). I was fed up with the Linksys firmware so I decided to give the DD-WRT firmware (micro build) a chance. Installation was a bit difficult, but following the instructions carefully led to a successful firmware update. DD-WRT is impressive. However, this hardware is still pretty horrible. Once a week my router would lock up and I would have to power cycle it. Avoid this one like the plague, get the WRT45GL version Linksys-Cisco WRT54GL Wireless-G Broadband Router (Compatible with Linux) instead. I have never had any problems with that version, and it works great with DD-WRT. Good luck! +1 If you enjoy interrupting your surfing to unplug and plug back in the router every 10 minutes, this is your product. I might have thought this was just some problem with my network or my unit if I hadn't read the same issues all over the internet. I can't believe they ship this junk. Linksys is off my list of vendors. +1 This router has a big problem. It has internal (not in your computer) operating software that users are recommended to update (due to bugs in the product when you receive it). BUT, the updating process is failure prone, inconvenient, AND THE MACHINE WILL COMPLETELY DIE AND BE PERMANENTLY USELESS IF THE UPDATE HICCUPS FOR ANY REASON. AND THERE ARE A TON OF REASONS WHY IT CAN AND WILL HICCUP. This propensity to die permanently from a failed update could have been easily avoided. All the manufacturer had to do was stick a copy of the original operating software on a chip in the router so that if an update failed, you could copy back the original and try again. BUT LINKSYS WAS TOO CHEAP TO DO THIS. So, enough said. Avoid this product unless you are willing to forego any attempts to update the internal firmaware, OR are willing to pay for a useless hunk of plastic in the event an update hiccups (as they often do). As an alternative, I recommend the SMC products... p.s. I am a I.T. professional... +3 Like a lot of other reviewers, product is easy to install and speed is fast. It's a charm, but only when you're not making config changes. My gripe to share is that I'm using it with a cable modem (Comcast) and LinkSys routers (this is my second LinkSys) need to reboot if i) I reboot the cable modem; or ii) I modify the IP settings of the router. I did NOT have to do this rebooting with my D-Link and Netgear routers. This rebooting itself is not such a big deal. However, the pain adds up because the LinkSys management utility (the one when I go to 192.168.1.1) doesn't let me reboot the router from the screen. That means I have to physically plug/unplug the unit each time I make configuration changes. This is inconvenient since I installed the router in another part of the house, while I work in another room. The management utilities from D-Link and NetGear allows me to reboot the router, even thru wireless. Thus the reason I don't give this 5 stars. +5 [Personally I paid a little extra to own the Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster model] I used to be hard-line only. I had a very nice Belkin 4-Port Cable/DSL Router that was cheap and fully universally compliant as a 10/100BT Ethernet Router (even supported Australian Bigpond settings in the internal software). It was the backbone of my home network. I also kept in the back of my mind that it was quite possible to add a wireless AP (access point) later if I wanted to go wireless. Sunny days are the reason why I just had to get outdoors with my laptop. When that wireless time came I decided to go with Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router. I was hoping to have 2 network routers, but the research showed that this was not recommended and to go Router + Switches + AP instead. The bottom line here is that although I planned on keeping the Belkin, making the Linksys a wireless AP, the Linksys ended up replacing the Belkin which is now sitting back inside its box again. Having an all-in-one wireless router/switch means everything in one box serving your broadband to any wired or wireless machine on your network. The Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router does not make your network limited to wireless-only devices because the router is built with Ethernet Out connections at the back. Now before you consider buying this router you need to make sure that you have an ADSL modem which absolutely must have an Ethernet connection (sign of a good brand) with USB optional, or without USB. What you do not want is USB-only. If you end up with a USB-only ADSL modem, throw it out, or return it. Just get rid of it. Your ADSL modem with Ethernet out is connected to the WAN Ethernet port of the router. The router then shares your internet Ethernet out to devices on the network and wireless out to devices on the network. If the router is using all of its four Ethernet ports and you need more, then you need to also buy a switch with this router. So again if you are serving to more than four machines via Ethernet then you need a switch. For 8 Ethernet out you can buy an Linksys EZXS88W EtherFast 10/100 8-Port Workgroup Switch or for more ports, such as 16, the Linksys EZXS16W EtherFast 10/100 16-Port Workgroup Switch. The switch is basically an Ethernet port splitter. It uses one Ethernet port of the router and gives you more. For big internet cafes you can keep adding switches so that the network connection looks something like adsl line->adsl modem->router->switch->switch->switch etc. The installation of the Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router was a piece of cake. Before you install it you should get your internet up and running first of all by going directly from the ADSL modem to your PC. Use the information the ISP gave you and try to create a working DHCP type connection. If your ISP can use DHCP then a lot of things become automatic and very easy to setup. You might need information on primary and secondary DNS settings if your ISP has them, ask for them and write them down. Once you have established an internet connections from your ADSL modem to your PC, then it is time to install the router, not before. Never install a router on a system that does not have the modem setup first. You are just begging for problems. If you cant get a working modem with internet connectivity then you are just going to exacerbate the issue by adding in a router. The Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router has a straightforward installation program. When you open the box the device has stickers on it and warnings about what you should read first. The installation process involved starting up the CD first, unplugging the Ethernet connection from the ADSL modem to the PC and putting it into the WAN port of the router, completing some tasks on the CD Software, assigning DHCP (makes it very easy), setting up security, writing down and printing out a wireless 128-bit encryption key, running Ethernet out from the router to the PC ( or more than one PC), turning wireless on, plugging in the Router, having Internet on all wired machines working, turn on notebook, detect wireless router, use encryption key, change Workgroup name on notebook, full Internet plus file sharing on network. Sometimes you need update the driver of Wireless NIC on your PC if you want to use WPA2 wireless security. Next up is the big test. Could I actually use my internet outdoors? I took my notebook outside and down the end of the garden approximately 35 feet (10 meters) to a 2 foot concrete house wall and window where there is a room 12 feet (4 meters) to a door, panel walls, and another 12 feet (4 meters) to the router. During the day, depending on weather conditions, my signal will read very strong to low, but never gone. It is my understanding however that this router can not penetrate all types of barriers like lead or metal walls. So unless you have this router inside a vault, you are going to be pretty much not just serving your internet all around your home, but to other homes also and probably places where you didn't think you would be serving at all. This is where you need to think strongly about making sure you activate some form of encryption on setup (don't skip it) and also change the name of your router and password. Make sure to keep the password or else you are locked out of your own router. The big bonus is that you can turn off wireless and still have a wired router with internet. The router has all the standard software functions that come with most routers. If anything new appears, the router has an easy firmware update function. Now if you really want to just add this router as an AP on your network, and not a router, just connect the LAN of the wireless router to the LAN of the hardwired router and do not use the WAN of the wireless router. Disable DHCP on the wireless router and make sure that you set up a non-conflicting IP address for the router. This should turn the wireless router into a wireless access point. There are software settings in the router to help prevent various malicious attacks. I have never had any spam ads or anything like that from this router. It does have two little shortcomings though. The power cord is about 3 feet (1 meter), a little short, so you might need to buy another power adaptor. It also has no off switch. I do not think this is for security reasons. You can unplug it at the rear just as easily. Apart from these two little problems this is a very cool piece of equipment. I would highly recommend it. Celebrate your new Wireless 54 Mbs! Some notes on security: Use WPA2 Encryption (either WPA2 personal or WPA2 enterprise). If you have trouble connecting to a WPA2 wireless network then you probably need to update your wireless network card drivers. For WPA ALGORITHMS use TKIP+AES. In setting use Wireless MAC filter - enable and permit only. Update MAC list for Wireless devices. For your wireless MAC address Windows users should open Command Prompt and type ipconfig -all and the MAC address is the physical address on the wireless network adaptor. After you do this make sure that Wireless SSID Broadcast is DISABLED. +5 This router is great, easy to install, speed is fine. I like it. +5 For anyone concerned about being able to set this up yourself, do not fear. It really couldn't be much easier. The included CD walks you through the steps easily, and in about 30 minutes I had my second computer setup with wirless internet access and I was able to print to one printer from either computer by the network printer the setup created. The price is right, the speed is there, and it doesn't get much easier. Highly recommended. +1 I used it for about 3 months, for sharing a broadband internet connection at home, with very frequent resets, connection losts, I sometimes had to turn it off and on to get my laptop's wirelessly connected because it sometimes refuse to give me an ip address. When an firmware upgrade was available (1.00.9) i though that upgrading would solve my problems. What a fool i was, now with firmware 1.00.9 it refuses to communicate with my broadband modem, and i end up with some expensive paperweight, avoid!!! look elsewhere!! +5 And boy am I a happy person! After all this time I finally set up a wireless router at home so that I can use my work computer wirelessly in my home. This blue little toy works wonderfully. Anywhere I go in my house, literally anywhere, get's full-bars of connectivity. I do not see a decrease in speed or functionality at all. Installation was very easy, and I was up and running within 20 minutes. I can honestly say that this product is probably one of the most practical and useful purchases I have ever made. I highly recommend it to all! +1 I am writing reviews on the version V everywhere I can find an audience. I have chosen to make it my hobby to help people avoid this horrible waste of plastic and leds. I call it that because that, and a paperweight, is all it is good for. I had a version 1 Wrt54g that worked flawlessly for 2+years. When it suddenly stopped working altogether one day I returned it to get a replacement. That is when I recieved the version 5. It's all downhill from here. I could not get it to save any of my settings, Outlook Express absolutely will not work with any of the ***2*** Version 5 routers that have been sent to me. I am on my second router in 3 weeks, can not get Tech support to deem this one defective even though it is doing (not doing) the same exact things that the one just deemed defective 1.5 weeks ago! I havespent way too many hours out of my life with Linksys tech support, I will never buy another product from them as long as I live. This firmware is defective and I'm convinced that they know it. I am currently shopping for a netgear or D-link router, and suggest anyone reading this do the same. Brian P. +1 I thought the installation went smoothly until I tried to run it. Then the fun sarted. It wanted a WEP (whatever that is). I reinstalled and put in a WEP code but where I entered 6 characters, it translated to its own code of about 25 characters. Tried to get running again but it would not accept the code. Imagine entering 25 characters then confirming the code by entering again only to be rejected. I called Customer Service but after holding for 25 minutes I gave up and tried their chat room assistance. After 20 minutes of going in circles with a technician I gave up and tried e-mail help. This time I got some definitive answers. First they recommended upgrading. (I just bought this thing 2 days ago for God's sake.) The process for upgrading was not a simple task so I read on. There were some 25 steps I had to go through after upgrading. I don't have time in my life for this. Obviously their setup disk is inadequate and they want me to do the heavy lifting. My solution: return it and buy one that can be easily installed. This one is obviously designed for geeks. It sould have occurred to Linksys that there might be a few of us who are new to wireless. +4 I replaced my Netgear 802.11g router with this Linksys WRT54G, because the Netgear gets so hot that at times I'm afraid it will melt... Also, its wired ports are so touchy that even breathing on them causes a wired PC to lose its network connection. I plugged my PC into the new Linksys, in order to configure it while the existing router was still in place, providing service to my laptop. I connected to the router's administration web page and easily found all the settings I wanted, got the thing set up just how I wanted, then swapped out my Netgear for this one. Right out of the chute, connected perfectly and remained stable. The router has been in place for about a week now, and I have not had a single hiccup. The router is a top performer in my book, though I gave it only 4 stars because it seems to be limited in the number of ports it can forward to other devices. I feel I should be able to have as many as I want, and am only given maybe 10-12. I chose to disable the "Easy Secure Setup" function, mostly because I didn't feel like seeing its orange light on all the time, and also because I will never use this feature. There is no reason to use the supplied software CD either, if you know how to set the router up. Overall... Love this router... Enjoy! +1 My review Before. Fed Ex dropped of units at noon. 9:15 PM and whole thing DOES NOT WORK. Very very very angry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My review After. ***** Tech support (I recommend online chat with a tech) is required to configure the router to be a pass through hub because my ISPs DSL modem router configuration conflicts with Linksys router. My brain was melting. Still don't know exactly what we, he did but IT WORKS. Linksys system 5 stars! Now I'm VERY happy. The online chat person was VERY patient and gets 5 stars. Nerd, out... +5 This Router has been on the market for 3 years, and it's unbeleivable the amount of linksys products are out there. I have 2 of these at home, they are WRT54Gv3.0 so i updated it with a linux firmware available online freely. It's incredible what you can do with this router together with the new firmware. Out-of-the-box it's quite capable too, but i just wanted to know what all the hive of the linux firmware was. The most outstanding quality of this router is the posibility to increas the power of the antenna, it's shipped with the power set at 28mw, but i setted it at 150mw (out of 250mw possible) and have an amazing range, all of this with included antenas. If you want a device thats capable of doing good & hard work get this Router. BTW: the web interface is quite easy to use, it even has an online help included. +5 You have to wonder why so many reviewers have such different experiences recently than over 800 others over the course of the past 3 years. I recently purchased this router since I thought it was unlikely I would need the range or speed of the speedbooster model. The router set up perfectly on Windows XP and installed immediately from the included CD. Security, via several different options, was a snap. I followed the directions by not plugging anything in until told to do so. The USB wireless antenna on the remote computer installed just as easily and found several different networks within my neighborhood, a typical suburban cul-de-sac. Impressive! The instructions that came with my unit were in proper English, without any spelling errors or anything else that would lead me to believe this was a less than perfect representation of LinkSys product quality. Overall, very nice! +1 0 stars in this case. I'm emphatically stressing: Avoid, Avoid, Avoid. LinkSys released alpha firmware (v 1.00.6) for this. Looks to be untested. Some of the error screens have grammatical errors. Unpredictable behavior. Port forwarding did not initially work. Idle connections are automatically dropped and there is no idle timeout option in the web configuration. Tech support is clueless - from India and the Phillipines. Product was rushed to market and features do not work as advertised. Also, power supply doesn't output the correct voltage. Cut your losses and get another brand. LinkSys doesn't seem to care about quality. +1 If you run torrent's or any P2P, run for cover and get the WRT54GL, which is basically this router with the memory (double) and firmware of Version 4 before they cheaped out. Also, forget about using 3rd party firmware with Version 5 also. I replaced a BEFW11S4 with this unit. Big mistake. I'm really mad at myself fot not doing some extra research before this purchase. BTW, zero star's was not an option. Enjoy the tech support in India. +3 This concept seems to be unusual. Cisco (let's be honest they own Linksys) has lowered the memory and processing power of the newer versions of this device. They've gone from 16 MB of RAM in version 4 to 8 MB of RAM in version 5. They also lowered flash memory from 4 to 2 MB at the same time. Interestingly, they upgraded from 200 MHz to 216 MHz processors from version 3.0 to 3.1 and then throttled back to 200 MHz at version 4.0. There may be many theories as to why they've done this, but a logical argument is that with a faster processor and more memory, they Linksys device may compete a little to close to the Enterprise-Class Cisco devices. Someone in Cisco should post a review here letting us know why this was done. If it was a software comaptiblity issue or a component availability issue, explain it to us so we don't have to theorize on the motives. In the mean time, I'll buy a different router like the Buffalo WZR-RS-G54 with 64 megabytes of RAM and 8 MB flash (plus an amazing built-in PPTP VPN server that supports client-to-LAN as well as LAN-to-LAN connections). Maybe you could consider the used WRT54G version 3.1 if you can find it? +5 This device has everything you could ask for in wireless and more! It was easy to configure and I have no complaints at all. The price is exceptional considering what it does. +5 THIS IS AN AWSOME ROUTER! THE ONLY FLAW I SEE IS WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR SETUP IT WOULD CONFUSE A NOVICE, I THINK LINKSYS SHOULD IMPROVE ON THAT I'VE SEEN OTHER REVIEWERS COMMENT ON THIS SAME ISSUE AS WELL ONCE THIS THING IS SETUP IT'S PERFORMANCE IS ROCK SOLID AND THE FIRMWARE UPGRADES SUCH AS HYPERWRT GIVE IT MUCH MORE OUTPUT POWER FOR GREATER WIRELESS RANGE NO NEED FOR THE EXSPENSIVE HIGHGAIN ANTENNAS WHICH DON'T DO MUCH THIS ROUTER CAN'T BE BEAT FOR THE PRICE AND PERFORMANCE IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A WIRELESS ROUTER LOOK NO MORE LINKSYS WRT54G IS PROBABLLY THE MOST POPULAR OUT THERE AND FOR GOOD REASON! +4 It is very good to have it from Amazon, I am totally satisfied with it. I finally gave up buying it from BESTBUY for a simple reason - the price. This model is just good for the use of family or small groups, you can use either wireless connection for your computers in different rooms, or easily connect your up to 4 PCs with RJ45 cable, flexible and convenient. I used to have 3Com router, it was not bad too, but for wireless router, Linksys has the best ROI now. Hope the management page has a better GUI(acutually it has been improved a lot than its previous versions) in its upgrade support in the future. H. +4 It did not take me that long to set this up, but it did require *not* following the instructions. I had an old wired Linksys router. The new wireless router contained large warnings to run the CD first before trying to connect it. There was a big sticker inside the box saying "RUN CD FIRST - DO NOT DISCONNECT YOUR CURRENT ROUTER". And the router itself had protective tape over the Ethernet inputs. So I ran the CD, but doing that did not yield any results - my wired router was apparently too old, so the CD s/w did not recognize it. There were no other obvious setup instructions - though there was a softcopy manual, it did not give an answer readily on what do to. If I did not know anything about networking whatsoever, I might be stumped at this point. But since I do have a little experience, I simply disconnected my old router and put in the new one. I do know what wires go to which inputs, I know what the lights mean, etc. So then running the CD, everything worked out OK to connect my wired computers again. The only other problem was that security for the wireless connection. There was no obvious screen stating what should be done - the program simply said the router was secured. If I did not know what to do, I'd have no idea how to connect wirelessly. But knowing that the IP for my previous Linksys router was 192.162.1.1, I went there and found a drop down screen that had the information (the security key) I needed to connect my wireless laptop. The router works fine for both wired and wireless. I can go pretty far away from my router and still connect wirelessly. Overall, if you know what basic steps to take, it was not difficult to connect, and the s/w worked well to connect. But if you did not know what to do, you might have to call Linksys. I would suggest for Linksys to include a hardcopy quickstart guide for those users with little to no networking experience, just in case the automatic CD method has issues. I'd give it 4.5 stars if possible, but since 5 stars would be misleading, I give it 4 stars. +1 As a Wireless router, this product works fine. It actually performs quite well. It does have one major flaw. I happen to be upgrading routers (Wired to Wireless) and tried to move my security settings (I block numerous ports such as FTP and SMB and others as recommended by security organizations. I found that Linksys will only block TWO ports. In this age of trogans and scanners, I couldn't believe this, but Linksys support acknowledged this shortcoming. +5 I received a Sony PSP for Christmas. I soon realised I wanted a Wireless Router so I could use the PSP's Internet capabilities. We had a Linksys router and it worked well for years. So I wanted to use Linksys again, figuring it would be reliable and easy to connect to our networked desktop computers. Well it was easy to get up and running, seamlessly replacing our old router and now I can surf the Internet with my PSP from anywhere in or near the house. The security settings were easy to apply and with the Broadcast signal turned off, there is no reason to worry about anyone hacking our system. Very Happy with the purchase. +5 Quick, snappy, easy to set up and everything I've tried on it works without having to update the firmware! I set it up using the web interface which isn't as easy to find because Linksys now tries to force a windows only installer on you, so if you aren't comfortable using the web setup without instructions I wouldnt reccommend it. Otherwise, nothing wrong with it. +5 With a little help from tech support, was able to configure in about half and hour and works great. +5 Linksys has always been a great, reliable company to buy networking equipment from. Their owner, Cisco, has made industry networking equipment for years. This router does exactly what it's supposed to do, and an easy setup. The range worked great, too! +1 Got this item and it drops internet access frequently. The only thing that fixes the problem is to power down the router. Linksys service is unresponsive even though the web is full of similar reports. No more Linksys products for me. +4 I bought this router to replace a belkin wireless router that was absolutly terrible. As others did, I had problems with the installation and the SES one touch set up. Once the router was up and running I configured the wireless network manually after several attempts of using the "easy" secure setup. Have had both wired and wireless networks up and running for about a month after installing firmware v 1.00.6 and have had nothing short of a pleasurable experience. strong wireless signal, never less than 83% and download speed in excess of 1700kbps. Have used this product successfully with bittorrent and online gaming. Was unaware of the change in OS and would probably not have purchashed a v5 if I knew that it no longer ran linux. I always like to try knew and better things and would have liked to have the capability to use 3rd party firmware. However, v5 will suit my need for now, and for the time being once it was set up and updated my router has worked flawlessly. Ask yourself before you purchase this product if you really need all of the capability that so many are complaining about this product lacking. For the average user, I think this v5 router will satisfy your needs. +3 Here is the big news to everyone; this is a consumer level product. This is not an enterprise piece of hardware that you will find in an office or corporate environment. You will not be able to run 100's users using WPA and WPA2 encryption through this thing, just a handful of people on a cable modem or DSL line. People that complain about this product not standing up to hardcore use are fooling themselves. They need to step up and buy an enterprise level piece of hardware for a lot more money. That aside, this is not that bad of a product. I have had mine for about a year and use a third party firmware on mine and love it. With a little knowledge and tweaking, you can get this product to run encrypted wireless connections to about 10 people with little or no problem. If you have users that use P2P, you will need to tweak this and all wireless routers. P2P is just harsh on networking equipment of all kinds. On the subject of Third Party firmware; Linksys WRT54G versions 1 through 4 run Linux. Because of that, a bunch of really smart people sat down and figured out how to make the Linksys WRT54G run their own custom firmware. So, if you type in "Linksys firmware" into Google or A9, you will get a list of websites that have custom firmware for various kinds of Linksys Routers (Linksys makes a few routers that run Linux). The really neat thing about this is that the third party firmware are very powerful and add many more features to the WRT54G that are not there, but should be. However, the version of the WRT54G that Amazon.com and most other places sell is version 5. The new hardware version does not run Linux at all and most likely will not since the memory has been cut in half. Simply put, the hardware is just too small to run Linux, which is a really bummer since I found it fun to play with my Linksys WRT54G's firmware. However, if you are not a tech person and just want a wireless router for home or your very small business, you can just get a WRT54G from here and configure it. Just make sure to get someone to help you configure the encryption if you can not do it yourself. Do not use this thing without Wireless Encryption. All wireless routers need to be configured to use Wireless Encryption, so this is just not a problem with the WRT54G. If you are a tech person and want to really play with your WRT54G, sorry, but you need to get the WRT54GS router. They have the large amounts of RAM and still run Linux. I would highly recommend that you do this if you want to learn something, but if you are not interested in learning this stuff and just want a working wireless router, just get the WRT54G. +5 Setup was very easy using the included guide, with great customization features. I now own two, one at home and one at school, and have never had a problem with either. For wireless reception over a greater area, look into the upgraded antennae. It made a huge difference in the reception in my home. +2 In spite of reliability problems with previous Linksys routers, I bought this one because the WRT54G was supported by Sveasoft. Now it turns out that I was shipped the V5 version of this router which has been modified to NOT run this popular, powerful, inexpensive firmware. This was NOT mentioned in the product listing. I can't imagine what motive Linksys had for this, since they don't get revenue from their own firmware. It just seems like a downgrade for no reason. Two stars rather than 1, because it did work right out of the box without problems. +2 I upgraded my Linksys 802.11b (which always worked fine) to this "g" model for the improved speed. I have been disappointed with its performance. Initially, I noticed it was SLOWER than my old router. After reading reviews on the internet (which I should have done before I bought it) I learned of many complaints about version 5. I hurried to my office and flipped over the router and there it was, v. 5 on the bottom. Reading on, I learned about the firmware updates so I downloaded them which helped improve the speed a bit. Now, the problem is streaming video. With my old router, I used to be able to watch movie trailers and other streaming feeds. This v. 5 stutters and locks up the video. If I can't resolve this problem I will likely find another router. +4 Bought this unit in December and had my share of problems with disconnects from my ISP, Verizon DSL. For my unit ,v5, I had to upgrade to firmware Version v1.00.6 to make it work properly. You have to reset the unit to factory default and then upgrade the firmware. Then you configure the unit with ISP signon, password, etc. The unit works fine now and Amazon had the usual good deal. The reviews by other users are invaluable. +3 I received a WRT54G v5, which is the latest hardware version of this router. It has half the amount of RAM and flash memory as the previous versions, so it can no longer run the third-party Linux firmwares. This router works well if you just plan to surf the web and maybe play an occassional online game. Configuring BitTorrent to run on this router was a pain though. Any sort of BitTorrent traffic would completely kill internet access, and eventually I couldn't even log into the router anymore. +1 the version 5 is junk ive been disconnected 2times a day and i have there newest firmware...for the love of god i downloaded 5 updates on firmware and the only thing its cahnged are the slow dwnlaod speeds NOTHING ELSE it still disconnets +5 When I did research on the G router, I was concerned with it interferring with my cordless phone and microwave (both run at 2.4mhz). However, the router hasn't been "bumped" off when using either item. It was literally plug in and play and I couldn't be happier! +1 I wasted about an hour of my life with this device. I opened the box and found no manual. Being a veteran technician this wasn't a concern. Or so I thought. It didn't configure automatically like it was supposed to, the internal software was a huge joke, and there was no mention of the Mac on this at all. Linksys needs to go back to the products that gave them a good reputation and they need to revert quickly. This isn't even worth fifty cents. +3 With average to adequate broadcast signal, you really should look somewhere else for a better router... I suggest Netgear's Rangemax Router, very user friendly. This router has average signal, and HORRIBLE user interface. I found the router web configuration a bit vague, and thus complicated, even for a PC geek. Nothing is clearly explained, and there is much room for improvement. Unless you feel like figuring out what exactly you're trying to configure, get a Netgear or something else. For example, you'll probably want to change the default router login username and password, so any joe schmo passing by can change your router settings, and you'll also want to setup a network password, so any joe schmo can't log on to your network and thus access the net or your PC... well, wouldn't it be nice to know which password you're trying to set???? Exactly. I had to call customer support to figure it out, because it isn't clear in the router page. Overall.... Average signal, poor user interface. D+ +1 Version 5 of this router, the one Amazon is shipping, does not work well. They changed the programming of the router to use a new, probably cheaper chip. This means 2 things. Only one of which matters to 99% of the population. 1. It no longer runs Linux, and can no longer be upgraded with 3rd party linux software (technically firmware). This matters very much to people who were upgrading their $60 router to run a business, or to people who wanted to improve the range and functionality of the router. 2. For most of us, who just want something we can run out of the box, this thing still doesn't work well. Signal is weak. It freezes up constantly, wired and wireless. Go out and find a version 4 or below on eBay, or in a store. Something WITHOUT a serial # (on the box) that starts with CDFB. +1 I bought this unit to replace an aging Microsoft Home Networking wireless router (802.11b). Much to my surprise, the wired connection was about 10% slower with the Linksys unit installed. The wireless connection was slightly slower (about 5%) and the range was only slightly better than the old unit. Given all the above, back it goes to Amazon. +4 If you get the latest version 5, then be sure to update to the latest firmware 1.00.4 (previous versions were buggy and caused slow downs). This is my second Linksys router and I am very pleased with its performance for Wireless G and wired. While some here are complaining that the new version doesn't run on Linux, this isn't an issue unless you plan to run third party firmware. The router is very good, especially at this low price point. +2 First off, the router works fine for normal consumer use. It was easy to install and was as simple as any other Linksys product I have purchased and setup (I have owned the BEFW11S4 for nearly 4 years, I have version 1). The range and speed are great. HOWEVER!!!!!!! If you wish to use this router with static IP addresses (or static PPOE) it is impossible. There are forums after forums complaining about the same thing I will tell you below. I recently bought a Dell PowerEdge 2850 for an online music lyrics website I am starting and purchased the WRT54G as well. The BEFW11S4 simply doesn't offer any type of UPNP setup which is required for remote assistance. Shortly after setting up the WRT54G I realized that there are no adjustable WAN settings. Supposedly it "automatically" configures to your WAN. Well that is probably all hunky dorey if you are a normal consumer however when you are trying to set a specific IP address for the WRT54G to use to connect to the internet, it creates a problem. Furthermore, the router is not user friendly regarding the opening of ports that are necessary for setting up a web server (i.e. port 80 for HTTP, Port 21 for FTP, Port 3389 for Remote Assistance, etc.). It allows you to DMZ however doing that simply opens up an entire can of security worms that no one wants to mess with. So what do I recommend instead? The D-Link DI-624 router. Why? Because not only does it allow you to manually set just about anything you can think of, it even gives examples of how to setup a web server and which set of settings you will need to do so. It is EXTREMELY easy. Don't worry it also offers the "Wizard" to help the normal consumer. I was a very very very loyal Linksys fan, but this D-Link has me changing my mind. Hope the review was helpful for all you folks trying to setup your own site. +5 I've been trying to solve some networking problems with my neighbor for a while (we share a DSL line). I've been using a Linksys WRT54g for some time, but recently I installed some open source firmware on it: DD-WRT This lets me configure the device in much greater detail and it adds many new features to this device. I don't recommend doing this unless you have some knowledge of networking, but this upgrade has made me love this router! For the price, you can't beat this solution. There are several open source firmware upgrades available - dd-wrt is the best one I found (it is recommended by experts on the web). I'm now hoping more manufacturers will release their firmware so that the community can upgrade lots of products in this way! But for now at least I have a wrt-54g and dd-wrt. A great combination. +3 The newest version of this router is v. 5 What they did was cut the ram in half and cut the flash memory in half, then they replaced their linux OS with VxWorks. This has caused the problems you'll read about in other reviews here. Look for an older version on ebay or go to best buy or frys and look at serial numbers on the bottom. Version 4's serial number starts with CDFA. The crappy version 5 starts with CDFB. +2 I, like so many others bought this router before I became aware of all the problems with version 5. I spent over 3 hours during a period of two days on the phone with tech support (in the Philippines) going through all sorts of completely useless changes to the configuration. I even received such ridiculous suggestions as "Just take it back and exchange it, not all of them are bad." Ooh, that was helpful. Finally, in a rage, I insisted on speaking to a tech in Irvine, CA where the company is based. In less than 15 minutes the very knowledgeable tech immediately recognized my problem even admitting that it shouldn't have taken so long for them to route my call to him. He emailed me a file containing a firmware upgrade (version 1.00.3 that has yet to be released to the public) helped me through the upgrade and the router has been working fine since. That's the only reason I gave it two stars instead of 1 since it actually works now. Probably better just to steer clear. +1 I've bought close to a dozen of the earlier versions of these routers over the past few years as well as recommended them to my friends, and the ability to update and upgrade the flash memory with modified open source software is the reason why these routers deserve a wonderful reputation. The modified software versions, such as HyperWRT and OpenWRT, Sveasoft, etc. have over the years provided capabilities that Linksys themselves didn't put in the box on their own, such as having routers that link up over the wireless connection, or routers that can work well in P2P applications with hundreds of active connections. Some of these features made it back into Linksys's official codebase over the years, helping to make this a Truly Great Product. Linksys has chosen to eviscerate the memory of the latest version (v5) of this product to make this version cheaper. This latest version doesn't have Linux inside and as others have reported isn't nearly as stable as earlier versions, nor is it in any condition to have the open source community help Linksys fix the problems. If you want The Little Blue Box That Could, you now have to buy the WRT54GL, which Amazon now carries for about 70 bucks. +5 Easy to set up. Works great as a wireless or a wired router. The price is right. +1 This is the worst wireless router I have ever seen. I have set up wireless routers since their inception from all almost all manufacturers and I have had the most issues with Linksys. I have recently purchased a WRT54G v5 for a family member but decided to upgrade my "B" network at home to the "G" standard with this product. I have had nothing but issues, LAN portion and WAN portions work fine, but the wireless just stops working after approx 10 min and the only way to rectify is by unplugging the router for 10-15 seconds. I am so fed up I could smash this thing with a hammer. If you value your health you will NOT purchase this product!! +1 All of the new routers seem to be WRT54Gv5. This is a completely different product from the previous WRT54Gs. Mine repeatedly dropped the wireless connection, and gave terrible download and upload speeds even with wired PCs. Look around the forums and you will see everyone having the same problem with this router. Also, you will not be able to use third party firmware with this version of the router. Bottom line: Stay away! +5 I'll skip all the irrelevant technical jargon that has already been mentioned and get straight to the point. I've already mentioned three main positives on this router in the title. Now a few random key points that I find important to take a note of: 1. Version 4.0 - If you have earlier versions, upgrade to firmware version 4.0. Do not, I repeat, do not use version 5.0. Make sure you look under the router by the serial number to find out which version firmware your router shipped with, and get it updated to 4.0. If you are already at 4.0, perfect. Leave it alone (assuming you don't plan to do anything fancy w/ the router). 2. The WRT54G is not the same, or even close to the smaller and physically attractive WRT54GC. The C i suppose stands for compact. The WRT54GC has slower, more intermittment connection when compared w/ the WRT54G. I would say this could just be my unit, but I've read this from other reviewers as well. So stick with the WRT54G, avoid the WRT54GC. 3. The WRT54GS is great if you plan to take advantage of the firmware updates. If you are simply looking for a G router to connect - the WRT54G is perfect. Also like to mention that many of the negative reviews on the d-link routers I simply did not experience. One that comes to mind is the DI-514/524, which has HORRIBLE reviews but worked fine for me. I think it is just a matter of setting it up correctly. WRT54G is a great router. Also, there is a cool Cisco sign that lights up in yellow like the batman sign along with a myriad of green lights - perfect for the holiday season, and just... cool! +4 For the price, the Panasonic 2400 is worth it, that is, if you have no special reception needs. The AM/FM sensitivity is fair and adequate, not great. Separation of stations is only fair so if you have a lot of competing AM stations you may not like this radio and may want to buy, for seventy dollars more, the Grundig S350. But if your AM station is strong and doesn't have interference, you'll probably be happy with the 2400. Its best feature is its speaker, three inches big and superior to the speaker on my 79-dollar Sony SW35. For someone who is a bit of a fanatic about radios like myself, I cannot recommend the 2400. With its weak separation, I just cannot warm up to it. I would rather spend more money on the aforementioned Grundig S35. But at the 35-dollar price point, I think the best radio, featuring digital reception and presets, would be the Sony ICF-M410V. You'll have to pay another fifteen for the AC adaptor, for a total of fifty bucks, but it's well worth it for an "every day" radio. +5 I have been using the v1.1 Router to share a dsl connection throughout an 1800 sq. foot home for almost 2 years now. Setup is a breeze and once it's done you can forget about it. (Actually once after a power surge I had to turn it off and on again) Security, port forwarding, access restrictions, etc. are intuitive and quick to control. I'm a computer science student, and I use my computer/network constantly with an apache http server, and sshd. If you are suffering the wrath of this terrible version 5 model, I'd suggest going to eBay and getting a good used one of an older model - Just make sure you also get the firmware upgrade. It's well worth it. Thanks Linksys -- and fix the v5's for crying out loud! You're better than that. +5 OK. I am a complete novice, but one call to the 800 number at 10pm, and I was up and running 15 minutes later. Running smooth after one month. Very happy. +5 I have no complaints about this router - only praise. I have been using it now for a couple of months. I have not had any problems holding an internet connection throughout my house on my laptop. The connection speed is very fast. The setup was pretty easy (but I am familiar with setup/installation - not a novice). I also purchased one for my father's house and his works great as well. I highly recommend this product. +3 So it's easy to hook up and install and it works great and it's price is good, BUT I literally got 5 in a row that didn't work. Until finally i got one that did. I wasn't installing it wrong either; i phoned them up and I was pissed. It works now, but the past ones, that was hell. The quality is... horrible. 1/5 chance that one will work for me.. 1/1 should work. New Edit: I really hate this now. At least 4 times a week I have to reconfigure it. Why? I don't know, but it sure is REALLY pissing me off...! +1 I bought this unit to replace a wired Linksys router/switch. The wired unit was a snap to setup, no tech support call needed. This WRT54G V5 unit was the complete opposite. I'm on my 2nd unit and am thinking about sending it back for a refund. The 1st unit never worked wired or wireless for more than a few minutes. I updated the firmware and software on the router and PCs. Wired access was intermitent and wireless signals were never detected even tho' the laptop was only 8 feet away from the router. The supplied software to setup the router repsonded that an error on the router was detected, so manual configuration was the only way to go. After about 30 minutes on the phone with tech support, it was determined that the unit was bad. Back it went and amazon sent a new one out FAST (kudos to amazon for it's response). The second unit was only slightly easier to setup. I manually setup the unit based on the 1st tech calls walk thru. And it worked. For a day. The next day, I found that all the settings were reset to the default. I re-entered all the settings from the day before, but no wireless signal was detected. I cycled power, changed channels, even did a hard reset and re-configured the unit, but no luck. A call to tech support and they had me manually configure the router with only WEP security after doing a hard reset. Well, that won't do. I needed to use WPA. I also needed to disable SSID broadcasting. And, oh by the way, MAC address filtering is nice to use also. And how about limiting access to 802.11g devices only. And what about requiring a shared key access only. But they said "It's setup now, don't change anything." Well, sorry, but if you have features in the setup screens that I would like to use, I'm going to use them. If it disables the unit, then I guess I'm going to have to go with another brand that works. Also, why do you have to do a hard reset everytime you want to make a change in configuration? +3 I ordered this modem and got a v5. My DSL connection slowed down 30% (wired connection) no matter what MTU setting or any setting I tried. v5 cannot use third party firmware. I returned it, went to a local store and made sure I got a v4 and my DSL runs fast again. Since v4 is based on Linux, you can use third party firmware to unlock more advance features if you so desire. With either version my wireless laptop had a decent signal (3 to 5 bars) no matter where I went on my property (about 70 feet away max) even with 4 or 5 walls in the way. If you can find a version 4 or lower grab one, it works great for me. +1 As of November 2005 Amazon is shipping "Version 5" of the WRT54G. Thing is - it's a completely different product than they've been shipping for the past several years. Whereas Versions 1-4 were incremental tweaks to the hardware, Version 5 is a completely new entry, with far less RAM and running a completely different operating system (VxWorks). All previous versions ran Linux and were known for their high quality and reliability, as well as the ability to use upgraded firmwares. See other comments here and on other linksys-enthusiast sites - this new version is a turkey. It may be selling under the same name, but it's no different than if Mercedes started selling a Kia witha a trident hastily slapped on it. I've purchased a dozen of the real WRT54G's for friends and family but this is the end of the line. Some say a WRT54GL is available in Europe for our friends there that want the good one (same as version 4 here). Versions 1-4 got 5 stars; this one gets 1. +1 Got the router, the wizard did not work (stops at enter password and no matter what you put just comes back to the same page). I was able to install the router by hand. If you have any experience at all, this is not a problem. Was up and connected with in about 20 minutes. Problem occurs with the wireless devices attached. If you do port forwarding (games, whatever) they do NOT work on your wireless devices. If you use outlook or outlook express, the mail server keeps timing out. Linksys spent 45 minutes with me working these issues. Played with the MTU size etc. No change, nothing worked (I had DL the latest firmware upgrade for the V5 hardware (1.02). After all this time, the tech tells me that the hardware is new (WRT54G v5) and that there are known bugs, these are two, and the Linksys is working hard to come up with updated firmware. The tech suggested that I retrun my router and ask for a v3 or v4 hardware. Knowing how Amazon does things (first box in the bin is shipped) there was no way I could ask them to check the hardware version and ship an older product. I thought this to be a strange solution in any event. The tech then told me that since my router was under warranty, that they, Linksys, could not replace it for me. !! Upshot, I am returning my modem, I'm shipping since Amazon doesn't believe it was their problem, and now I am going to look at D-link. In the meantime I will stay with my Dell 2300. At least it works even if the wireless capability ends at about 20 feet (small exageration). Could not believe that Linksys would put out a product with known bugs. +5 The older model it didn't seem like the security worked to well. Beware of buying the same brand used. I bought one from the store later on and it worked much better. I love this thing - it's pretty much flawless. Once in a while you'll need to unplug it and plug it back in to resync with cable modem or whatever, but that's par for the course. +5 I was able to setup this device in 10 minutes. It provides great features including some new security capabilities. My previous Linksys 802.11b router dropped connections all of the time due to interference from 2GHz cordless phones in our house. Linksys/Cisco seems to have resolved this problem with this device. It works flawlessly and I'm very satisfied. +4 (...) Like most SOHO routers, it has nearly non-existant logging. And provides near zero-statistics. SOHO boxes don't give you a clue about who is one your network or what they are doing. This is universal across every brand I've worked with. If a PC asks & takes a DHCP address you'll have that record, but that's it. Very easy for visitors to be invisible on all home-marketed boxes. I'm disappoointed Linksys still doesn't allow mapping specific IP addressses in DHCP (what Windows Server people call Reservations). Netgear and Dell (which I think may be DLink rebranded) do. BEST SECURITY PRACTICES I RECOMMEND... Pick a UNIQUE SSID. SSID are like filenames in Windows. When your laptop come home it must have a profile with the SID. If you leave it as LINKSYS you will have to wipe out your config to connect to someone else's LNKSYS router cause they didn't change the default SSID on their router. MAC filtering stops visitors from using your network but they can still spy on your traffic. MAC filtering isn't too hard and it is just a config change on the router. You don't have to monkey with the PC config. Easy and a basic step, but if you have suspicious teenae computer geeks in the area, maybe not enough for privacy. Best practice is learn how to setup encryption. WEP encryption is weak but most computer people couldn't figure out how to break it. WPA is best. Problem is sometimes you can't get a visiting laptop to work with certain encryption. Getting Apple/Macs was historically a pain, but they've all improved interoperability now. Encryption means people can't join OR read what you're doing. +4 Replaced my DLink 11b router with this one. Hookup went well but make sure have the documents from you ISP provider handy. Depending on how the ISP does things, you may need your IP address. In fact, I suggest calling them first and telling them what you are going to do. They may be able to save you some time. I happen to know that my cable provider uses DHCP and not a static IP address (which is the default choice). If you have an existing wireless network like I did, make sure you have your old SSID handy and if you use encryption make sure you have your key. That way, you can configure this router the same as your old one and your other wireless devices that connect to the network will still be able to do so without any modifications to their wireless setup. Conversely, it might be a good time to change your encryption key just as you should regularly change your system password in case someone has spoofed it. The setup software has a few typos in it that reduces your confidence in how robust it is. I suspect its just that it was written in Asia. I had to turn off my cable modem and restart it in order for the setup software to access the internet via the new router. There was a lag of a few minutes before everything started working. I don't know anything about how the ISP deals with a new router but I suppose it takes some time to get things sync'd up. I have two wired and one wireless laptop on the router. The range on this one is much, much better than my old DLink, but it should be since it is one of the better wireless routers out there and newer. +4 I got this router to use to get internet access in my 3 car garage that's detached from the house. I was worried about the signal strength since it was about 150' away. The signal is decent at about 50% and is usually pretty stable. When it has a signal it is very fast. I may try the longer antennas they sell and see if that boosts the signal. I'm also going to move the router in the house so that it is closer to the garage. Easy setup and very easy to use. Some basic computer knowledge is obviously needed but no professional. I used the USB type receiver at the other computer which works great. Makes t versatile for any computer to use it later quickly and easily. Would definitely recommend this product for someone looking at wireless routers for their home. +3 ***Find the newer version of this router on amazon for around [...]: Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router. This older version is sold by third parties at grossly inflated prices. It's a fine router, but I found the install wizard to be of poor quality. If you have good networking knowledge, you'll abandon the wizard, use the 100-page online manual, and be fine. I know more about networking than the average consumer, so I was able to puzzle my way through it, but only by second guessing the documentation at various stages. The Wizard is particularly sinister. It just tells you to start disconnecting and attaching cables without any input as to whether your current setup includes a pre-existing router (mine does), without any clarity as to whether you should be running the wizard on a hard-wired PC or a wireless equipped PC. After asking for a password (Is it asking me to set a password or am I supposed to know from page 20 of the manual that the factory set password is "admin"?) it refused to go past step 8. These are just some of the pathetic examples. They provide no printed manual. I had downloaded the 112 page manual from the Linksys Website. Stupid me. It turns out to be copyright 2002 and much inferior to the 2005 manual included on the CD. But can you decide to access the CD manual once you have started the Wizard? No, of course not. You have to completely exit the Wizard and re-start the CD in order to find the "User Guide" tab which loads the manual. The box proudly displays "SecureEasySetup (TM)" "Wireless Made Simple" "One Touch Setup Button" "Easy Start" "Easy Security" "Easy Everyday" Apparently Linksys/Cisco knows that ease of setup is crucial. It just doesn't follow through in any consumer-tested way. I don't know if Netgear, D-Link, etc are any better. +5 Excellent product. Needed some help with the setup which I received through my ISP. Works like a charm. +5 My PC and laptop operating system is Windows XP SP 2 with an internet connection via Time Warner cable. I installed the latest software (microcode) from Linksys. I did not use the CD that came with my WRT54G router. Using my PC hard wired via an ethernet cable to the Linksys, I set up for WEP and MAC filtering to be used by my laptop(Dell Inspiron 8600). Unpluged my cable modem and the Linksys power cables for about 30 seconds. Wow - just like it should and to my surprise (I'm in the computer field) it came up and worked flawless. +5 Excellent product. Range is the best I have had from a wifi-g router. user interface is easy and has many features. reliable product. highly reccom0mended +2 While I am not a complete computer geek, I do have some experience working on/fixing computers. However, the WRT54G Wireless router has just about been the death to me. Yesterday, I received my new Gateway 4500 with a built in wireless network card... the whole thing was going to be "Plug-and-play" I would turn on my comuter and it would automatically find my Linksys router... awesome... or so I thought. After 4 frustrating hours on the phone with my internet provider, Gateway, and Linksys - I stll do not have the dumb thing working! Apparently, Linksys routers are known to be tricky in configuring to a wireless network - Gateway even provided SPECIAL instructions for this particular router (they didn't work... of course). Also, while the technical service response was friendly - Linksys should hire native speakers to help their American clients. Our inability to communicate doubled a 45 minute phone call into 90 minutes - I literraly spent half of my time saying "could you reapeat that". More frustating is the fact that it wasn't one person at the help desk - both people I talked to had horrible English. To sum it all up - 4 hours of wasted time - still no internet access- My suggestion - unless you are truly a computer expert (or plan to hire one) do not buy this product. +5 I have always had excellent results with Linksys. This product is excellent, easy to setup, and with the new security features, great for home users who want a quick and simple setup. Some knowledge of what you are doing is a must. And for the price? You cannot beat this product. +4 This is an EXCELLENT product. I recently decided to share my wireless iwth my neighbor and we looked at getting a wireless extender (or repeater as most IT people know it as). I decided to replace all of my netowrk with linksys wireless - G products. I could not be happier. I have used netgear wireless, Belkin, Dell (when they were in the wireless business), and Proxim. By far this was the easiest wireless network to setup. The only reason I do not give it 5 stars is that i do NOT like the one-touch programming option. it's just confusing. Give me a web interface and let's do it the old fashioned way... that way I know what I have. +5 My old Speedstream recently choked and died hence I was on the market for a new wireless router. I wanted 802.11g/b, VPN passthrough to get to my corporate network, cheap, and most importantly - painless. My first attempt was the D-Link DI-624M. That product did not meet these requirements. I suffered lots of pain, going through 3 before I managed to update the firmware on one without it being permanently killed in the process. Also, I spent hours fighting to get my VPN working. D-Link tech support failed to make it work. I eventually figured it out myself but only after more painful hours spent. Also, the D-Link must be non-compliant/buggy with some standard used to detect changes in network configuration and automatically fix up the links. I had to make sure my cable modem was always turned on after the router or it often wouldn't ever get properly connected. Anyway, the D-Link sucked. So I picked up this Linksys WRT54G (version 4) and had absolutely ZERO issues. VPN worked right out of the box. Interaction with my Motorola cable modem is seamless and automatic. I just plugged the thing in and it all worked perfectly. That was what I have been looking for - painless. The Linksys also has many more advanced features. I've not used these yet but the menues are full of lots of options. The only feature I couldn't find (that the D-Link has) is the ability to force static allocation of private IP addresses based on MAC address. Thank you Linksys for a solid product that saves us busy people time and frustration! +4 it is what it says and it's simple. I like it! +5 Excellent reception and quality for a simple am/fm radio +5 Good quality sound. Picks up stations well. +5 I recently went from a Linksys wired router to this one after purchasing a laptop and I must say it was a quick and painless process. Setup was a breeze and it has worked flawlessly ever since, even stuffed between my router, printer, and wireless mouse base. It's like it doesn't know the meaning of interference. I did have a little trouble with my 128 WAP key, but I may have been punching it in wrong. I backed off to a 10 hex key and it worked immediately. I definately recommend it to ANYONE, novice or otherwise skilled. +5 I got this for my aunt who pretty much knows nothing about computers. It took me about an hour to set up a wireless environment in her townhouse and she hasn't called me yet with any problems. Make sure you read the documentation CLEARLY if you don't know what you're doing. there are instructions to encrypt your personal wirless network so no one else can end up hogging/stealing your bandwidth. And the tech writers have made the installation process SO EASY for people lik my aunt to follow. A very well made product that has worked very well for me over the years. I'd also recommend wireless products made by Belkin. i've had their wireless card for my laptop since 2000 and it has rarely given me problems. +5 I bought the WRT54G and a BEFW11S4 802.11b Linksys router at the same time. My previous 802.11b device (which was an SMC, not a Linksys), had finally failed after 4 years of constant use. I'm planning some new construction on my home and I wanted to put up two access points to ensure good coverage at both ends of my house. I primarily bought the WRT54G to ensure I'd be happy in the future - more than the present, since all of my client devices are (b). I use the WRT54G as the edge router connected to my DSL modem, and then ran a Cat5 cable to one of the LAN ports on the BEFW11S4. I only run the DHCP server on the WRT54G, and after updating the firmware there I'm very happy with the performance, features and user interface on the WRT54G. Performance on the WRT54G is excellent though with all (b) clients I'm not really getting the full use out of the WRT54G yet. +5 Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a plug-and-play wireless router. You can't just connect a couple wires and sit back. You gotta configure this and that, and it's usually a slightly different experience for everyone. With the Linksys Wireless-G router you can rest assured that once you get everything set up right (which may be a piece of cake, lucky you, or require a call or two to technical assistance) it will continue to work well for a long time. I have used this router, and previous versions of it, for 5 years now, in a variety of locations with a variety of roomates. In one place we were running a Mac, two Windows PCs, a Linux box, and an XBox off the router. We didn't encounter many problems, but when we did we knew the source was something other than the router. In another place the router was on the second story of the house and I was in the basement. My wireless card was crappy, but the reception was still good because the router's signal is strong. The CD that comes with this router takes you step-by-step through the installation process and contains complete product information. For a simple home network, the setup is easy. (It's even designed with a simple two-prong plug, so it won't hog up space on your power strip.) Even when setting it up is a bit of a headache, it's comforting to know that once you've got it going it isn't going to stop. +4 I'm using sveasoft's firmware, but search the web for more information about it--you may find you don't approve of the author's tactics, which I only learned about after I'd paid my $20 subscription. +4 I purchased this router (used as wireless access point) after netgear WGT634U died (used a month!!!) the difference is night and day!!! pretty stable (almost no chopping problem when listening audio files from server), and no freezing problem as netgear did though the signal is not strong as WGT634U (17dBm TX, -91dBm RX max), the antennae are removable/upgradable, that means I can use active antenna to improve RX/TX however, RIP don't work (unable to link with XP ICS), that I still have to manually to configure ip, or internet sharing don't work with this router with DHCP enabled (points wrong gateway), but my case is pretty special conclusion: this router works pretty well as access point (with DHCP disabled), and the antennae are removable (RP-TNC) +1 I got it working fast enough. It is a nice router in all ways but one. It is not reliable. A couple of times a week it seems to cease access to the internet. That is, you cannot access the internet at all. All lights blink, and you can still access other computers on wired and wireless LAN. Just no internet. You have to unplug the unit to get it to work again. Very annoying. I did know about this from researching on the internet before purchasing it, but I bought it anyway. My mistake. I have returned it and have a cheaper, nicer Belkin. ************ Update on review. Other brands were not so hot. I got another Linksys and updated it with latest firmware. Problems went away. Have used it for many months now no problem. +4 I recently purchased the LinkSys WRT54G router to replace a D-Link DI-604. The D-Link router has been flawless but with the recent acquisition of a laptop it was time to go wireless. Because of the past performance of the D-Link box I was all set to try the wireless version. After reading the reviews on Amazon and what ever I could find it appeared that people were happier with the LinkSys product. It as been running for a week with no problems except for initial setup. If it starts to fail I will most certainly write a update. The big problem with set up is that it did not recognize we use DSL and as such need to login to the DSL modem using an account name and password. After bailing out of the "wizard" and setting it up manually all was good. +3 ...the signal strength leaves something to be desired IMHO. The setup was literally a snap under OS 10.4 -- all I did was connect the thing to my active cable modem, turn on my G5 and the system auto-detected the router. From that point all I had to do was click a button to connect to it. The browsing speed was OK but the downloads were literally 1/12th of my normal bandwidth, even though the router was only about 10' away, behind a total of about an inch of dry wall, a hollow closet door, and another inch of particle board desk leg. I played with the antennae and other settings (firewall, etc) but none of them alleviated the problem. The airport software was up to date and giving me three out of four bars as a signal indicator, so software / the Airport Extreme card wasn't the issue. Some people download third party firmware that circumvents the signal strength limiter but I wasn't about to do anything that might void the warranty and thus my ability to return it. Recommended for more open interior spaces but if you have to go through any amount of construction materials or thick desks or shelves, think twice. +5 This product works like it is, 4 0 5 walls between my laptop and this router and have a Good Signal +5 What an easy to install, easy to use, fantastic item is this Linksys Wireless-G router! This is my first time entering the "wireless world" and had been really nervous about how all this was going to work. But this router comes with a CD that makes it SO easy, step by step, that a total newbie like me had it working in no time! On top of that, the Linksys tech support people are great. You're saying, she needed tech support already? How good can this router be, after all. But the thing is, it's highly likely you'll need just a smidge of assistance in the "configuring the router" step after you've installed it. You call your ISP people, get the appropriate info from them, do that little step. Then call the Linksys folks, a few things to enter in and click on and presto! You've got wireless!! I love these guys! A couple helpful hints, though, to other wireless newbies which I learned the hard way, of course. Locate your router as far away from things like cordless phones and other sources of radio frequency "noise" or interference as possible. Also, as a computer genius friend of mine explained, keep in mind that the wireless router broadcasts omnidirectionally...in all directions. So, try also to position your new router someplace away from an exterior wall or a window (you don't want the bulk of your signal going "out the window"). And do try to located it as closely as you can to where you plan to use your wireless computer (remember that signals degrade with distance)with as few solid things between it and your wireless computer as possible. As far as operating systems and the Linksys router goes, it's not real happy with Win ME but it loves Win XP. My PC with Win ME wasn't able to configure the router. But once my friend suggested I configure it via my laptop with the Win XP (which is what I planned to use wirelessly anyway), all systems were a definite, easy and fast GO. The Amazon price for this new Linksys router was significantly lower than other places, it shipped quickly and has been an overall positive experience. And I thought Amazon only sold books! +5 This Linksys wireless G router was simple to set up, and I didn't need to upgrade to the latest firmware to get any of the security features to work correctly with my laptop. I'm very happy. +5 I'm running the router and it is working very well with 2 desktops and a laptop, so I'm pleased with it. I set the security up manually, so I would understand the way it worked, and that took some time but wasn't too hard. My reason for writing this review is to suggest that if you purchase this router you also purchase the Linksys cards so everything is compatible. Now I know that other cards should work fine, but if there is a problem it's always easier to talk to tech support and say the whole system is Linksys, otherwise you get the 'we don't support that hardware' answer...I'm not saying that Linksys is any worse than anyone else, but we know how things work, so why ask for trouble? The second point is to mention that when I did a search on Amazon's site for cards to go with the router, another manufacturer's cards came up first and I had to tailor my search to find the Linksys cards. And finally, another reason to get their cards is that they have a one-button security setup, so you don't have to configure the networks manually it will do it automatically if you use their cards. +4 Would be nice to have a USB Internet in port in addition to (or in place of) the ethernet in port. My modem has USB out into computer - had to buy 2 pieces of "translator" equipment to convert to ethernet in. +4 a bear to set up. Whatever happened to plug and play? +5 I've been using this router for a few weeks now and been providing them for employees that work out of their homes for a few months. This router works flawlessly and it works as advertised. Its rock solid stable with firmware version 4.20.6 and this addresses the large file transfer problem. Some people have problems getting the router to work and they immediately think the the router is garbage. Actually, its their DSL or Cable Modem that is the culprit. They need to set their DSL/Cable modem to bridge mode while using the router, then they need to configure the linksys router to use PPPOE. That's the main issue people run into. This router is rock solid. +5 Well, since the advent of the web, I don't buy toothtpicks without an hour of research...so after I googled till I dropped I decided on the linksys system and I couldn't be happier...I also have a 2.4mg cordless phone and it works perfectly with it. The USB adapter is not internal but it is much easier to hook up and I can put the little antenna higher than the tower for an even better signal...for the two I only paid 100 bucks and got a 30 dollar rebate by using my new amazon credit card and a 10 dollar rebate from Linksys on the router so my total outlay was only 60 bucks...but it was a bargain at either price.... +3 I had a lot of problems with my past Linksys routers. I ended up having to send about 3 of them back before I finally ended up with one that is working fairly well now. I have to reset it about once or twice a week when everything just freezes up. From what I've been told, this is common with routers. I have much better help when I call linksys than when I email them. +4 I've been a fan of Linksys products ever since I purchased an older linksys router. Wanting a faster wireless connection, I decided to upgrade to another Linksys. Setup was quick. I changed a few settings and then was connected in a matter of minutes. It's now been running for about 2 months and I haven't touched it since. The performance is on par with other devices of this class. When you get this product, there are 3 things that you should change when setting it up. 1) Change the Administrator Password. 2) Change the SSID. 3) Enable and set a WEP key. This will prevent all but the most determined hackers from getting into your network. +5 I bought this router nearly three years ago (paid much more than what it is selling for now) and I am very happy with it. I had problem last week, it was not powering up, I called the customer service and they had me test couple of things and said they are going to send me a replacement. The new router arrived early this week and working fine. No charge. +5 This is my eighth linksys product. I am continuously upgrading my home network and adding on wireless devices to everything and this router joined into the network nicely. Extremely fast and did the trick to extending my network. Very easy to install, almost nothing at all to do except plug it in and run the quick CD that does all the work. Really like that it makes sure you are aware you need to hide your network and keep it secure from people leaching off of your signal. +5 OK, I never read the manual. I'm a male and that's what we do (or not do). I tried to do this by instinct and it's not intuitive unless you are a network geek. I tried to set my IP address and subnet mask and who knows what else. When I gave up and called their help desk, they sent me to a web site, I ran a program and viola - I was on the net wirelessly. The darn thing works as promised and it's amazingly cheap too. Speed is identical to my hard wire desktop direct cable modem connected PC. I bought one for my niece and will be installing it like a pro (shhhh, don't tell her I had help). If you want to work wirelessly, this router does just what you want it to do and my geek friends say that the security is as good as it gets right now. +5 After months of struggling through one Netgear product at a time, I finally switched over to Linksys. All I can say is, Linksys routers perform as expected and leaves Netgear in the dust. The quality that Netgear used to live up to unfortunately seems to be rapidly fading. The WRT54G is capable of routing almost every kind of network the average user can throw at it, without the kind of problems that Belkin and Netgear usually suffer from. For example, the Netgear WGR614 was a nightmare to deal with, often becoming non-functional as soon as a network device other than a PC was connected onto the network (ie. network printer). Netgear's tech support was also puzzled by the numerous network errors. The Belkin routers in general perform better than the Netgear but still suffer from the need to reboot itself about once every two weeks. Pair this router with a Linksys extender (read the reviews for the Linksys extender for setup help as the included documentation is horrible) and your home network is good to go. +5 I purchased this router as a replacement for a Netgear WGR614. The setup was pretty straightforward, and I had my network up and running in approximately half an hour. The setup wizard (included in the CD that comes with the router) helps you create a basic configuration, that can be fine-tuned by using the router's web interface. The router has a good wireless range, and it works well even with several brick walls between transmitter and receiver. As a bonus, if you upgrade the router's firmware to the newest version, the Secure Easy Setup (SES) feature will be enabled (the Cisco logo in the front panel is actually a button, which will glow amber when SES is enabled). This feature enables you to easily configure a secure wireless environment, provided that your wireless card driver also supports SES. Pressing the SES button in the router and in the card's software will automatically enable WPA (WiFi Protected Access) and choose a shared key for your router and PC. +5 I had some issues when I had enabled WEP encryption and then moved on to WPA. Ironically, the latest firmware update addresses this very specific issue.... so now I have no problems what so ever. Even during the firmware updates my roommates did not loose wireless connectivity. New firmware update allows for automatic wireless network configuration. All you have to do is click one button on the router configuration window and the router automatically senses the devices and configures the network. Awesome for the newbie, though I personally like to fasten every bolt myself. Comes with a installation CD which instructs you step by step to setting up the router. You need to know absolutely nothing about setting up the network. Linksys is more costlier than others and is a home/consumer division of Cisco. But I believe for stability, this extra price is worth spending. Whatever you do, please don't go for a Netgear. +5 Just needed a basic radio for when the power goes out and this fits my needs +5 We used this product to wirelessly share the internet connection of our desktop with a notepad. As we were novices and had never used any networking equipment, we were apprehensive about security issues. The security features in this router are quite good and were fairly easy for a novice to to set up. After first trying to obtain information for setting up the security features in this router via phone with Linksys tech support and not receiving help fit for a novice, we went online to the Linksys website and found the information there to be helpful and easy to understand. They list important security features to implement. We just put them in place one step at a time and check them off after verifying that the notebook could connect. We also download the User Guide (Manual) for this router in .pdf format and were able to make use of some of its information as well. This product comes with an installation software CD, however, with Windows XP, I didn't need to use it to set up my connection. I went through the steps on the CD (which show pictures of where to plug in the various cables and in which order to plug them in and then cancelled the installation prior to completion as I wasn't familiar enough to make decisions on certain settings the software was asking me about so I cancelled the connection software wizard and my desktop connection worked fine. Overall, I am thankful that this router has been user-friendly. +5 Although I've done tech support for a certain large computer maker in America's third largest state and having been using PCs since 1985, I had zero experience with wireless before two weeks ago. After making the decision to buy a laptop, my wife and I decided to go wireless so we could surf the net with the laptop anywhere in the townhouse. Set up couldn't have been easier. I followed the easily understood chart, popped the set-up CD into the dvd drive on my desktop and followed the directions. I had only to hook up the power cable and the two ethernet cables (one from the cable modem to the WRT54G and the second from the latter to the desktop). The wireless networking and security set up was a snap; I was surfing the net in less than ten minutes. The range is excellent. My laptop's built-in wireless card picked up five networks near out townhome up and running. The 300 foot range touted on the box is, for once, not just marketing hype. After some initial trouble with signal strength on the first day, I've had only a two periods of time (each lasting about 30 minutes) where bandwidth varied widely. Other than those incidents (both of which coincided with a flurry of calls on my 2.4GHz cordless phone), it's been smooth sailing. Taking the laptop on a visit to my parents house, the built-in wireless card picked up several networks within range of my parents' home. It picked up an open access point from the elementary school a quarter of a mile from their house! Since it was unsecured and listed as "open access" I connected the wireless network to it and was surfing the Net within seconds with a speed of 36Mpbs--excellent considering how far away the router was (in excess of 1,000 feet). If you're new to wireless or even a computer newbie, the set-up couldn't be simpler or more user friendly. Even the technophobic shouldn't have much trouble with this. Although I had to write down the WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol key) because of its length and random letter/number sequence, once it was input, the network was secured. I highly recommend this product for both the experienced user and the novice. I wholeheartedly recommend this product. You'll be surfing from anywhere in your house that you wish with very little trouble. And if you leave the house and find an open access point, you should have little trouble connecting to it and surfing the net. Easily installed, easily used this one is hard to beat. I've experienced none of the problems I've read in other reviews of competitor's wireless routers. So if you only need to be able to connect another computer(s) to your cable modem, this is the product to pick. A sold five stars. +1 The Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router is a piece of garbage (or whatever)! I spent over 2 hours online with Linksys Technical Support and 1 hour at my local computer repair shop. No one could get it to work properly with my IBM Thinkpad. What a waste of time and money. I returned it... +5 I have an RCA cable modem with RCN as my ISP. A great service which I highly recommend. I recently bought the Linksys G-Router after getting my hp laptop needing to setup wireless at home. I got it to work with no problem but then I experienced bandwidth loss and constant connectivity issues. I wrongly thought that it was the router. Fool that I was! After countless attempts at recycling the modem and WPA keys etc., I finally figured out that the modem could not support the wireless router and it had a short, plus RCA no longer carried it and the thing was ugly, taking up space. I've since gotten the Linksys Modem (BEFCMU10) and stacked it with the WRT54G router and it works fantastic!!! Be sure to call your ISP with the modem's MAC address to get online. YOU WON'T get connected otherwise. My ISP had me up and running within 5 minutes. Also some ISP's give you a discount if you supply your own modem. Check it out. +1 I upgraded from an older 801.11b router to the Linksys WRT54G for its improved security, and of course, speed. However, this product performed well below my expectation. The Achilles heel of this router is its inability to stream music, or copy large files over the local network. I use Apple iTunes to stream music to my stereo via the Linksys router. Although it will work for a few minutes, it will eventually hang. This behavior (hanging) also occurs when I transfer large files between my PCs. After some research on the Net, I discovered that there is indeed a flaw with the current WRT54G design (WRT54G, version 3, which Amazon currently sells). If you just use the router to surf the web, this router should serve your needs. As I mentioned in my first paragraph, it supports WPA security, which is far superior to WEP. In addition it is very easy to setup. I wanted to rate the router higher than 1 star, due to its security, easy of use, etc. However, since it is not being able to perform its core function adequately, it doesn't deserve any higher. The reader can find a better product with the competition and at a lower cost. +5 As a long time fan of LinkSys, with some exceptions on early versions, I upgraded my wired BEFSR41 router for their WRT54G equivalent. The upgrade was trivial, in part, because I was familiar with the language, technology and simily products. When buying wireless equipment from any vendor keep in mind that the version number for the hardware and software is as important as the model number. In this case, it was version 3 hardware, and 3.03.6 software, operating under Win2k. As with many LinkSys products, which are build using real computer chips and open-source operating systems, they produce some heat. To minimize the negative consequences of heat use the chimney effect. I always mount units vertically, with air under between the unit and the wall, using the standard LinkSys mounting bracket, which can be found on eBay and other places. Keep the unit coooool, and like all equipment, it will last forever. Another issue is that the range of wireless depends very strongly on the enviroment, not just the vendor. In one room, local hot-spots, no more than a few inches in diameter, producd a 10 dB change in sensitivity (3:1 in signal strength). The best location for my WUSB54g turned out to be on the side of the monitor, where internal metal acted as a corner reflector, significantly amplifying the signal. Finally, if you use the most advanced features, or if you combine the unit with differnt vendors and technology, especially with WinXP SP2, the probability of having problems increases dramatically. Regardless of what the literature says, no vendor can test the millions of combinations. Bugs happen and you may be the only one to experience a particular kind of bug if your environment is not typical of the rest of the world. And technical support is way down on the corporate food chain. As we say, KISS (keep it simple stupid) and the technology will work fine. That means you should not load Beta firmware or other 3rd party stuff unless you want to be a bleeding edge victum. Follow, do not lead, when it comes to high technology, even if the price is the same as that of a hamburger. +5 I got this inexpensive router to let me connect two desktops and a Thinkpad laptop to my NTL broadband modem, instead of having to go through the hassle of rebooting the modem and connecting to a different PC, as and when needed. So far it all works fine with either cable or wireless connections. My next project will be to try out sveasoft's firmware to increase this unit's capabilities and wireless range. +5 my first time buying a router. reading some people's negative reviews made me nervous because there were so many jargons and i'm definitely not a computer person. well, this baby turned out great! installation was a little frustrating (again, i'm not computer savvy) but i got it together after about 30 min. it's given me a solid connection, and rarely do i get disconnected (twice within a month maybe?). oh yeah, my friends warned me about those 2.4 GHz phones so I will repeat it here: make sure you don't have them lying around! finally i must tell you that i use windows xp, SBC DSL, and don't live in a crowded building. anyone with different conditions, well, i guess my positive review might not be of any help to you. +4 Ultimately the product works great. However, to finally get the item to work, it takes great patience and time. The product does not come with a user guide - only a CD. The CD does not work properly, telling you that the computer is not connected when in fact it is. When you chose configuration settings and press the "next" button, it says that you haven't chosen those settings. After I finally set the thing up properly, and after NUMEROUS problems with encryption and recognition by my computer (for some reason XP would not recognize changed encryption settings), I got it to work; however, the wireless signal would drop every 4 minutes. At any rate, after fiddling for hours, I finally called tech support (which I should have done in the first place). They directed me to: [...]\easy I downloaded the program, installed it, and now the thing works like a charm. No problems whatsoever. End of story. +4 I had a couple of quirky setup issues (my lack of understanding), but the Linksys tech support people were very patient and helpful. I would recommend it. I use it to connect my Replay TV into the wireless network. With 2 Replay TV's I can now stream video from one room to another and move photos from my laptop onto the Replay TV for slide shows. Pretty slick. +5 Before I bought this unit I read the reviews here on Amazon and found a few bad ones, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why?? I am no genius when it comes to technology, but set-up was simple and took less than five minutes. Make sure you read the basic instructions which tell you to put the CD in first! Do that, follow the online prompts, and you will be wireless in five or ten minutes. I always have an excellent signal and it makes sharing my broadband Internet connection with my laptop a breeze. Highly recommend this product. +4 I bought this as a replacement for an earlier Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router that went bad. Though the tech support person tried to help, the old router just could not produce wireless signals. Because the tech support spent so much time with me on an older product, I decided to stick with the same brand. Good service will always win! The installation of the new router was a snap. Just follow the instructions. They clearly ask you to run the software before doing anything. The wizard works well. You do however need to do some adjustments to make it work well with Macs and Eudora, especially running under Kerberos. You have to get to the QoS tab of the settings (I cant remember which one) and enable auto broadband option. Here you can also choose to grant hig priority to any of the applications if you like. Once I enabled the auto feature, Eudora on the Mac had no problems. The router uses a version of Linux. If you are adept at Linux, you can make this router do ore than what is advertised. +4 I purchased my router 2 years ago along with a Wireless PC card and was very pleased with the performance. When my wireless signal dropped when my 2.4Ghz phone rang, I replaced the phone which I also liked. Take note if you have a 2.4Ghz phone. The reason I mentioned "was" is due to returning home and finding my router with 2 solid lights and no activity. This router has seen better days. Despite my annoyance with the router lasting 2 years (I expected 3), I will replace it with another Linksys router. I may even upgrade to the router with SpeedBooster. +5 This router is excellent. Once it is up and running you will have no problems. The only problem I have had is with my Sprint DSL modem, but not a bit of problems with the router. I suggest reading all instructions very carefully before installing. This alleviates needless re-tracing of steps. This router's signal is strong and I have yet to have a problem anywhere in or out of my house. Great product! +5 I used to own a $20 after rebate cheapo wireless router that I thought would be adequate enough for a home wireless networking. Ended up returning to a Linksys router and giving the cheap router the boot. The cheap router I used to own had very minimal feature in the configurations menu and less security options then the Linksys WRT54G. But the biggest problem was the constant drop in connections and weak signals from time to time. I was fed up and turned to WRT54G because of its positive reviews, good past experience with wired routers and frequent firmware updates to correct any bugs. I'm happy to say that this router was exactly what I was looking for. You won't regret it. The setup was very easy. Just follow the instructions carefully, it's all based on a CD that has everything you need to get you up and running in no time. The dual anteanna is a plus and the design is slick. No more connection drops and strong signals even from the backyard. The WRT54G offers excellent security features and much more (and easier) configuration menu that I didn't even need a manual to setup correctly. Even though you could get a cheap router these days, I'm happy I spent a little extra for the Linksys. The quality is significant and you'll be very happy from saving time and the headache. +5 I use this router for a mix of B and G clients and speed and coverage are excellent. The stock firmware was OK but the router would hang after 3-5GB of files transfer from wireless to wired clients. The HyperWRT firmware fixed this problem and combined with WallWatcher (Windows application receiving in/out log from WRT54G) provides excellent logging functionality. I use Linksys, Netgear, Orinoco and AT&T wireless cards and not a single one gives troubles with this router. There is only a piece of funcionality that is missing in the router; ability to pin DHCP address allocation to the same client (aka static DHCP). It is more convenient to have persistent IP addresses without dealing with static IP. Highly recommended. +5 This router is my 3rd router in various places. The one key component for Linksys G/Super G routers is the QoS feature. QoS allows priority of internet packets. This feature is a MUST for VoiP services. I have never had any issues setting up ANY router, crappy or not. The low stars are due to people not understanding the basics to router setup period. This router is FLAWLESS. Things to do once you get the router to ensure it works perfectly: 1) Upgrade the firmware right away if it's not the newest version. One key for upgrading: Newest factory firmware upgrade gives you QoS support!! 2) Disconnect your 2.4Ghz cordless phone. You will always have issues with it, so eliminate it right away to make sure your wifi setup is up and running first. You might live in proximity to neighbors with 2.4ghz phones, so be wary of that interference. Dont blame the router right away. 3) Ditch your 2.4ghz phone if possible for 5.8ghz cordless phones, i did this knowing the technicalities of the interference which i experienced. 4) Enable QoS for VoIP users, this is the ONLY reason i purchased this router. VoIP (vonage) is working flawlessly in any situation where I am downloading heavily, the VoIP packets get priority. 5) Read the dam instructions before posting negative reviews on the product. 6) Do not setup encryption on intial setup to test that it's up and running first, then move onto more complex setup with encryption. Read the instructions !!! And you SHOULD enable encryption for godsake. Those 6 steps should allow any non-technical person to get this, or ANY 802.11b/g router up and running. Remember, 2.4Ghz phone usage will kill your wifi connection regularly, especially in big buildings with many tenants!!! +5 I've had broadband for a little more than couple of years now and recently decided to add wireless capability also. Before buying this, I read a lot of reviews about having setup problems and it needing a firmware upgrade, but I didn't need any of that. Maybe Linksys already has the latest firmware on the devices now. I was using a cable modem -> netgear router which centrally links to every room in my house. This wireless router gave my enough wired ports to still have one wired desktop connection in most of the rooms and add wireless capabilities for my laptop. I have an apple powerbook, one HP laptop nc6000 with intel centrino and one sony vaio with Linksys WPC54G adapter. I have never had any problems with any of those devices. All in all, I connect 3 laptops wireless, 2 desktops wired, fileserver wired and a palm device with Linksys Wireless-G compact flash card. My house is a 2 bedroom condo and I get full strength connection everywhere in the house as well as in the deck. I've also tried no encryption, WEP encryption, 128bit etc and they all work just flawlessly. I got a better price from amazon along with the rebate ($58 -$10 rebate), so I guess it's a good deal. Before buying this, I researched on 802.11b, g, with speedbooster, and D-Link Xtreme G(108Mbps). - speedbooster wasn't an option since it needed a compatible wireless card (tight dependency) - G(54Mbps) was a better choice than B(11Mbps)since it was quite polular and backwards compatible - xtreme-G (108Mbps) was quite new and it seems like it was D-Link specific only. Plus, since I also stream music over wireless from different computers and I needed something more that 11Mbps and G works just fine. Overall, a great buy and the next upgrade will be when 108Mbps becomes more standard on wireless. +1 I use AOl Cable with 9.0 optimized SE. I bought this from Best Buy where the staff informed me this was the most popular wireless router with 802.11g and the best deal for $69.99 So I take it home and spend the next 4 hours trying to install it with its "EZ setup" feature. After arguing over and over with Linksys and then AOL I find a tiny thred in their terrible support forum that only the following routers work with AOL at this time: BEFW11S4 BEFW11S4 v2, v3, and v3.2 BEFSR41 BEFSR41 v2 BEFSR11 BEFSRU31 BEFSR81 BEFSR81 v2 As you can tell, these are the older 802.11b routers and are fast fading from tge scene. Furthermore, the AOl Braodband department advertises this router as the best one on their very support page. It's a crazy world. +5 So to start off I am in the tech industry working on Wi-Fi,WLAN, UWB and so on, yada, yada. The 802.11G standard is for 54-108 Mbps. The next generation is 802.11N which is 480 Mbps second but guess what, your access and speed is ONLY as good as the internet allows. My points are intended for the average user here: 1. The difference between this and the Super G router as someone pointed out is the extra flash memory which is not much. Save your cash. A couple of companies I have been at use nothing but this router and we had 20 or so folks on the network with no problems. I'm sitting here downloading 1-5 Meg files as an example fairly quickly. 2. Most hotels offering broadband access run at 10 Mbps or the lower end of the 10/100 standard, so 1/4 the speed of this routers capability. Most T1 lines in business are running at the higher end or 100 Mbps but the pipeline is usually running pretty full due many folks on the system. 3. I'm a road warrior traveling globally so I have been the Guinea pig for my last 3 companies and IT departments. So this router works flawlessly through my present companies VPM through which I'm typing this review right now. 4. So for the quick and short of it, ordered on Sunday evening at around 10 PM Pacific Std Time and 3 days later on Wednesday I have my wireless router up and running. So kudos to Amazon for another great job in delivery! 5. This router replaces another Linksys Router, the BEFSR41, which is a standard router we have had for > 3 years and still works great. I did do a firmware upgrade about a year ago. The reason I'm replacing it because it is hardwire router and it's a problem when my wife and I both want to use our office, with one desk, at the same time. So now I'm using my laptop on the kitchen table about 60'away from where the router is and getting 3.7 Mbps speed via Comcast cable through my VPN connection. This is based on a measurement speed test by going to either [...] or [...] and running their bandwidth meter test to see actual connection/throughput speeds. These are both free sites so check out your connection. 