NetGear NICs are JUNK

[TRANCER24]

Just thought id post this to anyone considering buying a Netgear NIC don't do it there nothing but trouble. I have 2 of them that i bought a couple of months back that i just tried out today there brand new outa the box these things are horrible i tried them in 3 systems so far and nothing but trouble, one system won't detect them the other will boot but when gets to the windows splash screen will just go to a black screen and sit there and do nothing the other machine i tried it in which is this epox board and just made my system just run really unstable my epox board detected it and worked it just made my system lock up after 10 mins and when doing a restart i would have to hit the reset switch to get back on i tried every pci slot on all the boards and tried changing IRQs manually these things are JUNK. I have a couple of Linksys NICs and i have no problems with them what so ever.. I just thought id let everyone know about this trash...

[UnseenMenace]

I have a totally opposite opinion and experience of netgear NIC's I currently have 3 of them in my systems which are no trouble at all. I personally found the product to be of reasonable quality and well worth the price asked. The only 'minor' problem that I have ever experienced with them is that Win9X does not install the correct drivers from them and providing that I use the drivers on the disk supplied with the NIC then they are problems free, even with 'unatural' bus speeds

[Daniel ~]

Sorry, but I love my Netgear router and nic's (3 of'em), have run with ME and 2000 pro on Asus,BX, VIA Pv34x and Iwill KK266, never a problem....Just luck of the draw I guess.

[William]

i had a similar expierience with a Linksys nic. Most people love them, I have had less than stellar luck with them. It happens some time, but I will say you are the first person I know of having trouble with a netgear nic.

[Fink]

Strange, of all the NIC's I have tried, the Netgear are by far the least troublesome. Must have bought and installed at least 25 TX310's in the past few years without incidince.

[klosters64a]

I read that Netgear's QC is out to lunch. But--when they work, they work well.

[TRANCER24]

I don't know everyone i tried these NICs again in my machines 1 more time and the same problems i don't know about these NICs there netgear FA311s so i went out and bought me generic NICs realtek 8139s and they work beautiful for 9 dollar cards no problems what so ever in the same machines that i tested it in. i don't know maybe these Netgears are defects im assuming but 2 out of 2 being bad weird. I also have a USB NIC and it works good also. Well im sure glad i took care of my problem i just saved myself from buying a $100 router i used these NICs for a proxy server :) in this old P 100 acer that i had stashed in the closet im sure glad it works..

[Super]

FA311 has a programming error in its EEPROM, so you have to go and download a driver and re-flash the card. It fixes the problem of not detecting the drivers.

Also in some cases its not recommended to use 2 cards of the same brand and model unless you know exactly how to configure them so there will be no conflict.

And I personally like my FA311. It can take 41.5MHz PCI speed, and it cost me 29.99 CAD.

[skid]

Hey Trance,
whoa I totally agree Netgear FA311's are crap. I've never got mine to work. The computer doesn't recognize it's ready. I'm fed up with it.
What NIC cards did you say worked good on your system? The system I'm needing a card on is a Win 98 for my dad.

[Sohryu Asuka Langley]

I have both a Realtek and Accton based cards in my comp and they handle the high PCI speeds no prob. Just make sure you dont have IRQ conflicts (i have half my gear on IRQ 9 and it all works fine)

[Wa11y]

I only ever use Netgear FA311s. I've had one that was DOA, but after returning it, good as gold. I also have a Netgear 10/100 network switch, and it seems to be groovy too.

[Super]

People, if your windows doesn't detect FA311's drivers, Click Here (http://www.netgear-support.com/ts/pwtKbgetsolution.cfm?kid=N01792)

:)

[Wa11y]

I have a Netgear FA311 that wouldn't automatically detect the driver in Win2KP, even though I pointed it to the floopy drive. When I searched through the list of drivers, and forced it there, it worked just fine. It's still all good now. But I didn't run the DIAG program. But I was able to install it, and that link says you will NOT be able to install it. So I think it's a different issue. But it works, and I'm happy.

[TRANCER24]

Originally posted by skid
Hey Trance,
whoa I totally agree Netgear FA311's are crap. I've never got mine to work. The computer doesn't recognize it's ready. I'm fed up with it.
What NIC cards did you say worked good on your system? The system I'm needing a card on is a Win 98 for my dad.

yeah these cards are junk i will never buy them again i tried to go to there website and get the update for them and still nothing oh well.. maybe ill hang them on the wall for decoration. yeah but any NIC card should do well besides these. I bought the cheapo realtek card at PC club for 9 bucks and it works good no problems
i also use a Lynksys pci and usb and i have had no problems with them