Hi all,

Here's a strange one, not sure if this is quite the correct section for this issue, but it is related to wireless networking so here goes.

By a matter of deduction I have found out that my newly purchased Netgear WG511T 108M Wireless PC card is using over 50% of CPU power whilst it is connected. This is constant when it is connected and the CPU load will sometimes go even higher when other applications are running obviously. Even if I have no programs running, say on the initial start-up of my laptop the CPU load indicated by a system tray utility is 50% or more. The laptop CPU fan is running constantly in this situation and I don't think overall any of this is any good for the long term life of the laptop. Heat generation and all that sort of thing are not that good for laptops so I've been told.

When I unplug the PC card everything goes back to normal within a few seconds - Just tried it while typing this post! The fan went off within a few seconds and the CPU load is now constantly less than 10%, often 0% or less than 5%. The fan only comes on intermittently now and is not as noisy either as I suspect its running at a lower speed when the CPU load isn't so high. The system seems to run much better and faster when the CPU load is lower as well, but I guess that?s the reason why!

I did read on another forum as I have been searching for a solution that it may be an incompatibility issue with the laptop's Cardbus Controller - A Texas Instruments PCI-1410. Device Manager lists it as using IRQ 17 with no conflicts with any other devices.

I have tried using the Netgear Wireless Utility to connect the card to my Router - A Netgear DG834GT 108M model and using the Windows XP Wireless connection utility. The excess CPU load occurs with either method, so I don't think it's a software or driver issue. I am using the latest firmware and software in both the Router and Wireless card from Netgears own website.

I am running out of ideas fast as to how to solve this problem and would welcome any suggestions or advice anyone can come up with. Incidentally, I had changed the PC Wireless card from a Philips 108M model because of problematic disconnection issues with it and after reading how most manufacturers equipment was optimised to work better with the same make of attached devices, however I don't recall have this CPU load problem with the Philips card and I'm sure I would have noticed it before now had it occurred.

Now I just need to reconnect the PC card so I can post this message! Back to a noisy fan! :-X There we go fan on overdrive and and 52% CPU load!

Sadly, this seems to be a common problem with that product, see:

http://forum1.netgear.com/support/vi...c34492bf15bbad

Personally, I would say return it and buy something else...maybe Linksys?

Thanks for the info' Hengis. I read the other posting witn interest. I have managed to borrow a Belkin Wireless 125M PC card off a friend, which I am about to try in the laptop. I will post the results.

Look forward to those results bud

Hi Hengis,

Well I think I may have found a solution. I did try out the Belkin PC card I'd borrowed which worked fine without any CPU load issues, but I was disappointed by the poor connection signal strength I was getting round the house, which was much worse than with the Netgear card which connected in several areas where the Belkin one wouldn't.

Anyway, I then remembered I had a Netgear 108M USB Wireless Adaptor that was bundled with my router when I bought it that I hadn't used.

So I removed all the traces of the Belkin software, after first downloading the latest drivers for the USB adaptor from Netgear's website. These drivers included some useful new features, as well as being "Digitally Signed" for Windows XP. The most useful was the addition of Netgear's "XR (eXtended Range) feature which I then enabled in the router so the USB adaptor could take advantage of it.

This adaptor works fine now with none of the CPU load issues of the PC card version. I did find a problem with using my Router and Adaptor in Netgear?s ?Auto 108? mode to try and obtain the highest connection speeds. The drawback of this which I do find frustrating for a newish standard is that I am unable to change the channel on the router in this mode, which defaults to channel 6.

On scanning for Networks in the Adaptor?s utility program I discovered two neighbouring Networks of varying strengths also transmitting on channel 6. I have had to revert to 54G mode to enable me to change my channel to number 11, to try and eliminate interference problems from existing networks. This seems to have helped and I guess I can put up with the slightly slower connection speeds until they maybe allow changing of channels in ?Auto 108? mode in a future firmware or software upgrade.

Ideally I would still like to get a 108M compatible PC card adaptor as the USB one is held in a small ?holder? velcroed to the back of my laptop screen and is a bit unsightly and awkward, but I?ll make it do for now.

Thanks for your advice Hengis and hopefully this info? may help anyone else out experiencing similar problems.