6. Setup - got it with the disk but had some difficulties running and connecting to the internet after disconnecting the old router per the instructions. Called tech support, got a very nice lady in Argentina who was very helpful and gave me a couple of helpful suggestions. Had to disconnect the power plug on the Comcast cable modem box for 10 seconds to reboot the cable modem box, which was still reading our old IPCONFIG address. This got me connected to the internet again after the IP address reset itself. Doing the normal START/CMD/Ipconfig /release & /renew for some reason didn't release the Ipconfig address in the cable modem I guess. INSTEAD OF USING THE CD that comes with the Linksys router, was told to go to [...] which ran a more sophisticated setup wizard program that configured the router, the WEP Security protocol and I imagine the VPN protocols as well and was up and running within 10 minutes through my VPM. Very cool, wish my Adobe Acrobat 6.0 upgrade went that easy recently. (In all fairness to Adobe, got that upgrade running but not till I had several phone calls and downloads to do with Tech Support who also were great). Some General Comments from other reviewers - why in the heck do you want to upgrade your distance from 200' to 2100' as one person pointed out? If I want to go drive almost a half mile away from my wireless network what the heck do I need my laptop for? Are you downloading music at a friends or what? I'm really curious about that. Amazing what reading directions and being POLITE to technical support can do............if you call with a lousy attitude and tear up the person on the other end of the phone, don't expect good results. Most of the tech support people I have dealt with are trying in most part to do a good job. +5 Worked great!! in my Dell Inspiron 2650. Great signal strength. +5 Connects to the internet with no problems. +5 Works great! +5 Product shipped on-time, and works perfectly. +3 bought it for an old laptop i gave my grandmother. works fine, just slow internet compared to everything else these days. grandma was thrilled with the speed. +5 AND EXELENT PRODUCT AND SUPER SATISFIED OF THIS RADIO +4 First, I must point out that any router installation is not for the faint of heart. Networking computers is quite beyond the capabilities of those, who used to think you had to keep the TV on to record it from your VCR. You have a chance if you're a good cookbook recipe follower. Yes, that makes women capable of installing these, there's no heavy lifting involved, just some focused thought. Unfortunately, Linksys does not write the best documentation. What is really needed with these are plug-ins, (ever present software controls) standard from the operating system, (OS) (Windows, Mac, Linux etc.) that use some type of connect standard where the OS does all the work. It's not here yet! Why own one of these things then, especially if you only have one computer. The reason is simple, one word, and "security". The average Windows based computer, can exist on an unprotected Internet connection less than 20 minutes before someone will find its port address, and access it. They then send in Trojans, Worms, (programs that extract, and run themselves in your computer) plus other nasties, to steal information, or take control. In some cases, you can't even get your PC to the MS patch site to download XP security patch #2 before being hit. It's no wonder many new PCs ship with full hard drive images on DVDs, so you can restore your system back to as-shipped condition. Of course your data, and installed programs are gone if you do that. You'll have to reinstall everything you put on, from the day you first turned it on. Unless you backed up the documents, and other things you created, (data) that will be lost too. What does a router, access point, do to help prevent this? For one, it clones the Mac address on many systems. A Mac address is a unique hardware identifier. Many if not most cable / DSL systems are looking for the Mac address from the cable modem you are using. Since you are connecting a router in-between the cable modem and the internet, the Mac address must be copied because its what's recognized by the your network service provider to identify you on their network. In addition, your port address is now the router, not your computer. Networks on the outside can't see your computer, and unless you install the security protocols incorrectly, all they see is the router, and what can't be seen can't be accessed. Now to get you, they have to trick you into accessing them by sending E-mails, or otherwise enticing you into downloading their mal-ware. This is what is commonly called a firewall. You now set the software to allow what access you will allow. Here is where many typical problems begin. Windows security and most routers are not compatible on all levels. You have to look to the Net, tech service help lines, and FAQ sites on your router, to find out how to solve most of the typical problems. These generally range from not connecting at all, to hosting online games, or downloading files from sites with different security levels. With wireless routers, you have another potential hole, "the wireless connection". Someone next door may have a wireless system too, and could access your system if you forget to set these software firewalls. Computer novices should have a computer savvy person install, and set-up their router. You are really the ones that need this the most. Your newness to the world of computing, and Internet surfing makes you a prime target of E-mail spoofers, identity thieves, and others who would attempt to take your private information. Don't try to install this yourself unless you have some technical knowledge. Ok, so what can we say about this particular network product? Well Linksys was one of the original big players in the router industry. Linksys is made by Cisco, the networking giant who introduced the first routers for the Internet, and became a company that rivals Microsoft in size. I'm trying to point out they have experience, and so the reliability of the connection you get is among the best. You typically find less horror stories detailing poor connections with this, and most Linksys models. This model appears to be especially good. Why the four-port wireless model you ask? You may only have one computer. True, you don't need more than an access point, and a wired one at that, to use as a protective firewall. Still, if you think there may be more computers in the future, and there is a need for a multi-port network. If that happens, you'll want to save money by sharing the Internet connection, rather than pay for two services or more, at multiple single-connect prices. Moreover, the price of these is very low compared to most computer add-ons, so getting the added functionality is at little, and sometimes no cost. What about the wireless capability, you ask. Well, if your network has or will have, computers in other rooms, you may not want to wire your house for Ethernet. This is especially true if you don't need the speed of a wired connection. Don't worry though, the primary computer located by the Linksys, can be connected by wire, this makes for a solid, and fast connection to the Net. My last topic concerns the security setup you do, or have done with your router. Remember, you are working with two sets of security hardware boxes, your computer, and now your router. As said before, you may get some conflicts. The other issue is how secure do you want it. You can prevent any, and all file transfers to your PC. Even things like the downloaded files, and E-Mail attachments you do want to receive. Another thing you may do are the many file transfers needed to playing network games. Some settings allow you to play, but not host a game, others won't even let you connect to play. It may take several attempts, and reading a lot of FAQs or network help sites to fix some of these issues. However many you open up, remember you are putting holes in your firewall, making your computer less secure. You need to be careful not to just take down so much security that you allow the bad guys back in your system. Let me give you a word about AOL, and other service providers. They provide you with their network security as a part of the service, but for a price. It is a good place for new users, who want to feel safe, and they do provide a good measure of safety, but they are not the total answer. Often they restrict you from sites you want to visit, and you can still be reached by clever hackers who con you into opening or using their files or programs. Let's put it this way, it's a big badge of honor in the hacking world if they can beat AOL, Microsoft, Earthlink, or another popular sites that provides Internet security. The purchase of a router is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself these days. +1 I purchased a WRT54GS router and two WUSB54A/G network adapters two weeks ago. I have a third network adapter - model WUSB54G whichb is three months old. A senior Information Systems technical support individual from the hospital where I work ($$$) attempted for eight hours to set up a secure newtork in my home with these devices. No problem with the WUB54 A/G adapters and even a Motorola WUB830G network adapter. However, despite a frustrating day, we could not get this new router to operate with the WUSB 54G network adapter. The outsourced technical support which we tried to utilize "STINKS|!!!!!!". When I told her that we believe the WUSB54G is defective the technician told me to call a number for the RMA department to try to retrun the WUB54G device. She swore it was open (Sunday)...sure enough it was closed. Furthermore, I cannot get the router to work with my Dell Lattitude computer which has a built in wireless card. This is the same Linksys outfit that I spent days arguing with several years ago when their drivers were not compatable with Windows XP and I had to rant and rave to get their assistance. IF CISCO doen't clean up their act, they are going to go down the tubes! I made a mistake...no need to repeat it...buy another brand! +5 I'm going to be moving soon. One device, Tivo Series 1 DVR, is far enough away from my network router to need either a really long Ethernet cable, or a wireless connection. Got the Linksys after reading some reviews. Was a bit wary because the software is Windows only and I have an iMac. But everything worked out for the best. After pulling the Router out and connecting it, I hooked a Linksys WET11 Bridge onto the Tivo. Reset the network, tried the connection, and it's working like a charm. The downside being that the Tivo can only connect at 802.11b speeds and not 802.11g. However since this Router is backward compatible, that doesn't pose a problem at all. Overall, it'll make my move that much easier knowing I don't have to worry about connectivity. +4 I have this router for over a year now, so far it is pretty stable. It has all the necessary security settings for your wireless network device. But, these settings are limited to wireless PC only (not Mac). I can only configure my Apple Powerbook G4 to work with this router is to have it open accepts all wireless connections. Or I can have my Powerbook's MAC address filtered. Over all it is a good router for home use. +3 Some of the advanced configuration is non-obvious and is very poorly documented with the product (both in the help system and Linksys's website). Wired configuration was a breeze and took seconds. Wireless has been a bit trickier. Whenever certain encryption modes are enabled, all of the attached wireless devices drop signal momentarily every 4-5 minutes. Just long enough to terminate all of my connections, pretty annoying. Firmware updates and calls to Linksys support have not resolved this. (I ended up just turning off encryption, and enabling mac filtering, for the short term). I would be concerned with the security, but the signal strength is so poor that I doubt it's an issue -- the signal drops off with my own house. I can only get usable reception from approximately 60 feet away. I'm told there are better antennae that be purchased and added to the device, which may be a worthwhile investment. All in all, I have lukewarm feelings about this device. The value is about right for the price. You're probably not going to find anything better nor easier to use at such a low price. I find myself wishing I'd shelled out a bit more to get a better router though. +5 I bought this to replace my failed Netgear wireless router that was about 2 or 3 years old. If this one lasts that long I'll be satisfied. Works fine. The only thing that would make it better is if it was cheaper. Nuf said. +3 My old Linksys router recently died after 2.5 years of service. While I am not happy that a solid state device died after such a short period of time, my quick review of this product space did not yield any other brands that seem much better than Linksys. The new router came with an updated setup utility that makes getting the router installed a fairly straight forward process. I had to change the channel of the router, like the channel on a cordless phone, to get it to work with the Linksys Instant USB Wireless Adapter v2.6. I also had to do this with the old router. I used Linksys technical support several times. Unlike other reviewers, I have found the support to be responsive, almost no wait time on the phone, and relatively knowledgeable. Granted, I am a professional technologist with years of experience. Overall, this router seems like a reasonably priced product that works as well as can be expected for products in this space and the company backs it up with good support. +5 Defective +5 great +5 For the price a good experiment but old Dell Latitude CPX with W98 would not load drivers from CD due to defective CD Rom will play with this some more after replacing CD Rom +1 wont work tryed to send back would not refund +5 worked good on laptop +5 my win 98se laptop is now wireless. +5 nice quality products and fast shipping +4 Its nice to have my old laptop work wireless. +5 Before purchasing the Linksys wireless WRT54G 2.2 router I read all the reviews I could find, although none seemed to be for this lastest release, most folks seemed to have had some trouble with setting it up. Not me. Linksys has red stickers all over the packaging stating for installation follow the CD. Don't even plug anything into the router before following the CD, so I did what they advised...no problem. In less then 10 minutes the Linksys router & wireless adapter for my laptop were running perfectly. There is no degradation to my DSL internet speed as far as 100' away with this router and it does not run hot as some reviews claim. There was no need to get an up to date driver, it worked slick right out of the box. I'm very happy with these products, you should be too! +3 With Windows XP the router does what you would expect. However, remember you wanted wireless, so don't complain about signal strength when you're 100 feet away from the router. If you have Windows Me you will most likely be as unhappy as I was after connecting the router. The internet may work temporarily, but the entire computer will lock-up during each use. Also, if you need customer support to assist you with your router then you had better get a different brand because Linksys could not offer worse support for there router. +4 I bought this after reading about the 3rd party firmware from SVEASOFT and other suppliers. I have to disagree with this comment - >This router is made by Cisco and for those of you who do not >know this is the brand networking that all of the major >companies use. So basically Cisco makes Linksys products for >the standard home user but with the same quality as Cisco >products. I push the boundaries of what a 'standard home user' does. Cisco has changed suppliers or specifications after acquiring Linksys, and I can definitely tell the difference in the details. When comparing the BEFW11S4 (2001-vintage wireless/wired router) and the WRT54G, the ethernet cables do not slip in and out as easily in the 54G, making it harder to work with from a pure mechanical perspective. +2 I set the wireless router up according to the instructions in order to add a notebook computer to my AOL account. Worked like a champ for about 48 hours. Then, certain web sites would no longer load on my desktop that is connected to the router via ethernet cable (particularly web sites that require a log in). After another 48 hours or so, I could not access the web at all. I had to reboot the router and reload the software, and the whole process repeated itself. I have no idea what the problem is. +5 worked great +5 Great! +5 It works! Make sure it fits your needs before ordering! +5 Excellent +5 Good service. Card works as expected. Well satisfied. +5 Works perfect! +5 don't have wall impossible to traspassing whit this router, i share DSL whit my neigthbour and we are very happy whit performance. i recomend this router, for to easy instalation, range, and velocity. +1 I have two linksys routers, one wireless g, and the other cabled. Both of them keep disconnecting on me and interruptions are 3 or 4 times per day at best. When that happens i have to restart my pc or restart the linksys router. Both routes take me a few minutes of precious time when i would be online doing something important. Stay away from this junk. Do your research and buy something like netgear or dlink. +5 it works find, does the job, easy setup and off you go. works well with comcast, no problems, only when i use the 3rd party firmware upgrades, then it seems to have different results. works great with the linksys usb -g adapter. works fine with wired networks as well +4 Out of the box, it did not work. The software installation (which they recommend using first) did not work. It was claiming that I did not have an internet connection when I Clearly did. After going through the alternative installation instructions and trying them twice, I gave the Linksys support a call. The guy directed me to the internet site to download the latest software, boom! I was in business. It worked pretty good after then, no problems. I followed a reviewer's advice and did not mix different products from different vendors, and also bought the wireless card WPC54G. Setting that up just took a few seconds. I recommend both of them as a team. just be patient and call their customer service if you have a problem. +3 I purchased the WRT54G in February of 2004. First, the pros: It's easy to set up and seems to work with other vendors products (I've tested it with a Cisco 350, Cisco a/b/g, and a Linksys 802.11b card). The web interface is easy to use and most of the options are fairly straightforward. Some of the advanced features don't have very good documentation. For anyone using older firmware, I recommend upgrading it by grabbing the image from the Linksys site. It's easy to do and fixes some issues as well as adds some extra features. The built in switch works great and flies. I can push 90mbps of traffic between two workstations connected and it doesn't blink. The cons: Performance is lackluster. I've heard about mixed mode performance issues, so I set the WRT54g to use g only. If I have a laptop within 5 to 10 feet with nothing but air between the antennas, I get no more than 9mbps of throughput. Realistically it floats at around 2mbps. If I move to the bedroom which is about 25 feet away and has two walls in between, signal floats between medium, poor, and none. Before folks reading this cry foul that I have configuration or interference mishaps, I use the same software, drivers and card to connect to a Linksys 802.11b AP downstairs which has twice as many walls between it and the laptop, and I always get more than 7mbps throughput consistently. I've tried changing channels and settings on the WRT54g to no avail, the range simply will not go up. I tried putting a high gain antenna on to see if it made any difference, and it made no difference whatsoever. One other infrequent problem I've had is occasionally the WRT54g will start dropping most wireless packets until it gets a power reset. At that point, it passes traffic internally just fine, but refuses to allow any previously defined port forwarding to pass. Don't ask me why, but going to the port forwarding page, verifying the settings, and clicking "save" (without making any changes) fixes it. I would call this a fluke if it hasn't happened on three separate occasions. Overall my opinion is this product is flakier than most. If you do nothing but pull it from the box and use it, and don't copy any large files around, you probably won't have any issues. It's disappointing to see so many reviews hinged on brand loyalty "it's blue, it's good" rather than any kind of specific mention of performance or features. I've read numerous reviews of this product that say performance is great, but include no details. I'm very curious to see if others have had the same poor wireless performance I've seen. +4 I have been using my router for some months now... I still cant wirelessly access the internet through my laptop but that's a laptop problem. As far as dealing with network access of other computers this router is pretty good given the price- remember this router is the same one that was released right when the G standard was introduced to the market. If you want "the newest gadget" get the one with speedbooster. I like the fact that it IS EASY to use with limited networking experience- the problem I have is that there are many useless features on the unit, and some wanted features, like a list of computers accessing my wireless, is not easily found on my router. All in all, it's a good router if you don't have the cash for a Speedbooster one. Expect about 10MBps and not more though! +4 ok +5 My sister can now operate wireless +3 My laptop was real old but this worked, Only problem is since it sticking out on the laptop u have to be very careful u don't bump up against any thing or you will break it. +1 did not work +5 would work great with right pc set up unfortunately I bought the wrong one +5 verygood +5 I had used this for a very old Dell laptop, and it works great. I never had any problems with it connecting to my Wi Fi The laptop is no longer working, but this is still going strong. I gave it to my daughter so she can use it with her son's older laptop that she lets him use to play educational games on the Internet. +5 works great +2 Worked ok but software not so easy to install. I doubt they make this model anymore. Worked when I needed it for my old laptop most of the time. +4 I had a Linksys wired 802.11B router and wireless access point which worked well, but decided to upgrade to an all-in-one 11G device. The tough part was deciding whether or not I needed the "Speedbooster" version. After asking around, I found out I didn't. The out-of-the-box experience was a little frustrating. I tried the CD setup program without any luck. Then I tried the do-it-yourself method of following the step-by-step instructions. Nope. That didn't work either. A five minute call to the tech support people was all it took to get the router up and running. No hold time. Yes, the 1-800 number probably redirected me to someone in India, but the guy was easy to understand, and he helped solve the problem. Essentially, the CD included with the package is, for the most part, worthless. I was told to connect my computer directly to the cable modem, then go to a Linksys website: [...] I clicked on NetSet Assistant and let it do it's thing. I followed the prompts to disconnect and reconnect Ethernet cables, and then rebooted. Problem solved. As far as WEP configuration... make your adjustments after you've set up the router using the default setup. It'll make life a lot easier, and preclude you from having to give this product a negative review. This is my fourth Linksys product and, aside from the rough start, I'm very satisfied with this router. +1 didnt work +1 would not buy again. +5 The reviews had me worried, but I found mine to work flawlessly so far. I have used it to convert six VHs-c tapes to digital so far. +3 Ok, if it would have fit my phone. I had to send it back. +5 I was very surprised this worked as well as it does. It took a lot of fussing to get it going and occasionly takes a litte fidgetting which have done without help. It gets the desktop to router connection without a cable. Be sure put in the correct router ID. +4 After being pleased with two 15" Samsung LCD monitors, I was ready to upgrade to a bigger LCD monitor. After reading many editorial and user reviews, I decided to give this monitor a try. Let me tell you that I absolutely love it. It's been a terrific upgrade from my previous 15" gems! After using this monitor for nearly a month, here's what I've found. The extra desktop space I achieved from this LCD was terrific when I use it at its native resolution (1280x1024), and the fonts and images were clear, crisp, and full of rich colors. A nice bonus is that the power supply is integrated into the monitor itself - no more power brick! It was also clear that NEC cares for its monitors in terms of packaging. It was packaged extremely well, and there was not a single indication of any damage from shipping. The monitor looked great right out of the box. All I had to do was auto-adjust the screen. The control buttons are a little difficult to use because they're quite small and narrow. They're also the same color as the bezel, making them difficult to see. However, I've only used them once, so it's been a moot point. Well, I said how great the monitor is for the desktop. So how is it for DVD and games? First, the DVD playback has been a minor issue. Regardless of which software DVD player I use, there's a occasional jerk that happens for a few seconds, then it goes away, then it comes back. It's at a set interval, and I think it's due to the analog signal. I never had this problem on my previous Samsung LCD monitor. Reinstalling the video driver didn't help, further making me believe it's due to the signal. I'll see if a DVI cable clears that up. As for games, the pixel response time is not that of a CRT, so there's some ghosting. However, I had no problems playing even fast-paced games like Unreal Tournament and Quake 3. My one gripe (and this is the case for just about all LCDs) was the low refresh rate, leading to low frame rates when v-sync is enabled, and disabling that feature totally made those games look horrid. Overall, I'm very pleased with this monitor. I so was pleased that I bought a second one for my other system, and both monitors arrived in excellent condition. Not a single dead pixel was found. Unless you're a hardcore gamer, you can't go wrong with this monitor. +5 I just upgraded to this LCD from a not-so-great 17" CRT. I must say that I'm more than mildly impressed. The picture shown (even the larger one) does not do this monitor justice. The screen size is just incredible and the quality is even better. I had no bad pixels and it was ready to go out of the box (would have been nice to come with a DVI cable though). Other reviews complain about the controls being complicated and hard to see. But really, how much do you need to use them? Just by testing them for a matter of minutes, I was able to figure them out without problem and they're easy enough to remember their location. And hopefully, once you get it set the way you want it, you shouldn't have to change too much. Oh, and if you're on the DVI cable, games are just fine. If you're using just VGA into this thing, the quality will be blurry, DVI is a MUST for games with this display. Overall, excellent purchase and great deal (under $500). +5 Although I am adept in many software programs, the hardware is not my forte. This router was extremely easy to install and it has "dropped" on me less than a handful of times in the two years I've had it. During those "drops" it just entails that you sign off the computer, unplug the router and modem, wait a few seconds, plug up the router and modem, turn the computer back on and you are set to go. I have my desktop and laptop connected to it and I would highly recommend this product. +1 We bought this about 6 months ago and it's been worthless. It constantly drops the internet connection and simple things like WALLS in our house block the link so everything is very slow. It's very frustrating to try to complete school work or work, only to lose it because I am dropped every couple of minutes. The tech support is worthless too. +5 I tried and failed using the D-Link 624 108M wireless router. Coverage in my 2-floor brick-walled house was poor and erratic. I would never get 108M rate unless I was half a meter from the box. Two walls apart from it, the signal would start failing. When I saw a high gain (low price) antenna was available to the WRT54G router, I thought I'd happily give up some (practically unattainable anyway, since you've got to be in spitting distance from the router) speed in favour of wider coverage. Important to note that what I really needed was an access point as my DSL modem already does the router thing and I have a wired 100M network round the house. Setting up the system was not too complicated. Firstly, I mounted the 7dbi antenna pair, replacing the original ones. Then, the hardest bit was to figure out how to disable the router and the DHCP services so that all computers would be in the same IP range and see each other. Basically, I set up the box to work as "router" (!) as opposed to "gateway", disabled DHCP and gave the router an IP number within the range served by the DHCP service from the modem. Also, I set up a WPA-PSK security protocol, and created a corresponding profile in my notebook. All this took a couple of hours fidling, as I did not go to Linksys website for support - so I wouldn't know if there is help there. Having done all this, I was quite pleased to see that all corners I needed were decently covered by the signal. The box is upstairs, and in the farthest room I get connected at 11-18M speed - that is similar to the older 10M ethernet standard. For surfing the net it is more than one can hope for. If it is needed to make a multi-100 MB disk tranfer (such as back-up copies) it makes sense to connect through the wired network. Apart from speed, the signal is consistent and works without interruptions, etc. In my oppinion, the WRT54G plus the HGA7T is a perfect solution if you need wireless coverage in a wider area or for a hard-walled house as was my case. +4 I couldn't get the install wizard to work. However, setting up using the quick start instructions was a breeze. It's easy to install the security on this product but Linksys doesn't do a good job of explaining why its important. If you buy, you should disable the SSID Broadcast, use MAC filtering and deploy some form of encryption (multiple choices)if you want to ensure your network is secure (all covered off in the manual). If buying for home office or small business this is a must. For effort free wireless network adaptors, use the linksys USB adaptor. If you need convincing on the security side, read Wireless Hacks, (this is a book of excellent tips, not just security), published by O'Reilly. Knocked 1 star off for the install wizard - it wasted alot of time running it. +5 Okay, first I must say that I have never had a major problem with any Linksys equipment. As with any hardware, you need to logically think your way through things. To those who need to run the WEP encryption... goto the Linksys website and upgrade the firmware for the WRT54G router (I would recommend this for any hardware you get, stay current with firmware and drivers) and then get the latest driver for your Linksys wireless NIC. This is very important in keeping your "stuff" current and working properly. This router also supports WPA, but only in XP. Then comes the Printer and File Sharing capability. This one I did struggle with until I came across a Linksys support document called "Enabling File and Printer Sharing (amazing how the title correlated to what I was trying to do!). You need to goto the Linksys website, click on the "Support" tab, under Technical Support click on "Knowledge Base," To the far right of the Browser click on the the "Search By" drop-down box and choose "Answer ID" and then directly above it is "Search Text" here you will type in 280. The document will load and then you can print it out and follow the procedure. NOTE: There is a procedure for each of the Windows OS's except 95. This document will surely help you in enabling File and Printer Sharing, whether you have a wireless or hardwired network. Linksys makes a great product and has some great support if you either ask (24/7 online chat) or just do a little looking around their website. +4 Great transaction. Exactly what I was looking for. +3 great accessory +5 I bought this when it first came out and it's by far one of the best routers available. I am a Linksys fan ever since! EASY setup, runs fast, easy connection, wide range, and extremely stable. Update the latest firmware to run even MORE stable and MUCH faster. I noticed my download speeds increased after the latest firmware...maybe I'm just a really happy wireless user =) Highly recommended! Very affordable too! I just upgraded to the WRT54GS and couldn't be more happier! +5 This product is by far the best Broadband Router on the market, I bought this to replace one of those Linksys Instant Wireless B routers, worked great for about a year. In my opinion a year is a good service time for a device, I don't expect this router or any other to work great for more than a year. My opion is concentrate on what you need now, This product has EXELENT range, holds a teady connection, hasent even droped one and i have it for more than a month now. IF YOU NEED A WIRELESS ROUTER.... GET IT GET IT GET IT.... works really good.... +5 I am truly a novice with wireless. Read up on the technology online, bought a laptop with wireless adapter installed and the Linksys WRT54g router. Called Toshiba (my laptop) help once and Linksys once and I was up and running. Initially had to remove WEP as advised by Linksys tech to get a very good to excellent, consistent connection but went back and set up WEP 128 bit encryption on my own and still have a strong connection and never a dropped signal. I first set it up with 64 bit encryption but had frequent signal drop off. With WEP 128 have had no problem. Sufing the net is just as fast as if I'm plugged directly into the modem. Only con is, none of these company's understand how to write an instruction manual. They leave out gaps of info assuming users will know. I had to enter the WEP key manually. DHCP, though enabled, wasn't getting it done. No troubleshooting documentation in the manual that I could find. But again, all is well and I'm surfing wirelessly with no problems. Buy it, it works... +5 Worked well have used it for three years no problem. +5 Computor muck gaster. +5 old but good technology +5 This was a great thing to use. My laptop back then did not have wi-fi so this adapter helped me a lot and I loved it. It never failed. +5 Everything great thanks much +5 Item exactly as described +5 Great price and fast shipping, thank you! +5 The upgrade from an existing 'b' router to this 'g' router couldn't have been easier. Since I was already familiar with the web interface using 192.168.1.1 to get to it and the admin password was the same as the old one, I would highly recommend this upgrade to existing Linksys 'b' router owners. It has a much shallower footprint (by 1/2") than the old one and far fewer lights on it to confuse you. The data Xfer speed upgrade on my centrino (Intel 2200) laptop is definately noticeable. +5 I just recieved the router and I'm still waiting on the adapter for my laptop. But I did connect a small wired netword of 2 computers together. One computer is running Mandrake 10ce and the other Windows 98. I didn't have to configure anything for either computer to run. I just plugged it in typed an internet address and the defaults handled everything just fine. It automatically found my ISP (Well acutally I use a LAN type connection through the apartment complex I live in, however, the router had no problems communicating with their ISP) then I actually set it up to be more secure. I think that as long as the adapter gets configured correctly (which shouldn't be a problem considering half these things are PnP) I should have no problems with hooking it up wireless. But for all those who have a wired connection now and are looking to expand later, this is the perfect router. +4 Let me start off by stating that I am an 'old-school' computer geek. I don't play dungeons and dragons or wear a pocket protector (only because of the attached stigma), but I've been in the computer thing since the Apple II came out (20+ years). My field is software engineering (big surprise) and I am a self-professed gadget freak. So my experience may not be the same as that of the average novice, but I think that if you're going wireless, you've already got some computer time under your belt. The install was painless and quick. I should mention that all the PCs that I connected to it are XPs. And really, if you're running WinNT or Win98 or WinME, then you should really be spending your money elsewhere instead of trying to drag that thing into the 21st century. :-) Performance-wise this unit performs flawlessly. I have it set up in my basement (a less than ideal location for a wireless router) and I can still connect to my network using my laptop from my neighbor's backyard (a good 50 feet away through several layers of sheetrock and a 6" concrete foundation). All in all, excellent reception. I live a block away from the park where my son plays in little league (approximately 1/4 mile away) and I can still detect my network via NetStumbler (but I can't connect to it). I'm going to try placing a repeater up in the attic to see if I can't connect from the park and give the grandparents some live video feed... A word on Linksys tech support. It sucks. Fortunately, it has been my experience that a call to tech support is almost never required. This may have been my good luck or perhaps some early karma, but either way, dealing with them sucks, but they make a darn good product and you most likely will not have to deal with them. I'm not a Linksys apologist at all. They *should* have at least adequate tech support. But 'bang for the buck'-wise, they are well worth the money. And besides, do a Google on 'Linksys' and you'll find a gazillion websites detailing installs, common tech support issues, etc.. I would've given this product 5 stars, but I'm currently having some difficulty setting up WPA (as opposed to WEP) and am not exactly loving life right now. It's probably something I'm doing wrong, but it *should* be easier. Cheers, Ed T. +5 After trying BOTH D-Link and Netgear in my home (...) I finallt bought this gem. The Netscape router worked fine up close and only through a few walls, but not near enough range for my liking. The D-Link had great range, but FREQUENTLY dropped my signal. I'm using a local wireless internet service, so those of you using cable or DSL may experience different results than I did, but this router is SOLID! +5 excellent +5 Just what I was looking for! +1 Didnt work +5 great range easy install +5 Excellent +2 Excellent Product. We loved it. +5 I bought this for a Gateway 2000 SOLO 2100 and 2300, but neither of them have Cardbus slots so I can't tell you if or how well it works. +5 I am using this router with a DSL connected modem. The router is connected to my computer using an ethernet connection (4 are provided) and is wirelessly connected to my wifes' machine located about 75 feet away. Her machine uses a Netgear PC adapter. I was concerned about the signal strength due to the distance, a concern which proved to be correct. Ours is a single level home. The signal was okay but marginally. I solved the problem by installing a magnetic mount 5 db gain omnidirectional vertical antenna on her machine. The 5 db antenna is magnetically anchored to her table by sitting on a "recycled" tuna can top and this raised the signal to full strength as shown by the Netgear signal meter. The 5 db gain antenna is usually available on the Ebay site and sells for about $15. +5 After a bad experience with a Netgear 802.11b router that died after a few hours, I splurged on this router because most of the people I work with had this model or a similar one. I had all the machines up and the router configured with WEP and locked to the MAC address of my iBook in just a few minutes. The configuration software is great, so I *highly* recommend this unit. +5 Purchased this router a few months back, NO PROBLEMS whatsoever. In fact, it supports the new WPA encryption standard, which is WAY better than WEP. Works perfectly with my netgear wireless PCMCIA. Feature wise, its a lot better than the dlink and netgear routers out there. +5 I bought this radio to listen to at work. I work with an older fellow in his 60's who doesn't do well with technology, doesn't have the best reading vision and tends to break things. This radio is perfect. It's solid, well built, has large channel numbers, great sound...just perfect for listening to NPR while we work....or the Jesus station he switches to when I run out for supplies...at least he can switch it back himself now that he can see the station numbers. Not your typical cheap Chinese throw away electronics...this is a sturdy well built radio. +4 I've had this working now for about 5 days. Things are runnning smoothly so far. No signal dropouts, and the laptops work all over the house. The configuration interface is easy to use, and clear enough. I had some trouble at first configuing the router with my PPPoE DSL, but that was my fault for charging forward without understanding what I was doing. Then I found the reset button on the router, and all was well. Since then, it's been flawless. I'd give one more star, but we haven't seen what the future holds yet. I'm not worried about it though. +5 Have had this router for some time and I love it. It does have a few minor problems. However, they can be fixed and are being fixed in new firmware. Also, third-party firmware for this router can't be beat. Firmware can add many new features not advertised for the WRT54G. Speed for this router is average. Speed can be slightly increased through new firmware. At times it can get warm but nothing out of the average. Support is okay from Linksys. If you have problems they are pretty good at helping you or exchanging your router. It matches with other Linksys products with can save space and looks pretty nice. All and all, not bad. +5 even thou my Acer Travelmate 4220 has built in wifi. This wireless adapter make able for me to connect is the internet @ a unknown source +4 this adapter fit the old computer perfectly and works really good. I am so glad that I found a replacement +4 Older Dell laptop that did not have a wireless card is now working out for a senior citizen working and recovering without being tethered to a desk. +2 Worked just fine for a few months, then it died. This was my third one. I gave up and went with an Ethernet wired connection. I do NOT recomnmend this. Only needed on an older laptop. Its really outdated for the ones manufactured today. +5 My wireless went on my laptop, so this little device got me back up without spending money on repairs...or another laptop. Just love it! +1 I should have paid more attention and given more credibility to other reviewers with regard to Windows 98 SE, older computers and WPA. I wanted this card so I could use my older laptop with Windows 98 SE with my newer wifi with WPA security. Not only would it not install, now I realize I would have been stuck with just WEP anyway... no WPA. Thank goodness it wasn't that expensive. +2 Great Saleat the time. older laptops will take this not new ones. thanks for item. I like it , . Great Sale, thanks for item. cant think of any more words ha. this is why its a pain to do reviews,amazon needs to many words . How about just great sale , or great transaction ect ect. don't need to write a book to do these feedbacks. Just my opinion. Love em otherwize +3 I'm sure in it's heyday it would have no problems whatsoever. In my case I have an older laptop whose wifi slot stopped working and whose usb ports went bad. This card works, but I can only log on under the guest wifi and not the traditional regular wifi for my home. I'm sure this has something to do with the new wpa2 wep type stuff that has updated over time. I can probably remove this problem by changing my router to the most primitive type of encryption. I will do that and update the review. +5 I have an old laptop that I set up to play retro games on my big-screen TV, and it's just easier to download items directly off the internet rather than copy stuff to a flash drive. Drivers still work for Windows 98 and it works just fine with a modern 802.11N router. +3 Installation is easy and performance is solid. There are some nice features, such as the ability to use this router as an access point that can bridge systems operating under the older 802.11b standard (11 mbps), as well as the blazingly fast 802.11g standard. It also comes with the usual features: DHCP server, NAT, and firewall. I also like the fact that the wired ports are based on switching instead of shared as a hub. However, there is one major aspect of this router that you need to consider before purchasing - there is a firmware flaw (as of firmware version 2.02.7) that exposes the remote administration feature to hackers who will attempt to exploit ports 80 and 443. Worse, turning off the remote administration feature does not close the vulnerability of ports 80 and 443. This vulnerability was reported widely by Jason Meserve in the 6/3/04 NW Virus and Bug Patch Alert, and a workaround was provided by Alan W. Rateliff in a 4/31/04 port to the Security Focus bugtrack list. The workaround is to set the port forwarding to send ports 80 and 443 to non-existent hosts. Rateliff further noted that forwarding the ports to any hosts (including listening ones if you are actually running servers) will override the default behavior. He also recommended immediately changing the default admin and password before connecting this router on a live network. There is another issue with Linksys in general, and that is the quality of their technical support, which I consider to be poor-to-mediocre, depending on how lucky you are when dealing with them. Overall, this router has a lot of excellent features and performs very well. The downside is the security issue cited above and my opinion that they have less than great technical support. Therefore, if you are a highly technical user and can perform the workaround described above, and can solve most common problems without needing Linksys' tech support you'll probably like it. However, if you are a non- or quasi-technical user who wants something that works out of the box and does not expose your network to security problems, you may want to look elsewhere. +5 I never think of installtion of Linksys is this easy. I used Microsoft wireless router before. Because I think I can't stant too many home networking setup. But previous one broken so I have to seek a new replacement. I check out PC magazine for product advice. So I narrow down to two product: one is this model another one is MN-700 from Microsoft. I didn't know which one is better so I walked into bestbuy to see these two. But I wasn't lucky to see them both. They are hot product. MN-700 sold out. Linksys has router but no USB adapter. I need router right away and can't wait for no service at all. So I asked sales for advice to pick USB adapter from Netgear whom said these two compatable. I thought it good to try. So I brought back with Linksys router and Netgear USB adapter. What amazing day. First, I opened box from Linksys and read thru. the instruction. Following the step 1,2,3... everything just plug-in and play. After install software from CD then plug in router and then let installation wizard guide me through the installation process. This is first time in my life without any error and trying. This product rock and no problem at all. I install this router with laptop at window 2000. And use cable modem service. Next I have to work on my remote site on desktop PC. Once again, I opened box from netgear and no problem again to install on my PC with window XP pro. Netgear did pick up frequency from Linksys which my old one,MN-51 from microsoft couldn't. So now my home networing blazing thru the whole house. I have another laptop whith Wi-Fi also pick up the frequency from Linksys. All I can say is this product's performance way over my expect before. 1. Very easy to install. As long as I follow the instruction. Just like step 1,2,3. 2. Great product for non-experience person like me. It seek setting info. for me from PC. The reason I say this is because my laptop need to connect back to office too. Needed to go through security company firewall... If it couldn't catch the setting for me, I will have problem to find those setting. 3. It got great compatable function. 4. It has great frendly interface for configuration later. Hope these comments help. +5 Based on features and the price I decided to buy the LinkSys WRT54G AP/Broadband device. After I've ordered it, I surfed through the review list on Amazon and found a nasty surprise. There were a lot of negative comments about the device. However, I've also found about an equal number of positive comments about it. This left me wondering, but only for a short while. My WRT54G was delivered the next day and as soon as the delivery person left, I jumped into the package like a kid. As far as I can see it after two days of use, the device has these cons: - Limit on number of port-forwarding rules for the WAN interface - Darn ugly, and sometimes slow configuration system And these pros: - Simple and fast to install. I was up and running within 10 minutes, and had configured all the additional options in less than an hour. - Enough details in the documentation to lead my existing knowledge of networks (I work as a software engineer) through the configuration I've had two issues that were my snafus and not a fault of the device. First of all, it took me a long (relatively) time to configure my MAC address access list due to the fact that I mistyped my WiFi card's MAC address - this led to having to reset the router to the factory settings once. I also had problems geting the 128 bit WEP encryption running due to the fact that I never worked with it before. What really surprised me was a nice interface to handle DynDNS.org accounts, so you don't have to run a separate program to do it for you. I upgraded to the newest version of the firmware, although I didn't have any problems with the existing one which was seriousely out of date. I suggest to upgrade your device as soon as possible after buying it, though. All in all, this is a solid product which is just perfect for the SOHO environments. I would honestly reccomend it to anyone. +5 I have a Compaq laptop with a built in 802.11g wireless access. I have had SMC DSL/Cable gateway and SMC wireless access point 802.11b, All I did is unplugged both SMC router and access point and plugged in the Linksys WRT54G instead, The PCs connected using RJ-45 worked immediately, the laptop, I had to put the LINKSYS SSID instead of the SMC and everything works in less than 5 minutes, later on I went in and changed the ADMIN password and added more wireless security features, I tried to do the same thing with U.S Robotics Router, I gave up after few hours and took it back. As of the range I get 54mps even though my Linksys is in my basement, and my laptop on the main floor. Highly recommend. +2 I got this new router and after going to the CD setup, and getting proper info from the DSL ISP, the router did not connect to the pc. Using the reset switch was of no effect. Left for a day an try again. Same issue. Used Linksys help desk, good support but the blinking light (defective) did not go away. Have to be returned. I had very good experience with a previous Linksys "wired" router but now... this sets Linksys back... +5 Not one bad disk in the bunch! That's more than I can say for some brands. I burned music CDs with all of these and had no problems. I will continue to buy TDK. +5 I have set up and configured over 100 networks for assorted customers and always had great luck with Linksys products. In fact Linksys is the only line of products that had for me always worked and setup first time with no issues. I did have to contact tech support one time and got a lady named Christi who hung with me on the phone for 45 minutes to resolve the configuration issue. We were using a non-standard set up but together we did figure out a way to accomplish the task. I've been using the Linksys wireless router in my own network for over a year now with no downtime, no issues and excellent performance attached to a DSL modem. I am using 3 stations on hardwire and two on wireless with one wireless print server - all Linksys gear and all set up with no fuss - first time. I am a believer in Linksys products and would recommend their products to anyone from the professional to casual user. I just hope Cisco doesn't change them. This unit performs flawlessly. +5 I purchased this device because of its ability to support both wired and wireless connections. I've never hooked a network up before, so I was a little worried at first. But I followed the directions and was able to network two PCs together and share my DSL/PPPoE connection in about 10 minutes. I did have a problem with the Installation Wizard CD but the paper instructions were more that adequate for me. My next challenge was hooking up an Xbox Wireless device. That took a little more time since I was reading two sets of instructions - Linksys and Microsoft Xbox. After deciding what security settings I wanted, I was able to get everything working in about 15 minutes. I messed up one time while entering the WEP codes on the Xbox once, so be careful entering your data! Overall, I had a good experience with this device and I will definitely buy products from Linksys in the future. A+ +1 I bought mine at CompUSA. Right out of the box it would work five minutes then disconnect my wired connections, including my DSL modem connected to the WAN port. I could still ping the router via a wireless client, but I could not ping any wired computers or the DSL router. The network connection lights on the router remained lit even though my PC would pop up a message "network cable disconnected" and the DSL modem connection light would go out. Even if I manually unplugged the cables from the router, the connections lights would stay on. I bought new cables, same problems. I upgraded the firmware, same problems. I reset the router to default configuration, same problem. I am sending it back. And this was to replace a US Robotics 8022 which is equally poor performing piece of cr*p. The USR will disconnect me if I try to transfer a file larger then about 500k. I guess I'll try Netgear next or D-Link. Can't anyone make a freakin router that works? BTW, I have been a network engineer for over 10 years and have a BS in Computer Science, I'm not just an ingnorant newbie who can't configure a router. And to think I liked Cisco! +5 I don't know what these bad reviews mean? I was online in about a half hour, just used the install disk and followed prompts. I am very happy with it. The range is fantastic. The configuration problems came with the receiving unit, router installed very easy. +5 I recently decided to move up to a wireless router from a Linksys model BEFSR41 wired router. Although I was predisposed toward the Linksys brand because of a good experience with the BEFSR41, I was somewhat concerned about the mixed reviews on the WRT54G Wireless-G Router. After extensive research about the various alternatives, I decided to opt for the Linksys model, primarily because of its compatibility with VPNs, which I use to access a corporate network from outside the office. Set-up was as simple as plugging in four wired PC connections and the power cord. The default settings worked beautifully and I had immediate web access on all four PC's at speeds that appeared to be even faster than the old wired router. I then accessed the Linskys DHCP server and made some fine tuning adjustments based on the well-laid out instructions. Then came the big test. I have an older house with mostly plaster walls and brick exterior. Damned if the thing didn't go right through them all like a hot knife through butter. My wireless range provides outstanding coverage throughout the three floors of my home, covering about 5000 sq. feet. I also was able to receive excellent reception outside at ranges easily exceeding 150 feet. The VPN works like a charm and coverage is even better than I expected. All in all, I couldn't be more thrilled. No spotty coverage, no need to call tech. support. Just plugged it in, fine tuned some security and wireless adjustments and away I went at wireless speeds equalling the speeds of the hard-wired PC's. It's hard to understand why there is such a variance of opinion about this product. It's performance in my case has been absolutely flawless. +1 I bought this product from an big box electronics retailer, and I sure wish I had seen the reviews here before I threw away the money. This is a not a product for people who don't want to learn all the gory details of wireless networking. The documentation is pitiful- written in technical jargon for people who already know what the jargon means. All I wanted to do was to connect to the internet using my new laptop with its built-in wireless capability. You would think that might be covered in the 'documentation', but it isn't. Using the auto install disk, I managed to get it to work for a few minutes, but it wouldn't work consistently. If I turned off either computer in my home network, the only way it would work again was to reset the router and re-install. Also, the wireless adapter in my Toshiba laptop warned me that I was using an unsecure connection. I followed Linksys' advice regarding security settings, and then things got much worse. After about twelve hours of struggle to get it working consistently, the power light began to blink, it stopped working and the only suggestion from Linksys was to upgrade the firmware. Unfortunately, the upgrade process required the device to be working! I also have to confirm what others have said here- don't even bother with the telephone support. I could not understand more than about 60% of what the representative in India was asking, but it didn't matter. It was clear that he did not understand what I was trying to achieve- he was just filling out a form on his computer. I'll certainly never buy another Linksys product, and it sure makes me wonder what Cisco is thinking of. I've lost a lot of respect for them after this fiasco. +5 This adapter works just fine and so far the laptop its in is working out for me well, I could use more speed +5 What more is required of such a ancient computer peripheral? Embarrassed to be owning something old enough to need one. +5 Installed on an older laptop with Ubuntu. It was not easy to get it installed but there are tutorials out there. It works and my sister who just needed a laptop for surfing the web is very happy too. Works well with good range. +3 I own 4 of these bad boys. Router #1 decided to start messing up, so I called up tech support and got walked through destroying my config (I had 38 mac addresses in there). Completely irreproducable problems for the second half of its life. Turns out it evidently is a transmitter problem as the range is down to 30 feet now. Router #2 is much better, it's a different model, different plug, I think Cisco had bought them at that point. No problems so far. Router #3 (home) likes to get funky when I go bittorrenting on it. I will watch as my maximum number of open connections goes from 500 or so to 100, resetting the cablemodem has no effect, resetting the computer has little effect, resetting the router fixes it right up. Router #4 (located at some apartments I own) seems stable, does not appear to have any issues. I am overall, annoyed with the tech support, have read numerous complaints about Linksys choking on bittorrent. It's stable for the average user, but not the power user. +1 I bought this router to work with th legacy 802.11B and newer 802.11g devices. It has compatability issues with many of the b devices I have used it with. Further, the range is worse than it was with my old Linksys (802.11b only) router. Technical support was pretty poor. They would deny that they had heard of problems, but then slipped that there were patches in the works. Hmmm. I would not recommend this router. I replaced it after a few weeks with a Siemens 802.11B only model with far better performance overall. +1 had this for a month now. Worked great at first, then the power button would not stop blinking (means no-go) so a reset would work... for a week. Then it got worse! I would have hold down the reset button (with the tip of a pen) and unplug it... it works great! ...but for only a day or two. I would then have to play the reset button / unpluging the unit game for 5 or ten times before it would work! Then, this game would not work anymore (after three days). O.K., called Linksys... talked to someone in India, they had a "Quick fix", I say this because they changed my network connection settings and it worked for about two days... now its back to the same game... blinking power light. Called linsys again... talked to someone in India... line gets disconnected after 25 minutes of being on hold...; How hard is it to make a router that works!?! To sum it up: Tech support: 3 out of 10. Product: 3 out of 10. Satisfaction -3 out of 10! Whats the deal? I spend $100 on a router (a router of all things!) and I expect it to work... no go! If you don't know what I'm talking about, read more reviews about routers on amazon. Why even bother with a router... just unplug each connection as needed. :( +1 To get Linksys' previous 802.11b model (BEFR11S4) to work, I had to buy their WSB24 range extender. My mistake; I should have just returned it to the seller and bought a competitor's product. I put up with irritating interruptions, mostly at night, for 8 months. Also my mistake. But last week the router died. Linksys has offered me a replacement BEFR11S4, which of course is now so obsolete they are giving these things away. To get the replacement I have to jump through a half-dozen silly hoops and wait weeks for delivery. That's their mistake. I bought a D-Link Extreme G and both range and reliability are excellent-- no interrupts. The best advice I can give is to distrust Linksys claims and put no stock in its warranty. I've also had problems with Linksys' laptop card (but not Microsoft's). I've learned my lesson and stay away from Linksys now. +5 Ordered and came fast! This is for my father n law and he loves it! +5 Easy to use, good sound. No tiny unmarked buttons! +4 Good reception and sound, for what it is. +3 I found this on amazon about 3 years ago for my mom's old notebook which is about 10+ years old. Wireless adapters are not available in stores anymore since computers now have built-in wi-fi cards. She now has a new notebook but still uses her old laptop with windows 98. She's had no problems with it, I should know, I'm her tech-support :) +1 I bought this for a super old IBM Thinkpad that I found at a thrift shop. The card came with a CD with Drivers for it, but after being unable to get the thing to work I discovered that the install disk had the wrong driver for the device. Luckily, the old Thinkpad had a USB port, so I was able to download the driver elsewhere and copy it to the Thinkpad. I ended up returning the product because I decided to toss the laptop. +3 Does not fit the slots in my Vaio laptop, be careful of dimensions when ordering. Did, however, arrive on time and undamaged. +5 In a world where network cards are built into motherboards and USB Wireless adapters are practically a dime a dozen I never thought I would ever need to buy one of these cards again. Boy was I wrong. I had forgotten how easy these things just slide in and work. Cisco/Linksys are masters of their craft. +1 I bought this router because I bought the wireless B Linksys 2 years ago and it worked great. However, this one sucks. I got it from best buy. The first 2 days it worked fine. Then it started getting problems once every 2 days. 3 weeks later, it totally stop working. Since it was within 1 month so I took it back to store for exchange for a new one (I regret I exchange it, I was supposed to return it). The second one is like the first one. The first few days it worked, but I am struggling with the router every day. It would just transfer the data very very slow sometimes and even stop working. I have to restart it regually. Even worse, someitmes I have to restart it several times to get it fixed. It sucks. +5 I upgraded my network to wireless with this router. I just replaced my old Linksys router with this one, turned everything on in the right order, and it was up and running with no problems. All of the wireless components that I bought were a breeze to set up as well. +5 I've been using this product since 8/15/03 with little or no problems. The only problems have been solved by resetting it, and that only a couple of times. My kids are thrilled that they can use their computers anywhere in the house. I'm no technophile, but had no trouble setting up or adding machines since we've had it. It is very very fast. +5 I'm using this router with Sprint FastConnect DSL service. Sprint DSL provides you with a Zyxel 645 Series DSL Modem by default, and it provides little if any security. Simply adding a router such as this one to your broadband connection will greatly increase your online security primarily by masking the presence of your PC on the Internet. Anyway, after making a few adjustments to the DSL modem configuration (should be set to bridging mode) per the Sprint DSL support website, I was able to connect my WRT54G Router without problems. My advice is to throw away the software installation CD that comes with the Router. The CD does nothing that you can't do yourself with great ease. Accepting the default settings will get you connected first time. I did not need Linksys support, but I did use their website to download the latest firmware. The process was very easy to execute, and it went off without a hitch. All my PCs are running Windows XP Professional, but don't worry if you have an older operating system... the setup is the same. The Router itself is a pleasant blue on black color and has a built-in 4-port switch as well as wireless capability. The switch works flawlessly providing 100MBit connectivity to the other PCs on my LAN. Wireless functionality works well too. I use a mixed-mode wireless setup since I am not yet 100% wireless-G. No problems here... security is good, and I can connect from all over the house and way out into the yard. My best estimate for range is 100 feet inside (I have a lot of walls) and about 200 feet outside the house. I am very pleased with this product. The price is right, and I encountered no surprises during setup. For anyone experiencing interference, remember that you can set the Router to broadcast wirelessly on any one of 12 channels. If you need better signal, try one of the other 12 channels as you would with a cordless phone. I found channel 1, 2, and 3 to be quite erratic. Channel 6 gave best inside range; Channel 7 gave best outside range. In the end, I settled for Channel 6. The Router's web interface is excellent. It's very straight-forward and clear. Each setting has a help button so you don't have to refer back to the manual each time (since it's a PDF file). Start to finish, the setup took me about an hour. That's because I did things manually, deliberately, and activated a moderate level of security features. Everything about this router operates as advertised. For the purposes of this review, my model was version 2.0 you can find this on a label on the underside of the Router next to the Serial Number. I would highly recommend the Linksys WRT54G to anyone. Even if you only want to go with the 4-port switch wired functionality, and upgrade to wireless later... the wireless feature can be disabled to consume less power and to turn off wireless transmissions. This one gets 5 stars! +5 Some Info I Read Said the 802.11b support was bad. This is Not True. I replaced my 802.11b router with this one and the performance is great. I have my Playstation2 and XBox Hooked up thru this Router Wirelessly plus my Laptop that I use for Work. I have two 2.4Ghz Phones, and Everything Works Great! Hooking up a PS2 Helpful Hint. If you Get Authorization Errors. You May have to Enable DMZ for Your Playstation on the Applications & Gaming TAB of the Web Based Config Utility. Happy Gaming. +5 I purchased the router only for use with my new sony VAIO pcg-v505dx. I was a bit worried initially that I would have difficulty getting the router to talk to the laptop's built-in wireless adapter, but I needn't have worried-despite the fact that I ad never set up a home network before, I was up and running in minutes. The laptop and router had no problems communicating. From what I've read about home wireless network security, this one seems to have all the essential features: WPA, the ability to filter by MAC address of the machines on the network, ability to disable DHCP, etc. the online configuration is a snap, although there are a lot of options to hunt through, and not all of the security settings related to wireless networking are in one place. I particularly appreciate the router's logging feature, since I can check it to make sure nobody has hacked into my network and is accessing the net using my router. One of my prime concerns was signal strength-I wanted to be able to go anywhere in my somewhat large apartment and still get decent signal. I'm very, very pleased in this regard, I can be in the back bedroom and the signal strength seems as strong as it is next to the router. I've been using it for three hours straight and it's dropped the connection once (which might well have been my fault, I was fiddling with the XP network settings at the time). Cisco has a very strong rep in the industry as being a leader in quality networking equipment, and from what I can see, the Linksys line upholds that. This is a good product. +5 I purchased an all-Linksys G set - a router, PCI card, and card for my laptop. Here is my hardware setup: Machine 1: WIN 98 First Edition; 400 MHz PII, plenty of RAM; Desktop Machine 2: WIN 98 First Edition; 233 MHz, moderate RAM; Desktop Machine 3: WIN 2000; plenty of speed and RAM; Laptop Router: It is a great product. I hooked it up to Machine 1 and had it running in under 5 minutes and that includes the hardware. I did NOT use the software included - instead I configured the router through the web interface. This is key. The router doesn't even support WIN 98 First Edition according to the min. req. Linksys states. Nevertheless, my setup works flawlessly. In fact, somehow it seems to have increased my Internet speed - something I can't understand, but am more than willing to go with. For those having problems, I suggest skipping the software CD. By the way I also have Comcast broadband cable Internet and had no problems with setup - I don't know why someone commenting on this product did have problems, but certainly it isn't common. PCI Adapter: I am giving this an average 3 star rating because frankly I didn't get it to work but then again it really wasn't supposed to work with WIN 98 First Edition as is running on Machine 2. Now, here's why I feel I should comment on this item at all - even if unsupported, loading software and giving it a try should not crash your system and cause errors. In fact, I had high hopes considering the software seemed to load, but in fact it just gummed up the system. So, after quite a while of trying, my poor old system is worse off than before. I just don't understand why Linksys didn't include a way to work on WIN 98 First Edition. At heart this thing is just a bit of hardware and I would think ultimately not much different to the computer than an Ethernet card. I may be wrong, but why can't they design an interface for the older operating system? Anyway, don't bother if you aren't running a newer system. Card for laptop: Worked like a charm. I popped in the software on Machine 3 running WIN 2000 and in a couple of minutes had a great signal. The laptop was at least 50 feet away from the router and in the basement (router on 1st level). So, through walls and over distance I still had very sufficient signal strength and quality. No dropping was noticed, and the settings were all set for a high level of security. So, overall I'm happy with Linksys. UPDATE: I have moved to all XP units and this router works just fine. No problems at all, easy transition. Also works well with a handheld Axim x50v from Dell. Everything is playing quite nicely with each other. +5 Works well for me, as there are so many reviews, I won't waste my time other then saying, Go for it! One of the better ones out there with a name brand, treat it well and it will in return. +5 I have always used TDK CD-R disks for recording music mixes and never had a problem, defect or issue. Glad to see the prices drop as DVD as Blue Ray picks up some steam in the market. All in all not much to say but thanks for the great quality control and continued good service with this product. Nothing bad to say about the company, TDK, and I have used all their products throughout the years. Some of my best mix tapes were made on the high line TDK tapes. I found them superior in sound reproduction and long wearing as well. So it was only natural I would gravitate toward TDK's line of recordable CDs. I do have to say (as I have always done in these reviews), the photos don't always exactly match the product you receive. Albeit the product I paid for is the product described in the Amazon web site blurb. With this particular product the box is black and not red but it is as I ordered. A minor detail on this product but worth it to all shoppers to keep an acute eye out on what exactly you are buying. +4 The product is exactly like it is descriped and works great. I will purchase this again when I run out - I recommend these to all. +1 reasons why i never buy tdk products but thought i give it a chance but it sucks big time out of 10 cds 1 works the rest was a error message cant return them because it been used so my 8 bucks is gone:( +5 We feel that T.D.K has always been the best product for any kind of media. We have used them since using for our VCR. +5 I've used TDK recording products for at least the last 10 years and for the both their CD-Rs and highest quality cassette tapes, I couldn't be happier. I'd hate to guess how many of each I've purchased over the years but it's a lot of both so my sample size is exceptionally large. Never had a single failure do to the quality of the manufactured product. How many things can you say that about these days? +5 completely satisfied with this product orders arrived the day stipulated ... agree with the request if this provider would advise +5 Woks great and the price was right. It was very easy to use. Just plug it in and drivers load themselves and then you are wifi ready. +2 I bought this card to help my son's laptop receive the signal on his laptop and after installing it; it did not show hardly any difference! He still had a hard time getting the wireless signal in our home while my laptop did great with a different type of card! So one star for fast shipping and one for the price is the best that I can do at this point! Maybe someone else has had better success than us! Thanks!!! +5 The card was very easy to install and the card had good signal reception. This was for an older laptap to be used by the kids. +5 Great product. I had the wired broadband router from Linksys for years and loved it, but recently switched to a wireless network. It took a whole 4 minutes to setup. Just plug it in and type in your username and password (for DSL sharing that is) and you are running. Highly recommended. Their wireless laptop adapter worked great also, but the PCI wireless adapter is NOT recommended at all (see negative reviews). After getting the laptop card running in around 2-3 minutes, it took hours to get the PCI card installed in the desktop and hours on the phone with tech support to have them not solve the problems. +5 I don't know what all the fuss is about. I installed this router within 15 minutes, including browsing the internet. Add another 10 minutes and I had a wireless client on the internet using the Linksys nic: WMP54G Wireless-G PCI card. I have no loss of signal strength, connects everytime so far and had no issues, I couldn't resolve. The MAC filter and 128-bit Encrypt, keep it safe. I would recommend this little monster.... +5 After purchasing both netgear and microsoft wireless g networking products and experiencing only pain and frustration, I opted for the linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router and the laptop card and am finally happy. Easy to set up, no dropped networks, and sound security make linksys the only networking gear I will ever buy. These products cost a bit more but if your time is valuable and you wish to avoid a coronary during the setup process, opt for linksys. I would recommend the web based setup and not the disc that comes in the box. My main computer runs on windows xp and the laptop is windows 2000. Despite multiple 2.4 ghz phones in the house the network does not interfere at all. What a pleasure!! +5 I purchased the WRT54G about a week ago. It is attached to my desktop a P4 at 2.6 Ghz running Win XP Home. To be honest I got it just to link up my Xbox (attached to a WET11 wireless ethernet bridge)to my cable modem (ISP Comcast), so I could get rid of the 70 feet of ethernet cable that ran down the hall. Even though the WET11 is a B standard I knew that this router would be compatiable and in the future I plan to link 2 other PC's too it . The setup was a breeze, I had some reservations about a wireless network (see my review for linksys wet11)but this item was on sale as well as the WET11 so I just had to splruge. To set up the xbox, wap, and ethernest bridge, with the encryption on was less then 30 mins. Not once did I have to call tech support or the IT guy at my workplace. Nor did I need any settings from my ISP. The setup software did everything. This is my first foray into the wrld of wireless and it couldn't have gone better. My Xbox connection seems as good as with a cable. My Xbox is about 70ft and 3 walls away from the WRT54G. In a week of use i've never had to reboot the router. There is also a Panasonic cordless phone (2.4 Ghz) between the wap and the ethernet bridge but it never causes a problem. Great items ! +5 Let's get to the point. This thing works fine my friend has an old laptop that need'ed this card so he could get wifi. well to that point i was talking about the card work's fine. +5 received quickly .. works like a charm. Has the driver CD in the package . ..well protected contents. Would do business again. +4 This wireless adapter works very well with my older laptops. I only have a few issues with it. Getting it to work with Linux or with a Windows account other than administrator takes a lot of work, if you can get it to work at all (this problem is especially big with some of the more obscure Linux distributions). If you are running with administrator or similar privileges on Windows, it is perfect. +5 Purchased this adapter for an older notebook that had a broken internal adapter. This adapter works well for the purpose that I purchased it. Software was very easy to load and required no real technical skills. Worked first time. +5 Bought this in case of emergency. Weve had earthquakes and wildfires with power outages for up to a week. Radio can be the only way to get outside news within the first 24-48 hours. Surprised no local stores carry a simple reliable model. Since I could not find my old one, I purchased this based on reviews. Operates on AA batteries or AC. No emergency features like USB or flashlight, and it is just AM/FM. Size is large enough for good audio from large speaker. Good reception pulls in stations within 50 miles. In case of emergency, it will meet my needs. +5 This card is perhaps one of the easiest to install. Simply pop in the CD, install the drivers, insert the card, and connect to a wireless network. After this process is complete, it just works. The strength of signal the card can pick up is about what would be expected on a lower-range netbook, but it is able to run with great performance and speed you'd expect from a internal wireless support on a newer notebook. On Windows, this should work excellently; on Linux-based systems, ndiswrapper should do the trick--it won't be as easy as popping in the CD, but it should work well. +5 The Cisco-Linksys WPC54G Wireless-G Notebook Adapter was purchased to add networking capability and internet access for an old Toshiba Satellite 2105CDS Laptop. The install was easy and the enclosed CD drivers worked out of the box without getting the latest updated drivers from the Cisco-Linksys website, although I did download them and archived them in case I need them should I run into a problem later. The upgrades done on this laptop were 128 MB more memory, a larger and faster 120 GB PATA hard drive, and this wireless-G adapter. This is an OLD, OLD laptop, 400 MHz AMD-K6 processor, 64 MB RAM (now w/ 160 MB), S-3 VIRGE MX w/ 2 MB Video RAM, 24X CD-ROM and a 4.3 GB Toshiba Hard Drive ...State-of-the-Art for 1999 running Windows 98 SE. This is a "Kicks-n-Giggles" project just see if I could get the poor old tired thing to work well enough to sit on my sofa instead of behind one of two other desktops and read my email. After receiving this card I tested it on the original Windows 98 SE install with the old hard drive and just adding the 128 MB memory chip. NO GO, could not get the CD drivers to work, (the issue was the video drivers needed updating). Installed the new 120 GB hard drive and set up Windows 98 SE and Windows 2000 PRO SP4 in dual boot configuration after partitioning and formatting then completed the OS installs. BIOS update, latest drivers updates, and all MS Updates installed then put in the driver CD under both OSes and it installed and connected with NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. Adapter has good connection signal, speed and range. I intend to reconfigure this system as a dual boot with Windows 2000 and Linux. I have not tested Linux yet. MORAL: If you are having install problems, update all your system drivers, check MS Update for latest OS updates, and go to Cisco-Linksys website for latest adapter driver updates then give the install another try. +4 Good unit for the cost, works well. +4 Super cheap, reliable Wireless G card. *** As with all things PC related, your experience will vary dependent on your IT knowledge. (In other words, don't blame the hammer when you hit your thumb!) These work great if you know what you're doing and what you're buying. This fit the bill for an old IBM Thinkpad that didn't come with wireless. The IBM Thinkpad is long dead but the card will find a new home eventually as it still functions great. This card served it's purpose 24x7 for 3 years straight. +5 Although others would have you believe that Broadcom does not support this card, it actually does. Not only does it, but this was one of the easiest Linux installations I've performed yet. And although my laptop is old and slow, this card outperformed my expectations in every way. I absolutely recommend this card for Linux users. +5 Plugged it in, stacked it up cloned the MAC address and began surfing. Works perfect pretty much right out the box! Can't ask for much more than that. This replaces my old Linksys wired router that has been a good performer also. Although Linksys provides VERY little support, their products work fine with Mac's using OS X. +5 Wireless broadband in your home is great! This router would have been very simple to set up had it not been for Comcast Cable. They use the MAC address to ID which computer equipment is able to access their broadband. It took me a while to register this with them, but once I did it was great. +5 For our wireless network here at home, my fiance got this router. It set up super easy and quick, and has worked extremely well in the months we've had it. I don't think I can recall even one time where it has been a problem. We have three wired computers and one laptop that we setup for the wireless network. Since we are constantly having to transfer information between the computers, its great to have a network that works so well! We decided to get the G router because its a bit faster, and backwards compatible! The price difference is not that much, so it was a no brainer for us to get the better model. With the price and quality of this router, I don't know why anyone would buy anything else. :) +5 I'm not a networking pro. I did however setup my old 4-port Linksys about a year and a half ago. Since it has worked flawlessly, I decided not to mess with success when it was time to go wireless. When the box arrived, I unpacked it, unplugged all the wires from my old Linksys into my new one, and then realized the power adaptor was a different rating. So I plugged in the new power adaptor and all the lights lit up. All 3 of my Macintosh computers were working instantly! I didn't even have to restart anything! I then unplugged the Ethernet wire to my PowerBook and turned on the AirPort software. - It worked first time! I then decided to open the settings in the browser to see what kind of security needed to be enabled. - I mean if my PowerBook connected with no settings or adjustments needed, that means others can too right? No need to let drive-by hackers have their way with my network! In the settings, I turned on the MAC address filtering. I browsed to see which computers were "on" and I simply clicked the setting to allow ONLY this computer to use the wireless network. I then changed the password from the default "admin" to my own password... and that's it. I was done. Like I said, 5 minutes. Now I can't promise you Windoze users it will be that easy, but I can't imagine it will be that far off. Feels good knowing I have advanced wireless security with 128-bit WEP encryption, MAC, or IP address filtering built into the Linksys. My wife is surfing on the couch as I write this. Life is good. +5 This device allows enhances your home network in a number of ways. 1- It allow you to connect up to 256 wireless computer to the network 2- Allows you to connect up to 4 wired computers to the network 3- Allows communication among wired and wireless computers 4- Allows you to share a single internet connection (either DSL or Cable modem) among all the computers in the network (wired or wireless). The Linksys router connects an external Cable or DSL modem by using a regular RJ-45 Ethernet connector. I recommend upgrading the firmware (relatively easy process) as soon as you take it out of the box. Then set it up using the recommended security settings (WEP encryption is very important). I did this when I bought it over 6 months ago, and it has been running uninterruptedly since. It really gives you a lot of freedom to be able to move from the desk, to the couch, to the kitchen, to the backyard, without any cables attached. Also, forget about putting cables through the walls to connect your kid's new computer into the network. This product really makes your life easier. For the price difference between the B and G you should really consider buying this model. The speed difference between B and G is significant (B is only about 20% as fast as G). You will end up buying the G router down the road, thus wasting more money anyway. As an extra benefit, the G router is backward compatible, allowing you to connect to B devices. As with any wireless router, the wireless speed (even for G) is good for nominal file sharing, web browsing, and email, but if you need to transfer large quantities of data I would rather connect to one of the 4 available ethernet ports in the back. The speed and reliability of the wireless connection decrease significantly with the distance from the router and the interference. Typically everything around a 25 feet radius works Ok, but deteriorates beyond that to the point of loosing the connection at about 80 feet. Bottom line: Very good buy. It will make your life a lot easier. +5 Years ago I had an old Linksys router that I never could get to work right. My new Toshiba M35-S359's Wi-Fi capabilities became apparent when I took it on th eroad over Thanksgiving. My brother had an old Linksys B band wireless router in his home and it was like magic. I decided on the G Router for a couple of reasons. First it is Wi-Fi certified and I did not wish to spend a lot of time on this project-either it would work or it would not. If it didn't back it would go. Well it worked and it works. It handles a wired connection and two laptops with no installation headaches. And while the technology has not caught up to the capabilities of the G band as of yet, it soon will. So the slight increase in price over the B band Router is a real value, when you consider that in a year or so, those who saved a few bucks now will be buying brand new G routers. Even more savings will come when I cancel one phone line. In a month and a half this action alone will pay for the initial cost of the router. All in all, it is a very good investment. +5 I just upgraded to the Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G router last month and I am very happy with the quality of the product. This router acts as a wireless access point, 100 MB switch and a router making it a nice multipurpose device. For the wireless connectivity, this router supports that latest 802.1lg standard which offers 54Mbps speeds but in the 2.4 GHz range. Since it uses the 2.4 GHz range, this router is also backwards compatible with 802.11b. This is a nice feature, as it will allow you to use your older 802.11b hardware while taking advantage of the newer standard. I also have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone and I don't get any interference with the wireless router. If you do decide to buy this router, I would highly recommend that the first thing you do after installing this router is upgrade its firmware from the Linksys website. Linksys has been shipping these 802.11g compliant routers for a while now and the specification is still in flux. Linksys also offers security fixes and new/updated features via. these firmware upgrades and so that is a good idea. This router has the ability to encrypt all wireless transmissions using 128-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption. While WEP is not a perfect solution, some security is better than no security and I would recommend anyone using the wireless feature enable WEP. In addition to WEP, this router also supports the new security specification called Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). WPA is an extra-strong encryption where encryption keys are automatically changed and authenticated between devices after a specified period. WPA also involves the use of a pass phrase and auto-generated keys that need to be entered on the client side. This is a little tedious but the security it provides is worth it. In addition to WEP and WPA, the Linksys router also offers wireless MAC address filtering. Wireless MAC Filters feature allows you to control which wireless-equipped PCs may or may not communicate with the router depending on their MAC addresses. Another great security feature of this router. Ok. I've rambled on enough about security. This router also allows you to connect wired devices, acts as a DHCP server and offers an easy to use browser interface. I get amazing throughput using my NetGear 802.11g wireless network card and the range is incredible. I can take my laptop in any part of the house, the yard or garage and I never lose the signals. I read some reviews where people found that this router didn't work well with non-Linksys wireless cards. I had to disagree with that as my router works great with my NetGear card along with an older Cisco 802.11b card. If you are in the market for a great wireless router, this is it. Buy it. +5 I replaced my D-link 802.11b router because it could not hold a connection continuously. See my other reviews for the details. I also wanted to switch to Broadcom hardware (which the linksys uses) because my WiFi MiniPCI card in my dell laptop with lucent silicon in it used 70% of my 1.2Ghz laptop's CPU when using the wireless at full speed. This is because the Lucent drivers use PIO whereas the Broadcom drivers use DMA. I am not sure if this is still the case with lucent drivers. The new linksys set up immediately. I ran my speed test program and was able to get 2400+ kbytes/second thruput with the linksys, using 64 bit WEP encryption, all with less than 5% CPU. That's more than 4x the best speed I was able to get with the 802.11B device with encryption turned OFF! I use the device more like a wireless hub, not in router mode, since my internet connection is no where near the middle of the house where I want the wireless access point to be. I had one problem after I upgraded the firmware which I think was caused by some important parameter in the device being changed after the upgrade. I am not sure about it. I had to go back up into the attic and connect with a wire before I could get it working again. Oh, and don't ever do what I did: do not ever upgrade the firmware over a wireless connection! What I was thinking I do not know - I am lucky I didn't lose the connection halfway through and render the device useless. This device never drops connections, so I stay logged into Windows Messenger continuously. Great product, no problems. Not even sure why I upgraded the firmware. I am running 1.42.2. Good luck! +4 I purchased this to revive a really old laptop for use with Ubuntu 10.04LTS Netbook Edition. It was extremely effective after installing the appropriate drivers. It supports WPA2 and connects to networks at full G-speed. I gave the laptop to my niece to use for university classes. I am happy with the purchase, just wish there were an easy to configure wireless-N PCMCIA card for Ubuntu... :) +3 I bought this to replace my Linksys BEFW11S4 - 802.11b wireless router (I gave the old router to a friend - it worked great) because I thought it would be a nice upgrade in speed and performance - WRONG! I can't notice any difference - except it used to drop my connection several times an hour! After upgrading the drivers and firmware a few times and e-mailing tech support for some setting tips it now works fine. If you currently own a wireless router (802.11b) don't rush to replace it! As far as Linksys goes, I have used several of their products and they seem to hold up well - no problems. +1 Product does not work out of the box. I had to call Linksys twice. On hold for technical support, each time for 20-25 minutes. Setup wizard is confusing. This product is not for novices. +5 As described. Great product +5 Just what I have been looking for. A well made, simple AM/FM analog radio. Arrived on time, well packaged, in good condition. I bought two of these, leaving one in reserve. I keep one in my boat shed to listen to C&W music while I work. I live pretty far out in the sticks, and have a problem with reception, especially with distant AM stations (I live in west Texas) This little jewel has great pick up. Very pleased +3 I purchased this wireless adapter to use in a Sony laptop. Chose Linksys because that is the brand of our Router and because we use a larger Linksys USB wireless adapters in the desktop computers on our Network. This adapter picks up our wireless signal at only about one-half the strength at which the Linksys wireless adapter in our desktops receives the wireless signal. When the larger desktop adapter is connected to the laptop signal strength increases significantly. That tells me the problem is most likely related to this "slide-in" wireless Linksys adapter WPC54G. A second problem is with the wireless adapter software. It causes a "dll not registered" error message to be shown every time we boot up the laptop. The various fixes mentioned on the Internet didn't fix it for us. After struggling with the problem for hours we simply gave up on it and now live with it. But it is still annoying. Attempts to use the Windows Wireless Connection program with the adapter failed. We could see our router and could even connect to it, but could not receive data from it when we used that instead of the program on the install CD. Eventually we went back to the supplied CD's program with the "dll not registered" error and are finally on the Internet, albeit with a lesser signal strength. It works, but it is not all that we'd hoped for given our previous good experiences with Linksys wireless products. This item was purchased through Amazon. Shipping took longer than expected. There was a USPS deliver confirmation number we were told to check to see the progress of our package, but no information showed up on it on the USPS webpage other than a message that a label had been printed. +5 The software is a bit intrusive, but there is a more safe way to go. Plug the device in first, then insert the CD. Exit out of the Linksys program and select in the wizard search removable devices for the driver, your card will work, and you won't have to tolerate the intrusive software that tries to replace system services. +5 Plugged it in my 6 year old Dell running XP Professional and it found my home network within 10 minutes. It is still working great. It replaced an old Linksys Wireless adaptor that did not survice a dropped notebook. +2 Though it is listed for use in ME, I am not able to get a connection, even 16" away from the signal. I wanted to add wifi to the laptop I carry on trips instead of the small screen on the phone. Even downloading from Cisco didn't help. It always hangs at aquire. Could be the laptop, could be there isn't any service for older OS's hard to say. Don't need the card with newer laptops, because they already have wireless connectivity installed. The seller I got it from packed it very well & it got here from across the country fastest of all the products i ordered that day. +4 I bot a Dell 2300 truemobile G/B wireless router with my Dell laptop equipped with a Dell 1300 truemobile wireless adaptor. The 2300 crashes every few hours if WPA is selected. When WEP or no security is selected, it crashes anyway and requires a reboot once to twice a day. Sometimes, even wired computer loses internet connection with no apparent reason. Returned it and bot a linksys. Solid as a rock. Extremely easy to setup. Setup WPA-PSK, MAC filtering and no SSID boardcast without even using the user guide on the CD. However, it lacks the parental control functions and the handsome look of the dell router. again, what good is it if the router is not reliable? Highly Recommended. +5 I was using a Linksys BEFSR41 wired router and decided to split my home office into 2 chunks .. 1 room with my 2 PCs and the other room was for my wife and her Mac G3. It gave me the excuse to upgrade to wireless; got the WRT54G and a Belkin USB wireless adaptor and had the whole shebang up and running in about 1 hour.. Actually that's not really fair to the Linksys equipment because I spent most of the time fiddling around with the belkin setup on the mac ( admittedly not a system I use very frequently). I locked the linksys to the mac for the mac ( pun intended ), enabled WEP encryption and it works fine. For some reason the belkin was not responding to a non-broadcasted SSID ( had to really fiddle around with the mac tcp/ip settings here ).. I need to look at this some other time, but again the fault was with the mac software setup for the belkin device; the Linksys works perfectly... and it's got those funky cool "Lost in space" antennae to boot! +1 Linksys products just don't last. They usually work well in the beginning but then fail after a short time. Registering the product with them is a waste of time. They won't honor their warranty without the original store receipt. There are no exceptions. I bought the WRT54G when it first came out. It lasted two weeks. Linksys replaced it (making me pay shipping) and now that one is on the fritz. After having multiple failures with Linksys products (Router, Wireless PCMCIA card, wireless Printserver) I've given up on them. Yes, they're usually the first to hit the market but their products are crap and you're better off waiting for SMC, Netgear, D-Link or even Microsoft to come out with a similar product. +4 I was able to stay connected with this around 200 ft away from the router through a brick wall with my old Compaq n600c running Debian. I've never seen it hit even 80% signal strength even when it's sitting directly beside my router though, so that's a bit strange. +5 This is very good product as my opinion. It is very easy to install. I use this on my old Sony Vaio because it does not have WIFI card. My laptop use windows 2000. This device work perfect on my laptop. The signal is great ! Nothing to say than satisfied. +5 I hadn't yet installed this adapter when I had to go in the hospital. The laptop and adapter were brought to me there, where I ran the CD and had it installed and working in minutes, without a hitch. +1 I live in a mere 800 square feet apartment, yet this router seems to have a working range of barely 15 feet. As soon as I take the laptop around the corner out of my bedroom and into the living room, the Internet connection is lost. And this is with me placing the router a full 9 feet (the length of my USB cables between the router and my desktop) away from my PC towards the door going to my living room. The professional technician who installed the router and network card spent about 5 hours trying to tweak it, including downloading updated firmware from Linksys, but to no avail. Finally he said that the signal just couldn't penetrate the two walls (bedroom and kitchen, kitchen and living room) it needs to get to the laptop! He hinted, but wouldn't explicitly state, that this is just what you get with this G-protocol, the B-protocol is has better range but slower speeds. I'll call Linksys customer service about this tomorrow, but right now am very, very disappointed considering that this G-protocol equipment is much pricier than the B- stuff. I could perhaps have had the bad luck to purchase a lemon, but somehow I doubt it. Buyer beware! +5 Easy (much improved) Setup, I attached Wireless G Notebook Card and took notebook out of house , It worked great outside the House, Even my neighbour could see my Wireless Connection on his PC using his Wireless Card. Only you need to make sure you change all default settings to keep you network private. +4 This is a great product, but it is a total pain to get to work with the newest Airport Extreme cards. You basically have to cripple the top speed which is fine with a DSL line, but with a T1, or cable modem buy something else +5 I bought this router on Sept. 9, 2003 I had another linksys router that wasn't wireless. But since I had purchased a laptop computer, I wanted to go wireless. Once it was delivered to my house, I opened the box, and immediately got nervous because I didn't know if I would be able to install it, because I had two other computers wired to my old router that I had someone else install for me. I am not computer savy at all. But I opened the box, and followed the directions with the CD that Linksys supplied. Well, within minutes it was working. I had also purchased the notebook adapter Linksys WPC54G and went right over to the laptop and put in the adapter, and the CD that came with it, and again, within seconds it was installed and running. I am typing this review right now on my laptop completely wireless. I was amazed that I was able to install this myself with no help from anyone! I didn't even have to call Linksys customer service, because everything was so easy. I am a stay home mom with no computer knowledge, so if I can do this, anybody can! My laptop is a HP pavillion XF328 and both my desktop and laptop have windows XP. I would highly recomend this router to anyone, I also have three cordless phones in my house, and non of them interfere with this router. If you found this review helpful, please click yes. Thanks! +5 Very good +5 Very good radio. +1 I hadf read prev this radio had not been made since 2001 but I thought oh well, maybe thats good... wrong... wrong.... it wouldnt pickup nothing sent ack to amazon for refund +3 It took me three days, to the tune of Neil Young's song "Piece Of Cr--!", to get this to work with the satellite hookup I was hired to connect this wireless network up to. There is not a word about satellite issues in either the user guide or the "knowledge" database at linksys.com, and first tech support person I spoke with kept me on the phone for an hour, then gave me a web site address to consult--that turned out to be the one I'd already found during a search of my own. The only way I got the thing working (this was with a DirecWay satellite): 1. Connect the satellite USB to your PC; 2. Connect the PC to Port #1 of the router with an Ethernet cable; 3. Run the setup program several times until it agrees that you indeed have an Internet connection; 4. The user guide lists a web-based configuring tool for the router. It might take most of a morning, but try to make your browser go there: the link is correct, just super busy or messed up or something; 5. Turn off the dynamic thingie that assigns virtual IP addresses (note: my ISP assigns static IP addresses); 6. Under (I think) the Router tab, change it--contrary to the instructions--from Gateway to Router. 