Which Wireless PCI Card?

CovertCow · n00b Joined: 18 Oct 2002 Posts: 14

I am going off to college next year and will use a desktop computer built into a suitcase. I would like to be able to get on the wireless network at my school wherever I am, so I am getting a wireless pci card (NOT PCMCIA).

I was wondering if any of you have experience or could recommend a card for me.

My only criteria is that it be 802.11b capable (g would be nice but not necessary) and of course linux compatibility (having a driver built in the kernel would be nice).

Thanks for your time.
Jeff

grahamfsw · n00b Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Posts: 16

I just bought a new wireless mini-pci card. It is an Engenius 2511-MP-PLUS. Linux drivers built into the kernel(detected on first boot in gentoo). It also works in FreeBSD. This is a mini-pci card but this chipset is included in many PCI cards also.

lspci:
02:03.0 Network controller: Harris Semiconductor Prism 2.5 Wavelan chipset (rev 01)

lsmod:
orinoco_pci
orinoco
hermes

The only thing I had to do was emerge wireless-tools.

-Graham

CovertCow · n00b Joined: 18 Oct 2002 Posts: 14

thank you for the fast and informative reply.

Has the device worked well for you? do you have a good signal at reasonable distances?

Just curious about how it perfroms.

Thanks again.
jeff

CovertCow · n00b Joined: 18 Oct 2002 Posts: 14

After your advice and some other reading I am choosing the Netgear MA311 (based on the same chipset as your card). There are 3 separate projects providing drivers for it and it is supposed to have a great signal and performance.

latexer · Retired Dev Joined: 05 Mar 2003 Posts: 239 Location: NYC

yeah, the MA311 works great. Been using one of those for my access point with hostap-driver for about a year now. fine as a client card as well.
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