Linksys WMA11B user reviews

Pros Works for a few songs

Cons It saves _msl.lock files all over my machine!

Summary The fact that it saves _msl.lock files all over my machine has created numerous problems for other programs running on my machine. If *any* other program uses the mp3 files in your songs directory, be careful! My first reccommendation is to setup a read only file share and point the lynksys program to that instead of the real directory. Otherwise it will save hundreds, of _msl.lock files that cannot be easily removed.

I spent hours investigating problems on my PC only to discover that the stupid little linksys program was saving files that were left open and could not be erased. The only way I could delete the files was to reboot in command line mode! This product works great for a few songs but if you have hundereds-thousands it is too much pain to make it work.

Maybe someday Linksys will post a software upgrade...

Pros It works great for what it is supposed to do. Set up can be a pain, but if you 1. set it up while hooked into a wired network and then switch to wireless. And 2. Turn off software firewalls and virus detection when you want it to work. A lot of potentia

Cons LIMITED features, but yet so much potential! It really needs to be able to play video, and streaming media from the web. Internet radio, etc. Needs software to manage playlists and selections from the computer. Needs screen saver for TV music operation.

Pros Affordable

Cons No Firewall support.

Summary I called and inquired about the "you have to turn off the firewall to make this work" stance. After several hours of arguing with their tech support (who told me I needed to call Microsoft to find out what ports I needed to open up... idiot!), this was the response I received the next day via email:

"The WMA11B uses dynamic ports (changes all the time) for buffering purposes. You will not be able to use this with a firewall… This should not be a problem though for the fact that you “should” already have a Linksys router which contains an advanced hardware-based firewall."

And if I don't have a hardware firewall am I supposed to just open up my computer to attacks so I can listen to music?? Other products use set ports and rules can be created on the firewall to let the device talk to your computer.

This product stinks. The support stinks. Linksys's lack of concern for their customer stinks.

I will never buy another Linksys product again!!

Pros Works well once set up

Cons Difficult to set up

Summary This adapter meets the need for music and pictures to be piped in to my bedroom from the desktop in the den. I like its relative small profile (fits easily next to my TV). Hoping firmware upgrades are coming from Linksys to improve options menu and options themselves