7. Exit, then run the Internet Connection Sharing program on your PC (instructions vary depending on OS). 8. Set up the client computers with whatever software and hardware you bought for wireless hookup, then run your pc's version of the Network Connection Wizard. 9. The host pc's browser wouldn't run properly when I followed the instructions to turn off the proxy server in Explorer; turn it back on once everything is installed and it should browse OK. This was far too much work to get something like this going. It works now, but only after three days of frustration and nonexistent support documentation and people. Also: satellites may sound cool, but unless you're up in the mountains somewhere, a cable or DSL will be faster (no delay waiting for a signal to bounce back from the satellite), cheaper, and easier to install. +4 I wrote this to help out others who bought it. As soon as you run the install disk, the program crashes (cannot get onto internet) so the install disk appears worthless. Don't give up, look for an icon that says the manual. It is almost hidden. Open the document and print it on a color (highly recommended) printer. Guess what, they didn't provide a manual on paper and the electronic manual is behind an obscure button. Basically, you can talk to the box using internet explorer without an internet connection. But you need to know the address. So you have to go into DOS, and ping it. It will return an address. Then you go into your internet explorer and type that address (something like 168.169.200.55) and you are in the menu of the box. Then you tell the box what type of internet connection you have (POPeP, POPxx, xxxx, xxx etc (I forgot)), supply your password and user name if you provider requires it, Then it should work as a wired router. So how do you know if Verizon is using POPep or another internet connection? You have to call support. Wireless is easy if you don't use passwords. Of course, that is dangerous. I suggest you first get the connection to work reliably without passwords before worrying about it. I recommend passwords. More pitfalls. If you use password, it provides you with 2 levels of encryption. Use the simplier smaller one because your wireless PC card cannot handle the complex one. Then it ask you for a key phrase, supply something - this is not your password. Then 4 keys are generated on four lines. Write down the key for the first line -- this is your password even though it is not named as such. I haven't tried the other lines, maybe they are passwords also. On your wireless card, when you log on, it ask you for a password, supply what I said in the last paragraph. If you get fustrated, shut everything down and power up in the sequence suggest in the manual. Some of the software/hardware changes requires a reboot -- even though the software didn't ask you to. Is this complicated enough? I have 2 doctor degrees, make my living as something like a technical writer, built my own computer from chips, can program in C, Fortran, Pascal, machine language, and I still couldn't figure it out. I don't have network experience. You may need to call support and have someone guide you through - like I did. Make sure you buy from a place with a liberal refund policy. +5 I've been very happy with it so far - done a firmware update without a hitch. Easy setup +5 This router is very good. As can be expected from all wireless routers, configuration takes a little bit, but this is a very powerful router. It has a 4 port switch, for used with wired devices, and it also features the latest in Wireless Technology, Wireless-G. This works great with the WPC54G. I have mine set up to not broadcast and I have 64 bit WEP Enabled. That is for security purposes, and I suggest you do the same. This is an excellent router, and if you are looking for the latest technology, from an Excellent company, the WRT54G is the one. Linksys makes the best networking products around, and this is thier best product that I have come across. +4 I bought this to replace my original Linksys WPC54G adapter that gave up the ghost. I thought it would be just a simple matter of taking the old WPC54G card out of the PCMCIA slot and slapping this one in... not so. Original card was version 1.3, this one is version 3.2 and the newer driver has to be used, I found that a complete uninstall of the old card and Linksys monitor software & driver needed to be done and a "ground up" install of the new card performed to get it properly installed. For reasons yet unknown, occasionally after booting up, my wireless connection does not connect with my Linksys WRT54G wireless router, which is a version 2.1, upgraded to the latest firmware v41.1. Error message is " Cannot associate with the access point". Whenever this happens, I discovered that other PC's (laptop & desktop) in the household with Linksys wireless adapters also would not connect with the router on boot up or if they were up while my laptop booted up, their connections would drop. Long story short, after sloughing through the Linksys support web page and not finding an answer, I decided to try a power off/on reset of the WRT54G wireless router. All adapter cards were then able to establish an association with the router and access the internet. Each time that this has happened, the fix has been to reset the WRT54G router, and it looks like it intermittently gets hung when the newer version WPC54G tries to connect. No other firmware updates are available for the version of the WRT54G wireless router that I have, and I'm contemplating replacing it with a newer version, but as long as the old one works after doing the reset, we'll see how things go... but it's an annoyance I'd rather not have. Oh, and I'm running windows XP Professional SP2 and I have not found any XP fixes on the MS Update web page that matches this problem. Bottom line, the adapter works fine whenever it connects, but I occasionally still need to reset the router. +1 This card is terrible. I have the v3.0 version of this card. I bought it for a Gateway All-in-one PC that didn't come with wireless networking built in. I was replacing a D-Link card that was 802.11b only and thought this would possibly give me better data rates and I would also be able to switch the 11b compatibility off of my Linksys wireless router which could also improve performance. Wrong on both counts. My data rates actually dropped after moving to this card. Even though my PC (which is not portable) is located less than 20 feet away from the router/Access point, I consistently get a poor signal as reported by the included software. Several calls to tech support helped me update the firmware but even after a firmware update, the signal quality was unusually poor. Furthermore Linksys technical support was very rude on the phone thus making me rude on the phone as well. (I don't like when tech support makes me do that but sometimes you just have to give them tough love.) When I explained that I was adding this card to a desktop PC, it nearly fried the guy's brain. He insisted that I could not be putting this in a desktop PC and only laptop PCs have PC cards. Maybe they don't have desktop PCs with PCMCIA cards in India (where the tech support guy was) but they are sold around the world. Anyway, after the useless tech support incident and pointlessly attempting to update firmware I still have poor signal and terrible data rates. So I switched back to my trusty old D-Link 802.11b card. At least that was reliable. Also, the included software is garbage. If you can, just forget about installing it. If you use Windows XP or Vista, the Windows wireless LAN manager works quite well (as well as it can with such crappy hardware) with this card making the Linksys crappy software completely unnecessary. Word of advice to Linksys... fire the guys who write this crappy software and put that money into better customer support and improved compatibility with your own products! I have two other PCs and a cell phone that can connect and use the router with no issues. Both PCs have Intel Centrino technology which works quite well. +1 I ordered this hoping all the rave reviews would be my experience vs. the really negative reviews. I was wrong. I believe this little device could do all it claims if it can ever be configured properly. User documentation is a joke and LinkSys HelpLESS desk is not much better. Was attempting to connect this router to my ISP's router which some reviewers had success in doing with cross over cables and static ip's. Unfortunately I wasn't one of them. 3 days lost messing with this and Linksys tech support was really weak. I knew more than they did about their product. To quote one 'tech' "I'm confused"...duh! I'm convinced all the calls went to some outsourcer in India to boot so getting through was an ordeal in itself. If you have a very simple setup and don't care too much about security you may be very happy with this. I can only reason that all the rave reviews by first time non-tekkie users is based on not needing alot of functionality and using device defaults. But if you need anything more YOU need to know what you are doing because help is non-existant. I'm sure this could be a great addition to a home network but it will take someone savvier than me to get it to work. Good luck if you decide to go ahead with this product! +5 I am normally too busy to write many reviews about the items I purchase from Amazon, but I felt I would say a few thins about this product considering I have taken the time AND money to purchase not just 1 but 2 of these. Over the last year I have bought 2 of the routers, as well as the cards for different laptops. I run on 3 different systems and had no probably getting the computer to recongize the router on ANY of the systems. I laugh at the previous review where a "so-called expert" at networking could not figure this simple, yet trustworthy, router out. All you have to do is follow the directions provided and it mostly requires you to put the CD in and read what is on the screen. That has not been too hard for me. +4 I bought this for a Lenovo T61 notebook which lacked a mini pci express wireless card port. I was afraid that IBM would support only proprietary hardware but this Linksys card works great. Perhaps only the range could be improved - I've got 10' ceilings and its weak on my 2nd floor compared to my other wireless devices. +1 Tried to install this card on both a Windows 2000 SP4 PC and a Windows XP Pro SP3 PC with the same result...the drivers would NOT install, no matter what I tried. By the way, I've been working with computers for a living for 22 years, and have never seen anything that can't be installed properly. After wasting about 8 hours of my life trying to install it, I finally gave up and put it back in the box it came in. Installed a different model Linksys card in about 5 minutes with no problems. Unless you have an immense amount of time to try to figure out how to get the drivers to install, do NOT purchase this card. +1 Do not buy WPC54G from AOnSale. They seem to be using a BAIT & SWITCH sales tactic. Like many other AMAZON customers who ordered this from AOnSale, I was sent an obsolete inferior WPC55AG. They advertise the WPC54G for a low price (the BAIT) but fulfill the order with WPC55AG, which they probably bought as a job lot for a knock down price. (the SWITCH). AOnSale claim the WPC55AG is a better product because it also supports the wireless-A standard. The fact is, this is what makes it so bad. The wireless-A standard died many years ago. Consumer grade routers don't support it. It operates at 5Gz. It could interfere with other 5Gz devices, and the fact that it crams 5Gz and 2.4Gz electronics into the same package makes it unreliable and reduces its range of operation. Also because it is such an old product some users are having trouble getting drivers for it that work well. +4 This wireless card has a good range, even thru walls - and maintains connection and speed without any problems. +5 Getting the router setup in a "vanilla" configuration that works for 99% of users was very easy, and I was able to do this no problem. However, I have some complexities with how my network is setup -- I have two routers linked together, one a standard "wired" router, and the other is the Linksys WRT54G. Linksys customer support walked me through all the aspects of getting everything to work. When I wanted to lock down my wireless network extra-securely, the tech support guy walked me through that as well, taking an extra 15 minutes or so. Very patient. Finally, with my WiFi network setup, I took my laptop outside (with a Linkys WiFi 802.11g card) and checked to see how long the signal would extend. I got about 100 yards past my home and still had a 1 Mbps connection. I could have gone farther and still stay connected, but people were looking at me funny and I was starting to feel like a bit of an obsessive geek. With such a wide network footprint, one should definitely secure their WiFi network. Again, Linksys customer support can help here. This Linksys router provides a number of options, including MAC address filtering. Essentially, what it means is that only your computers can connect to your router. Very secure. I definitely would buy from Linksys again. +5 I've been setting up networks for close to 15 years now. Most of the time there is that something gives you grief - drivers, cables, machines. This was fabulously easy to get done. I connected the router to my cable modem and installed the wireless NIC cards in 2 laptops and 2 desktops. Everything came and stayed up without a hitch. We now have wireless, high speed Internet connections all over the house, and most importantly I was able to retreat to my summer office (outside in the Gazebo with two wireless phones and wireless laptop) and continue to slave away. Technology that doesn't drive me crazy will always get my vote. +4 Now that the 11g spec is final, and a new firmware has been released supporting it, the WRT54G is a serious contender for your wireless network. It's easy and really works, with some incredible range. Compatability with other devices is excellent too; I've only found one 11b device that won't work with its mixed mode (and it won't work with *anyone's* mixed mode). One hopes that future upgrades will include more control over security settings, as well as the surprisingly omitted option to set up DHCP reservations based on MAC addresses. It'd also be a good idea if the unit either came more secure in default configuration, or took more steps to help you get it set up in a more secure fashion. But you can make it secure, you just have to realize that it's up to you to do it. +3 After 8 hours of setup, I finally got my Linksys Wireless LAN to work. Linksys Tech Support was not helpful at all in solving the problems. I had to uninstall everything and start over, including the Windows XP networking components (TCP/IP, Windows Networking, etc.). This could have been done in less than 2 hours, but this solution came about through trial and error. If you want to use this router, I recommend you get everything working first before adding any security to your wireless LAN. On the positive side, the router works fine with the wired LAN and lets the wireless and wired computers communicate and share files. On the other hand, the wireless connection drops out intermittently for no apparant reason. Recommended you go with a company that offers better support. +5 Setup my entire wireless network in less than 2 hours. Linksys products and service are the best. I had a problem Sunday evening at 5:30, called Linksys technical support and they answered within 1 minute and resolved my problem in less than 5 minutes. What service. The products was easy to install and works as specified. I have a 54 megabit connection between my two PC's located on the first and second floors. Highly recommend this product and all Linksys products. +5 When I bought this, I only got it because my network card in my laptop died, and I got one of the 54G wireless cards for that, I figured since my router is old too, why not replace it too? I did and got an awesome deal on it through amazon.com. set up is quick and easy, it is also backwards compatible with the 802.11b infrastructure, making it so you don't have to upgrade everything on your network whether it be one or onehundred computers. +1 ... you may just be throwing $20 plus shipping and hours of your time down a rat hole. I bought this adapter from Amazon last week. After installing it in my IBM Thinkpad laptop, I found that the laptop would no longer go into standby (sleep) with the adapter present. Further on-line investigation suggests that the Linksys driver does not properly implement Microsoft's NDIS driver standard in the area of device power control, and hence blocks the standby operation. Linksys' driver for this device was last updated over two years ago, although a search shows that numerous other purchasers of this device been have complained about the standby problem, as well as the ineffectiveness of Linksys customer service. As a retired Cisco exec, I am truly ashamed of the shoddy quality of this device software. +5 I am a total novice when it comes to wireless, and this product was a breeze to install and use. I have an older laptop, and wasn't even sure that this card would work on it, but it took only seconds to install the software and after I found the correct code to connect to my wireless router I was immediatly online. I was very pleased in the ease of use and installation. +4 You get what you pay for. It is a decent wireless notebook adapter. Not great, but once again, you get what you pay for. +5 Love it +5 This is an excellent radio. Great sound quality for its size. It's able to receive FM stations 40-50 miles away. It's also capable of distinguishing weak stations clearly from strong ones that are close on the dial. It's "old technology",all analog tuning, but built better than the ones (in my opinion) that were designed and built recently. +5 Being something of an electronic gadget klutz, I admit to having trepidations when I ordered this piece of equipment. I had never set up a network -- to say nothing of a wireless one. When the product arrived, I could not have been more surprised at the ease of set-up. Following the advice of the quick start instructions and set-up CD included in the package, I had the network up and running in less than five minutes. Not even a glitch. In what seemed to be no time, I was wirelessly surfing the web with no apparent loss of speed compared to my wired connection. To sum it up, this is a great product. +1 Well, I've bought a WRT54G and a WPC54G notebook adapter to have a nice, fast wireless connection to my desktops connected directly to fast ethernet. However, since the begining, I have problems to keep the connection up and running, I've updated firmware on WRT54G and notebook drivers. But it's getting worse. In certain moment, my notebook stopped to connect at all, so I've contacted Linksys support to get directions. They sent me a new notebook driver package (that seems to be different from one available to download, it's XP certified) and I've been able to reconnect. However, connections don't last more than 4 minutes, even if I'm seeing WRT54G. I'm gonna return it, but I'm really frustrated, after 4 Linksys routers I've bought in the past with 100% satisfaction, this wireless router disappointed me big. +5 The people who sold this were extremely fast in dispatching it to me. And since Linksys is a trusted name in Networking products so I was never disappointed upon recieving this product. It just worked wonders for me. +5 I paired the purchased network card adapter (used on my laptop) with my Linksys Router. it was a really simple operation and setup was a breeze, just load the software, insert the card, voila, immediate connectivity with the router. I called Linksys help desk in setting up WEP security and that was a breeze as well, the tech walked me thru the process in approximately 25 minutes. I highly recommend this product (Linksys works for me) as well as purchasing from Amazon (Aone seller) for the best price and service. +2 The instructions that came with it were terrible and tech support is in India and they don't really know what they are talking about. Plus, my laptop is UNABLE to enter standby mode with this adapter plugged in. I have to pull it out each time I set my laptop on standby or the laptop will freeze +1 This is a bad company. I purchased a wireless router from them and, truth be told, it never really worked right. The speed was ok, but it was impossible to set up without tech support and every so often it would simply stop working. When that happened I would be forced to call tech support and spend 30-60 minutes on the phone fighting with them about resetting the router. I recently purchased a new computer and decided to save a little money by moving this router to it. When I called tech support I was told that the router was out of its warranty period and they could not help me... unless I would pay them to. That's right, I would have to pay for the assistance on their product - a working product because it was not under warranty. So be warned that you are only buying the option to use Linksys' products for a limited time - that is if you have any problems whatsoever that require tech support. I am now trying a Trendnet. Let's see if they are any better. +4 Do not pass go and go directly to the linksys site for the latest firmware update. I spent hours trying to figure out why mixed mode would not work with my older 802.11b client cards. Well, the standard out of the box version has some serious bugs that linksys corrected in a downloadable update however it took me many hours before I decided it wasn't me and there may be something wrong with the linksys. After the update all was well. Linksys should advise in there quick installation folder that you should check their site for updates immediately and make it really easy to update their software (updating required downloading to my pc, accessing the linksys through the web interface, finding the update key and locating where I downloaded the update. This is not for the faint of heart). All is well now and all my computers that were running fine on an old cisco 802.11b ap are now running on my new linsys. +4 I have spent dozens of hours tweaking and tuning and loading drivers to stabilize things. I like some of the features a lot and wish there were better tools to troubleshoot problems. For instance, my laptop w/ and w/o running the linksys TI cardbus beta driver stops communicating. I have signal strength et al, but I can't even ping the router. I have to power cycle the laptop. I love port mapping. I have each of my computers running PCAnywhere on a different port and can connect to any from home or internet. I went to the dyndns web site so I don't have to know my cable modem's external IP to connect. I have wep on, dhcp off, changed pwsd, SSID off. Sometimes I lose connections and have to put in my wep key again. If I reboot my desktop, I get nothing. I sometimes have to powercycle the box AND redo my web config on it. So, I have UPSs on every PC and each one has autologin to try to keep them up and stable. Of course, I have to reboot the laptop all the time. Overall, I'm happy. Some of the settings between the PCI and PCCard NICs aren't labelled the same. What is the diff between 54 only and 54 fastest? hdatontodo +5 I have used/serviced several different brands of network equipment over the years, and the Linksys products are by far the best in the home sector. The cards have all the latest security features (WPA2-AES), and top speeds (54Mbps). True, you can get their GS-series 108Mbps SpeedBooster card; but you'll also need a GS router and have all GS equipment on the network. If you have one system with a non-GS wireless card (like most found built-in on laptops), SpeedBooster gets disabled for compatibility. These non-GS cards are really your best (and cheaper) bet. I picked up two of these for my parents' older laptops once they got a DSL package that included a free wireless router. I wanted a "set it and forget it" product that wouldn't be hard for them to use. No problem for these cards. My Dad takes his out when not needing the network or Internet to save on battery life. When he does need a connection, he just pops it in and in seconds he's on-line. Can't get easier than that! +2 We used this product on a Sony Vaio running Win2000. It was very difficult to set up and took several calls to lynksys support and several days out of our lives. Their support is good and I can see why, their products are hard to get working and without great support they would be lost. As it turns out this unit won't even run with the software that comes with it in our Vaio anyway and a support person on the phone instructed us on how to download boingo and use that to run it. Not all the support people know this fix. The notebook adapter worked fine once set up with boingo but what kind of an outfit sells you a product that won't even work with their own software and requires boingo? May never buy another cisco product. +5 Excellent and saved quite a bit on Warehouse deal. Sound is really clear and it seems to pull in some AM stations that I can't even get on my much more expensive radio. This little radio is excellent and easy to read dial, too. +5 I now have a new sotec notebook. Its my first notebook and I once had it connected to my local school network. As i hate being bound by a troublesom wire to my old d-link router i need to go to wireless. I didn't want to go to 802.11b becuse i wanted something new. So i decided to go with 802.11g. I bought this and also the linksys 802.11g card. I love it. Setup was a breeze (I did have to go out and buy a cross-over cable thou cat-5e). I was up and running my network in lets say 5 min to keep it nice. I then set up security and everything. I love it I can be 2 floors down my dorm and still get a "Good connection" at 32.mbps. or if I am on my floor I get 54 just about everywhere. I once had it at "Mixed mode" so others with there 802.11b can join in but I take that off every once and a while just to mess with them. So I love this product. Linksys did a great job +4 A good piece of tech that has revolutionized my homeworld - Laptops on the porch, in our bed, in the livingroom, in the dining room, and in the bathtup (running on batteries only - kids don't try this at home). The setup was a touch tricky using Sprint DSL. Linksys-help- folks more than walked me through it. Once installed, our four laptops and two desktops danced among our collective subdirectories. Quality and strength of signal are acceptable even two floors away and outside. +1 Over the years I have had more than one system brought to its knees by the 'MaxBlast' partitioning software. DO NOT USE IT. If your OS (Operating System) cannot properly partition and format the drive to full capacity, then seek out one of the third-party programs that does it properly (e.g. Partition Magic). If the problem is with the BIOS (and not the OS) then upgrade the BIOS. If there is no upgrade (mfg out of business) then do not get a drive larger than your current BIOS supports. For those souls who bought this package expecting the ADVERTISED (still as of 24 Jan 2004) ATA card to be included then if it is not complain to your State Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection. AMAZON is, or at least used to be, a Washington State company: WA has one of the strongest Consumer Protection offices in the country & it would be worthwhile contacting them, as well as the Better Business Bureau. If a company is going to advertise something then the company should sell what it advertises - anything else if fraud. Amazon is usually good about resolving these sorts of conflicts - do not know why they apparently are not doing so with this one. Maxtor drives are not my favorites, they are not as durable as many (I have a Maxtor 40GB external USB drive dying as I write this) but they are OK for the money (they are CHEAP) - but the MaxBlast Software is simply a time-bomb waiting to blow up for system. Avoid the Blast. +1 WARNING: Maxtors warranty claims that they are not responsible for any data loss experienced by using their software to upgrade to the new drive. TRANSLATION: After having my original (functioning, working) Win2K SP4 system corrupted by the MaxBlast 3.0 software (following all instructions), Maxtor has refused to respond to my complaints in a satisfactory way. The total cost was >20 hours of my time completely reinstalling my system and programs. SUGGESTION: Don't use the software provided. Research other hard drive vendors who make similar products but have better warranties. +1 It connects for a while, and when I change the encryption, it becomes very spotty. I try using the repair function under windows, it will fix it if you are connect to the LAN cable. The connection will fail after a while you disconnect the LAN cable. Conflicts with the Windows wireless connection. Very unrealiable. +2 I bought this card to work with my Linux laptop. It does not come with Linux driver and it is not easy to make it work with Linux but possible. If I had to buy another card I would buy some other more Linux friendly vendor. +2 The adapter worked great on XP. I just upgraded to Vista. When the adapter stopped working, I called and found out from Linksys that it won't work with Vista, and there won't be any firmware written. +2 I've been using this card with my IBM T30. It works fine, but it is easily disconnected, and many times doesn't catch the signal where other laptops connecting very well... Quite irritating.. +4 I was an early purchaser of the WRT54G, and had a few problems with stability and speed - finally, the March 03 firmware update has resulted in an excellent product! Great performance, better price, easy setup. An excellent product all around. The only reason I give it 4 stars is the early difficulties I had, which have been overcome. +1 As a database analyst, I occasionally work from home by logging-in through VPN. I've been using the Linksys 802.11B router and cards (connected to a wired Win XP desktop and two wireless Win XP laptops) for almost two years without a problem. Decided to upgrade to 54G. Big mistake! After three days, I can't get either the Linksys 802.11B card from my work's laptop or the new Linksys 54G card on my wife's laptop to connect to the new 54G router. Both laptops are in the same room no more than seven feet away from the router. Same spot that we have always connected using the old router at full signal strength in both cards. Downloaded the new 54G driver for the card and firmware for the router - still nothing (router is set to mixed mode and B card has latest firmware and driver, I also uninstalled the B card from my wife's laptop prior to installing the new G card). When I connect my work's laptop to the 54G router using Ethernet, which does work, the VPN connection drops every ten minutes. The router's "stay alive" feature disappeared after installing the new firmware update. My old Linksys router never dropped the VPN connection, wired or wireless. I was on the phone with tech support for an hour. He had me execute almost the same routine that I had perfomed prior to calling: I rolled back the card's driver to original (Win XP roll-back feature), uninstalled and reinstalled card from the control panel with reboots, reset the router, and rolled back to router's original firmware -- nothing. I can't even ping the router from either the B laptop nor the G laptop via command prompt. After taking my email address and other info, the tech finally ended my call by promising to send a "new" driver for the card (probably some untested beta patch). I have yet to receive this mysterious driver (it's been two days). I told the tech that the problem may be related to the router and not the card since I can't connect either my work's laptop using 802.11B Linksys card, which I have been using for the past year with my old router, nor my new 54G card. No matter. The tech was fixated on the 54G card's driver, that's all he focused on the whole time... he said the router was fine since the ethernet ports work OK... wouldn't consider other options. If the router is "fine", why can't my B card connect? Whatever! I give up! This is the first Linksys product that I will return for a refund. Good thing I didn't put my old Linksys router on EBay as I planned to. Hopefully in six months Linksys will have the bugs worked out of their 802.11G products. However, by that time we will start to see 802.11E products which promise better security and support for multimedia streaming. -Joe +5 Bought this a few months ago with the Laptop card. I was having intermittent problems with it losing connection. Then I noticed that Linksys had provided a Firmware update for the Router as well as a driver update for the Laptop card. I updated both peices of hardware and now no longer have any problems. It is great to see Linksys providing updates as quickly as they do. And yes, Amazon still has this at the chepeast price around!! +5 Very happy after 1 month of use. Had network working in less than 1 hour. Setup would have been even quicker but for 128 bit WEP/Mac Filtering that I was implementing; Linksys CD Setup program took my existing cable modem configuration and seamlessly transferred this to the modem configuration; Very simple. Not bad for a product described as being suited for "early adopters" in the editorial review. I bought the linksys wireless G card for my notebook same time I bought router. No issues whatsoever. If you have a portable, I recommend buying the linksys wireless G card if you really want the performance/ease of setup I experienced. There is a risk using other cards. For instance, I borrowed a friend's compaq tablet PC with an 802.11b internal wireless card and I couldn't get it working without disabling WEP. The tablet PC also had to be in same room as the router to get signal. I believe this was more a problem with tablet PC internal wireless card than it was with this router. Besides, when you use mixed mode (G and B), you'll get the slower speed which defeats the purpose of having the faster wireless G solution. +5 This is a tremendous product. Why go the 802.11b when you can go G? This router was extremely easy to install. I hooked it up to a Windows XP machine which houses the cable internet connection in about 15 minutes. I now have a wireless internet connection on my Windows 2000 machine upstairs at a blazing 54Mbps, very cool. +5 Works perfectly, exactly as expected. This is the third brand I tried, Proxim was the worst- forget it, max range was 15 feet tops. WRT54G carries several hundred feet through walls, corners, anything plus it has four hard wire ports. Fast Clean easy I have the matching PC card also works great. +5 I'm using this at home as my main router associated with my DSL connection. Works fine for both wireless and wired connections. I have the WPC54G card on a WinXP laptop and get good (60%) signal throughout the entire house (router sits in the basement). Ensure you get the latest firmware/driver upgrades for the router and/or PC card(s). Linksys has terrible technical support, but I'm willing to overlook that given the price/functionality of the product. +5 I replaced a wired router from Linksys (BEFSR41) with this wireless one. Setup was a snap. Performance is great (even with WEP enabled). I highly recommend this product over some of the cheaper priced competitors. Linksys products are excellent and there is enough help out there if you can't get decent technical support from Linksys themselves. I can't say that about other vendors. +4 This router seems to have gotten mixed reviews for ease of installation and its compatability with 11b cards. My experience with installation was quite good. I upgraded both my card and router and really had no problems with installation on my Sony VAIO laptop (XP operating system). The card basically installed itself and the "install wizard" on the CD that came with the router basically set the router up to work with one computer (with the 54g card) and also a second computer in my house (with an 11b card). The setup wasn't quite perfect the first time -- I needed to go through a web-based interface to set up the router (to give it info on my DSL provider account), though the documentation for this was staightforward. The whole process was probably about 10 minutes. Setting up the 2nd computer really was easy too -- basically hooking the computer to the router and running the installation wizard again. I haven't tried to set up any advanced features on the router, but it is not difficult to set up for basic use. The documentation is much better than the documentation that came with the 11b router -- I needed a lot of help from Linksys technical assistance to set that one up. I like this router a whole lot better the Linksys 11b router it replaced -- the signal strength seems ot be much stroners, seldom falling below the "very good" range (and most often excellent within 25-50 feet of the router. The transmission speed is also quite good, with pages loading very quickly. I have had no problem either with backward compatiaibility, in that the "mixed mode" feature lets you both 54 and 11 Mb cards off the router. +5 The 54g router is a great centerpiece to any home network. It is very easy to setup (at least in WinXP) and quite easy to make secure. The 128bit WEP is good, but adding MAC address filtering is a real plus for securing your network and, with the 54g, it is a very easy thing to do. Simply enter the MAC addresses for all the devices on your network into the 54g setup screen and you're done. I will say that the speed provided by the 54g is not really needed for a cable or DSL connection, but if you transfer files between computers, send video or audio streams, or plan on doing such, then the 54g is a great device. Most of my computers had 802.11b cards, and some still do (the 54g communicates fine with them). But two of my computers have 802.11g cards now, and sending files between them is a breeze. Even video can be streamed at a very high resolution without drops. Finally, I will say that all of the Linksys products I have tried are easy to use. Now I am waiting for an 802.11g wireless bridge. +5 My mom wanted a basic AM/FM ratio for working outside.... she misses music. Didn't want any frills but I didn't want something cheap that wouldn't get good reception... after viewing a lot of options I picked Panasonic because to me, the best money can buy.... mom loved it and easy for her to use. +5 Great radio at a good price. We wanted the electric or battery option for power cuts, especially after the storms this year. I was worried that we would not get good reception as we are fairly rural, and surrounded by trees. Also, we have to stand outside to get cell phone reception. No problems at all. Very good reception, good sound at low or high volume. Would have liked shortwave band as well, but happy enough without. I would purchase this radio again. +3 The card is OK. In my Dell Inspiron 8200 (a relic I know) the heat can really wear on the cards. This my third card in ~5 years(previous cards were only the B flavor). DON'T USE THE SOFTWARE THAT COMES WITH THE CARD. It runs from your startup folder which means it's one of the last items to load. If you have XP SP2 you are better off using it to configure the wireless, it loads and associates much quicker. +4 With everybody who wants to bring their laptop on the go, or for those who want to create a wireless network in their home or office, it just is difficult to find what would be the very best router for your notebook computer. Fortunately, the people at Linksys know that feeling, as one of the best networking companies around. The WPC54G Wireless-G Notebook Adapter is very easy to setup for your laptop computer, and works wondefully with any Linksys router like the popular WRT54-G Broadband Router for WI-FI connections. It also brings out the best quality for anyone who wants to bring their connection to any WI-FI hot spot for simple access. I definitely recommend this product for anybody who wants a extra Broadband connection at a affordable price for your computer. Price: B+ Convience: B Software: B 1/2- Overall: B 1/2+ +4 I've used this product for over a year with no major problems. The one exception would be the sub-par "Wireless Monitor" software it comes with. For reasons unknown to me (a professional software developer) the software insists on overriding the windows TCP/IP settings, particularly the DNS server settings. No matter how many times I re-enter it, the Alternate DNS servers are wiped out after about 24 hours of operation. This is not a problem if your primary DNS is reliable, but I don't see why all these wireless companies see fit to provide junky software that adds no value over standard Windows XP features. Other than that one complaint, the device works very well and installed easily. For Reference: I'm using a Toshiba Satellite A15-S129 with WinXP Home, 2.6 Ghz, and 1 GB RAM. +4 easy to set up and it works. what more can you ask for? +5 I get a full 54Mbps signal even across the house and down stairs. Very fast. I had an installation problem and the support line was very good (answered on first ring and stayed with me to work out the kinks). +1 Maxtor is typically a trusted name for me, having purchased dozens upon dozens of drives for various purposes during the course of my IT career. So, when I wanted to upgrade my personal portable USB drive (which contains my digital media), purchasing the Maxtor 200GB seemed to be a no-brainer. Let me add that I've used a slew of different drive brands and sizes in a slew of external cases with no issues... Unfortunately, Maxtor seems to have slipped in the QA department. Typically, if a drive is going to fail, it will fail within the first 30 days. This one did. So did the next one. And THAT was a first EVER in over 10 years in the IT industry. I was pretty much floored. I found that both failed units exuded excessive heat given the 7200RPM of this drive and both failed after heavy I/O usage causing the heat to increase even more. Now, we all know drives get warm, but this baby (both) were HOT to the touch. Something is amiss in Maxtor factory. Fortunately, this drive was an active access drive with data duplicated on another drive (also a Maxtor, but 300GB and is working fabulous, with limited heat... go figure) so I did not lose any data. Given that my 300GB mentioned above, and my personal experience with Maxtor in the past, I'm speculating that the large number of negative reviews indicate simply a manufacturing defect. Move up to the 300GB model, you'll get more space, and hopefully avoid whatever's plaguing Maxtor's 200GB line. +1 First thought - no one should be able to write a review on a hard drive until it's a year old. If that were the rule, you would see almost no positive reviews for these new maxtor drives. Purchased 5 drives over a one year period and have had three fail. Maxtor replaced those without any issue, except that the replacement drives (which were refurbished) also failed within 3 months. Quite and fast mean nothing if you end up losing your data. BTW - each drive had dedicated cooler fan and pc's were on UPS so there aren't any excuses. There's a reason why these drives have one year warranties. Beware. +5 I've been buying Maxtors for years now and have had them come through earthquakes in CA, a move half way across the country, and being carted around in two hurricane evacuations. Other than during severe weather, they run 24/7 and are usually retired because of size, not failure. I know nothing of Maxtor's customer support as I've never needed them. This one is running like a champ, quiet and fast. Seems to run hot but pretty much every computer component these days is putting out a lot of heat. Good ventillation is a definite must. +1 What an awful experience. I've purchased five of these drives (from three different sources -- not a bad lot or anything). Within 1.5 years, three of them have corrupted data. I'm tremendously lucky that I've got them in a RAID-5 array and never had two fail at the same time. I was only able to get two of them replaced on warranty. Don't touch this drive (or probably any other Maxtor for that matter) with a 10-foot pole. You will get burned. +1 I have had three of these hard drives so far, one is years old and works fine, the second lost all data and will not work, the third i put in a computer I built by myself, it worked flawlessly for 6 months, then wouldnt load the OS properly. Its final day in my computer it LIT ON FIRE. While my first one has had zero problems, the second is a fancy paperwieght, and the third is useful for lighting candles...buyer beware.... +5 This is a good product, but the Linksys 54g desktop card is not. I'd recommend this is you want to wireless network your laptop, but if you want to wirelessly network a couple desktops together you might want to wait until Linksys improves their desktop software/hardware. +5 First let me start by setting the record straight. Another reviewer mentioned that if you use this router with both B and G products, that all products revert to B speed. NOT TRUE. I have a B card in my Pocket PC and a G card in my laptop, the laptop works at G speeds while the Pocket PC works at B speeds. No problems there. This router was easy to set up. Just follow the wizard and then go back and make sure you have your security up and running. Use the MAC addrsss filtering, use the WEP and disable SSID broadcasting. That should be more than enough security for home use. In no time at all I was sharing files, printers and broadband access. I have a desktop and PS2 wired in and a laptop and pocket PC with cards. For the money you can't go wrong. I ordered from Amazon and had it in four days. +5 I just received the Linksys 54G router and network card and within 10 minutes I was surfing the net. I couldn't tell a difference in connection speed between my old hardwire cable modem and the 54G wireless system. I did have some issues getting connected via my secure company connection though. Other than that, it was instant and fast. Now I can work on the back deck with a beer at cable modem speed without wires. The freedom is well worth the money. +5 I use this in an Apple PowerBook G4 (17" model) along with a Netgear 802.11g wireless router and SBC/Yahoo DSL. Thus far I have had no problems. I have also used it in other places with other wireless access points. Again, no problems. If you're trying to get a home wireless network set up, remember to read and follow all the instructions. If things don't seem to be working, try changing the channel that your wireless access point is using. I've had times when I can't connect to my access point doe to interference from other access points. Changing the channel has always solved the problem. +5 I had one of these cards; I was really happy with it until I misplaced it and got stolen. Then I had the "brilliant" idea of getting a D-Link USB adapter just to try something different (my card used to run very hot so the external adapter seemed appealing). In the end it was a frustrating waste of time and money. Disappointed, I ran to the nearest computer store and bought the first PCMCIA wireless card I saw. Also from D-Link, the card took forever to find the wireless networks and I found the signal extremely weak. Fortunately, I could return the card and exchange it for a Linksys WPC54G card (just like the one I had). I haven't tried the NetGear card which is supposedly good, but as far as I'm concerned this Linksys card is as good as it gets. I could say I get better performance than a coworker that has a laptop with an internal wireless card built in. You bet I won't misplace one of these again! +5 Love it or hate it. I'm transgressing here. It is not possible to install the base WRT54G with the software disk and has to be setup to be a pass through hub, not a router. I can't be too specific on what we did because PCs are still a little magical, I mean mysterious in their workings. The challenge is caused by my ISPs DSL modem configuration that can only be resolved by Linksys tech support. Phone contact didn't work so I went to the chat online feature. Several hours, two PCs later and boom. Love it. The installation of the wireless adapter in two notebooks was, amazing. Both Dells, Win XP. Live in a rural area tin can AKA mobil home. Get working signel to 150 feet. +5 Great compact Old Schoo Radio, analog tuning . Has a on-off Fm-Am switch and a tuning knob. Runs on four aa batteries , I use rechargeable eneloops . Can also be plugged in to A/C comes complete with cord. Great for camping , a day at the beach or park . Works great with AM talk radio pulls in AM stations really strong ! Nothing fancy just plain and simple , great for power outages to keep you informed !!! +5 Nice Sound. Seems pretty loud too. I live in a very rural area and it is sometimes very hard to pull in FM stations. I was able to get all the stations I wanted. We'll see what happens this summer when I go camping. +5 Then this is the way to go. Setup in XP was instant and intuitive. However, your PC cards should also be Linksys "g" rated, as interoperability has been a problem on some "b" cards. The main advantage of this system over its predecessor is the ability to open a wider pipeline between clients. Therefore, if you have a really robust connection (like a T3), this will help. If you are sharing a cable modem or DSL, it's probably not going to be noticeable. Linksys quality and tech support have been outstanding. +3 I originally had a continuous problem with disconnects. I found that the problem was using DHCP with this router. Once I turned off DHCP (using a static IP now) the router is rock solid. I'm hopeful (and expecting) that Linksys will release new firmware correcting this problem. Good luck! +1 I would not even give it one star but that is the lowest score possible. This is the second Maxtor drive that failed after just over a year (you think that I would have learned by now.) After crashing a couple of times already, the drive seems to be heading to the death zone after the latest crash. Of course, as another reviewer noted, the waranty is shorter than the short life of this drive. This may appear to be a bargain but it does not last so it is very expensive in the long run. I would not use a Maxtor drive even if it was given to me free bacause it is not worth the time I spend on recovery every time it crashes not to mention the unrecoverable data between backups. Never again Maxtor. +1 Drive was slow to open, and got the "click of death" after 13 months. Maxtor only warrenties for 6 months. Seems they know something you should know! +5 I've owned this drive for many months and it has performed flawlessly. It (like other large & fast drives) gets pretty warm after running for a while. If you just make sure your case is well ventillated you shouldn't have any problems. I've built many systems with many different hard drives and have only had a couple fail. They weren't Maxtor, but it just as easily could have been. If you value your data, either back it up, or go with a RAID system. Failures can and do happen, no matter what brand of drive you buy. As far as the whiners that gave this drive poor marks, what can I say? Looks like instead of rating it on the merits of the drive itself, they took out they frustration because of either poor marketing, or an obvious case of not reading their own system manual before making the purchase. Make no mistake. This is an great drive (for PCs built in this century) and when on sale, offers ample room for drive hogging chores, such as video editing and archiving. I highly recommend it. +5 And this one is no different. I had purchased a 160GB Samsung to start building my new PC. I took this drive home only to find that their partitioning software that you have to download from their website did not even work. Instead of searching the internet for third party software to do this, I took the drive back to the store and got the 200GB Maxtor instead. Installation was simple, I just popped it into my PC and it was recognized immediately. I installed the Max Blast software and the drive was partitioned, formatted and ready to use in less than 5 minutes. NOTE: Your registry has to be modified to be able to recognize drives larger than 137 MB, but the Maxtor software does this for you. I will always buy Maxtor from now on; great products with no BS. +5 I've had this drive in my system for about a year to store MP3's and videos. I should have backed up all of my files because my old harddrive has failed, and with 200GB of storage, you won't run out very quickly. Mine came with the ATA card, and it was easy to install. It has worked fine, and quietly ever since and I am pleased with the purchase. +5 This is a great drive. It's fast (about twice as fast as my other 2 and 3 year old 7200rpm drives) and it's silent and seems to be reliable. It's also at a great price for the capacity, and it's Maxtor, a trusted name in hard drives. I got the ATA card with mine, but I used another Silicon Image card I purchased previously (it has the same features but gave less problems, my computer took longer than it should to start up with the Maxtor ATA card). The MaxBlast software worked perfectly and never gave me any trouble. All those giving bad reviews because of the software or lack of card need to stop complaining. The point is, the actual hard drive is great, and you won't go wrong purchasing it. I like it so much, I decided to purchase the 160 gig version to replace two of my other hard drives. +5 Installed one of these in my wife's notebook computer running Windows XP Home SP2 and have never looked back. Her system boots right up connected to the wireless AP (a Linksys WRT54G also purchased at Amazon), and she can go anywhere in the house, even the basement, and never lose the connection. She especially likes being able to have it next to her in the kitchen while she cooks so that she can look up recipes on the F**d Netw*rk and other sites. She even takes the notebook outside by the pool or on the back deck to check email. +4 This unit works as described, with one exception - I cannot get it to work with my older Linksys 802.11b PCMCIA card. I stayed on the phone with Linksys support for an hour, and they could not resolve the problem (although they were pleasant and did help me try many things to resolve it). I finally ended up buying the 802.11g PCMCIA card from Linksys and I am now very happy. The signal strength seems better than my older WAP11, and the firewall configuration offers much more flexibility than my older Linksys firewall. I would recommend this product, but only if you are planning to buy an 802.11g card as well. +4 Why did I wait to go wireless? Well, it probably had something to do with security. But 128 bit WEP rules, baby! And so does this product. I have a 3900 sq. ft. house, and I can't get anything but excellent reads on this thing. I only have two words of caution: 1) Windows XP wireless connections by default enable IEEE 802.1x authentication. I had a problem with my wireless Dell dropping the connection if that option was enabled. I could not find anyone at Linksys or at Dell who could explain why, and the router has no interface to configure this item. I blame the Dell, not the router. Once that checkbox was disabled, I had no issues and no drops. Like a Rock. 2) You have to download the user manual from Linksys. They only include a quick setup guide and a CD rom. The complete user guide can be seen at: ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/wrt54g_ug.pdf +5 It's an AM/FM radio, a very good one; good sound, very good reception, a b argain at the $$. +5 Just what I was looking for. It goes in my kitchen so I can listen to music or NPR while I am working. No digital frills here, just a nice dial radio that looks like it will last a long time. +4 Like the radio, Panasonic is a favorite brand and the sound is okeedokee- am used to my high-end home stuff but needed at times, a beater, drag-around w/batts. It's great that an AC cord comes with it and has one of the largest speakers for this tiny class. Nice looks too. Seller had it here w/no probs., promptly. +5 Good sound. +5 All I can say is....WOW !!!! I bet I purchased three radios recently - THIS one that WORKED....a radio that is simple (like me), and easy to 'sound- off' in AM and FM....nothing else, no other options....just a radio that can bring in my favorite talk shows and tunes. Well I KNOW Ive finally found it. This radio is absolutely SUPERB. Read all the other positive 5-star review here re this product --- TRIPLE the satisfaction that they talk about ---and you'll have my level of SATISFACTION. Everything about this radio is just what I've wanted. More than adaquate volume, easy tuning, outstanding sound quality, smart looks, easy portability, and versatile overall place- to- place. You HAFTA get this one if your looking for QUALITY and economy. This radio ROCKS!!!!!! +5 Just hooked up my wireless-G router with the W-G PC card. What a great and easy to use set of products. I was up and running in 10 minutes. Also got a linksys 802.11b CF card for my iPAQ 3835. It too works great with the -G products. Now I'd like to know if there are any message boards for this -G stuff. Being that this is my first exposure to wireless, I'd like to learn more about things like placement of the router, tips, tweaks or tricks. Highly reccommend all these products. +5 This router was faster than I expected. The first unit I received was defective, but Linksys sent a replacement after finding out there was a problem. Set up seemed simple, but I had problems because of eratic DSL signals. Linksys came again to the rescue. I had it operating within minutes. I highly recommend this product due to it's performance and manufacture service. +5 For an item that is not even available in Best Buy and the other major stores when I went to buy it, the fact that ... has these in and out of stock, and that I received it in only a couple of days is knowledge enough to make this a winning situation. What about hookup and use? Another 5 star performance. Having never hooked up a wireless network before, I took the advice of the quick start guide that came with the unit, and used their included CD. They strongly recommended that you use the CD rather than manually configure, and they were right. Having seen the problems that some others were having with setup, only to be resolved (some of them) by exactly following the directions, I decided to do it that way right out of the box. I'm glad I did. This setup using the CD was about as easy as learning how to open a refrigerator door for the first time. Shutting off what they tell you to shut off, and turning on what and when they tell you to turn things on, resulted in a delightful install. Not even one glitch. The CD determined my internet connection, determined my system configuration, asked me a few questions, and bingo I was up and running. I bought the PC Card for laptops as well, and that was just as easy to install. Within 10 minutes I was surfing the web from all over the house. No Wires ! Pertaining to the speed issue: I got 54Mps while I was in the same room. When I went into the living room, it went to very good instead of excellent, and gave me 37Mbps. Let's get a perspective here. A standard modem works at 56K tops. This router works at 54Mbps that's megabyte not kilobyte. Their are 1000 kilobytes in every megabyte. So 54 Megabytes per second is about a thousand times faster than a standard modem. I hooked the Linksys wireless router up to a broadband connection which is running at a maximum of 700 plus Kilobytes on the download end, and 100 to 150 upload speed. I know I am getting specific, but the point I am making is that it does not matter what the connection speed you are running at any given moment, based on how close the base unit is to the PC card. What is important is that your internet connection will never even approach the speed capabilities of this router, so don't hassle yourself with any concerns over varying connect speeds of the wireless network. Broadband hooked up to this wireless setup flies. As soon as you click on a site, it appears on the screen. Anyhow, just for reference, I am using a Dell Inspiron Notebook, hooked up to the broadband cable modem that was supplied by Comcast. The operating system is Windows XP. Installation was as near automatic as can be. They do supply instructions when using Windows ME, 98 etc, that includes one more step than XP. All in all this is a 5 star piece of equipment. Follow the directions exactly. It is easy. Hope this helps. +5 I went for this card because I wanted something unexpensive for one of my older laptops (Dell Inspiron 8000). I picked Linksys because they are a subsidiary of Cisco (which I hold to a good reputation). I am very pleased so far, the card works great with both Windows 2000 and Fedora Core 4 (the 2 OS-es loaded on my said laptop). The hub in our house is a Apple AirPort and I have never lost the signal (as some of the other reviewers have complained). Getting it to work with Linux was a bit of a hassle but now that I figured it out (see [...]) it actually boots up and connects faster than with Win2k. +2 This card was purchased because I had a coupon making this what I thought was a very good deal. I was wrong. I've installed a lot of wireless cards and this one was just terrible. I followed their directions to the letter and it just kept telling me that it had associated with the AP but couldn't find the network or the Internet. OK, I finally used the profile page to enter all the settings manually (IP, DNS, Gateway, you get the idea) and it connected immediately. However, I shouldn't have had to do that. It turns out that the IP address the card was trying to use didn't come from my router. I have no idea where it was getting it (nearby unsecured linksys router?) Once configured, the card has a tough time holding a solid network connection at what I deem a reasonable distance. IMO there are better cards out there. +1 Even though the box says this adapter will work with windows 98se, don't count on it. After 15+ hours of trying various fixes and having Linksys support tell me that it does not work with windows 98, I exchanged it for a Belkin adapter (Part # F5D7010). Inserted the Belkin setup CD, it did it's thing for about 10 minutes then said to install the card. It worked right off, and was able to detect wireless networks from nearly a block away. Definitely the choice for older windows laptops! +4 I ordered this card for my sis-n-law's IBM T23 Thinkpad laptop. It connected very nicely out of the box. I connected it to my WRT54GS Linksys Router. Sometimes the laptop itself can block the signal, but that is to be expected as the Thinkpad has a Magnesium shell. I wish that the antenna was smaller as it is a pain to have to remove the card to put it in the laptop bag, but nearly all WiFi cards have the same antenna on them. +1 It was easy to set up and worked great for a month and then it broke. I am not sure how to get a refund so it is gathering dust at this time. +3 Although Linksys claims compatibility with Windows 2000 for the WPC54G, I could not get the card to do DHCP IP addressing using a Sony laptop connected to a Linksys wireless WRT54G router/DHCP server/WAP. This was with a Windows XP Home tower PC already connected to the wireless router via a WUSB54G and working fine. I just could not believe Linksys would make incompatible products. There must be a problem with my laptop, right? So after spending 3 long nights looking for old uninstalled remnants of past wireless programs and clients inside the Registry and chatting with Linksys tech service to no avail (I mean, the card would connect after all if you forced a temporary restart on the Linksys WLAN service using admin services, so it did seem like an internal conflict), I finally gave up on the Linksys WLAN monitor program. I installed LucidLink Client 2.3 (freeware) and the card works fine. Bah on Linksys tech support for either not knowing or being unwilling to say they have a WLAN monitor 1.3 incompatibility problem with Windows 2000 and their own WRT54G router. I would still buy Linksys wireless-G products - their range is great, the router is inside an aluminum Airstream trailer transmitting 100+ feet to inside a house with good reception. This is in Arizona with unoccupied trailer temperatures approaching 130 degrees (the trailer is over by the DirecPC dish, another story). Since most people have XP they will have no problems. +5 This is an EXCELLENT product. I recently decided to share my wireless iwth my neighbor and we looked at getting a wireless extender (or repeater as most IT people know it as). I decided to replace all of my netowrk with linksys wireless - G products. I could not be happier. I have used netgear wireless, Belkin, Dell (when they were in the wireless business), and Proxim. By far this was the easiest wireless network to setup. The only reason I do not give it 5 stars is that i do NOT like the one-touch programming option. it's just confusing. Give me a web interface and let's do it the old fashioned way... that way I know what I have. This isn't a knock on this product,but more a knock on the router! +1 I purchased all of the Wireless-G equipment for use with my Dell Lattitude D600 notebook (Router, Adapter, Print Server). Router and print server seem to work fine, but nothing but trouble with this adapter. It wouldn't keep a signal and eventually started making my system hang - had to remove the card to get my other programs to unhang. I hired a "computer guru" to come and fix it, assuming that a rookie like me had just screwed up the installation somehow. $160 bucks later, he couldn't fix it either. Bad card? Incompatibility? Who knows, but I found other Dell notebook users on other forums who were banging their head against the same brick wall. Anyway, for anyone with the Dell notebook using the older Intel PRO/LAN 2100 3A built-in adapter (which also didn't like the new router), there is new firmware for the Intel adapter that you can download from the Dell support site. It will make the old adapter work fine with the WRT54G router, EXCEPT for the fact that this older card doesn't support WAP security. Anyway, to make an already long story a bit shorter, Dell has a replacement Mini PC card (replaces the old Intel PRO 2100 Card in the little door on the bottom of your notebook) that supports a/b/g wireless and all of the newer security. I wasn't too crazy about having an adapter that sticks out of the side of my computer, anyway! It is the Dell 1450 network adapter and Dell support will help you install it. Plus, it only costs $49. Good luck to everyone! This wireless stuff can be a little confounding, so hope this might help someone. +5 Great product, I bought it nearly three years ago and still works like a charm. We don't have a big house but it works every where, the router is on the second floor and the connection works from the basement, porch, deck, garage and all of the first floor. Never drops the connection and speed always close to 54 Mbps. Linksys has excellent customer service. +5 I purchased this along with the Linksys WRT54GS, to upgrade my home network from 802.11b to 802.11g. I was initially skeptical about the whole SpeedBooster claims. However, I've seen real speeds of 30-40Mbps between my wife's laptop and the router. In addition, we're running a b/g mixed mode, as we still have one 802.11b device still on the network. Installation was effortless, and the Linksys utility will supplant the Windows XP wireless widget, which is a good thing too. My wife has seen better signal strength as well. +1 I have always purchased Linksys in the past, routers, switches & hubs with absolutly no trouble. I read all the reviews here, some good, some bad. I took the advice of some who said not to use the setup CD and to download straight from the web. Another said to setup the router and not let your "know it all" 19 year old set up the laptop adapter first, among many others. Well, I set up the wireless router WRT54GS but could not get a clean install of the software drivers not even from the web. Finally I got it to install and work. It worked fine as a router with a Ethernet (wired) connection to my laptop. Then the fun started when I tried to install the Laptop Adapter WPC54G. I can't begin to explain the hours and pain that was spent. No matter what I did or how I did it, the adapter was active and appeared to be ok BUT it would not communicate withe Router. I tried every configuration I could. And, Yes, I called Linksys. Even at 3AM they are there to help you .... RIGHT! I called them 3 times, was on the phone for almost an hour each time and GOT NO WHERE. It might have been faster if the people spoke english as a first language!. Bottom line, Linksys said there must be something wrong with either the adapter or router, or both and left me hanging. THANKS. I bought both pieces back to the store and returned them. Would have liked to exchanged them for another Linksys set but, the experience was very very BAD. I purchased the D-Link DI-624 108Mbps G Wireless router and the D-Link DWL-G650 108G Laptop adapter. In 20 minutes I was up and Running. Lesson Learned? ... If you buy Linksys or anyone else, and it does work out of the box (if you followed instructions), consider it dead and don't waste anymore of your time trying and trying to make it work! +5 I just installed this card in my Dell Inspiron 1100 notebook, after installing a Linksys Wireless-B router on the DSL modem to my desktop. Had no problem in installing the router or the wireless card, once I got the connection set up on the notebook. The setup disk did all the configuration for the notebook, all I had to do was enter the SSID name and select the channel. I'm getting very good to excellent reception from the upstairs bedroom and my basement. Right now I couldn't be happier. +1 i get disconnected at least 3 or 4 times a day using these linksys wireless cards and routers. Do your research and buy something like netgear or dlink. At best, each time i get disconnected i have to restart my pc and the router and wait 10 minutes to get back online again. if you're doing something important, forget it! Some of the other wireless cards i tested out provided better distance and better network sensing than this card did. +1 I had some good experience with Linksys routers, and I thought I would give them a try in upgrading my home office to a broadband router that also had Wireless G technology. I have an IBM Thinkpad running Windows 2000 Professional (NT based) that I wanted to use in other parts of the house. Routers are usually easy to install since I stick with the basics and there is really no software to install. The notebook card software installer 'glitched' during the initial installation, and then refused to recognize its drivers, preferring instead to be referred to as "other device network controller." The goal was to completely uninstall the notebook adapter card, and then reinstall it so that Windows would recognize it and link it to its drivers. Sounds easy? No way. I went into a hell of inadequate documentation and tech support (Phillipines) that is friendly, available, and knows how to read the basic installation manuals like informed users. After an hour or so of having me repeat all the same things I had tried in the previous two hours by myself, they basically said to take it back where I bought it and have them install it. There does not appear to be any second tier support available and the linksys web site is an electronic brochure. I ALMOST got it to work, after spending a couple additional hours or so (Sunday from noon to 10 PM in all) trying to edit out all appearances of the adapter's software from the registry and Hdwcomp and a DAT file (which I never like to do but at this point I was becoming mildly obsessed) to try and remove the card's software completely so I could do a full reinstall, but even that still would not free my laptop from the bondage of the first installation. This thing is like herpes; you think you have gotten rid of it, but it leaves traces all over Windows and keeps coming back. There was NO WAY I was going to wipe the hard drive and reinstall windows. So I decided to just return it and thank God I bought it from Amazon. If it works on the initial installation you're ok and I'm sure it does a credible job (unless some future update from Microsoft clobbers it). If it does not, then you're doomed because it cannot unintall itself completely from the complexity of its many appearances in the NT based versions of Windows. I ran into this once with Norton SystemWorks which also had a klugey way of 'integrating' its many separate programs under Windows, instead of as a standalone program. Speeding your time to market by patching separate programs together under Windows is a real temptation for a software developer, but it create back end problems that are hellish, and subject to the vagaries of the latest Microsoft 'critical system update.' Plug and Pray is the name of this game. Is this a Microsoft problem or a Linksys problem? I think its both. Microsoft creates the appearance of an integration platform through operating system, and some companies go for it since they are buying pieces of code and separate programs from multiple sources and real software integration is a chore. But its the same old tune with a different name; you make a clean integration and sweat the details in development and the software is solid. If not, you create the monster that devoured Moore's Law (and every last support resource you can hire). The card has an odd design which I did not like. It sticks out about an inch or so. Great routers, but this software isn't completely baked. +2 I figured I would spend the money for this card. There are a lot of other cards out there for less that does essentially the same thing. The profile of this card isn't the best. It sticks out an inch. I figured this would translate to better reception. Not so. Signal quality is very twitchy and I often need to relocate. For the price I would expect better. For example, I have used NetGear for less $$ but better reception. This is not a bad product but not worth the extra $$. Try something else. +5 Netgear products dominates my network and I decided to give this pc card a trial because of the good reviews. I must confess that it's surely the perfect adapter out there. Downloaded the driver from linksys website and ignored the cd as per other reviews. Installation was a breeze. I have a netgear router and it detects my network immediately without hassels. I tried the windows zero configuration and the wlan monitor and they both work fine. Wep works too but I had to modify my router wep as linksys couldn't accept the one I had there before. Signal strenght is always execellent. I am glad I bought this product. My first Linksys network product really convinced me. I love it and hope to buy more of linksys products. +5 I already have a Linksys Wireless-G router with several wired computers. I bought the WPC54G for my Toshiba Satellite laptop. I installed the software from the CDROM, installed the adapter, then configured in less than 10 minutes. I did have to open my router configuration via browser (and via my existing LAN connection) to determine my encryption settings, but then it was done. My signal strength is 87% (excellent) with my laptop sitting in my living room and the router downstairs on the other side of my house; approx. 15' and through the floor. What more can I say? It worked perfect right out of the box for me. Update 01/06/06: I'm still using the adapter, but sometimes I will lose the connection for no apparent reason. I'm not sure if it's the adapter causing this, or some other interferrence, but nontheless it is frustrating. +4 I purchased this adapter a few months ago. It was easy to install and work great with linksys WRT54G router. The only problem I had is when I completely upgrade all the computers on my wireless network to the G-mode. When I change the router and adapter to G-mode only from mixed mode, I lost connection with the access point. I'm not sure whether this is a problem with the adapter or the router. I changed everything back to the old setting and it work great again. +4 This is just a good old fashion basic radio without the modern features. I needed a radio without a memory card slot or bluetooth. This fit perfectly and gets read good reception. +4 I travel a great deal for work and need to sync with the database at the home office at least daily. Many of the hotels I stay at have gone with WIFI because they don't need to wire every room. LAN is not offered as an alternative. Using the modem/phone is not an option because my synchronization would take several hours. Many of my emails contain large attachments such as PDFs. I have a Dell Latitude running Window NT. I bought the WPC54G two months ago and have been on the road a lot with it. It has worked very well at every hotel I have stayed at that uses WIFI. Installation of the software and set up was a breeze. I spent 10 minutes max getting up and running. I was at my sisters house the other day and she is a Mac user running Airport and I had no problems linking in. I have noticed no difference in speed between using the Adapter and the speeds I get using the LAN at other hotels. This set up is working well enough that I plan I getting a wireless router at home. +5 I prepped my DELL latitude P3-500 prior to install. I have an XP PRO with all the windows service packs and updates. My laptop has a Texas Instrument PCI-1225 CardBus Controller. I downloaded the new drivers from Linksys and installed it. Don't forget to use the correct version for your card (V1 or V2). DO NOT USE THE CD!!!! Aftel the driver install, turned-off the laptop. Plugged in my card, boot up, and it got configured with no hitches at all. 10 mins TOPS!! I'm using WRT54G wireless router, SSID with broadcast off, MAC filtering enabled. +5 This is the guy you want for your notebook connecting to a wireless network. Windows, Apple, Linux, even DR DOS, this thing just works. It is unobtrusive, doesn't seem to drain the laptop batteries like some others I have used and gets good fast connections regardless of whether it is pointed towards the access point or router or not. This unit is so good that it mad eit clear to me the importance of network security. I had no trouble attaching to my home network with this (Linksys router) from across the street and 2 houses down. Which means of course anyone can use your wireless network. Use the WEP and just to be sure use the routers DHCP table to see who is logging on. You may be surprised. +5 The Linksys WPC54G notebook adapter is a treat. Mated to the Linksys WRT54G wireless router, G-speeds of 54MB/sec are possible. I found signal strength to be excellent throughout my house which spans 2 floors and 2,000 square feet. The adapter itself is quite small and unobtrusive. It requires a PCMCIA port on your laptop, and very little else. Using the zero network configuration feature of Windows XP, I was able to connect and surf in a matter of 10 minutes. If you have a different Windows Operating System, I suspect that you will have to spend a bit more time installing drivers and adjusting configuration settings, but there is no reason for the whole setup to be complex. As always with Linksys products, I recommend throwing away the installation CD that comes with the product. The automated installation does nothing that can't be accomplished even by the novice. Furthermore, you don't get all the networking software installed by default which will, in many cases, cause your perfectly working network to cease functioning. My Gateway notebook gets quite hot near the processor area, but this heat is NOT transmitted to the Wireless adapter. The card itself cannot heat up becuase there is nothing inside it that causes heat dissipation. Rather the heat referred to in other reviews here may be because the card is conducting heat from the processor core. The adapter is physically pleasing with a neutral grey antenna patch and the blue Linksys logo clearly visible. Two LEDs show power and link status, but are largely unnecessary. In Wireless-G mode, this card has greatly enhanced my wireless surfing experience. Pages load with a snap, and games exhibit no lag whatsoever. Furthermore, my wireless-b hardware seems to be positively affected as well. Connections are more stable and signal strength has improved. I fully recommend this product, especially if your infrastructure already uses Linksys components. Smooth installation, powerful feature set, and perfect pricing, makes this a piece of hardware not to miss! +5 I'm running Windows 2k on my laptop and the installation and setup of this adapter was flawless. No problems during installation and it works beautifully with my wireless network. It also picks up 3 other networks that other families in other homes are running. Each are more than 300 feet away and I get 80% or better on each of them. I read below about an adapter that gets very hot. Mine doesn't get hot at all. It might be your laptop. If the card slot is close to your processor, the slot and card might be picking up the heat from that. +5 All I can say is: "True" plug n' play installation in less than 5 minutes + No issues since install = A great solution for getting your wireless network up and running. I have not had a single issue with the product during installation or since, found the product documentation to be excellent, and am very happy I went wireless. +5 I purchased an all-Linksys G set - a router, PCI card, and card for my laptop. Here is my hardware setup: Machine 1: WIN 98 First Edition; 400 MHz PII, plenty of RAM; Desktop Machine 2: WIN 98 First Edition; 233 MHz, moderate RAM; Desktop Machine 3: WIN 2000; plenty of speed and RAM; Laptop Router: It is a great product. I hooked it up to Machine 1 and had it running in under 5 minutes and that includes the hardware. I did NOT use the software included - instead I configured the router through the web interface. This is key. The router doesn't even support WIN 98 First Edition according to the min. req. Linksys states. Nevertheless, my setup works flawlessly. In fact, somehow it seems to have increased my Internet speed - something I can't understand, but am more than willing to go with. PCI Adapter: I am giving this an average 3 star rating because frankly I didn't get it to work but then again it really wasn't supposed to work with WIN 98 First Edition as is running on Machine 2. Now, here's why I feel I should rate this item at all - even if unsupported, loading software and giving it a try should not crash your system and cause errors. In fact, I had high hopes considering the software seemed to load, but in fact it just gummed up the system. So, after quite a while of trying, my poor old system is worse off than before. I just don't understand why Linksys didn't include a way to work on WIN 98 First Edition. At heart this thing is just a bit of hardware and I would think ultimately not much different to the computer than an Ethernet card. I may be wrong, but why can't they design an interface for the older operating system? Anyway, don't bother if you aren't running a newer system. Card for laptop: Worked like a charm. I popped in the software on Machine 3 running WIN 2000 and in a couple of minutes had a great signal. The laptop was at least 50 feet away from the router and in the basement (router on 1st level). So, through walls and over distance I still had very sufficient signal strength and quality. No dropping was noticed, and the settings were all set for a high level of security. There was absolutely no extra heat as someone noted. Also, no problems working between a hardwired network at work and the wireless at home. Just pop in and out the card is all (I have to because of the tight fit of a a docking station at work). So, overall I'm happy with Linksys. +5 Ok with the software I will say this, This program seemed to have a issue with my setup of my PC, (I Use a Dual Boot System, C: is 98 e: is w2k(main) ) The issue was the software AUTO installed to drive C for some odd reason. In turn after the reboot it came up saying drivers were missing. Long story short, you will have to move the Files from C: to the operating system that you use (Drive wise) and edit the registy to match should it not already, Then WHOOM, all worked fine! Shows signal bars, easy to work with and more. Very well suggested to buy! I gave 5 stars as not many PCs are as complex in issues as mine. ;) +5 I installed it for a friend in a Dell laptop and it installed in about 2 minutes and had a strong signal from across the house. As far as I know, she hasn't had any problems since. I have not tried to use any of the WEP security features, but it is very easy to initially get online and it seems very reliable. +5 With the internal wirelss card that came in my laptop, I had all of the problems cited in other reviews here - heat, dropouts, weak signal, incompatabilities with Norton, etc. Worse, my laptop would routinely connect to my neighbor's wireless LAN (which was secure and so unuseable) but not mind. Then I got the WPC54G, and all of those problems are gone. I now have *two* of these cards running, one in my laptop and one in my wife's. Each took less than ten minutes from opening the box to complete service. Neither of us has ever had a dropout, the signal remains very good to excellent at all times, and we have no laptop heat problems. In fact, this external card runs *cooler* than the internal card, which would keep the laptop fan going to loudly and so strongly that we couldn't hear the TV. Now I can actually operate wirelessly in the den without annoying my wife. :) In reading other reviews here, recognize that many of the problems are *not* due to this laptop adapter. Yes, you may experience some problems under Windows 98. But if you're using a laptop running a six-year-old operating system, you have bigger problems than wireless trouble, and will save yourself plenty of hassles (and time and insecurities) by upgrading to Win2K or XP. Yes, you may have trouble connecting to Netgear's router, but that's because Linksys' router is far superior; get the right router, rather than dissing on this adapter. And yes, if you're unable to distinguish WEP from DNS, you may not be capable of receiving good technical support. I, for one, have nothing but glowing praise for this card, the linksys "g" router, and linksys tech support. Anyone with a contrary experience may well be misattributing to the WPC54G problems that have nothing to do with it. +5 I bought this to have as a small radio for the kitchen where I never can not usually get great am stations. This works great for all stations. THIS WAS A LIFE SAVER during this march's power outages after the storms in Northern Westchester NY. No power for over 3 days for me and this was great to have . GREAT am and fm reception!! Hubby listened with earplugs while I read a book. Buying a second one now. +4 Old fashion just strait music. +5 Bought for my cousin he lives it +5 Excellent reception everywhere in the house. Sound is unbelievable coming from this radio. Been through numerous radios and this by far is the best. +5 I just bought this card along with my Sony VAIO FRV37 notebook computer and I was really pleased to see this card works as they claim. It works beautifully with my Linksys WRT54G wireless router. I inserted the card into a PCMCIA(?) slot and turned the notebook on. When it recognized the card, I slided the install CD and there you go. All done in less than 3 minutes, I was surfing the net. I know a few of the reviewer complained the card gets hot and drops connection, but these problems never occured to me. The speed (I have Adelphia cable modem) is so fast that I don't see any difference compared to my main PC that has direct ethernet connection to the router. The card is not hot at all, either. In short, I highly recommend this product from my experience. +5 This is a great product. Got it up and running within an hour on Windows XP Pro. The biggest problem was getting the new wireless router to access Comcast broadband. After some trial and error, finally got it going. +5 Having a new Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router installed made me want to increase my wireless capabilities. It made sense to get the G card to link my old laptop that my teenage daughter uses to the router. It was a good choice. It installed easily and worked immediately. The connection is very fast as well. It only costs a few bucks more than the B band card. It is clearly worth it! +4 This is a great little lens if you have a full frame Nikon DSLR, it is lightweight and small enough to fit in a small gadget bag. This particular model does not have the VR function, so I would spend the extra few dollars and go for the VR version if you are mostly shooting under low light conditions. But for outdoors this lens is sufficient. +5 Great lens and works well on the D90, why on there when it is a full frame lens? Because soon I'm saving up for a D600 but until then I wanted a sharp lens to tie me over. I'm so happy I did, I trust doing my wedding shoots, senior shoots and concert shots with this lens. I would not recommend it if you're a hobby photographer. You can get an affordable prime (50mm) lens that's quicker and more sharper, for about $100 less. I would highly recommend this over the 18-105 mm, only because I have both and the 18-105 is not as sharp and not as fast, plus depending who you find to buy from, it's also $10 up to $60 more. You might say that's because of the VR, but if you are shooting with a tripod, and shooting with high ISO's to get fast shutter speeds, you don't need the VR. You'll might want it for video, but a long story short ( sorry if this was long already ) you'll be happy with this lens. Have a great day everyone. +4 This how Nikon use to make lenses: strong, heavy and reliable. The only con is AF does not work with some cameras. +2 All the positive reviews convinced me to buy this lens even though it was used and no longer being manufactured. The seller provided documentation that the lens had just been serviced by Nikon but I found the images to be soft.....not extremely sharp as noted in other reviews. I'm sure there are very good copies of this lens, I just didn't get one of them. Luckily, the seller was willing to take it back....the advantage of doing business with Amazon. +5 Happy and lucky to get a great used copy of this lens. If you find one, like others have said, grab it before they disappear. This one is VERY sharp, great contrast, and too quiet and quick auto focus. I use it on my D90 and D7000. Make sure if you find one that it has no dust inside as this lens has been out there in the wild for some time and is not well sealed like the more current Nikon lenses. Thanks to Artpics at Amazon Marketplace for a GREAT buy! +5 This was my very first AF-S zoom... and it got me addicted to the line. Don't be fooled by the plastic look of this lens: the optics are great, but would be even greater if the distortion at the wide end were a bit less noticeable. However, at a maximum aperture of f3.5, this lens (especially, like in my case, with fast film) performs in most environments and conditions. Besides, it's small (compared to other zooms), has a fast and quiet AF with any Nikon body, and does deliver good colors and sharp outlines. There may be other types of lens with additional features, but this one, with its closest focusing distance of just a few inches, works in all environments and for almost any purpose. +3 I will echo some of the positive things people have written about this product. I bought both the Wireless-G adapter and the Wireless-G router (v 1.1) from Linksys. I have used Linksys in the past and been quite happy with their stuff. In this situation I was pleased as i could be with the setup. I read the instructions mostly so that I would know what order to proceed in and i would say I was surfing wirelessly with no noticable loss of speed in about 10 minutes. I can walk around my small NYC apartment with an "excellent" signal. Of course I'd expect that because there is no more than one wall between the AP and the laptop in any given poin in the apt. That is where the good news ends. The bad news has two flavors, 1) the card gets extremely hot. I'm talking about too hot to touch and I'd guess it is up around 130-140 degrees F sometimes. It will heat up the entire left side of my laptop. 2) it disconnects sometimes. I wish i could find SOME pattern but it just seems to disconnect completely at random. it will disconnect when I am right on top of the router. Sometimes it will just come back on its own and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't I'll reboot, sometimes that works, sometimes not. I have checked some of the more obvious things one can find online regarding this issue and have found no real help. The driver and firmware are both up to date. Aside from those two things i was a little bit troubled that the default configuration, even if you're all Linksys, is VERY vulnerable to attack. In fact, the default configuration has security that reminds me of what Microsoft thought security was when they were turning out Win 3.11. Suffice to say you'll be spending some time configuring your network if you don't want to be sharing it with everyone in the building. -- Update I did eventually figure out that 2.4Ghz phones will interfere with the signal that this wireless router uses. If you have a 2.4Ghz phone or anyone in an apt near you does then that could be your problem. +2 I installed the BEFCMU10 with the WRT54G Router on my XP desktop, which went without a hitch. The problems started when I tried to use the WPC54G notebook adapter on my laptop, which was also running Windows XP. According to the installation instructions, I was told that everything should work without the installation disk if I was using XP. That was not the case. As soon as I placed the card into my computer (HP ze4101), it froze. Restarting the computer did nothing. My first call to customer support revealed that I needed to update the drivers. Once that was done, my laptop did not freeze, but now it would not communicate with the router. A call to customer support showed that my adapter was assigned "a bad IP address" and they gave me a number to manually enter. Apparently, this is a common problem...so maybe it would have been a good idea to put something in the installation instructions. After correcting the IP address problem, the card would connect for about 2 minutes then drop the connection, despite being about 3 feet from the router. Another call to customer support, and about 30minutes later, I was told to return it. Once you get the replacement card working, it is not so great either. My router is in one room, and when I am in an adjacent room, I can surf the net for about 10-20 minutes before I lose the connection. I have not been able to surf for longer than half an hour. I remove the card and stick it back in and it usually picks up the connection again. Annoying. This is the only notebook card I have ever used, so I don't know if the others are better. But installation should not have been this problematic. +5 This is the best PCMCIA card Wireless Adapter you'll find. As you know, Linksys makes the best Networking products around, and the WPC54G is no exception. This Wireless-G Adapter is very fast, especially when combined with the Linksys Wireless-G Router, the WRT54G. Also, because Wireless-G is backward compatible with Wireless-B, which is what is used for Internet "Hot Spots" you can access the Internet at Wireless Hot Spots around the world. These can be in anywhere from a coffee shop to an airport. Wireless-B and -G are also called 802.11B and 802.11G respectively. If you are deciding between -B and -G, I would recommend -G. It is about 5 times faster than Wireless-B. Wireless-B runs at 11 Megabits, while Wireless-G runs at 54 Megabits. This is especially great when you are doing file sharing over your network, and as I said before, -G is backward compatible with -B. +5 This card is great! It worked right out of the box with no problems. All you need is about 2 minutes of easy step-by-step configuration with Windows XP Home and you're all set to go. The CD-ROM sets everything up for you, if you're not too sure about setting it up yourself. