[SOLVED] Wireless Help

[kubobbu]

Why does wireless have to be such a big problem for Linux??.

I just did a search on this forum and found 111 pages of posts regarding wireless problems!

To make a long complaint short, can anyone list by make and model one or more PCI cards that will provide wireless connection with Lucid, plug and play.... No ndiswrapper, no downloads, no terminal programming, no tricks, no nothing. Just plug it in, turn on the computer and connect?

Thanks...

Bob

[GreyGeek]

Re: Wireless Help

You can check here for compatible PCI cards.

Here is a list by Linux drivers.

You can also do a google search "linux compatible pci wireless adapter card -router -windows".

Other help and/or information is here:
http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/w...ess_Networking

Not all wireless NIC cards work with Linux. For this reason, do your homework. You can find hardware compatibility lists for Wireless Tools quite easily on popular search engines.

Wireless NIC manufacturers are notorious for changing the chip sets on their cards depending on the price of the components. They then supply different drivers with each new card to make them work. It is possible to buy cards with the same model number from the same vendor with very different circuitry. Frequently Linux drivers for the new cards are unavailable. Always check the compatibility lists before buying your wireless hardware.

The Linksys WMP11 wireless card is a good example of this confusion. The original version of the card used the Intersil Prisim chip set, which worked with Linux, but the newer version 2.7 (Broadcom chip set) and version 4 (InProComm chip set) do not. Even so, the original WMP won't work without upgrading the firmware.

[kubobbu]

Re: Wireless Help

GrayGeek.... thanks for your helpful answer.

Sadly, none of the charts you suggested have been updated to show Lucid compatibility. And most of the cards in the charts still require ndiswrapper or fw-cutter or some other tricks.

Perhaps someone will relate their experience with a card that works "out of the box" with Lucid.

Bob

[Snowhog]

Re: Wireless Help

Look for cards that have an Atheros chip set. These almost always are detected natively in Linux without the need for any wrappers.

[kubobbu]

Re: Wireless Help

---SOLVED--- Thanks to GreyGeek and Snohog, and the references they provided..... I picked up a refurbished D-Link WNA 2330 PCMCIA card (for a big fat $9), made the appropriate entries in Network Manager, rebooted, and there it was... WiFi connected with no problems.

I guess there's always an answer... just have to dig a bit to find it some times.

Thanks again..

Bob