Linksys or Windows software to manage PC Card

Just bought a Linksys WPC54GX card for my Thinkpad to go
with my new 54GX router.

Linksys seems to want me to use their software to manage the
PC card. I'm using Windows XP Pro and using Windows to
manage the router.

Are there advantages/disadvantages in using one or the other?

TIA

Louise

louise wrote:
> Just bought a Linksys WPC54GX card for my Thinkpad to go with my new
> 54GX router.
>
> Linksys seems to want me to use their software to manage the PC card.
> I'm using Windows XP Pro and using Windows to manage the router.

You're using a browser to interface with the router not XP Pro.
>
> Are there advantages/disadvantages in using one or the other?

I can used the driver for the card, which can be downloaded from its
site and install and configure a card using Device Manager on the XP
O/S. For me, it was more stable than using the 3rd utility to do it and
have it running in the job trey. You can config the NIC with XP to show
the signal strength when you mouse over its icon in the job trey.

Duane

Duane Arnold wrote:
> louise wrote:
>
>> Just bought a Linksys WPC54GX card for my Thinkpad to go with my new
>> 54GX router.
>>
>> Linksys seems to want me to use their software to manage the PC card.
>> I'm using Windows XP Pro and using Windows to manage the router.
>
>
> You're using a browser to interface with the router not XP Pro.
>
>>
>> Are there advantages/disadvantages in using one or the other?
>
>
> I can used the driver for the card, which can be downloaded from its
> site and install and configure a card using Device Manager on the XP
> O/S. For me, it was more stable than using the 3rd utility to do it and
> have it running in the job trey. You can config the NIC with XP to show
> the signal strength when you mouse over its icon in the job trey.
>
> Duane
Thanks - life got more complicated....

I just spent a few hours with Linksys tech support because I
could not get my portable recognized with my brand new pc
card Linksys WPX54GX using WPA.

Windows would not accept a wpa security code - was limited
to WEP.

I am running XP Pro - but, because this was an ebay
"special", the copy of Windows Pro is not valid and I cannot
upgrade to SP2.

So we tried using the Linksys connection but we were unable
to successfully turn off the windows connection and
connection couldn't be made to the net with two active
connections.

We tried to turn off the windows connection by going to
services.msc and stopping and disabling wireless zero
configuration. After doing this, I rebooted. And still,
even though it was turned off in services.msc, it was still
running.

The conclusion was that the os is damaged and that is why we
couldn't turn it off. Given that I know the OS is not a
"real" version, it is possible - although I've had no other
trouble.

Should turning off wireless zero configuration in services
completely stopped it from running and "stealing" the
connection from the linksys management program? Or, is
there something additional in the OS that should be turned off.

Right now I'm back to WEP with a nice new card that I didn't
really need although it certainly does pick up a much
stronger signal :-)

BTW, given the fact that the Windows installation is iffy
and that the wireless appears faulty, I'm afraid to just
upgrade the Windows wireless connection for fear it will
stop working and I'll be left without any wireless access.

Is there anything that was missed?

TIA

Louise

> Is there anything that was missed?

Legal copy of Windows XP that can be upgraded to SP2?!

David Taylor wrote:
>>Is there anything that was missed?
>
>
> Legal copy of Windows XP that can be upgraded to SP2?!
Yes, obviously - but the entire computer is several years
old and not worth the investment of time to reinstall
everything as well as the cost. I could purchase a
reasonably priced version of XP OEM, but I'm afraid that
just reinstalling over some kind of pirated installation
would be unsuccessful and that's why I'm not doing it.

Louise