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. It works perfectly all the time no matter where I go in the house with my laptop. +5 I have purchased three of these and they work great! I've been able to walk down the street 300 feet and stay connected at 1 Mbps. I've connected at multiple Starbucks and airport lounges. Seemlessly switches between B and G. +5 These are nice, heavy duty, easy to install shelf rails that fit a wide range of products, both APC and others. I have several sets of these holding up APC UPSes, Norco 4U server chassis, AIC 4U server chassis, QNAPs, LaCie NASes, and other hardware that doesn't have proper rail kits. These do not fit properly with 2U Dell PowerEdge servers, as the steel is too thick and sticks inward too far for them to fit right. It can hold them up but it's at a goofy angle. If you want to mount a 2U PowerEdge, get the rail kit for your server. The steel on these is very thick and can support a lot of weight, I have seen half a rack worth of servers stacked up on one set of these (though I wouldn't recommend doing that). +5 If you are reading this you probably have a new APC UPS unit unpacked on the floor with the contents of the box spread out verifying that the rails the unit came with were included. They are if you are mounting it in a network closet, but not a server room. I believe that the APC UPS unit I purchased should have come with these rails already. These are solid rails as they should be holding a 150lb unit. Easy to install. I installed into an old 42U Dell-branded rack with square holes. +4 Solid RF performance, "big," clear sound, relatively decent price, great manufacturer. More like this, please! +5 I love this little radio. What a pleasure, to turn the analog tuning wheel at night, and hear AM stations come in clearly from a thousand miles away. FM sounds good too. On the plus side there is a external antenna connector and a (mono) earphone jack and it runs either on batteries or the included AC cable. On the negative, the display is not lighted and the tuning wheel feels pretty flimsy. But for the price, I'm not complaining . If you had a radio like this in your childhood, you will love it. One of the other reviewers said these have not been manufactured for years and have been sitting in a warehouse. I'm glad I got one before they ran out. +4 I have this card installed on two laptops. Basically, we turn on the machine and we have access to local LAN and high speed access to the Internet via a cable modem. There is nothing to making this card work besides installing the driver and starting to work. The best speed achieved so far is 54 MbS whilein the same room with the router, 48 MbS when located on a different level and two rooms down. Speed drops off when distance increase to over 100 feet and there are ubstructing walls, including an exteriior stucco wall that has signal eating chicken wire. However, multiple machines are hanging and banging on this technology without incident. The best thing: NO MORE CABLES! +4 Gets the job done, about as well as it could be. My range is fantastic. The software could use a bit of improvement -- as long as it's working, it works great, but when something goes wrong, it's hard to fix. But for most users this will give them all they could ask for from wireless networking. +1 Linksys can't tell me how to make this product work with a wireless LAN. I purchased the WPC54G Notebook adapter, the Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router and a Linksys WMP54G Wireless PCI Adapter. The cards can link with the router, but not send any data. Furthermore, the wireless link doesn't work unless WEP security is off. You have to broadcast your data in the clear! With an all-Linksys solution, you would think Linksys could make this work. Nope. Linksys tech support can't offer any solutions that you can't read off their website. If the website was helpful, that wouldn't be a problem. Don't even think about purchasing this product! +3 I have Linksys PCI and PCCard 54g hardware. My current problem is with the PCCard on my Windows 2000 laptop. I boot up and connect to the WRT54G router just fine. I have hard-coded IP addresses and have DHCP disabled. I can reach anywhere by IP but DNS isn't working. I have to restart the DNS service after bootup. I have a .cmd file on my desktop to do this: net stop "DNS Client" Pause net start "DNS Client" Pause Also, when I tried loading the latest files from their web site, it loaded the utility but not the drivers, which I did manually. Then, I couldn't change and save my profiles. So I went back to the earlier version (beta TI cardbus.) +5 Being something of an electronic gadget klutz, I admit to having trepidations when I ordered this piece of equipment and the Router. I had never set up a network -- to say nothing of a wireless one. I could not have been more surprised. Following the advice of the quick start instructions and set-up CD included in the Router package, I had the network up and running in less than five minutes. Not even a glitch. The notebook adapter was installed and recognized the signal. In what seemed to be no time, I was wirelessly surfing the web with no apparent loss of speed compared to my wired connection. To sum it up, this is a great product. +5 I love this item. with windows xp the install was verry easy. I recomend also getting the new drivers from linksys so they are supported in xp. This item will let you connect to B and G networks a very nice advantage then just B. I recomend this to anyone wishing to start a 802.11G or even an 802.11b for less to upgrade +5 The Linksys 802.11g PCM card offers exceptional performance in a very reasonable price. The throughput is excellent, in both 802.11g and .11b mode, installation is simple, it just works! I've used it with Linksys and other (dlink, Cisco) WAPs and it works flawlessly. +5 I *really* like this wireless card. I had it up and running in a Dell C-400 laptop running Win2000 with my Linksys WAP 54G access point and older Linksys BEFSR41 DSL Router in under 10 minutes, under 45 minutes with full security implementation. It has great signal strength throughout my house and in my yard. It does not affect my battery life too much, and I do not drop offline. Throughput with the rest of my home network is consistantly at 48Mbps, occasionally drops to 36Mbps. The one problem I thought I had was solved by shutting down my DSL modem, router, WAP, and the laptop, then bringing them all back online. +2 The card installed nicely on my Dell Inspiron, but the installation hung on my HP Pavilion (several people have described similar experiences). Updated drivers on the website didn't work either. Interesting neither Linksys nor HP have mentioned this in their support databases. Given the number of responses this can't be a fluke. +5 Great Product, quick setup, I have A belkin wireless 802.11b router, (not highly recomended) running the b speeds of 11 MB/S I got this card becasue the network card I had died and needed to replace it, I found this one and read about the G networking and had to have it. I don't understand how people are having trouble with the instalation, it is a breese, I uninstalled my previous drivers for the other card I was running and recomend doing so if you have on as well because they could be conflicting and it would screw up your configuration. Great Product and I highly recomend it with a Linksys G access point/router. +2 I bought this card with the hopes of an easy installation on my W2K notebook. Getting it to work with a non-Linksys wireless hub took several frustrating evenings. The documention that came with the device and on the Linksys web site was absolutely useless. The installation software had conflicts with the firewall software so I had to remove both the firewall and linksys software and reinstall the software. Getting the 128 bit WEP configuration to work required asking a consultant for help. Apparently, you must enter the long security code versus the network access password. This obscure nuance was not obviously noted in the manual or on line documentation. I'm sure it is a little more straight forward if your network is all one brand but getting this device to work in a mixed brand environment was difficult and I should have listened to the consultant and bought the NetGear card. +5 I recently installed an entire wireless network using Linksys 54g products. The installation took place in one room. The router was to sit in the room with the desktop, but I also installed the laptop in that room because it was easier than walking back and forth to install the software. (by the way this was on a Win2k system) Anyways, the laptop software was very intuitive to use and easy to install, the laptop worked perfectly. The desktop on the other hand did not, see my review there. I recommend this product, but not it's desktop counterpart. +5 Bought two of these and had them up and running on an IBM T20 Laptop with Windows 2000 Server and a Toshiba Tecra 8100 with XP. Didn't run into any problems, but be sure if you are using it with XP, you follow the quick setup guide. Do not install the Linksys admin tool, XP uses it's own interface. +5 Ok I am fed up with all new modern electronic devices I have every single bluetooth and digital device available including very expensive ones up in the thousands and very cheap ones in the one dollar range from china and when we are at work all day on big jobs it is very limited listening to only hear pandora or google music day after day the same stuff so we decided to go old school back to plain amfm dial only reception and man after 2 days of hearing actual human beings and live radio again like the wonder years all over and most of all this radio claims to have great reception well it does for sure and it is currently being used way up in the hills where even my stupid sirius satellite portable will not work nor our pandora and this thing is getting awesome stations from miles away perfectly clear I am buying 5 of them for future possible damage reasons +5 Great little radio. Perfect for my small shop. I have it plugged in to a motion detecting outlet, so when I enter the shop it comes on. It turns off when it detects no motion for 5 minutes. That's why I bought a radio with an analog tuner. Digital tuners are likely to lose your station every time they are unplugged. Though it's small, I'm impressed with the sound. Though I keep my antenna folded down, the tuner picks up my favorite AM station about 80mi away, and FM about 50mi. AM is weak at night, but that's because the station turns the power down. Too bad it's discontinued, get one while you can. +5 Great little radio small light but gets loud. Even a little base on the hip hop station. Both AM and FM come in clear in Long Beach,CA. I wanted a portable radio with both AM & FM, perfect! +5 This radio has a good sound and the station no problem in getting them +5 This radio works well. I have an old panasonic radio that I've had for years and I is still working. Great quality radios. +5 No problems and super speed once I got it set up. It was a little tough to get running. I'm not sure what the issue was but I had to uninstall and reinstall once to get it working. Once I did that it found my network, set up the WEP and I was off and running. I download songs in no time and can send files around to my other PC's. The signal strength is good, I have excellent speed from about 50 feet through walls. The only issue I have is that the icon in the System Tray says the network card is not connected unless you log in as an admin. It works, just says its not connected. I'm trying to solve that one. +1 I bought this product from Amazon.com and had to return it. It would not be configured. I owned the previous model (802.11b standard) and installed it with no problem. I purchased this and could not get it to work, even after calling tech support. I have Win XP, and could not figure out what was wrong, so I had to send it back. +5 I just received the Linksys 54G router and network card and within 10 minutes I was surfing the net. I couldn't tell a difference in connection speed between my old hardwire cable modem and the 54G wireless system. I did have some issues getting connected via my secure company connection though. Other than that, it was instant and fast. Now I can work on the back deck with a beer at cable modem speed without wires. The freedom is well worth the money. +4 I've been using Linksys networking products for the home for 2+ years now and feel they are good value for the $. Documentation has historically been poor but I think Linksys is attempting to correct that problem. For this new 802.11g network-interface card (or NIC) I installed it on my laptop with Windows XP. The install appeared to be OK but I later learned that the Linksys WLAN Monitor software/utility did not install as part of this process. I had to go back to the CD and install it, and then all was OK. +5 I purchased 2 WPC54G PC cards along with the WRT54G Wireless 54g Router, upgrading from Linksys' 80211.b router and card. The speed increase is great. Configuring the router was a bit confusing, but it was worth it. Small detail but appreciated: card comes in a clear plastic case for protection. My old WPC11 card didn't come with a case. This is helpful if you are going to throw the card in your notebook carrying case or a drawer in your kitchen. +5 It took me precisely 3 minutes to install the card, including the Windows 2000 restart sequence! It worked perfectly on boot up with the default values. I got much stronger signals than the 802.11b card (Linksys) I used previously. I still use this card on my old 802.11b network in mixed mode although I will be upgrading the network to 802.11g when I have time to do so (I already bought the router for it). I would recommend this card to anyone. +2 I wrote aqnother review but I didn't see it up. After I finished I saw other reviews with this same problem. The laptop will not accpt the PC card for the wireless G network. From what I have seen it is incompatible with Windows XP and Linsys has sent this out unprepared. +5 This is a review I wrote for the router hub and the PC Card. I had already submitted it for the hub and am submitting it here also for the card. The entire review is relevant to both parts of this system. One thing I forgot to mention was that I had called Dell to see what they had available,and they were using a mix of Linksys parts as well. So I decided to go direct with Linksys equipment. Here is the review as submitted. For an item that was not even available in Best Buy and the other major stores when I first bought it from Amazon, and that I received it in only a couple of days is knowledge enough to make this a winning situation. What about hookup and use? Another 5 star performance. If you have never hooked up a wireless network before, take the advice of the quick start guide that comes with the unit, and use their included CD. They strongly recommended that you use the CD rather than manually configure it. Having seen the problems that some others were having with setup, only to be resolved (some of them) by exactly following the directions, you can see, that is the best way to go. The setup using the CD is about as easy as learning how to open a refrigerator door for the first time. Shutting off what they tell you to shut off, and turning on what and when they tell you to turn things on, results in a delightful install. Not even one glitch. The CD determines your internet connection, then it determines your system configuration, asks a few questions, and bingo you are up and running. I install the PC Card for laptops as well, and that is just as easy to install. Within 10 minutes your surfing the web from all over the house. No Wires ! Pertaining to the speed issue: Remember when I discuss this that their is a difference between the speed inside of your network, and the the speed you are connecting to the web. I got 54MBps while I was in the same room. When I went into the living room, it went to very good, instead of excellent, and gave me 37MBps. Let's get a perspective here. A standard modem works at 56kbps tops. This router works at 54MBps that's megabyte not kilobyte. Their are 1024 kilobytes in every megabyte. So 54 Megabytes per second is about a thousand times faster than a standard modem. When hooked up to a Verizon DSL basic connection, you are running at a maximum of 700 plus kilobits on the download end, and 100 to 150 upload speed. I know I am getting specific, but the point I am making is that it does not matter what the connection speed you are running at any given moment, based on how close the base unit is to the PC card. What is important is that your internet connection will never even approach the speed capabilities of this router, so don't hassle yourself with any concerns over varying connect speeds of the wireless network. Broadband hooked up to this wireless setup flies. As soon as you click on a site, it appears on the screen. Faster connect speeds are important when communicating across the network, between machines, like when backing up drives across the network. For that reason, the faster N designated wireless is a little bit more expensive, but a lot faster than G. To go a step farther the ultimate in inter network communications, a hard wired gigabit or 2 gigabit connection rules. So the ultimate is to use an N connection for your router, which is your connection to the slower web, and use the faster N to a portable device, then hook up a gigabit switch, to run your hard wired connections between your devices in the network. I guess I am getting off on a tangent here, so back to the device at hand, which is still the most popular selling adapter. Anyhow, just for reference, hooking up a DSL, or a broadband cable modem that was supplied by Comcast, with the Windows XP operating system, installation was as near automatic as can be. They do supply instructions when using Windows ME, 98 etc, that includes one more step than XP. All in all this is a 5 star piece of equipment. Follow the directions exactly. It is easy. Hope this helps. This is the reason why I have a website, to help people with their installations. Did you know that as much as 30 percent of the wireless network products are sent back, because people give up trying to install them? Let's all save Amazon from the return product blues. I am here to help. +5 Loud and good am reception +5 works great bought product to repl older radio that went bad , got it mostly for hurricane season if we lose power. +5 A nice little. radio....I keep it in a room where I paint... +5 Good little radio good reception good sound . +5 Loud sound, good reception, works on 120 V AC or off batteries. I don't listen to radio much but bought it in case of emergencies as it doesn't require an Internet connection and will work in a blackout. Note that you don't need to extend the antenna for AM reception. It's Panasonic and feels like it, not your cheap no-name Chinese radio... +4 works as expected +5 I bought this radio for my mother who lives in a wooded area and has trouble with radio reception. She is able to move this radio all around the house with her and it comes in strong in every room. She is very happy with this product! +3 tuning is not the best +3 This radio works ok, but it is extremely heavy. It has almost harmed my better half. He likes to listen to a radio at night, and this one is dangerous to have in bed. Way heavy. +5 I don't do TV. It's expensive and I hate the content. This radio is perfect for ppl who want to listen to talk radio and get the maximum amount of stations. I love this and it can take it outside because it runs on batteries and well as a ln AC current. +3 Works well, but there is absolutely no bass. Wife got it to play at the nurses station. +5 I love this radio, excellent sound and quality! +4 works properly but fine tuning does not have a very good range.. +5 A small radio with a big heart. It plays my husbands favorite talk show on AM just great. He enjoys that. +5 Great little radio! Seems sturdy. Stands up nice. Sound is decent. +5 WIFE GAVE THIS ITEM TO HER SISTER ,WHO IS DISABLED AND LIVES IN GA. +4 ok its a minimalist, meaning thats all it is, a radio. the amount of time saved not reading a 50 page manual every time I need to delete a favorite station or set it for daylight time, set a timer whatever it has already paid for itself. and BONUS! this radio has a real honest to goodness tuning knob for your dialing pleasure. the sound is good, the simplicity is a joy. +4 Pleased with its operation. Good sound +5 My husband was very happy with this radio. Immediately noticed very much improved sound clarity compared to his other bathroom radio. +4 Bought this for my father in law. Very old school transistor radio. Analog and no digital displays. Works plugged in or with batteries. He loves his new radio. Finally figured out that he never used any of our state of the art digital gifts. Speaker is clear and loud and tuning is simple/ +5 Incredible for the price range, even for being one speaker. Must be 20 - 20,000 Hz. The human range is commonly given as 20 to 20,000 Hz. YOU CAN NOT FIND THIS RANGE ANYMORE. Even in expensive brands. People these days do not demand high end, high quality systems. +5 bought it for my grandpa. Very simple, easy to use, easy to read, picks up great signal, has great sound quality, and it seems to have some feature that assists you in tuning +4 works well, decent range, dial considerably easier to read than most. +5 This is just the radio I was looking for. It is a basic AM/FM that runs well on batteries. It is loud enough, and has good sound. +5 Great old style radio. +5 So many of the radios sold today have switches to tune and set volume. Push the wrong button and you lose the station you're listening to. You need to program the radio to remember stations you listen to and sometimes a power glitch will erase the stations you had set. If a glitch occurs, you're back in the programming mode after you find the manual. This radio is just like the old fashioned ones. Turn a dial to tune to the desired station and turn another dial to turn volume up and down. If you lose power, the radio settings stay as they are for when power is restored. Large speaker delivers pretty good sound and the tuning indicator light is a nice touch that tells when you are perfectly tuned to the station. +5 nice +4 So far, so good...works well as I need it!!! The sound is pretty good, I can get the AM/FM stations that I want. Thanks +5 Okay, but too bassy. Needs a tone control knob. +3 Speaker is not as clear as I hoped, and the volume control is too loose. I have an older Panasonic and its great.. +5 My 88 year old Grandmother gave up her home of 60 years and moved into a retirement home in a town close to my parents to make visiting her easier. Thats the kind of selfless person she is. Since shes been there, she couldn't get her favorite Reading Station WEEU. I have been keeping my eyes open for a radio similar to the old GE model everyone had in the 1970s through 90s with the big front speaker, the handle, and the AM/FM dial, that was strong enough to pick up her station. When I came across this radio and read the reviews, I took a chance. And it paid off. She loves it. She gets her station. My parents had their $200 radio over there trying to pick up that station and could not. This one did. It has the spirit of those old radios. And the digital tuner with an analog dial is a nice little enhancement under the hood. It works as intended; lets call it analog+. It made her Christmas, and mine too. Thanks Panasonic for making a simple radio that just works, and well. +5 DOES A GOOD JOB +5 Love this little radio. Reception clear. Can never have enough radios around house. +5 Our emergency radio. Works well. Sounds good. +5 I live in a remote area. Other radios Ive tried had AM reception ranging from poor to nonexistent. I get clear reception inside a metal barn with this radio and I love the separable power chord and the fact that it can still be powered by batteries. +5 This radio picks up signals much better than the old Sony it is replacing. +5 My mother, 85, loves this radio. +3 The reception is not as good as I expected, based on the reviews. It's very handy to use with or without electricity. It seems to be easy on batteries. If I lose it, I'd probably buy it again. If it broke, I wouldn't buy it again. +5 Everybody seems to like the reception and I do also. It does well in a high electrically noisy environment on the am band and fm sound is good. I always expect good quality from Panasonic and this one delivers. The slide rule tuning is very nice with no overshoot /undershoot annoyance. It only used about 50/1000 of an amp at fairly high volume off the AA cells so battery life is very good +5 I use it a lot and like it. I like that it can be used with batteries in emergencies and that is primarily why I got it. However, I use it plugged in and on one of my favorite stations-especially now at Christmas to listen to Christmas music. +4 I will be comparing this radio to similar radios for this review BASIC INFO 9L x 4.75H x 3D (includes handle) 4 speaker Large, easy to read dial Has earphone plug Uses 4 AA batteries or included AC cord Has a carrying handle Has a red tuning light (comes on when you have the station tuned in properly) THE GOOD Good reception, stations are easy to find and clear Good selectivity (ability to separate weak stations) Good simple knobs, they are large, different and easy to use, other radios can be awkward to use. Plays loud enough to listen while showering It has no brick (AC adaptor), just a standard cord THE BAD The stiff cord connects to the side of the radio, adding another 2.5 inches to it There is no storage for the cord, so it will all hang out if you just need a small length Sound is so-so, it has a somewhat muffled quality. This radio has less treble than most radios. Since most people probably use this type of radio for talk stations, treble is nice in my opinion. +5 I had an old radio I got from a local drugstore that was barely usable - it was very sensitive to the location in the house and even whether I touched it or not. On the FM station that covers my favorite baseball team (the A's), it would flake out if I didn't hold it in just the right position in our kitchen. Needless to say, I dumped it in the trash and bought this excellent radio that now gives me loud and clear reception to listen to my A's, he he. :-) +1 Mediocre reception, nice idea for someone who is housebound, but reminds me of radio reception in the 50's. +5 Also helpful is that the slide bar to turn on, just go all the way to one side to get am. Then to turn off, slide all the way to other side. Does not have to read what it says. Tunes by listening. Easy to turn dial +5 Wife loves +4 Nice design and good sound. I like it and would but it again. +5 Great radio. I was amazed at the sound and features. Was not expecting all that for the price. +5 Great product radio sounds great. +5 Perfect radio for my gardening and for storms, great reception and quality sound for a portable battery powered radio, lasts a long time on the batteries and it was handy when the hurricanes were approaching Florida. +3 Good emergency radio but I wouldnt want to listen to it all day +4 Good little radio. I take it from room to room. Unfortunately, no back lighting to use in the dark +5 Looking for a radio that will pull in stations from 5,000 miles away and sounds like front row at a rock concert? Yeah. This is not it. If you looking for a no frills, uncomplicated radio that works well, Buddy, you are in in luck. +5 Quick delivery, exactly as described. This is a good sounding AM radio with excellent battery life. +5 Ordered after the Hurricane. I am ready for the next need of this great radio. Very pleased +5 Nice radio to have in emergency pack. +5 I use it along with my emergency crank radio. excellent when the power goes out in a Hurricane +3 I like the simplicity of this product. There's only three buttons to adjust: On/FM/AM, tuning, and volume. I don't know if living in a condo may have affected the reception, but I'm getting similar performance from an old all-in-one portable boombox. I mean it's not bad; it's very portable and comes with an AC cord which a plus, because I only use it at home. I'll take it outside on my dad off and see if the reception improves. +5 I'm very happy with this radio for our garage work bench. I love that it is small and we can use the handle to hang it out of the way on the peg board wall. The functions are basic and there aren't to many buttons. Best of all, the stations tune in crystal clear. It's just a good basic radio. We'll periodically take it camping with us as well because the sound is so good. Highly recommend. Do yourself a favor and stop buying Coby radios. Spend an extra $10 and get quality. +5 I bought this for my elderly mother because she could not find a simple radio that didn't have all sort of features she will never use that will confuse her. This is truly the simplest radio ever. There is a big red indicator to show AM or FM and a tuning knob on the side. No digital display, no snooze alarm, no weather band and it sounds really nice too! +5 It works well. My husband uses it outside. +5 These small Panasonic RF 2400 AM/FM Battery Radios are a good quality radio at a reasonable price! Good buy. +5
 Note: The RF2400D is a digitally tuned radio with an analog dial. Most of the ratings here are not for that radio! The RF2400 is a completely analog radio and quite different than the newer RF2400D. These should be two separate radio listings and ratings on Amazon. Review for the fully analog RF2400 below: I found the RF 2400 to be a very well made little radio with excellent AM reception. The radios LED tuning light is really the same as an old -time signal strength meter (S-Meter). I built an external S-meter. (see video) It worked quite well and has made the radio easier to fine tune weaker signals. An analog S-Meter can make an AM radio much more fun to use and much easier to fine-tune those weaker distant signals. See my video of a proof-of-concept S-Meter. As it is, this radios LED signal strength meter is a great feature for this radio and it is helpful in fine tuning the radio. An unsung feature of this radio is its very low power consumption. I measured it as 4-8 milliamps for an average listening level station. The newer digitally-tuned and display radios use 3-7 times that power. Ive run one set of batteries since I bought the RF-2400 radio and that is many days worth of listening. It uses 4 AA alkalines BTW. I also bought and recommend use of the AN200 Grudig loop antenna with the this radio. The antenna is placed near the radio (not connected) and a control on the antenna will help you peak weaker AM stations. With the AN200 antenna, this radios sensitivity is on par with the very best AM radios such as the GE Super Radio. It is actually, surprisingly, an excellent distant station listening radio. The RF-2400 a great buy for the money and has advantages over digital radios. +3 This item went down in price by the time it was delivered to me on 10/26/17. I was, ultimately, able to have the volume increase to audible. It took multiple efforts with both AC and battery power to ensure at least interim operation. The radio is a convenient size and lightweight. I am not confidant that this radio can withstand heavy duty use. It is as advertised. 1.9 pounds and 3.2 x 9.2 x 4.8 inches as the seller states; the radio is not consistent with the seller's statements that the radio is "pocket size" and fits in a handbag. UPDATE: ON NOVEMBER 4, 2017 I TRIED TO USE THIS RADIO WITH BATTERY POWER. IT DID NOT WORK. AND, YES, THE BATTERIES ARE NEW BATTERIES AND ARE INSERTED CORRECTLY. VERY DISAPPOINTED. THE RADIO DOES OPERATE WITH AC CURRENT. +5 Great radio. Bought it for my wife for her office that had reception problems. Now she gets her favorite station static free. Really good FM reception. +5 Excellent reception. Terrific +1 my brother brought this for me because .my radio does work any more will got on oct 17th i put up on book case .when went plug it in fell off and handle off .it fell on rug.just junk.and head phones will not work .i can only hear right side nothing on left.the sound was ok.just wish better made.i use panasonic head phones with very old cd player made by them both work great,just to buy this one not made great at all and head phones will what eles can say +1 two of these didn't work +5 Just in time for hurricane Irma. I suddenly realized that it's no longer very easy to get TV reception and information of exactly what is going on. With a fully-shuttered house you feel an extra need to be in touch with the outside world. This little radio works perfectly and clearly. Each TV station gives you the radio station that will be carrying their broadcast so you can stay in touch with your favorite weatherman. NOTE: This radio does not carry a weather band which is necessary in areas where tornadoes and other emergencies that are less-predictable than hurricanes occur. I just wanted AM/FM coverage and this is what I got. I have to say that the psychological advantage of staying in touch with the weatherman by radio was more useful than the actual information he broadcast. They made very little effort to connect to the radio audience. They kept saying things like "the storm is moving this way" or "in the areas in orange" and all kinds of information that was not particularly helpful if you couldn't see what they were doing. +5 Works great +5 Great portable radio +3 Is ok. It does the job. Very pricey but that is Amazons fault. +5 Perfect for my 89 year old father, who wanted a radio with a large knob and analog dial, that would fit in the seat of his walker (this one is the perfect size). Very good reception both in and outside the building where he lives. Very satisfied. +4 A nice radio for the work shop, a little sensitive on tuning but will live with it. +4 Does not get all the stations, but good enough for lunchtime use. +1 Very poor reception. A lot of static on most stations. +1 Received item and packaging was completely open on one side, item did not have a antenna like it shows in the picture and doesn't work +5 My 85 year old father LOVES this radio, with the easy tuning, and good sound quality. Owe a debt of gratitude to previous reviewers, who specifically mentioned that it is a good radio for elderly. +4 Dude likes it +4 Works well. Good sound. A very good simple radio. No 'bells or whistles" which is OK with me! +2 I bought this the Panasonic RF-2400 prior to hurricane Irma. I was concerned about losing power. I was very disappointed when I received it. The sound was at best, mediocre. That is, if you could tune in a station. I found that there were few stations that I could tune in clearly. I have had tiny Walkmans in the past with much better sound than this radio. +3 AM picks up much better than FM. Worked to help get us thru Irma. +4 Nor as clear as I thought. +4 Would of liked it more had it came with a Weather Channel. So I'm settling for AM and FM. One needs a battery radio when one lives in an area that gets hurricanes... bad storms that knock out power. +2 I have difficulty hearing so ignore this post +5 This radio is wonderful +5 Bought this for my mom and she loves it. Very easy to read dial. +4 Bought used but works very well and looks brand new. Cost a bit much for just an a.m./f.m. but I trust the Panasonic brand and Amazons guarantee. It also arrived just in time before the hurricane to test. +5 Great sound from such a tiny radio really picks up signals well. +4 Very good sound. Long life on four AA batteries. Analog so it needs careful tuning but the LED helps. The volume is exponential, meaning that it goes from quiet to loud and then some theirafter louder, but it also means it can be played softly. Panasonic has been making this radio for 16 years that I know of, and it's one of the few choices of a good a.m. FM and your phone use battery and AC operated radio on the market. Panasonic at smart enough not to mess with a good product, unlike many manufacturers that believe a new model is more important than intrinsic quality. +4 this is almost exactly what I wanted and is serving the purpose for which I need. +4 Nice radio, bought as a gift for family in assisted living. +5 Grandma loves it. Plug it into your home, or take it outside while relaxing or gardening. +4 Great Little Radio +3 I bought this for my boyfriend who likes to listen to baseball. It is hard to find some stations, AM station even harder to find. Next time I'll consider a digital radio. I've had to mark some of the stations with a black sharpie so I can find them faster when switching from one station to the other. Otherwise, it works fine. +4 Works well, sounds okay - a little expensive perhaps +5 The radios work great. I like it that they are portable and small enough. +4 Nice little size. I have another Panasonic radio I've had for years, a bit bigger than this one. I decided to get this one while on sale for $23. I had hoped it would bring in two FM stations my other Panasonic cannot, since the reviews here, some of them, said it picked up stations well. Sadly, no. It only gets the stations my old one gets. Silly me for hoping. It's a nice size, has a power cord to save batteries, and is a good little radio for hurricane supply kit. It takes 4 of AA batteries. The dial is easy to read, for us older folks. I worry the toggle that switches on and off /am/fm might have issues (just like my old Panasonic is starting to) as it feels flimsy. I'm hoping not. All in all, I'm happy with it for the price. +5 Very pleased with this radio... the sound is very good for an under $30 radio... It doesn't have a "Big Sound", but it sounds like a more expensive unit... If it doesn't sound good, you don't have it tuned in... there is a red light that lights up when you are "on station"... thus the advantage of digital tuning... I won't hold that against the rating as it clearly shows a "dial up" tuner... I tuned in several stations to perfectly clear and a nice sound... an "enhanced bass" button would be nice or a treble-bass knob, but I won't hold that against the rating as it clearly does not show one... I found the antennae needed extended full out for best reception... best position is straight up... the radio also has an internal antennae so you can turn the radio side to side for better reception... It sounds better not aimed directly at yourself... it sounds more "trebley", whereas not aimed directly at you, it doesn't... It even has a better bass sound with the back of the radio toward you... You will need to play with it to find what works best, but it is a great little radio to tote along for the pool, patio, porch, picnics, fishing, etc... +5 Love this small, go anywhere radio. Easy to use and great reception. Excellent price +4 Nice little radio - not great but for the money ok +5 Does what's expected. +2 My experience is just the opposite of another reviewer. I can receive FM stations well but the AM reception is terrible. I went outside to eliminate any interference from my home appliances and turned the radio every which way to enable the built-in ferrule antenna to pick up a station. Maybe they forgot to put the antenna in, or didn't tune the radio. Regardless, I could not get any AM stations at al from this radio. I am able to receive three AM stations from a little $10 headphone radio, so I know there is something wrong with this radio. I wanted this radio for the nice large speaker; too bad all I hear on the AM band is static. +4 I purchased this product because I needed a keyboard that was small and this was the only one on the market that I found. I'd read an article that gave it a very positive review so I decided to try it out and see. The fact that the keyboard and mouse were wireless, meant little to me. As a matter of fact, prior to needing a small keyboard, I'd tried numerous wireless keyboards and mice and returned them all. This was because I found that many of the keyboards 'clacked' and/or had a feel I didn't care for, which I'll freely admit is personal and subjective. The other wireless mice however (I tried three), were all difficult to control accurately, especially if one is doing a lot of work in excel or graphics programs. My expectations for the Gyration keyboard & mouse were low and I was fully prepared to return the product if I didn't like it. To my surprise however, I do like it and have kept it. The mouse does not 'jump' at all and I am most impressed with it. As other feedback has indicated, it's not the most comfortable to use on a desk because it lacks ergonomics. Regardless, this is how I mostly use it and it's well worth it to me to sacrifice a small amount of hand comfort in return for an optical/wireless mouse that operates just as well/even better than a wired one and the other wireless ones I tried. Keep in mind, I did not buy this product for the mouse and yet it's the only wireless one I've used that scrolls and moves smoothly. The air-mouse function is stunning in it's ability. I have no idea how this company came up with this but it's amazing. It'll take a little practice, but this mouse is a reclining/lounge-person's dream. I personally had no desire to use the mouse this way, but as each day passes, I've found it more and more relaxing and comfortable to sit back in my office chair or even in a recliner (better on my back) and utilize/improve my air-mouse ability. In this regard, the distance range is a big plus. I spend hours and hours on the computer for work and this air-mouse means that I can sit on the floor if I want. I'm tired of my posture/comfort being ruled by a desk. Even though I have a laptop, the touchpad is a drag and I have to use two hands to work quickly and accurately. Those days are gone now. As to the keyboard, I had to have something smaller and this was my only option. The wireless function was a huge plus and I like the sponge-feel of the keys, although it did take a little getting used. This will be annoying for one who types fast. Also, I agree completely with the previous comments regarding layout of the keyboard. Things are oddly placed, so be prepared to do some correcting until you get used to it. I can't complain too much because I had a space/physical limitation, this keyboard has solved it, and it has operated perfectly. Set up was easy, there have been absolutely no technical difficulties, and the quality of the merchandise has been superior. I had a particular application for which I needed a solution and Gyration has exceeded my expectations. Away from my desk (but still in my office), I use my 2lb laptop and view its screen, the laptop's build in keyboard for typing, and the gyration mouse. I can be on the floor, in a recliner, on the couch, etc At my desk, I use an external monitor, the gyration keyboard, and the gyration mouse rolling it on the desk in the traditional way. Much more than I expected! +5 I *love* the narrow laptop-layout keyboard: it's the only one I've seen yet that doesn't stick seven inches' worth of miscellaneous navigation and numpad keys between typing surface and mouse. It eliminates the wrist-and-shoulder strain of right hand jutting out toward mouse. My Kensington trackball can sit neatly close. It's the best ergonomic advance for my desktop experience since switching over to dvorak input. The keyboard alone is worth the price; it was a real bonus to get this gyro-pointer (which used to cost much more!) for free. It takes some practice, but it's the best specialized tool for presentations. Tip: attach velcro patches to crucial keys (return, delete, command) to help you use them confidently while touch-typing. It's especially helpful on this keyboard because there's one column of navigation keys to the right of return and delete. Mac users: use DoubleCommand shareware to fix Windows' switched positions of the command and option keys. +4 Before buying this great innovation, please do consider the following: 1. The mouse was designed to be used without a surface. Yes, it can also be used on a surface with its optical sensor. But the designers of this product shaped the mouse to be held comfortably in the air instead of on a desk. The slim design of the mouse with large buttons makes it a bit unnatural when used on a surface. However, it fits perfectly in the hand when held in the air. So, before buying the gyration, please do keep in mind that the designers meant for this product to be used WITHOUT a surface most of the time. 2. After doing a ton of research online, I have found that this is the only wireless input device (besides remotes) that has a range over 10 ft. In my apartment, I was able to use both devices, keyboard and mouse, as far away as 22-23 feet from the base. Originally I was losing connection at about 19 feet. After placing the base at a higher location, I was able to achieve almost 23 feet range. Many people complain that the mouse is uncomfortable on a desk. Well, as I stated above, it is not designed to be used on a desk by the computer or else why would the long range be necessary. If you do a quick search or look on Logitech's web site, you will find that most wireless/cordless input devices' range is only 6 feet. Why? because they are designed for the main purpose of reducing clutter. The gyration product is designed to be used far away from the desktop computer. Since you will be more than 8-15 feet away from your desktop computer, you will not be able to really see your monitor. Keep in mind that this product is to be used in conjunction with a computer hooked up to a big screen TV or a projector. 3. The compact keyboard is okay. The keyboard is the reason I am not giving this product 5 stars. The keyboard layout can be improved. It is supposed to be like a laptop keyboard. For some strange reason, gyration did not mimic laptop keyboard layouts. Just compare the layout of the gryation keyboard layout to any laptop keyboard, you will immediately notice the differences. The most annoying one is the "function" key being at the bottom left corner instead of the "ctrl" key. The two should be flipped. I type between 65-80 words per minute on normal keyboards. The gyration keyboard does slow me down a bit, but I do find too hard get used to. Definitely think about getting the full sized keyboard instead. So... IF you are looking for a wireless input device to REDUCE CLUTTER, do NOT buy this product. IF you are going to be using a wireless input device on a desk near your desktop computer or laptop more than 85% of the time, do NOT buy this product. Do buy this product if you are planning to hook up your desktop computer to a big screen TV and sit back on a couch. This is the best product to set up a computer in the living room without having to mess up your living room look. The desktop computer can be hidden away without a monitor. The mouse response is fast. It does take some practice to get a hang of it. But remember this is the ONLY full functioning pointing device that can be used in mid-air with long range. The mouse and keyboard uses the same base station. Zero conflicts when using both devices at the same time in terms of interferences or slow down. Let me stress again to all of you looking for wireless input devices. If you are going to be using your wireless input devices on a desk near your computer, DO NOT buy the gyration. You will hate it. You should consider products from Logitech which makes great input devices in my opinion. If you are going to be using the wireless input device without a surface and far away from your computer, this is the perfect and only solution for you. +4 I loved this reception but I could not pick up local Nashville 94.5, which is right by my house and crucial in case of tornado announcements. I gave it away and got a sangean digital radio, which has static at 94.5 but is easy to hear +5 Good sound and seems to be well made. Good price. Will be buying again. +1 I'm really disappointed with this radio. It's impossible to get the Twins baseball games and I am less than 20 miles from the radio station. +5 I bought this radio to use in my car, as it doesn't have one. It's compact, easily carried and easy to use. If you're looking for a compact, well designed small radio, I recommend this choice. I always look at three specific objectives when considering radios: stability, sensitivity, and selectivity. As this is an AM FM model only, it holds FM stations with no drifting. I don't get AM stations in my location so can't judge it there, but FM shines. A+++ +5 Good value. +4 I wanted a small FM radio that did not use batteries. I like to play music while I do housework or get ready for work. My other radio is battery operated. I hate tossing all those AA batteries into a land fill. If I use my Bluetooth speaker, it eats up my phone battery. This was the perfect solution. Simple design and has very good sound. If the tuner display were digital, I would give it 5 stars. +3 I'm not able to get great reception with this radio at my house. We live in a one story house so I don't know what the problem is. I'm disappointed. +5 Simple Old School style AM/FM radio, AC/DC with good sound. No programming or confusing settings required. +5 It's what I wanted. Good porch or outdoor project radio +5 pretty cool little radio +5 Love it. Good sound serves my purpose. +5 Great Radio for the price. Picks up station up in the mountains +4 Much smaller then expected but has a single speaker which is clear when turned up. Antennae does not rotate, one star off for that. Good unit. +4 Nice little radio; wish the sound quality was better. +5 Have it hanging on the wall by the shower. Pulls in stations that I could not get on my other little radio I had for years. The sound is quite good, and loud if you want, for a small speaker. I even hear some lows in the music which is a bonus. Very simple to operate, and a nice compact design. Would definitely buy again. A great little radio for the price. +4 I wanted an inexpensive radio to take to the beach. Works good as an AM radio and picks up 50,000 watt stations 100 miles away in the daytime. Sounds good on AM too. For FM, the reception is poor. Would pick up only one FM station that was a mile away. However, as my interest is AM radio, It is great and I will keep it for that purpose. +5 I bought this radio just for hurricane preparedness. The sound is good and it worked well off of batteries. It is very similar to a portable radio my husband had 50 years ago. that was our beach radio. This one is smaller and light weight. +5 Right size. No alarm clock. Old radio with alarm kept setting itself at odd hours of night. This Panasonic works. Word to wise: For radio to work on battery, the power cord does need to be disconnected from unit. Otherwise, the radio will not work on batteries. +4 I bought this to have a small, light radio to take camping and to use at the park when picnicking. Nice large dial and easy to read numbers. +1 Had to return this radio. It had poor reception. +3 Bought this for my father with dementia as it has limited features. The volume is so touchy it either blares too loud or too soft. +4 Nice portable radio w/ good AM reception and clear, simple controls using AAA batteries or detachable AC cord. Sound is nice and clear at about 75% max. volume. Two flaws are the ridiculously high price for a basic radio (but that's what the market bears) and the antenna mount. Instead of a basic 360 swivel antenna mount, our kind Chinese friends substituted left right only antenna. That means one must twist the entire radio to get some FM signals.... +1 Dial to change the channel didn't work. Don't waste your money. +3 Radio was bought for my 78 yeast old mother as it looked easy to use. It is easy, but reception has been poor and it's in a neighborhood in Grand Rapids and other radios seem to do ok. So a bit dissappointed. +4 Reminds me of the old vintage radios we used many years ago. Simple and easy to use. Just the right size for what I needed. Reception is very good. Love my talk radio shows and this radio is good for that. Nice clear audio. +2 Third radio for garage use in 30 years. Too much trouble to re-pack and send back for thirty dollars. Marginal sound and poor tuner even for local stations.. +5 Great reception and tone. We use it to listen to WLW Reds baseball games. +1 Very disappointed. Reception for WBUR FM 90.9 is really bad in my area (Shrewsbury, MA). In comparison, my other radio with digital tuner works much better. I wanted to have a radio in both bathrooms, that's why I purchased this one. +4 like it +1 returned it. plug in stuck out 2+ inches on side. +5 Works well +5 One thing to remember this is not digital radio and yes you may have to retune occasionally, but it doe well with rechargeable batteries. For the price, I have not complaints. +3 I bought this to replace my sony radio, similar size, not available any more. The reception is only fair and the sound is a little harsh. +3 The speaker sounds decent, not tinny and it does have some bass, enough that it produces a good even sound... but it gets static when walking around it in the room. As a test, I brought the radio on the way to work and stopped right next to the transmitter tower and surprisingly it still got static even there when moving around it. It's not extreme static, but it's enough to be quite annoying on this radio that otherwise has very good sound for a little radio of this size. I am about 5 miles from the radio tower ...it gets the same static to a lesser extent when I drove to within a few hundred yards of the station transmitter tower. And I know which towers are which. -----------------------------------------------------------------For comparison, I have two 10+ year old Philips GoGear walkmans, ten dollar yard sale buys and they do not get this static when riding the mountainbike . -------------- The knobs are solid, not wobbly, buttons are solid. The carry handle is solid and stays put in whatever position you put the handle. None of it "high end" but quite adequate. Annoying to have a poor receiver in an otherwise well put together small radio. My guess is they outsourced the internal board and the outsource factory used sub par components or sub par manufacturing processes for the board . Owell . +4 Nice radio, despite it being 15 yrs into its production. +4 Sound quality is good. Picks up plenty of stations in my small town area. Haven't used much yet and have not used with batteries, so I may have to supplement this review. +5 Bought it for my wife, she loves it. Pros: Sounds great. Nice 4" Speaker. Note more than a few portable radios now being sold have a large speaker grill on the outside but have a much smaller speaker inside. This is to fool people into thinking the radio will have a wonderful sound since it has a nice large speaker. On this radio the speaker grill does NOT MISLEAD you with silly games like that. You can see the size of the ample 4 inch speaker which sounds pretty darn good for a radio of this price. Large knobs and the easy to use red analog tuning bar makes this the perfect radio for luddites and some seniors looking for a simple and easy to use radio. Cons: A bit hard to find the exact radio station you want with the analog tuning bar vs a digital readout but for some folks that is a pro and not a con. No place to put the AC cord in the radio for storage. Overall a nice sounding, well built product. Reception seems to be pretty good. Three tips: (Yes these are my pet peeves. Lol) 1. This should be common knowledge but I find that too many people don't get it. The metal extendable antenna is only used for FM and the weather channels, which by the way are also FM. The AM radio antenna is inside the radio itself and "tuned" by physically turning the radio itself. This is true for almost all AM/FM radios. 2. AM radio is very, very susceptible to any electrical impulse interference, like computers and pretty much anything electronic. Move the radio away from these things in order for it to work well. 3. Please do not collapse the extendable antenna from its weakest point which is the top. Grab the first bottom extended section and push each section at a time into the very bottom section, this will prevent you from joining those with the bent and broken antennas. +1 1945 sound quality. +5 THIS is better, in fact much better than the Sony it's replacing ....seriously this is a great little radio! +2 I'm in the process of returning this. It does not tune well at all. I have a clock radio & cheap shower radio that do not have an exterior antenna and they both tune better than this radio. +5 Great sound +5 What a great little radio with a big sound. I use this primarily in my RV so I don't have to turn on either the coach or the chassis when I want to listen to a particular show. Lightweight as it runs on four (4) AA batteries. You don't have to mess with the AC cord at all, so I just leave the cord in my junque drawer. Easy to tune, even has a "tuned" light if you don't hear too well. There is no down-side with this product. +4 Easy to read but has some static issues +4 Bought this as a gift and the person who received it, says it works great. +5 Got this for my 88 year old mother who likes to listen to talk radio, but doesn't like to get up from her couch. I got her a battery powered radio last month, but she kept forgetting to shut it off and the batteries died quickly. This radio is light weight, easy to use and the cord is long enough to reach the outlet behind her couch. Reception and sound quality are excellent considering the radio's price. +5 works great. good reception, +5 Nice radio by PT Panasonic in Indonesia. Feels right out of the 70, nice stong build, is 100% anolog, no computers in this one!! Has a nice big speaker, and can get some nice am stations, but the selectivity is not that great, but what can you expect for a dime store radio? +4 Good replacement for bathroom +4 A very decent basic radio with good sound. Compared side-by-side with Sangean PR-D18, the RF-2400 has much better sound and picks up more AM/FM stations. A no frills radio that works well. +5 My husband wanted this to listen to when at work. He said the reception is great when he's in his crane. He wanted one that was bigger than a pocket transistor radio, one that runs on electricity and something he can put in his backpack to carry it back and forth to work. This fit the bill nicely. Easy to read station slider is a plus too. +5 Very good radio . I really like it thanks !! +5 Works great +2 Can't find decent radio anymore this one does pick up but very cheaply made +1 Maybe I got a bad one, but mine was swamped and overloaded by a strong local FM station that showed up all over the dial. I am in a small town, not in an urban area with lots of stations on top of each other. This should never happen. +5 Easy to use. I bought it for my sister who is legally blind. I would highly recommend this product for a person that wants a good and simple to use portable unit. +5 Very very cool ! Simple and so easy ! Perfect reception! i love the plug option and hard attena ! Finally a good small radio that actually gets stations ! Lol +5 I was looking for a radio for my grandmother and this one seemed to be perfect. I don't regret getting this one. The radio looks good and feels nice. I chose this one because the simpler controls, old fashion tuning with a good sized knob and very easy to see frequency and "needle" in the dial. The band changing switch works also as on/off switch, on the side there is the volume control, simple and perfect for my grandmother with her diminished sight but sill with excellent hearing. I was surprised how well it sounds, volume is high and voice is clear, music sounds surprisingly right without feeling hollow or strident considering the plastic and small body. I was able to browse through tuning many stations in both AM and FM, including some far away stations, from my kitchen, and didn't even need to raise the antenna, so I'm pleased with reception. One of the other reasons I chose this radio is because it works with batteries and also with AC. The AC cord can be attached and detached and stored, so you don't have to drag it when on batteries. Overall, very happy with it, and hope when grandma gets it she will be happy too and can enjoy listening to her preferred stations. +5 IT is what it says it is. An oldschool radio, AM and FM, the knob adjusts the frequency and you can move it ever so slightly to get the best signal. Volume wheel right behind it, it can get pretty loud, no need to get to max volume unless there's like 20 people in the room talking. Has headphone jack, battery powered or cord powered. I chose this model because it has the optional corded connection. I don't want to waste batteries if I have a perfectly good power outlet. Seems well built, I recommend it. +2 Poor reception of local stations on AM and FM. Very disappointed. Tinny sounding on AM. Not happy. Don't wast your money. +5 Very nice radio good speaker and it does a good job of picking up the AM stations we like to hear. +3 I didn't realize it, but this is a mono radio, not stereo. I wanted to use it at work often with headphones but only the left ear works. Reception is _great_ and so is sensitivity. It's a great size and runs on ac (cord included) and batteries. I wish I could have kept it but returned it because it doesn't support headphones. +5 For my wife to listen to ballgames while gardening--she loves it. +5 Finally, FM in the house that can find and hold a channel without futzing and refutzing with the position of the radio and/or the antenna. I was pleasantly surprised also with the speaker, which for me is great even with the volume up. I listen to just two stations, so while being able to save a channel is nice - I just marked them inconspicuously with a fine point marker so I can find them easily and it's fine. +3 This thing picks up stations no better than the $10 radio I bought at Walmart. The value of the name "Panasonic" has really dropped. +5 Fine radios +5 Nice little radio! +5 Bought this radio for my 88 Year old Aunt. She lives in another State so I had it sent direct. I haven't seen the radio but my Aunt Loved it! +2 I was really looking for a portable radio with a large speaker because I wanted portability with decent sound. Unfortunately I found that the sound was not that good for music and the tuner was not too selective, allowing one station to play over another. I tried this radio next to other older but similarly sized radios and this Panasonic was just not up to the job. I would have gladly paid twice as much for a better performing radio. Apparently the manufacturers don't see a market for quality portable radios with large speakers and analog tuners. I returned the radio and this is the first purchase I have returned to Amazon. +5 Great radio +1 Only picks up really strong stations. Trying to pick up broadcast outside of a building. Had to crank the car up and use car radio, which is what I was trying to avoid. Was not able to test until a week after return window closed so I am stuck with it. +5 Good size portable radio. Perfect for my wife to take to the patio. She loves this quality radio. +4 Worth the price. +5 Works great +5 Grandfather loves it. Needed something very intuitive (more like his old radios) for him to be able to use. CD players just have too many buttons and this is also very portable. He is very happy with it. Will get him headphones soon so he can use that in conjunction with this radio when sitting outside. +3 Little old fashion, simple radio for out in the yard. Sound quality is better for talk radio. For us who remember the old crystal sets, it is similar. I find it's reception about the same as my old 1990 Ford radio with a broken antenna. So lots of fiddling to find a station. There is some station drift and it doesn't lock into a station. I believe that is because it is not a digital radio. The antenna only sweeps in an arch fashion, so you need to turn the radio around instead of the antenna to get a station dialed in. You would think they could at least put a swivel connection on the antenna. I use 4 AA rechargeable batteries. The big chunky power cord is 5 feet long. It's kind of a grandma/grandpa radio for listening to public broadcasting radio. Or maybe you want an emergency radio, or to take to the beach, as no one will want to steal it. Overall, it is expensive for what you get. I would not recommend it. +5 I tried some other little radios but had to send them back because they were bad. Then I got this one and I'm very happy with it, it is exactly what I was looking for! Takes batteries, I keep it in my bathroom, has great reception, and I can find the stations on both AM and FM so easily-this is better then the old radio I had before--Thanks very much! +4 FM reception was not that great. AM was OK. Good radio for the price. Speaker was loud enough. +5 I was looking for the best possible A.M. radio. That's hard to find these days because the best of the best are out of production today, but this one is in that league. +4 I have been looking for a radio for my Garage/Workshop that has an ON switch that is not digital... so I can control it from a switched power plug. Now I flip a switch and the radio starts playing... flip it again at the end of the day and instant silence. I have tried others before.. but this one has a great sound! Loud and crisp.. no distortion. The long antenna always gets me a signal even though I am in a "bunker". I have not tried the battery only option since I plug it in... so I cannot speak to battery life. I can however complain about the side power plug. It is detachable which is nice but one the side makes it a pain to put on the shelf. I would have liked it to be in the back. In the end it is a solid powerful good sounding radio with a leave on - on switch! I recommend this to my fellow garage shop workers looking for a simple but effective radio. +4 Very nice for the price. Just a small portable radio without any bells and whistles. Would recommend to anyone wanting to listen to the radio. +4 I bought this for my neighbor. Good for people with poor or failing eyesight to read the numbers and adjust stations. +5 picks up local station, so now I can listen to during bad weather. Just a plan basic radio, easy to tune. No fuss radio that gives you the news and music if you want it. +3 pretty weak sound +5 I love it...Works great and sounds good...Reminds me of the 60s! +5 Love this radio. Great volume, great sound, great price. HEY LOUNGE CHAIR AND SUN, HERE I COME LOL +4 Well equipped design and color for this radio. Sound is great, but not so good close to working electronics, to much static. +5 I like this portable radio so much I bought one for my husband. Light weight, good reception, easy to read numbers, and good price. Handy to take with me wherever I'm working in the house, yard, garage, etc. Recommended +5 We get lousy reception from every antenna radio we have tried in our home. THis past rainy season was intense and included some hours without power. We wanted to listen to the news - but couldn't. After reading so many positive recviews of this radio, I ordered one and I am, simply put, delighted! The reception is clear - and reminds me of the AM portables we took to the beach when I was a kid. It operates on either 4 AA batteries or on DC power (cord is included.) Sure, not every station comes in perfectly, but the news chammels come in perfectly clear enough to listen and be warned - or for status updates in emergent situations when our power is down. This is a nice (and necessary) piece of emergency equipment. No home should be without one! +5 this radio works well. I am happy. focus stations +5 We ordered this AA battery/plug in radio when we had Tornado warnings several weeks ago and realized that when the power goes out you need a way to stay connected to the weather situation! This is the ticket!. Has great sound and picks up several stations up to 100 miles away! +5 I bought it for my cellar shop. Good for what I use it for. Low cost. Don't expect a boom box. +5 Very nice radio, with real good reception. Lasts a long time on batteries. +5 I've had an AC AM/FM Police Band radio for years that I listen to while working out in the yard or driveway on my car or truck. But, like everything, it has worn out. So I need a good multi band AC/DC radio to replace it. Best place to look is Amazon. Found this Panasonic radio. Very good price. Always been partial to Panasonic. First time I took the radio outside while working on my truck I was surprised that I didn't even need the extend the antenna for perfect reception of my favorite FM station. +5 Simple analog controls, brings in stations clearly, small & very good sound. . . a basic am-fm radio & perfect for my needs. +5 I adore this radio and would like to get two more at the same price It's perfect for me to listen to my programs every day. I can set the dial on one for one station and another one on another station and not have to change the tuning .... there is a little bit of static when I first turn it on but I'm ignoring it. Because it goes away quickly. +1 i played this for about 5 minutes and then decided to return it. i bought this for work so i could listen to my sports talk stations while at my desk. i tested this at home when i first got it and all could get was static. totally worthless. i returned it immediately. +5 I wish both ear side worked +3 This will scratch very easily. I bought it to use on job sites and it's not going to last a week. I bough this one because I thought it would have a great tuner in it. Not so, but probably still better than the no-name brands. +2 Not loud enough, will be returning. +5 cute little radio for the garage. i like to be able to listen to am radio once in a while and this little radio does the job. does not feel like a cheap piece of plastic either and the reception is good. would like it if it had a little fuller sound but it aint that bad and it is just for the shop anyway +5 Nice radio +5 My husband loves old school, easy to operate radios. He loves this one, and says it has very good reception. +5 The wife loves the dials and sound for her office. This is the best choice in my opinion for all the right reasons +5 I live in a small town and have never been able to get many stations, but for some reason I've able to get a few more with this radio and very clear reception... +4 A fairly good value. Speaker is really good. Adjacent stations seem to bleed together. I think digital tuning would be better. +4 Hard to find these radios but I wanted something small and compact that works well and it does. Use it mainly for power outages/hurricanes. Panasonic did a good job with this radio. +3 Remember the bad old days of analog radios that were subject to interference from other stations and to frequency drift? Yeah, this reproduces that perfectly. I have to retune this frequently and move the antenna around as I walk around in my kitchen. I tune the radio, then it loses its tuning when I walk away. I live in the middle of a major city and the stations I listen to are nearby. It's really like it was built in 1975. The speaker is nice, though. +5 The Magellan Meridian Color is my first GPS receiver, so I can't compare it with others. But it is an amazing piece of equipment. It is extremely versatile, well made, fun and useful. With the latest firmware upgrade, v5.34, and the excellent optional MapSend DirectRoute mapping computer software (made by NavTech) this is both a great handheld hiking GPS and an in-car, turn-by-turn, street/address routing device. Although the internal memory is only 16 MB, enough for the adequate base maps that are pre-installed, the capability to use SD memory cards for uploading detaled street or topo maps from the computer greatly expands the usefulness. I am using a 256 MB memory card in my Meridian Color, on which I currently have uploaded detailed street maps for most of California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas from the DirectRoute software. These have to be limited to no more than 64 MB regions that can be selected on the GPS through the "card utilities - change map" menu, and are available in the GPS at all times. If I want more maps than fit on one card, I can buy another card and swap them as needed. The color screen is very good and can be seen well in a car from the drivers seat position when the unit is held in the optional dashboard suction-cup mounting bracket. Unless the sun is right on it, it is bright enough to be seen in the middle of a sunny day, and can be dimmed at night. The zoom function allows you to quickly zoom out to see your current position in reference to the whole world, or zoom in in reference to as close as a 100 ft scale of detailed street or topo maps. The only negative comment I have is that the output connection from the GPS to a computer is a serial port type, rather than USB. Most newer laptops don't even have serial ports anymore. However, this is remedied by using a serial/USB converter (about $20). The uploading of detailed maps is much faster anyway when done directly to the SD memory card using an SD memory reader/writer (also about $20), which makes it mostly unnecessary to connect the GPS directly to the computer. The GPS receiver goes through 2 AA batteries in about 6 hours of use with screen continuously at full brightness. I bought an AA battery recharger with 6 batteries for about $20 which works great and takes away the cost of replacing batteries. The Meridian Color can quickly convert among all major coordinate systems, and has multiple screens to show you such things as your current coordinates, elevation, speed, heading, and needed bearing toward a chosen destination ("waypoint"). It can store up to 500 waypoints and 20 routes. For hiking purposes it can track your movement and then allow you to use a "backtrack" function to see and re-trace your path back to where you started. +4 Display: The COLOR has no-light/dim/bright, as does the PLATINUM. But the COLOR it is only usable with bright lights in daylight and dim during nighttime, with no lights you don't see anything. The Platinum w/o light has still an acceptable display and runs for about 8 hrs, the COLOR on bright runs slightly over 4 hrs (1.850 mAh). Functionality: The colored display is very helpful together with Topo Send. You can easily distinguish between different graphics by the color; like arroyos and dirt-roads, specially marked arreas and lakes, etc. What is missing on the COLOR compared to the PLATINUM is the baro, thermo and the build in electronic compass (not gps dependent). I thermo and baro I found fun to play around with but never really found a serious application. The compass needs constant alignment and is often considerably off. For all those applications there is way better stuff out there. The COLOR has the better software wich might be due to the fact that I downloaded the latest software to it (v. 5.12). After v. 5.xx there is supposed to be a street navigation function to it, which I haven't found yet- maybe only works with MapStreets. Durability: As I pointed out in my earlier review on the PLATINUM this unit is extremely rugged and highly reliable in the field. I figure so will be the COLOR. Deficiencies: The backtrack function is higly deficient. When you wanna walk back you have to hit every single point this function created on the way back. Often you don't do that because you do a shortcut. Neither one of those units does allow you to bypass one single point and from now it desperatly points back to the one point you might have missed by a couple of feets. Map-Download: has certain limitations which are discussed in some other reviews on this side. Even with the latest software I was only able to download 3 regions to one map, but 4 maps alltogether with a total of 120mb over my PDA (Card-Reader might be even better) by doing the following: 1. Without connecting your Meridian to a PC, begin the map Upload process (click Regions; then Upload to GPS). 2. When the map data conversion process is done, MapSend will display a message that it cannot find your GPS receiver to perform the download. 3. Stop the process here by selecting "Cancel". 4. Using Windows Explorer, go to Program Files/Magellan/MapSend/Export and locate the file called "maps.img". 5. Copy this file to the SD card using USB card reader. Do not create any folders within the SD card where you place this file. Your Meridian will always looks at the top, or "Root" level within the card. 6. Rename the file "XXXXXX.img" - Example (SO California.img). 7. Remove the card and place it in your Meridian. You can use your Meridian as you would normally from here. (If you have at least software version 3.12 loaded on your Meridian, you will be able to select a map image to use from the Card Utilities menu - Press MENU to find Card Utilities) Verdict: I do recommend both units, but do personally prefer the COLOR for its more consise display even considering the extra functions on the PLATINUM. Because of certain flaws in the software I give both a 4 out of 5. +2 I bought one of these because it had a color display. After I received it I noticed the display was practically impossible to see unless the backlight was on high. I drove around with it a little and it tracked where I went very well but I had to leave the light on all the time and it ran the batteries down in about four hours. I was using Duracell 1800 nimh rechargables. I returned it the next day and got a Meridian platinum for less money and it has a barometer and thermometer. The display is visible in the day and you only need the back light on at night. Unless you like changing batteries often get a Meridian platinum or a Meridian gold. +4 I have used a downloaded mapping GPS since 1998 and use it extensively. The pluses on the Meridian Color are: SD memory cards - I can finally carry the maps I need, uses only 2 AA batteries, well built and waterproof, searchable addresses, extensive points of interest, maps of Canada and parts of Europe, programmable navigation menus. I use a USB 2.0 SD card reader and a 256MB SD card and can quickly download 64 MB maps. Multiple maps can be stored on the SD card up to your storage limit. Using a card reader the map creation and storage process is done in a couple of minutes. The misses: the color screen is not a helpful as I expected, in daytime use the screen is very dark and hard to see even with the backlight on draining the batteries quickly, still needs better waypoint management, the Topo maps are not a useful as I expected. Good unit, but I would probably have been better off with the Meridian Gold due to the Color unit's hard to see screen. +1 Slick package and nice color display. Some clever features for boating but doesn't do the one, most important, thing I need; auto-routing. The straight line GOTO function is worse than useless, just a weak imitation of a routing function and more likely to get you to a dead end than where you want to go. I use a GPS unit on a motorcycle to get driving instructions and this is just a portable map. I recommend a Garmin V or StreetPilot instead, they have real auto-routing functions. +5 This is a great small radio for people who still enjoy the air waves. Good quality and great reception. +5 Great little radio and good sound. +5 This was a Christmas gift for my mother. She loves it: compact, but not tiny; well-made; and very functional. For all those reasons, along with affordability, I found this radio to be a great buy. +4 Good sound from a small radio, no frills, just a basic AM/FM radior. +4 I listen to am radio. It works well. Sometimes I hear other stations in the background, not sure if it is interference from sun...because 95% of the time is it awesome. I have enhanced my listening experience by purchasing pillow speakers from C Crane. Those are awesome +5 Excellent Radio for my mom, 77 year old with hearing problems, very load with high quality sound, the old stile knob dial indicator it is easy to read, also uses batteries, so she can take it outdoors, and ac cord for use at home, very good reception, very easy bottoms for changing AM to FM and the ON OFF bottom as well, but definitely good quality sound and it could be very loud, highly recommend this for people with difficulty to listen. +4 Great Radio for the office, much better reception than expected and this radio can actually be turned up quite loud with clarity. I had the same great experience with my more expensive radios in my house but did not want to splurge on the same thing for the office. This radio is very light to transport, so easy to get where you might be for only a short time. It can either be plugged in to an outlet or run off batteries if needed, so a big plus. Please with this purchase! +5 Just got it a few minutes ago. So far, I love it. Really good sound and reception battery operated. +5 this is an excellent little radio. +5 Great little radio with great reception. Super for the small investment +5 It is harder than you think to buy a basic radio. Bought this for my dad. It works great for him. +5 Great Little radio gave it as a gift to my mother in-law she loves large numbers and good reception. +2 Purchased this to play music to go with my Christmas light show, but was disappointed. 15 feet away from the FM transmitter and it barely got the signal. Was picking up other radio stations that were several bands away from the setting I was on. The highest volume setting was still not very loud. I wouldn't recommend. +5 Perfect for what it is. Great speaker when I can get a station in this "blankety-blank" desert town I live in. +5 I was going to order the Sony ICF38. which I purchased a year ago. To my dismay, it was now selling new and used for just under a $100.00. I paid $23.00 and change. I read some details about this Panasonic and decided to take a chance. So far, have loved it even more than the Sony. The sound is full and excellent. It also has a handle which can be folded over. The silver color is beautiful and I am absolutely thrilled so far with the quality. I will use it as a full radio and probably never use the batteries. And the cost was about $31.00 and change. Bravo Panasonic!!! +5 Works great, it was a gift and recipient was very pleased. +5 excellent am/fm radio, given to my 96 year old mother for christmas, simple and easy to use, she enjoys it immensely, delivery was quick, and the pricing very competitive, will use seller and Panasonic product line again in future, +5 great radio, my wife loves it. Dials are easy to see and adjust. +5 nice sounding radio +5 My 97 yo Dad says it works so much better than his 50 yo transistor (I exaggerate). Easy to see, easy to twist knob...great for old or infirm fingers. +1 Very disappointed with Panasonic!. I purchased a "PREMIUM BRAND" or at least I thought I did, only to receive a mediocre light weight transistor radio that I could pickup in a five & dime store. The radio was purchased to have a small reliable connection with local radio stations here. But, I can bearly hear when tuning in with all the static and noise. It's just poorly made & I wasted my money. I need a better quality radio. +4 Works better then the other more expensive radios I've purchased. +5 Works well. Easy to use. Good sound and AM reception which is why I purchased this device. +5 It does exactly what it's supposed to: Clearly receives both AM and FM stations with the flip of a switch. The sound is pretty large considering it's a small unit. +5 Works great! +5 This radio comes in handy when the power goes out, it also has good am reception so I can listen to talk radio stations without having to use the internet, +5 A great little radio +5 Tuning is simple, and it has good rich sound -- none of that cheap shrill pie plate speaker sound, and you can set this radio so it can be turned on and off with a timer. Another nice bonus -- since the power switch is separate from the volume control knob, it will keep your volume setting. +5 Works well. Rush Limbaugh's voice comes in loud and clear. +5 GREAT PRODUCT, WORKS AS DESCRIBED. +5 This little Retro looking radio is very well made. Hi quality, great sound and simplicity can best describe this radio; my expectations were exceeded. +5 This is my third Panasonic RF-2400 radio in 20 years. The first two lasted approximately 10 years apiece in spite of being used a lot, picked up with wet hands, having paint fall on them, etc. It's a good product and I'm glad they still make it. +5 Great radio.. I live out in the country and far from radio stations. I wanted a radio that brought in weak AM stations. In the past I bought a Grundig and Sangean radio that cost much more then this Panasonic.. This radio brings in weak stations much better... Even the sound quality is better then the aforementioned radios.. I'm a satisfied customer of this Panasonic product. +5 Really good sounding radio. Bought for parents (over 80) to listen to baseball games. AC/DC Operation. Panasonic makes good products. Tuning on AM / FM is good. Hard to find a good simple radio in today's economy. I can't help but think 20 years ago it would have cost half the price. +5 Awesome little radio! +4 I got this when working at a job that required I do a lot of work on the computer, and got this because I was beginning to get pain/discomfort in my mouse hand. This fixed the problem. Very comfortable. To reposition, you just tilt it to the right and reposition it -- you can't lift the mouse due to weight and fact that your fingers would grip on the buttons. Learning curve, but worth it if you have any discomfort. Not great for first person shooter games, but you can passably play them and it works fine for all other uses (and games). +3 when this mouse works, it's GREAT. Ergonomic and tons of buttons. however, it gets knocked over VERY EASILY. 1 or 2 hits on the floor and it is not working properly ever again. buy with *caution* +3 I have used both the original white model and the black version 3 for many year now and finally stopped using them and switched to Logitech without regret. Before I purchased these, I had a big problem with wrist pain, which would return quickly whenever I stopped using them. However over time the computer had more and more difficulty recognizing that I plugged the white one in and I nearly always had to use a mousepad. After 7 years, it got so bad that I just gave up. But then again 7 years is a long time for a mouse anyway. The black one is less than one year old and had a button that never worked from the start (but I did not mind as I never used that button), but it started acting up to the point that I was constantly telling the computer to do stuff that I did not want to do. Its replacement Logitech Wireless Performance Mouse MX for PC and Mac is working perfectly. +5 Easy to use. Good sound +1 I purchased this mouse and had troubles with it from Day 1. It is undeniably the most ergonomically correct mouse I've ever used--and my RSI symptoms faded within a week. But it was thoroughly unstable. There were problems with its driver (and I tried 3 versions!). It behaved erratically, and eventually crashed my operating system. I had to nuke the hard drive back to zero and start again. After nearly 4 months of ongoing e-mails with someone at Evoluent, and the offer of a refund, I returned the mouse (at my expense) and got NO refund nor satisfaction. I won't accept a replacement mouse--I don't trust it to be any more improved. I can't keep turning my computer on and off to unfreeze the pointer. Good idea, bad execution, lousy (though prompt) customer support. +5 I spend all day using a mouse, and was starting to have problems with significant pain and tingling in my wrist and fingers. I had tried a trackball in the past and didn't care for it (I guess I have fumblethumbs :), and the gyro mice and such are probably nice and all that, but I don't want to have to deal with batteries. So, probably as much for the lack of other possibilities as anything, I decided I'd give a vertical mouse a try. At first I tried it at home, but my desk is quite small and I am not able to rest my forearm on the desk... I found it awkward and disappointing in that scenario. I was seriously ready to add it to my pile of "things that I've wasted money on", but since the majority of my mouse time is at work with (what was at the time) a pitiful excuse for a mouse, I decided to try it there since the desk is much larger and I *can* rest my forearm on the desk. The pain and tingling have completely abated, and now I am so pleased with it that I am going to buy another (as well as a larger desk) for home use. As others have mentioned, it did take a short amount of time to get used to, but now that I have, I never want to go back! +5 I create detailed drawings and use a mouse for long periods of time. For the last year I've had almost constant pain in the top of my hand and in my wrist area. I tried pads, gloves, ACE bandages and pills. Finally I realized the pain was caused by holding my index/ring finger on my right hand poised over the right mouse button that was causing the pain. A trackball won't allow the precision dragging lines and symbols because I tried a really nice optical one. This Evoluent vertical mouse solved the problem and I am now pain free. YES !! Too bad I paid +$150 to doctors and other products. +1 Have had a software problem with this product. Unable to install properly on XP Pro. Have contacted Microsoft and tried to resolve it thru the web and email on thier "Compass Rule Manager". They have a updated software download which they referred me, but it does not fix the problem. They have also given me some vague "General Instructions" that really do not apply to my program and can be obtained thru their knowledge base. I have found a great "work around", take the product back to the retailer and get a mouse that works properly. Definitely not a Microsoft mouse. +5 Easy to operate. Great buy~ +5 Fast ship, No problems.. +5 Bought to replace old radio at work which did not get good reception. This radio works so much better. Sounds clear. Love it for the price. +4 I bought the vertical mouse after reading a positive review about it. I have repetitive stress injury in my wrist, so any device to minimize this is a boon. The vertical mouse does help keep my wrist in a different position than usual, which is nice. And the optical sensor ensures smooth scrolling without worrying about dust bunnies or stuck rollers. There were some initial problems with the Evoluent driver which caused the mouse to freeze when I used one of the alternate buttons. This caused me to shelve the mouse for a while. However, not too long ago I saw an updated driver on the Evoluent website. This newer driver seems to have solved whatever problem plagued the first one. The only other complaint is that the rubber pad on the thumb side seems to be peeling off slightly. I guess I can superglue it back on if it comes off. Gyration makes a wireless mouse which you can wave in the air. Alternating between the vertical mouse, the Gyration mouse, and a trackball mouse helps a lot ergonomically. +5 This mouse works amazingly well at preventing CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome). Like the ads say you hold your hand vertically, like you're shaking hands, rather than flat. That makes all the difference! The only thing I wish is that it was cordless (it IS optical). A left handed version would be nice too. +4 great product work fantastically +5 A+++++++++ +1 Difficult to figure out how to turn on for a 91 yr. old lady. Antenna doesn't swivel, so one has to turn the radio for best reception. Otherwise, it will do what my Mom wants it to. This is an update. My Mom had said, that this didn't receive but one station, and I didn't believe her! I now have the radio, and it doesn't get but one station, no matter where you tune it! Returning it to Panasonic, is going to cost way more, than I paid for the radio. So, don't buy this! And, I won't buy anything else from this supplier, or from Panasonic. +5 Great reception, perfect small size! (not the 22" in the product description) and accurate, easy tuning. +5 My husband loves this radio. It has excellent reception and believe me, that isn't true of every radio around here. We are out in the country and surrounded by tin metal buildings. Getting reception inside some of the buildings is very difficult. This radio picks up beautifully. And the frosting on this particular cake is it is either battery or AC. NO usb plug in. He broke down and bought a radio that requires a usb wall plug because he couldn't find anything else. He was so happy to get this radio. The dials are easy to read. All in all, a great little radio. +5 just installed battery, And this radio is the best thing since pizza!!!!the tuning is so simple, and finding Stations is very easy. the sound quality both on am and FM perfect, talk shows are very cleaR and music station's very beautiful.. This is a wonderful Radio, and I highly recommend it. +5 Based on the many positive reviews that I read for the 'RF-2400' (especially by elderly users); I bought this for my 83 year mother, whose old Sony portable AM/FM radio was giving up the ghost. She listens mostly to AM talk radio, so AM reception was my main concern. The other issue being old school simplicity, as anything digital or complicated is not desirable or appreciated; a case of "less is more and keep it simple." Mission accomplished; she loves the simple design and the GREAT reception! I was ready to spend twice as much on a Sangean radio, but I'm glad I did more research and read the reviews for the Panasonic. +5 This is super little radio. Operates on 4 x AA cells. Simple controls, good sound quality on the speaker. Has a little notch in the carrying handle, if you want to hang the radio from a nail or something on the wall. Comes with an A/C cord if you don't want to use batteries. Easy to see dial, easy to use controls. Highly sensitive on the AM band, which is what I listen to. The FM band is OK too - I dialed around a little to test it out. Bought a second radio for my 91 year old mother, who is challenged with anything resembling a digital read-out. Highly recommend. Panasonic hit another one out of the park on this model. +5 I sent this as a gift to my extended family who put me up after I was evacuated from my home for hurricane Matthew. They did not have a battery powered radio and I forgot to pack mine. We all would have enjoyed this after the power went out. +3 "Big heavy speaker" "great reception" Except none of it is true. Sure, it's a good sized speaker for the enclosure, but heavy? (which would indicate a larger magnet & better sound) No. The tone of this unit, however, is quite acceptable. But the reception isn't. I bought this for our camping trips to a convenient campground just 30 outside the Atlanta perimeter, to listen to NPR on Sundays, and amazingly it doesn't pull in the station (which both our cars get just fine) any better than our old shower radio with its flimsy antenna. The old school analog tuning doesn't work as well as radios from decades past either. Sending it back today. +5 I am 40 years old, I got rid of my old beast stereo equipment 10 years ago. Pretty much lived on MP3 player music or I stream music. I wanted to just get back to listening to talk radio NPR or other talk radio and not have it tied to my phone. Remembering to turn off phone notifications and there are just times I am working in the garage and I want to listen to talk radio or music. I have had it 1 day and FM radio is coming in great and finally I have a radio that gets AM talk radio in very good. Felt like I was going back to the 80's but I am glad for Amazon because you can't find a radio at the store that doesn't have a clock or cd player. This is perfect for just listening to the radio. +5 Nice radio, easy to read controls, thanks! +4 We purchased this radio for a family member that likes to listen to AM and FM. She said it is easy for an older person to use and works well. The radio has a great sound quality and is very portable. Being a Panasonic, I expect it to last a long time. I would recommend this radio to others. +1 Bought this to replace an older sony radio that had been damaged in a power outage. When listening to FM, there was a station around 107 MHz or so that could be heard across the entire frequency range. In general stations seemed to bleed together, i don't recall ever hearing a very clean sound for a single station. In less than 1 month the radio failed completely and no longer works at all. Since then I opened up my old Sony from the 90's and repaired it, it's working fabulously! +5 Good sound...easy to use +4 Perfect for an older person who doesn't understand "presets" or programming buttons. Sound is clear and good. Has notch in handle to hang it on a wall. Antenna is long and sturdy. +3 The reception of FM stations is weak. +5 Mom loves it. Well made. Sounds great. +5 very good +3 I just received this product was not impressed with it . It was not made with great material and the reception is not to good. At the price I was charged I would and should of bought something else. Sam 7 +1 junk +5 This is just what my mother in law wanted. Easy to use and great reception. +3 I had it 4 days before the antenna broke, It drifts, after a few minutes you have to tune the station in again. Sound is good and picked up stations with the antenna down, my old radio wouldn't receive with it up (when I had an antenna) I have a test lead clipped to the ant stub, so it works.... +4 was a simple smaller portable radio for my dad for christmas +3 It is okay, I sure hoped that this would work better as far as the reception in a metal office building. +2 A decent radio for the price..... I guess....... Even though the speaker is big, the overall tone is VERY muddy, especially AM. There is no bottom end at all, so don't expect a full-range sound on FM. Both AM & FM sounds hollow and clipped, w/o highs or lows. Big knobs, easy to use, decent tuner, pulls stations well in urban areas, I didn't try it in more rural situations. The sound? Barely OK for AM, forget FM, it's that bad... +5 It's simple and has a nicer than average tone because of the speaker size. Not as bulky as the current "boom boxes" and frankly sounds better. +1 Didn't pick up well at all. Returned it and bought the Sony for a lower price that picked up stations much clearer. +5 This radio is fantastic! One of the best purchases that I have made in years. I am a radio nut and as I work in and around my house I am always moving the radio from here to there. My old radio was needing to be replaced so I gave this one a shot. I love it. There is a little dimple in the middle of the carrying handle which makes it easy for me to loop one finger around the handle and carry it around with me. The audio is nice. It is a bit bassy on the AM band and a hi/low tone switch would have been nice but it's really a non-issue, I just wanted to mention this. The sensitivity is impressive. I live about 50 miles from the closest FM stations and this radio pulls them in....with the antenna down! The weaker stations need the antenna of course, but this is great. Audio sounds full range and nice on FM. AM sensitivity is just as good. This radio receives stations just as good as my old vacuum tube radios. This was a surpise as well. This radio is great in, out, and around your house or yard. Plenty of volume and it seems durable too. I absolutely love it. I am even thinking about buying another one just to store away so I have a backup. Highly recommended by me. +5 I needed a radio for outback where I keep my orchids. This works great. I've accidentally sprayed it with water a dozen times and it still works great. Add a few batteries and it is perfect for a day at the beach. We get bad storms and so this can also work well as an emergency radio when we need it. +5 Its a birthday gift to my father who is quite old and loves sports. But I had to try it. It is much better than my Sony ICF-38. The power cord is adaptive so there is less room needed to house it. 4" speaker pushed by 3 Watts that sounds great and in a small package. Sounds like a good boom box. It pulls in stations very well. If you want a small form radio but don't want a squawk box, this is one way to go. I don't like the color as it does make it look like a lesser cheap radio and it is not that at all. I think it would look much better should it be a black or very dark gray in color. It really deserves a better look. But it will speak for its self as it is an amazing small radio. +5 Nice big speaker means nice big sound . use it for NPR radio and its great. compact enough to fit anywhere. don't know abut music since i just listen to talk radio. +5 I live in an area with terrible reception. This picks up well. Great product for the money! +4 For the price great. +5 We were due for a scheduled power outage and I was going to be stuck at home for several hours and wanted to have a radio. I went looking on Amazon and found this wonderful portable Panasonic. My priority was a good speaker, and this has it. The sound is wonderful, clear, and free of the tinny sound and static you find with lots of portable radios. I am so impressed with this. The price was great too. It requires 4 AA batteries. If you need a good, reliable portable radio, this is it. I highly recommend it. +4 Excellent product. Good sensitivity and small enough to be portable. Would like to see digital readout and illumination for night use. +5 Works as expected. Great price. +5 Mom loves it. Simple straight forward, old school radio with knobs that turn which she can relate to. No wi-fi or blue tooth or tiny buttons and digital displays. Comes with an ac adapter but the batteries have been lasting well for some time. Smaller than I thought it would be but it's fine, and the audio quality is as expected for a radio this size. Nice to have something I don't have to pay a monthly subscription fee to. +5 I bought it for my cats, I haven't asked them but, I liked it for the price +5 I ordered this for my elderly, hard of hearing mom. It is perfect. The sound is very clear, even at loud volumes. It is very loud and my mom has no problem hearing or understanding the radio. It is simple to use and appears well made. I highly recommend this for the elderly. +5 Dad was looking for a battery radio that was "old-style" and just played radio music while he works in the yard. Perfect fit and he loves it. Great product from Panasonic and good price. +5 Great gift for an elderly sister. +5 Great radio! +3 Yet another person has purchased an old-school radio for their tech-illiterate relative. The reason I chose it is because it has a handle (though I think the price is too high); I didn't see a Sony with a handle because Sony's engineers aren't as creative. On the other hand I've observed Panasonic tuners are regularly not as sensitive as the other major brands due to incompetent engineers, but it'll do for the miserable geezer! +5 Just received this radio today, and so far very pleased. It is simple to operate, and sounds nice for a portable on AM and FM. I purchased it mainly to use on batteries when the power is out, and I think it will do just fine. +4 We bought this for my wife's mother, who has Parkinson's Disease. We think she will be able to use it without much difficulty. The sound quality is quite good. +5 I needed a radio at my desk at work. This little radio works great. +4 A good solid little radio. +5 great for the saints game +5 This is a great little radio. Sounds wonderful. I bought it for my dad. I wanted something simple to operate with the old dial on the side, and this fit the bill. It's affordable, and well made. My dad loves it as well. This is a true throwback radio with a simple design and nice sound quality. I'm even considering getting one for myself. +5 Great radio. Dropped it, glued the handle back on and still works great +3 Got this as an emergency radio, construction seems good, ready to read controls. I would have given more stars but reception strength is only adequate. +3 Good enough & cheap enough to use as daily entertainment for my pet. Thankfully comes w/ AC power & cord. +1 don;t waste your money,doesn't pick up 106.7 very well also the plugs on the side and sticks out, can't put it next to books or anything else. who designs this thing? i,m returning it. captez +5 I am a radio collector and audiophile. I have many types of radios of various types. I needed a simple radio that provided good performance and portability. The RF-2400 exceeded all my expectations. My favorite radio station is AM and is located 40 miles from my rural location. The previous radio I used; that provided me with satisfactory performance, is very large and bulky. The RF-2400 is small and compact, but provides performance equal to the larger radio. I am listening in an outdoor environment; primarily while I am gardening. The RF-2400 radio's strong audio output, covers a large area while I am gardening. The RF-2400 also provides surprising fidelity. The sound quality is reminiscent of the audio I hear from a tube type table radio. I am thrilled by the performance of this compact portable and its extremely modest price. +5 Great product for elderly person with limited sight. +5 Easy controls, sounds good, nice design! +5 Excellent Product. Perfect sound. +5 Bought for my almost blind elderly mom in Africa. She loves it !! +3 I expected better performance by Panasonic. The FM stations drift in and out and have statics. A good reception needs placing the radio in a special location/direction. The radio disconnects if you pull the cord off the power source unless you take the cord off the radio. To move the radio from one room to another and use the power cord without turning the radio off, you need to perform two disconnections and two connections! +5 I've had my radio for less than 24 hours so I cannot speak about durability. But I LOVE it so far! I'm 70 yrs young and I spend my days gardening in my big yard April to October. I like to listen to NPR or oldies music while I work. Dragging around a 100-ft extension cord has been tiresome during the last year. My similar, 28-yr-old battery-operated radio (paid $8 new) finally died last year. I've been looking for a replacement. I wanted a SIMPLE radio that could run on AA rechargeable batteries so I could always have a spare set charged. I wanted a large dial display, with a large tuning knob (NOT tiny buttons that take forever to tune and hurt my fingers) and a volume wheel (instead of those nasty little buttons). I wanted analog. I did not want Bluetooth, alarms, CD player, etc. Just an old-fashioned portable radio I could carry aroundlarger than an iPhone (so I can set it on the ground) yet lightweight, with a large handle, good, large speaker .This Panasonic RF-2400 is perfect. It's exactly what I wanted. I called Panasonic to ask a question and they have not made this radio since 2001 but told me there's no reason why Amazon's stock would not be good. IF you bought this radio and love it, you might want to buy another while Amazon still has stock. When I googled battery-operated portable radio, all the links were for boom boxes with CD players, Smart Phone chargers, Bluetooth and other things I don't need. Also, most of these radios had permanent, built-in batteries. If the battery ran out of juice, you'd have to plug it into a wall outlet and wait hours for it to recharge. So much for progress in the portable radio business. Other "portable" radios were solar and crank powered. The batteries on most didn't store the energy and died after 1-2 hours. I paid $110 + tax for a portable Sangean radio with both solar and internal rechargeable battery. It was also supposed to be a great weather band, short wave radio. Charger was missing. NEVER received anything but static from the short wave mode. Never got a weather band station, and the battery died after 1 hour. Seller never responded to my requests to return it. I also bought a little crank & solar radio, an Ambient Weather Adventurer radio. Piece of junk. Ran less than one hour and wouldn't recharge. That was an expensive piece of junk, too $83 plus tax. Unresponsive seller. My Panasonic has great sound--very clear and strong. I live in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, about a mile from a small airport. This radio does not get any interference from either airport or mountains. It pulls in stations that are 70-100 miles away for more. LOVE it! I hope it continues to work this well for many years. +5 Easy to use for my mom. Great volume and protable. +5 just what we needed +5 Usually I don't bother with writing reviews even though I admit that I rely on them in making my own purchasing decisions. Having said that I am enthusiastic about this radio. It is exactly what I have been looking for. It has just what you need in a basic radio: easy dial tuning, battery/electric, large full sounding speaker, small size, no frills! I live in a remote area of New Mexico and with this radio I am finally connected to my favorite news/entertainment source. I highly recommend it for those who are looking for a retro radio with no bells and whistles. Buy it, you'll like it. +2 Very poor reception, even with the antenna out. Sound is great when you can lock onto a station. +4 delivered as promised, tho not averse to interference, but the right price. +4 Sound is pretty good. Being able to remove cord completely makes it more workable. Station reception is not bad. +5 Very nice sound for a smaller radio. Not tinny. +5 buy with confidence +5 An outstanding product for older people ( Mom 91). Easy to use and read. Great sound and easy to find channels for her. Oh and great price with great quality +5 Perfect radio for my 90 year old mother, with simple controls and a red light that indicates when a channel is found. +5 The hood works great for use with its intended lens. As a bonus, I tried fitting it to my Nikon 35-70 AF-D lens. It fits fine, but does not snuggly secure, so it rotates a little bit on this lens. +5 Perfect lens hood for my Nikkor 70-300mm. I never got one when I originally got the lens, very happy to have one now! +5 Very pleased with this little radio! It gets good AM reception...which is the reason we wanted it. My husband loves to listen to the old time radio mysteries which is only on AM ! The radio came quickly and it was before the delivery date posted! Thank you so very much! Sound is good...even though there is only one speaker. No complaints.... +5 My husband wanted a small radio for his shop. We live out in the boonies, so we were concerned about the quality of the sound, static, etc. This radios sound is fantastic, brings in the stations nice and clear. Oh....and the price is awesome. We are thinking about purchasing another one for our cabin, strictly because it appears to work in any area. +5 WIFE LOVES IT +3 It works but not particularly impressed for the price. +5 bought this as a present for our contractor, whose previous radio was being held together with duct tape... his birthday occurred while he was working on our house, so decided he needed an upgrade. very good sound and reception for an inexpensive radio. he was happy, as was i. good product. +5 Radio for my Mom. She was very happy nice that the cord can unplug vs curl up inside. +1 Speaker is tinny and has no volume and reception is very bad. This radio will not pick up a station that is less than three miles away. I would not recommend anyone purchasing this unit. +5 Works very well at pulling in distant AM stations. On FM, it pulls stations rather too well; distant station along with local station of the same frequency is a bit irritating. Use this in my shop & volume control is more than my geezer ears can handle. Tuner indicator is big & easily visible. 