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DS Flash Equipment > Ralink WifiMe Compatible Card $9.99 AR at CompUSA

#44088 - sLax0r - Mon May 30, 2005 4:26 am

I was checking the weekly ad for CompUSA today and saw that they had a "Hawking" brand wireless G card on sale for $9.99 after a $30 mail in rebate. The Ralink RT2500 chipset chart at http://ralink.rapla.net/ listed hawking as a brand that used the chipset so I went out and bought one. Sure enough, I got it home, installed it, and it worked like a charm for the e3 demos. Here's a link to the product on CompUSA's website:
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=319105&cmid=dsr&ref=dsr
(The actual card being sold is a bit slimmer than the one pictured on CompUSA's site, it more closely resembles this linksys card: http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=36&prid=635 . On the box of the card, it shows a picture of the card, on the right side of the card you can see the "RA" Ralink symbol on a small chip, if you see this then you know you've got the right card.) Not sure if this is helpful to anyone, but after rebates it's $12 cheaper than the cheapest working card at NewEgg (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=33-180-012&depa=0).

#44133 - FourScience - Mon May 30, 2005 4:51 pm

Ty, slaxor. They had this deal a week or two ago, but I couldn't tell if it was the correct revision; the Ralink page implies that only a specific revision works, the HWP54G(R) and the HWC54G(R). I already have a Linksys WMP54G PCI card, but for $13 after tax and rebate I can buy my teamates' their own cards (and get my GBA carts back).

EDIT: I went down to CompUSA, and there were 2 versions of both the PCMCIA and PCI cards. All were shrinkwrapped, so I looked at other info on the outside of the box. One of each had Revision T on the outside, and one of each had the Revision R. I took a guess that R is short for Ralink, and T for something else (possibly Conexant). I bought HWC54G Revision R (PCMCIA), and tested it WORKING with my laptop. Great!

So, it's my inference that Revision R cards are using the compatible Ralink chipset, while the Revision T will probably be different. You can check this by looking on the back of the box, then under the barcode it will say Revision R (or the untested T), and there might also be a sticker next to that which has a thin barcode, some alphanumeric string, and then (Rev.R). Note also for the Revision R models, the PCMCIA box has a PC Upgrade award marker on the front, and the PCI box showed a picture of a smaller chipset (like Linksys) on the PCI card with an external antenna (with a wire that runs out of the PC).

slaxor, what does your box say (R or T)?
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#44203 - Konbon - Tue May 31, 2005 1:27 am

i got the PCI card myself 9.99 as stated though there were 2 on the shelf and one was as pictured in the link above. the other was smaller an external antenna on a cable. which clearly had a chip on the picture that said RA

works great though!

good tip!

#44209 - sLax0r - Tue May 31, 2005 2:34 am

Yeah, looks like you're right FourScience, mine says Rev. R under the barcode on the back. It also has the "Winner PC Upgrade" maker on the front like your PCMCIA card. It is the slim linksys looking one with the external antenna you described.

#44222 - FourScience - Tue May 31, 2005 3:57 am

Konbon wrote:
i got the PCI card myself 9.99 as stated though there were 2 on the shelf and one was as pictured in the link above. the other was smaller an external antenna on a cable. which clearly had a chip on the picture that said RA


Which one did you get, smaller with external antenna, or larger one pictured here: http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=319105&cmid=dsr&ref=dsr

I didn't see "Winner PC Upgrade" on the Revision R PCI cards at my store, so don't be surprised if you see some with/without it, and don't go by that. Just check for Revision R, and you should be good. I can't guarantee it, but that's what our experience has shown.
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#44245 - maniacdevnull - Tue May 31, 2005 7:28 am

This is only a bargain if you don't consider shopping at CompUSA tantamount to entering into a pact with the Dark Load Satan himself. I personally have been burned by CompUSA too many times to ever shop there again.

This about sums up my views on both CompUSA and mail-in rebates: http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=compusa_sucks (not safe for work)

#44251 - FourScience - Tue May 31, 2005 8:49 am

Yes, you need to be weary of your deals...as soon as I checked out, I tallied up my rebate slips, and made sure no more than one of them required an original receipt or UPC from each box.

Something you typically see at stores like this, is a $50 printer with a $30 cable, or a $30 router with $50 in necessary Ethernet cables. They price certain items down while all the accessories are full retail.

Still great for hard drives and various rebate deals, but yeah, you should be careful. I've done dozens of awesome rebates with CompUSA, Circuit City, and Best Buy. I make sure to make photocopies of everything before I mail, and I check on them regularly thereafter.

As for that website you linked, this is standard practice at every major home electronics stores now.
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