# Choosing a wireless card

## djay

Hi people

I've desided to buy a Linksys'  WRT54GS  router. The main reason is that this one is going to provide me faster LAN switch than I have now (10Mbps half duplex) and it is a wireless AP as well. Besides, it is a router after all, and it runs linux. Another very important issue, is the ability to change the software by installing your own.

I need an advice regarding the PCMCIA card for linux-only laptop that will work with this router. The laptop is HP ze4508a. What I look for, is the best available option out there (I'm buying a new device, so I don't have to make something work, I want to buy one that will). I want to know that whatever I'm going to buy will be supported pretty well by Gentoo.

I need this because I don't want to repeate the case of configuring 3com AirConnect, which took me ~3 weeks, and I still think I succeded by chance.

Thanks,

Alex.

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## bluedragon82

I would recommend the Linksys WPC54G, which is a wireless B/G card that is well supported.

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## kill

Checking http://linux_wless.passys.nl/ shows that WPC54G uses a broadcom chipset which is not supported by linux.  The only way you will be able to get that card working is with ndiswrapper if ndiswrapper even supports the card.

If you want to utilize the GS speed up features of the router you need a linksys GS card. Other wise your stuck with 54 m/s max connections between the card and router.

I just bought this D-Link card it has full linux support via the madwifi driver and works perfectly. Its a type II pcmcia card so make sure you laptop can support II or III type cards. The cards is on sale, but unless you bought the accompanying D-Link router you will be limited to 54 m/s with G only. 108 can only be achieved with a supported D-Link router.

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## djay

to kill: thanks,

I've read somewhere in some forum, that you can use the speedboosting capability of a router with any card, as it just transfers with more power. The linksys card that comes with S, has also the ability to transfer the signal with higher power thus extending range/quality ratio. So, if I'm working within one room with this router, I have no actual need for a card with boosting capabilities.... :Wink: 

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## kill

 *djay wrote:*   

> I've read somewhere in some forum, that you can use the speed boosting capability of a router with any card, as it just transfers with more power.

 

I just want to clear that part up.  You cannot use the speed boosting capability without a compatible router and network card.  To increase the amount of data that can be transferred it does not increase the power.  Increasing the output power of the router will only make your connection carry farther. There are two prevalent ways to increase the amount of data transferred. Super G and Afterburner. Super G bonds multiple channels.  Meaning that instead of just using lets say channel 6 your connection is now over channels 6, and 7.  by doing that you have increased the amount of bandwidth available and are able to transfer more data. Afterburner uses one channel but squeezes more data into a packet.  Both technologies are nonstandard and are buggy at best unless you use the same brand for both the network card and router.

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## djay

To kill:

Thanks man. You were right, I was wrong. Indeed, as can be read on Toms Networking Product review (if you want to read it, make sure to add s in the address line when you go to review pages, otherwise you'll read about G product, not GS), if I use non-enhancing technology card with GS router, I won't get any performance advantages. As it says there, 

 *Quote:*   

> Just don't buy it because you think it'll be significantly faster, because under most real-world conditions, the extra 20% spent will just get you a GS on the nameplate, and fewer blinking lights on the front panel.

 

So, I'd probably go with WRT54GS then only because it has more flash/RAM memory so it will allow more hacking into it and buy any well-supported-by-linux WIFI card.

Which brings me to my initial question: which card should I choose? or maybe, more generally speaking, which chipset I should look out for?

Thanks,

Alex.

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## UberLord

 *djay wrote:*   

> more generally speaking, which chipset I should look out for?

 

Atheros has the least problems in my experience

Intel IPWs seem to be doing ok as long as udev doesn't keep breaking it's firmware upload

Prism54 - avoid as the v2 chipsets (which is all you can get these days) doesn't work with the prism54 driver!!!

ra seems to have working drivers, but be warned as I've seen a few posts showing the driver causing kernel panics

Hopefully that covers all the G chipsets  with native linux drivers - which you do want don't you  :Wink: 

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## djay

Anyone has experience with Edimax 7108PCg ? its a rt2400/2500 chipset, seems to have native linux support from manufacturer as well as from a OS community.

Thanks.

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## kill

I've never used rt cards before but this should help you a lot.  It's a listing of card, their chipset, driver and if they work in linux. Also like I said this D-Link card works perfectly with the madwifi driver.

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## bluedragon82

 *kill wrote:*   

> Checking http://linux_wless.passys.nl/ shows that WPC54G uses a broadcom chipset which is not supported by linux.  The only way you will be able to get that card working is with ndiswrapper if ndiswrapper even supports the card.
> 
> If you want to utilize the GS speed up features of the router you need a linksys GS card. Other wise your stuck with 54 m/s max connections between the card and router.
> 
> I just bought this D-Link card it has full linux support via the madwifi driver and works perfectly. Its a type II pcmcia card so make sure you laptop can support II or III type cards. The cards is on sale, but unless you bought the accompanying D-Link router you will be limited to 54 m/s with G only. 108 can only be achieved with a supported D-Link router.

 

Let me clarify, the linksys wpc54G card v2 and below use the acx100 or acx111 chipset, there is an linux driver for this chipset located at http://www.houseofcraig.net/acx100_howto.php. The how to there is also well documented and it was easy to setup. I just bought this same card for $20 dollars online. Works great for me. :Very Happy: 

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## djay

Well, it's been like a half a year since previous post, but I actually already have both Linksys router and Edimax card, and they work great together.

All was needed in Gentoo is emerge rt2500 and to set an alias in /etc/modules.conf: alias rt2500 ra0

Then, just edit /etc/conf.d/net as usual, because having hotplug running just identifies card automatically when it is inserted into pcmcia port.

No need for cardmgr  :Smile: 

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