4-AA batteries required; AC power cord is standard. No AC adapter required. Appears sturdy, but we'll see after a few years. Because of the AM DX capability, might want to include this in a emergency kit. A little bit of survival ingenuity, a 6 volt DC power source can be adapted. Price is reasonable. +5 it was easy to operate. Even my mom was able to use it. +5 GREAT little radio, especially for the price! +5 This is a good clear radio. I bought it for the battery operated feature and it works well for me. +3 It doesn't work as well as I expected, but the building that I live in is notorious for blocking signals. +5 This is a good radio. I uses a power cord or runs on batteries, I use rechargeable batteries and they last a long time. It picks up radio stations well and the handle on top makes it great for carrying it from place to place. +2 The radio was a perfect size, and I liked the looks of it, but, unfortunately, reception just was not good enough. I had a lot of static. I had to return it. +5 Got this for my mother. She loves this radio. +5 Small but worth it. +5 The Panasonic RF-2400 is a very good radio for the money. It's great looking and performs fairly well. It's not going to pull in those distant fringe radio signals, but it's as good as any portable I've owned. Tone quality from the 4" speaker is very good and there's plenty of volume on tap. Tuning takes a fine touch to get the best signal strength from distant stations, but if you live in a city with local stations, it's not a problem. I was pleased with the general quality of the radio and the functions. You can spend a lot more and get more features, technology and power, but if you're looking for a simple no-frills portable at a reasonable price, this fills the bill. +5 I got this for my bedridden mother. It is compact, sounds good, easy on batteries. +2 Very poor reception and station isolation Local station bleed thru up and down dial. Drop once AM no longer works. The only plus Sound Good for what it picks up. Sad Panasonic uses to be very good. +5 Everything they say that's good about the radio add a bit more. Easy to use, large dials, clear sound and easy to carry. The only bad is no cord storage when using batteries and the cord must be unplugged from the radio for the batteries to work. +5 I have had this for several years- we take it to the beach with us and lay it in the sand - has great sound for its light weight and small size--bring it home shake the sand out of it and ready for next trip +5 Good sound for this little radio, love the old style- keeps things live. +4 This radio is the perfect size, the sound is very clear, it's light and easy to carry with me. I don't like to be attached to earbuds all the time and it's perfect when listening to a game with friends. +5 Ok +3 The price of this radio is low, which is it's most appealing feature. I was disappointed with the sound from the 4 inch speakers. It's tinny: characteristic of much smaller radios. The tuner seems OK, especially for nearby stations. An AC cord is furnished but it doesn't attach firmly to the radio, which works best with 4 AA batteries. +4 This was bought for a 85 year old lady to replace a radio that had just died. The controls are easy to see so she can tune stations in. The speaker produces a good quality of sound on most stations. +4 This is my second one. It's a great little radio. Sometimes it's hard to find the exact station - with the dial but if I keep trying I can. +5 Took the radio when we went camping and it worked great. We use this on the patio too, A nice little radio. +3 My mom chose this radio and told me that she liked it, i immediately bought it for her because it was the size she wanted. After receiving it, she was really happy. She listens to it every day now. I guess the reason why i gave it less stars is because for the quality, i would have expected this product to be cheaper. She did not seem to brag about it and she didn't dislike it either. I guess this is one of those products that you take at face value. +5 This is just what I wanted. It is lightweight, so it is easy to move from room to room. I use it with batteries, but you can also plug it in. +4 I purchased this for a senior citizen who wanted a basic radio. Basic is very hard to find I learned once I started searching. Certainly could not find one in a brick and mortar store amongst the iPods and even digital radios. She wanted something simple, with the station dial large enough to see. Something that can also be used with a power cord so she won't have to spend on batteries; this fit the bill. I decided I am going to purchase one for myself for emergency purposes as I do not have a radio that can be used without batteries. +5 I was asked to buy a radio for an OAP and I settled on this product. From the feedback I received, the recipient found the large tuning knob & clear frequency display very helpful. In hurricane-prone location like ours, the dual power option (AC or batteries) is crucial. +5 This is the perfect radio for a small room, for the kitchen, for someone in an assisted living residence or anyone needing a small music or talk radio source. I found it to be very easy to use with acceptable sound (this is a small portable radio!) I leave it on when I am not at home. It is a good source of "chatter" and music for my dogs so it gives a presence of voices during the time I am gone. I bought it in October 2013 for just $23.20 so was surprised to see the price had soared to over $32. . This one just happened to have some encouraging reviews which prompted me to buy it when I did. The controls are easy to use and it can pull in numerous stations both AM and FM and clarity can be obtained by rotating the radio or adjusting the pull out antenna. It needs 4 AA batteries to operate without electricity. I would buy a second one without hesitation. +5 Small compact ac/dc radio with a huge sound. Very light with a good handle. I bought this to replace a "huge" boom box which was much too cumbersome. +5 I must say this product is exactly as it says. I simply took it out of the package(Which I recieved in less than 24 hours with free shipping from Amazon.com) and plugged in the cables and went with it. It connected to Movie Maker 2 and I was off. I definitely recomend this to ayone looking to put old vhs movies onto DVD's for safe storage. +4 I think this is an exceptional solution to the problem many of us have with analog video tapes to convert. I originally bought this to use with my older, slower PC -- but I replaced my PC with a screamer (and USB 2.0 and Firewire) before I really got a chance to use this. So I can't tell you how well this box does in compensating for older, slower hard drives and a slower CPU. However, with the new system, this box appears to my video editing software (Ulead VideoStudio 7) as a DV camera, so it's simple to edit. The bad news is that all of my video cpature software ASSUMES this is a DV camera, so you get all sorts of spurious information onscreen -- like DV controls, or DV timecodes, etc. If you are aware of the fact that those controls won't work, or that the timecode is meaningless, this unit works like a charm to capture your analog video, package it as DV and deliver it to your PC with little or no dropped frames and generally rock solid video/audio synch (BTW -- if the audio gets unsynched, the only guaranteed solution I've had is to restart the capture from a clean spot on the videotape -- no snow, no tracking errors). +5 I purchased this little box, the size of a medium sized book, recently and have had a very smooth experience with it. I wanted to import a TV show (Jeopardy!) on which I appeared, so I researched various hardware solutions (almost bought the Formac offering) and decided that this box was the best regarded. I connected my TiVo to the box using the s-Video and RCA audio connectors, and I connected the Canopus to my Powerbook G4 12" via the Firewire connection. iMovie 4 saw the connection immediately and I was importing video seconds later; making clips for each of the 4 sections of the show. Then it was a simple matter to edit my clips together, add some still frames and titles and export to iDVD 4.0.1 with which I burnt a very nice DVD. People actually complimented the quality of the video, which of course was limited by it's NTSC original source, but at least it was a accurate replica of the original with no dropped frames or loss of audio sync. +5 This radio is simple to use, nice sound quality and no surprise. Base is a bit weak but voice is very clear. There is only one knob for channel and one roller for volumn, simple as it is, it works well. I have not dropped it yet, but I think it will survive just fine. It's a nice radio, looks nice, sounds nice, at a reasonable price. Five stars. +5 My wife is blind and has a difficult time with radios that have digital dials and settings. Because the dial on this unit is analog, she is really happy as it is very easy for her to use. As for sound quality, etc. it is better than average for something in this price range and seems quite durable. All-in-all, we are quite satisfied. +3 Let me start out by saying that I L-O-V-E the sound this radio produces...it's just deep, warm, and also actually tinny enough that it reminds me of my father's old shop radio. And as a shop radio (or rather, a radio used for background noise instead of attentive listening), this radio will do just fine. If you want to listen intently (and especially if you're stickler for excellent station separation), this radio may not be for you. NOTE: I do not listen to the AM band, so please refer to other reviews regarding AM reception/separation. Panasonic seems to have built this radio durably enough...it feels sturdy in your hands, and all of the dials and switches move solidly enough without feeling too loose or cheap. Nothing rattles around inside the chassis, and when playing you don't hear any distortion at low- to mid-level volumes (such noise would be the sign of the use of a cheaply-made speaker cone). The sound, as mentioned earlier, is wonderful to my ears, although at louder volumes you will hear distortion (the same thing happens with the Sony ICF-38, and that's just "The way she goes" with radios this size and price range). If a radio such as this had an AUX input, I'd plug my MP3 player into it for giving my digital tunes that classic radio sound. The tuning would be excellent, save for the sometimes-lousy separation. While listening to the local NPR and Classic Rock stations, I also got to hear a tiny-sounding sermon and a local news report, respectively, going on underneath the main channels' sound...if one were using this for background noise in a shop, that wouldn't be a problem. For listening at night when relaxing or reading, it can get a bit annoying. I can't comment on battery life usage yet, but I'm sure it will be comparable, if not better, than that of Sony's ICF-38. Note that one main advantage the Sony holds over this radio is that the power cord is permanently attached and fits snugly beside the battery compartment, underneath the hinged door. The Panasonic's power cord plugs in to the side of the unit, which works well enough, but the RF-2400 has nowhere on-board to store the cable when it's not in use. I'll continue using the radio here and there, and update my review in the future (or immediately, if necessary). Out of several portable radios (including handheld units) I have purchased and reviewed here, this is the first radio I've purchased that has experienced poor station separation, which is quite a shame...if not for that, I would have recommended this above the Sony ICF-38 and several others. I imagine that if you live in a big city with lots of stations taking up bandwidth close to one another on the FM spectrum, it would be enough to make someone want to return it. That being said, if you love the Panasonic brand enough (and want this mainly for background noise), it's well-worth the money. Otherwise, get the Sony ICF-38 for better separation and ease of storage. **Update 12/11/2013** This radio has been rotated out with some others at the office, and it's finally found a home on my desk, off to the side. Though I say it *still* ranks lower than the Sony ICF-38, I have come to appreciate it for what it is. My tuner pretty much never leaves ETV Radio (and the radio is not on all day), so I seem to have found the "sweet spot" for that particular station. My rating still stands: Go for the ICF-38 for better portability and tuning, but if you want a radio to stay in one place, on one station all the time, this one will work for you. +5 I bought this for my husband and he loves it! It is easy to select the channels and the long antenna really brings in the stations. It's lightweight and easy to take with you. Great sounding radio too. +4 After a long power outage and no entertainment at all, I looked for a decent radio to listen to in straits like I had just endured. I settled on the Panasonic as the best balance of cost and sound quality. It came quickly (my power was on by now) and I tried it out immediately. It worked well and sounded good. I then put it away until the next power outage; may it never come! I found the handle convenient to use moving place to place, and the radio sits solidly on a flat surface. My previous transistor portable was very "tippy" with a long antenna extended. That can be important on a pitch-black night if it falls on the floor; you may lose your last connection to the outside world if something breaks inside! I like my Panasonic. I think you would too. +5 This is a no brainer. for the price you would think you are gonna get a less good quality product but that not true with this. +2 A simple portable radio that can be powered by the supplied AC power cord or by 4 AA batteries (not supplied). No storage is provided for the AC cord - an annoyance. I'm an electrical engineer. This portable certainly plays loudly enough but reception, particularly on the FM band, is not good. AM reception was decent, pulling in signals from high powered AM stations that were 60+ miles away without a problem. FM reception was not nearly as good. This radio had trouble pulling in many FM stations in my area. I first compared it to my car stereo parked just 10 feet away and then an old, beat up portable radio, from Radio Shack that was 20 years old. Both were much better than the Panasonic. FM signal reception is mediocre at best. Both the sensitivity (the ability to pick up a station) and selectivity (the ability to tune into one station that is near another one) was fair to poor. On the plus side, this inexpensive portable will work in a power outage and provide music when you are out and about. Its volume is fairly loud. So for $36.00 what can you expect? Maybe (?) no more than this radio provides. In short, I was expecting far better reception from this radio. A mono radio, technically should have far better performance than a stereo one such as that used in your car (yet car radios are very well made) so maybe that is not a fair comparison. The Sony ICF38 may be the better choice. The Sony ICF-38 seems almost identical to this Panasonic (offering both battery and AC power) yet it has far better reviews. I ordered the Sony ICF10 and tested it side by side with this Panasonic. Now this Sony is battery operated only and costs about a third of the Panasonic. The Panasonic was better in one important aspect: it played much louder! It also pulled in a few more FM stations. Now this is not an entirely fair test, given the difference in price but many reviews lead me to believe that ALL Sony portables were better. That is certainly NOT the case regarding Sony's ICF10. The Panasonic is much better regarding volume but only slightly better in reception. The Sony ICF-f38 is roughly comparable in price and offers both battery and AC operation. It is a model you should consider but candidly I'm tired of testing portable radios and I'll live with this Panasonic - its OK (at best) but years ago you could get far better for the same price. I wish I had the energy to test it against the Sony ICF38 It is hard to recommend this radio but I'm too lazy to ship it back. This review is far from complete because I can only tell you the the very inexpensive Sony ICF-10 is even worse (hard to believe) and just possibly - the Sony ICF-38 MIGHT be better. The one take away from my review should be that this Panasonic is a mediocre radio +2 The big speaker on this baby sounds pretty good and it gets decently loud, but getting the radio to lock into a station is difficult and when you walk by or move your hand near the radio it can disrupt even strong signals. I was expecting more from Panasonic. Go for the Sony ICF-F10 or ICF-18 if you're looking for a radio this size with good sound and better tuning. +4 The sound is just a little tinny, but I expected that. It doesn't have presets, but I knew that and ordered it anyway. However, I often find it somewhat difficult to locate the stations I want when I move the radio from place to place. Presets might have prevented that. But, all in all I got what I expected. I just hope it lasts.... +5 I live in a Rural area..so my first concern was reception. The tuner does a fine Job on the FM Band. I can get stations with quality sound within a 80-100 mile radius straight as the crow flies. Sound is produced by what I would call a midrange speaker (In between bass on the low end and a tweeter on the high end) The AM reception seems Ok. I have gotten fairly consistant reception from powerful stations maybe 500-600 miles away For the price I think it was well worth it. The radio uses 4 AA batteries. +2 This radio is cheaply made, the electronic circuity for the IF portion bleeds from other stations when tuning. I remember $15.00 radios that did better than this. My mother wanted a radio for xmas and she just wanted to her the news during power failures and cheap. She is 80 and and didn't want a digital radio. +3 The radio has easy to read dial numbers and is easy to use, but the reception isn't the greatest. I like that it is battery operated, but the antenna is very easily manipulated. +4 Bought this radio for my mother and she likes it because it's simple to use. I thought that the sound was very good, stations are easy to pull in and stay there, and it feels like a sturdy unit. I have a small hand held unit (model RF-P50) that I bought last year and I really like it. I've always had good luck with Panasonic products so I try to look for their name when buying. +5 i got this for my father who simply wanted an am/fm radio. that is exactly what this is. no bells or whistles. +5 I bought this for my 72 year old mother in Kansas who wanted a radio that was not digital. She is what I would describe as a "luddite"- she rejects any technology after 1970. She has no cell phone, no computer, not even an answering machine on her home phone. Kinda funny. Anyway, she loves this radio! She gets to listen to her christian stations and I guess it even came with some free offer. Nothing better than making your mom happy. And a great price. She said it was BEAUTIFUL. UPDATE: My mother LOVES this radio so much she sleeps with it next to her in her bed. Finally, I make my mom proud. :) +1 I bought this lens for my Canon PowerShot G5, and because it requires the use of a long adapter, not only does it cause terrible vignetting (that circle the other poster thought was cool, but which is actually a design flaw) unless you zoom most of the way, it blocks the built-in flash. I have owned four Canon cameras over the past 15 years, and the G5 and everything related to it has been a huge disappointment. (I would have bought the digital Rebel when it first came out so I could use my EOS lenses, but it didn't allow flash exposure compensation (insane for a $1000 camera body).) I do not recommend this lens or any of the G-series digital cameras from Canon. When I've got the money I'll be buying the latest digital Rebel and upgrading some of my old EOS lenses, and selling my entire PowerShot kit. If you are an experienced photographer, you will not like this system at all. +5 let me explain what this really does because i had to buy it to understand. MAybe that is me :) ok what this does is basically "pull" you back into the camera more. so that when you are taking a picture you can actually see the outlining of the lens, making it a circle picture. not what i was expecting but its interesting i am new to "real" photography so i am not sure if this is usefull or a really good thing but i just wanted to make it clear what it really does so you do not have to spend the money to buy it :) +3 This is a nice looking radio with ok sound and average reception but to even offer for $100 makes my blood boil. You should get at least 4 radios for $100. Do not pay that price. Look around if you must have it but please don't pay more than $25 for it. Its just a little portable radio and nothing more. 3.25*** The design is the best thing about the radio in my opinion. +3 I was in the market for a cheap portable radio. It had the features that I needed, but unfortunately it had to go back as there was a constant high pitched whine that persisted. It would not stop even though the station was tuned in. The sound was not bad at all, but the tuning problem was a bit much. +5 I'm always afraid that I'll get a memory card that has problems or one that will malfunction soon after buying it. The fact is, I have bought many memory cards (of varying formats, brands and capacities) and "knock on wood" not one has ever given me any kind of trouble to speak of. This 512 MB Viking brand SD Card has been functioning perfectly ever since I put it in my Pentax Optio 43WR camera. I guess I cannot legitimately give it anything less than 5 stars based on that. +4 Bought this box-standard 512MB card for my Dad, who I felt did not really need a fast card. I have the Sandisk 512MB UltraII, which sadly is built badly and is flimsy (read my review on it). Frankly, I find this Viking card is reasonably fast and built a lot better than my Sandisk UltraII, leading me to believe that the UltraII does not deserve the much higher price! So, for all you enthusiasts, Viking does the best value for money memory cards. Just go ahead and pick it up. +2 I cannot upload any video from the camera (a powershot A610) to computer. I can only infer that this is a card problem since I've tried uploading into other computers and have no luck, and also the photos upload fine, just not the video. I've even tried to browse the card by folder instead of using Window's photo uploading tool, still does not work. Anyone else have the same problem? +5 It's a flash card. It works, like every other flash card... +5 I took this and my digital camera on a 3 week trip to England, and NEVER had to worry about changing 'film'! As a matter of fact, I could have taken almost twice as many photos, and not run out of 'film'. (I took 260+ high quality photos!) +5 I have used this memory card in my Kodak camera and Bonzai card reader. No problems with speed or accuracy. Great value! +5 cheapest 512 i could find, does exactly what it is supposed to do. no problems in the first month so far. +5 I've always wondered what speed SD card I needed for a Canon SDxxx series camera. I can now say that this card (standard speed?) works fine with it. I took a 1 minute 640x480 30fps video with this memory card without a problem. Pictures shot fine too. No need to spend $$$ for the 40x,60x, or whatever x memory cards for the consumer end digital camera. +4 Well, this one has a lot of space. I haven't been able to come close to filling it yet on any single day of snap-shooting, and I generally take a lot of shots so I can keep the best. One thing I noticed is that there is sometimes a significant pause while scrolling through the pictures for review, but I can't say for sure if this is the camera or the card. In any case, this card works well enough for my general usage, and the price was right...20 percent cheaper than the local big box retailer and free shipping too. Can't beat that. +3 The Viking 512 MB card performs flawlessly when taking pictues. However, when taking video, such as on my Canon S2 IS at the highest resolution, this memory card is way too slow. After no more than about 10 seconds, the video will stop so it can finish writing what was captured. With many of the new digital cameras that now provide higher quality video, a faster memory card (a Canon rep recommended a minimum of 40x) is a must. +5 I use this for my Canon sd300 camera and so far I have no issues with this card. It is fast when taking and downloading pictures and when deleting pictures that you just took. For the price this is a really great card (the best value out there) and I am definately going to get another one thanks to the great deals with the rebates. +1 Stop and read this before ordering. I have a brand new Dell with USB 2.0. I wanted an external drive because it is hard to reach the one in my desktop. So I ordered the Iomega. I could do nothing to make the Dell recognize the Iomega. I kept getting unrecognized USB device. And Iomega support was useless. This device goes back into the mail today. I am running Windows XP Pro. +4 Using a P4 1.6Ghz IBM T-30 laptop running WinXP with USB1.1, it takes about 19 minutes to burn a 700MB CD. Overall I think this is a pretty reliable product as the actual burning process is very smooth. I haven't run into any errors (will keep my fingers crossed). However, I found the Iomega HotBurn software to be extremely user-unfriendly, before you get to the point when it starts burning: 1. After double-clicking the launch the application, it takes about 5 minutes for the logo page to disappear and find the burner. 2. Moving around in the software across difference tabs and functions constantly causes the screen to freeze or become "Not Responding", although hitting CTRL+Break will clear the dead actions right there. It's extremely annoying and may crash your confidence on the product. 3. Neither the advanced mode nor the easy/wizard mode are designed for the easiest navigation for the user. Steps are not streamlined and you always think there could be something missing when you hit the Start button. So far I still haven't found the way to "close the disc", always just waiting for it to prompt me. 4. I also didn't like the way that detailed User Guide (I haven't read it) is only available on CD, while the quick installation guide is extremely simple. I always think it's up to the user to decide how much to read before he starts but the manufacturer should always provide easy/graphic instructions with as much details as possible. However, I must say I'm very satisfied w/ success rate of the CDs burned once it gets into real action. When I was using Roxio's Easy CD Creator 5 and MicroSolutions older Parallel burners, I wasted 1 CD-R for almost every 3-4 CDs I was trying to burn - that is with testing before burning. I haven't done any testing until now on HotBurn. Being in the software testing/implementation business myself, I think I'm very tolerant to minor bugs/inconvenience in software as long as there is no major show-stopers. The burner is worth buying. If you can't stand the software, shop around for an easier-to-navigate app to make your life easier. +1 Didn't work out of the box. The cd just spun around and around.... +2 If your WLAN only includes 802.11G based devices this device will be very usefulll for you. (It deserves 5 stars) Wireless setup is very very simple and effective. Firewall, Filters (MAC, URL, Domain), Virtual Server (Virtual Server is used to allow Internet users access to LAN services), DMZ features is very good and all of them is working without a problem. You can also do some fine tunnings for WLAN performance. (Beacon, RTS, DTIM etc.) 128 bit WEP encryption nearly does not have any effect on the WLAN performance. It is two times faster than 802.11b (13-14 Mbit real world performance) and worked in 90 feet without a problem. And I think the size and looks of the router is more cool than others. But here is the conclusions: Almost all system settings changes forces the router to reboot without asking to user! This device is not fully compitable with 802.11b devices. (i.e HP iPAQ 5450) There is no settings for wireless modes. I mean I could not set the router to 802.11b only mode. Forcing the router to 11Mbit in performance settings is simply not working. If you have 802.11g PCI/PCMCIA adaptor it is imposiible to slow down the router. In the case of 802.11b compatiblity, I totally dissatisfied about D-Link Support. And remmember that 802.11G is a draft standart. +2 Nice that it can be flashed with WRT! +5 excellent product +4 Works great but had to upgrade after Verizon upgrade there speed to Quantum speed. Thanks +5 D-link products have always worked well for me. +3 At first didn't work, found connection shook loose in shipping, worked for two weeks and quit again. Not too bad for a used router at a cheap price. Guess I got my money worth. +5 Guess what? The router did not work and it took me hours to figure that out! What a shame that I had to waste hours finding that out! I now have a high end Cisco and I am very happy. No more buffering, drops or any problems at all. I am sticking with Cisco for both my modem and router. No more D-Links for me! Spending a little more money was worth it. +1 I ordered this, waited 30 days, and never got it. I emailed many times, and never heard a word from the seller. +3 D-Link DI-624 Air Plus XtremeG Wireless 108G Router This unit worked fine until the power supply failed. D-Link does not sell replacement power supplies. After checking multiple online sellers and local/national stores, the closest replacement power supply, though higher quality, costs the same as a new router. Would be willing to pay more for a solution that has reliable components. Time has a value to it. The trouble must be that few other people take this view, there is only a market for cheap, unreliable components to bring the price in line with all the other vendors selling the "same" item. I did buy another router, as perhaps all the router manufacturers would like us to do, but this is quite wasteful in this day and age, would you agree? +5 I have used this router for a couple of years now and wasn't going to write a review on a discontinued piece of equipment. But while writing up a review on the D-Link 2.4GHz Omni-Directional 7dBi Indoor Antenna ( ANT24-0700 ) that I recently purchased, I noticed that a few users had some poor experiences with this router. So basically I am just adding my voice to say that I've not had a problem at all with the DI-624 over the couple of years I've had it. In that time, I did download the updated firmware and that may have helped. Fortunately, I haven't had to use their customer service, which I understand is not the best. My nephew-in-law works for IBM, recommended this router and has used it a lot in his work. He swears by D-Link products and we both recommend them to people we know. So even though you are not likely to buy this router, as this model has been replaced by other newer models, do consider the D-Link brand as a router you would look into as a quality brand wireless router. I highly recommend the brand. UPDATE: Alas, with no notice, after many years of flawless service, the DI-624 suddenly died this morning. But I had a backup router in storage, a D-Link WBR-1310/RE Wireless G Router 4-Port 10/100 Switch Refurbished which was an absolute NIGHTMARE to install and from the reviews I've read, is a Don't Buy! I'll use it until it dies and then go on to the next. +3 Hmm. I have Revision C. I am not about to say this is crap or that this thing is rock solid. This is a second tier wireless router. It used to drop the network every now and then and resets itself -- I am not sure if it still does that after a couple of firmware updates. Oh, yes, go get the latest firmware for it, and don't run without updating the firmware. Unfortutely, restoring your settings from a saved file does not work, so you'll have to configure the thing manually. That is somewhat annoying, but since firmware updates seem to come to a closure, maybe you don't need that anymore :) I have only two RJ45s connected to it: one that comes from my DSL modem (I think it is marked on the device with "WAN"), and only one of the 4-ports that I connecto my my internal network. That only port is connected to another switch in my intranet. I wanted to connect a computer directly to one of this guy's 4-ports, but it dropped the connection (or reset itself) so frequently, I got fed up with it and just treat it as if it is part of my DSL modem. So, if you have the idea that you could use this as your internal swotch, I urge you to reconsider that aspect. Use it as a firewall, as a wireless router, a DHCP server, etc., but not as a general purpose switch togeher with the rest. +4 have been using this product for more than a year .. the product is great, but the d-link support SUCKS!! after i got it and installed it (by the way, the installation was simple for me, the direction were acurate), but my phone line was interfering with the signals and whenever i got a call, i used to loose connection. So i called the d-link support to ask for suggestions. The first line of support had some standard answers about changing channels etc which were not really helpful. So they transferred me to their technical support and the nerve of that guy who answered the call .. he just told me not to use my phone .. i was so pissed that if that guy was in front of me i would really have given him a piece of my mind .. i told him that if you guys knew that there would be such problem (especially since he had a ready answer), why do they not publish this as a known issue of their product in their website .. i also asked him how would he react if called for some support for some other product and got such an answer .. anyway, after thanking him for NOTHING and telling him that i would be returning the product (he cared less whether i returned it or not), i hung up the phone .. anyway, i calmed down and started looking at the setup and various options and got a channel or downloaded the latest software (i do not remember eactly what i did) but i got it working .. i have not really had any serious issues with it since .. do note that i am a software professional and so kind of knows about software and hardware installations because building software is my job .. i recently shifted to a bigger house which has 2 floors and i have the router on the top floor .. currently i am connected with it from the floor below and it is showing full signal .. i do have the "booster" option on .. i do not remember the correct option, but i am sure you can find that in the settings .. a point to note that is that when you reboot the router, it looses all the setting like the MAc filters etc and becomes available to everyone .. something which might be obvious to others, but i missed and noticed it when i reviewed the logs and found lot of my neighbours using my router .. someone accidently or purposely even changed some of my settings because even the admin password got reset to the defaults .. Update - Dec 2008 Had a issue couple of months back when I dropped the router .. all the lights just stayed on and the router was not working. I tried all options, rebooting etc, but nothing would make it work. So I removed the connections and connected my computer directly to my modem and I no longer had the wirelss connection and I started looking around for a new router. But luckily I forgot to completely remove the router and it was left switched on. After a month or 2, I noticed the lights were blinking. So I wondered whether it has started working .. and I connected it back and tried the connection and suprisingly everthing was back to normal :-) .. it has been 3-4 months since then and its still working .. +4 With this product, D-Link once again proves why they are on top of the consumer networking products market. +5 I have owned the D-Link DI-624 for about a year now and moved from San Diego to Florida with no problems setting it up to our cable modem in both places. My daughters laptop picks up a strong signal everywhere in our two-story house and my son plays Xbox Live downstairs (with the router connected upstairs) with no trouble at all. Every once in a blue moon (like once a month) something trips it and they lose the connection but we just hit the reset button on the back and it's up and flying again within seconds. I'm a grumpy, easily irriated man and our monthly reset routine doesn't even raise my blood pressure. The wireless internet connection appears to be just as fast as my hardwired connection on our main computer. I'm happy with the performance. +5 I bought this router along with a D-Link DWL-G520 Wireless PCI Adapter, 802.11g, 108Mbps both for less than $ 50! The router was refurbished but so far it's worked flawlessly. Pretty decent signal strength, my computers are situated in opposite ends of my house and I really can't see any difference in download speed between either one. Thanks Amazon! +5 The D-Link DI-624 Wireless Cable/DSL Router is probably the best you can buy for the money, and technically superior to all of its competitors in this price range. This is my 3rd purchase of this product --- one for myself a year ago, and two others for friends with a need for a secure wireless environment in their home offices. The documentation (pdf on CD-ROM) is excellent for both the novice and experienced tech. Strong WPA security with 128-bit encryption was a breeze by following instructions, and picking up a random key from "Yellowpipe Internet Services" at [...] I strongly recommend this product. +5 I had bought a cheaper 62MM filter but I instantly regretted it because the filter's lens element was loose causing rattles. So I plunked down some $$$ on a more expensive HOYA filter. Unlike the noname filter I had before - this filter is solid and very well constructed. Highly recommended for the Tamron 18-250mm lens (which I have it on now). +4 I just wanted a filter that protects the lenses and doesn't add any distortion. This filter does that at a reasonable price. +1 Installation was quick but signal range is extemely poor. Unless you want to work in the same room or floor the signal will be single to two bars max. I am also losing internet signal every 30 minutes or so. Now I have purchased belkin from circuit city with two antenas (forgot the model #) and things are perfect. +4 I do a little bit of gaming and have compared wireless to running a hard wire and don't find any difference in speed or signal strength. It works well throughout my house (two story 2500 square ft). +5 God I love these older D-Link boxes. I used to be a Linksys bigot but around 2000 I noticed that my Linksys routers started having DNS errors after about a year of use. On a whim I bought a D-Link DI-604 back in 2003/2004. It ran great for many years and still runs great now. I decided that I wanted to use the wireless adapter in my laptop. After seeing people have mixed results with the newer routers I decided tried and true was the way for me so I bought a refurbished DI-624 and it runs as good as new. They're like the Energizer bunny with a Timex watch. +5 It was easy to install (except for the password in the instructions was wrong) and in the month I've been using the router it hasn't given me one problem. Highly recommended. +3 This is a solid, dependable WiFi router. I found the instructions to set up a password were nonexistent and the web interface was not all that user-friendly, but fortunately phone help resolved it. I wish mine had as good a range as others here, but so many factors influence that, I can't fault d-link. I did get an antenna booster, the D-Link ANT 24-0700, which boosts the range a lot, but not enough for me! In all, it has worked for almost two years, so I can't complain ... +1 Spent hours of time with my ISP and D-link people. Simply cant stand a conection for longer then 2 hours... +2 I bought two of these routers to use in a spread-out, single-floor residential setting with a mixed Mac/PC environment. I figured I could locate them at opposite ends of the house for good and, hopefully, overlapping coverage. Not so. Firstly, these devices will eventually drop the wifi connection and need to be restarted on a weekly basis if not more often. Secondly, they have TERRIBLE range. Using a variety of computers, I succeeded in getting no more than 30 foot range. I located the routers as high as possible and away from sources of interference, use only 5.8GHz cordless phones, and experimented with different channels. They simply don't perform well. Their customer support is absolutely the WORST I have ever experienced, and I deal with a lot of electronics for home and for work. After 16 months, the first of them has now completely failed. I'm replacing it with a similar device from another manufacturer. I'd give it one star, but it does, usually, work. +5 I have had this product for over a year and have had absolutely no problems with it. The range is excellent in my single story 4 bedroom house (router is on one end and I pick up all the way on the other end). I did have some problems configuring it with my Sprint DSL and the DLINK customer support was the best I have ever experienced. Sprint was doing something a little different than normal on my DSL router and the tech from DLINK walked me through how to configure everything properly. I have never experienced some of the problems others complained about (reboots, bad range, etc.) so overall I am extremely pleased. I wanted to wait for at least a year to write a review to see how well it would last (it's been constantly on for the entire time). +5 This works very well and have had no problems,easy setup for broadband. I am very satisfied. Also great price +4 I have had no problems with this wifi router. The signal is strong and consistant. I'm using it with a Macbook. +4 Has all the features your likely to need and is easy to setup. +1 Reboots itself if too much data is transferred. "too much" for me consisted of one SSH session and one World of Warcraft session, so I couldn't do work while my roommate was playing world of warcraft. This is obviously unacceptable. +5 The router is exactly as advertised. Works great and easy to setup. +4 I am not an IT person but this model was suggested to me by my IT person from work. This is the 3rd one I have purchased for myself and friends. I find it easy to set up and it just works well. I did have a Linksys and switched to this model and have been very happy. Buy it...you won't be dissapointed! ' +2 This was a good router for almost 3 years, then it just stopped working one day. It froze up and the manual reset did nothing. The lights came on but I didn't have anything plugged in. It would not network LAN or send internet. All functions entirely DEAD. I think I'm not going to even try to get a replacement, but will buy a linksys or something. Pissed that I don't have wireless internet right now. +2 This is my first wireless Router. I like the freedom that it gives me. I can take my laptop anywhere in my home,on the porch and even down the block. It does seem to need rebooting more than my wired router but, I'm getting good at reseting it. It disconnects all the time. I would NOT recommend this router to others. +4 Pros: Strong signals throughout my whole house. Great speed. Reasonable price. Cons: Had problems setting up my wireless network with the CD provided. Needed to do it manually by searching for the default IP address/admin password on the net and it took me a few trials to get it to work. Can be problematic for novice users. Still a great buy if you don't mind setting it up manually. +2 This router worked ok for about a month and then failed when I was in the admin page. Still kinda works, but I can no longer get into the admin page, and it takes forever to boot the router. I tried resetting it to factory defaults, but it doesnt respond to the switch. I was happy with it when it worked, but it failed too fast to be satisfactory. I went and bought another one however. +2 This is not a bad router, but it is not a good one either. Not only it doesn't allow high speed downloading torrent files, it keeps rebooting itself if you do use any torrenting client program. However, for everyday web browsing, gaming, and network protection, it really does an OK job. I guess the only really great router D-link can give us is its 120+ dollars Gaming router. So if you insist on getting a D-link router and you have to download torrent files, don't buy this one. +5 I've had this router for over a year now. It was easy to setup and never had any problem. Currently, I have 4 desktops connected to it via Cat 5 cables and 2 laptops connected wirelessly. D-Link is also good at updating its firmware. I'm a happy customer. +4 This device was very easy to set up and has worked great so far. I haven't tried anything to technical so I won't comment on some of the features. However, if all you want is a router for the home that is easy to use this device works just fine. +4 All, Be patient with this router, do all the software/firmware upgrades before trying anything serious. I have a Gateway Desktop and a Toshiba & Sony Laptop. At first my Sony Laptop had problems seeing my USB printer connected to the desktop. After reading some discussion boards a lot of problems can be re-solved by turning off NORTON Firewall. Then low and behold my printer could be seen. The Firewall worked so well it locked me out. Anyway for the paranoid amongst us you can go back later and turn it back on and still wirelessly connect to the printer !. Sometimes the router drops my Laptop at only a couple of feet away, yet other-times it will pick it up at 100Ft away, go figure. Configuring the router is cryptic and took me forever to turn on WPA and make it work. That being said it's a cheap deal if you can get everything working. / Brian +5 The D-Link wireless router installed in a flash and was up and running in minutes. The only way to go when using satellite and wireless network (point access). +4 The unit seems to work very well but installation using CD rom which came in the box with the wireless router was of no help when I tried to install it at a university dorm where internet was available without a modem. The rep at the toll free number was very helpful and patient and helped set up the router and the encryption key for security. The interent connection at 100 Mbps was super fast. +1 totally stopped working in about 4 weeks... the technical support is aweful, takes about 35 mins waiting time to get to the support, the phone connection can kill you, I have to hang it up and call again. I wil shun from D-link for everything from now. +1 This unit is terrible, its poorly made, cheap does not work well with Macintosh computers and the tech-support is terrible! The tech support - barely speaks english, is difficult to understand and the phone connections are awful - made me wonder why they even offer tech support. Trust me this is not a good product. +1 There's a good reason this router is so cheap. I agree with the other reviewers who have noticed that this router frequently either reboots itself or hangs and requires the user to unplug it and plug it back in. Even the firmware "upgrades" require you to completely shut the router down and wait 1 min and then plug back in, and hope it works... last upgrade I had to do this 5 times and finally it came back to life. I previously had a Linksys router and in retrospect wish I had stayed with that brand, though it wasn't perfect. Suggest you search on google and find some recommendations for a good, stable router. +1 I have both a D-Link Di-624 and a Linksys router. The Linksys has been rock solid for three years. The D-Link's hardware is OK, but the company has awful track record with its firmware. With the DI-624, none of the firmware above 2.50 works reliably, and every new version brings a whole host of new problems. If you are security concious and intend to secure your wireless network, I will not buy D-Link. They need to get their house in order. Just do a search on DI-624 and firmware, you will find numerous problems with the code. Including a number of DHCP problem (your wireless device will take an extremely long time to get an address), frequent reboot (which cause the connection to drop), SSID broadcast cannot be disabled, etc... If you have wireless turned on, you cannot stream music due to the frequent reboot. Don't call your DSL or cable modem company for help, it is not their fault, it is the D-Link. Firmware 2.5 (two years old) works reliably but without current security features, and it is no longer available on their website for download. If you buy the router new and experience the above problems (most likely you will have firmware 2.7), and cannot get a copy 2.50 firmware. Return it, exchange will not do you any good, as it is not a hardware problem. +4 I have been using this wireless router for almost 2 years now and its really a great product. very simple to use and a fast performer. never faced issues like dropped connections or slow transfers. highly recommended product. +4 I have rather sweaty fingers (I tell ya, this is really annoying), so it is essential for me NOT to rely on touch pad too much. This tiny mouse has been a life saver for me. It is rather affordable, and works pretty well with many (but not all; occasionally it doen't work on very, very smooth surfaces) surfaces. There are more expensive chordless models, but in many occasions, I'll be working on my notebook computer with limited amount of space, so having the "retractable" chord doesn't bother me at all. "Retractable" is indeed the key here. It's so compact that you don't feel that you are carrying around yet another tiny electronic gadget along with your cell phone, mp3 player, shaver, etc., etc. Anyways, highly recommended. +5 I didn't think I really needed this for my laptop, since the touchpad does a decent job. But this makes navigating the desktop and surfing the web much faster and more comfortable. It's tiny, but feels just right. I don't even like using a regular sized mouse anymore. It is truly plug and play via the USB port - it doesn't require separate software or drivers, or even a system restart for that matter. I just hooked it up and was using it in less than half a minute. Both buttons and the scroll wheel perform admirably. The self-winding cord works like a charm too. It comes with its own carry bag which makes packing convenient. In essence, it's everything I was looking for in a mouse. I'm not usually terribly enthusiastic about gadgets, but this one is without flaw. +2 Bought the mouse for a Dell Inspiron 600 because of size and retractable cord. The size fits in a laptop case easily and is far less bulky than others. While very small, it works well on small tables, on the computer itself and on an airplace tray. But, the lock on the cord rewind device broke within one month and I now have to tie a knot in the cord on both sides of the rewind section to keep it from snapping back against the computer when no in use. It didn't really cost that much, but, as it turned out, it was a waste of money. I no longer use it. When it worked, I would rate it a 5; broken a 0. +5 The Targus Ultra Mini Optical Mouse (TUMOM) is an amazing piece of hardware. Its convenient size and weight make it just another competitor in the laptop mouse field, but what sets it apart from the crowd is its cord. Not only is the cord extremely thin and light-weight, but you can make the length anywhere from six inches to about two feet and then retract it down to nothing for transport. It's almost like having a wireless mouse, but without the added initial cost or the ongoing cost of batteries. Having the second mouse button is a big bonus for Macintosh laptop users; the third button (depressing the scroll wheel) is great too (mine is programmed for Expos's "view all windows" feature). There are a couple caveats, but these are probably going to hold true for any laptop optical mouse, not just the TUMOM. When I plugged the mouse into my PowerBook (in battery power mode) it sucked about 20 minutes off the clock, which then kept dropping at an accelerated rate. Although it seems to have ergonomic styling, over use of the mini mouse will probably result in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, so be careful out there. I've only had my TUMOM for a couple days, so I can't speak to its longevity (so far, so good). I've had a hard time convincing my three-year-old that it's not a toy (I've had a hard time convincing *myself* it's not a toy - it's just so fun to extend the cord ... retract the cord ... extend the cord ... etc.). The silver finish perfectly complements my Aluminum PowerBook (I briefly considered a Microsoft laptop mouse that was also silver, but, hello ... evil). I was initially concerned that the retractable widget would get in the way while moving the mouse, but that hasn't been a problem. My previous favorite computer gadget was the Lexar 128MB USB JumpDrive, but this makes that look soooo last year (which it was). This is truly a gadget lover's dream. +1 Constant disconnects with my Intel Pro 2200BG for no good reason. Works fine on default settings with no security enabled. Once I enable WAP + SSID broadcast off the router starts disconnecting roughly 3-5 times per hour. Problem can be recreated everytime when I reset the modem and enable WAP again. Uprading to latest firmware didn't help either. Go with Linksys instead. +5 I have been running this unit for a couple of years, and have installed several of them at friends' houses without a hitch. This unit has always been reliable and easy to install for me. It offers WEP and WPA encryption, is easy to manage, and has simply worked without problems. I sometimes use D-Link's wireless range extenders for big houses, including mine. In general, I have had very good luck with D-Link products, and think of the DI-624 as a reliable workhorse. +5 I've used my DI-624 for nearly two years without incident. I've used other routers, including a couple by LinkSys and a 1st Gen Apple AirPort, and neither worked as well as the DI-624 has. * It works great with BellSouth DSL. * I have not experienced any major connectivity issues with it. * It's easy to setup. * It has great range (100+ ft) I've read a number of the reviews on here where people have had bad luck with this product, and I can only hope that they were anomalies. I have nothing but praise for this router. +1 Wow. What can I say other than this has got to be one of the worst electronic purchases that I've ever made. The DWL-G650 is a pretty good PCCard, however the DI-624 router is absolutely horrid! From the moment I plugged it in it wouldn't quit rebooting itself every 1-2 minutes kicking me off the network. Firmware flashes didn't solve the problem at all nor did a replacement product. (Incidentally, Amazon.com was WONDERFUL about sending a replacement product). How D-Link gets away with selling this product is beyond me. I'd read similar reviews on the product with it constantly rebooting however I must admit that I'd written those off as the typical "home user" that really didn't know what they were doing. Well, as a network engineer and systems administrator at one of the world's largest computer companies, I have to throw my towel in to the absolutely worst network product I've ever worked with here in the DI-624. Please... avoid this router at ALL costs. +2 These do not last long. I have numerous dead ones that just stopped working +3 I bought it to carry in my briefcase to use on airline flights where wireless mice are not permitted. It worked great, but only lasted about six months, even with light use. i guess it got beat up in my briefcase. Even so, I plan on buying another one, since the price is right. +3 Echoing a lot of what other customers say, this is a great mouse but it loses points due to its short lifespan. I use this model both at work and home and I've gone through about five or six in the last five years. I will continue to buy them as they die on me because I love them and no other mouse feels "right", but I have to give it three stars for the short lifespan. +1 It never worked well. Allways desconnecting. Do not buy!!! +5 D-link is the place to be for speed in the wireless world I have the complete extremeG wireless system now for over a year and it's still going strong... the only thing I don't like is the only company I found to support the WPA-PSK security for printservers is netgear. +2 Just plain crapped out after 6mos. Always needed resetting even a few months ago, now just won't work. Replaced with netgears most basic 802.11g and it solved all my issues. +1 Great when it works, but the Targus travel mouse is simply not reliable. I must be insane, as this is my third, and the second failure should have been a strong clue. Each worked for about a year or two and then each without warning stopped working. I only used mine when traveling and I have always been careful when stretching and retracting the cable. My advice, this item is cute and very useful on a narrow tray when flying, but do not buy one. Three failures in a row qualifies me as an expert on their reliability. +5 Great little mouse and I love it. It is good for a tablet, notebook, netbook. Comes in a small pouch which is easy to take with you as it fits in any bag. +5 My wife loves this small mouse, she has trouble with the regular size mice. We get these for her and she is happy. +4 While not the fanciest mouse, the Targus Notebook Optical Mouse with Retractable Cable works just fine. It could be a bit more comfortable in my hand, but overall, I'm satisfied. I've been using it less than 3 weeks, so I don't know how well the retractable aspect will continue to work. +4 Other than that, it's been a couple hours and it works great. Will update this review if my opinion changes, but for what I paid for it ($11.99), I thought it was a new item +5 Excellent small mouse for my laptop. Retractable cord makes it easy to pack when traveling +1 I have a wired D-Link router that works great with my company's Nortel VPN. So, I bought this wireless router for my laptop. After trying for days and days to get it to work I tried different configurations and contacted Tech Support. At first Tech Support offered suggestions to make it work, but didn't ask the right questions. It was only after my company's tech support and I searched Google and D-Link's website did we find that this D-Link router doesn't support Nortel VPN with NAT. D-Link is a great product, but research first if it works with your configuration. +5 Technically this was my first attempt to setup a wireless home network. Before I was using an ad-hoc connection between my laptop and desktop. I followed the manufacturer's quick setup guide and everything went well except I couldn't get my DSL to work through the d-link router. Called my ISP to get the settings but they've got a monopoly so they couldn't care less about assisting, so I gave up. However, I decided to upgrade the firmware and everything worked well after that...I had wireless internet, could access the desktop and print wirelessly. One comment though, I wish Amazon would state the revision of the hardware for all computer components on their website. Rev. C of this router is the only one that can have its firmware upgraded and the information is as important as the edition of a book. If I couldn't upgrade the firmware the equipment would not work as it should have. Con: not seeing the improved performance of extreme g even though i have a D-Link DWL-G520 Wireless PCI Adapter but then maybe i haven't figured it out as yet. Price is great though with the rebate. +4 When I read these reviews I always wonder what computer the user has so here goes. I bought this to be used with a Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop that uses the INTEL Pro Wireless 2200 NIC. I opened the box, followed the directions and at first the router did not connect. I assumed this was a setting issue on my laptop and thats what it was. A five minute call to tech support was all I needed. I have a total of 3 computers in my home network and I wanted to be able to add all printers to the network so I could print wirelessly to any of them. I made a few calls to tech support who walked me through it and in no time I was up and printing. As far as dropped connections, I have none in the 2 weeks of operation. Finally, I did need help to get the network secured and D-link was a big help. For the price paid, I think this is a great product. If I had to buy it again I would get a D-link model that incorporates a print server. +1 Bought this and the matching pcmcia card for my laptop. Setup was very easy, and it worked just fine right out of the box. But, in one weekend's worth of usage, I had horrible troubles with dropped connection. According to the Dlink strength indicator, I had the full 108mbps throughput, and I was only about 20ft away from the router. I returned it. This is the second time that I have had this type of troubles with a Dlink router/pcmcia card combo. No more dlink wireless for me. My configuration that has been working for quite a while now is a dlink 614+ wireless 802.11b router (which does work fine) and a cheap Gigafast 80211b card. +3 D-Link's technician told me the DI-624c does not work with WPA encryption. He claims that future firmware will support WPA, but for now the WPA mode is "unstable". He had me set it up with WEP encryption. I feel a little gypped, since D-Link advertises WPA on their website and I expected WPA when I purchased it. (I'm using firmware version 2.70 - dated 8/31/05.) +5 I don't have much space next to my laptop, so I've always used a small mouse. My old one died, so I was looking for something similar to it. I've only been using this one for a day, but seems perfect to me. Just the right size (some of them can be too small), nice comfortable shape, movement, buttons, mouse wheel, all good. Nothing weird, no problems. +2 I spent an exorbitant $20 on this mouse one night when I was mouseless and desperate. Then my old mouse's trackball showed up and this guy sat in the box for two months. When I finally opened it, I was thrilled to discover that it was really fantastic and easy to use. The tiny size is no hardship and it was efficient and otherwise awesome. For six weeks. I woke up today to discover it no longer allows you to open pages with a scroll wheel click. As I spend all day opening tabs (I am a blogger, so I need to look at lots of pages at once to put together posts) this mouse is now useless to me. Alas, no mouse I have has held up like my Logitech Trackball, but the ball keeps going on a wander and the cat likes to hide it, so my hunt for a mouse that *actually works* begins anew. >sigh< +2 There are two listings of this model, with two different pictures. I chose the picture of the real "ultra-mini" from Targus with the contoured directional body. I have one of those now but messed up the cord yanking it out of the PC improperly. Apparently, Targus kept the "ultra-mini" name and changed the body to one that lefty's can use. They don't make the one I like any longer. (currently pictured) So the vendor needs to update the picture. New mouse works. But it's bigger/fatter than I prefer for a mobile. +5 I have 4 copies of this little mini-mouse now, The latest came this week and is different "ultra-portable"; slightly larger, more substantial looking. Time will tell about this one. My discussion is about the 3 original slim "mini" mice I have bought over the past three years. They all worked great, traveled easily, but in about a year, the left-click button quit working properly - more of a hit-or-miss. I finally found the problem, I think. Guessing that the left-click button was infrequently transferring my push to the switch inside, I took each mouse apart (two screws) and added a drop of J-B WELD cement to the tip of the left-click post inside the cover - it doesn't take much, applied with a toothpick, to add sufficient length to the post so that, after overnight to set, the built-up post will click that switch again. They all work now! Get J-B WELD at Home Depot - It fixes most everything! +5 I had bought a D-Link wireless router, and later found that I chose the "b" type router. What a waste: 11mbs, bad reception, the works. I then upgraded to this router and found: - I no longer have any dead spots in the house - NO interference with the cordless phone - reception across the street!! - true 108 megabytes per second connection, BUT ONLY after I upgraded the firmware at the D-Link site. Upgrading was FREE and EASY, took only a few minutes. - Plug-n-play. I unplugged my old D-link router and just plugged in the new one. Turned it on, it aquired the internet instantly and it has WORKED FLAWLESSLY ever since. - My wireless currently supports 3 wireless computers and 1 hooked up via ethernet. I've turned on the WEP and had all four computers on the internet at the same time and haven't noticed it slow down, restart/reboot, or give us any problems. Two of the four computers were running a graphic-intense online game while I was downloading files on the others. - signal goes through walls as though they weren't even there! Even down into the basement! On my previous D-Link, I did have to call customer service twice (for WEP setup questions) and both times were for nightmare reasons on my end. The tech was patient and VERY HELPFUL, which is more than I can say for most other products. Anyway, signal is GREAT, customer service is GREAT, overall ease of use is GREAT, and you can't beat the price. I highly recommend this product for your wireless home network. +5 Excellent speed, with a very simple setup. Although I got into a problem with the install (no fault D-Link), I was able to quickly get through their helpdesk for tech support - and what I was helped by someone who I could actually understand (support was in California). Gotta love it when that is not outsourced! I used this in combination with the D-link 108 wireless NIC. Great range - easy to setup - easy to configure security. +1 I bought this and the matching card for my laptop. THey've worked around 20% of the time, and the amount of agony they have put me through is extreme. The laptop card was the worst, but the router is almost as bad. Bad software, difficult to use, and one problem after another. One of the multitude of times I talked to tech support, the technician actually told me I should have bought from a different company! First time I've ever heard that. Sadly, I give up. I'm now going to take his advice. My only question is whether I repeatedly hit the dlink with a hammer and throw it away (which would be extremely catharctic), or donate it to someone to make their life miserable. I will never buy another dlink product. (Though for what its worth, their tech support did try to be helpful. They couldn't get it to work either) I'm off to buy a linksys. I hope I have better luck. +1 This product is awful. I have exchanged it a few times and spent countless hours on the phone with them. It still keeps on rebooting itself every few minutes. Plus they keep costing me shipping and keep charging me for some parts I don't seem to send back. When you have to send yours back and you will. Make sure you put all cable and plastic pieces back in. The worst I have ever owned. +1 I replaced my Netgear B router with this one - what a mistake! The connection drops always. I upgraded my firmware by 2 versions. Nothing helps. Netgear used to work like a charm. There is no reason for the connection to drop. I couldn't connect my laptops w/o interruptions. Buy any other product other than this. I would recommend NetGear. I am going to get NetGear for myself. +5 I purchased this wireless router to link my notebook and desktop computer and share my high-speed broadband connection. This product was unbelieveably simple to install and configure, and the process only took a few minutes! The signal produced by the router is excellent and can be received by my notebook virtually anywhere in a 3,000+ square foot home without sacrificing signal quality or speed of connection. I'm currently running about 2.5Mbps downstream to the router, and I don't notice any decrease in bandwidth when using multiple computers. This product is well worth the small price and a must-have for anyone interested in having a hassle-free wireless network. +5 I have used this mouse for about a year now and it has become my favorite laptop accessory. You can even stick it in your pocket if you need to. It does everything I need to do with a mouse and it doesn't ever need batteries! It's had some pretty rough usage. I do take reasonable care when I lengthen or shorten the lead so as not to "rack" the adjustment mechanism. When I first got it, my hand ached because I tried to hold it like a full sized mouse. You only need your thumb and two fingers to use this! The accuracy is excellent. I'm planning to buy a second one to replace the full sized mouse I have been using at my permanent workstation. It's a bargain for the price. +2 I bought this mouse and it's giving pain on my wrist. It's too hard to click and it has a slow response. I fell in love with the size of it, but, unfortunately, I only read the review about the fragility of the piece after I bought it. I had a Kensington 72114 for years until my niece saw it and took it with her. It's still working. I am going right now buy me another Kensington or two. I couldn't find it in the stores. +4 I bought this for travel, but find it great all the time. But, when retracting, hold by the cord, not the plug and mouse. It will last much longer +3 This is the 4th notebook mouse I've had to buy within the last 2 years, and this one is the 4th different brand. So I have a bit of experience with this type of mouse. And because they break so easily, I only buy the cheapest ones I can find -- some of the prices they're charging for these mice are outrageous! I don't even remember the brand names of the first two; let's face it, a mouse is a commodity item, and as long as it works as expected, who cares what brand it is? The problem with all of the smaller notebook mice like this Targus is that the cables are flimsy and will eventually break where they enter the mouse. There's not much you can do about it; just make sure you try to always pull on the cable and not by the mouse and USB insert. This Targus is made just like the others (indeed, I suspect they're probably all made in a single factory in China), so I expect it to break just like the others, thus I bought two when I found them at a huge discount. The other problem with this Targus compared to my other no-name brands is that the mouse buttons take a little more pressure to click. Not something you might notice unless you had one of the smooth-working types I've used before. The biggest issue for me when this mouse was new was that the scroll wheel jumped more than one screen length on "widescreen" 16:9 displays, like the HP dv2000 I'm using right now to type. The whole idea of a scroll wheel is to slowly scroll down, line by line but this one jumped 1.5 pages. Big problem. The solution (for me anyway) was to go to the Targus website and download the 'Scroll Wheel Software' for this mouse and install it. It allows you to select how many lines you'd like the wheel to scroll. What's strange is that the software indicated that the mouse was indeed set to scroll 3 lines with each wheel click (it wasn't), but once I reset it using the software, it started to scroll correctly. I could not get the generic Windows or Vista mouse driver software in the Control Panel to do this; only the Targus software worked. So keep that in mind if you have this problem. Otherwise, it's just a cheap mouse. Yep, it's small and a bit harder to manage than a full-sized mouse, but it's a notebook mouse and that comes with the territory. Not sure I'd buy one of these again, I'll keep searching for that "perfect" (and cheap!) notebook mouse... +1 When it works, it works fine. Otherwise, the continual dropping of its Internet connection is a royal pain. Absolutely no reason for that to happen +5 I have the C version that I purchased from amazon about a year and a half ago. After a couple of firmware upgrades, the di-624 has been stellar. No more reboots and dropped connections. It has been extreamly stable and reliable. i have not needed to reboot it for about a year. Dlink tech support is like rolling a dice, most of the time you get a support guy who barely knows what they are doing, and need to talk someboy else to resolve your problem. But some times you get the good ones who know the product really well (this is kind of rare). Overall this is a very good router, but it does require you to improve your network knowledge or face tech support that might know less than you do. +1 This is a horrible device. I have personal experience with 2 of this model and they are both defective in different ways. One drops network connections (on the wired switch portion even... how hard is it to get a wired switch right?) on a fairly regular basis for no explicable reason only to reconnect a fraction of a second later. The other has a wireless radio that works for about an hour or two then stops working and the router needs to be reset in order to get it working again (for another hour or two). This is literally the worst networking device I have ever used, and that goes back to the old days of 10base2. You would be better off making your own router out of gum wrappers and paper clips. It would be at least as reliable. +4 Like the previous reviewer, I am finding lots of incompabilities between vendors. My D-L 624 works just peachy with the built-in in my wife's Dell, and likes my Proxim Orinoco. It hates my son's Linksys when any form of encryption is enabled, but with WEP off handles it fairly well. For work I coupled the D-Link 624 with the 650 card and it works just fine. I had my son buy a Linksys card because the router that he's sharing at school is a Linksys, but which refused to recognize the Proxim card that works with my D-Link. I think all of this indicates just how imature this technology is. It probably ain't you if it doesn't work. Also, DLink does a pretty good job of updating their firmware, and you probably want to take the time to update the BIOS (easy, just follow the fairly clear instructions) before you start loading MACs and enabling things (you can't import your old settings after you flash the bios - you start over from the beginning). +5 I have several of these one for each of my laptops. The size is perfect for carrying around. I never got used to using the touchpad. This item is so small I can use the wristrest on most laptops. Like most lasers it doesn't need a mousepad. I find it also works well just by using a section of the sofa while sitting on it. Pro: very small, comes with drawstring storage bag, retractable cord Con: small size may take getting used to for some +1 I have owned two of these mice now and I've had to replace them both. On the latest one, the left click button is no longer working. Which is very frustrating! It works a little if I press it really hard, but a double-click will not work. I am disappointed that I've had two of these and they have both lasted less than six months. I'm looking for a new brand! +3 This product works well for what it is intended, but users looking for a convenient alternative to the touch pad on a laptop should be aware that the small size can become slightly painful if used extensively. I'm not talking about arthritic shooting pain, but annoying discomfort. If all you're looking for is something for occasional use on an airplane or on road trips, this does the job. +4 These mice are by far the smallest yet easiest to use when it comes to mini travel mice. Even for it's small size, it has a very natural feel. I have large hands and still find this mouse comfortable to use. My computer instantly recognizes the mouse without any drivers, and when I mean instantly, I mean INSTANTLY. The only problem I've had with these mice is the reliability of them. I've gone through a couple already, each lasting only 6 - 12 months. In both cases, the left mouse button stopped working altogether or took a considerable amount of pressure (ie. not natural). This is a 5-star mouse with a 2-star lifespan. +5 I bought this card along with a D-Link DI-624 Wireless Cable/DSL Router, 4-Port Switch, 802.11g, 108Mbps, both for less that $ 50. The router was refurbished and I was a little worried but so far it's worked pretty well. +5 I needed to work on computers in my basement. This card allows me to plug it into the computer I'm working on and access the internet through my wireless router. It works great and solves my problem. My router is about 60 feet from my work bench in the basement and I get good transfers. +4 Works great, connection is good through a wall. One thing is I am not sure why i need to repair my conncetion sometimes but once it's repaired it works great. +5 I bought this router in conjunction with a new notebook that is my first. It's meant to be a desktop replacement, so I still only have one computer hooked up. This router works great as an access point/wi-fi router! Even for someone with no experience, I was hooked up within 10 minutes out of the box. The software has a nice easy connection wizard. The signal is strong all through my 2 story house. I know I'm not using it to its full potential, but I highly recommend it for ease of use! +1 This is a great router for the most part as the other reviews will tell you, but it has one big flaw: It can't coexist with 2.4GHz cordless phones. As soon as me or my neighbor pick up the phone, its dead. Cycle the power and click repair on the network connections. Extremely annoying as I went through two of these before I realized this was the problem. Unless you are sure no one in your area has a 2.4GHz device, avoid this router. +1 I went through 2 different mice before I realized this item just isn't worth it! I initially thought that I was the problem of the first mouse only working for 4 months. But when I purchased the 2nd one, it only lasted 6.5 months. +4 Because it is so mini, so small, it is hard to use after just a few minutes. Fingers get all cramped! Otherwise it is a good little mouse. +2 It's a mini mouse - if you don't want that, don't buy this! Mine has held up OK, the size works for me, I like the retractable cord. (Note - I'll do anything to avoid using a touchpad or keyboard micro-joystick). But my laptop doesn't recognize the scroll wheel (which I've been using more and more with regular mice) and there is no driver available to try and reinstall. And occasionally it seems "goofy/jumpy" but many days it isn't, I've never seen a pattern although another person said that Excel upsets his mini-mouse. +1 This review is specifically for the PAUM01U Targus Ultra Mini Retractable Optical Mouse. I got this mouse because it was one of the smallest mice that I could find on the market (it's really hard to get the specific sizes on some of these travel/laptop mice - this mouse has a footprint of about 7.5 cm x 3.4 cm which is the smallest of the Ultra Mini Travel Mice in the Targus line - the other Mini Travel Mice listed by Targus are all slightly bigger). The Verbatim Mini Travel mouse is about the same size as this mouse. There is an even smaller mouse described on the Internet, the Sigma Rotino, but I have not found any place that sells it. Although many people complain about the small size of travel/laptop mice, I use mostly my fingers to move a mouse around (by setting the speed setting to the highest level you eliminate most wrist movements - you do have to have pretty good fine finger motor control to do this). Using a standard size mouse keeps my fingers in a prolonged extended position, and I have concluded that it is the extended position of my fingers that is causing the soreness in my right forearm and hand from prolonged mouse usage. So, I am trying out smaller/narrower mice. This mouse was Dead On Arrival. The computer recognized the USB connection, but the cursor never moved. No light came on at the bottom of the mouse - since it is just an optical mouse, not a laser, I would have expected the usual red LED light. The mouse is made in China, no surprise, since almost everything is made in China these days. Quality control and design are still the responsibilities of the Western companies that put their names on the products, however, and so the real question is, do I want to take another chance and ask for an exchange, or just get a refund from Amazon? Let's see...... The left click button on this mouse makes a loud click and requires more than the usual amount of force to activate. The right button makes a softer click, but also feels firm to the touch. The roller button has only a faint amount of ratchet feel to it, which is good, but it does not spin effortlessly - it feels like the axles of the roller are embedded in thick molasses. (I am comparing the feel of these buttons to a standard Microsoft optical mouse, which has a very light touch to all of the buttons). Also, this mouse has almost no weight to it. It does help for a mouse to have some weight, since otherwise with just the slightest twitch of a finger, you will accidentally jiggle the cursor. However, since this mouse never moves the cursor at all, I am unable to test its stability. The bottom of the mouse just has four round bumps made of the same plastic as the rest of the bottom of the mouse, not the special plastic feet that most mice have. Although the mouse slides effortlessly, if you are not using a mouse pad, you can actually hear it scraping across your desktop. I can only imagine that this means that one or the other surface is wearing down as you move this mouse around. The cord take-up reel seems to be the standard reel that all of these mini-mice use. It works fine. The wires are very thin, though, and I doubt that they will last with heavy use. Conclusion: I am more than disappointed by all the great reviews for this mouse. It's really not very well made. This dead mouse is going back to Amazon for a refund. +5 The nice things about wireless is that with it you have a very neat instalation and doesn't have the wire mess. And with it you can have transfer transmission rate up tp 108Mbps, which is more faster them the most wired networks. I recommend. +5 It came to me very quickly. The adaptor is also working fine. Thank you. +2 Spent 4 hours trying to connect the D-Link 624 with the Netgear WG111 USB adapter. Whole point is to begin using more secure WPA-PSK. Setup works with WEP and with no security, but even a simple PSK key will not generate an IP address on the Netgear. Call D-link - they tell me they will not provide phone support for WPA questions! Shocking! They will send me a FAQ...I find various threads on the internet with the same problem. Also, many users have reported the router rebooting itself a lot - I had this as well. Managed to make it go away by re-orienting the unit & antenna per several user groups recommendations, but....this seemed rather cheesy. Continuing saga...Tried to get working with DWL-G122 & WPA-PSK, after 1 RMA, D-link informs me that WPA-PSK not supported on DWL-G122, but they refuse to authorize an RMA. Manange to get it returned from place of purchase & buy DWL-G550 from Amazon - turns out IT doesn't work with WPA-PSK either, so am returning to Amazon. Then tried to connect my laptop from work (using Intel 2200BG) - does NOT connect with latest FW on DI-624 (2.70) - support has me downgrade to 2.50 FW and voila, now my laptop works with WPA-PSK. This kind of grief you do not need. I am selling this router on eBay & will be buying a Linksys WRT54G - at least I can always run the Open Source code if the official Linksys code fails to work! Avoid this if you plan to use WPA +4 I needed to set up a home network since I was going to have to VPN to the office from home. I am in the IT field but never set up a wireless network. They were offering the D-Link set up with a number of rebates so I thought I would give it a shot. Everyone says Link Sys is the way but I thought for the price it was worth the risk. The system is very reliable and it works. Speed is really great. I have a cable connection and use the Motorola Surfboard modem connected to my D-link. The initial set up is in my sons room and I have the wireless USB adaptor hooked to my PC. I set it all up with the included booklet and cd. The only con is if you are very PC illiterate it would help to have someone that knows PC connections to assist you. I would buy it again. +4 Ok, let me first start off with what the router DOESN'T do. It doesn't reboot spontaneously, nor does it drop my WAN connection. This router is replacing my old DI-614+, wireless b router. I have the rev_C router with a single antenna, using firmware 2.50. I have a wireless Tivo, 2 wireless laptops (one using b, another using XtremeG 108Mbps), and 3 hardwired workstations. I did have an issue while transmitting larger files via wireless, all other connections would get little to no bandwidth on the WAN port. I just changed the preamble from short to long and presto, back to normal. Now, about this 108Mbps, guess what... you will never get 108Mbps for a sustained amount of time. You might get a single packet in a million that might travel at that speed. Regardless, the g protocol is more than enough to play games and transmit Tivo movies. Why did I give it only 4 stars... Well, my wireless issue took me a while to figure out and D-Link's tech support was no help. So, I have to take the 5th star away. I am a D-Link fan, but this is an unbiased posting. Now about the router feature, it has a very easy to use Firewall interface, and same goes with the wireless settings. You can navigate easily and the parental controls are pefect for me since I have a 12yr old. I can limit his Internet access via his MAC address by setting the times to allow. This rev_C has a cable testing feature, not really all that necessary, but still handy for those who make their own cables. Firmware 2.50 does not support Xbox live from what I read, but I haven't tested. If you get this, you will not be disappointed. If you are one of those people who are getting the WAN reboot issue, change your WAN port to 10Mbps. That will resolve many of the problems. +3 Considering how heavy cordless mouse(s) are with batteries etc, this is a featherweight and worth the nuisance of a cord. It is the third one I have owned, the springs inside are not long lasting, but for the money, it is a good performer. +1 It started out great, no probs with connectivity. Then I updated the driver. After that if I left the PC on overnight, the next morning there would be a BSOD. Sometimes even after a couple of hours you would get one too, eventually I got tired of it and took the card out. I've swithced to using cable now, had it out for over 6 months now and I don't think I'm going to put it back. +5 DWL G520 PCI CARD I must say that D-LINK really caused to rethink my approach for standards of products. Name brand product versus generic so called brand names. Let me show you the path I went through for setting up a cross platform wireless network 1. My setup: DSL Modem (separate. anything works fine) connected to an Apple Airport Extreme. 2. Machines: 2 PC's and 2 Mac's (mini and an iBook) 3rd XP machine used by my neighbor to share an RJ45 with. 3. The problem: too many different manufacturers and not enough homogeneity amongst them when it comes to standards. 4. I went and bought one no name generic USB Wifi as a trial and sadly it didn't pick up the network. 