Laptop User looking for wireless solution

[netsparc]

I'm going to set up a wireless lan, and am currently trying to figure out my options. I need a simple AP/Router to plug into my wired netgear 4 port router. And a pcmcia card that will work with my compaq armada m300 gentoo laptop.

Here's what I've been looking at:

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Netgear Model WGT624
108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router

Model WAG511
802.11a/b/g Dual Band PC Card

Cisco Aironet 350 Series Client Adapter

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I can use any router/ap (aiming at best price/quality ratio).

I would like a versatile pcmcia card, but it's not a necessity. It would just be nice to hop on the network at work and home and etc w/ ease.

I'm thinking a budget around $150 sounds nice. Can anyone help me find some suitable hardware?

[Icarus]

Well...questions about wireless adapters should go into Networking, not 'how I did it" ;)

Get the Cisco card, that is more likely to work since the others use wireless/g which has next to zero Linux support due to an over-generalization with the design (they can attach to military networks if given to correct drivers, I guess some bonehead in R&D though this would be a good way to save money...use the same card for military and civilian use :rolleyes: )

Cisco is a lot more open with their equipment and has some of the best tech support there is


With the access point it really doesn't matter which one you choose, just from personal experiance Do Not Get Any D-Link Equipment!! :)

[chesskidd]

Originally posted by mahdi
just from personal experiance Do Not Get Any D-Link Equipment!! :) [/B]

why no D-Link's equipments? i don't get it. :confused:

[netsparc]

I don't like D-Link. Their routers always freeze up and need to be rebooted, and I think their service/products are of a lesser quality.

[netsparc]

Sorry about posting to the wrong forum. I woke up with a bad headache and wasn't really with it yet.

[Icarus]

Originally posted by chesskidd
why no D-Link's equipments? i don't get it. :confused: D-Link makes terrible products, I put up with one of their wireless access points for 6 months before it get me fed up to run out and buy a Linksys...getting the wireless card to connect was a 20/80 chance of happening...and that smaller number is the successful connections I got. I know many NetAdmins that would not trust a D-Link product for personal use let alone for business

[canon006]

I've had plenty of Linksys networking products that work great (my 8 port router just needed to be reset for the first time in nearly a year...) for wireless, I've got a Belkin Wireless B/G router that's decent but needs to be restarted every couple of days if it's not used often. Netgear stuff I've had trouble with in the past (had one f their print server devices burn up under normal use). And Cisco is always a good choice if the price is right. My opinion would be to go for the Netgear router and the Cisco card, unless you can find a Linksys wireless router for cheap.

[adikgede]

I have a SMC Barricade that has 802.11.b and four our five 10/100 ports. It cost $50 and I expect that they will at some point send me a rebate for $25. So $25, its been running for three months and never has needed to be reset. If you need more ports you can just put a switch behind it.

[workingitout]

I bought a D-Link wireless router a short time ago based entirely on price. In the 6 months or so that I have used it, it has worked flawlessly. Not sure what problems you folks have experienced, but I'm very happy with mine. I use a Linksys card in my laptop & have no problems connecting. Only glitch I seem to have is transferring large files, or downloading files from a high-speed source. RH 8.0 seems to choke on these, & I have to deactivate & reactivate the card to resume. It seems to be a RH problem, as my other OS doesn't choke like that.

[Bowtie]

I'm with workingitout, I've had a D-Link access point and wireless pcmcia for about a year now. I have had 0 problems with any of the products. I also have a USB Netgear wireless nic and it works fine as well. I guess it just depends on configuration and hardware combinations.