Netgear WG311T PCI card not recognised

I recently bought the WG311T PCI card to connect my PC to a wireless network.

I install the card as per instructions (install the drivers & software, insert card then reboot).

The card receives power (lights on the back)but isn't recognised in device manager. I get a squeak of activity if I initiate a search for new devices after a failed installation. I get a popup window saying that it has recognised a wireless network card, then disappears, and I cannot see this device anywhere in my devices.

I sent the first one back to my supplier, but the replacement they sent is doing the same thing. So I wonder if there's something I'm doing wrong.

Has anyone out there had a similar experience?

I have a WG311T that I bought a few months ago, and it's working fine, although I don't like the cheesy design of the Netgear software. A couple suggestions:

1) You don't say which OS you're using. Make sure whatever software you have matches the OS, or download from Netgear's web site. (I'm using it with Win2K and various Linux distros.)
2) The Netgear instructions say to a) install the software, b) shut the PC down and insert the card, then c) reboot to finish the setup process. If you did that, then you did it right. The installer puts a Netgear shortcut in Programs -> Startup, so it should start automatically. I recall having a little trouble getting the GUI to launch at first, but just a little.
3) I first chose (unwisely) to install it in a slot that shared IRQ's with my SoundBlaster card. This apparently triggered a false alert in W2K's plug-and-play service, which started some process automatically and corrupted the entire OS. Never saw anything like it. So if nothing else helps, you might try (carefully) changing PCI slots or disabling unused motherboard features in your BIOS.

Good luck!

Hi, thetao, thanks very much for taking the time to reply.

Firstly to answer your Qs -

1) I'm running off XP SP2 (and keep it patched up-to-date). My PC is easily meets the system requirements, including PCI 2.2 compliant slots.

2) I've followed the instructions as you've described them (several times now), uninstalling between installations and using different versions of their software. After booting up I can see the Netgear SmartWizard on my desktop, but the software doesn't run, and nothing appears in my device list.

3) I had a look through my IRQ settings (that takes me back to the old DOS days!), and there was nothing showing for the Netgear card - my sound card is on the motherboard, so doesn't appear to take up an IRQ. The only other PCI card I have is a Firewire card.

So no luck. I took a look at Netgear's forum and see several postings describing the same problem as me. I'll have to keep digging, as I'd dearly like to find a good PCI wireless solution.

Thanks again