The Xircom Springport Wireless Ethernet module is an effective 802.11b solution for the Handspring Visor; however, anyone using it should do so with caution and be aware of all details regarding the operation of it. Since it does not configure all settings automatically as does windows, it is a bit trickier to set up. No doubt, you must have at least some know how to set it up, or have someone else who knows how.

Probably one of the most important details to be aware of is that the Ethernet module rarely works with Linksys access points. I have heard that if you set a static IP that it will work, but I have only heard it once, and thus I would have to say that it’s a shot in the dark. There have also been some problems with the Apple Airport, but their tech support section has details on how to correct this problem. Simply said, don’t let your expectations be too high if you use Linksys or Apple access points.

Additionally, you must know the SSID names of the access points which you wish to connect to. Unlike Windows, which automatically scans for access points, the Xircom card cannot scan automatically and so you must tell it what to look for.

The software included is absolutely horrid. Don’t expect to get too much out of Blazer and Multi Mail, which are bundled with the module. Blazer has major security problems which prevents it from displaying many, if not most of the web pages. Multi Mail is slow and it can only check and send email over the wireless module, it cannot synchronize with your pc’s email client. I would highly recommend ditching those two programs immediately, once you get the module, and download Eudora’s email client and web browser. Eudora’s email client is much faster than Multi Mail, synchronizes with most major pc email clients (yes, even MS Outlook), and Eudora’s web browser does not have the security problems, and thus will show practically any web page.

As far as speed goes, I have read many complaints about this module not being much faster than a 56k modem. You can’t just blame it on the module, though. The processor in your Visor is only 33 MHz (maybe faster if you over clock it). This is a far cry from today’s 1GHz and faster pc’s. If you want blazing fast speeds, carry a notebook pc around with you. Thus, there’s no way that you can fully utilize the 11 Mbps speed of the module, but if you use Eudora for your web browsing and as your email client you will manage to get a much higher speed out of the module, as Eudora is a fairly efficient program when compared to Blazer and Multi Mail.

I use my Xircom Springport Wireless Ethernet module on the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities campus. I have not had any troubles connecting with their Cisco wireless access points. According to Xircom, the module was designed and tested to work with the Cisco access points. If that was all the testing that was done, that could explain why the Ethernet module doesn’t work with Linksys. Because of this, I would recommend talking with the network administrator who is in charge of the wireless networks that you will be using to see if he/she has any experience with the Xircom cards on the network.

The bottom line is that the Xircom Springport Wireless Ethernet module is a great tool for convenience if it works for you. It’s important to know its limitations and potential for problems. However, the technical support is very good and willing to help. For me, it’s a great product. I’ll rate it at 4 stars since the module itself works great, but the setup can be confusing and the software is poor quality. I definitely feel that the functionality of the hardware is more important than the software, since I was able to just use different software.

Recommended: Yes