5. I read about D-LINk on several blogs so I went for it 6. I got the USB DWL-G132 and the PCI DWL G520. Both USB and PCI card picked up and works fantastically. : the secret is to not broadcast your WiFi signal and do a Closed Network. Plus then u need to add a MAC (all PCI and USB WiFi devices have these unique set of numbers) addresses. These addresses need to be added into the Airport Admin Utility (which works via Apple or XP...I did it via XP machine which was connected via RJ45 cable directly to Apple Airport Extreme router) The only outstanding issues now: wireless security is a bit tricky to administer on this setup. I still did not figure it out. But D-LINK Cards are must buy for any cross platform situation. +5 Dispite what some people have said this works fine with Windows 2000,xp and even 98.... You just need the correct Driver... I'm running mine on a Windows XP Pro system with an AMD XP 1800+... I will find out soon if it works with Windows XP Pro 64-Bit as I'm building a new system... As with all hardware you need to make sure you have the correct driver installed and sometimes the updated correct driver! +4 I have it on a network with a DI-624 router. Tried it on Comcast high speed cable and it had a tendency to freeze up the system. We moved and I went with DSL (not lite) and it works well. Something about my cable internet seemed to overload the system with this card. I miss the higher speed of the cable, but this card works much better with DSL. Hope this helps. +2 I have used this mouse for 3 months with my laptop. Look/feel and general use are fine for short periods of time (~< 1 hour). However, I am currently shopping for a replacement as this mouse has one problem: Intermittently, after clicking/double-clicking, the mouse will go into a "move to the left" mode...and will continue to move until it reaches the edge of the screen. Sometimes it will move to the upper-left. This is so inconsistent as to be unpredictable. I will often (at least 10 times in a 30 minute period) have to give the mouse a wiggle to stop it from continuing. Frustrating if you are trying to click through a multi-level menu, for instance. Another example is if you working on any CAD-type or image editing project where you need to insert a line one segement at a time (mouse will move when it feels like it). It was ok for a while, but now it is annoying...going to buy a replacement. If I have to buy a replacement for a product because of how the product performs at an early stage in its life, it gets no more than 2 stars. It could be just this one particular mouse, but then that points to lack of QA at the manufacturer end...again, 2 stars. +3 It is a Nice little mouse ideal for laptop use because it is not as bulky as its bigger brothers, and the retractable cord is very useful when storing the mouse in the laptop bag, But mine died just after a year of use and web support was of no use. Because of this i can't say this is a quality product and i give it 3 stars. This mouse may be very unconfortable for people with big hands or long fingers. +1 I purchased this for my laptop. It worked great at first. There were blue and red lights that would brighten up when it was awake. Not anymore. The blue light completely stopped working. It used to be plug and play. Not anymore. Basically it is useless. It just doesn't work. It was used probably 30 times at the most. Complete junk. I like the smallness and shape of it though. Time to try a different brand. +1 Like others, I had the computer freeze problem. I am running Windows 2000 Pro SP4, and even after removing all my other PCI cards, this product still froze my machine. I downloaded and installed the latest driver from D-Link's website to no avail. Be prepared to return this product. +2 I bought the DI-624 and a DWL-G520. Bad, bad, bad, very bad. The problem is the g520. I cannot get any decent signal strength. I even added a 6db microstrip antenna and it made no difference at all. More money wasted. All I can get under any circumstance is very low signal strength. It works somewhat until it drops the signal entirely. How useless it that!!?? This card is junk!! But at least it doesn't freeze my computer. +5 I bought this little mouse for my laptop because I hate the little tracking pad. It is perfect, works on all surfaces and the retractable cord makes it easy to take along--no tangling. Great value too. +4 I think this is an excelent router i recomended a lot i give it 4 stras because at thebegining i used to have the reebot problems but then i just run the wizard once and it wasll all great. It has an excelent speed and stability also has a very good range. +2 My Dell Dimension XPS 400 Windows 98 SE has the Linksys WMP54GS card in it and it works perfectly. (The first time I installed it!) This computer has a modem and didn't have a wired ethernet card. After trying the D-Link DWL-G520 AirPlus Xtreme G Wireless PCI Adapter 108Mbps card, which worked only once (after disabling the Dial Up modem) the Linksys card was the only card that the computer recognized, didn't freeze up during boot, and that connected to the wireless router the first time. With the WMP54GS, the dial up modem is still installed and enabled. I didn't have such good luck with my Compaq Deskpro P500 Windows 98 SE computer. This card stopped the computer during boot up, even before the screen shows the memory test. Something very serious happened during the bootup sequence that locked up the machine. It appears that older computers, especially Compaq, have unique charateristics that preclude using newer cards (read: cards with higher speeds). It might be in the BIOS that recognizes cards, it might be bus speed, it might be the use of PCI connector pins, it might be the operating system, it might be the incompatibility with the cards driver. I don't feel compelled to diagnose what is wrong. After 3 weekends trying to get the D-Link DWL-G520 AirPlus Xtreme G Wireless PCI Adapter 108Mbps card to work in the Compaq, I bought and simply tried several major brand cards (Linksys, D-Link, Netgear) for 54 Mbs and 11 Mbs until I found one that worked. That card was the Linksys WMP11. It works perfectly. (The rest are being returned - sorry about that AMAZON.) An installation quirk: In the Compaq, using the Linksys WMP11, I had a strong signal, and it reported it was connected to the Internet. but my computer couldn't connect to the internet. I determined that the wired Ethernet adapter in the Compaq was causing a problem, and capturing during bootup the TCP/IP connection before the wireless modem had a chance. The way I checked what was connected to TCP/IP in your computer is to RUN winipcfg and see what is in the dropdown box. If the WMP54GS or WMP11 (or whatever wireless card you installed) description isn't there, then the computer can't use it to connect to the internet. The dial up modem is still installed and enabled in both computers. That did not stop the WMP11 in the Compaq or the WMP54GS in the Dell from working. HINT: The wired Ethernet adapter is no longer in the Compaq. I am saving it though because that wired adapter is the one I used to connect via hardwire to Comcast, and it has the MAC address that I cloned into the Linksys router. I'll reinstall it and connect it to the router if I need to re-do the setup for the modem to the Comcast internet connection. Looking back, it appears that the newer wireless lan cards are throughly tested on Windows XP and Windows 2000 computers (the install is usually much easier according to my wealthier friends) and minimally tested on Windows 98 SE and Windows ME computers. Linksys apparently spent the time debugging the drivers and the resident modules on Windows 98 SE so it knows how to handle an existing dial up modem. D-Link apparently didn't. For the D-Link DWL-G520 AirPlus Xtreme G Wireless PCI Adapter 108Mbps card(the only high speed card for which both computers booted up successfully at least once) I had to disable the modem (entry in network and modem in My Computer - Devices)to get it work at all, albeit fitfully and ultimately not sufficiently to serve its intended purpose. +3 Read all the magazine reviews and articles...thought this card was the way to go. So I bought two, plus a DI-624 router. My first install went great - my Compaq was up and wireless in less than 15 minutes (30 if you count install time). My second computer`s install dragged on for days.... The card appeared to install smoothly, with great signal strength and was an sight to behold - for about 3 minutes. Then it locked up my computer...everytime. NO solution, from bios upgrades to new drivers, went untried. But after a week I gave it up, went back to wired and returned the card. Something between the on-board sound and NIC cards caused a conflict - which froze the system within minutes of every reboot. My first PC didn`t have on-board components - which may have been the saver. You really take your chances with this card. +5 I bought DI-624 router and G-520 PCI last week to replace my existing wired router. The install/configuration is a no-brainer. Last evening, it took me 5 minutes to hook/unhook the routers, maybe 20 minutes to physically install the PCI, and 5 minutes to setup. Now I have two PCs wired to DI-624 in the first floor, and one wirelessly connected to the DI-624 in the second floor. The performance is awesome. I tested the Internet speed from all of my PCs, they were all 3.3 mps. File transfers from on PC to another is fast, as a matter of fact, you cannot tell that you have a wireless connection. I like these products. +1 I bought this PCI card and companion router (the DI-624) upon reading reviews from several respected sources. To be blunt these components just never worked. In fact the DI520 card froze my desktop computer every time it was on! Not a great way to be wireless... Switched to Linksys and everything is great, fantastic, not a single call to tech support (compared to about 8 hours over five days with d-link). In short, I doubt that this is a bad product, but it certainly is a one star rating for my experience. Finally, be sure you buy from a dealer that will allow easy returns because if you find yourself in a situation similar to mine, you will want to launch it and try something else. +1 I bought this card because I previously got the DI-624 router from costco and thought it would be a good idea getting everything from the same manufacturer. That was wishful thinking. The card never worked correctly. It installs fine, and the signal is always very strong, but the connection lasts 5 minutes at best. Eventually it will drop and neve reconnect, even though the signal indicator is still at 3 bars. First I thought it was my old Windows 2000. So I upgraded to XP Pro. Same thing. Then I got a completely new mainboard, CPU, BIOS etc and thought that would do the trick. No avail. Even worse, the new PC started to have spurious hiccups, freezes and jittery games. All this stops when I disable the wireless card. D-Link tech support is clueless and suggest nonsense such as as 'it could be interference with your cordless phone'. My Dell notebook with a dell wireless card works flawlessly in the entire house. So much to tech support. Summary: If you want to avoid trouble, buy someting else. Just look at ebay how many 'refurbished' ones are for sale. That tells enough. +4 Using a D-Link DI-624 as the wireless router/access point for my home network, I got my laptop linked up fairly easily but connecting to the net with a second desktop using this wireless adapter took some trial and error. I followed the manual's instructions (with latest drivers/firmwares) and got WIRELESS CONNECTION on the PC BUT CAN'T ACCESS the INTERNET! Here's what I finally did to make it work (the wireless linked PC is a Dell 8200 running WinXP): Removed the wireless adapter from a PCI slot close to the fax/modem. Uninstalled first software install. Rebooted. Reinstalled DWL-G520 software. Shut off PC. Reinstalled wireless adapter in an empty PCI slot farther away from the fax/modem. Turn on PC, hardware detected. Install the NEWEST driver that was downloaded previously via ethernet on my new Dell 8300. MAKE SURE the ROUTER DI-624 is properly configured!!! I had enabled WEP (write down the KEY!) and used the MAC filter (only the MACs of my router and ethernet/wireless adapters CAN access my network). I also disabled SSID broadcast (I can detect several of my neighbors' SSIDs with WEP disabled). MOST Importantly the DHCP server was enabled with just enough starting to ending IP addresses for the number of computers in my network. NOW enter ALL necessary info of the network using the DWL-G520 config. utility. Click the WinXP network icon for wireless networks avail. Check your network, enter the WEP key and........FINALLY, access to the internet!!! It took some time to dial in my preferences but now my downstairs wireless PC is 3712/407 kbps down/up with a LOW (38%)signal. Good Luck! +3 I purchased this for my laptop. It is recognized and works for a short while then stops. I have to unplug it and plug it in again. Not impressed. +5 I originally bought this for my 4 year old but when she decided she preferred a regular full-sized mouse, I thought I'd try it out. Turns out I really like it! It's so comfortable to use that I actually like it better than my full-sized mouse. It's also extremely portable, due to its tiny size and the retractable cord. +3 i like the small size of this mouse. now and then the cursor jumps on its own to somewhere -- and it takes a moment to find it. also, the scroll button does not work with all programs -- but it does work with Word and other standards. it was not too bad to set up -- and it's a bonus that it's usb. +5 My friend and I set up the wireless connection between our 2 homes. He has the DI-624 and I have the DWL-G520. At first it didn't work at all on my DELL running XP home. My other friend came over with his lap top using an other card, typed in the key and he was surfing at a fast speed. That let me know the DI-624 was working. So I did everything to get it to work, called D-Link support (and yes they suck), down loaded patches, and even upgraded to XP Pro and nothing helped. SO then I desided to uninstal AOL, and then the magic happened. After it worked I've been very happy with it. I'm a good 30 yards from the router in a different house and I get 30% to 40% signal. Thus if yours isn't work check the other software running on your machine such as AOL or firewalls. +5 I am using this card on a home network with a Netgear Wireless-G access point. On the same wireless network, I have a Linksys Wireless USB Adapter (WUSB54G) and a Netgear PC card (WG511). Installation and set up of this card was easy. I installed it on a Windows 2000 desktop and the instructions were not very clear for Win2K, but I was able to figure it out without much sweat. Considering that almost everyone has Windows XP these days, this may not be a problem. The speed and performance is good - as good as it can get. On my network (at the same distance from the access point), this card and the WG511 are equally fast. With my ISP, my download speed is about 1.2mbps and upstream speed is 200kbps. The WUSB54G is pretty slow (must be because it is USB) - I get only < 300 mbps downstream. +3 I have had this product about 9 months and although it usually works well, I have had various problems with line dropping and VPN support. Similiar to other posts I've read, I frequently experience disconnects throughout the day - even when I am in the same room as the AP. I also get a very poor connection to my linksys 802.11b bridge in the next room. The device also reboots when I am trying to connect to my company VPN. However I do like the feature set and it was very easy to setup. +3 Only had mouse for 2 weeks but I find that the scroll button is very sensitive and causes the monitor screen to wiggle up and down very rapidly if you unintentionally touch it. Which is fairly easy to do because the mouse is micro small. I am shopping for a replacement. +1 I have had this router for 5 months. It will drop the wireless connection at random. So, I will be in the middle of something online then I am not online anymore. I have tried to work with D-Link tech support but they do not have an answer. It is not worth the money for this product. You will be missing your link and missing your money. +4 I had a Belkin 54Mbps router and took it back because it didn't have the range I needed. At about 30' away, it was losing connection with four different wireless cards. So, I got an Airlink 108Mbps rounter and took it back because I didn't like the software inside of it. On the other hand, it had the range I needed. So, I bought a Belkin 125Mbps. Again, same user friendly software and firewall, but no range. So, back it went. On the suggestion of a friend who is a network administrator with a wireless phone service provider, I got the D-Link. The price is better than the Belkin, the software is almost as good, and it has the range of the Airlink. The D-Link is staying. +1 The DI-624 product line is completely defective. Do yourself a favor and search google for 'DI-624 reboot' I have gone through 3 units, and each one of them exhibits the same problem. They stay connected to the internet for a while - sometimes a day, sometimes only 10 minutes at a time - and then spontaneously reboot, causing loss of internet connection for ~10 seconds, a re-connect with my ISP, which results in a new IP address. I have filed a Better Business Bureau report against D-Link, and I have spent months, actually months, trying to get a product exchange for a different model router. I would avoid this router. I have had great success with D-Link routers in the past. I had one function for two years buried under cables and dust without a glitch. The DI-624 seems unique in it's fatal problems. +3 I thought I'd like this product but had a lot of trouble right from the start. Called D-Link and they said that I'd need new firmware and that my unit may be an older "vintage" but with the same Model name. I'm fairly computer savy so I didn't have much trouble with the process but not happy that I have an "older" unit. That said, I found the range very limited. I have a Cisco router (Linksys) and the range (right next to my new D-Link) is far superior. I'd say the Linksys is offers about twice the range. So, because of the problem with the firmware and the poor range I'm only giving the unit 3 stars. The good part is it seems to work consistently at close range with no hiccups so far. +5 I have been using this router for 3 months and never regret that I bought it. Things I like about it: 1)Signal strength: the connection sustains until I get about 50 meters away from my apartment. 2)Speed: I have a Toshiba laptop (A75 series) with built-in Atheros super-G wireless card (actually this is the main reason I went for this router). As I suspected, I get a stable connection speed of 108M bps out of it! So it is not true that a DLink super-G card is required to get the super-G speed. I would expect a Netgear super-G card can get 108M connection with this router too. 3)Stability: the router has not failed my connection once yet. +4 It looks awesome, feels awesome and the click buttons are quite good. But I was dissapointed with the scroll button, it didn't work well, it kept getting stuck, sopmetimes the button was rolling but the screen wasn't scrolling. Otherwise it's a good buy, and totally worth the price +5 I don't know why I waited too long to buy a small, convenient optical mouse. It's a great value and works very well with a notebook. The retractable cord is a convenience and the size is just right for working on small tables such as on an airplane tray. It is also very attractive and looks expensive. It comes with a small carrying case which can fit nicely in your pocket. For the business traveler with a notebook computer, forget the built-in trackball in your notebook and invest in this modestly priced mini optical mouse from Targus. +4 So when I received this item in the mail, the packaging said it required Windows (there was nothing on there that said Mac. So I got nervous. And wanted to assure everyone it works just as well on an Apple, (at least on my PowerBook anyway...) It's a great, small mouse with a really nice black pouch to put it in. It works well for on the go. For long periods of time when you're doing intensive mouse-only activities, the extremely small size can start to hurt your hand, so for those times you'd want a larger mouse for more comfort. But this looks so cool, is designed so well, and even comes with a little pouch so I must say I love my new mini-mouse. :-) +2 My husband's gone through two of these. When the mouse button on the first broke, he chalked it up to bad luck. When the second broke, he bought another brand. Fine mouse, great ergonomics, but it only lasted a couple of months. +5 I purchased a D-Link DI-624 router to set up a wireless network at home. I was originally running my network with just two wireless D-Link network cards. I was running in ad-hoc mode (peer to peer), but realized it would be better to purchase a router to share my printer and cable internet connection without worrying about both PCs being turned on. I haven't had any major problems at all with the router. Installation is simple if you follow the instructions provided. It is advisable to make sure you have the lastest OS software and router firmware updates for optimal performance. Overall, this is a great product. +5 After my Linksys wireless router conked out and I got the reason as 'It happens' I went with a different Mfg. I selected D-Link after a couple of co-workers (I work in an engineering dept) recommended it. Setup/Installation: It was a nice surprise to find the installation so easy. I was up and running in under 10 mins with my Cable Modem and my desktop. I configured my laptop and got that running in under 5 mins. Features: Wow does this thing have features. Support of VPN is nice but I really like the ability to route various requests to an ip address and a port. I can setup remote desktop to go to my desktop and only my desktop. I can setup ftp requests to come in at on port 33 to go to a server listening on port 21. Its nice. The GUI is easy to use and features are easy to find. Anywhere from being able to deny access to certain IP addresses to Setting up Virtual Servers. The feature list is exhaustive. Even if you don't understand the full feature set the wizard will guide you through basic setup and the defaults will suffice most peoples needs. My company's VPN worked with no problems (previous routers had to be configured specifically to support it). Performance: (LAN is fine so I will limit this to WLAN) I have definitely noticed a vast improvement in performance and range. No more poor or fair signals downstairs. I usually get at least a good signal everywhere I use my laptop. Supporting B and G modes is a nice feature b/c friends can come over and have their own wireless cards. I have tested the WLAN performance transferring huge amounts of data (over 2 GB) and man did this beat expectations. Reliability: I have had this router for a while now (almost 6 mos) and I probably turn it off (kickstart it) once a month. That is b/c it is something I like to do, the device does not require it. All I can say is that I have yet to see a hiccup in reliability and not a single firmware update has been needed (which is a nice change in this product market) Overall: I recommend this product without hesitation. Get one get wireless in no time. The router has a built in firewall but I still recommend having ZoneAlarm or something similar installed. Enjoy the range and speed of Wireless G! +3 Setting up was quite simple if one is familiar with some of the terms that are thrown around in the WiFi context. Haven't had any major problems. But every few days I do find that my laptop is unable to associate itself with the router. I am using a Dlink AirPlus DWL-G630 wireless card, so it's pretty much as compatible as it could get with the router. When I do get this problem with connecting, no amount of disconnecting/reconnecting, uninstalling/reinstallating on my laptop will resolve it. But a quick power down and power up of the router gets me up and connected within a couple of seconds. And as of yet, I have not found any newer firmware which might fix this problem. But for the most part, I'm satisfied with my purchase. I have not experienced any of the horrible problems that other people have experienced with wireless routers, which require contacting techsupport or returning the router. I would recommend this product. good luck +1 I bought the product from Fry's and forgot to check reviews before making the purchase. What a mistake! I can testify that even with the latest firmware, the constant router reboot (PPPoE disconnect) is a common problem. I was losing connection every 2 minutes and reconnected repeatedly that basically rendered my internet connection completely useless. Do not waste your time on this product. Release a product with this level of QA makes a lasting impression - stay away from D-Link. +5 This router is excellent, have it for 6 months. Bough it to replace one from other popular vendor. Noticed the change in speed immediately even on the cabled LAN ports, performance is incredible. Range is perfect, easy to setup security. I sure recommend it!! +5 This was my first foray into the wireless network realm. I bought this to replace my Netgear RP-114 router. I installed it over the weekend. I was not happy with the overall performance of the Netgear router (after 3 years it started having constant disruptions in service resulting in reboots and resets), which is why I decided to try D-Link. Set-up took so little effort. Basically 2 steps. I like the fact that I can turn the wireless radio off when I am not using it. Broadcast strength is fairly strong, I have no problems connecting anywhere around the house (through multiple floors and walls) or the yard. All in all, I am quite happy with my purchase so far. +2 DI-624 router frequently disconnects itself from all computers, wired and wireless, attached to it. What's more, it will reboot and might take up to 5 minutes to establish a connection, which may happen in the middle of a download. D-link suggests that you downgrade the speed to 10Mb which will reduce files transfer speed in your network by a tenfold. But the issue is not resolve. Upgrading to new firmware (2.50)won't resolve the issue either. Furthermore, replacing the network card for a new one won't resolve the issue. If you want to spend many hours fussing, calling & e-mailing tech support and rebooting a router and reconfiguring it until you are red in the face....go for it... +4 I bought this about a month ago and so far it has no problem. One thing I noticed is that it has much better range than the Netgear router (MR314) I had. it is very easy to set up, as some of you already pointed out. I don't have a wireless G adapter yet, so cannot comment on the speed gain. Very pleased so far... updated on 2/23/2006: It died today! First I lost wired connection; then it quit working completely... +4 This is a good router. It shows as what it's advertise but I have some installation issue. It is hard to set up. If you check everything what it said in its manual such as ipconfig, ping, or connect cable firmly, you still can not use it. Try to shut down everything about 10 min and restart. It may be help. I used with Dell Insprion 1150 and DWL-G650. Therefore, it got 4 stars. +4 I moved from B to G, from Linksys to Microsoft, almost a year ago. I was very happy with the speed enhancements, but MS's offering was weak. The WAN link would drop several times per day...very annoying. So, I went to Iraq for six months, and decided (while I was there) that I wasn't going to put up with crap that didn't work. When I got back, I purchased an entire D-Link super G system. Great stuff. In super G mode, my laptop and HTPC seem as if they're plugged directly into the DSL pipe. When non-super G folks come over, the speed decrease is noticable, but still very acceptable. Bottom line - If you're happy with what you've got, and it's working, keep it. If you're a B user looking to upgrade, give the super G a try; you won't be disappointed. If you're a G user already, don't bother, wait for the next great bandwidth leap. +1 Sometimes it works, sometimes it does. It works OK when it works. I went thru 2 of these and each timee my connection would either drop or my speeds would be really slow. I have no clue what the problem is. I work in IT so I tried all the troubleshooting knowledge I know before I contacted tech support = nothing. Upgraded firmware to no avail....decided to return it all and bought a Linksys: brought it home, and to my surprise, it WORKED FLAWLESSLY +5 Like many of the negative reviewers here, I too initially experienced frequent dropped connections from my Windows XP Tablet PC. Although the connection was quickly and automatically reestablished, this made it impossible to do large file transfers, etc. This was using the factory installed 2.42 firmware. I became suspicious that D-Link was not to blame when I noticed that my two ReplayTVs were merrily making their nightly downloads via their attached Netgear WGE101 wireless bridges, and were able to stream high quality video from one to the other, and also that my children's vintage iMacs were never losing connections via their attached Linksys WET11 wireless bridges. On my Tablet PC I therefore tried disabling the default XP setting of "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" and instead switched to using the software from the the supplier of my wireless card, in my case Intel's PROset software. I have not had a single dropped connection since! +5 While reading the other reviews, I have to say that it seems that either there is a bad batch of routers, non-updated firmware or something in their environment that is causing problems. The router is on 24/7 and only experienced a couple of wireless disconnects during the past 90+ days. The router is working fine at 54kbps with a HP notebook (built in 802.11g) and a MS Xbox 802.11g adapter. The range varies depending on what is between the router and the wireless device. If the microwave is on, in a direct route between the two devices, it does not get a good signal. If the wireless phone base or handset is within a foot or so, it does have interference (if it is beyond that, it seems to work fine.) Xbox Live works fine via either the wireless mode or wired mode. The unit is fairly configurable and easy to setup and use. I have 2 wireless items (Notebook, Xbox) always connected to it and 4 wired items (2 PCs, 2 VoIP boxes) without problems. DLink Support seems to be a bit lacking, but that was to ask a question about another product and not about this one. The only "gripe" I have is that I wished it had a print server built-in like the previous SMC wired router that this replaced. This review is based upon the "C" revision (1 antenna) version of the router built with 2.38 firmware and upgraded to 2.42 firmware. There is a beta 2.45 firmware also available at the time of this review. I have not installed the beta firmware. +5 I bought DI-624 router and G-520 PCI last week to replace my existing wired router. The install/configuration is a no-brainer. Last evening, it took me 5 minutes to hook/unhook the routers, maybe 20 minutes to physically install the PCI, and 5 minutes to setup. Now I have two pcs wired to DI-624 in the first floor, and one wirelessly connected to the DI-624 in the second floor. The performance is awesome. I tested the Internet speed from all of my pcs, they were all 3.3 mps. File transfers from on pc to another is past, as a matter of fact, you cannot tell that you have a wireless connection. I like these products. +1 I bought this router for its wireless capability and to replace my old router. This router is a real bag of troubles. It would randomly disconnect the wireless connection from my laptop, and sometimes, it would drop the entire network when the wireless connection attempts to connect. I had to go into the router admin menu and turn off the wireless feature(router reboots), then turn it back on(router reboots again); why? I don't know, It just works after that(Note: Just rebooting the router does not help.). After weeks of trials and error, I ended up buying a Linksys and kept this one as a spare. The router works great WITHOUT the wireless feature, but that was not the original purpose of my purchase. Buy it if you want a challenge of troubleshooting, but avoid it if you want a reliable router. +1 Yes this Dlink product is notorious with rebooting problem as more users connect to the WLAN. Maybe 1 or 2 is not. But more than 5 then this Wireless Router starts rebooting. Also it's gonna get warm faster than you think. Dlink is cheap. And you get what you pay for. PS. To Dlink Company: When are you going to remodel the ugly +2 I purchased this router hoping to share our DSL connection across our three computers, and share a networked printer. While set-up was flawless and the Wireless connection worked out of the box, we were not able to connect to any computers within our home network. After speaking with customer support they stated that the router does not support computers connecting to each-other, nor shared printers within the local network. Needless to say, this is going back to the store. +1 I futzed with this for about a week. Had d-link tech support's number programmed into my phone (power down the router, press the reset key, replug everything, yada yada yada). I bought this router and the PCI wireless card for my desktop because of the excellent reviews I read on this item at CNET and PC Magazine. The PCI card froze my desktop EVERY time I turned the network on and the router would not connect to my laptop even when the units were a few feet apart. Exchanged for Linksys and have had not one call to tech support. I suppose this will work for a lot of people, but for me this operated as a 1 star product. Do buy from a place you can easily return (like Amazon!) because if your experience is like mine, you will get fed up talking with the tech support people and try something else! +5 I had zero problems setting up the DI-624. First thing I did was to update the firmware to latest version. No problem there either. The unit gave immediate top notch performance and I changed location from desktop to bottom shelf with no degradation. You need a matching 108mps adapter to get 108mps speed but for me, 54mps is fine. All the wireless routers work on 2.4ghz, so if you have a 2.4ghz wireless phone, then there is bound to be a problem. Price with rebate was also attractive. Don't forget to enable 'Block WAN Ping' which is disabled by default. +1 I returned the first unit beacause it would not detect a connection. The connection was not detected whether it was set to DHCP or static. It also rebooted itself constantly and would not keep a set time but instead would reset the clock back to 1 April 2002! What the heck?! Technical support was useless; I'm convinced that they are min wage workers in some overseas location reading from a scripted algorithm, probably the quick set-up guide or online FAQ's. I returned the second one for the exact same reason. Amazon has been very good about the series of transactions; the return/replacement/refund process has been very easy. +1 I wasted two weeks trying to use this as directed, along with the DWL-G650 wireless CardBus (PC-card for laptops). I selected the WPA-PSK encryption format for security and found that it worked from 5 minutes to 2 hours at a time. Same thing with the old and fairly INsecure WEP encryption format. I emailed and phone D-Link's tech support line and got responses that did nothing to help in any way. I spent weeks researching and reading ratings penned by numerous others to choose what should have been the best wireless networking gear for my environs only to find D-Link's products a miserable failure, backed up by mediocre, faltering tech support. +1 I've been using a D-Link DI-614+ router and it works fine. I bought a DI-624 to upgrade from 11b to 11g. The 624 connected fine to the other machines in my home network and the computer showed an internet connection present, but no matter what I tried I couldn't access the internet. All the settings were the same as the 614. The computer would time out and offer to use my back up dial-up connection. I asked for help from D-Link tech support by email. They made a few very basic suggestions that didn't work, then stopped answering my emails. I gave up and returned the unit to Amazon for a refund. (Amazon's easy returns are great!) +4 Perhaps it's my familiarity with D-Link equipment and D-Link configuration interfaces, but setting-up the DI-624 was a breeze. I've always found the web-based configuration on D-Link routers and WAPs to be relatively intuitive, although it can sometimes be a challenge to find the specific option you're looking for. Lots of clicks of buttons and tabs in your web browser may be required before the desired option is located. I'm not sure that a novice would be able to set-up the DI-624 on their own (or any WAP and/or router for that matter), but for me, entering the required information took just a few minutes and a couple of reboots of the device, and all was set and working fine. Since this unit replaced an older WAP device, and the configuration was the same, existing notebooks and wireless devices reconnected with ease. When used with the DWL-G650 PCMCIA (CardBus) adapter I purchased with this product, the performance was as advertised. Once it was all set-up, I did a few file transfer tests, and experienced performance on-par with 100 Mbit wired Ethernet... Truly incredible! Better still, distance specs were truly terrific. The DI-624 is located in the garden level of my home. Performance throughout the house and my patio was outstanding. The connection was maintained perfectly, and speeds stayed high at every point. Surprisingly, it out-performed the D-Link DI-614+ it replaced (an 802.11b router/WAP) by a fair margin in both raw speed (as expected) and in distance (which I did not expect). D-Link products don't always fetch the best reviews by magazines, but they've always served me well. Admittedly, D-Link's firmware and driver updates can sometimes introduce anomalies; keeping configuration back-ups is probably a good idea as a result (something the web interface on this unit makes easy). In any case, this one's a winner in my book. +5 My friend and I set up the wireless connection between our 2 homes. He has the DI-624 and I have the DWL-G520. At first it didn't work at all on my DELL running XP home. My other friend came over with his lap top using an other card, typed in the key and he was surfing at a fast speed. That let me know the DI-624 was working. So I did everything to get it to work, called D-Link support (and yes they suck), down loaded patches, and even upgraded to XP Pro and nothing helped. SO then I desided to uninstal AOL, and then the magic happened. After it worked I've been very happy with it. I'm a good 30 yards from the router in a different house and I get 30% to 40% signal. Thus if yours isn't work check the other software running on your machine such as AOL or firewalls. +3 Good points: Easy to setup, works right out of box, good range on wireless Bad points: It will randomly reboot, dropping all wired and wireless connections. I have ver C2 with firmware 2.42 and the problem persists. Until they fix this problem, I cannot recommend this product. +1 I have this router and just bought the Linksys WRT54G to replace it. BEFORE you buy the D-Link 624 go to DSLREPORTS and read the D-Link Forum section. As for all the trouble, I thought it was me. I get constant disconnects (rebooting router) I can't get my PocketPC with a Socket WLAN card to connect and my configure screens won't paint correctly. This router is a TURKEY. Those that got it to work are LUCKY! I'm on firmware 2.42, which is current as I write this. I originally bought the 624 (at Costco) because my 614+ fritzed out. Why did I even waste my time. I learned about the DSLREPORTS forum by accident, didn't know of it before I purchased. The 624 is going back. COMMENT: To the person who didn't find this review helpful, what would you have liked me to say? I hope you enjoy your new DI-624! +5 After having the SMC router for 3 years, I had an intermittent DNS lookup problem since few months ago after I had Vonage. Then I bought this router with the G650 802.11g card. It rocks! Somehow the DNS lookup problem is gone and it is extremely fast. The only issue is that I cannot get it to work in 108Mbps even with the newest firmware/driver... +5 I did quite a bit of research on wireless routers before finally going with this product from D-link. Security wise, you shouldn't have to worry, b/c not only does it have WEP and WPA-PSK features, it should be fully compatible (thru a firmware update) with the new security standards coming out with the 802.11i upgrade this summer. It also allows VPN passthrough, so I was able to connect to my company's network from home. I am pretty familiar with computers, though knew nothing of wireless routers on my setup. The setup was easy, and the web interface easy to use, though I have yet to explore all the different options. Overall speed is very fast (used in conjunction with the wireless card DWL-650), around 40 MBPs on the first floor (80% signal strength), and ~ 30 mpbs (70% signal strength) upstairs. Range is good, although strangely, I only get a 60% reading 1 foot from the base station. I live in a large brick house, with perhaps one other wireless connection from my neighbors. I did encounter the trademark problem of initially having the router reboot every few minutes back to April 1, 2002. If you read the boards carefully, it's recommended that you do a full factory reset (some junk leftover on the memory needs to be cleared out), and make sure that you hold the button in for at least 30 seconds, leaving the power on, then off, then on again. By then, the load firmware page should appear on the web interface, and you can load the latest firmware (2.48 I think). (After loading the firmware, it doesn't tell you when it's done, so you'll have to go ahead and reboot both your computer and the router.) Also, disable any built-in internal wireless cards you might have; I had an Intel Wireless Pro 2100 on my IBM Thinkpad that was causing problems with the functioning of the DWL-650. After applying those two fixes, my network has been running flawlessly. Tech support is 24/7, and I got help from a very helpful tech that was fortunately based in the US! I intend to buy the signal booster and usb wireless adapter (for my printer) to eventually establish a true wireless network. Am very happy with the products! +5 My first try with this product was terrible dissapointing. The router keep disconecting every 10/15 minutes. Finally realized that the problem was not the router but my Wireless card. I have a Intel Pro/Wireless 2100B or something like that. It is 802.11b standard, and found out that not fully compatible with WEP encryption. The solution? I installed Intel PROset Utilities which gives compatibility with every security standard at this time. Now my connection works great, great range, great speed. Before blaming the router, find out if your networking card fully supports WEP or any other security standards. +4 It appears that DLINK is sending its marketing staff into overtime writing glowing reviews for its products. As for the wireless/wired communication problem, it's been extensively documented on BroadbandReports.com. If you have a DI-624 Hardware Rev C2 and Firmware Rev 2.28 (Oct), you will not be able to see the wired devices on your network, although both wireless and wired devices will be able to access the router and the Internet. This is not a problem with Firmware Rev 2.28 (Nov), but this version is not downloadable on DLINK's USA web site (some have said it's available on the Canadian site). In Feb DLINK put out Firmware Rev 2.36 which dropped all connectivity with wireless devices after 60 seconds. A week later, they put out Firmware Rev 2.37 which appears stable, although (a) there is no documentation from DLINK regarding changes in the interface, and (b) the late firmware will not load in configuration files from slightly earlier versions, meaning that you have to enter everything again (which is a pain if you've done MAC filtering and static IP addressing). Furthermore, DLINK refuses to put out documentation regarding its "Gaming Mode" which explains what blanket settings this mode actually applies to the router, so one can assess the security implications of electing it. Their post-sales staff referred me to their pre-sales staff who refused to release anything. It's not as if such settings are proprietary in any way. Although this product appears to work fine now, the headaches I had to go through would have turned me to Linksys had I known what I was in for prior to purchase. The only reason I chose DLINK was its XBOX Live compatibility certification. Everything I just wrote are FACTS. If anyone has doubts about this, go to broadbandreports.com and do searches on DI-624. The issues I highlight are talked about in substantial depth. One final note, stay AWAY from the DWL-G810 bridge. It does not support DHCP from the router to PCs connected to it. Using Firmware revisions 2.0 and 2.12, I have not been able to get it to obtain its IP information from the router via DHCP. The setup is entirely manual--you must setup the IP address of the bridge manually and any computer connected to it manually. The most ridiculous problem is that IT WILL NOT WORK IF YOU ARE NOT BROADCASTING THE SSID. What a crock. That's basic wifi security to not beacon your SSID. Strangely, the DLINK range extender DWL-G800AP will work if the SSID isn't broadcast, so obviously DLINK could address this deficiency. +5 How ecstatic am I about the D-Link DI-624 wireless-G router? The fact that I am typing this review, on my laptop, in the basement of my house, with 100% signal strength, while the router hums happily along up on the third floor sheds some light. I just upgraded to this router and PCMIA card setup from D-Link's wireless-B combo (DI-614+). This is a big improvement in range and speed. With the old router, I had a range of about 1 room around the one where the router was stationed. Now, I can roam throughout my entire house, and probably outside as well. I am impressed. For the value, I think D-Link probably can't be beat. Excellent web site support and service, too. +4 Does its job. Aesthetically pleasing, compact, nice toolset, and trouble free. I realize there are more technically advanced routers out there, but for a small at-home or business network, it is perfect especially for the price. Unfortunately I can not give it or any D-Link product I have bought 5 stars because there is always an undocumented feature or two, and the DI-624 is no exception. +5 With five computers in the house, my wife was getting fed up with cables. We needed wireless. But after reading through the many anguished pleas for networking help across the Net, we approached this whole wireless idea with fear and doubt. Our concern was unfounded. We selected D-Link because their website was so informative. It appeared that their support might be just what a network novice needs. For a couple of days we delayed getting started with the setup just because of fear. Finally, we sat down with the Install Guide and started with the first step, then step two, etc. Within a surprisingly short time we were finished and everything worked! And it continues to work! With D-Link's help, we are happy to say that the hardest part of the entire setup process was figuring out how to get the cover off of one of the computers. We don't know enough yet to be checking speeds or testing range, but we can say that our surfing experience is just as smooth and fast as it was when wired. And we don't have cables on the floor. We think those who are seeking network help should have visited D-Link. +5 After owning us robotics wireless router, I almost gave up on wireless, but I gave this d=link a chance, It didn't work right away, but after calling there customer service, they had it up and running quickly +2 It is fine when I use wireless w/o wep encryption. (although when I transfer files between two computers using this router, wireless lan is disconnected after few MB of transfer) I can surf web for long, and play counter strike w/o much of lag. But when I enable 64bits wep (128bits also available), it drop my connection after few minutes. So it keep ask me if I want to connect to available wireless network every 2~3minutes. And Of course, if I was downloading some files, then I get disconnected. I had to re-download that again. I can use it w/o wep enabled, but I don't want other people stealing my bandwidth, so I'm going to return this and pay $20 more to get linksys +3 I bought this router and the dwl-g650 pc card because I wanted more mobility in my house and to get free of those blue wires when working with my laptop. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I probably do not live in an "average" house (as referred in the documentation). There's no place where I can sit the router in a way to get my whole house covered. It is true that the walls are made of brick... And with the house built like an L, it is not possible to have all rooms in clear or straight view from the router. Conclusion, to get a signal in the bedroom, I loose it in the TV room, etc. etc. After having spent a good deal of time experimenting with different placements for the router, my conclusions are: 1. you get 108Mbps if in the same room and not very far from the antenna; 2. the link will work fine if you do not have more than a couple of (brick) walls between you and the router; 3. anything more than that will give you an instable connection, that may or may not work depending on very careful positioning of the receiving card. When close enough, I managed to send and receive large files at pretty high rates (close to 2MB per second for large file transfers). So, my impression is that if you live in a small place, with thin walls, this may be of help. Otherwise, forget it. The other problem was configuration. My ADSL modem works as a router and I already have 2 other computers hardwired in a network. I spent many hours in D-Link's site to find out how to set up the DI-624 so that I could see the rest of the network. Finally, I found out I should not use the WAN port, that DHCP should be disabled, and that the IP no. should be in my modem's range. The solution is not in the manual, it's not in the quick guide, it's not in the faq's, but buried deep in the knowledge base. This is the case for almost everything that is not the pretty obvious. For instance, the manual won't help at all when it comes to encryption. My final problems were with the card, but these I'll tell somewhere else. +5 I am using the router with a DWL-G650 card which I bought at the same time. The setup was easy...I followed the quick installation guides for both products. To get the full 108MB transfer speed I had to download updated drivers for the DWL-G650. I needed to know how to update drivers by going to WinXP System/Hardware Tab in Control panel. The installed firmware on the router is version 2.28, which works fine. IMPORTANT: Check your firmware and drivers are up to date (this is explained on the D-Link website) or you will be frustrated in getting full speed. One should be comfortable with computers before attempting to set this router/wireless card combo up. However, there were no unforeseen difficulties and I can't imagine it being easier. The D-Link support website is EXCELLENT and highly recommended. Check it out support.dlink.com before you buy! +5 I selected the DI-624 router, DWL-G650 card bundle after reading the numerous reviews concerning the easy of setup and encryption options D-Link has. I had a basic understanding of how to set up a network but had never done so and was a little hesitant. I have been pleasantly surprised and how easy it all worked. You always hold your breath waiting for something to go wrong but it didn't here. I installed the DWL-G650 card first in my laptop and it was installed and ready to go in less than 5 minutes. The instructions are about as straight forward as you get. Insert the CD to install the drivers, put the card in and turn on the laptop. Windows will see the new equipment and complete the installation process. That's it! Next was the router that would have a direct Ethernet connection to my desktop. The DI-624 has 4 ports for a direct cable connection so I would not need a wireless card for the desktop. In the box were 2 cables to make the connection from my cable modem to the router and then the desktop computer. This was a nice surprise since I figured I would have to buy one and in fact had already done so. The steps to install this were just as easy as the laptop card. You unplug the modem and turn off the computer. Connect the modem to the router, the router to the computer. Turn on the modem, wait about 1 minute for the connection to be re-established, plug in the router, and turn on the desktop. From there you follow the Wizard to set up the network which takes 2-3 minutes and Voila' you're up and running. That's it!!! Total time was about 1 hour and only because I kept reading and re-reading the instructions, the actual work time was about 15 minutes total for both. The only hiccup I had was the laptop didn't have a connection initially even though it showed the card installed. I had left it running while setting up the router and after thinking about it for a minute wondering why it wasn't working I rebooted the laptop. It recognized the network and has worked great ever since. The direct cable connection with the desktop is at 100Mbps, the wireless connection is 54Mbps. There is not difference between uploads or downloads I can tell with either connection I am definitely happy with both items and would strongly recommend them. +4 If you're comfortable setting up your own wireless network, this is an amazing product. Coupled with the DWL-G650, and updated software, this connection screams! However, if you're looking for techncial support, be advised that the outsource technicians don't know what they're talking about, and you'll most likely need to get to Tier II level support before you hit the jackpot of someone actually knowing something about the software/firmware/OS interface. If you have McAfee Firewall installed, you may need to reinstall a .dll to make this work. +1 Buy only if you do not need to use it or if you have lots and lots of time to experiment with settings yourself: -Worst customer service ever. -Technical support telephone wait time is horribly long. -Router reboots every few hours, even when there is no traffic. -Router drops wireless connection about once per hour requiring that VPN links be re-established. -Router cannot configure any wireless channel but 6 -Wireless link Indicator LEDs on both ends don't behave as manuals describe, so aren't much help in troubleshooting. -Advanced features are not well described in the documentation and there are no samples to use. -Signal strength and quality is very inconsistent +5 The DI-624 is a very powerful Router with great signal strength. I am using Time Warner Roadrunner Cable here at my home in NYC and set up was simple. It took me 10 minutes to get 54 mpbs on my laptops. All the problems I had involved using the DWL-G650 card on my 3 Fujitsu Laptops and trying to get 108 mpbs. My Win XP Professional laptops recognized my DWL-G650 pc card and connected to the wireless network, but the d-link's own utility could not see the card and the network. Customer support at D-Link was clueless and inept. Don't even bother trying to call them. They will only make the situation worse. After 10 hours of pain and suffering, I finally was able to update D-Links Driver to the internal modem of my laptop. XP Professional was very stubborn. But I won out. The 624 Router gets 5 stars from me. The DWL-G650 gets only 3 1/2. D-Links customer service gets a Zero. Unless you are good at computers, get a Pro to set this up for you. It is hard. +4 I turned to D-Link after I tried a Linksys 802.11g system, which had such poor range that I couldn't go more than 15 feet without losing the signal. For the most part the D-Link system has performed very well, and it can maintain a good connection in various areas of the house. Connection speed is respectable as well. Definitely faster than Linksys. The WPA encryption and firewall features are big benefits, as long as you can get them to work (it took me about an hour to figure out the right settings). The setup wizard was DOA, though. I could never get it to work, so all setup had to be done manually. Not a big deal, but an inconvenience. +4 The setup of the router is simple. You can actually go to D-Link's website and use the emulator, that way you can get an idea on what the configuration screens look like. I have the Rev C router, which is smaller and has only only 1 antenna. It supports both WEP and WPA security. The range in my 2 story house is good. The router is on the second floor. From time to time, while sitting down stairs, I will get interference from my Neighbors router, if my card loses connection with my router. With the firmware upgrade you get speeds of up to 108 mbps. I average around 42 mbps sitting downstairs. Keep in mind if you have any wireless hardware that does not support 108 mbps turbo mode it will prevent your router from using it. I have had it for a month now, so far everything is working good. +5 The version of this router that I got needed the latest firmware upgrade to operate in Super G mode and run at 108 Mbps. I installed the router without a hitch. (I was already using a slower router, so installation was extra easy with the computers already set up to network together). It took one minute or less to have the router going. Then I installed the matching card in my notebook. Again, an easy and trouble-free installation that took only one to two minutes. Then I upgraded the firmware, following the instructions on the website. That too took only minutes and was easy to do. Right away, everything ran at a nice 54 Mbps. It took a little longer (maybe 15 minutes or so) to track down all the instructions for getting the router and the card to talk to each other in Super G mode. But once I figured out the settings, they hit 108 Mbps and ran at top speed. Everything works great. I have excellent speed from all areas of my house (using the wireless card on the notebook). The router never loses the remote connection (which wasn't true of my old, slower 11 Mbps router). I got the router and wireless card as a bundle, which was a good savings over the individual prices. With the current $40 rebate, I'll pay about $86 for both. I can't recommend it highly enough, and the price is excellent. +2 I bought the DI-624 (rev C) with a DI-520 wireless PCI card for my other computer. The idea was to use it with my Westell DSL modem on Verizon. Networking the two computers (a couple of newer P4 Dells) was just as easy as Dlink describes. BUT: After following the Dlink docs to the letter, and after later cruising the Web for hours in the murky world of DHCP and IP and DNS and TCP/IP and a million other acronyms, I never could get the DI-624 to work with my DSL setup. Nothing. Nada. No joy. Never could get through to Dlink tech support either. So, God bless Amazon, I sent all the stuff back. I should also mention that the wireless networking range is greatly dependent on your domicile. In my apartment, I could never get better than a "very low" signal -- and that was about 40 feet away. Obviously, this Dlink wireless equipment is working for a lot of people or it wouldn't get the great reviews I based my buying decision on. Just be warned that it doesn't work for everybody. +5 I purchased this wireless router to expand my existing wired home network. We have 2 laptops and I wanted them to be used without wires. Installing the router took all of 30 minutes. In my situation, I am not using the router's firewall abilities (since I already have a firewall for the wired network), so it took me 15 minutes to figure out that the existing network feed should not plug into the WAN jack, but rather one of the network jacks. With that done, I had to use the configuration utility to assign an IP address to the router (it defaulted to the same address that my firewall has, and that is a big no-no). With that done, I downloaded a firmware update from support.dlink.com (the update is required to activate the highest speed which became available in a recent release). One reboot and I'm off and running. One last word of advice. Do not turn on WEP (encryption) until after you've made your first wireless conenction work. Once you've done that, go back into the configuration tool, activate WEP and type in a 10 digit key code (you'll need to do the same to each of your wireless PCs too). That will make your home wireless network much more secure. If you are interested, I went with DLink's wireless PC Card (DWL-G650) and found that it works very well with this router. overall setup was very straight forward, and the DLink configuration interface is excellent. I highly recommend this unit. +5 I purchased the DI-624 54G wireless router and DWL-G650 PC cardthe together with a $40 rebate to replace my old DLink router. The installation and configuration of DI-624 is a snap. After I upgraded the firmware to have the 108Mbps Super G mode, the signal actually became more steady and much stronger. I have the DI-624 router on the second floor. With the DWL-G650 card in my Compaq Presario laptop, I can get on the network with good signal anywhere indoors. I am waiting to test it out at my back yard. In general, the Wireless Configuration utility software that came with the DWL-G650 works fine. However, I do have some problems after I install it on my WinXp laptop due to the interference of the Wireless Zero Configuration service that comes with WinXP. Fortunately, I found an article at the DLink Technology Knowledge base to show me how to disable the WinXp service and use the utility software that came with Dlink. It's much better. It gives you broader control and better configuration with a signal strength meter. In case you run into problems with the installation of the utility, make sure your check the Dlink web site for Knowledge Base. And most importantly, upgrade to the latest firmware. The default broadcasting channel is #6. If you have 2.4 GHz wireless phone, you might want to try either the #1 or #11 channel instead (change the setting on the router admin page). However, for the Super G mode, it only gives you the Channel #6 option. I also tried this card on my son's toy laptop (Pentium 233). It gives me the same speed as of the regular LAN Ethernet card (10/100). On my Compaq Presario laptop(PIII_1.3GHz), I can watch streaming video of news from Taiwan in my family room on the first floor. Isn't that impressive? +5 I bought the router along with DWL-G650 wireless card for laptop about a week ago. Prior to placing my order (Amazon.com) I've read tons of reviews about various routers from all major brands. There isn't a single wireless router (within mid-price range) that would make everyone happy. Since I had not had a wireless router before, my colleagues(programmers) as well as online reviews helped me to make this decision. This router had the least amount of negative reviews and the price was very compelling, so I went for it. Things that I like about this router: - Easy installation and wizard configuration; - Great performance (I've noticed my Comcast Cable began working faster with the router connected directly to the desktop through the cable modem) - It supports file sharing applications like eMule or Kazaa (Note: There are some entries to be added to the Firewall configuration settings. The instructions could be easily found on the D-Link website knowledge base) - It supports VPN access. - It works great with D-Link DWL-G650 wireless card for my laptop. I was able to get the near a 100% strength signal with 70 to 100% quality throughout the house in between 2 walls or on a different floor. - I was able to connect to my work computer using VPN and PCAnywhare software from the laptop (wirelessly). - Never had connection-dropping problem yet (knock on wood). - Toll free customer support is a great plus. Some major brands don't have toll free support!!! Some customers have complained about low level of customer support. It seems low-level customer service has become standard nowadays throughout the industry. Judging by my personal experience dealing with any customer service is a hit or miss chance. So, if you missed once, try again. - It supports Wi-Fi standard, that may not be useful just yet, but pretty soon it may come handy, as lots of home electronics will use it more to be able to connect to home network. +2 Full Disclosure: I have just decided to buy a Linksys unit after hours on hold/talking with D-Link tech support who couldn't solve an apparently simple WEP setup problem. On the other hand, I have owned several wireles router products, and have been setting up Windows networks for 7 years. The Good: * Well priced * Units reasonably good looking * If all you want to do is set up a simple, non-secure wireless connection, D-Link works just fine. The Bad: * Confusing setup screens make secure wireless connections difficult to set up (since security is now required, weight this difficulty heavily). * Poor manuals and web site resources make configuration and troubleshooting difficult. * Poor technical support. They do offer phone support, but the techs seem as clueless as most beginner customers. * Upgrading your unit is made more difficult by D-Link's practise of making multiple, near-identical units with subtle but critical differences between them. So you have to look at pictures on their site to figure out which model you really have. The Ugly: * D-Link's level 2 tech support finally said that they can't help when users don't use D-Link products on *BOTH* sides of a wireless connection. So, if you have built-in wireless capabilities in your Dell, IBM, Apple, ....., laptop, might want to buy another router. Bottom line - buy something else. +1 The revision A and B of this product is defective; revision A/B has two antennas, this revision cannot be updated to the latest firmware and has physical defects which make it operate at sub-par performance, not even a fourth of what was advertised. This is a fact and can be found on d-link's website. If you buy this, don't be sucked in by the revision A/B's two antennas, and larger packaging. Get the revision C which has one antenna, and smaller packaging. I am a victim of this trap. *** Update *** - At the time of this reviews writing I worked for D-Link, now I do not. The above review is an insiders perspective of a product I was forced to support. +5 I replaced my LinkSys wired cable router with this wireless-g router. I can't believe how easy it was. I am thrilled that we can use our laptop two floors down from where the router is located on the top floor of our three-story house. Everything just worked. What really blows me away however is that this router requires no additional setup to play Asheron's Call on multiple machines, unlike the LinkSys router which required advanced forwarding options and was very arcane to setup. I was amazed that none of the special setup I had learned to do on the Linksys router was necessary at all. I am really thrilled by this product! +1 The router starts rebooting over and over after I initiate a file transfer between two PCs over my network. It works great if you don't plan to transfer files over the network (which defeats the purpose of a home network). Upgrading the firmware to the latest version 1.25 did not help and neither did my two calls to their tech support. +1 I called Tech Support and they do not know their product. First they claim that the antenna on the DI624 can not be detached. When confronted with their website saying otherwise they say: "yes it is". Then they refer to pre-sales because "they know" and decline to answer anymore questions. +5 I have my 12" PowerBook set to work off of this, while it is connected to my Window's XP desktop. No problems connecting or maintaining my wireless connection. Works well all over the house, even when the desktop is shutdown during storms. Highly recommend this product! +5 I have my 12" PowerBook set to work off of this, while it is connected to my Window's XP desktop. No problems connecting or maintaining my wireless connection. Works well all over the house, even when the desktop is shutdown during storms. Highly recommend this product! +5 I have my 12" PowerBook set to work off of this, while it is connected to my Window's XP desktop. No problems connecting or maintaining my wireless connection. Works well all over the house, even when the desktop is shutdown during storms. Highly recommend this product! +5 I have my 12" PowerBook set to work off of this, while it is connected to my Window's XP desktop. No problems connecting or maintaining my wireless connection. Works well all over the house, even when the desktop is shutdown during storms. Highly recommend this product! +4 This is a good by, especially with the rebate! I started out with the Microsoft MN-610, which is only 802.11b, but returned it to purchase this. For about $20 more, I was able to purchase this 802.11b & 802.11g compatible router. Router was very easy to set up. My only complaint is that I cannot figure out any method to stop broadcasting the SSID-this seems like it would help secure the system. Also, WEP should be enabled by default. +5 The price was right, the condition new, and the delivery was speedy! Thanks, Charles in Ohio +1 It's so thin, that the cap of the lens doesn't have any chance to get hold on. All right it can fit, but at the little touch of everything it goes lose. For the price, I bought other brands and work better. Remember, the cheap you buy, the problems you get, but if you know about it, use it until you can afford to get the right one. For me, this lesson cost a lot. +3 works for what I needed +4 item as described, priced well. +5 I use many sizes of Avery labels for many years and it had never disappoint me. Excellent quality and it sticks well. +5 Though listed as "laser labels" they worked great on my inkjet printer. I like the larger size of these labels, especially for the bigger envelopes. +3 I wish I would have ordered the right labels! I'm sure they are fine, I just wanted larger ones. :( +5 Great product. +4 order this because after reinstalling software lost use of built in transmitter, it is a good unit based on my other computer which has one in use, after ordering this unit found driver to make built in transmitter to work so the new unit is still in the box, but have use the other one since 2007 and have had no problem although I had to remove the d-link software before driver made built in transmitter fully operationable.in this computer, other computer has no built in tramsitter so d-link is the answer there. +4 This product worked out of the box with nearly any linux distribution i threw it at. it even worked on older hardware! +5 When your laptop's built-in wifi card dies, just buy one of these instead of spending over $100 at the shop fixing it. Great backup wifi card. +5 I bought this wireless adapter even though my older Dell has an internal wireless card. I had purchased a wireless g router about a year ago and just felt I could make do with 10mbps that my internal wireless card allowed. My internet was lagging so I did some research and found this card real cheap! Shipping was on time and no problems with my order. It is new in box so I just unwrapped, installed drivers and software, rebooted and plugged in the card...viola! works great..no more dropping, I have a very good to excellent signal throughout my 2 story with plaster walled house (these old plaster walls really can kill the signal). My wireless router is (also a D-Link) upstairs in my bedroom and I typically use my laptop in the living room with an excellent signal downstairs. 108mbps is great. Now if only Comcast would stop reducing signals! +4 The Setup was a bit odd as you need to install the software utility before installing the card. Reports connected at 108Mbps because a I have a DLink router that also supports it. You cant' the part that sticks out of the laptop feels a bit flimsy, but it'll probably good enough. +5 I have a D-Link DWL-G650 wireless LAN card and it works great with MS Windows XP and Linux! I use Kubuntu 8.10, 8.04, Puppy 4.01 and it just works with my wireless network. A great wireless card, so good I want a second one as a spare... +5 The G650 installed effortlessly and i was on the web immediately...This solved the problem I was having with the built in wireless.and for less than it would have cost to correct it by a tech person..Part of my decision for going with D-Kink was success with other products ..the other was a great price at Amazon. +5 Works has advertised, good range and speed, using with a D-Link router, couldn't be happier! +5 Received the card today and had it up and running in less than 10 minutes with zero hassle. Just followed the clear instructions to install the drivers from the CD-ROM, shut down the NB, plugged in the card and re-booted. It found my home network immediately, entered the password - done ! Getting great throughput via my Apple router - within the usual limitation of the truly terrible AT&T DSL connection. Great product, great price , zero hassle ! +4 Based on some of the reviews here, I bought this to replace a Linksys WPC54G card, which is not supported by Linux (Ubuntu 7.10) without some painful setup. It is revision B5. I had previously set up WPA on Ubuntu for my network. I booted Ubuntu on my laptop (an old Dell Inspiron 8100) with no card. After it was up, I inserted the G650. Ubuntu recognized it and connected to my Linksys WRT54G router with no problems. I rebooted the laptop with the card left in place, and it reconnected to the router with no problems. Note that D-Link absolutely does not support Linux with this card. They're happy to sell you the card, and they do provide a link to the MadWifi group from their Tech Support pages, but they won't touch it otherwise. The DWL-G650 gets 4 stars for two reasons: (1) After a connection to the network is completed, the two indicator lights on the card blink once a second. This is amazingly annoying when I am working on the laptop. The Windows documentation doesn't say anything about being able to turn the blinks off; I have an open support question to D-Link about this. (The Linksys card had one light that stayed solid except for slight blinking during message traffic.) I have a feeling I'm going to have to put some tape over the lights. [2008-02-09 - D-Link support says I'm stuck with the blinking lights. Time for some tape.] (2) Compared to the Linksys, the DWL seems to be less sensitive to signal strength. Ubuntu showed 5 bars with the Linksys, and 4 with the DWL. Same PC, same OS, same position on my desk. I didn't test transfer speeds. +4 I bought this notebook adapter card to increase the wireless range on my labtop. Install was easy and only tool about 10mins. I did see a improvment in my connection, and range. It was worth the money, and I got it fast too. Would recommend it to others. +3 This card is pretty weak, but also pretty cheap. If you just need an external card for around-the-house close-to-the-router usage, this card will work. If you plan to roam or need a reliable connection from afar, get a better card. It's a good card for the price. Works with both Windows XP and Ubuntu easily. (XP needs the driver utility installed *first*.) +1 Had to return it. Absolutely would not work with Compaq Presario. Some sort of conflict with one of the chipsets. Purchased a NetGear card and it worked like a charm. +5 I had originally installed the drivers wrong, but my buddy helped me out and now it works great. +4 The G650 works as Advertised. However, I find there are many other better products out now. The corded D-link USB adapter I bought since I bought this G650 is far better than the G650 in my particular application. It gives you the flexibility to move the antenna to a better reception spot. My G650 sits in a drawer... +5 I couldn't find this adapter locally, so I turned to Amazon.com. Naturally I found it. The price was right, I received the advertised rebate, and the product works as advertised. What more can you want? (P.S.: It's now 7 years later and it still works perfectly.) +4 All, I Have used this card to connect to various routers and it works well. The Extreme G mode is problematic to enable sometimes. New drivers are available, make sure you down-load the right one. D-Link how about having an automatic update command ?, instead of letting the user figure out which card version he has ?. / Brian +2 From looking at the D-Link website and talking to five tech support staff, it appears that there are countless versions of this card, each with different driver software. The one I got came with a CD with the wrong drivers. With tech support, I finally found the 8 mb driver file I was supposed to download. However, they did not provide any instructions on how to install the new driver. The normal "automatic" approach did not work. And their instructions did not match the screens I was getting on Windows XP SP 2. So I called back again. And again. And again. Despite being given a case file, each time I was asked the same questions, including what, exactly, is wrong. And each time I was told to do the same thing: Install from the CD. Reboot. Remove the program. Reboot. Install from the new driver. Reboot. Remove the program. Talk to a senior tech support person. Install from CD. Reboot. etc. It would have been easier to send the card with the right files on the CD. A clearly designed website would be second best. And tech support that knows what they're doing and speaks intelligble English would be a nice last resort. I spent three hours calling D-Link technical support and speaking to five people, and they could not tell me how to install the software for this card! I am not alone in this experience; see cnet's web site user reviews of the DWL-G650. Another reviewer reports that this software damaged his operating system. I believe he is right. It appears to have damaged my screen font for Windows message boxes. I have been unable to repair it. The DWL-G650 is bad news. I give them two stars cause they actually have tech support, though in this case it was utterly worthless. Back it goes. +5 The main reason I got this card is because it working in Linux (It has an atheros chipset), and it delivers. It works great, and the range is awesome. For Windows users, it works great in XP as well. Overall, I am very satisfied with this wireless card. +5 My setup: - Dell Latitude PP01L (Intel chip) - Win XP Pro - D-Link DI-624 Wireless Router (with two walls inbetween the laptop and the antenna) - Enabled the WEP feature I unplugged the old wireless card and simply plugged this in. Windows found the new card and did its Plug-n-Play thing. Not only was I was able to get on the Internet immediately, but the card picked up two other signals in the neighborhood that I couldn't 'see' with my 11MB/sec Cisco Aironet card. This I sort of expected, but was still a bit surprised being that my closest neighbor is beyond the range of most wireless routers. The CD installed just fine, but when I went to the D-Link site to check for an updated driver it said I was up-to-date. I ran Windows Update and it claimed I had an updated driver available for my new D-Link card. I've never had a problem with D-Link's website (or customer service, while we're on the subject), so I was a bit taken aback that Microsoft was ahead of D-Link's site. Either way... install the card and get onto the internet, then have Windows Update check for possible updates. Be sure to enable the encryption feature. If you are running a small network of computers where you are sharing folders then you want to be sure that your neighbors can't go snooping through your stuff. Or worse, lift the signal, and ultimately your personal information. I've had no problems with my current set-up. I HIGHLY recommend this card to bring your laptop/desktop up-to-date. +5 I decided to dust off a 5-year old laptop (Winbook Z1) the other day and install Ubuntu on it. I selected this card because of the Atheros chipset. I can't believe how easy it was to get it working. I plugged it in, installed Ubuntu and the new OS recognized the card. With in minutes I was on the internet, thanks to my neighbor's open WiFi. After a few hours of reading some wiki's and messages, I had WPA running and my "new" Linux laptop was on my network. Piece of cake! Great card and great chipset! +5 install was simple. product works as advertised. my system is intel celeron with winxp. +1 I bought a "matching" DLINK wired/wireless router to go with this product (the DLINK DWL-G650 wireless cardbus adapter). After spending three hours on my own and about an hour on the phone with tech support, I got absolutely nothing. The computer works just fine with the router when connected with ethernet cable. This wireless card did nothing though. Even though it said I had a 100% signal strength, it would not communicate at all with the router. Sorry DLINK, your product doesn't work and is being returned. +4 I've never used wireless networking before this and overall I am pleased. The only issue i have that occasionally I'll lose signal even when my computer doesn't move. (And I frequently lose signal when I move outside) It's kinda annoying but like i said overall it was worth the 30 bucks. +5 I bought two wireless products Linksys B and D-Link g laptop card. As you can see, many customers like or dislike either brand. I have both models working at 11Mbps by using the following settings for D-Link: Authentication Type: Open/Auto/Shared (doesn't matter) Preamble: Long and Short/Long only (doesn't matter) Map Registers: doesn't matter Network Addrerss: Not Present Power Save Mode: Max/Normal/Off (doesn't matter) Radio On/Off: THIS MATTERS!! Radio ON Transmit Power: Doesn't matter transmits better on max, however. +1 I wasted two weeks trying to use this as directed, along with the DI-624 wireless router. I selected the WPA-PSK encryption format for security and found that it worked from 5 minutes to 2 hours at a time. Same thing with the old and fairly INsecure WEP encryption format. I emailed and phone D-Link's tech support line and got responses that did nothing to help in any way. I spent weeks researching and reading ratings penned by numerous others to choose what should have been the best wireless networking gear for my environs only to find D-Link's products a miserable failure, backed up by mediocre, faltering tech support. +4 I purchased this card with a D-Link DI-624 router/WAP; as a pair, they perform flawlessly, and offer the advertised performance, which is on-par with wired Ethernet. Compatibility of this card with other access points was good in my testing. It connected just fine to all the WAPs I normally use (all of which are B protocol), and offered the expected performance. The only complaint I have is that I attempted to install the card using the latest drivers from D-Link, downloaded from their web site. Despite carefully matching the hardware revision of my card with the offered download, my attempts to use the card failed. The drivers installed fine, but it would not "sniff" any wireless networks (there were two within range), including one a few feet away. After uninstalling the downloaded drivers, and using the earlier version supplied on CD with the card, it fired-up just fine, and operated perfectly. Unfortunately, this is something I've encountered before with D-Link products, both with device drivers (as for this card) and with firmware updates for various D-Link products I've owned. It's not always the best advice to stay fully current on updates, as they occasionally introduce anomalies. If you're technically inclined, this is a minor annoyance that can be dealt with using a combination of patience and judicious back-ups. Average users may not have as much tolerance for this as I do. With the installation stabilized, I find myself quite satisfied with the DWL-G650, and definitely recommend it -- though less technical users should stick to the drivers on the packaged CD. +5 This card works best with the DI-624 router. I have Windows 2000 and have not had any problems after upgrading to the latest firmware. Signal strength and range are good, and card does not overheat after prolonged usage. Just a few things to keep in mind. 1) Download the latest firmware BEFORE you hook up your wireless connection. Do this on your wired connection- the DI-624 wireless router has both wired and wireless connections. 2) Install the latest firmware. The card would also only work in a specific PCMCIA slot that I had installed it in. 3) Disable any internal builtin wireless cards in your laptop. Happy surfing. +3 This is the second D-Link PCMIA card I've owned, and they have both been good performers, except they interfere with Windows' power management features on HP and Compaq notebooks. I thought the problem would be solved by buying this newer card, but it hasn't. My computer refuses to stay powered on for more than 20 minutes unattended, and frequently, when browsing the Internet, my mouse cursor freezes and the only way out is to hit the power button. I did some online research, and it turns out many other HP and Compaq laptop users have had the same problem. For some reason, these incompatibilities still exist, despite D-Link knowing about them for some time. Again, D-Link cards perform well and are a good value, but I would not recommend one to an HP or Compaq user. +4 The great: Near the base it is very fast. Far from the base, it works farther than my old 802.11b did, and even at that range I get better speed than I got with my old gear close to the base. :) The unsure: I don't know for sure if its the base station or the card (I think base), but every once in a while, the connection will just drop. Windows will still show a link, but pings ect (to the base or anywhere) just fail). May or may not matter to you: No external antenna connector. There are ways to "install" one if you really need one, you can find at least two pages via google. Linux drivers - no distro comes with working drivers, and d-link doesn't provide a driver or support. You need to go here: [...] and compile the stuff. And it doesn't get you full functionality. - so if you are in linux most of the time, you should probably pick another card. Me, I'm in 2k most of the time with my notebook, so the linux support is workable. I'm happy. +4 I bought the DWL-G650 card (Version B4) along with the the 624 Router (Version C1) about 5 weeks ago. I found it very hard to set up. XP Professional was installing its own drivers and would not recognize the D-Link drivers. It took me about 10 hours to resolve that issue. Customer support at D-Link was of no help. Then I had a dropped connection problem and a slow web surfing issue. I recently resolved that issue by upgrading my cable modem for free to a Toshiba PCX 2600. I was using a Toshiba PCX 1000. My point here is that there are so many factors that determine how this card will work for you. I'm getting 108mbps and hope I can continue to enjoy these fast speeds. It's no fun trying to fix things all the time. +1 I bought the g650 with the DI-624 router. It was a disappointment. I could not get the card to see the wireless network, after having followed the installation instructions step by step. After much fiddling I found out that doing exactly the opposite of what was said let me connect to the router, after all. That is, disabling the "utility" and using windows to configure the wireless network. After that, despite getting the card to work, I was disappointed with range, speed, and reliability of the signal. I use Win XP Pro, and maybe the software problems are specific to this version. Anyway, the other card I have (TrendNet) works much better, even with D-Link's own router. And just as the last drop, the indicator lights are far too big, and keep blinking all the time, what is enerving and distracting. Ah! They do not work as described in the manual... As a result of all this, including not being able to get all my house covered, I'm back to my blue wires... +1 All of my wired networks are with Netgear products and I should have stayed with them. A local electronics store was having a sale on D-Link products, and I wanted to go wireless, so I figured I'd give them a shot. I did a little research on the Internet with OK reviews for this card (apparently for the "A" & "C" versions) and the DI-624 router, which I also have. Everything worked fine until I got the latest windows ME updates and now the card does not work at all. I tried both both the drivers that came with the card (v. 2.23) and the latest (2.48), but I can not connect to any wireless networks (and I've tried many). It turns out that I got stuck with the "B" version of the card, which a lot of other people are having problems with. I'm just hoping I will not have to replace both the router and the card, although my friends have been able to connect to my routher with other cards without any problems. Needless to say, I just ordered a new Netgear wireless card and I am not expecting any problems. My current Netgear wired PC adapter is nearly 5 years old and I have never had any problems with it. +5 Had a linksys wireless b-card that clogged up a (older C-500)notebook. It only worked within 20 feet of the linksys router and pages would only load after extensive churning and some noticeable (30 seconds+ hesitation). Installed this D-Link card and not only was the laptop now connecting immediately, but we were was able to receive the signal throughout the house and upstairs (router in basement) (about 45 feet away with many walls and other obsticles) Good job D=Link +5 Thanks to my research on the Internet, I selected this DLink wireless PC Card. And what a great decision it was. It took 20 minutes to install this card in each laptop, and that included the time to download an updated firmware from support.dlink.com that doubled my connection speed! I get great performance, and even maintain acceptable performance on the floor below where the signal must find it was way through several walls and doors. In the same room as my router I get lightening fast performance that appears to be as fast as my wired connections. DLink provides a nice status and config tool as part of installtion, and that really eased the way into verifiying that all was operating properly. You can see signal strength and check on which wireless mode you are operating in. One suggestion, you should enable WEP to add security and encrpytion to your wireless network. It requires changes to both your router and the wireless card(s), but its pretty simple and I did not notice a big performance impact. If you are thinking about going wireless, this is a great card to select. +5 I purchased the DWL-G650 PC card and the DI-624 54G wireless router together with a $40 rebate to replace my old DLink router. The installation and configuration of DI-624 is a snap. After I upgraded the firmware to have the 108Mbps Super G mode, the signal actually became more steady and much stronger. I have the DI-624 router on the second floor. With the DWL-G650 card in my Compaq Presario laptop, I can get on the network with good signal anywhere indoors. I am waiting to test it out at my back yard. In general, the Wireless Configuration utility software that came with the DWL-G650 works fine. However, I do have some problems after I install it on my WinXp laptop due to the interference of the Wireless Zero Configuration service that comes with WinXP. Fortunately, I found an article at the DLink Technology Knowledge base to show me how to disable the WinXp service and use the utility software that came with Dlink. It's much better. It gives you broader control and better configuration with a signal strength meter. In case you run into problems with the installation of the utility, make sure your check the Dlink web site for Knowledge Base. And most importantly, upgrade to the latest firmware. The default broadcasting channel is #6. If you have 2.4 GHz wireless phone, you might want to try either the #1 or #11 channel instead (change the setting on the router admin page). However, for the Super G mode, it only gives you the Channel #6 option. I also tried this card on my son's toy laptop (Pentium 233). It gives me the same speed as of the regular LAN Ethernet card (10/100). On my Compaq Presario laptop(PIII_1.3GHz), I can watch streaming video of news from Taiwan in my family room on the first floor. Isn't that impressive? +1 Ok first of all if you ever want to believe any reviews, believe mine because I will tell it how it is and not in a cheesy goody two shoes way. I a tech crazy lover and this D-link dissapointed me. 1.) The up to 108mbps is FIRMWARE as you will see in small print. Plan on calling their support to get the firmware downloaded because it is as easy as just downloading it and unzipping the file. 2.) IT HAS NO SOFTWARE!!! That is like saying you don't need a recovery disc for a computer. You know how many times technology crashes and having a disc rather than THE NET is a lot better. I was suprised to learn that the way to set it up was through the internet considering the fact that when you hook the device up it doesn't know that you hooked DSL or Cable to it. Guess what, I was right. It took me a total of 4 days wasting my time and weekends just getting it "up and running." The interface is confusing, the CD is for the manual you already have that comes with it (their stupid "quick installation guide that isn't quick), and you have to call D-link and spend hours floating around their phone lines till you get a level 95 technician. I also got the card which was another issue. When you get the 54mbps, supposedly you can get the firmware and get it up to 108, but beware, the card can't do the same. Since it can't do the same, the two hardware's can't work with each other making this an endless battle. D-link has ok support but you will spend forever trying to get it up and running. Plus I don't think you can transfer files and truly network. I think you can only do wireless DSL and Cable which is stupid as well. Here is the best alternative I sware. *************Microsoft************ Yeah I was skeptical too. I haven't been the biggest Microsoft fan, but I will say that they got my vote. After this purchase I have a new respect for them. I am talking about the Microsoft BaseStation MN-700. We are talking about $same price$ and **10 min. setup**. 10 minutes is all it takes to set up the laptops and computer. For those of you who have a built in wirless card, it will work with the Microsoft. It had many problems with the D-link. D-link would work for 30 seconds, then the net shut off. Then again, and again, etc. Plus only one laptop was allowed on at a time with D-link. I call that useless. The basestation also allows you to print directly from a laptop to a printer wireless and transfer files from PC to PC. It comes with software and easy easy easy installation. It is fast. I am using it to write this review on my laptop. Go Microsoft. Don't waste your time on D-link, there are better things to do. I heard Linksys, Netgear, and Belkin had problems. Netgear just has terrible support from what my next door neighbor told me. If you do go with D-link against my review, then don't upgrade the firmware. Good luck :) +5 I just unlocked the beast that is in my living room! I have a HD Hitachi TV and was happy with a progresive scan DVD player using component-video jacks. I had read a review of the Samsung DVD-HD931 bought one and have hooked into my TV with the DVI400 cable and WOW. I now have movie quialty big screen entertainment at home. This cable is 5 stars. +5 i connected my pc to the tv with this works perfect, for like half a year now +4 Love it, works great, good length for the price. Looks mean and the thumbscrews are the perfect length(I've had a few cables that were a tad short for my monitor). I bought it because I needed a cable longer than 6 feet after moving my tower around, was not expecting the quality I got. Will buy another when I get another display. Side note: I'm not sure who added a sound quality rating to a DVI cable... +3 The quality of the cable seems nice but since this is a a digital cable that does not get converted to analog (DVI-D) then the quality of the cable doesn't really matter over short distances. But more importantly to myself the physical pictures clearly indicate this is a single link cable but the one in the middle picture showing the pin layout is a Dual Link DVI-D cable not to be mistaken with a Single Link DVI-D cable. But rest assured this is a single link cable. Hope this helps someone not make my mistake! +5 This cable is very well made and is very high quality. The connectors are solid as is the cord. The product is highly recommended. However, as these type of cords are generic, the retail price is quite high considering the fact even far cheaper cables also carry a signal in a lossless manner. The cable is a really great bargain only when it can be found at a signficantly lower price than retail price. +5 This is a well made DVI cable, that provides crystal clear video quality. Its priced very competitive on Amazon. I know its a digital cable and it doesn't matter . . . . . But it was priced in a similar price range to the cheap generic versions, so why not get a name you can trust. +5 My original white cable had the one end like |_ (L) shaped instead of the straight this one is, so it would not fit on my new setup. Don't get me wrong, this cable has that "premium" look that I like, but it does nothing more than your standard white DVI cable (and nothing less). Don't buy this thinking you will get better signal, you won't, but it will give you that "pimp" look! +5 This cable is made extremely well. Thumb screws are easy to turn. Love it! Will most likely use for years to come. +4 Title says it all. Very well made cable but for my need I should have purchased it in the 2 meter length. +5 The cable is very good. The real improvement comes not in games or graphics but in the quality of text on the monitor: the letters just seem better shaped and defined. I really recommend it. +2 I'm sure this cable is very high quality, but c'mon design guys, get a brain. I had to take a knife to it in order to get it to fit into the dvi port on my samsung 22" monitor. The plastic surrounding the metal dvi connector is too wide to fit past the available space on my monitor. Then, my fingers barely had room to turn the tightening screws...it sure would have helped it they hadn't gone for the fancy gold colored screws and had just used a simple plastic tightener that had slots in the ends for a screwdriver like most cable tighteners. Also, as usual with Monster products, hugely overpriced. +1 When I saw a similar binocular/digital camera combo I knew I had to have one. When I got out to my local Best Buy, this was pretty much the only one they had in stock, so I bought it. It cost me about $..., a great deal I thought. When I got home I took some 'pictures' of some potted plants in my backyard. When I loaded the software onto my computer, the problems began. There are basically no instructions on which piece of software included is the one you need to load. Having Windows XP I just tried to load the driver. This did not allow me to access the built in memory, however, as you can with most devices. So I loaded up the other 2 SW modules and went about trying to find the bushnell's pictures. Again, there are zero instructions on actually using the software to offload pictures from the binoculars. Even once you learn how it is easy to see that the software seems like it's from the 80's, and would be more at home in windows 3.11. Not to mention that when you get to preview the thumbnails the dang camera is streaming video into the software while you try to copy them over to your computer. I can't imagine a situation where you would need to stream binocular-image video while tethered to a computer via a USB cable. Oh, and all the pics are stored as BMP files. I mean, who uses BMP files for Pete's sake? Every digital camera I know of saves JPG or TIF images. It was daylight when I took this first set of pics, but all the pictures that I took came out very fuzzy. I had taken several where the binoculars were sitting on a table top when I carefully pressed the `snap' button. Even though I could see the plants clear as day, these pictures too came out too fuzzy to recognize anything. Ok, so I just figured I needed to adjust the focus a little because the camera was more sensitive than my eyes in terms of focus. In general, just get used to using the thing. No harm, no foul. I took it to a concert that night and took all 134 pictures I could on the higher quality setting. The 3-in-a-row picture feature was nice, and because you can be a little shaky pressing the button, it makes you feel like at least 2 out of 3 will be fairly stable pictures. I couldn't wait to get home and review the pictures. Was I in for a shock, I didn't believe my eyes when the thumbnails loaded up, so I copied all the pics on over to my PC and went about opening them in batches of about 20. Out of 134 I got 6 that were even recognizable, but they were again way to fuzzy to justify saving them. Now, although the performers on stage were well lit with bright spotlights, 98% of the pictures taken came out as solid black frames with a smattering of colored pixels smeared across them. It's as if I tried to use the thing in outer space or something. I was completely horrified that none of the pictures from that once in a lifetime event were anywhere near worth saving. What a bummer! So, in summation, the binoculars are decent and compact. And they produce a nice image when looking into them. But don't even think of trying to take a picture. And again, I cannot iterate enough how out-dated the software is. I also cannot think of how these even made it to the market `working' like they do. After all, if you knew you couldn't take a picture with them, you would just purchase binoculars right? Needless to say, I promptly returned mine for a cash refund the next day. I hope my tragedy of an experience saves a few of you from buying this product. Maybe there's another one out there which works better. We shall see.... +5 I bought this cable to use in conjunction with a new LG brand L1932TQ 19" flat panel monitor. I could not be happier with my purchase. The picture quality is vastly improved over the analog cable I had before. The cord is also very solidly constructed and is long enough to have quite a bit of extra length if I ever need to move my monitor for anything. I would buy this product again in a heartbeat, especially at the low price I paid on Amazon. +5 Well, actually I bought this nice cable, at Amazon Marketplace great offering that it was, for an HDTV Tuner, which bombed in my neighborhood. So, I never did get to unpack the cable. But it's in the closet, and it knows it's a good cable. Great cable, @ great price, thru Amazon. +5 In response to previous reviewers comments stating "Does it really matter?", since I am an electrial engineer, here is my situation: I have an older ThinkPad laptop that IBM says only supports up to 1280x1024 DVI output because higher resolutions have bad digital video noise due to a weak TDMS transmitter. Thus, after doing my research, I realized I needed the lowest loss, shortest DVI cable I could find in order to drive my new Dell 24" 1920x1200 flat panel. This cable performed better than I ever thought it could. I was able to drive my 24" monitor without any digital noise, when IBM and other users had stated it was impossible. I didn't even need to used the reduce DVI bandwidth options. In short, for most users, this cable is a complete waste of money. In fact, the claim on the box that a bad DVI cable can cause dull colors and a blurred image is a flat out lie. However, if you need a high quality cable for a special situation like this, go with the 1 meter long DVI400! +3 I have not bought this cable. Thus, the average rating. I am curious though. Would interference from projection TVs, high wattage amplifiers, etc. cause some video dropouts? It seems like you "Either it works or it doesn't" people would at least like to protect all those 1s and 0s. Just curious. +2 This will not be a long review, as it really isn't needed. The optics for the binoculars are fine - one can get to reasonable, mid-distance views through the viewers. However, this is an expensive price for binoculars that are merely okay. Those can be had at one-half to one-third the cost. Also, the housing for the camera and the battery is awkwardly placed; I have difficulty bringing the binoculars fully to my eyes as the middle-piece battery/camera bumps my nose. The camera is not very good. The hope of course is to get reasonable quality images from a distance, and the pictures here are sub-par. I'm not convinced that the focus control for the viewing element of the binoculars does anything to the camera's focus, but rather that it is set at a one-size fits-all focus ability that really has difficulty with anything close or really far away. The software is clunky and unhelpful. The ability of the this binocular/camera set is supposed to allow it be useful for video feed and internet streaming video, but the focus is poor, and it is not very practical to sit 40 feet or further away from the computer. Not up to the expectations, I'm afraid. +3 I ordered the cable and it has 18 pins and that flat pin, rather than the 24 pins (and flat pin) that are pictured in the ad. +5 I gave it 5 stars because I don't own it an wanted to be fair,but I do own cabletogo 2m dvi cable and it's a spectacular picture I have on my toshiba 30hf83 30" hdtv which is slightly better than the component I had hooked up earlier. My point is the cabletogo I believe is under $15dls and has a higher data transmission rate which I believe is above 9mbps dual link and the monster above 5mbps,so it's just something to think about,why waste $99dls. +2 It is a cable for transferring digital signal... in the digital world, the smallest bit of information is either 0 or 1. In terms of electricity, it is like, either 0 volt or 5 volt. So unless the cable is so lousy that the device cannot tell 0 volt from 5 volt, in which case a gold or platinum plated digital cable is not going to do any good. It either works or doesn't work. There is no "in between". This is similar to DTV or HDTV -- either you get the picture or you don't. If you do, it is going to be prestine. If you don't, then there is no picture at all. Note that in this case, the analog (non-digital) portion of equipment still makes a difference, such as the antenna or the speaker cable that is non-digital. So an extremely expensive DVI cable shouldn't make any difference than an inexpensive one. +5 I have a fairly new HDTV system I bought back in January. I have a JVC 56" rear projection HDTV and am getting my HDTV source from Insight Cable through a Motorola HDTV receiver. I experimented with component video connections when I first bought the TV but later tried the Monster Cable DVI400. Wow what a difference! DVI is the ONLY way to hook up HDTV in my opinion. The colors are brighter and pictures are sharper. Like all Monster Cable products this is made of very high quality materials and it looks nice too. I cannot believe some of the notes I have seen on the internet from people that feel the component video connection is better. The quality of the DVI connection is so superior that my cable company has decided to turn off the DVI output on my cable box. They claim the quality is so good that pirates could make copies of movies through the connection! They claim that this is a new FCC law even! +4 I bought this MonsterCable DVI cable to connect my DVD player to my new HD TV. I was certainly impressed with the image quality and the sturdiness of the cable, though honestly I found the connector pins a bit finicky. Soon my HD system grew and I needed a way to better utilize the Sony TV's single DVI input, so I bought a very nice Geffen 4 port remote controlled DVI switch. It came packaged with 4 rather generic 6' DVI cables, which I used to connect the components to the switch, saving the MonsterCable for the switch's output to the TV. The result was great in all cases. That's when the scientist in me took over. I started swapping cables like mad, and asking any poor soul who happened to be around to identify the best picture. The result? No one, myself included, could discern the least little difference in image quality from cable to cable. Being that the generic DVI cable is one fourth (!) the price of the brand name, obvious questions about diminishing returns are raised. +1 Excellent idea but Bushnell really fell down on the job with this one. My fiance bought this used for $10.00 and now I'm glad she didn't pay anymore for them. It's my job to figure out any new gadgets she gets so I went to Bushnell's site first and after some browsing, I found the binoculars and there was a manual available in PDF (it shows the camera functions only) but no drivers to be found. Luckily the disc she got with the purchase worked!! She has Photoshop already so all I installed were the drivers from the CD onto her XP Pro computer. There is absolutely NO DOCUMENTATION on how to get the pictures off the camera so I opened Photoshop and used import and sure enough Bushnell was there. I clicked on it and the Bushnell software came up but it's a "by guess and by gosh" process to figure out how to transfer the pictures from the camera into Photoshop. Once transferred, I checked image size and it was 640x480 at 1mp per inch, so scenery is visible but I have my doubts as to small animals etc. Another thing that irritated me was that I couldn't get the 2 sides of the binoculars close enough together to get a good view, in other words I had to look through 1 lens at a time. I've never had that problem with a pair of binoculars before. Bushnell has always been a good name but they sure couldn't prove it with this product. Buyer BEWARE!!!!!!! +4 Does your digicam give you 10x optical magnification? Do your binoculars store the images you are viewing? Likely the answer is no to both questions. Along comes the Bushnell 10 x 25 VGA Digital Camera Binocular. Now it is quite possible to buy a high-power spotting scope and put your camera lens right on the viewfinder and snap the image. I first saw a demo in Costa Rica by a nature guide pointing out a huge iguana sunning on a log 50-60 ft from us. But the spotting scope isn't nearly as portable. This binocu-camera combo does a reasonable job. The original software installed readily in my PC with Win XP Pro and those original software drivers work just fine. When it asks about the editing program, I simply asked it to use my Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0. and import the images after doing the transfer with no difficulty. Detailed editing proceeds normally. Are these National Geographic images suitable for framing? No way! Even with manual adjustments, you simply cannot correct them like a normal digicam shot. Colors are not true unfortunately. It's just a great little device for carrying in your backpack or pocket. For the price, it's just fine. Don't expect mind-blowing images folks. And don't forget to use a monopod to steady the device. It does NOT come with VR (vibration reduction). Telephoto shots are notoriously fuzzy because you simply can't hold the camera & lens that steady without VR built-in or something like a stump, tree, or monopod to make it rock-steady. My Nikon VR telephoto lens does an outstanding job even hand-held so I know that it is feasible with the right equipment. Maybe Bushnell will come up with a VR feature in the future. 