On Jun 26, 1:25 am, Le Chaud Lapin <jaibudu...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Jun 26, 12:50 am, Le Chaud Lapin <jaibudu...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > On Jun 25, 11:31 pm, Le Chaud Lapin <jaibudu...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > For all else who are interested, the pseudo-generic name for what I am
> > looking for is "SoftAP".
>
> > Google it, and much information will come forth.
>
> I appears that the complete package is Zyxel G200 series:
>
>
http://us.zyxel.com/web/product_family_detail.php?PC1indexflag=3D200405..=
..
BUYER BEWARE:
Zyxel seems to be engaged in deliberate false-advertising to move
products known to be incompatible with Vista in some respects.
I bought the Zyxel AG-225H and was extremely disappointed today that
the Access Point feature will not run on Vista.
The following page:
http://tinyurl.com/6zr6zn
=2E..reads:
"the Software Access Point feature that is included in each and every
AG-225H."
=2E..it also reads:
"Microsoft Vista Sup****t Out of the Box"
"Microsoft Vista is the next big operating system change users have to
contend with
coming out of Microsoft in 2007. Don=92t be afraid of your new AG-225H
becoming
obsolete lagging behind your computer OS upgrades"
I was definitely afraid of no Vista sup****t for my Access Point
dongle, so I spent over an hour carefully searching the web to make
sure that the Access Point device I chose sup****ted Vista. I chose the
AG-225H specifically because it mentioned "Microsoft Vista Sup****t Out
Of The Box."
If you try to use this device with Vista, the Software Access Point
feature not only will not work, it will not install. AT ALL. This is
not a bug. It is deliberate. The engineers have not written any GUI
software for Vista. Zero. If the installation CD detects that the
operating system on which it is being installed is Windows Vista, it
will install the device driver only, and completely block installation
of any other software, including the Access Point software.
I spent 30 minutes on the phone today with a Zyxel representative and
his manager arguing about whether a rational, moderately intelligent
person reading the page at the link above would get the impression
that the device is Vista-ready, meaning not only will it be useable as
a normal Wi-Fi roaming dongle, but will also be useable as an Access
Point, which is the only reason I bought it. The representative I
spoke with, and his manager, staunchly denied that they are
responsible for any wrong-doing or confusion that might have arisen,
and faulted me [an electrical/software engineer that programs in
Windows and network devices in particular] for "misinterpreting their
clearly-written presentation."
To prove that they were not at fault, the representative told me to go
to the "Sup****t and Downloads" location on their web site:
http://tinyurl.com/39b82r
And told to scroll down near the bottom and read one of the FAQ's
where it says:
Q:"When I install my ZyXEL Client Adapter, I can=92t use the bundled
Utility that controls the adapter. Is this normal? "
A:"Currently, Vista is not sup****ted on any of ZyXEL=92s Client Adapters
however this does not mean that they will not work on Windows Vista!
Using the step by step setup process outlined on this webpage, you can
install any of our client adapters onto your Windows Vista OS PC.
Please remember that the Utility used to configure and control the
Client Adapter will be the Windows Zero Config Utility within Windows
Vista."
What this means, in English, is that the Access Point feature *WILL
NOT WORK* on Vista. NOT AT ALL. Note how they call the Access Point
software the "Utility", not "Access Point Software".
I then asked, "Isn't the Sup****t & Downloads area of a company's web-
site typically visited by customers *after* they have already
purchased the product?" He said "No, it is clearly written there, and
you could have excercised some initiative and looked at that page and
seen that the Access Point feature was not sup****ted by Vista."
I then said, "But I was mislead by the page that describes the
product. Why do you not simply put an asterisk next to the 'Microsoft
Vista Sup****t Out of the Box' blurb on the product description page to
say that Vista sup****t does not include the Access Point feature?
After all, the only reason I bought your product is so I could use the
Acess Point feature on Vista." He said, "We will consider that in the
future."
I noticed that too many questions on the FAQ page seemed to indicate
that I was not the only person who inferred that "Microsoft Vista
Sup****t Out of the Box" meant that the Access Point feature would work
on Vista, so I asked the manager..."Certainly there are other people
who where duped by this page...I cannot be the only person who thought
that the Access Point feature would work on Vista only to find out
that it doesn't?" he said, "Yes, you're the only person." I said, "Are
you sure? I am not an idiot...I know how to read, I'm not lazy, this
simply doesn't make sense." He said, "No,..no..you're the only one."
I was about to ask if I could return the device and get my money back
until I read the following FAQ not far from the other FAQ:
http://tinyurl.com/39b82r
Q: "Do you have an exchange program for customers that upgrade their
PC=92s to Windows Vista only to find out that the ZyXEL product they are
using does NOT sup****t Windows Vista?"
A: "Unfortunately the 2 Year ZyXEL Warranty program does NOT include
exchanges if the product is not Micosoft Vista sup****ted. The
sup****ted operating systems are dependent on the time of which the
product was developed. Although ZyXEL tries our best to make sure that
all products will be Microsoft Windows Vista certified, sometimes a
replacement product will ****ft resources from one product to another."
Liar.
This company certainly knows how to make first impressions.
[NOTE: To those reading this post, this is not just a rant. I will
likely sue this company for false advertising as a matter of
principle. What would help me greatly is if you could simply take a
look at the following link, and make a mental note (or otherwise)
that, as of 2008-07-08, there is nothing on the product description
page that says that the Access Point feature of the device cannot be
used under Windows Vista.]
http://tinyurl.com/6zr6zn
Zyxel Customer Sup****t In USA: (800) 978-7222
-Le Chaud Lapin-
|
