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Wanted, inexpensive, reliable PCMCIA platform

I have a 5220 Aircard (Verizon Wireless 1x, evdo access ) and have need to share it with multiple machines (e.g. personal machine, plus work VPN machine, they need to be separate).

I'm currently using an old laptop that's about to die. I'm looking for a replacement. I had tried a PCI/PCMCIA converter card and put that in my personal machine. However, about every 3 days or so, the card would wiggle loose enough to cause a hard bus lock up on the machine.

I'd consider a 'stompbox' (linksys style router with a pcmcia adapter to share the 5220), but I haven't seen any for less than what I could buy a barebones PC.

I could buy another laptop, but that'll run around $500-$600 for a barebones model, and if I got a power laptop, I'd be spending more.

I could try a barebones PC with another PCI/PCMCIA card, but then I'm stuck with uncertainty of stability of the PC to begin with, and with the uncertainty if the PCI/PCMCIA card might just wiggle loose every couple days from this new machine too.

Any other options I've missed? Or any different takes on the situation that may help?

Reply to
jamessmalljr
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I'm not understanding this, you put this in a desktop machine and it wiggles loose? What's coming loose, the PCI or the PCMCIA card? Can you solve this problem instead of buying another machine?

Reply to
William P.N. Smith

The PCMCIA/PCI converter card slips loose from the motherboard about every 3 days. It's loose enough that the machine locks up. No, the problem can't be solved with the desktop in question. The PCMCIA card wiggles loose, even though it's screwed in to the motherboard. If I didn't screw it in, the back section would pop out. If I do screw it in, three days later the front section visibly looks like it's in the same position, but if you tap it with your figure, it shifts. Same behavior occur even if different slots are used.

The Desktop PC is a stable platform, I'd prefer to not mess with it futher, and find some other platform to host PCMCIA card instead.

The claim may be suggested to 'get another PCMCIA card that works'. Ok, then please find me one that WILL work, not one that might work and that I spend a week's worth of time trying to get it to work.

Reply to
jamessmalljr

Ah, I've seen this before, there are a couple of different standards (or interpretations of the standard?) for PCI cards, and not all cards fit well in all machines.

Can you bend the bracket on the card so that it's not trying to pull the card towards the back of the machine, which is what's apparently pulling the card out of it's socket?

Reply to
William P.N. Smith

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