[gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...

[gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...

[BRM]

After several years, I am not getting around to upgrading my wireless router - 
from a Linksys WRT54G to a Cisco Linksys E4200.
While I am at it, I am also considering getting a new wireless card for my D600 
laptop to at least augment the internal b43-legacy supported Broadcom 43xx card 
that generally works, but is also a pain to keep working.

While it's easy to find a USB Wireless card, I'm not really interested in them - 
the form factor is generally prone to breaking and my D600 laptop only has two 
USB-ports (its main flaw), one of which I use for a USB mouse when its not in 
the docking station - when it is, I can't use either as they are both in the 
back and blocked by the docking station - so a USB wireless is kind of 
problematic as I would then have to take it out to dock the laptop (undesirable 
to say the least).

So that leaves me with using one of the open PCMCIA card slots. I have two wired 
PCMCIA adapters, useful mostly for multi-network and diagnostics; so the slots 
are open.

I'd like to keep the cost down - $50 USD or less; and am pretty open to 
different brands. However, I've found the lookups - at least linuxwireless.org - 
to be a little troublesome in identifying to actual cards, so I'm looking for 
some good recommendations.

Thus far I've looked at:

Cisco-Linksys WPC600N
Cisco-Linksys WEC600N
Cisco-Linksys WPC300N

But I haven't been able to determine if they are supported under Linux.
Open to other suggestions too - so long as PCMCIA compatible.

Thanks,

Ben

Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:42:49 -0700 (PDT), BRM wrote:

> While I am at it, I am also considering getting a new wireless card for
> my D600 laptop to at least augment the internal b43-legacy supported
> Broadcom 43xx card that generally works, but is also a pain to keep
> working.

[snip]

> So that leaves me with using one of the open PCMCIA card slots. I have
> two wired PCMCIA adapters, useful mostly for multi-network and
> diagnostics; so the slots are open.

What format is the internal card? If it's mini-PCI, a standard Intel card
may be a better choice.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...

[BRM]

----- Original Message ----

> From: Neil Bothwick <neil@digimed.co.uk>
> On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:42:49 -0700 (PDT), BRM wrote:
> 
> > While I am at  it, I am also considering getting a new wireless card for
> > my D600 laptop  to at least augment the internal b43-legacy supported
> > Broadcom 43xx card  that generally works, but is also a pain to keep
> >  working.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> > So that leaves me with using one of the open  PCMCIA card slots. I have
> > two wired PCMCIA adapters, useful mostly for  multi-network and
> > diagnostics; so the slots are open.
> 
> What format  is the internal card? If it's mini-PCI, a standard Intel card
> may be a better  choice.

Yes, I believe it's mini-PCI - two slots; only one used that I'm aware of.

Ok, for 802.11a/b/g; not sure how well it would be for 802.11n.

Ben

Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...

[ny6p01]

I have always had good luck with Atheros-based cards. HTH.

Terry

Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...

[Paul Hartman]

On Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 2:54 PM,  <ny6p01@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have always had good luck with Atheros-based cards. HTH.

Me too. Plus, they are usually more likely to be able to do the fun
stuff like master mode, monitor mode, packet injection...

Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...

[BRM]

----- Original Message ----

> From: Paul Hartman <paul.hartman+gentoo@gmail.com>
> To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
> Sent: Fri, July 15, 2011 5:24:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...
> 
> On Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 2:54 PM,  <ny6p01@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I have  always had good luck with Atheros-based cards. HTH.
> 
> Me too. Plus, they  are usually more likely to be able to do the fun
> stuff like master mode,  monitor mode, packet injection...

Any specific PCMCIA or mini-PCI (not mini-PCIe) cards you all would recommend 
then - either Atheros (preferred) or Intel?

I have only been able to find a couple - namely a few by HQRP, Everex, and 
TP-Link.
I haven't been able to find much info on HQRP, and their cards seem to be 2.4GHz 
only - without proper 802.11n support.
Same for Everex and most others random ones.
TP-Link seems to support everything, but not sure about - Amazon reviews seem 
good (for the most part), but I have had trouble getting to their website for 
whatever reason - perhaps the Great Firewall of China is at play.

At least the Intel ones I come across on Amazon seem not support Wireless-N or 
be mini-PCIe.

TIA,

Ben

Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...

[ny6p01]

On Mon, Jul 18, 2011 at 10:58:45AM -0700, BRM wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----
> 
> > From: Paul Hartman <paul.hartman+gentoo@gmail.com>
> > To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
> > Sent: Fri, July 15, 2011 5:24:48 PM
> > Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Wireless N PCMCIA/CardBus Recommendations...
> > 
> > On Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 2:54 PM,  <ny6p01@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I have  always had good luck with Atheros-based cards. HTH.
> > 
> > Me too. Plus, they  are usually more likely to be able to do the fun
> > stuff like master mode,  monitor mode, packet injection...
> 
> Any specific PCMCIA or mini-PCI (not mini-PCIe) cards you all would recommend 
> then - either Atheros (preferred) or Intel?
> 
> I have only been able to find a couple - namely a few by HQRP, Everex, and 
> TP-Link.
> I haven't been able to find much info on HQRP, and their cards seem to be 2.4GHz 
> only - without proper 802.11n support.
> Same for Everex and most others random ones.
> TP-Link seems to support everything, but not sure about - Amazon reviews seem 
> good (for the most part), but I have had trouble getting to their website for 
> whatever reason - perhaps the Great Firewall of China is at play.
> 
> At least the Intel ones I come across on Amazon seem not support Wireless-N or 
> be mini-PCIe.
> 
> TIA,
> 
> Ben
> 
> 

I use the Dlink DWL-G630,
http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DWL-G630-AirPlus-G-802-11g-Wireless/dp/B0009OH4GA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311014826&sr=8-1
although I think I have also used the G650 with equivalent results. I would
try that first. They are dirt cheap, anyways. You can't lose much. :)

Terry