3.5-4.0 stars (good to very-good) +5 Ive purchase this product because if me not getting all of the action of a game or a party that has every one gathering around friends/family to get their picture or video on my PC. The real part I like to mostly use it for is to get the action of the little one's thow down on a football game or into a frenzy fight where everyone is arguing over the game or see their hats and hair piece jackets rips off when they get into it. so that way Ive have all of them on camera and video to show them. +4 I would give this 3 and half stars. I received one of these as a free gift, so free is good. I wouldn't advise paying full retail price else you may be disappointed. After reading the horrible reviews, I debated opening the box when it arrived. What I found best for all software which comes in the box, never open the CD! If you have any other OS, other than Win98, then just plug it in to a USB port and the camera memory will appear as a disk drive. You do NOT need and do not want the software which comes in the box. This is true for any digital camera. As binoculars go, this pair isn't bad. It's small, rubberized, has a focus and rubber eye cups. Chromatic distortion is slight, good sharpness and detail, although there is some fogginess around the outside of the field of view. The built-in camera is a toy by all accounts. Bird watching? I think not. My suggested use is to collect evidence of the neighbor's dog going through your garbage or of a suspicious car parked across the street. It's good for what I use it for. +1 Complete crap. The installation as mentioned in many other reviews was next to impossible. I bought my mother this before she went on a trip to Alaska, thinking she could bring some nice close up shots to complement her other digital camera shots. But that was not the case, after spending hours trying to get it installed on XP the files were not even the right format. The picture quality was horrible. This product is a joke, I wish I could get my money back, the only good thing about it is that the binoculars work. Better off just buying a pair of those, skip this product and save yourself a headache. +3 How can you refuse an idea like this? Any outdoor or sports loving person will be enchanted by the concept. The binoculars are excellent quality. I'm not disappointed in them at all. However, the poor quality of the camera makes this product more of a toy than a tool. If a better quality calendar were placed in this product it would be worth the additional cost. +1 I wanted a cheap pair of binoculars with nice magnification and got these because the image capture seemed like a bonus. The binocular quality is fine but the digital camera is another story. I was first skeptical when the instructions mentioned that the camera is infinite focus fixed beyond 49 yards. Therefore, you are not shooting exactly what you are viewing since you can go up to 10x with the lenses. In any case this is irrelevant because after taking some test shots I tried connecting to my PC. I've done troubleshooting for a lot of devices in my day, I know what I'm doing, and I like the relative ease of the USB standard. No such luck with this. The included driver didn't work, the updated driver from bushnell's website didn't work (btw, I'm using XP). I always got an 'unable to connect to device' error. After an hour of trying all the tricks to get it to work I decided to return it. I would strongly advise ignoring the digital camera aspect of this pair of binoculars and either get regular binoculars or a better pair that doesn't require additional drivers in XP to dump images. I am returning these things today!! +4 I've been working with HP corporate-series lasers for many years, and failure of this print server card is normal. They're not exactly prone to failure, but it does happen. When replacing them, just be sure to 1)power off the printer, 2)use good ESD prevention measures, and 3)take advantage of the web page's capabilities. +3 I have had a number of paper jams with this cartridge. +5 Worked great it wada direct replacement. +5 Very good product at a good price. +5 Thisproduct worked perfectly I would give it five stars thank you +5 Perfect replacement part and easy to install. +5 Very nice card works like a charm +5 Missing directions that you had to delete the old one and set this server up as a new printer instellation. +5 Revived my circa 2001 HP 4100N printer. That printer is a workhorse and but for the network card worked great. This was a great value to replace the network card; easy to install and set up. +5 Great Price for this Print Server! Client had older equipment & only option was to add this Print Server! Worked perfectly! Shipped as Promised! Getting harder to find Legacy parts like this! +3 I bought the wrong thing. This item is an add-in card for an HP printer to turn it into a network connected printer. And what I needed was a "print server". So this sits on my shelf unused and as a tribute to me to fully read the product descriptions. +5 Worked perfect. Accommodated our needs for quicker shipping as we were down and out. +5 My HP 4100 came with this network card. The card is about 14 years old and it still is performing flawlessly to this day. How many electronic devices can you do that with, especially in the computer world. +5 My HP 4100 came with this network card. The card is about 14 years old and it still is performing flawlessly to this day. How many electronic devices can you do that with, especially in the computer world. +3 This was not a new item... (well unless they come with bank network setups from the factory) +4 Now that Java has broken the JetDirect 600N* due to "security fixes", this is the best price point for adding networking to most HP Printers. Be sure to upgrade to the latest firmware via the HP Download Manager Tool. *Yes, the 600N will still mostly work, but the web interface to the 600N no longer works. +5 Work flawlessly on my Laserjet 4100. +5 Works fine +5 On my old 4550, this took a little while to get working. Had to power the machine off and pull the power cord, but it did eventually recognize it and now it works great! +5 Works great +1 Worked and then died after three months. +5 works great +5 Came in like new condition as described. Worked perfectly +5 Item as described. Works great. Easy to configure from the printer console. +5 HP Network card, works great, had to hold GO button down when powering to reinitilize the printer so it would find it. +1 Got this from Amazon, had a hard time getting the unit to be recognized, contacted the vendor got no feedback or help. I was able to finally get it working by using some tricks to get the card configured, it worked for about a year and it quit. Since the seller would not help I was on my own. I have used HP products before and have had good success. I purchased another card from a different vendor, it worked as soon as I plugged it in, configured all settings and is running fine. +5 After installation it required me to add a few IP Addresses, make some minor configuration in the setup, and it was off and running! Thank you for providing a wonderful product. +4 At this time all I can say is that the package arrived in time and without any damage. However, I am not able to make the printer work. It is unlikely that 2 consecutive cards are defective; so the problem must be with the interface not seated well or something else that affects the interface. I hope I can provide a better update in the future. +5 The Hp Jetdirect worked as it should directly out of the box! amazingly enough all I had to do was to insert it into the printer plug the printer in connect and set the item to auto detect its the IP address. Thanks Guys for saving me some money! +5 This product saved my old parallel port only printer from becoming obsolete and ending up in a recycle bin. Easy to assemble and configure for network use. +5 Works as expected. Took about 5 minutes to install and another 5 minutes or so to configure on my existing network. +5 HP JetDirect 610n Print Server (J4169A). A very good product. It was exactly what I was looking for. Worked very good, was what it said it was, look good, a very good buy for the money, and was shipped in timely manner. +5 We are very please with this jetdirect card for our printers. This was ordered as an extra to have around when one of our others fail to work. +4 AS we who have older HP printers connected to networks know, these print servers are squirrelly at best; and replacements often don't work. I bought two from this vendor through Amazon, and had bought another earlier. All came in electrically protected bags and all three worked when installed. This is up from my previous vendor who sent only one working in three ordered and never made replacement. Curiously, these two cards were configured differently on arrival. They presented two different configuration pages, which seemed odd. I had never seen the second one; but it's not hard to figure out if you've ever struggled through HPs convoluted logic. Delivery was prompt; I used the supersaver and continue to be very happy with Amazon fulfillment. +5 Item arrived in perfect condition and worked flawlessly. It's much more convenient to have the printer directly on the network rather than tied to one machine because any computer is able to print irregardless of the on/off state of any other computer. If you have an older Laserjet, this is the only way to go. +4 This item arrived in a very timely manner. This installation was very easy and quickly allowed me to print via my network after an easy setup. The price and delivery were prompt and fair. +5 Works really well - update to latest firmware when you get it. Used in a Laserjet 2100 without any problems. +4 A good printer that was a pain to connect - new equipment does not have a parallel port. Can NEVER go wrong with a HP JetDirect Card EVER. +5 The card was great, arrived on time and was well packaged. The new software in the JetDirect 610n is a nice improvement over the old 500series card. The card breathed new life into a 2100tn we had around the office. Great card, no real drawbacks. +3 When you have an older HP printer and you want it on the network, you need one of these. It works well and I'm happy with it. I'm told they go bad after a while, so I'll buy another one when the time comes. +5 Plugged it into my 10 year old hp laserjet 2200d, connected an e/n cable, logged in with my web browser to verify the printer's new IPAddress. On Win7, set that IPAddress into devices and printers -> 2200d -> printer properties -> ports. Works great! Setup was easy as you can see, and printing is much faster than the old e/n to USB adapter I previously used to drive the 2200d. 100% satisfied. If your HP printer takes a JetDirect and you haven't one yet, go for it :-) +5 Was in need of a print server for one of my MOST used printers in my office. You offered a great price and shipped quickly. Thanks for a great experience.....!!!! +5 I purchased the NIC and it was as advertised. I was pleased with the speed of shipment. Enough said Two thumbs uup +5 Got the 610n to replace my JetDirect 3 port external print server. The 610 is a great product - which is truly a simple "plug-n-play" upgrade. And... the Vista "Add A Printer" wizard, quickly found the printer on the network, and installed it, with no hitches. Couldn's be easier... and... the price is right! Great way to upgrade an older printer! +4 Most computers do not come with parallel ports anymore. This added a couple years of life to my HP 2100 Laser Printer. +5 I bought this print server for an older LaserJet 4050 on a home network. With HP's Install Network Printer wizard, everything just worked perfectly. Within a couple of minutes, I had all of my computers (running XP, Vista and Windows 7) printing from the LaserJet! Simply excellent. Seller delivered product as advertised and in perfect condition. +5 Purchased these to place in a HP LaserJet 4200 and a HP LaserJet 8100. Works fine in both units (as they should, considering HP designed their JetDirect units and printers to be universal to one another). I purchased these used, so my only complaint is that they still had their original configurations loaded in them when they arrived, but it was a painless fix to get them up and running on the network. Installation was easy - just power off the printer, remove the two screws on that cover the first I/O plate on the back of the printer, remove the plate, slide this unit into the I/O slot, and hand tighten the built-in screws on the unit. Connect the Cat5 cable, power the printer back on, print your Network Configuration page, use your web browser to go to the IP address listed for the JetDirect on the configuration page, configure the unit, and you're good to go. +5 When I upgraded to Windows 7 my printer no longer talked to my computer. This item saved me from having to go out and get a new printer, which was not on my list to buy this year. Well worth the money. +5 God forbid that your printer isn't network-enabled out of the box, but this little artifact comes from a time when things used to work reliably. Had to replace an old one recently; snap-in ease and instant results. Huzzah. +5 I ordered this card for my year 2000 vintage LaserJet 2200D. The part arrived quickly without documentation. I studied the information on the HP website but this turned out to be unnecessary. All I had to do was plug the card into the slot, attach a cable (not provided) to an empty spot on my wireless router (Linksys), reboot the router, and "install" the printer on my laptop using the Windows Vista printer icon. Vista found the printer right away and installed it with no need for me to provide drivers from a CD or the HP site or anywhere else. This is the second HP printer which is connected to the router. +5 I am very particular about headsets. This Panasonic headset has been my favorite headset ever, and I own at least 13 headsets (really). Unfortunately, mine developed a bad/intermittent contact somewhere, but I go through headsets like bottled water (only 6 of mine work). I bought another because I couldn't stand using my 'backups' anymore. I recommended it to 2 friends, and theirs are going strong, but they use theirs less. I use my headsets hard, often hours a day. The leatherette earpad is comfortable, and will not wear out & need to be replaced like foam covers will. This one has a good-length boom and mic gain. People don't say, "What? Talk louder." with this headset, and they like the way my voice sounds; in fact, I believe it is the same mic element in my older high-end (nice-sounding) KX-TC series Panasonic phone, because people can't tell a difference when I switch over. Receiving sound is also very good; not too weak or too strong, but if I had to choose, a little on the stronger/efficient side, which most people prefer. The headset doesn't feel delicate, but I guess it is, or at least some internal wiring is, as poor durability is reported. It's not an excuse, but you ~could~ buy 2 or 3 of these for the same price as more expensive models (even Panasonic) and still not get a headset as good-sounding or as comfortable. I have ruined headsets by rotating the mic to get it pointed more towards my mouth (I don't mean bending the boom). Don't do that. If you pull off the foam windscreen, you will notice that the mic is at a 45 deg angle when it is facing your mouth. This is actually proper from a sound engineering aspect. Everything which makes this headset larger, 'clunkier', 'mid school', 'unattractive', or 'uncool', or its lack of collapsibility serves to your advantage for good sound and comfort. Due to its size, it's not ideal to bring along for cellphone use, but if you do, while you have it on, you will be well-served. Like the previous reviewer, I have used/owned Plantronics (not Panasonic) headsets and they do not work well in my Panasonic and other home phones. The (Plantronics--I've used 3) mics simply do not produce enough gain, and the booms do not come out far enough to the mouth. So I use them as backups. Plantronics used to be the expensive quality leader, but their quality seems to have suffered in recent years, and prices remain high. Panasonic has been the only brand to consistently do right by me on many products. Amzn price on this item fluctuates. Anything in the low tens is a great price online, anything in the mid tens is the best price you'll see in a store, and the high tens is typical store price. This has a 2.5mm mini-plug for use in cell and home phones, not computer sound cards. Headsets are made in China, like everything else we depend on. +4 I am using mine with a GE 26977GE6 phone, which came with a somewhat uncomfortable street-style headset. The Panasonic KX-TCA60 headset is much louder and clearer. I did not realize how poor the stock headset was until I tried these Panasonics. My only problem with these is that the volume is a bit too loud, even at the lowest phone volume. Otherwise, this headset is great. Update May 2009: After many years I'm still using these. A couple have broken on me with no easy way to fix them, but they are cheap enough to be considered a disposable product. These days I have a second pair on standby because I'm pretty sure I'll snap the headband on my current pair eventually. +5 Don't bother with the fancier models of the Panasonic headsets. This bare-bones model has all you need. So it doesn't have volume adjustment or a mute button. Who cares? Your phone should already have those features. Besides, that redundancy would weigh down the entire unit. Also, this headset is very inexpensive to own, so those unnecessary features would drive up the price, which would not be a good thing. If you own a Panasonic cordless phone, this headset works best with these phones. I own many Plantronics-brand headsets, which are excellent on my cell phone, but horrible on my Panasonic cordless phone. Callers constantly complain that I sound very far away. But then I bought this Panasonic-brand headset and callers hear me very clearly. Ordinarily, I'd be annoyed at having had to buy an additional headset for my Panasonic phone, but it was so cheap that I really don't mind. Now I've got an extra headset that I can use in my car! An added bonus is that this Panasonic also works really well with my cell phone, so if I had to choose one, I'd ditch my more more expensive Plantronics headset since that only works well on the cell. But, it's important to note that the Panasonic headset is not that portable so I'm not throwing away anything just yet. +5 Works well comfortable to wear +1 nope. don't do it. +5 Wonderful kit. +2 I have ordered several of these headsets and they work great while they are working. The problem is that they stop working. The first one lasted two years - each successive one has lasted about a year. Not quite good enough for me! +5 GOOD >> GOOD +1 Not at all satisfied with the quality of this product. Lots of static when it is used, poor quality of sound when used with the phone. I purposely bought a head set made by the same company so they would by compatible. Too bad for me I tried to make it work and didn't see that the return date had lapsed just 3 days ago. I guess I'm stuck. +5 works fine +2 It worked while it lasted. But it didn't last long. Internal wiring loosened over time and so reception became intermittent. Too bad. +5 Probably cant be beat for the price (currently around 15 bucks). Sounds great on my side, and Ive been told from those on the other end that I sound fine to them. Comfortable enough to wear for long periods. Based on some other reviews I figured the Amazon $4.95 4-year warranty seemed like reasonable insurance for this item, and overall its still a good deal on a good headset. +5 What a arm saver. +3 Sound not very clear, cheap is expensive in the long run ! +2 You get what you pay for strikes again. It worked ok for a while but now the people I'm talking to tell me I'm breaking up unless I hold my head perfectly still and upright. I work from home frequently and need more reliable quality. I'll be looking for a different brand this time. +5 very good product. I recommend +3 Broke 2 month later +3 Very cheap set but functions well +4 Works but not as clear as I would prefer. +5 these last WAY longer than the far more expensive Plantronics, which I think are mostly junk. +4 Works as described. Good seller experience. +5 Can not talk on the phone without them. Saves me from a lot of neck pain. +5 This headset works so well!! No static, either. Just remember there is a cord to attach to the phone and try to keep it from getting tangled, catching the cord in a drawer, or getting it wrapped around one of your doggies or cats. This is the perfect answer for the hard-of-hearing. +1 after only about 5 months, microphone stopped working. panasonic states not under warranty even though disclaimer says has a 1 year warranty. Don't buy +4 I purchased one in 2010 and another in 2012. Both have been working ok. The headband broke on my 2010 one, but I repaired it with electrical tape wrapped around and it has held up for many years. Recently the newer one has developed a squeal when I try to use it. For the price, I will replace it since seven years is a long time for a cheap instrument to hold up. I am giving these four stars due to the longevity and price. +5 Excellent voice quality, crisp and clear. I use with the Panasonic KX-TGE445B house phones and have NO issues. Highly recommended and I would buy again. No buzz, no echo. Just wonderful. +3 I bought it to replace the old one that stopped working. The volume is so low that I really have trouble hearing the person I'm speaking to and my hearing is fine. I would not recommend it. +5 Works great with the Panasonic KX-TGE234B +3 This is the third one of these I have had. They all work perfectly for a while and then the connection to the plug fails. +5 This items works and looks as expected. Thanks +2 They fit nicely. The sound is good. The microphone produces clear conversation. They last around 6 months when the connection between the cord and the jack starts to crackle making conversation impossible. Into the trash they go. They used to be sold on Amazon for under $10. Now Amazon sellsl through a third party at $15/pair. I was willing to replace them every 6 months when they were under ten dollars. Not anymore. Not when the price increase is 50%. +1 Ordered in Dec '16, dead by Sept '17, so they're dead after 10 months of use. Before this I'd had a similar Panasonic headset for at least a dozen years that I'd purchased locally. Unfortunately local electronics stores only seem to carry Bluetooth (wireless) headsets now, which are only useful with cell phones, and not cordless phones with wired headsets connected via 2.5mm jack. You can the headset to work briefly if you bend the cable at the earpiece, where there's a small section of strain-relief collar around the cable. Which apparently did a lousy job. I've had this type of cable failure with a lot of cheap audio cords. It's a sure sign that the wire is broken inside the cable, at the part that gets bent the most during use, usually either at the jack or where it enters the device (in this case the earpiece). That's why there are strain-relief collars at those points, the jack and the earpiece, however futile they ultimately prove to be. I'm handy with electronics and these types of repairs. Usually I'd disassemble the device, cut the cable to remove the bad spot, and then re-solder the thing back together. but from prior experience I know the wires inside these headset cables are so small and thin it's difficult to impossible to work with, and a repair won't last long either. These headsets are the electronic equivalent of a disposable lighter. After this experience I'm inclined to doubt these are genuine Panasonic headsets, as the last pair of Panasonics was very similar in appearance but lasted over a dozen years. Usage was the same for this pair, probably quite a bit less. +5 Works great with RCA DECT office phone. Staff loves the headsets. +5 I did not expect much for this price but amazed at the sound quality. I sent voice mail to my other phone then listened to the playback. Crystal clear! +1 received it in March, only used it a couple of times (didn't like the fit) since. tried to use it today - it's not working already - couple uses for 6 months?some serious quality issue. be aware. +5 Being handsfree has been a lifesaver. I've bought several of these through the years and this one has lasted the longest. I can be hard on headsets because the wire to the phone gets yanked out when it gets caught on things while I'm working. However, this one has survived. +5 I like this product because the mic comes right in front of your mouth and the headband adjusts to fit. +5 thanks +5 they work great and keep your hands free +4 These work fine but a bit too loud & I can't turn them down so I just move them away from my ear. With carpal tunnel in both hands I need these because holding the phone makes my hands go numb. My old ones, which broke after a few years, have a turn down roller knob & it saves my hearing. This one has no such knob, so 4 stars. +4 Quick service and good product A+++ +3 Giving it 3 star for great quality and comfort, but be prepared for some permanent fixes to this headphone. Lever isn't great and it comes off . +5 Frees up my hands! When talking on the phone, I often need to use my computer. This solves the problem! Also good for talking on the phone, when cooking! +5 works great!! +4 Works as expected. Still fairly flimsy construction. +4 I have used these headsets for many years. Purchased at Walmart in the past but switching to amazon now as WalMart nearly doubled their price! Pros: Best sound quality (I've tested many headsets) People say they can hear me perfectly Very comfortable. Doesn't "squeeze" your head too tightly. I don't feel it, once it's on. Cons: They last about one year (with a lot of use), then they quit, even with no outward signs of wear or tear. I have no idea why a product with no moving parts just dies suddenly, but because of the low price and functionality/good quality, I just keep an extra one "in stock" for when my current one decides to go. UPDATE: It was my Panasonic phones that were "frying" these headsets. My neighbor and I had the same experiences, no matter what headsets we tried. It was the Panasonic phones (not the headsets themselves) that burned out the headset jacks within a year. Strange...since a Panasonic headset should work best with a Panasonic phone.... Never had ANY trouble with this headset when I used it on non-Panasonic cordless phones!!! +5 Mother-in-law loves this! She uses it all the time while she is in her office and saves her from neck pains. +5 it looks very well made. and i am sure it will do the job just fine +5 A hands-free headset gives you the freedom to do other things except holding a phone in your hand. +2 I'm on my 4th headset. Went cheap, hoping they would last. But each one fails completely in about a year or less. First the plastic part that goes around the head breaks in a couple of weeks. That's easily fixed because I just tape it together. Then it breaks again. But the worst thing that finally does each headset in is when the wires break inside and then you get intermittent breakage in sound transfer before the thing shortly goes completely dead. The wires are too flimsy. I tried to cut and splice two different ones together, but it didn't work. Wires very flimsy. +1 It looks fine...it just stopped working 2 days ago. Nothing appears physically wrong with it, and it worked fine...until it didn't. Won't be buying another one of these. +4 These usually sound great. They used to last about 6 months each. Last three I bought was January 2017. So their quality is failing fast. I can hear well on them and clients can hear quite well with them. I use them on a Panasonic portable phone. I order multiples due to the fragility of the product and in case one or more does not work when I receive it. Last time I bought they were $11.99, now $15.99. +5 works as advertised at a very reasonable price. +4 Very good to use along with my desktop phone. It's just the ear piece can be comfortable and if you don't adjust the headset, it could irritate the ear for wearing it a long time. It would be nice if the ear piece was a little big bigger and it had a mute button but I use the phone's mute button so it's no worries. It's still a decent headset for the price. +4 works +5 good product. Works as expected. +4 IT WORKS PERFECTLY FITS MY HUGE DOME TOO! +1 Returned it immediately because the sound didn't work right. Had purchased one before and abso loved it but i broke it so..very dissapointed. I still wish I could find one that works . +5 These are as clear of a set as I've ever bought. +5 great product +1 Thought it was for a cell phone but it was not. +3 Don't have mute button by Panasonic KX-TCA430 instead. +2 Thin wires inside the insulation break/disconnect easily. Usually it happens near the headset or the jack that goes into the phone. I purchased four of these and the same problem happened with each. The last one functioned for only 5 months. I am purchasing another brand, costs less, and has a thicker wire that I hope will last longer. +4 Just got this and plugged it in to see how it sounds. It sounds really good! No static - good volume,and comfortable. This replaced a 25 year old Radio Shack headset that finally broke (I used it infrequently but after 25 years - I can't complain). I am still using the original Radio Shack keypad with the new headset - and it works fine. Anyway, I noticed immediately the volume is much louder on this new headset. Which is good because the old one was really difficult to hear on - even at full volume. Time will tell regarding durability but since I only use this a couple of times a month - I hope it will last. +4 Sound quality isn't 100% clear but good enough that I won't replace it. +2 When it works, it's great. I bought mine in April of 2016 and in March 2017 it's dead. I get it's not very expensive, but there are lots of reviews of poor lifespan; just add this one to the mix. There doesn't seem to be a good alternative. +5 clear sound great fit +4 nice +5 This headset has proven to be quite handy friends call while I'm working. +5 Read the instructions, I wasn't using properly until I realized it had a volume on the cord Great value +4 New +2 Works great, but not for very long. Tend to die within a few months of purchase. +5 I LOVE IT! +5 Works perfectly with our Panasonic phones that happen to have one of those tiny 2.5mm jacks +5 I bought this little radio as an emergency and camping radio a couple of months ago and let it sit. It is now the a couple of minutes to the Saddam's deadline (20h00EST 19 Mar 03) and I am listening to the BBC news. The state of current events inspired me get it out and put it through its paces with the results being pleasantly surprising. I picked up Madrid and BBC World Service on the short wave among other stations (lots of Spanish broadcasts). In fact, the amount of stations picked up in the 5800-6200Mhz range and recption is pretty good. While the performance isn't the same as my Satellit 400, the sound is pretty good. The reception is excellent on the FM band as well. I like this radio's reception and perfomrance better than the Coleman generator radio. Also, the size is much more convenient than the Coleman radio. I wish it were easier to find the AC adapter. +5 Fits just right. +4 It works OK for me but my wife is the primary user and it's a little too big for her. +2 Excellent audio both send and receive. Stays put on head. Will last for about 3 or 4 months with daily use. Have used Panasonic headsets for 25 years. They are not built as durable in recent years. +5 Excellent volume and speech +5 Works as it should. +5 0 so cool +3 I purchased this Brother P-Touch tape for an older P-Touch labeler, and the tape jammed. For some reason, the older printer works better with 3/4" tape, though it is rated for the 1/4" width, too. I used another new tape in this same label printer, and it broke. I contacted Brother to ask about a replacement, and never heard from them. +5 I use this 1/4" tape on all types of surfaces. It is easy to read and sticks well. Makes orginizing easy. +5 The quarter inch size is the perfect size for the spines of the CD jewel cases. I use them all of the time to label my CDRs. Good for other small jobs too. +4 Had a Grundig but it got messed up outside. This is the same radio. Meets my needs +3 Works well on batteries but takes lots of cranking to get it to play for even 10 minutes. +4 Works great. +5 Works fine, no problem in line quality. +5 Just tried it and it is clear and I reduced the volume dramatically on the phone +2 It crackles, noisy. Sony ain't the quality it used to be. Beware of the cheap Sony stuff now - it's not the Sony quality we were used to. I've returned another junk Sony product for the same reason. +5 To be honest I bought mine not from amazon but from Bed Bath and Beyond about 15 years ago!! I went back and got two more after I went home and used it for a few weeks. I've been using this one for those 15 years and it is still going strong. The rechargeable battery pack has become weaker over the years to the point that I use rechargeable AA's in it now but the battery pack will still work in a pinch. Great job Grundig on making a good product that will stand the test of time. +4 wife likes it +4 Nice headset but a little bit uncomfortable +5 Works with my Panasonic home phones just great. I can hear people well and they can hear me well. And it's lightweight. No mute or volume; but, for me, my phone headsets have mute and volume. If you want decent quality hands-free for cheap, this is a superb purchase. +5 I love the 1/4 inch tape for many of my labeling needs. Perfect for pricing small items, I no longer have to cut the tape in half. +5 I love my P-Touch labeller - my kitchen, my office and my bathroom all show signs of avid labeling. I was excited to get additional tapes and this was a great price - they work as advertised! +5 easy to find, exact refill for my Brother labeler,good price, fast service; finding this was a breeze. thanks for making this a stressfree experience! +5 I like the smaller size of this label tape, it makes a very professional looking label, which can be used on a variety of objects. None of these tapes are inexpensive, but the results are impressive. +5 I've been using this tape for quite some time to identify my CD's by number. It is ideal by applying the tape to the CD case spline and it is easy to peel off the split backing. Very useful and I highly recommend. +5 This laminated tape is excellent. I use it to print labels for my daughter's bottles at daycare. I have the dishwasher set to heated dry time in order to sanitize the bottles and the tape has survived five cycles so far without melting or moving. It's wonderful. The print is clear and not runny and because the laminate is placed over the printing, it continues to look as great as when I first printed them. +5 Purchase was for a major brand product and much less than retail. I would buy here again! +2 The headset lasted 9 months before the cord shorting out or something and the headset became unusable. Luckily we only paid $8.38 for it. You get what you pay for. +3 Bought this for the rare phone call to thr county or government where I'd need to keep my elbow painfully bdnt while being on hold or transferred from person to person endlessly. I figured on these rare occasions a headset would be just the thing to ease my elbow pain (arthritis). A bit cheap but works okay. Sill have to see about longevity. Update - 12-19-2017: The pair I bought this spring got stepped on and the plug was bent beyond repair. I ordered another set and they arrived promptly. In less than a year it feels like they changed the design for the worse and sadly raised the price. I wish I'd saved the old set to compare because these feel far more fragile and fit my head poorly. They still work for those rare times when I need to be on the phone for a long period of time and I want to spare my elbow the arthritis pain. I'm less impressed with this pair than the last but I guess they'll do for the little I need them I really didn't want to spend big bucks on a better set for the infrequent use they get. Hope these last. +5 a great product and got in good time +2 The older model does not work by using the crank as the permanent battery pack is old and no longer charges. Grundig has excellent products and a newer version is recommended. +5 Fast service, very pleased. Works great. +3 The Grundig FR-200 was a gift, and I loved the concept of a radio I could crank and then listen, with no batteries. But I would crank for about two minutes and then get only about 15 minutes of listening. FM reception fussy. On local public radio, often got some static, and I had to tune carefully. Now after three years, the internal batteries will no take a charge. Crank as I might this radio will not run at all on its internal dynamo charged batteries. The radio looks good, and it is sturdy. The SW bands do work, but I seldom listen to SW. I replaced it with a digital weather band solar powered radio. +3 I've had this radio several years. While I bought it for emergencies, I use it every day including often in the bathroom where it's exposed to a lot of steam next to the shower. It does it's job reliably EXCEPT the emergency light died within the first few months. I cannot find a replacement. +5 Works great, good fit +2 The Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio has the right features except no Solar aollector. It's radio section worked OK, Nothing special, but it did work. The Flashlight feature might be a life saver in some situation, but I am not sure I need that integrated into my radio. What did not last was the dynamo as a power source. the Dynamo still makes power but very early, it stopped being available to the radio for some reason, I took it apart and traced it. the rechargeable battery was easily charged by cranking for five minutes but nothing would get that electricity to the radio or light. Basically what befell it is a cheap switch and poor quality control at the factory. If an emergency product is going to be this expensive, you need to make it better. +4 I bought one of these radios a long time ago (probably more than ten years ago now) and literally used it up. It was my fishing radio and I kept it in a cooler bag with a lot of other gear. At first I used the crank, but that gets old if you're a steady radio listener, and then the crank eventually broke off, sealing the deal on that part of it. But with three rechargeable batteries, you get an incredible amount of time between battery swaps. One thing I ran into was that the switch for the flashlight is triggered vertically, so when I'd slide the radio into my fishing bag, it would often turn the light on, resulting in a drained set of batteries when I would use it next. I solved that with some glue, since I wasn't really using the flashlight that much anyway. But I will say the flashlight is good and bright, and was more than sufficient for tying baits to lines, etc., at night. Be careful not to look straight at it when you turn it on at night, it's pretty blinding. The radio is rough and tough. I don't know how many times it's fallen off a boat seat to the floor, hard enough to pop the hinge and the batteries to fall out, but the Grundig never flinched, and always worked. The volume knob eventually got kind of internally disconnected, but if I pushed in on it, I could still turn it and adjust volume. The On/Off switch also has gotten funky, so I have to jiggle it a little. But in the final analysis, after years of abuse, including being left out in the rain once or twice, and also getting wet from rain falling on it during a day of fishing, the darned thing STILL WORKS! I'm finally retiring it to the "in case the new radio has a problem" department, but I'm living testimony to the fact these things are tanks. +5 Have had this radio for years the radio receptions is great. the led light is not to bright but it works in a pinch. personally I like the fr300 better though as it has built in wx. this one has am fm and sw but no wx. It is also a bit dated but it's built like a tank takes a licking and keeps kicking. +1 Total piece of crap. Everyone I try to talk to with this headset says they either can't hear me very well, or that I sound tinny as heck. +5 Works but prefer wireless. I'm always getting up and walking away without taking it off. +5 During the recent power outages due to the July 29 derecho I used this radio that I had purchased several years ago. I found after 2 minutes of cranking (power off, switching hands every 30 seconds or so, and no extraordinary effort) the volume started fading at 38 minutes but could still be heard, faintly, at 40. After five minutes of power-off cranking, with my girfriend "sprinting" during the last minute, we had over 80 minutes of power before turning it off to get lunch. I did not user the light; I have other hand-crank flashlights for that. My only concern is the plastic crank, as I've broken the plastic crank on flashlights. This one feels sturdy, but on the other hand, it's plastic. +5 I hardly ever use it but I have to make sure it works well. Part of my disaster kit & inexpensive piece of mind. +1 After having this brand-new, never used radio for a few yrs setting in the hurricane shelter without batteries waiting to be called on, I pulled it out to check emerg equip for the coming storm season . I went to install batteries and the rechargeable battery leads fell into my hands. To my amazement, after popping the back off of this Grundig FR200 to re-solder the aux batt leads back to the mother board, the leads could not be got at without completely pulling apart the antiquated board assemble. It looked as work had come out of the mid '70s. WHAT A BOXED PIECE OF TRASH! Yes, it was assembled in you-know-where. +2 The first time I used, or tried to use, this radio in a real emergency was Hurricane Irene. Oops... the rechargeable battery was dead, so the hand crank generator wouldn't charge the radio. Putting it away today, a brittle bit of metal broke and the antenna snapped off. This radio is not rugged or reliable enough for emergency use. +1 Beware this item comming from pollock00 used box is damaged item has been opened and returned by me as well as several others its yellow as he has now changed the desription definately not a value DO NOT BUY!!! Save yourself time and agrevation! +5 Thank you +5 This is a must have for my business phones and the price is cheap! Best deal in the business here I buy at least 4-5 to have on hand. They last too! +5 Very good product +5 Great for many things +5 Works well has very clear sound and clear output. Use this on my Panasonic 6.0 phone on the handset. Happy with the purchase. +2 I can hear them, but people don't seem to be able to hear me. As you might imagine, that's problematic... +4 Agree with most of the reviews here: good quality sound for talk, not music; durable--mine finally broke irreparably after almost eight years of during which I dropped it A LOT; good idea to have radio/light that can work without batteries in an emergency; shortwave is a bust: used this in Los Angeles and New York and never once was able to pick up a single shortwave station (are these cities bad for SW reception?). BUT, I came to this page with the intention of buying this again and was shocked at the price! In 2003, I paid a perfectly appropriate $40 for the exact same item on Amazon (in fact a little message came up reminding me that I'd purchased it before, and I was able to verify the price I paid back then). I expected a bit of a hike--maybe to $50--but HOW did this get from $40 to more than $170??? I actually think this is way above what it's worth. +4 This is a small, lightweight crank radio (with flashlight). It is constructed of plastic, but it is relatively sturdy for something made our of plastic. A few minutes of cranking permits you to listen to the radio sans battery. The flashlight feature is nice, but don't forgo keeping a 'real' flashlight in your emergency kit. The radio picks up your local AM and FM stations about as well as a typical low-end transistor radio. It does support some shortwave bands, but don't expect to be picking up Radio Johannesburg on a regular basis (unless you are reading this review in South Africa). Has the option of running on batteries if you are too lazy to crank. We keep it in our emergency kit and consider it to be a valuable resource. However, I am sure when the day of critical need arises we will wish we had crank internet instead. +5 A friend gave it to me as a gift. I tried it and it worked. I then stored it for about a year and then when I needed it I discovered the Ni-MH batt was dead and it would not charge. Then I went to Radio Shack and they gave me a 280MAH replacement. Stupid me I didn't see the 280MAH. However, it worked. It's supposed to be 600MAH. Now I'm shopping for an emergency backup batt. None here on Amazon. Dbl check when you shop, some have B or D or AA or AAA in the batt description. It requires Ni-MH NS-2/3AA 3.6v 600 MAH B Kerry +1 I bought this product a few years ago and kept it in my closet for an emergency. I took it out the other day to test it out and found that the rechargeable batteries would no longer hold a charge after cranking the handle. It doesn't even work for 2 seconds after 30-50 cranks of the handle. The only way to make it work is to install 3 AA batteries. This clearly defeats the purpose of having a hand crank radio. +2 I've owned this radio for approximately three years now. Its primary purpose for me is to allow me to listen to radio in an emergency situation, when I don't have power. I played with it a few times over the last three years, and put it away for an emergency. Fortunately, I never had one. I moved about a year ago, and played with it again when I was unpacking, and all was well. When I heard others talking about emergency radios recently, I pulled it out of its drawer again, and found out that some time in the last 10 months, its dynamo system quit working. It will power the light while I'm cranking, but not the radio (or maybe I just can't crank hard enough to get any volume). And neither the light nor the radio will work off of the rechargeable battery. May be an easy fix, I don't know. I haven't taken it apart yet, but for anything billed for "emergency" use, I shouldn't have to. +1 I purchased the Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio as part of an emergency kit I'm putting together. Unfortunately I'll have to find another radio. The reception for this radio is so poor, that the few stations I can tune in to are full of static and difficult to understand. I live in the Philadelphia area with plenty of stations to choose from, but very few can be tuned in with this radio. I can't recommend this radio to anyone. +5 Works well for my husband but I also ordered another for my autistic grandson who wears it all the time. I think he thinks he is on TV singing or announcing sports! So cute! I think he will love it for Christmas! +5 Works great. +1 Stay away..we bought 4 of these and newer version, all 3 give static when cord moves. Bring back older one quality rounded connector. +4 I've had this radio for many years. I use it maybe 10 days out of the year (camping, BBQs, gardening). The crank works but you definitely need an adapter plug, the sound is louder and more clear!! Before camping, I charge it the night before (4 hours should be more than plenty). It holds a charge to play the radio the entire day (the flashlight will eat the charge faster). I've never used the light for more than a few minutes (emergency only). The speakers are of good quality sound, for a sm.radio. Fortunately I catch my favorite stations well on FM but not on the AM or the other features it offers. I've had a few compliments, "That's what I need (a radio like this).", from outdoors men. I'm getting another for my dad. I haven't had to use the crank too often so I can't comment.. +3 This is the Grundig FR-200. It's decent, but I do have some nits. THE GOOD: * Sound quality: Although mono, it's adequate. * Battery life: The unit uses three AA batteries, plus a small plasti-sealed NiCad pack (about the size of an olive) for the recharge crank. I've been able to run the radio for an hour or two each day, for several weeks, before having to change the AA's. {BTW, I use Tenergy 2600 miliamphr NiMHi AA's in this, and they work great}. I rarely use the crank-driven NiCad, but it's runtime is rather modest - a full minute of cranking yeilds 45-60 mins of listening ... at a very modest volume. * Portability is good. THE MEDIOCRE: * TUNING: {minus 1 star) The pre-printed plastic frequency indicator on mine is poorly aligned to the unit's actual frequencies, so unless you happen to recognize the voice of a familiar DJ, or stumble past while a given station is doing station identification, chances are good that you'll be as much as +/- 15% away from the indicated AF/FM frequency ... and you'll get no help at all on most of the other bands. I'd happily have paid 2-3x as much for a comparable radio with a digital tuner and a minimal LCD readout ... with only a modest impact to total battery runtime. * CHARGING: (minus 1 star) The smallish handcrank generator is clumsy to use, and having to spend 1 second out of every 45-60 cranking like a crazed chimp, charging a dinky little NiCad mini-cell, is irritating. I would have liked an additional feature that'd allow you to directly charge instead the three AA's via a built-in smart charger connected to a universal power input ... thus enabling recharging (or direct play) from things like you're car's cigarette lighter, a portable generator, a PC, a portable roll-up solar pad, etc. I'm pretty sure there are newer versions of this sort of radio that have a larger & more ergonomic crank mounted to the rear, as well as solar recharge capability/compatibility. This model, as of this writing, has fallen behind the latest technology trends. All in all, it's still handy, and recommendable ... but there are newer and better choices available out there. (Note: I've reposted this review because the other product AISN number it was attached to expired.) +5 Very good radio for emergency purpose +4 I've owned this radio for two years now, as my desk radio at work. I decided to run an experiment, and only power it with the crank. I've cranked this radio every day for the last two years. After about a year, one of the dynamo gears lost a tooth. A call to Eton got me a replacement dynamo set under warranty. I installed it myself (which is not a job for the faint of heart, but is within the skill of anyone who's handy with a screwdriver). The new dynamo and gears lasted through the recent breakage of the winding arm (which was not replaced with the new dynamo), which has relegated it to alkaline power. Of course, now the radio's well out of warranty, so I don't expect any free replacement parts. However, that's pretty good. In an emergency situation, it's unlikely you'll crank the dynamo even 1/50th as much as I did, and it held up quite well. I'd typically crank for 30-45 seconds, and get about the same number of minutes at low volume. Increasing the volume markedly shortens runtime. Reception is fine, although I've only played with shortwave a little bit. There's no way a radio like this can make a good shortwave receiver, so that feature is a bit silly. It would still be potentially handy in an emergency, when a lot of local interference goes away. For local FM reception, it does quite well. I haven't really tried AM, so I can't comment there. The little LED flashlight would be handy in an emergency, especially the fact that it can be recharged by cranking. More important would be one of the higher-spec Eton crank radios such as the FR250, which include cellphone chargers -- SMS messaging is an important communication method in many emergencies. I heartily recommend this radio for emergency use, particularly given the robustness of the dynamo system. +5 Very good product at a great price. A must for any home or auto emergency kit! +1 They spotted working customer can't no longer hear us! +4 Bought this 4 years ago and have used it twice during extended power outages. I knew that the battery life would decrease with use so I only use it when I have to. I think the problem with some of the people that are using the radio is that they are using it not as intended but as a cheap alternative to battery operated radios. Recommended for people intending to use this for emergencies only but not recommended if you intend to use it often as a substitute to purchasing batteries. +4 Great radio for ER use small enough to pack with other ER materials. I liked it so much that I ordered one for each of my sons for their families. +5 This is a fairly inexpensive headset but it works well. Comfortable and adjustable. +5 Nice cheap headset. I like the windscreen on the mic. I use this for phoning into teleconferences. +1 I've had to buy one, once a year, because they stop working. I didn't mind before, but this last one broke in only 4 months. I'm looking for alternatives. +5 I used them tonight on an hour long conversation. Very convenient to use.. +4 Good value +5 works great for all day conference calls!! Love it! +4 Below is a reposted review originally published on the page detailing this model in the yellow color ASIN: B00065HM1Y I ordered the "yellow" model here...and found several "surprises". The Grundig (now Eton) FR-200 is a small "auxiliary" AM-FM portable which adds general shortwave radio coverage, an LED flashlight, and a three-way power design that allows for a quick "pick-me-up" to a replaceable and inexpensive rechargeable NiMH battery pack similar to one used in the typical cordless phone. A few minutes of cranking, `n you're back in broadcast business. With these options, it's virtually impossible for this radio to not find "juice". The FR-200 is imported by Eton from Tecsun in mainland China, and is marketed exclusively as an "emergency radio"...but I'm thinking--"perfect for the canoe and camping trip" where one wouldn't wish to lose something more costly to the elements. The reviews on this product have run the course--from favorable--to horrible. This would clearly indicate either a serious quality control problem...a lack of reviewer perspective on just WHAT objective this product was designed to meet...or both. After pondering this unique little $40 radio for over two years, I finally unwrapped and evaluated one (the package exterior said "yellow"--a neon-orange model waited inside). The FR-200 is less than HALF THE COST of its most-similar alternative--the Freeplay Summit (which I have ordered--and twice returned because of substandard performance), so I was somewhat skeptical of this product format. Upon closer examination and use, the less-expensive Grundig (while not brimming with "digital glitz" and rows of small silver buttons) is higher in overall performance, easier to pack and carry, and much more "disposable" should that situation arise. My prior skepticism has turned into consumer gratification. This product is satisfying, useful, and an unquestionable value. Here are my performance observations... AUDIO QUALITY: The sound of the FR-200 is crisp, clear, and natural. While far from "room shaking"--this unit is fine as a close-in companion; and more-than-adequate for its intended purpose as a standby "blackout radio", or convenient portable "sidekick" at home, in camp, or out on the water. RECEPTION ON FM: The worst goes first...The FM capabilities of the FR-200 are sad to barely acceptable, depending on your listening location. In a small community, ANY nearby local station with brawny signal strength will overload the circuits in this radio to a point that renders it nearly useless--unless you enjoy the offending local station, which will populate itself on nearly the entire FM dial--crowding out even not-so-distant stations from out-of-town. In an urban area, with many powerful "close-in" signals, the FM band becomes a jumbled and distorted mess where "ONLY the strong survive"--but barely! Interestingly, out in fringe areas, where brutish FM signals are few and far in-between, the band shows signs of intelligible life...a plus for rural listening! RECEPTION ON AM: Other than a few expensive "AM niche" and world-band receivers, the FR-200 is possibly one of THE BEST portable AM radios you can own! Sensitivity, selectivity (in the absence of a strong local station), and recovered audio quality are OUTSTANDING! NEVER have I seen a radio in this class (and several other classes for that matter) that provides as rich an AM listening experience. During the daytime, even very distant AM signals are intelligible and less-assailed by the all-to-familiar "circuit noise" that hinders weak AM station listening on most radios. Sensitivity remains consistent from the low (530 kHz) to the high (1700 kHz) end of the band--NOT typical for an AM receiver section in a radio at this price point. Right "out of the box" my FR-200 easily caught, and faithfully reproduced in early afternoon, six AM stations from Chicago--over 250 miles from my location. At night, this radio becomes a pint-sized DX-delight. Virtually EVERY channel is "alive", yet moderate-to-strong signals remain "separated" and fully intelligible. In the rare occasion that you may find, and choose to listen to, an AM station with a music format--you will find a hint of "hi-fi" in the reproduced audio. This level of AM performance is usually the domain of the "CC Radios" of the market; and at less than one-quarter of their cost--the FR-200 is an "AM standout". Here's another possible application: Your FR-200's headphone jack + a patch cord + the line input on your surround-sound = FAR BETTER AM reception and audio on that system. RECEPTION ON SHORT WAVE: Plainly put--it is "pedestrian" at best. If you're shopping for shortwave agility--continue your search. Nor do I recommend this radio as an entry into "the world of shortwave", either. The SW feature on this product is obviously a "convenience item"--which turns out to be operationally inconvenient at times. The technical idiosyncrasies of that band are such that the ability to optimally receive it demands a product design with a distinct focus. Interestingly, Eton-Grundig is a "shortwave company" that DOES NOT market the FR-200 as a "shortwave radio"...It merely "includes" that feature. THE GOOD ON SW: Prominent domestic and international broadcasters with big signals WILL find their way to your tiny FR-200, and strong stations can sound fairly good on this radio. In early afternoon (NOT a preferable SW listening day-part), I found the higher band ("SW-2") to be fairly-populated, and I was able to receive tiny 1000-watt CFRX Toronto, Canada here in the Midwest on the lower (inactive-by-day) "SW-1" band--a "catch" typical for a more-expensive rig designed for SWL. At night, on the active lower frequencies ("SW-1"), reception is generally decent with the built-in telescoping rod antenna, and can be improved with a "roll-up alligator-clip" wire antenna ($15 at "The Shack"). Unlike many small SW radios, the FR-200 can tune well below 49-meters (6 MHz)...even down to 90-meters (3 MHz) where several obscure domestic and western-hemisphere stations live by night. The laws of physics--and the laws of "affordable design" generally work to inhibit easy reception on these channels (if available) on low-cost SW radios. My FR-200 did an admirable job of snagging several of these signals with only its included antenna. THE NOT-SO-GOOD ON SW: Little is gained thru a decent receiver design if the user can't find or identify a desired station. Imagine tuning a radio with your eyes closed. That would describe the experience of hunting for a SW station on the FR-200 solely based on frequency info. Three design factors (I should say)--design compromises make this radio a chore to tune overall--and nearly impossible to "direct tune" on shortwave. (1) This receiver's "single-conversion" RF design permits strong signals to repopulate themselves on an additional frequency--causing interference to other stations and confusion for the user. (2) Nearly the entire shortwave service is "squeezed" into two "bands" that occupy a minimal 1.75-inches of band-spread. Now that's "touchy tight", especially when you consider that... (3) This unit's manual slide-rule tuning (coarse and fine) is "mushy", and the numerical frequency layout is poorly calibrated. IN SUMMARY: What we have here is a nearly-charming, color-coordinated campsite or canoe companion that can't come up short on "juice"--but CAN provide acceptable sound and outstanding AM radio reception in the middle of nowhere. A demure radio that throws in a nice bright tent-filling LED light so you can try to find that hyper-paranoid "end-of-the-world" shortwave talk show host to go with your adult beverages around the campfire. Even this radio's dismal FM reception might be mitigated by the location you tote it to, but I wouldn't bet on finding your favorite Jazz-Fest on "Wilderness 98.1", so few points are lost! There are more-expensive products in this class that do NO better job--and cheaper offerings that do NO job at all. Finally, if a bear tries to eat your trusty FR-200...or the canoe it's in capsizes--just find another forty bucks and start all over with a different color! I plan to keep mine...I'm getting fond of Neon-Orange. +1 I agree with other reviewers. the radio works fine , but you are constantly cranking this thing to keep it running, ESPECIALLY if you try using the flashlight feature. Perhaps I need new battery, but the crank problem has been present since I bought it. +2 I purchased mine directly from Grundig about two years ago (no Amazon connection.) As the last two reviewers note, the hand cranked battery worked well for awhile, but gave out after several months. "Gave out" now means a 1:1 ratio between hand crank time and listening time. I don't know about you, but only the ninth inning of a tight ball game can make me crank that much for so little airtime. +1 I bought this radio, not from Amazon, and found it worked splendidly for about a month. Then the generator crapped out. Well, not entirely. It played about about the same length of time that the generator was wound. Having very little patience with electronics that do not work properly, I depositied it in the same place I did a Canon scanner. On the sidewalk, tossed from my second floor. I see from the reviews that others have had better luck and with the Grundig name, I expected better. But, as stated above, keep batteries handy. +5 I OWN THIS RADIO IN RED.I WONDER IF THIS VERSION DIFFERS IN ANY WAY .PLEASE SEE MY REVIEW FOR THIS SET IN RED.THE UNIT IS SMALL LIGHT WEIGHT WITH A SENSITIVE AM FM TUNER AND 8 BANDS OF SHORTWAVE.THIS UNIT HAS A FLASHLIGHT AND WORKS ON AA BATTERIES AND NICAD RECHARABLE BATTERIES,THAT WORK VIA A HANK CRANK.YOU TURN THE CRANK FOR 45 SECONDS TO 0NE MINUTE YOU GET 1 TO HOURS OF USE.THE SET KEEPS THE CHARGE IN STANDBY FOR A LONG TIME.THE SET HAS GOOD TONE WITH GOOD VOLUME,AND COMES WITH A LEATHER POUCH FOR STORING THE RADIO BETWEEN USED.PERHAPS SOME REVIEWS RECEIVED SHIP DAMAGED UNITS WHICH MIGHT EXPLAIN ANY NEGITIVE OPINIONS OF THIS PRODUCT.WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A SMALL LIGHTWEIGHT PORTABLE EMERGENCY RADIO.THIS SET WAS PERFECT FOR KATRINA AND OTHER SEVERLY DAMAGED AREAS OF OUR COUNTRY.I THINK THIS TYPE OF SET COULD SAVE LIVES 5 STAR + I OWN THIS RADIO. +5 ok +3 Not the best if you plan to give this to your receptionist or someone who will spend most of time on the phone. Voice is bit low. +5 so far so good, not problem use it to make my phone calls to my prospecting clients. +1 Horrible sound. Uncomfortable to wear. +5 Can you say VALUE? This is an excellent performing and quality inexpensive 'emergency' radio, that will work with 3 'AA' batteries, or the built-in hand cranking device that stores energy in the built-in NiCD cells. The radio will work for approximately half an hour with only 2 minutes of cranking, which is amazing in and of itself. The radio works on AM, FM, and 2 popular shortwave bands (shortwave is a must, because local AM and FM stations could be incapacitated or shut off during an emergency), and it includes a second fine-tuning dial, which is usually available on more expensive radios. At night, it even picks up AM radio stations thousands of miles away with great clarity, which most cheap radios don't do well. This thing must have a higher quality internal AM ferrite antenna that enables it's good performance. The audio is truly clear and excellent, and the radio exhudes excellent build quality all around. This forty dollar radio is an absolute MUST in every household's emergency kit. Forget duct tape and buy this radio instead! +3 A decent, but not great little shortwave radio for emergency or travel use. Good: Decent sensitivity. Accepts three sources of power - hand generation, AA batteries, or external power adapter. Has a built-in flashlight. Inexpensive. Bad: Annoying tendency to drift, no external antenna jack, you have to be careful where you put your fingers while tuning - it's very easy to touch the antenna and block the signal while cranking the generator. Bought mine used from a co-worker for $20 - I'd say that's about the right price. +2 1. In my environment (urban) I received no listenable shortware channels at all. Selectivity is nonexistant. 2. FM works fine...at the level of a $10 radio that is. 3. The sound is very, very tinny and having the radio level turned up causes distortion very rapidly. 4. There is a rather nice carrying case of the typical non-waterproof nylon variety. I find it useless. Consider this *only* an *emergency radio*, without any other value at all. +5 I am very impressed with this unit when all limitations are considered. It is in my communications kit. WA4MUC :) +5 The price was right, now to get a adpter. +5 Works as expected. Good buy. Fits well. +3 Good inexpensive headset. +2 **UPDATE - After less than a year of use the connector has gone bad** I bought this a while back and had it sitting in a drawer in a package for a while waiting for my other headset to die. Once it did I started using this one and, as I state below, I liked it. It wasn't perfect but it did the job. Now, after less than a year's worth of use the connector seems to be going bad. Of all components, this one gets touched the least. How can it possibly go bad??? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I like this headset a lot and you will too if you use this trick: don't put the earpiece right on your ear. Hang it off the side of your ear so only a bit of the sound gets to you. It's really loud. I mean really loud - and there's no volume control. Doing this trick will sacrifice a bit of comfort but it's not super comfortable to begin with so not a huge deal. Other than that I love it. I also found a nice little adapter for it that converts the 2.5mm jack and splits it between a pair of 3.5 mic and 3.5 headset speaker plugs so you can use this headset with your computer - which really made this headset more valuable for me. +5 good +5 good for the need +2 Didn't work on the unit I wanted it do. +5 I am in emergency communications, live in Florida, and I know price/performance when I see it. Right after giving this radio a shake-down cruise that would be expected of any good transistor radio -- I did one thing -- I bought more of them for my ham radio friends. The light is an LED, so worries about it burning out are out the window. No one knows the lifespan of an LED, because they have only been in general use since the 1970s! Whoever designed this really thought it out. I would tend to write off the one-star reviews and hesitate not. Especially for the price -- this emergency radio has no equal for the price as of November, 2004. +4 Pretty good for an emergency radio. I would agree that it isn't for general use, especially since the sound quality from the small speaker isn't great. But it is useful as an emergency radio or for a radio to tote around the house and yard doing chores and work. My biggest gripe is that I was never able to get a lot of playing time by charging the battery using the crank. 100-200 turns got me only 5-10 minutes of FM playing time. Batteries are a must! +1 I bought this expecting a quality product and was surprised to see that it is made in China and you soon find out how low quality the thing is... The crank option seems ok at first, but the claim that it will run for an hour or so on a minute or two of cranking is bogus. I know a bit about batteries and have substituted a battery and the crank/dynamo is still not sufficient to make and then hold a charge in the battery. Unfortunately Freeplay has moved away from their extremely reliable clockwork method to this sub-standard crank/dynamo nonsense so I have no alternate suggestions. I am guessing that most buyers have not used the crank option much? +5 VERY good price. This is the 3rd paid that I've bought. they seem to last about two years. At this cheap price that's okay. +2 Bought at the end of February. After 6 months the microphone stopped functioning. I guess for the price, 6 months of use is all that can be expected. +5 When you need two hands while talking.. Work great for cordless phones +5 I just love these things +4 Seems decent. Purchased to use this with a cell phone, which it failed at, because most cell phones actually use 3.5mm jacks, not 2.5mm jacks like this, and I failed to pay close enough attention to that little detail. That said, I've never actually used this, but the build quality seems alright. It's not as nicely constructed as a comparably-priced unit I ended up buying locally at a big box store. Didn't want to hassle with returning this unit so I cut the cord off and let my toddler use it like mom and dad do. He loves it. +4 A good product for that price. +2 How funky it is that that a Panasonic headset would not work with a Panasonic phone. HMMMM... who in R&D will fall on his sword for this? Probably no one. Oh well. I tried with the Panasonic KX-TGE233B phones I purchased at the same time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ISKW56Q/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_42 Buy the time I needed to use it, It was passed the available return date. +5 I bought this little hand-powered radio after the big blackout in NYC last summer. Then I bought one for my brother and his family who live on a farm in the mountains and often experience power failures. This is a great little device! It runs for an hour on a few cranks of the lever and makes me feel that I can always be in touch in the event of an emergency. Not much to pay for the peace of mind it brings. +4 This is an interesting product from Grundig. It is a wind up radio with a small flashlight included for emergencies. It also has the shortwave bands you need for the BIG broadcasts such as BBC, Voice of America, and Radio Canada. I was also able to receive Radio Netherlands. The trick is to listen at night - at 7 PM and after - as that is when shortwave comes in best. You won't want to use the crank every day as you want to save that for true emergencies. Install three AA batteries for daily use. Daily use? Yes. I was surprised at the very good AM and FM reception. Even in my concrete and steel office I was able to get stations that usually come in weakly on other radios. This is a neat little radio and I am going to get another one for my emergency pack (I live in Florida where we are subject to hurricanes but with the world in the state it is in, my pack now may have several uses). Buy this for emergencies but don't be surprised if you use it every day. I didn't give it five stars because I think they could have built it a bit sturdier for 40$. +5 I'm a big fan of AM radio, and especially the late night "High Strangeness" talk show Coast to Coast AM. I've always wanted a hand-crank powered radio that will work no matter what is happening outside. The recent Mid West black out made that even more urgent. The Sangean Freeplay radio was my first choice, but when I saw this little Grundig for 1/3 the price, I was extremely curious. As a kid growing up in the late 60's and early 70's, my parents always had a radio playing on the kitchen counter. They had the same analog dials and tuning as this little Grundig, and they ran for decades without a hitch. AM reception is superb! Better than on my Onkyo stereo receiver. I have the feeling that if the lights go out,this little world band radio will be worth its weight in gold. But even if it doesn't, this little guy has a permanent place on my kitchen counter. Addendum; four years later I cannot recommend this radio. The battery no longer holds a charge for more than a few minutes. You might think this is not bad, since rechargeable batteries have a limited life. However I have rarely used the rechargeable battery. It's just not very good! It works OK on AA batteries though. Wish this thing had come with a AC adaptor to plug in. Also, it's falling apart. The clear plastic over the station numbers popped off after a minor bump. The knobs are loose and the volume control now has only 2 settings; loud and barely audible. If this were an emergency radio I'd be done for! The one good thing I'll say is that it can pull in distant AM and Short Wave broadcasts. However the tuning dial is so sloppy that the minute adjustments needed to tune in are nearly impossible. If you're looking for a GOOD self powered radio check out the similarly priced Freeplay EyeMax. +4 I'm sure winding the thing up will get tiresome sooner or later, but for now I just think it's really fun! I love the idea that you don't need batteries. I have to be frank though. This product is not without it's flaws. first off, there is no weather band on this radio- not a feature you want in a "DISASTER" radio. Yeah, the apocalypse is upon us and all I can get is KISS 104, Rush Limbaugh, and a couple of stations broadcasting ethnic dance music. This is a fairly BULKY product for a radio, although I know that the winding dynamo feature is was gives it it's heft. It's definately portable, but probably too bulky for backpacking. Better to just make sure you have fresh batteries and a smaller radio. The flashlight is a waste- if this feature will actually be of use to you in a disaster, then you are probably already screwed. It's great that they included an ac jack, but it doesn't come with an adapter (my guess is that virtually nobody will go out and buy one) and what's the point of plugging it in if it's a winding radio? The same can be said for the extra space they have for batteries- it seems rather pointless. The sound is fair- I have radios with smaller speakers that sound better. I have found the reception to be pretty good and I like the tuning mechanism, a dual knob that allows for fine tuning or surfing. All that being said, I'm happy with the product. It's actually a pretty good deal for a shortwave radio, although there are much better shortwave tuners out there. But for forty bucks? Unless you are REALLY into shortwave I would think that this is a great deal. I think I paid sixty or seventy for my other shortwave model, a radio shack DX-351. My final complaint is that my model doesn't tune very well relative to the numbers on the dial- so if I'm looking for 98 FM it really tunes in on what the dial says is 102. It's a bit of a pain, but if you know that to begin with you can still find your stations pretty easily. It might just be a defect in my model, and I don't feel like returning it just because of that. So while I have taken issue with several features or lack thereof, hey, this is a review and I want to give it to you straight up. Bottom line- I LIKE this gizmo and I would recommend it. +4 We had a short power outage, so I "cranked it up" in order to listen to "A Prairie Home Companion". It works as advertised, about 3 minutes of cranking lasted an hour or so. The sound quality was what you'd expect from a speaker this size. Not a bad little radio, but I wonder how the rechargable battery will hold up over time. Probably best to leave it in the disaster kit...but it's a great addition to a disaster kit. Update - it came in REAL handy after the December earthquake out here. Yep, put one in your disaster kit. +5 Headset works great. Fast shipping +5 Great sound quality and far less expensive than other models. Works perfect with my Panasonic phone. I would definitely buy again when it wears out. +5 Works perfectly on my Panasonic KX-TG1031S Wireless phone. Plugged right into the earphone plug on the side of the phone. +5 We got this headset for our Cisco phone at work and it works perfectly. I was always dropping the handset because I wear shirts that are super soft or silky and so the handset would slip off my shoulder and fall. But this works great and I can hear the caller perfectly :) As a wife and as a mom of 3 kids, I spend a lot of time shopping for deals on the best products out there for my family. It's important to me that if we're spending our hard earned money that we get a top notch product in return. I often rely on the reviews and opinions of others when contemplating purchasing a new product that I haven't tried before myself. Because of that, any products that I buy (whether on Amazon or from a 3rd party) I always make sure to leave a review of the product to help others when selecting items to purchase, as well. My family tests these products fully before forming a solid opinion and writing a review. When I write a review, I keep in mind that those reading are also looking for honesty about the product and want an unbiased opinion to go by. If my review has been helpful to you, please give me a "Yes" vote on my review. Thank you! +4 Very good item +3 Not so much! this headset does not have a volume control and the microphone does not pick up my voice enough. I have to talk louder on this headset than my regular headset. +5 Purchased this unit some months ago and can't say enough about it. It works great! Wind it for two minutes and it operates for almost an hour. The short wave stations also come in. This was not the case with their high end "Yught Boy" Which I received yesterday and returning tomorrow. +5 great radio at a good price bought two. +5 This works great and I use it almost daily. +5 Works great. So good in fact I bought one for a friend. Hands free to do anything that needs to be done while talking to your friends. +5 my wife love this +5 Delivered as expected. +1 Worked well for 2 weeks and then stopped working. Don't know what is wrong with it . It was great and extremely convenient when it worked because it was truly handsfree. Great idea but the quality must be poor. It just stopped working, no indication of why. +4 I loved the price and size of the hard drives. I will recommend this product to anyone. All of the cases were in place. +5 Excellent Price since it's almost 50% of the next available price. Good Product, this has nothing to do with seller, I have ordered a 10K 146GB SCSI and I got it. Excellent Packing, this is the best packing I have seen and my order arrived before time. I would definitely buy from this seller. +5 Great price!! The unit came completed with hot-swap tray and ready to install. Runs like a champ. We will be ording more of these for backup spares in the near future from this merchant,5 stars!! +3 I love the product but it is very cheaply made I keep buying them because I can't find one that fits in my phone for my business. I would rather pay $50 and not have to replace it every few months. +5 Very good sound and mic quality. easy to have a two-way conversation. +1 People can't hear me. Very disappointed. +5 Wife loves it. Had to use an adapter to work with the 3.5mm jack on her phone but that's ok. My preference is to adapt from smaller to larger where an adapter is needed. +5 Works perfectly with my headset. This is reasonably comfortable, I've worn it for a few hours at a time without issues. The microphone is quite large and a little cumbersome but the sound quality is very good. +2 Microphone stopped working. When it worked it was decent. The tab opposite the earpiece was not very comfortable, but sound was good. +5 were this all the time its great +5 On of the best Hands Free.. Bought 2 more after this.. +4 No complaints and the foam windscreen is effective against wind noise. +5 Trying to avoid EMF and other "waves" that may fry the brain. This works on my House phone perfectly. AND I can hear people much clearer. +4 works well +4 Works pretty well. I use it when I work from home as I often spend a lot of time on long phone calls. I took off a star as at first I had a lot of people complaining about it being too quiet. I adjusted the mic much closer to my mouth and now it's much better. That may seem like a no-brainer, but it's now so close I almost feel like I'm eating the darn thing and I can't eat or drink without moving it. +4 Gave this to a friend. Turns out my new phones don't have a head jack. Who ever heard of that? I'll pay attention next time I buy a phone. +5 good product +5 Great for long conversations can continue to work. +5 Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good +3 I've had this headset almost exactly one year of home use, I believe the wire has broken/come undone inside the plastic plug. I have had lots of headsets in the last 20 years and they seem to fail the same way. One the positive side, it worked while it worked, it's more comfortable than some other headsets I've tried and it's significantly cheaper. Looking over the other options, I will probably buy it again. +3 Have to replace every month. But they are popular... +5 Good headset for the money. Had to get an adapter to fit my I phone 6 but the sound and hands free are great +5 It's light, it's comfortable and the sound quality is good. One qualifier: I have not yet had a long conversation to evaluate if people on the other end of the conversation can hear me well, but so far I have no complaints. +5 works as intended... +3 It fits very well & I can be heard fine, but if the cord isn't held perfectly still, you will get a lot of staticky feedback that makes it difficult to hear the other person. It's really annoying when you can't move around & do things because of this issue & the exact reason I got the headset was to have more mobility. +4 I like this for my cordless phone when I am doing chores. I wish it had a volume control on the cord. It was inexpensive at the time I bought it. It works for my needs. +2 Sound quality was good. It functioned as intended. Could hear clearly and could be heard clearly. The problem is that the ear piece started to fall apart after 6 months. The material started disintegrating leaving black flakes all over the place. +5 Works as expected. +3 It does what it is supposed to do however the cable/wire twists and I have to keep disconnecting it to untangle the cable. +1 Did not work well with new Panasonic phone. Sound quality was poor. We do not use, the grandchildren play with it. +5 Excellent +3 The review are glowing for this headphone. Can you do a lot worse for what you pay for this headphone? I don't think so. The mic is total crap, other guys say they can barely hear me. When you incease the gain it is noisy. It is collecting dust somewhere in the storage. +5 Loud and clear, they don't tout amplification but this is the most robust of 5 other head sets I've had. +3 I wish I had noticed that there is no volume control. It's very loud - I wish I could control the volume. Also, the mouthpiece is super close to my mouth and it's super large - a bit annoying. On some headsets, the mouthpiece is closer to the cheek and works fine. Finally, unlike my previous headset, the unit is very tight on my head. Okay for short calls, but might get annoying for longer ones. +5 works great +5 This headset works great when I'm stuck on those long-winded conference calls. It's comfortable and has decent sound quality. +5 giving 5 stars but I ordered wrong headset so I was unable to use it due to incorrect plugs for my purpose. It is a comfortable fit. +1 Works pretty good, for about 1 year, then the cord fails from flexing, just like every other Panasonic headset I have ever bought over the years. Seems like a colossal waste of planned obsolescence. +5 Thank you for a good product at a great price and quick shipping. +3 Clear and accurate audio. The tight pressure of the plastic headband is a bit annoying for my ENORMOUSLY FAT HEAD ! (7- 3/4). The price is reasonable and it appears to be well-constructed. +5 I spend so much time on phone that my arm falls asleep while I'm on hold works perfect +5 Love it, easy to use. Helps my hearing capability. +5 Great Price Works Perfect +4 My wife didn't like it on her head. Seemed to work ok though +5 Perfect for home and work use. +4 I like the unit, but I gave it as a gift. Have not heard any feedback from the user yet. I keep forgetting to ask when I see the person. +1 The headset was distorted, the headset had low output. The microphone had low output, I had to yell for the other person to hear me. I thought cause it Panasonic it would be great, so I purchased 2. waste a waste of money! +5 Great product. +5 I ordered two of these when I saw the low price so that will mean we've had four of these over the years. We were fortunate enough to get cordless phones with headphone jacks which are rarely made these days and this headset is great with them. Sure Bluetooth would be nice but I can't find cordless landline phones that use bluetooth headsets. You can only use the Bluetooth to connect to your cell phone. Not sure what good that is! So this is the best option for hands free convenience without having to use a speaker phone. +5 works great++++++++++ +5 Great product, great price! +5 I use em til I break em, which I usually do by way of getting food on the mic. +2 I'm about to order this headset for the 3rd time. I like the way it works, and I can't beat the cost for what it is. However, I am disappointed that each of the last two have broken in just over a year (1 year warranty after all - amazing timing eh?). In this case the audio is just gone in my ear (don't know if mic is working). No visible damage on the cord/plug/handset so I have to assume a wire broke inside and just isn't making the connection. I use this daily (work from home) and am rather gentle with it - i.e. no swinging it around by the cord or letting the phone hang off it. Comfortable to wear for several hours (although I do like to switch ears every 30-45 minutes). 3 Stars due to the apparent inability to last much beyond the 1 year mark (Amazing to me how close it has been looking at my order history for these). Update - lowering to 2 stars as the latest one failed (people can't hear me) after about 15 months. I'm now going to try other brands/makes and recommend others to do the same. +5 Loved them, worked great. Loved these when I needed them for my home phone. I bought 3 so I could have 2 working and have a spare for when needed .. I used the original one l had and it lasted a real long time before I needed the new ones. They work for right or left ear, and the mic boom is fully adjustable. The only con I could find is that they last so well that the foam ear pad breaks down and begins to fall off while the headset still is going strong. It would be great to have a replacement ear pad available. +1 Absolute junk. But cheap enough to toss as a bad experiment. Loss of ALL high frequencies so conversation is muddy and all callers told me to take it off, as they couldn't here me +1 Very Fragile. +3 3 stars.... It worked exactly like I wanted from day 1 which was a good start. Less than a month later it's cutting in and out and I need to play with the cable at the plug side to get it to stay connected. As such I'd usually give it a 1 star review, however since they are sending me a new one free of charge I give it 3 stars. Be sure I will follow up in about another month to say how the new set is coming along. +5 Great price and this headset works fine! I've been using it for several months now without an issue. I am not rough on it, so now problems with anything breaking. +5 OK +3 Kind of hard to link to phone. +5 Replaced my old version where the top broke. +5 Excellent buy and good sound quality. I would recommend highly. +5 Good Service Good Product +1 Panasonic customer service stinks. +5 Works great; nice and clear. +5 Works great and cheap. What more can you ask for. +4 This is a pretty good headset, I can hear them clear and they are not aware that I am using a headset. +5 very good +4 Good product. +5 No troubles, works as promised and has clear communication going both directions. Glad I got it! +5 Works great with my new phones. Ferngully +4 Works superbly at first and then, for reasons I cannot fathom, the effects fade. It's a decent product, especially for the price, but not a superb one. +5 Good value. +4 Lasted for a year but cheap enough to replace. Pretty happy with it. +5 Works great. No issues. Easy to plug in. Very clear. Showed up on time. +5 Use this with my Panasonic house phone I purchased about 5 years ago. I like that it has one ear piece so I can listen for other things around the house if needed. +4 Works good. +5 I'm happy with it, I paid $ 8.38 worth the price +5 I've had this player for more than 6 years now. It died with the H07 error, but still I am satisfied with its performance. Ive owned a sony, and several philips and the image quality and features is on par to the Sony, and sometimes even better. The Sony died on me twice and didn't have as many features. I think the reviews here are not being fair to the unit. There are people complaining about the unit dying after 5-6 years of use!! +4 I've had this unit for 5+ years (I think it was about 7) with no issues, up until today. I got the HO7 error, but after this long I can't complain. +2 Probably got about 3-4 years of pretty infrequent use out of this machine. Worked well enough until just recently, now I have the H07 error. +5 I've had this DVD player for about 5 years and I've had no trouble with it. It was one of the first DVD players to play DVD-Rs. The only reason i stopped using it was because I got an HD TV and needed an upconversion DVD player. +1 I just wanted to write a review saying mine died as well. +1 Other than skipping a bit on DVD-Rs, this was a great player until I got the dreaded H02 Error. I later found out from the web that this is common for Panasonic players. I read that it costs around $80 to fix. Come on! I can get a brand new player for that. And I did! Now I have a slim little Sony DVPNS725P Progressive-Scan that plays all my DVD-Rs great. Hopefully it will last more than a year and a half. +5 Love this item. Clear sound. Comfortable fit. Easy to use. I work in an office and am always on the phone with insurance companies. I get a stiff neck. This helps me multitask more efficiently. Awesome! +5 Great you can talk and cook dinnerPanasonic KX-TCA60 Hands-Free Headset with Comfort Fit Headband for Use with Cordless Phones +5 RECOMMENDED !!! +3 its ok +5 works as required +5 Nice sound. Works perfectly. What I expected for the price. +5 This helps me in the office, I have a free hand and above all do not have to bend your neck to hold the phone while writing on the PC or used hands , I particularly recommend it. +1 Does not work with my phone Waste of Money for me. Make sure it will work with your phone, I have a Panasonic with 2 extensions. +5 Works as advertised. +5 I enjoy the no frills corded headset - it fits comfortably over my head and the audio works fine. +5 cheap,comfy and clear....awesome headset +5 Callers sound great on this headset. And others say I sound good to them. It's also fairly comfortable. This is a good purchase. +4 a very good economical product +1 First headset was defective and so was replacement. Don't waster your money on cheap Headset. Big waste of time. Can hardly hear anything. VERY LOW VOLUME. i HAVE HAD MANY HEADSETS AND NEVER A PROBLEM UNTIL THESE. Purchase from a headset company and you won't have a problem. +5 Perfect accessory for those who are on the phone for long periods of time. Really convenient bc my hands are free to work on other stuff while on hold for what seems like hours hahaha +3 Not particularly impressed with this system, especially the handsets. I find them a bit awkward to hold & easy to drop, slippery, & I always have a problem finding the numbers on the keypad by feel. Have always had Panasonic phones & this is the first time I haven't been pleased. It's almost like a pre-teen size phone +5 Worked great until it caused the input to loosen. +1 cheaply made! Cord went bad after only 5 uses! How can Amazon call this a #1 Best Seller? +3 They work ok, but they could have better sound quality. Not so sure if I would buy again. Probably shop around. +5 This headset saves me from getting neck pain from holding the cordless headset with my face and shoulder. By far it is the most comfy headset I've tried. +5 Very loud and clear volume! Best 2.5mm analogue headset EVER!! I've bought extras for later use. I wish there was a mute button. +5 Works fine for the price +1 Ear connection Broke no good not last hardly use this and now broke. +5 Works fine, good price. +5 Well I'm computer guy and I need my hands free most of the times, so when I have to contact banks call centers or my family over the phone, this hands free helps me to continue doing my things on the pc while having a conversation with somebody. Really good for me, I'm happy and well it works perfectly for my phone: Panasonic KX-TG6512B Dect 6.0+CID 2 HS Cordless Black +5 It fits comfortably on my head and the microphone can be adjusted to be next to my mouth. I use it with my Panasonic cordless phone, but don't know if it will work with others. After having one for years, it finally quit working--people could not hear me. So, I got a new one and they can hear me fine. Now, I can work hands free while talking on the phone. It saves me from getting a numb hand which I get when I hold the phone next to my ear for any length of time. +2 It didn't last long. +3 Nice cheap earphones but they usually only last about 6 months. +5 good +3 make sure the plug fits your phone before you place your order. +5 I use it with ooma on a Panasonic phone. Crystal clear sound. +2 I buy these 2 at a time and always make sure I have a spare... They don't last very long, but at their price point, are considered disposable. +5 Make good use of it when receiving calls while online. Good for multitasking. Good sound quality. +5 My panasonic headset of 2 years broke about a week ago. This is the perfect replacement. +2 Worked for a few months but then stopped working. Could be the phone (panasonic KX-TG6152B) but more likely the headphones. +2 Cheap +5 Is perfect for long calls!! +5 My husband uses this all the time. He has a business that he wolrks out of home, and he is on the phone all the time. This definitely saves his neck and arm from tiring out. Voices transmitted and received are crisp and clear. Would buy again. +1 It's Panasonic which other words mean garbage! Don't waste your money. +5 It's loud and clear and comfortable on my ear and the price was lower that most competitors. +2 The mic does not work with my iPhone and using an adapter. If that is universally true and not just my headset, then that should be in the description, given that iPhone is so popular. The headset mic probably does not work because this headset is 3-pole, while the iPhone jack is 4-pole. However, I bought a converter, and that did not fix the issue. The iPhone is smart enough to recognize the headset mic does not work and uses the iPhone mic instead. This, of course, defeats the purpose of having this hands-free headset. +5 Works really Good. People say I sound clear than my old Plantronics headset. +5 Good one +5 THANK YOU +3
