NETGEAR GA511

User Manual for the NETGEAR 10/100/1000 Mbps CardBus Adapter GA511
4-6 Configuration and Troubleshooting
What are the Differences Between CardBus and 16-bit PCMCIA Cards?
CardBus is a higher performance version of a PCMCIA card. CardBus also offers lower power
consumption: CardBus Cards are all 3.3-volt cards, while 16-bit PCMCIA Cards can be 5-volt or
3.3-volt.
The key difference is the data path interface. 16-bit PCMCIA Cards are based on a 16-bit
“ISA-like” interface, while CardBus Cards use a 32-bit “PCI-like” interface. This allows the
CardBus Card to transfer data at speeds exceeding 100 Mbps, while a 16-bit PCMCIA card
transfers data at approximately 20 Mbps.
Will the GA511 Gigabit CardBus Adapter Work on My Laptop?
NETGEAR's GA511 Gigabit CardBus Adapter has a CardBus interface, so the laptop must, as
well. Most computer specifications describe the interface type (CardBus or 16-bit PCMCIA Card)
for the PC Card slots.
Alternatively, you can check the interface type in Windows by accessing the Device Manager, as
described below.
To access the Device Manager:
1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > System (For Windows 2000 or Windows XP, click
Start > Control Panel > System). The System Properties window opens.
2. Click Device Manager (For Windows 2000 or Windows XP, click Hardware > Device
Manager). This opens the Device Manager window.
3. Expand the PCMCIA Socket/Adapters category by double-clicking on the box with the small
plus sign. If CardBus is supported, it will be listed here. If you only see references to 16-bit
PCMCIA Card, CardBus is not supported.
Note: Most laptops made after 1999 have CardBus slots. CardBus slots are backwards compatible,
they accept either CardBus cards (32-bit) or PCMCIA cards (16-bit). However, a PC slot (16-bit)
can only accept 16-bit PCMCIA Cards.
How Do I Remove the GA511 Software and Utility?
You can uninstall the utility in either of the following ways:
• Go to Start > Programs > NETGEAR GA511Adapter > Uninstall GA511 utility.
• Use Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel and remove the GA511 Gigabit CardBus
Adapter entry.