D-Link DFE-530TX 10/100Mbps PCI Ethernet Adapter Card

Anonymous

at 12:39 pm

If you’re in the market for a network card that is pretty hassle free and just works then this NIC maybe worth a look at.

It comes with the usual bells and whistles (WakeOnLan, auto sensing, et al) But the driver support is pretty decent.
However if you’ve never installed anything hardware wise for PC before then the supplied manual on how to do it will be ghastly,
Since it lacks diagrams and the like, I recommend looking at web guides on PC selfcare/upgrade before attempting it, if you’re not sure how to go about it.

That said, installation is painless once the hardware side of it is done, I installed onto a PC running Windows XP Pro, which didn’t automatically install drivers for it sadly, but all you have to do is pop the CD in and click ‘Install Drivers’ and restart, and it’ll be up and running, you may get lucky and have to do zilch like the reviewer above!

Note: If you get Windows telling you its found an Ethernet Controller, thats wrong, go ahead and install the provided drivers.

I’ve also tested this NIC with Linux (2.4.24) with the supplied drivers and it works well (and you get the source to the drivers so you don’t need to worry about binary only issues)

Amazon don’t tell you what drivers it comes with, so here you go:

–Windows 95/95OSR2, 98/98SE/Me,2000/XP.
–Novell NetWare 3.x, 4.x,5.x,6.x and ODI.DOS.
–Microsoft Windows NT3.51, NT4.0.
–Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
–Microsoft Client for DOS.
–IBM LAN Support Program v1.3x.
–FTP PC/TCP.
–SUN PC-NFS.
–NDIS 2.x, 3.x, 4.x, 5.x Driver.
–Packet Driver.
–Linux Driver.

Overall its easy to install and start using, but the provided documentation (hard copy, plus PDF) for installation is dire, if you need to read it! still, five stars.
Rating: 5 / 5

Anonymous

at 4:13 pm

This card was a breeze to install. I’ve had a computer for some years and happily surfed the net using my USB ADSL Modem provided by my broadband provider, not knowing until recently I didn’t have an ethernet adapter. I needed one to set up a home network. Ethernet has great advantages–it doesn’t use CPU cycle thus not slowing your computer, enables you to connect devices such as routers and modems directly to your computer, but most of all allows you to set up a network. The speed difference online was very noticeable in my case.

As stated in the review below, the instructions provided in the box are not the best, so I suggest you do a little research online if you’re a complete novice like me, and also consult your PC manual before starting.

Opening your PC might seem daunting but with a little help online, its actually quite simple. Luckily I have a Dell which as you may know has no screws. With a simple push of two buttons it opened, lifted a leaver, removed an unused plate, clicked the D-Link PCI card into place (like a piece of lego), pushed the lever back down, then closed the PC cover and I was ready to go. Be SURE the PCI card clicks into place but ensure you do no force it or you might damage the card or one of your PCI slots. The procedure for most computers is basically the same, only you’ll need a Phillips screwdriver.

The whole thing was literally done in two minutes. The driver support provided on the disc was excellent. Please note, you should always install the Drivers that come with any product, even if Windows XP recognises it as it did in my case. This should prevent any problems in future.

The card does exactly what it says and is very simple to install even for beginners. I now have a wireless router connected to it as well as my laptop on a home network, and all work flawlessly. Excellent.
Rating: 5 / 5

dan

at 7:35 pm

Just a basic NIC but it does the job. Easy to set up, all you have to do is plug it into a spare PCI slot and install the driver, and I had it working within minutes of opening the box.

Only annoyance is that it doesn’t come with a screw to secure the card but I had spares anyway.
Rating: 4 / 5