 I purchased this headset primarily because of the price and at $17 dollars it's a good value however I wouldn't buy another one. Pros: The headset itself is comfortable to wear and both the microphone and earpiece sound good. Cons: The Boom Microphone is HUGE on this headset and the microphone cable is stiff and not very flexible compared to other brands I'm owned. It's only been a couple days and I'm already experiencing static in the earpiece from the 2.5mm headphone plug, mainly due to the stiff cable pulling on the plug as you move around. Overall this headset is comfortable to wear, is inexpensive and sounds good ... buy it for those reasons. If you want something that looks better, sounds better and has a better more flexible cable check out the Plantronics Plantronics Headset M175C for Mobile & Cordless Phones Sorry Panasonic , you make good telephones but when this headset wears out, I'm going back to Plantronics. +5 Great value- works well. +2 Clunky, didn't sit well in my head, volume and microphone wasn't clear, may have been a great price but not for what I needed. Returned it and stepped up to an LG Bluetooth and am MUCH happier. +5 Really helps. I shake really bad and it's hard to hang on to the receiver and take notes. This works great. +1 It broke in less than a year +5 So far so good. Sound quality is excellent, even my hard-of-hearing mother-in-law can hear me just fine. +5 Headset I should have bought years ago! I tried a Cellet on a Kenwood stereo with a 3.5mm jack and it didn't work besides the headset was way too big and the boom refused to stay where you wanted. I use this with a Pioneer CarPlay head unit in a commercial vehicle. Now the mic is right near my mouth, noises to the caller are virtually gone and I can be hands free. Much better than Bluetooth IMO. I don't think wearing a Bluetooth all day against your head is the heathliest thing. Again my opinion. The ear speaker doesn't work, that plays through my speakers. Just FYI if anyone wants to do the same thing. : ) +5 Works as intended. I love it. +4 This headset fits nicely and works well. This is the 2nd one I have purchased from this vendor. +5 Works perfectly. No adjustments needed. +5 Got this for my mom's older cell phone. She loved it so much she asked me to order another one. I forgot to change the address so I now have one. It works great with our cordless phones and is very comfortable. I can hear very well and I use it on long calls. Very good price for the quality. +1 Sound quality was terrible, I could not hear on it nor could I be heard. Lots of crackling. Last 3 minute and thats because we kept retrying it and used various phones to make sure. It was put back in the packaging and sent back to Amazon. Waste of time. +5 Super clarity. +5 Using sporadically when taking conference calls from the house, but so far is working great with my Panasonic KX-TG7641 cordless handsets. Is comfortable to wear for an hour or more at a time. +3 Not very lasting. I am using it with my Panasonic DECT phone and just after a few months of usage, it start to be intermittent. the other side sometime can't hear what I am talking. +5 I liked it so much, I bought a second. Works great with my land line phone and cell phone. Lets me be hands free for talking which is great for customer calls that may involve me using the computer at same time or for those long winded calls with my kids. Quality fine and people say I sound good. +5 I work from home and am constantly on the phone. This head set fits my cordless home phone. The sound quality is clear and a good volume. The microphone picks up my voice clearly. The headset is comfortable to wear and adjusts to easily fit any head size. This head set works just as well as more expensive brands I have purchased in the past. I highly recommend this product. +5 If you want to talk on the phone and still be able to do other things like cook or bake then you NEED THIS HEADSET. I LOVE IT.L +2 NO VOLUME CONTROL! Wouldn't have purchased if had realized this. READ THE FINE PRINT! VERY LOUD! +5 loved it +5 Works like it should. Fits the 2.5mm phone jack on the Panasonic phone system. It would be nice if it also fit a 3.5mm phone jack so I could use it on my cell. +5 works great with my computer +5 Very comfortable and easily adjusted. +3 Ok. +5 Works as advertised. Makes for good hands-free calls. +4 The plastic breaks pretty often, or the headband gets loose. But, the sound quality is good. My only complaint when used with a Panasonic cordless phone is you have to be careful of the jack it is plugged into, as it can ruin the jack in the phone as the phone drops. So, add your own strain relief before this happens - even a rubber band around the phone and the cord is better than ruining the phone. +1 Whenever I use this headset on my telephone, people say that I sound very low. In order for someone to hear me I have to practically swallow the mouthpiece. I won't be buying another one. +3 thanks +4 works great +3 I thought that it was good for my husband who has hearing loss. However, he doesn't like to wear it. +5 Im Very happy with the product and my order; I would reorder from this seller again. +3 Great value for $9, relatively comfortable and seems like the other party can hear me clearly- but only if I'm not moving. Even if I'm walking around relatively slowly the other person says it is very hard to hear me. +4 the older version was sturdier, nonetheless I'd still recommend this one. +3 works +5 Works great. Much more comfortable than holding to phone to your ear for long conversations. +5 Great product and Service! +5 Transmits my voice very well, and I can hear the other end very well. The headset is comfortable, and I haven't had any problems using it. I've had this for well over a year, and it's put up with a lot of abuse, and I would buy one again if it broke. I use this to keep my hands free when I'm on a phone call with people so I can get housework done. +4 This works great most of the time. But when My husband & I are each on a phone & using our own headsets & talking to the same person we get a HORRIBLE echo. +4 worked good until the head part broke, other wise good product +5 one of the best items i've purchased on amazon, great item ,i recommend it *** +4 I have been buying these for my landline phones for years....they don't last terribly long, so I find myself replacing them, I'd guess every year or so - but they function well and are not expensive, so I'm very happy with them. +5 Remarkably Good and very inexpensive. +3 not very comfortable to wear. Only one side is cushioned for the ear +5 Great to have when the old ones break. +3 This works great while it works but is pretty much a disposable item. The microphones short out after a while. We are on our 3rd one now. +5 thank you awesome price +2 In this I got what i paid for - lasted 5 months and the now the connection is poor. They hit the trash can today .. will buy higher end next time. +5 Funtional +5 Very good sound quality. Much louder and clearer than my old headset, actually had to turn the volume down (I have some hearing loss due to years of shooting). Very pleased, at least on my end, and no complaints from my callers, so I assume the mic is okay as well. +5 I use this with a matching Panasonic cordless phone for webex conferences from home. I can hear clearly and the other people can hear me clearly. +4 I have a love/hate relationship with this headset. It has made my job as a telephonic interpreter easier and is extremely affordable when compared to other models but it doesn't come without it's small problems. The audio quality is also pretty good for the price. There is no cable handling noise and doesn't seem to have any noise cancelling technology but this hasn't been an issue for me. On to the problems - most of them are related to comfort. If you plan on using this headset for long hours, you may want to consider another model. The part of the headband without a speaker is extremely uncomfortable. It presses tightly on the side of your head and there is no way to really adjust the fit. You can make the headband expand upward but it doesn't help the pressure. If you don't have much hair, it digs into your temple and is a hard plastic with very thin foam lining. I am more paranoid about these things because I suffer from migraines and try to always wear the headset on my "good side". Another issue I've had is that the boom mic doesn't bend well and often ends up touching my lips while I am speaking. I have to adjust this headset 2-3 times if a call lasts longer than an hour. This is a great starter headset and something people can use when they're on the phone briefly but don't intend to keep the headset on for a full work day. In the future, I'll have to invest in something more pricey with better support, but for now it does the job even with it's slight annoyances. +4 Still looking for a good wireless headset setup for my new phones, but this has merit if you are able to carry the phone too. +5 Amazing product, fast shipping, great customer service! Love it! +2 The cord of the KX-TCA60 is prone to static. By this I mean you will head static when the cord is moved. The static goes away when I stay still. I'm not sure if it's the one I have, but after a while it became unbearable that I end up disconnecting the headset and just use 'Speaker' mode on my cordless phone instead. My old Platonic did not have this issue. I guess you get what you pay for. BTW, the KX-TCA60 does not have a volume control or mute ... just a simple headphone with mic. +5 I've been using this with my Panasonic cordless phone for a couple of years now. I don't use the phone that often, but so far it has met my expectations. +5 A plus for my new phone system. +5 I have been using this for my work at home for quite a while. I love that the call is clear, the mic is adjustable, and the length of cord from the phone to the headset is long. +3 Good product !! +5 Work great for a small fee so let your ears ring with the sounds of AUDIO! +1 cheesy +1 I purchased this on 29 July 2015. It died at the New Year. I contacted Panasonic through the chat system and was given a return address and told it had a one-year warranty. The unit was cheap to start but the postage was justified if I would get a warranty replacement. But instead Panasonic paid the cost to send back the broken unit, with a stuffy letter saying it was out of warranty, and I would have to pay $23.93 to repair and receive a replacement. Seriously? It is a $14.95 list product and Amazon sells it for $10. Today the chat operator says oh it was only 90 days. Well by golly. Can't Panasonic hire people who can do the job? I gave the complete model number to the first chat operator, and only asked because I didn't see the warranty period online and I wanted to be certain. In any case. This is fragile unit, and the microphone generated noise (when it still worked). I recommend other brands. +2 This was OK upon arrival, I had a hard time hearing with it (which was expected because I paid so little for it.) My problem is that it literally just stopped working 2 weeks after purchasing it. There were no beds or tears in the cord that I could find..I had actually assumed that something had happened to my phone to cause it to just randomly stopped working but it was definitely the headset. +5 Perfect for my cordless phone at cheap price.. +1 I don't recall when I purchased this. Too, I don't recall ever using it. What I do know is that it's long-gone into the trash. Must not have been any good. +1 Mine worked for 4 months. Keep looking, pass on this one. +4 So far so good! I think a lot of people need to learn to manage expectations when it comes to cheap headsets like this. If you are expecting to get 10 years out of these, then you will probably be very disappointed. My biggest issue is the feedback I get every once in awhile when using them. I have had other headsets that did not have as much feedback but again, for what I paid, I am not complaining. +5 I have neck problems which are made worse by tucking the telephone between my shoulder and my ear. I tried a bluetooth headset but found it to be more trouble than solution. I decided to give a wired headset a try and was surprised at how well this has worked for me. I simply connect this to my "walk around" landline handset which I put in my pocket. Volume and clarity are great and best of all my hands are free and my neck is not bent while I am using the phone. These are reasonably priced and I have three of them permanently attached to phones around my house. +3 did not fit +5 Perfect item delivered quickly for a great price. +1 trash +1 I purchased this headset to use with my brand new phone system. I have nerve damage from a spinal injury and I can't hold a telephone for long periods of time. From the first time I tried using this headset, it was horrible. I could not hear the callers. I tried turning up the volume as far as it would go on the headset and on my telephone. I could barely hear the callers. They sounded like they were in the far off distance. I don't know how many times I had to ask people to speak up because I could not understand or hear them. I tried a different handset and a different telephone system. (I was changing them out in my home.) The headset did not work on either phone system. Another thing I didn't think about until after I received the unit was it does not have a clip to attach the cord to your shirt. After a week, I gave up on the headset and sent it back. If you plan on using a headset a lot, spend the money and buy something better. I purchased the blue parrott wireless headset, Roadwarrior B250-XT. It was very easy to connect to my base telephone and it worked GREAT right out of the box. +5 Inexpensive and functional +2 I could hear but other person can barely hear me. +4 A little cumbersome but work great. My wife likes on the left side and I like it on the right so every time we answer the phone we have a 1-2 ring delay in answering while we adjust the headset but all in all we like them. Don't want those little EMF's hitting the one of the two brain cells I have left. The other one would die of loneliness. :-) +5 I am absolutely thrilled with this headset. The sound is very clear on both incoming and out going voice. Our house phone is also Panasonic/portable phone. I have purchased other headsets so I can go about my day at home and still chat with friends or wait for businesses to answer. (You know that message; "Your call is important to us............") The headset is great for that! But truly, the quality of this headset is wonderful. The boom is sturdy and movable. the arc that goes over the head is well built. the earpiece is well cushioned, and the adapter that fits into the phone's jack is snug and therefore makes for excellent connection and sound! Thinking of buying a second one for when this one dies!! Seriously, buy this one. I've tried many, this is the best! (However, as for Amazon, my order was to be here in 2 days, and came a day late....................enough said) +4 Had it for a month, works great. If it holds up for a year and will change to 5 stars. Most headsets do not last much longer than a year. +5 Great prod +3 Didn't hold up well +5 Matches Panasonic phones better than sets intended for Mobile use. +2 Picks up too much background noise to use in the car. Maybe it will work better in a quiet office. +5 Headset has great sound quality and seems well built. People on the other end could hear me just fine. I would recommend this headset to anyone who might need to be hands-free during calls +1 Panasonic wants to believe they are on the cutting edge of technology. Well I hate to inform them they are not add the Panasonic KX-TCA60 Hands-Free Headset this to the list of one more thing that does not work by Panasonic. I know they are just a hands free headset but they gave out in under 6 months of daily usage. +5 Great product. I work from home and use this headset. I would order it again. It has great sound quality and everyone is able to hear me just fine. +5 I love these headphones. I need them for work on my computer, and they work perfectly. People can hear me well with no trouble, and no sound quality issues. It fits comfortably enough for me to be able to wear them for hours without my ear or head hurting, as happens with some other brands or headphone types. The cord is amazing, at least 6-8 feet, which is perfect for times when I need to stand up and walk around the room, or stretch, or grab something on the other side of the room. Highly recommended. +4 Works well. +5 love this my aunt who cannot hold the phone is enjoying and sound quality is good. +4 Works great. as long as your phone has the hole for it( not all do I found out). +2 You get what you pay for. Cheap price inferior product. Fast delivery. +5 I sold a 512MB card that was rated at 25x and purchased this card as a replacement. I notice *NO* difference in speed when I use this card with my Nikon D100! It is rated at 13x/16x read/write however I find that it works well within my needs. I recommend this card and plan to purchase more of the same. I tend to be loyal to a brand that I have come to trust, and this is one of those brands! +5 A bargain at twice the price! +5 Got this for work. Works great with the rca portable handset i use. I make between 50 and 100 calls a day and this has worked well. Only complaint is the headband slides around too much when putting on or taking off. Very comfortable once you get it adjusted and good sound +2 I loved my kx-tca88, it had great sound and was comfortable. This headset is uncomfortable and even with the volume turned up all the way it's too soft. I'm forced to turn the tv volume down until almost off. Do not buy this headset! +4 Thanks +3 Does not work with iPhone +2 hands free yes.....handset free no!! +1 I got this Viking 1GB CF card for cheap at my local Staples a month ago because they had a huge rebate offer, making this dirt cheap. I got it as a backup card for my Nikon D70 digital camera. I've been very unhappy with it, after using it on my trip to Vegas last week. First, it's SLOW. Like other digital SLR cameras, the Nikon D70 can take 2 or 3 pictures per second, but when the memory card is slow, the camera slows down to 1 picture per second. With my workhorse Lexar 1GB 40x CF card, I can do 3 pictures/sec easily, but with the Viking, I could barely do 1 pic/sec, which frustrated me a lot when I tried to shoot the dancing fountain in front of Bellagio. Second, this card seems to be unreliable. I've taken over 2000 shots on my Lexar and haven't had any problems, but with the Viking, 4 of the 80 shots also I took with it became corrupted. Ok, this was a one-time thing, but I had had problems with Viking cards before ("you get what you pay for", alas), and apparently their quality assurance has not improved. Third, this card is very power hungry, to the point of being ridiculous. With my Lexar in my Nikon D70, I can take hundreds of pictures per charge. When I was in Vegas, I had a freshly recharged battery in my camera when I put in this card, and the battery went out after only 50 pictures! I just couldn't believe it. I don't think any other factor contributed to this, as it was almost 60 degrees in Vegas at the time (~7 pm) and the weather was great. I popped in my spare battery (also fully charged), and after 20 shots or so the battery lost one of three bars. I was very unhappy with this. Of course, the reliability problem mentioned above was even worse. Viking is the value brand of some company which I can't remember which one. Trust me on this: get a reliable memory card, because you don't want to risk losing data, esp. important data. +5 I've been using Viking cards for a long time know. My first CF card was Kingston 16MB costing me about $60 in 2000. I then got a 32MB San Disk card for like $40 in 2002. I then ditched SanDisk and Kingston and went to Viking in late 2002 and have been using them ever since. Well just last week bought this CF card for $88! Its amazing how cheap and how much disk space you get with these cards. Viking has worked for me and is plenty fast for my needs. Sure since I do not work with video I may not notice the speed problems, but for what I do this card is great! I am going to transfer a ton of songs and photos over to my Jornada, know since I have the disk space! My PC laptop is running out of space, so this card could help free up some space a little. Thanks Viking! +3 I was baptized by fire on my learning curve of flash memory speed. My digital camera can take movies at 640x480 at 30 frames per second (about 1.2MB/sec), but forget about doing something like that with this product. To my memory, I could still take them at 15fps or 320x240 at at least 15fps and possibly 30fps too, which is fast enough for most people taking snapshots and uploading via a USB 1 connection, which is inherently limited at 1MB/sec anyway. Amazon was great about the return, and I returned the kindness with a purchase of a Sandisk Ultra II ("40x") card, which even at 40x and a write-acceleration-enabled camera, isn't quite fast enough for me, but still loads faster than this one. I think Sandisk rates this card at 4x or 6x or something. I could take about 15sec of vga/30 movie before my camera buffer overflowed. I can take about about 60sec with the 40x Ultra II, continuous. Apparently the real-world write speed of my Ultra II in my camera (varies from cam to cam) is just below my camera's write speed requirements. I personally am waiting for the retail release of the Seagate ST1 CF hard drive, a competitor to Hitachi's Microdrive. The ST1 will be in 2.5GB and 5GB format; an OEM 5-gigger is currently being used in the Rio Carbon MP3 player, and the 2.5GB is apparently used in Seagate's USB 2.0 portable storage solution, both available at Amazon. The Seagates seem to be a lot less fragile than the Hitachi's. Barring that, I'd consider the Lexar 80x card or anything by Lexar, for that matter, over Sandisk. If you don't have a write-acceleration-capable camera, this may be the deal you were looking for, but I was surprised to see the number of reliability complaints here. This card probably ideal for portable media players. I doubt I'd trust it for a Pocket PC, though. Enthusiasts should look for another card, but cheapies might want to splurge. After reading my Sandisk warranty, by the way, I was not impressed. I don't remember why, I'm sorry, but there was a very real reason which could be found with research in forums. I don't think I would buy Sandisk now at all; Lexar seems to have better reliability, truer specs, and I think a better warranty policy. +4 The fact of the matter is, at the time of writing this review, there is no better value (GB/$) than this 1 GB disk. It is not as fast as many that you can purchase, but even for me taking wedding photos, my on-camera cache is enough to compensate for that speed. For the average or even semi-professional photographer (unless your goal is to be taking many rapid-fire shots) even this slow speed should be more than enough. Vikikng quality and their 5 year manufacturer's warranty make this card that much better of a value over the no-name cheap competition. However, in my 4-year experience with Viking, Sandisk, and no-name compact flash, Viking has actually had poorer performance than the no-namers. However, Viking has been true to their word to replace damaged or malfunctioning Compact Flash cards with a simple visit to their website to fill out a claim. The card is not perfect. It may fail and you will be stuck with 1 Gig of corrupted imgaes. That could happen with any card that you purchase. The card is slower than some, but most of the cameras being sold today have at least a 4 picture cache which means you will rarely even notice the effects under normal shooting conditions. The card is not the cure-all for the digital storage world, but at the time of writing this review it was only about fifty-nine bucks making it the best value out there that I have seen, all this with no-cost shipping and no sales tax. So take the plusses and the minusses into account and make your choice...unless you have very special needs that would necessitate a faster card, this will probably be what you should choose. -Jacob Hantla +5 If you need a faster card you will probably need to pay a premium. If you don't need the speed, then Viking may be your best buy. I have been using Viking for over 2 years without complaint. I have 3-1GB and 2-512 MB Viking CF cards. I'll buy another 1 to 3 GBs of Viking cards as the price drops. I need more storage space. I use a Canon A80 (only JPEGs), Canon D60 & Canon MkII. Never found CF card speed to be a problem for the A80 shooting JPEG. There are times that I need to wait 15 to 30 sec for the D60 memory to unload some of the 4 or 5 pictures just taken shooting RAW. Not many times though. On the other hand the 1DMk2 has a large in camera memory buffer to hold pictures as it writes to the CF card. The Viking card has never been a limitation for the MKII. Check your real needs. If you must have faster, then the Sandisk 1GB Ultra may be for you. I'll stick with Viking performance and save on cost. +3 I really hate writing a reveiw that isn't 4 or 5 stars, but feel I really have to w/ this product. It's only "average", at best. To start with, it's writing ability is not all that fast. I've had memory sticks write faster and the other CF cards that I own, write faster than this particluar model. It's still fast enough, don't get me wrong. But if you want to capture a large series of photos (say a football game, a race, etc), this card is not the one for you. It will do fine for other things.. music, etc.. but not fast photography. The next thing is has me wondering if it's a fluke or if it will repeat itself (am still testing). I went out Sunday, shooting and used this card exclusively. There's about 15 pictures that 'vanished'. They did not write to the card, for some reason. The camera was on, and everything and I know I took the pictures.. but when I returned home to process them, they weren't there. I have NEVER had this happen to me before w/ any camera or media that I've used. As I said, I'm still testing to see if it was a fluke or something repeatable... but I have to ask, are your pictures worth that chance? Maybe it's just a bad card.. but I've purchased tons of different media cards, and this would be the first that was bad. I guess I still have to test out Vikings ability to process problems. Just keep these things in mind when purchasing this one.. Maybe a slightly different card would be a better answer to your needs. +1 I originally bought this Viking 1GB CF card because its attractive low price and Viking brand name. But after having owned this card for a week and taking about 100 pics and about 20min of video w/it, I have to return it because it's defective. I am using it with a Canon S50. The first 70 shots were fine, but then after that when I went to review the pics in the camera, it gave me a "Data corrupt" error message. I went home and put the card in 2 different USB CF card readers and about 1/2 of the pictures are gone FOREVER! Thankfully, the videos were okay. Regrettably, I have to return the card because I don't want to take any chances w/future pics. I liked the low price but I think I've seen Sandisk and Kingston brand and a few other brands for around the same price. I wouldn't recommend this brand to anyone unless you are willing to go through the hassle of returning it and want to take chances with losing your valuable memories because of data corruption in the card. I'm really disappointed, I used to think Viking was a good name brand. +2 This headset does not work with an Iphone. I read the description wrong. I thought it would work with a cell phone. +2 Almost all the pieces broke off after less than a year. The padded ear cushion, the headband. It's overall very cheaply constructed. +3 Drat it is awkward. Plus, erroneously, I assumed it was Bluetooth. +3 I bought this to use for working at home. Fits really comfortably on my head and ear. I can barely tell its on most days. I'd say it works well with the exception of some occasional static and echoing. It's really only once and a while this happens though. You do have to make sure that the port on your phone will fit this jack though. +4 So far, this little headset works exactly as advertised. The only criticism I have is that it uses a standard small plug to attach to the phone rather than the USB plug that other units use. I suppose that's a phone issue and not a headphone issue though - if this unit fits your phone, it will work just fine. Especially for the price. +5 great product +5 Comfy and great sound. +5 AAA +1 I got Error 99 on my 10D with this card. Returning it. +1 This is my second comment on this card. I have recently found out that there are compatibility issues with some higher memory cards and certain cameras and manufacturers. Apparently the firmware version I have on my Olympus C-5050 is v77 and works poorly with higher capacity cards. Companies are still giving little info on this, but Viking's website says the CF1GB works on my camera... +5 Great card, huge capacity, fast. I bought this card during a $50 rebate offer. But a word of caution: the part shipped is OEM part, not retail, and hence there is no UPC. This unfortunately invalidates the rebate requirements, according to the downloadable rebate instructions (above). Perhaps Viking will still honor the rebate without the UPC... +5 Very clear sound works great thanks!!!! +1 To your listener, you sound very distant and faint, and your voice cuts in and out. No good. Had to return. +5 I've used these for years - maybe 4 headsets over 6+ years. Honestly, I abuse them. I use them for work, jumping onto and off conference calls: about 15-20 hours a week - . I'm frequently scrambling for them or tossing them onto the desk. Audio quality is good inbound and out (so I'm told). I've used them to lead a webinar from my home office and everyone said I sounded very clear. They last me about 12-18 months before they start giving out. Considering the price, these are a great deal. +5 This is a very good headset. I always get really tired of holding the phone up to my ear during long conversations, and I'm a bit hard of hearing, so speaker phone doesn't work well for me. I was a bit doubtful about such an inexpensive headset, since so many electronics cost an arm and a leg, but I figured I could always rely on Amazon's return policy if it turned out to be a piece of junk. Boy was my skepticism misplaced! I wish I'd gotten this years ago. I got it to use with my Panasonic KX-TG6511B, and it works beautifully. Pros: Clear sound No interference Friends say they can understand me easily Use it on either the right or left side Lightweight and very comfortable. No complex instructions- just plug it into your phone (make sure it has a headset plug before you buy!) Great price Cons: Adjustable volume would be nice, but you can't really expect that for $8. The size is adjustable, but it doesn't necessarily stay as large or small as you put it- I always check before I put it on. I'm considering a touch of Gorilla glue. Altogether I'm delighted with this headset. +4 I haven't used this yet. The speaker feature on my new phone has made it unnecessary so far. +5 i love it great product +5 Fantastic hands free with the telephone. +4 Great service, great device. +4 It does the job. A bit flimsy feeling but has held up through a few big drops, sitting on and forgetting it's on my head and walking offs (pulling the cord rather hard and flinging it off my head). For the price call me HAPPY... I'll pick up with this on... +5 For an inexpensive headset I have not found one better. I'm on my third, which means they do eventually wear out, but I use mine everyday so if each one lasts two years that's a decent investment. I like the audio quality and the length of the cord. +3 No volume control so sometimes have to take it off phone so I can hear, which totally defeats purpose of having it. +5 This items is so outstanding that I don't know where to start the quality the everything about it is just so amazing +5 A great value. This is my second set. The first one lasted 5 years and who knows how many hours of conference calls working from home. +5 Works great with my Panasonic KX-TGA680 cordless phone, it is comfortable, lightweight & reversible for use with either ear it also has a 4 foot cord with a clip. It is a nice basic headset and does the job. +5 Bought this to test with a Cisco VOIP phone. Figured it would be junk and I would be buying a much more expensive headphone later in the week. Very surprised. Great quality in both craftmanship and sound. I am very happy and have bought several more. They are not $150 headsets, but they sound like they are! +5 These things are the ONLY way to call any Help-Line or Customer-Service. Just go about your business while that "two-minute" hold turns into two hours. Also best to use a cordless handset that you can slip in your pocket or clip on. Or just use it with your CELL. +5 Work great. +5 November 13th, 2015 ================== I've been using it so far for about a week and the initial impressions are good. I've had a couple of Uniden headsets before (that came with the phone systems) and each lasted years. Right before this one, I had a Cellet headset (about the only alternative for a 3.5mm headset on Amazon) and it lasted just a few short months, so I thought I'd try the Panasonic. Judging by other reviews, it might not last very long, either, but it has a thicker cord, just like the Unidens, and it seems like it might be sturdier than the Cellet, which also had a very long, flexible cord. One notable feature is that the sound is very loud through this headset: I have my phone set at the lowest volume and it is still too loud. If you are hard of hearing, you might appreciate that. I will update the review as time goes by, especially if it doesn't last. +5 great for long talks on my cordless phone +1 Bought two of these and the earpiece seems to pop off. Waste of money. DO NOT BUY THIS JUNK. The first one broke and I ordered a new one 9/14/15 and I cannot hear out of the earpiece. Called Panasonic and there is a 90 day warranty but you have to pay for shipping. Done with Panasonic. +4 It works. It does what it says. People say they can't hear me unless the microphone is dead on in front of my face, There's plenty of static in the line too. But I only paid $8 for it so I can't knock it. +4 This gets the job done at a great price. I do get a little bit of an echo sometimes and that is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. People say they can hear me better with the headset than without. I personally prefer over the ear headsets, so the ear piece bothers me. It can get loud and I often push it back away from my ear to relieve the pain when I am on extended calls. It just fits too snugly for my liking, but that's the design so it probably is fine for anyone used to that design for headsets. I use the over the ear variety for listening to music and such. +4 I've purchased these before. However, now they have removed volume adjustment feature for same price. Hummm. +5 GREAT +2 Headset works great with my cordless Panasonic phone system. Tried regular cell phone headsets first, but they did not work nearly as well. This one has great sound and people can hear me fine. Negative point is that the plastic headband is tight for me, after wearing for an hour I'm happy to take it off my (big?) head! UPDATE 1 WEEK LATER Dropping my rating to 2 stars. Headset has developed a very strange issue. I am no longer able to interrupt people - which, some may say, is not a bad thing. Whenever the other party is talking I can not interrupt them; they simply do not head me until THEY stop talking. It's like talking on a handheld radio now. As long as the other side is talking, there's nothing I can do to make them stop and hear ME. I believe the technical term is simplex, as opposed to (full) duplex. I'll return this unit and request another one... +4 Plenty of adjustably to fit my head and the boom length is 5 3/4 '' the wiring to phone is parallel and thicker than most , so is the jack should last for a good long time. +5 Works with my devices, good price arrived on time and was in was to open packing. +5 I'm sure that there are better headsets out there, but this one certainly works well for the price. I purchased this for use with the Panasonic KX-TGE232B Cordless Phone, which has a headphone jack in each handset. These 2 items work well together in order to serve the same purpose as a cordless hands-free Headset. I have only used this once, but I could hear well, and the person on the other end of the line seemed to be able to hear me speaking quite clearly as well. +1 The microphone audio is so low that I have to throw the headset out +5 This is actually a really good headset with a quality sound and construction for the price. I have a lot of reviews about the poor build quality and how fragile they are. They are all plastic. No, they will not survive long ripping them off your head with one hand or repeatedly yanking them off by catching on the cord or twisting them but if you treat them reasonably normal and use both hands lifting them off they should hold up fine. Being plastic they do flex a lot more than metal would and you are not going to be able to expand the band over your head as roughly as a metal band would tolerate but with reasonable precaution mine appear as they will last quite a while. The sound quality both in the earpiece and the mic are very good. So much so I have only a few people it is a headset and the rest have never said they notice any difference in quality from using the phone direct. I find the cord actually a bit more rugged than many of this price. I do not feel it so brittle a firm pull or twist will cause an instant break. I paid under 10 dollars and it is an under 10 dollar headset BUT a very good one if you use proper common sense precautions as it is not built for rough usage. +4 good +5 Purchased these for the Application Support Group. They use them daily and are happy with the performance. +5 Works great, fast shipping, no complaints! +4 Good clear sound at both ends and a nice low price. We use it with a Panasonic cordless. Simple, although not incredibly sturdy - appropriate for the price. If you don't need the volume control or mute button (less to break), this is the way to go. +5 nice +1 Used it in my Panasonic KX-TGFA30 cordless phone. Very staticy mic, people said that they heard their own echo and could barely understand me from all the static. Very disappointed. +3 BEWARE!!! This item does NOT have the standard headphone jack, it has the smaller one! +5 So far so good. It works perfectly with my cordless Panasonic phone. I can hear callers clearly and they can hear me loud and clear. The first one works so well I got a second one for another extension phone in another room. Update: 04-28-16: I got this first set back around Thanksgiving of 2015. I'm disappointed to report it stopped working 2 days ago. I could hear callers but they complained about hearing me as a tiny little voice in the distance. I took the unit apart hoping to find a broken wire, but found nothing that might cause the problem. The second set hasn't had as much use as this first one, so now we will see how long they last. +5 worked as expected. Use on my cordless handset. +5 works great with the Panasonic phones I bought. Excellent price as well +5 works perfect! No problems great sound great performance! +5 I really love it +4 This is a solid headset. Works great with cordless phones. +5 Clear sound, rugged and effective. +5 great product excellent service +4 eh... a bit uncomfortable, but it may be because I am used to a bluetooth +2 I'm now on my third set of these and won't be buying any more. They work OK, but all three have broken where the speaker attaches to the headband. I'm tired of trying. +3 good +3 worked only 2 months. Now people cant hear me, microphone chatters all the time +3 Does not fit the cell phone even though some reviews said it did. Does fit the cordless though, so that is good. +5 I think this has better sound quality than the old Plantronics which it replaced (grandchild got to the old one...) +1 I wanted a wired headset to go along with our purchase of Panasonic cordless phones. I chose this option because it is from Panasonic and I did not want to spend much time worrying about compatibility. Overall, I am reasonably happy with this. The quality is not great and it feels really cheaply made. That said, it works fine and we have had no issues with it. Update: I had these for 3 months and they stopped working. This happened right after the 90-day warranty expired. :-( Panasonic was not helpful either. I would never buy these again. +4 I'll be honest, I got these to replace my more expensive Xbox 360 headsets. These do a decent job: they're fairly comfortable for long periods of time and are lightweight. My biggest issues are that the audio is very tinny and there is no in-line volume control. The mics, however, are great and clear, so, for the price, they're not bad. +5 Perfect !! Excellent service !! +4 I've bought four of these. They tend to break at the headband - a weak point maybe. Each one lasted about 4 to 6 months. Sound quality is excellent. +5 This thing is actually really nice, and for $9.00 I bought two! Highly recommended. This headset is comfy and affordable. I recommend you buy one...or TWO! lol +5 This is so much louder than the last headset I was using. I seem to remember another reviewer commenting on this when used with a Panasonic phone. I don't know if the phone brand matters, but I can definitively say that with my Panasonic phone, I now have the volume on 2 bars, where it was maxed out on all 4 with another headset. The foam over the mic also seems to cut down on inadvertent breathing sounds. The earpiece is also a little larger than my last set, and seems to seal out noise better. +5 Clear but I wish there was some padding on the side without the ear part. I find it uncomfortable....but it works really well. +4 good +2 Thought I could use this for voice recognition blogging but the 2.5 connector doesn't fit into smart phones or most audio jacks outside of home phones. I was severely disappointing but waited too long to return it. However it is a well built product and comfy just the jack makes it hard to find an adapter locally. +5 Works well with my cordless phone system. Comfortable to wear. +5 Before I bought this I read the reviews about the headset breaking and that it was flimsy. I didn't want to spend $40+ on a replacement headset so I bought this despite the negative reviews. I can honestly say that the headset is cheaply made at the adjustment point for the headband, however it does not feel as flimsy as others have made it out to sound. If you twist, pull, or bend the headset at this point it will break, however if you are careful it should last many years. I bought mine over a month ago and I have used it every day since without any issues. When I am using the headset is stays on my head and when I am done it gets hung up over the phone so there is not a huge risk of it being abused. If you treat the headset well it should last for many years. I use this on the 2.1mm headset jack on an AT&T business phone. The sound quality is very good and is actually much louder then the $100 AT&T headset that it replaced. +3 Just OK. It works fine with my Panasonic cordless phone with a 2.5 jack, but is not nearly as nice as the Plantronics (that I had before my cat ate the cord)... but it is half the price. Turns out the adjustable volume that this doesn't have (but the Plantronics has) is a big deal. Even on the lowest volume setting on my phone, this can be too loud at times. Pros: Cheap. It works. Cons: Flimsy, the adjustable headband feels like it won't last long. Mic boom isn't very adjustable. No inline volume control. Get the Plantronics M214 instead. Yeah it's twice the price, but it's still under $20. I wish I had. +4 Works fine but with a size large head (hat size) the microphone is either in your mouth or pressed against your lower lip. On lower lip no one at the other end of the line has complained about understanding me which is why it get 4 stars instead of 2. +5 Work great with Panasonic KX-TGE232B +5 works great - good sound quality, good mic. +1 stopped working after a couple of months +1 No thank you +1 Lasted for six months of occasional use and careful storage. Not impressed. My panasonic cordless phones are also junk...have to wonder if there's a connection there. +3 This set is made of good materials but cannot be used for cell phones. Ended up getting a refund because it didn't work for me. +2 Find that people cant hear me on the other line when using. I use them as back up in case my other headphones break. When using these I find I have to yell to be heard. +5 Works great with my phone. Outstanding value! If you need a headset, this is the one. +5 Good quality, great price. +4 Worked well. +3 The sound quality is good, but it doesn't fit my head as well as other headsets, and I can't adjust it to fit properly. +5 it works and feels good. Its a direct plug and play for my panasonic headsets. +4 Inexpensive for light use it's great +5 I bought this to use on our Food Safety hotline. It fits the small phone jack, works with the headset button and is easily heard in a noisy environment. This leaves my hands free to search our reference material and answer hotline questions. I also don't like picking up a headset that someone else has been coughing on for four hours and put it next to my mouth and nose, so having my own headset at a reasonable price was important. +1 it did not fit neither on my phones infact the plug won't fit any phone I have pitched them in the drawer +5 Good product. +4 This is a good headset. Sound quality is good, as well as, comfort. +5 I love it. Thank you. +5 Product as promised. Works nicely. Would buy again. +5 At first I thought the padded earpiece was uncomfortable, but after using it, it was fine. Sound is good and frees up a hand. +5 When my grandkids call I can expect to be on the phone for a couple hours so I really love this headset! I can plug this in, clip my phone on my waist, and go about my business without having to hold the phone to my head all that time! The cord is quite long so if you're sitting in one place you can put the phone down and not fear pulling it off onto the floor. But there is also a little clip on the cord so you can clip it up out of the way if you're moving about. The sound is excellent, very clear, and my grandkids can hear me just fine too! I also like that you can swing the mic around to use this on either ear. These little headsets get a lot of use (and sometimes abuse) at our house so when I need a replacement I'm very happy to be able to find them here for such a great price! +2 This one is very ill fitting. It broke when it fell on the floor from my desk. very inferior quality. +1 Works only with certain brands of Panasonic phones. +3 This didn't last as long as I hade hoped for. The wires shorted out after about 6 months. +4 Ease of adjustment, comfort when wearing and ease of taking off all add up to a good product. +4 Quite good but has no volume control or "mute" button. I have those features built in to the phone handset so I'm OK with that. Great value for price. +3 1. Headset slips off head too easily. 2. Headset has only one sided hearing. 3. If you have some hearing loss, there is no way to increase volume. 4. Uncomfortable. The microphone works fine. The person I call with this can hear me. I just cannot hear her very well. I know I have hearing loss but I can still hear well using just headphones without mikes so it is just this headset that does not meet my needs. +4 Well made for the price of around $8.00; but a little too tight around the head and hard to adjust to loosen it up a bit. +4 Nice cheap headset. Lets you flip the mic back and forth for right or left "eared" use. It feels flimsy but in an adult household it should last a while. Works nice for doing chores while on the phone. Also great if you are a bit hard of hearing. +4 Good +5 I love love love it! I used it at work and I can walk around and continue to work when I was still talking. The sound is very clear and I have one for my home office phone too! My business phone is Vtech and home Panasonic. +5 Exactly as advertised. +5 Use it everyday at home. Great sound quality and clarity. Love that I can use it while folding laundry or doing dishes. +5 This works great with my Ooma handset. Sound is perfect, and feedback that people have given me state that they can hear me clearly. +2 Simple, cheap, great while it works. However... one day it just stopped working. So... not super impressed. Less than 1 year of regular use. +2 When I use this headset the other party invariably says, "I can't hear you." I unplug the headset and use the phone at my ear and everyone hears me fine. I'm online now looking for a different headset. This one is of no value to me. +3 Not working correctly after 6 months. Cord seems to have a short or something in it. +3 I bought this and didn't really see what it was for but my grandson loves it he has one like grandpa +5 great +5 The convenience is good and the mic is great. +5 Great quality headset for a very low price. Wish that it could plug into the base unit of the phone instead of the expansion handset, but it does the job. Highly recommend this to someone who needs to be hands free and able to move around. +5 This has made all the difference to my freedom when on the phone. I can write things down, look things up, and even wash the dishes while speaking on the phone. The padded earpiece is comfortable and can be used it on either ear just by rotating the microphone. Because the microphone stays in one place while I am speaking, the reception on the other end is consistent. I should have gotten one of these long ago! +5 Nice. It let's me be hands-free when I am busy. +2 I ended up tossing it out because of the earphone quality. +3 Just OK. +3 We live in an area where our cell phone reception is dicey so we have to have a landline. I've been through three of these headsets now over the past 8 or 9 years and with the most recent one going belly-up I have decided to try a different brand. It's $9. The quality is marginal. All too frequently I have people tell me my voice is softer/fainter with this hooked up or they have trouble hearing me. Yes there is a volume toggle but still.. So honestly, if you use the phone a lot and want to save your neck muscles, do yourself a favor and get a decent headset. +3 Great headset, but only if you have a 2.5 mm mono jack. I tried several adapters for use on my Samsung Galaxy but was only able to listen to audio. The microphone does not work with an any adapter I tried. +5 I worked in a call center for almost 6 years. We had Plantronics headsets at around $130 each. This is not that quality, but almost. I have been using it for months now and it is still perfect. I love that it is noise isolating (only one ear, but still helps me quite a bit) and I can hang my Panasonic DECT 6.0 landline handset from my shirt front (usually) or belt and be hands free to take notes or use the computer while talking on the phone. So biggest bonuses for me: hearing, using both hands while talking, and NOT COMPROMISING my neck muscles by holding the phone in the crook of neck an shoulder!! +5 Great product +5 Invaluable when I assist folks with remote computer work/training. Nearly every time I'm on the phone, I need both hands to write, search my files, be on my computer, or just save my arm from tiring holding the phone. My Panasonic Headset is the greatest...I have 2 of them! My kitties love the microphone cover.... +5 I purchased a DVD burner to replace a conked-out CD player, my computer is about five years old and the only SATA power cable was going to the hard drive. None of the local stores had a converter, so I turned to Amazon to save the day. +5 This is just what you need to hook up that SATA drive to your motherboard(that square looking thing in the tower you bought). To do so make sure you full shutdown the computer and unplug it. Then plug this SATA power cable into the only slots it will go to(trust me nothing else in your computer is going to hook into this thing then what is supposed to). Then plug in the SATA data(signal) cable into the only slots it will go to(same thing here , it won't hook up anywhere or way then what it is supposed to). After you have done this , close the case and power up your computer. Enjoy your new drive that you so obviously needed this for. Data cables and Power cables break so rarely that it is unheard of. This one here is a testimonial to the quality you should expect from said cables. Things to look for in your tower if you plan to hook up a SATA drive: #1 There should be a 1" long by 1" high prong on your motherboard that looks so slightly like an L shape that you well barely notice it has such a shape. This is the SATA data cables connection point to your motherboard. #2 There should also be a (OOOO) shaped connector on the end of a cable attached to your power source(the big block of metal at the back of the computer that the power cord attaches too). If you can find these 2 things(or someone you know that is good at such things can) then you can connect an SATA drive to your computer. +5 The product works as promised, I've had it for about a month and no problems to report. Gives one Serial ATA power connector for one standard power connector. +5 good +4 The headset still works perfectly but the foam cover to the earpiece was not particularly durable and has now basically disintegrated. +5 A must purchase for work from home enviromnents. +5 Thank you +2 It had great audio quality when it worked and was also comfortable to wear. Unfortunately, after 102 days, the audio would cut in and out, even tried on other phones. Was inexpensive enough that it's not worth me paying shipping back to Panasonic for it to be repaired. Would be nice to not have to pay return shipping for a defective product under warranty. +5 I love this headset. Sound is perfect. I've had others and threw them out. Good price as well. +5 Fine. +2 Has a cheap feel. The jack connection was for a regular phone jack, not a cell phone jack so I had to buy an adapter. I stopped using after a couple days. It sits in my junk drawer. I don't have use for it. +3 I bought this for my nearly deaf mother and it helps her to hear her phone conversations better. The mic needs to be close to the mouth for better pick up. It is an average headset. +5 Have had this for more than 8 years I think and it is still working. I use it to do internet radio broadcasts and the sound is remarkably good. +5 These are great. This is my 2nd pair (this replacing an inferior, though more expensive headset). I find these hard to beat, even though they are very inexpensive. I've had one for several years and I cannot believe I put up with the other brand for so long before replacing it with this one. I use a headset for convenience on most phone calls, and these really do the job well. +5 worked like a dream +2 Something always wears out and gets broken.... whether it be the head band or the mouth piece from the constant moving up and down. +5 Cable is well made and simply packaged in a ziplock type bag. Works as designed and was exactly what I needed. Used to connect my PC serial port to a Sun server for running diagnostics. +1 So this was not compatible with a phone directly. I will need to buy another piece of equipment to make this headset usable. This was not advertised as that. +1 We had three of these units break in the 1st 30 days. I'd not reccomend this at all. It would just stop working. +3 Ok didn't work long. But was ok +5 Love this headset. It's comfortable, sounds great. It's perfect. And I'm picky. +4 It did not fit my cell phone however I don't regard that is a fault of the device. I should have read the specifications more carefully. +2 This was supposed to fit my Panasonic 6.0 PLUS phone, but does not. Doesn't fit any plugs on my Samsung or LG phones either, not to mention my iPad. +2 It's comfortable, sound is good, adjustable gooseneck mic, and just like the last one I bought 10 years ago the strap broke within days of using it and I am gentle and careful about how I use such things. There is a critical plastic part that holds it all together. This critical piece is made out of extremely thin plastic and it broke right away. So just like the last one, I hot-glued it into a fixed position and now it's working fine. Why couldn't the engineers just put in an extra pennys' worth of plastic and they'd have a great product. +5 great for cordless phone too +5 This is my 4th pair... not because they are bad but because they get worn to death. My son uses them for playing the X-box. I use them for phone work while on the computer. Super lightweight and comfortable to wear, these are excellent for hands-free use. +1 Did not fit phone. +5 Full handshake type. +5 Worked great for connecting an old Roland vinyl plotter to a modern computer (I also had to install a PCIe serial port card). +5 Did the job well, hard to find. +5 I purchased 3 of these cables to go from USB RS-232 adapters to CNC Machining Centers (Haas brand, one 1994, one 2010, one 2014, and one 2015) and have had 0 issues thus far. I do not run these at extremely high baud rates (9600 works well). +5 Worked perfectly +2 Hooked it up and it didn't work...had to use another one. Construction is good and could have been a 5 star cable if it only worked. +5 In the age where serial cables can be finicky , Cables To Go delivers a cable the works. Using it with a EPSON TM-88V Thermal receipt printer connected to a Point of Sale running LINUX on a Shuttle DS81 +5 I work from the home office often, and I'm on the phone for several hours a day. This headset has been great. I use it with my Panasonic cordless phone The headset is comfortable, folks on the other end of the phone can hear me well, and I can hear the conversation clear as a bell. The mic boom swivels and is adjustable, so it's easy to find a comfortable position or move it out of the way to take a sip of water. +2 Flimsy headset. Audio quality is fair, mic quality is poor. Connector moves a little and crackles while in use. Could be a lot better but for the money, if you just want a basic headset that you'll use maybe once a month or less, this is ideal. +4 works as advertised - good price, decent clarity +5 Great Product for phones with 2.5mm hole +3 Bulkier that I expected. +5 Inexpensive and works great. No complaints! Volume is great, easy to talk on. +3 I work from home and spend a LOT of time on the phone. I chose the Panasonic brand to match the phone and be certain they would work, and thought these were a great price too. My favorite feature is when I put the phone on mute, the mouthpiece also mutes. My problem is....I'm on my third one. Thought the first one was a fluke, but second one had problem too. Suddenly there is static on the line, and eventually you can't hear at all. Probably in the cord. I would be willing to spend more on a better quality, Panasonic headset, but they don't seem to make one. +4 Connected to my house wireless phone. Sounds fine. Just works. +1 It didn't work for my Panasonic cordless and when I tried to return it, to my surprise I found that there was a restocking fee. It just didn't make sense to return it for couple of bucks. Alway buy things that are directly sold by Amazon. +5 Plug this into your landline handset or cell phone and you have a hands free phone. It is particularly nice when calling one of those companies that put you on hold or use a lot of keying in responses. A simple headset that works great at a great price. +5 I prefer hardwired headphones with a microphone to the more recent earbud or bluetooth versions because I find that I don't end up yelling trying to get people to hear me. I'm able to have conversations with a normal gentle voice and am much happier. So are the people I speak to. This is a good headset. Very light, fits my average sized head nicely (my previous headset would gradually slide down off my head). The microphone has a foam wind buffer and makes my voice sound nice. +5 Liked enough to order another one +4 Works with my home phone handset, but no volume control. +1 Ordered two more for my business and they were both duds. One didn't accept any sound from the microphone, and the other had static coming out of the speaker. Unless these were damaged in transit, not sure where the quality of Panasonic has reached the last couple of years. Disappointed. +5 Great condition item as described. Fast shipping. I will definitely be back AA++ +4 Long-lasting. Works well. I use one on our home phone as well as my cellular. Keeps cell phone from radiating into my head. +1 I bought 5 of these cables and they stated NULL - they were labelled NULL, but none of them are NULL. I buy a lot of products from Cables to Go- I'm disappointed in this mistake if it is. +2 I bought two of these cables and the pins 2 & 3 are not crossed. The description did say " The transmit and receive signals are crossed to ensure proper data transmission" but the actual cables that I received are not!!! +5 Item arrived as schedule and works very well in Connecting a Restaurant POS system from Touch Screen PC to Epson Receipt printer.....Great item and will Buy Again when needed. +1 I've had 3-4 of these. They last for 2-3 months, then they start not connecting to the phone without static. Bad idea. Try something else. Not worth $10 it costs. +5 Nice headset. +3 When it works it is great. For no clear reason, can still hear well, but mic does not seem to work. I can listen to large teleconferences (with no need to speak) but no longer works for regular phone calls when speaking is needed. It only worked well for about 3 weeks before it had trouble. Affordable to replace, but debating use of speaker phone instead. +5 Very nice for the money +3 Volume is only so-so. Do not use in noisy area. I'm still looking for another headset that produces louder sound. +1 it does not work, i threw away packaging while i waited for the adapter...now will have to throw away adapter and headset as it is completely useless..i can hear people on other end but they cannot hear me...at all..mike not working... +5 Don't make it anymore. I was thrilled to find it on Amazon. One of the best headsets I've ever used. +5 k +5 V4ery nice, as described +5 Reliable, comfortable, clear sound. What more do yo need? +1 Please do not buy. This headset causes headache because it is very tight. +3 they're ok. they're as cheap as i could find, but they keep failing. we're on our 3rd and 4th sets. wish i could find something better lasting. +3 It makes my voice sound metalic +5 Very helpful, works well +4 Works great. Fits well. I use it with my Panasonic phone system for longer calls. Alas, they break over time. Still, they are inexpensive enough that I just toss them out and pull another off the shelf. I but 5 at a time. That last 2-3 years. +2 cheap - hard to use - okay for the money +5 There is not much to say about these headsets. They are VERY nice in operation and quite comfortable while on a long phone call. The clarity of sound is very good in quality!! No one ever has a problem understanding what I say. They are so very convenient, especially it you have a lot of notes to write during the conversation or while performing other tasks requiring both hands!!! Actually, I just do not like holding the phone to my ear for more than a few minutes!! lol.... You will appreciate their many features, their value and ease of use. Yes, I do recommend them to family and friends. +1 Personally not wild about the over the head design and the ear pad wasn't comfortable. +4 nice +5 Great for those long conversations. +2 I ordered this headset for everyday use at home. What I found over time is it is uncomfortable to wear for more than 15 - 20 minutes (too tight), no matter how I adjust it. It is also very loud; I have to turn my Panasonic cordless phone all the way down to make the sound tolerable (and there is no volume control on the headset). People I talk to also noted that my voice sounded tinny, and some background noises (like picking up paper) come through as very loud noises. I've "retired" this headset in favor of the Panasonic KX-TCA430. Much more comfortable and better sound. +4 Good Product - Does the Job! Have not had any issues +5 This is my third one... the first one broke after a few months but we like them so much we replaced it. It is great for my husbands home office. For the price it is worth it. When I talk to relatives on the phone I wear our cordless on my hip and have my hands free to do dishes, laundry, feed the dogs, etc and I love that! +4 Works well and fits good! +5 delivered as promised works great +5 Easy tu use and it works great +5 Works great +5 I got this to go with my purchase of Panasonic KX-TG6513B DECT 6.0 PLUS Expandable Cordless Phone System and it works great. When I have to work from home due to inclement weather, this is great for dial-up meetings and conference calls. Only downside is that it drains the handset battery after a couple of hours, but I don't usually have meetings longer than an hour, so I can recharge the handset in between calls. +1 Echo problems galore. Head piece broke into two pieces when I put it on my head. Lasted six months. Had one before that lasted for several years. This latest version is definitely downgraded. Sad. +2 Bought in February 2015, replaced April 2015. Headset plastic broke where mic connects to head strap. Would not buy again. +4 work for me +5 Voice comes across clear hearing wise. Mic works well too. Comfortable and light. For $11 not a bad deal +2 I have been using this headset for couple of months. I have been getting complains about sounding muffled so decided to look for another one. It may be OK for occasional usage, but when I work from home I spend a lot of time on the phone so this is a deal breaker for me. I am not sure if I got a bad one but I am going to try Plantronics next. Quality of materials seems OK. +3 Note that this doesn't fit current cell phones...the plug is too small. I accept some of the blame for buying this and not fully reading the description, but when I search Amazon for "Headset for iPhone" and this is the third-highest relevant item that appears in the results, I kind of assume (yeah..I know) that it's actually going to work with an iPhone. As it is, we have Panasonic cordless phones that we can use this with, but even then, the quality is just so-so (thus the 3-star review). Back to the drawing board. +2 Arrived defective or just plain low quality, sent back, did not get another +2 Didn't work on my cordless phone. +5 We really needed this. +5 HOLDING UP AFTER BEING USED 5 DAYS A WEEK +3 It's an okay headset. My only gripes are the clip broke off, and the foam comes off and I have to repeatedly put it back on the earpiece. Other than that, it works. +5 Great ! Very happy with my purchase ! +4 Item arrived in perfect condition, I am very satisfied with the purchase. is what is described in the purchase, thanks +4 It works, and works well, though, as several others have noted, it is not the most robustly-constructed unit. The first one developed a break in the wires near the 2.5mm plug - possibly repairable, but buying a single plug, then soldering the quite small wires just wouldn't be cost-effective. I slipped a couple of pieces of heat-shring tubing over the joint between the plug and the wire on the second unit to reinforce it a bit.... and It's doing okay so far. +4 Works great... Had to mark it down a star because the headband keeps breaking. I order 4 or 5 every few years but they're still the best sounding and best mic pick-up I've found. At the cost, it's still worth buying another one (even though I know it'll break in a year or two also). +3 I've had better, but it works. +5 As others have noted this is a very nice headset, we found it to indeed have the excellent audio quality reported. It comes with a 2.5 mm (or "sub-mini") stereo plug (providing common, microphone, and earpiece contacts in standard "tip and 2 ring" configuration). No extra contacts) for phone control, but that was fine with us. I got an ordinary 2.5 mm stereo female jack to 3.5 mm stereo male plug adapter to use it with our older AT&T cordless phone, and it works fine. As a bonus the same adapter allows this headset to work with an LG Revere 3 phone. Based on the other reviews we actually ordered two, so my wife and I could each have one. So far we are very happy with both. Our phone conversations are so much clearer all around it is really appreciated. The plastic headband seems a little flimsy, but it is certainly light and comfortable, so I guess that's the trade off. Time will tell whether the headband will last for a reasonable time or not. For the price, it was well worth it to us, and we certainly recommend this model if you want a headset.. +5 Awesome super useful +5 Fantastic, nice and useful little headset! I do a LOT of telephone work while using the computer and this little guy lets me quickly plug into my telephone and get to work. It is lightweight, comfortable and fast to get started every time. The real surprise is how clear and trouble free it is with both incoming and outgoing sound. It is as clear in received sound as my very best stereo headset and I have had really great comments on it's outgoing clarity. Thank you Panasonic and Amazon!!! PS. there are now 2 of these operating in my house since my wife also has one. +5 Incredible for the money seriously. I have a surround system for my xbox and I prefer not to use headphones while I play so this is a great option. Far better quality than the one msoft includes. Now if only the jack was a standard size... +5 My favorite work headset. Would never use any other model. +5 Cheap and effective. I have several for various locations around the house. Not that stylish but who is looking at me while I am on the phone. Hands free function trumps looking like a telephone operator by a mile. +4 A great hands free devise, lets you put your phone in your pocket and put on the head set and your free to do what ever you need, the sound quality is good and the mic lets me be heard clearly. +5 I've bought a few of these for places where I don't want to have to hold the phone (like the kitchen). Consistently good quality sound, as compared with other head sets. Be sure your phone has a jack for this. +4 My boyfriend talked me into it. I haven't used it as much as I thought I would. sincerely, Dixie +2 DO NOT BUY if you need for a smartphone (iPhone or Android) - it will not work as delivered. It says for cordless phones... which of course makes most people think of the phones that we all use these days. I don't even own a landline phone! The problem is that the jack is way too small... so the next step would be to buy an adaptor... but then not wanting to be burned twice, I see that many of the adaptors have poor reviews. The only one with a decent review is about $7 plus shipping. I have thought about returning it, but I am not sure that is worthwhile for $12. It may seem unfair to give a product a 2 star rating, but now that I search within the reviews, I see others who have been burned as well. This product needs a clear description that says it is not compatible with smartphones (iPhone, Android) due to the small size of the jack. Size matters with this thing... and it needs to be clear in the description. I am giving it two stars because the actual build quality seems reasonable for a $12 item. That is about where my love for this ends. +1 broke in a week, used it maybe an hour a day. for me it was a piece of junk +5 I am the purchaser of all items, but not always the user. I am only aware if there is a problem, if someone complains. There was no complaint on this item. +5 I am the purchaser of all items, but not always the user. I am only aware if there is a problem, if someone complains. There was no complaint on this item. +5 Other reviewers are correct that this headset works very well with Panasonic cordless phones. The clarity is much better than my other headsets +1 Didn't make the first week. It's junk +1 Its a good product and I have ordered several of them,but once you drop it on the floor it will no longer work. They should make them more durable. +4 Better headset than the other 2 pcs of s*** that I bought & that both of broke within 1 week each!!!! +4 unit works perfectly. Good Quality unit and value for the price. +5 Old time good clear hands free. +3 This is the third time I have ordered this unit over the past several years. My wife uses it daily and it has worked very well. It is a bit flimsy so after she drops it several times it has been known to break the headband but still functions well. A very good value for the cost. UPDATE... Aug 28 2015... She still uses these daily and I would buy them again.. but have some epoxy standing by as they tend to snap in half where the headband connects to the size adjusting mechanism. The band is rather thin plastic +2 I have purchased several of these, and I've found that the 2.5mm connection to the phone is terribly weak. After a few months, static starts, then the headset stops working. I haven't had one last more than a year. I don't know why they break so easily, but my next purchase will be something that I hope lasts longer. I like this headset a lot and I'm very sorry that it doesn't last. +5 Great Audio Volume both hearing and what they hear on the other end. Nice and clear with NO Distortion. Nice larger gauge wire. Great for when you drive in a truck or work at a desk to keep the phone away and on a charger. Good with the older flip and regular phones that have this socket. +5 I've owned several of these and they work grwat with my panasonic phones. +3 First one broke after three months of heavy use but it's cheap so I ordered another one. Works great. +1 Microphone died four months after purchase, and I did not use it roughly. +5 Delivered with no problem +4 Great for first year. Then you have to spray the connection with rubbing alcohol once in a while to maintain good connection. Neck saver, and good for multi-tasking, yet still keeping privacy, unlike speaker mode. +5 Exceeded expectations. comfortable to wear. great sound quality. +5 This works great with Panasonic phone. +5 GREAT +5 Just what I needed +5 Works great! And the cord is a good length. +5 Bought for a gift for my mother states she loves it, no problems as of yet. +5 very good +3 The plug doesn't fit into my phone well. I have resorted to attaching to the phone with a rubber band. +3 C for comfort, B+for hearing, but it was cheap +3 Not the best fit on head but audio is excellent. +5 Perfect replacement. Works fine. +5 My go-to for a decent, reliable headset. That it's priced as well as it is makes this the only headset one should buy! +2 After about a year, the product began to fail. While it worked well initially, its cheap construction shows over time. +5 Works great with my phone. +5 Voice is loud and clear, easy to asjust, and seems reasonably well made. Other brands have lasted as little as six weeks! +5 Works very well +1 sent back, wrong plug. +2 I bought this for work and used it twice so far. Both times there was static. I wasn't sure where it was coming from. Then, I had people say they couldn't hear me. I had the volume on my phone all the way up and people still couldn't hear me. After a while it also started to hurt my head. The only good thing was that it fit my head, most of them are too big. Back to the drawing board. +5 Use this headset daily for conference calls and it works great. Please note that the jack fits cordless phones (2.5mm?) but not cellular phones (3.5mm?). +5 Works well, comfortable and light weight. Good deal +4 I use this with my Galaxy 4 and it works great I can hear everything. +1 DIDN'T FIT PHONE, NOW WE ARE STUCK WITH IT BECAUSE AMAZON APPARENTLY HAS A SHORTER RETURN POLICY, NEVER AGAIN, GOING TO BEST BUY NEXT TIME +3 Wrong plug, my mistake +2 I bought this in hope that I could use it with my cell phone (Samsung Galaxy Note II), but it doesn't work. I can hear a person but they cannot hear me. I see that it is meant for a cordless phone. I'm sure it would work great with that. I was just hoping I could use it for my phone. I also tried to use it on a computer for video chat but the same problem occurs, no one can hear me. +4 low price - works fine - order 2 - they last about a year +5 Just what I've come to expect in terms of quality. A brand you can trust. +4 Great sound quality, poorly made. They last a very short time and are very easy to break. But, I do need the quality so until I find a better one at a decent price this will have to do. +3 Cord is way to long! Its always getting caught on everything when I'm moving around. As a result the phone is pulled out of my pocket, off my belt etc. and ends up on the floor and disconnected from the headset. The sound is good. I hear people They hear me. +1 I had a Plantronics headset that lasted for years. This broke in a week. Its cheap junk. +5 Great sound +5 Easy to use on busy days with my Panasonic phone. +2 I read some people saying it worked with their cell phone with an adapter, which I also bought, but it wouldn't work with my Galaxy Note 4. I could hear others, but they couldn't hear me. +4 These headsets have excellent voice and hearing quality. They are comfortable and work with any cordless phone. I never talk on the phone without using it. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star is that I generally need to replace it after a year or so. The wiring gets loose and either the mic or the speaker cuts out. But at this cost it is no big deal since I get a lot of miles out of one set. +4 A good product. +4 Very good. Too loud for me (as are most sound devices - I have sensitive hearing) so I need to glue foam into the ear part. I had one of these before that I broke. Now I know that I need to be gentle as I swing the mic boom out & adjust the headband. Bluetooth rather than a wired set would be nice, but I'd have to spend $ for a bluetooth-enabled phone. +3 this is for a phone make in 90s +5 wasn't what I needed +4 This is a very nice headset, which I'm using with my Cisco 303 VOIP phone. The earpad is comfortable and the other end is as well. I like the bendable microphone boom, but wish there was a volume control. For a basic headset, it's a good choice; good sound quality and quality construction. +5 Great +5 I like this headset a lot. It is very comfortable and doesn't feel like anything is on my head all day. I am prone to headaches a lot too, so this headset is nice because it doesn't squeeze my head. I can hear all the people who call me very clearly and I have been told that when I talk to others on this head set it sounds very clear and just loud enough also. I use this headset 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and have has no issues with it at all. +4 This is a nice, basic headset which fits my cordless phone well. The sound quality is good. +5 leaves your hands free works great +5 the shipping costs almost as much as the product, the quality is good, but the shipping is unfair to pay for each unit separately. i contacted the vendor, no luck. +4 makes conversations very private +5 Great fit, comfortable and clear hearing to me and my friends. +5 I've had this thing for over a year and I beat on it constantly- I work from home and use it 6+ hours a day, and I'm incredibly clumsy so I frequently drop it or run it over with my office chair, and it still works perfectly. What an incredible deal for the price. +5 they have a good sound listening to YouTube. +5 Id actually pay more for this headset. So comfortable, lightweight , and convenient. I was expecting poor call quality for the price but everything has exceeded my expectations about this unit. A rare thing nowadays. +5 I'm quite surprised that Amazon carries this product, but we have been using this Static Transfer Switch (STS) for one of our projects for our customer and it's been working very good for sometime now. We have 0 complaints and it's just works. It has 24 power outlets, 12 in the front and 12 in the back and requires 2U space. The case is very sturdy and easy to install and setup. Also, this particular STS is priced very competitively compared to other STS brand. I hope Amazon will carry more of these. Amazon also shipped it very quickly as well, so thank you Amazon! +5 We purchased a PDUMH30AT after determining that we really needed an A/B power solution, but also couldn't afford for half of our servers to go down (or have dual power supplies for each of our servers) in the event of an A or B power failure. The PDUMH30AT allows for us to be completely hands-off. In the event we lose power in a circuit it immediatly switches over to an alternate circuit. It even monitors the quality of the power source and will switch to the alternate source if the primary becomes unreliable. We've had the PDUMH30AT running in production for a few months now and it's worked perfectly. Our only concern with the device is that it does have an ATS which can (albeit rarely) fail. So to be extra safe we held on to our old simple PDUs just in case. The PDUMH30AT is a great product and I highly recommend it for any situation where A/B power is needed but you don't want to have to toil with distributing your servers across two separate circuits. +5 I work from home twice a week and this headset makes hour-long conference calls a breeze! +5 Works great and costs less than anything I could find locally. +5 I have carpal tunnel and repetitive stress injuries along with some other ailments that make it hard to hold up the phone for long (or short) periods of times. Because of this, I am used to using Bluetooth headsets with my cellular phone. I recently got a home phone set up in my home and purchased a Panasonic KX-TGE233B DECT 6.0 Expandable Digital Cordless Answering System to fill up the gaps in our home where our cellular service hits a dead zone. I noticed really quickly that I was having travel holding up the phone for periods at a time during phone conversations and I wanted something better than using the really impressive speakerphone. This headset fits the bill. It's lightweight. I keep it plugged into one of the handsets all the time by my home office desk. I find that the headset is really comfortable and surprisingly sturdy. +5 Works great, great price. +4 So far so good. I've had it for a few weeks and I find the sound is clear and I even forget I'm wearing it sometimes, that's how comfortable they are. +5 Crystal clear sound. +1 Had three. One stopped working after 6 months one after 2 months one after 2 weeks. Don't buy. +5 Nice clear sound for use on my VOIP phone. I would recommend this product if you need a wired solution. It works great for office settings and you cannot beat the price. Long term I don't know how it will hold up, but at this price, you can buy another. +5 I connect this to my cordless Panasonic phone and it works really well. I broadcast audio online regularly and I've only received good feedback on my sound. +4 for someone else +5 Works well with inside phone and cell phone. +4 Ear piece is cushioned, other parties can hear my voice. I wish the boom were longer, though. +5 AOK +5 Inexpensive and does a great job. I tend to break these, so I don't like to pay a lot. This one is somewhat bulky (vs sleek and light) and that's what I need. +2 I was very happy that the microphone in this headset is very clear, as my prior headset received constant complaints from people I talked to. It is lightweight and comfortable. I do have issues with two items: 1. The headband is too large. I'm an adult, but even at its most compressed state the side anchor w/o the earphone hits my opposite ear making me push it to the side for an awkward fit, and then it conflicts with glasses too. I also find I find it accidentally expands too easy so I have to keep compressing it before putting it back on my head. 2. The microphone boom isn't super flexible, like it's made of plastic and doesn't hold the exact position. It's good enough, but due to the headband issue, I find the microphone in an awkward place too often and struggle to re-adjust. Overall I still like it, but may wind up looking for something that fits better. Edit: The headband broke after just a few months of use. It's made of thin molded plastic, so the plastic tab that keeps the bands from expanding broke off. All things considered I'm glad it broke, so I glued it and taped it together, and now I no longer have to deal with the headband constantly sliding too large. For that forced "improvement" I'll keep it at 3 stars. Edit 2: The glue only held for 6 months and it broke again, I used half a bottle of superglue to keep it from twisting and tape to keep it from pulling out breaking when stretching over my head. When it's completely tight like it should have been from the factory it's a decent headset but this unacceptable lack of durability forces me to remove I have to remove one more star from my rating. +3 Have a awful time finding an adaptor that works well and fits in my phone without awful static etc. +5 works as promised +4 I use with my wireless home phones so I don't have to hold the phone. Plus people can hear you much better than on a phone the the mike is not near your mouth +1 Liked the earlier version better, never seemed to properly sit in the charger. +5 Great product! +4 Works fine, good sound, reasonably comfortable. Somewhat fragile, though. +5 Fits decently, seems better made than most that I've had snap at some point in the past. No controls on the cord, which is a bit of a detraction for me, so just have to use the phone controls for volume and mute. +5 really good product, cheap and sturdy, only problem is there is no mute button +3 This headset lasts me about 2 years. I looked back at my purchase history and I have (like clock work) purchased this headset every 2 years for the last 6 years. It works great until the 2 year mark and then it starts fading and the people on the other end can't hear me and that is very frustrating. I use it every day for work calls and it works great, until it doesn't. I realized after the first purchase that I would need to replace it more frequently than I would really like, but at $10, that's what you get. If you are looking for an inexpensive headset, this one is recommended. Just know it's not going to last more than a couple / few years depending on use. +5 Works great, that's it! +3 I only was able to use this headset 3 times before it broke. Of course it is too late to return it. +5 Buy this works great +4 It does the job, for the price, I'm happy with it. I've used it for more than a year. +4 they work +3 Pro: Was a nice, inexpensive headset at first. Con: Stopped working after only two weeks. +5 Great +4 Clean audio on speaker and mic, just wish it came with 3.5mm plug for use on I-Phones, but adapters from 2.5 to 3.5mm are readily available. At these prices you can afford a spare. +5 Excellent Head Set for a portable phone. It is far superior to the Logitech model I had been using, +5 6 STARS. Excellent quality, even better price. Using this every day for the past 2 years to talk and take office messages. Our AT&T base and handsets are usually on their lowest volume setting, otherwise it would be too loud on this. +5 On time and as described +5 I bought two I loved these so much. Walk around the house, work on your computer - it's great. +3 got a short in it but i believe it was my fault +5 Vonage works! It's really best for international users who will save a fortune on long distance; domestic rates are so low anyway the savings aren't as great. +5 Works great. Volume is fine. Headset is comfortable -- unbelievably low price and fine quality. +1 I'm giving this one star because these appear to be disposable headsets that don't even last the full year. Giving it one star because I have to. Other than that it works great occasionally. Sound quality is excellent reliability is nearly nonexistent. I go through three of these per year. Don't get me wrong, when they work their awesome. I have two or three on hand at all times. Extremely inexpensive, you get what you pay for. +3 This would be 5-stars except that the cord is rather fragile. I've been using this headset for years on a daily basis with outstanding results. However I only get about 1 year of service as the wiring ends up failing. At this price, I don't care as I always keep a spare in the drawer. +5 Works is a described. +5 I really like this. The voices are very clear with this one. +3 Convenient if you need hands-free, but the person on the other end keeps telling me they can barely hear me. +5 Does the job, no complaints. +4 good +1 I finally threw it out. +5 Well worth the price. It is basically the same but with sturdier wiring than a higher model that I had previously. +2 I've been a fairly well satisfied Vonage customer for 7 years. I have had trouble with intermittent poor line quality, but it has never been clear whether this is a problem with my ISP. I've often found that the quality of customer service is poor, but I've not had alot of reason to call them except to make changes in my service. However, when, after porting out my phone number and making sure it worked on the new phone service, I called Vonage to cancel my service, they made it very difficult to cancel service, gave me a very hard time, and tried not to cancel my service. This was month to month service; I did not have a contract, and I did not expect a partial refund for cancelling in mid month. I actually cancelled the day before the month ended. You can't just cancel service online. I called customer service. First I got someone who insisted that my number hadn't been ported out. I checked to make sure the port was complete and the phone number working correctly on my new phone service before trying again. Then I learned that while all other Vonage customer service is available 24/7, you have to call between certain hours and talk to a special office to cancel service. Then when I called back, the customer service person insisted I tell her why I want to cancel service before she would transfer me, and I had to shout at her four times that I don't have to tell her anything, transfer me, and she actually transferred me when I told her I'd changed my payment method to a card with insufficient money available for Vonage to get their hands on it. When she put me through, a Chinese guy kept demanding to know why I was cancelling my service, and insisting that I had to do cooperations with him, before he would cancel my service. I had to shout at him six times that I don't have to tell him anything, I don't have to cooperate with him, cancel my service, NOW. He finally cancelled my service when I told him that I changed my payment method to a card with no funds available, and Vonage won't be able to get any more money from me, ever. The whole experience was completely outrageous, and at this moment, I can't recommend anything about Vonage to anybody. +1 wouldn't even work with the phone its bundeld with... wtf +3 ok +5 Love it. +5 easy to use, but remember to buy adaptor with this item. +1 Look at the number of 1 ratings and beware. This is a truly criminal company with mean-spirited approaches to sucking away your money. I had the same experience where they started billing me for service weeks before their equipment even arrived! This is criminal! Their customer service is the rudest bunch of human beings on this planet. Vonage also does not explain how you have to contact your previous phone company and explain the situation of phone transferring. This was the worst learning experience about a poorly run company I have ever had. Can you cancel on their website? of course not! After you finally drill down to Canceling your account on the phone, they ask questions why and then put you on hold for an hour when you say they can't talk you out of it! Criminal. Spell it--CRIMINAL! I've sent everything back. When the dust clears and the fees are evaluated, you don't even save that much anyway, and it does drop and hopefully, the world will come around and stop supporting such poorly run companies as Vonage. +1 We switched to Vonage to save money and it was the worst quality, customer service ever. All our calls would be dropped after 5 minutes and the second time I called to have it "fixed" they managed to do something that cause us to not be able to receive incoming calls for over 2 weeks. No refunds were offered and I am having to PAY THEM to cancel my service! Read the Better Business Bureau reports. If these reviews don't convince you that will. Just sorry I didn't check into the service more. +1 I make a point of posting a scathing review of Vonage whenever the opportunity presents itself. Like many others, I wasted a great deal of time trying to get the service to work, and when after I cancelled, less than a week after ordering the service, they kept on billing me, and then tried to stick me with a cancellation fee, even though I had an email from them saying they had cancelled the service within the 30 day trial period. At this point, I have nearly $200 of charges on my VISA for a service I used for about 3 hours! To the Vonage apologists who say bad connections aren't Vonage's fault, I say that a company that deals in this type of product should have a liberal cancellation policy. It seems they're using cancellation fees and unauthorized billing to unsatisfied customers to keep rates low for those with no problems. Any company can deal with the happy customer; it's how it reacts to solve the problems of the dissatisfied that gives them a good reputation. By this criterion, Vonage fails miserably. I'll be celebrating the day this company goes out of business. They certainly deserve it. +1 I had Vonage since April, 2006. I finally switched back to Qwest after unending problems and hours and hours on the phone (my cell phone, as my Vonage line didn't work) with tech support. Here is my experience: 1) It took about 2 months and about 2 hours on the phone for them to switch my existing phone # over to Vonage. Don't be too excited about getting the first month free- if your moving an existing number it will take about that long to get it switched over. 2) After my number was finally switched over, outgoing calls were constantly being dropped after about 20-30 seconds. Incoming calls would also be dropped occasionally after about a minute. This resulted in having to call the person back, saying "sorry the call was dropped- we switched to this cheaper phone service and have been having problems...." This is with the highest speed cable internet service available (8mbps download, 600kbps upload) and a wireless 'g' system which has provided top notch internet service consistently while I had Vonage problems. I spent no less than 4 - 5 calls and over 5 hours on the phone with tech support trying to fix the problem. After talking with tech support, sometimes the problem would be fixed temporarily- while I was on the phone with them- but return shortly thereafter. 3) As a result of the problems I had, I asked to be credited for the months in which my phone service was not working. Be warned, they are very hard-nosed about providing any credits for poor or no service. I spoke to a tech support person about getting a credit for a month of no service, and he told me to wait until the problem had been fixed so they could determine how much credit should be given. After the problem had been fixed (temporarily), I called back and they told me they could only provide credit for the current month, not previous months of no or poor service. THEY ARE NOT CUSTOMER FRIENDLY ABOUT PROVIDING REFUNDS FOR POOR OR NO SERVICE. 4) Finally, in September, still with dropped calls from Vonage, I switched back to Qwest to get reliable phone service. I found customer service there has improved and is much better than Vonage. And they gave me 3 months free promotion for coming back. In the end, I am happy to pay the extra $10/month (after the first 3 months free) to get phone service that works. I notice that $5 of the extra cost is for fees, etc. that the phone company has to charge but Vonage does not, which is unfortunate. In any case, I guess you get what you pay for. One last thing: Vonage has never made a profit and many business analysts say with their current business plan, they never will. This means eventually they will either go out of business, or have to raise rates. Save yourself the problems I had- pay the extra $ to get phone service that works. +4 Works fine. Exact placement on the ear is required but it's much better on the walkaround phone's battery than being on speakerphone, and I can always bury it under a pillow if I need a moment. Having lost much of the hearing in one ear, I only need a one-sided headset and this is much lighter than the dual ear models. +5 Good product. Fast delivery. I will recommend it to my friends. +4 Nice Headset +2 The setup was quite easy, and voice quality is decent. However, I can only place outgoing calls; calls to "my" number are routed to someone else. I won't fault Vonage for the technical problem itself. However, the response of their technical support is unacceptable; each of the four times that I have called, I have been told that they would look into it and get back to me by email. They have never done so. If you're considering Vonage, look online at the experiences of other users; I don't think that my experience is uncommon. UPDATE (Feb. 17, 2008): Shortly after my original review, and after another phone call, this problem was resolved by technical support by switching me to another number. Subsequently, I have not had to think about my phone line except when paying the bills, which is exactly what most customers want. +1 Stay away from Vonage! After more than 1 month, still don't have phone number transferred. Can't get thru to customer service...very long wait. Paying 2 phone bills...so much for saving cost and so-called service. Called to cancel service, and customer service rep promised to put account/billing on hold until phone number transfer is done...finally something positive from customer service department! +1 I was a happy customer of Vonage for 7 months. The service was great, their website was excellent and the features they provided to control your account online was excellent. On the 7th month, I had to disconnect my broadband service from Comcast as Comcast increased their prices to 65$ per month which is crazy to pay for an internet connection at home. Comcast is the only internet provider in my area and hence I no longer broadband connection. Hence the Vonage service became useless and I called to cancel service. My horrible experience with Vonage started here. I had to wait 35 minutes to get a customer rep online. The rep asked me the reason why I am cancelling. When I explained the reason he made fun of me saying I must be crazy to cancel broadband and go for dialup which is history. Will his father pay the 65$ for the broadband? I wanted to ask but did not. To my horror, the rep said that I have to pay 40$ cancellation fee as I was not a customer for an year. This is crazy. When I revolted he said that it is mentioned in one of the fine-prints and offered me to send an URL to my email id. I finally ended up paying 40$ to cancel their service. If a landline company charges cancellation fees it is understandable as they have done some manaul work to provide and disconnect service. But Vonage provides service on our existing internet connection and they have no right to charge cancellation fees. I will never again buy Vonage service. +1 Notice that on the Vonage Web Site there is no email address listed or available. Yup: No email customer service. This means you are religated to sitting on hold, waiting for a representative in India to take your call. The representatives, with their thick accents are hard enough to understand, but communication is especially difficult when they say "yes" to everything you ask. (Ask a question one way and get a "yes" and ask another way and still get a "yes.") People calling my phone number for the last week have been getting a "Disconnected" recording. The Local Number Transfer was botched. Every time you do anything to your phone number there is a $9.95 service charge added. Upgrading, downgrading, porting your number, etc. Upgrading to flat-rate service costs $9.95 PLUS you must pay for the entire previous month at the full rate PLUS they still charge you the 3.9 cents per minute for your measured usage for that month. The concept of Vonage is great. But the service is poor. There seems to be no concern about providing good service. The savings weap away with $9.95 change fees. The international long distance rates are OK, but not the greatest out there. The $49.95 rate for a business line is actually not a good deal in the Seattle market. Proceed with caution. Maybe in a year or two they will get things up to American quality standards. +2 Broke quickly +1 Had this hands free headset for about 4 months and it already broke. No intended for everyday use. +5 I like the hands free headset as I work on my computer and make calls, where I need my hands to type and this make it so simple to type and talk at the same time. Also comes in handy while doing other things around the house so that I can talk and do anything else that I want with out have to hold the phone up to my ear which I hate. +5 Fast shipping, product met all my expectations and a great value. +5 This works really well - have used it daily for a couple of years with no issues. Sometimes after a long call (and after 2 years of use) the battery seems to die out quickly. Might be time for a new battery. +4 Works well. It's a little flimsy. The first one I bought, after 3 months the plastic notch that maintains the ear piece height broke so the ear piece would slide freely (up and down the arch) and not maintain in place. I used some scotch tape to hold the ear piece in place and that worked, but aesthetically it looked really hokey. So given the cheap price, I bought two more and so far the second unit has held up for 6 months. The headset works well. The mic is comfortably at the right place and the people I talk to on the phone all seem to have not problem hearing me. Just be aware that the flimsy plastic parts can break easily, so have a backup set ready. +3 In reading some of the other reviews, it sounds like a lot of people don't know what they are getting into before they sign up for Vonage. The moral to the story is do your homework BEFORE you sign up. All VOIP services will have a small delay in the dialing, and will very rarely drop your call. I have had Vonage for about 2 months now, and I have mixed feelings about it. Yes, it is saving me about 50 bucks a month on my phone service. I actually have not had a problem with the actual service and transfer itself (took exactly 3 weeks for my number to be transferred fully from Verizon). The kit arrived at my house in just 2 days after I ordered it, and setup is a breeze, even for those who are not computer savvy. I have only experienced call drop offs once or twice, and the delay before dialing is hardly noticeable. Plus your ability to take your landline with you anywhere with VOIP is neat (and almost eerie). It is also neat to be able to have it automatically forward to your cell phone after so many rings, and be able to check your voicemail online. I have never had a problem with sound quality either (this has A LOT more to do with the router and your ISP service then Vonage itself for all of you who complain about this). There are quite a few notable downsides to Vonage though. You can not receive collect calls when you have Vonage. This can be a serious problem when you have a certain.....shall we say black sheep in the family.....who is incarcerated, as the only way they can make calls is via collect dialing- land lines only. Also, your name will not display in the caller ID when you call other people, only your number. Some people I know do not pick up the phone if they do not recognize the name, so make sure people you talk to are aware that you are switching before hand. You have to get a separate line if you want to be able to fax. There is NO call blocking feature at all. NONE. You can not do any form of call screening, call interrupt, or do not disturb. I have been receiving fax calls in the middle of the night on my home number for a while, and when I had Verizon I just used their do not disturb feature to make it so the phone does not ring at night unless people dial a special code after your number. Vonage does not have anything remotely close to a call block feature, so now that the calls are starting up again, I'm gonna have to spend about 100 bucks on this little devise that does the blocking directly on the phone itself. There are other VOIP that do offer features like collect call accept, name display, and call blocking and in time I may switch to 1 of those. Customer service is not so great, as most of them have no idea what services Vonage offers, let alone how to fix something complicated (however, if you have to wait a long time for the whole number transfer to be completed, they are very easy to work with as far as giving you some free months of service). So in short, just make sure you know what you are getting into before hand. If I had done more research, I probably would have gone with something else like POTS or Sunrocket or Packet8. But now that I have it, I'm less prone to switch just due to the hassle. And Vonage is not horrible really, just has its flaws. I think in time they will evolve to have more features, as they are growing quite rapidly and the demand for such things will be even higher, and for what its worth (i.e. saving me about $ 570 bucks a year), I would say it's a good buy. \ No newline at end of file