The DWL-A520 PCI Adapter

As with all the other 802.11a devices in this review, the PCI adapter will support a transfer rate of up to 72Mbps, as claimed by D-Link, when used with other D-Link supporting "Turbo Mode" 802.11a devices. As it is designed for use with a desktop system, its antenna should provide better transfer speeds as compared to the Cardbus adapter. The antenna can also be set straight so that you can properly position the card into a PCI slot and screw it down. (Otherwise, it would be hard to get the bent antenna through the slot in your case.)

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The antenna at the back can be positioned to face up when you install it in a tower case or a desktop case. As with the AP, excellent documentation, both a verbose manual and a quick-guide, is included. A CD with documentation, drivers and the D-Link's LinkMon software for helping the user access the status of a wireless connection is included as well.

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The DWL-A650 Cardbus Adapter

The Cardbus adapters represents the ideal usage for a wireless network. It is often cumbersome to use a notebook with a wired network unless you've designed your office very well for LAN usage. This adapter supports the same features as the PCI adapter. It plugs into a Type II slot in your laptop, and comes in a nice case in its packaging.

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Setting a trend here, extensive documentation is yet again included along with the CD containing documentation, drivers and the LinkMon software. Because of the lack of antenna on the cardbus adapter and the optional use of power saving (ideal for portables), the range and transfer speeds of the cardbus adapter are likely to be less than those of its PCI brother.

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