# Best pci wifi card for linux?

## missyvortex

Hi

I am building a new pc and want to get a pci wifi card but am wary about which works under linux. 

I will be using gentoo with 2.6 kernel (but also dualbooting into winxp pro and win98)  and wanted to find out which are the okay cards to use with linux, without being overly expensive.

I'm tempted to go with ebuyer 11mps card 

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=647342486&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=52898

except that its hit and miss and noone seems to mention what chipset it is (also seems to vary who it is from) or if it works under linux.

I'm looking for a card around £20 (no more than £30) - are there any for that price that work under 2.6? Or even just 2.4.

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## codergeek42

Hmmmm....I'm using an Orinoco Gold PCMCIA card through a PCI CardBus, and it works quite nicely. IIrc, it was like ~$25 for the PCMCIA card and ~$20 for the CardBus.

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## K-Dawg

D-Link DWL-G520 for me and it rox  :Smile:   All you have to do is emerge madwifi-driver and it should be a go.  I have ran several 2.6 kernels w/ this card very easily.  The D-Link uses the Atheros chipset

Now for my lappy that is of course a PCMCIA and I went w/ Orinoco Gold w/ external antenna  :Smile:  (Orinoco's is probably the best IMO) but DAMN their wireless PCI cards are damned expensive.  :Sad:   The Orinoco cards use the Hermes chipset.

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## xi

get a Netgear 311 11Mbit, Orinoco compatible. works perfect even in Hostap mode.

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## neuron

I got a "Trust SpeedShare Turbo Pro PC Card

802.11g, 108 Mbps Super-G, WPA"

Works very well, got it working faster in linux than I did in windows actually (works fine there too now, but I had to upgrade the driver or it'd keep loosing the connection, got more stable when I let windows handle the wireless connection though).

I even got WPA working, which is insanly much better than WEP, you really really should go for WPA from a security point if view.

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## missyvortex

Hi

Thanks for the advice - though orinoco cards are way out of my price range in the UK.

I ended up getting a Netgear MA111 11mbps usb wifi dongle.

I just couldn't find any pci cards for linux that were ok price from the online shop I was going for (because I already had a delayed order and thought to add  some wifi gear to it).

Anyway there were several reviews for it saying linux config is fine and one of you did recommend a netgear pci card - so i thought i'd go for it.

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## Determined

DO NOT BUY UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT CHIPSET IT USES, PLEASE GOD!!!

I bought a $20 card that also did not mention the chipset on the box and it was for a reason. They did say that it came with linux drivers, but I found out when I opened the box it was a realtek 8190. Without the right version of gcc and kernel, you are sol. So my advice is to look hard at which chipsets are known to work on linux (gentoo would be nice) and don't buy one unless it is one of the few. (They are expensive as I have found though.)

Hope I got you in time, dont make my mistake please.

By the way the card works great, but it still gives me nightmares sometimes.

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## K-Dawg

Listen to me and go get either my above already mentioned D-Link DWL-G520 (wireless-g) PCI card and emerge the madwifi-driver and enjoy or stick w/ a Netgear MA311 (wireless-b) PCI card (model is very important on this) and emerge the hostap or prism54 (not really sure which 1 of these).  It can also be used as an AP like xi already mentioned.  I do believe if my memory serves me correctly that the Netgear cards use the Prism 2/2.5/3 chipsets.

Save yourself a headache and get one of these well supported cards!

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## jbpros

 *Determined wrote:*   

> DO NOT BUY UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT CHIPSET IT USES, PLEASE GOD!!!

 

That's right, and check three times if needed, some models have 3 or 4 different chipsets depending on their version (Linksys WMP11 is such a case). Companies shouldn't name their different products the same name  :Rolling Eyes: 

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## smart

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> DO NOT BUY UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT CHIPSET IT USES, PLEASE GOD!!! 
> 
> 

 

I'd also make this the recommendation of the day. It's clear in its advice, and it's not pointing to anything in kind of a marketing style allowing you the maximum choice you deserve as a free world user/customer, and are herby suggested to put your money where your demand is supported  :Smile: 

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## smith84594

This website:

http://www.unityelectronics.com/

Sells Refurbished SMC 2802W Wireless G PCI Cards for $29.

http://www.unityelectronics.com/product-product_id/1536

They work with the prism54 driver, which is built into the 2.6.5 kernel sources (no nasty ndis-wrapper, etc. etc.)

Edit: Major correction - wrong website and price quote, sorry  :Razz: 

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## Samuel

K-Dawg -- would the Dlink DWL-520 work as easily as the G520? My router doesn't support 802.11G, so I thought I would save a few bucks and get the cheaper version... 

Thanks -- very helpful post.

Sam

EDIT -- i see they have totally different chipsets...Last edited by Samuel on Tue Jun 29, 2004 4:42 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## Nutshell

I use a KCORP 520 it uses th prism chipset works great with linux  :Smile: 

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## monkey89

 *smith84594 wrote:*   

> This website:
> 
> http://www.unityelectronics.com/
> 
> Sells Refurbished SMC 2802W Wireless G PCI Cards for $29.
> ...

 

V1 card, verified.

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