which mini-PCI card to use?
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Posted by Bill Kearney on June 30, 2006, 9:35 am
Please log in for more thread options I'm going to replace the existing mini-PCI card in my laptop. The question is, which new card to get? The senao, ubiquiti sr2 and wistron cm9 cards all look like contenders. Which ones perform the best all-round under XP? With netstumber? Under linux? With Kismet? I'd be using this just as a workstation, not as a router, access point or anything else. I'd be starting with just the built-in antennae that have U.fl cables but will eventually hack the case to allow for attaching an external antenna. I see that at least one card has a single U.fl connector so that'd hasten my addition of the external connector. So whose card should I consider? Which ones are a pain to use and should be avoided? And no, I do not want a PCMCIA card or a USB dongle. They're fine ideas but I'm interested in having the card remain built-in. Thanks. -Bill Kearney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by John Navas on June 30, 2006, 1:34 pm
Please log in for more thread options On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:35:27 -0400, "Bill Kearney" My personal favorite is the Atheros AR5004G -- solid, stable, low power consumption, and excellent range. Another good choice is the Intel 2200BG. -- Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi> Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_How_To> Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Jeff Liebermann on June 30, 2006, 5:14 pm
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>On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:35:27 -0400, "Bill Kearney"
> >>I'm going to replace the existing mini-PCI card in my laptop. The question
>>is, which new card to get? Which maker and model laptop? (Your original message didn't appear on Newsguy). Be advised that current IBM, HP, and possibly Compaq laptops all have a "feature" which prevents MiniPCI cards that have not been type certified with the specific laptop from working. The BIOS detects the card and won't let the machine boot. There are workarounds but most are no fun. Current favorite card is Intel 2200BG with Proset 10.x. Incidentally, MiniPCI cards are much like WinModem PCI cards. The bulk of the "intelligence" is in the drivers and not in hardware on the card. The card determines the RF performance, but the drivers determine how well it deals with errors, PAD (packet assembly disassembly), retransmissions, user control, and such. Find the best driver, and then buy the card that goes with it. -- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by John Navas on June 30, 2006, 7:21 pm
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On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 14:14:42 -0700, Jeff Liebermann >
>>On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:35:27 -0400, "Bill Kearney"
>> >>>I'm going to replace the existing mini-PCI card in my laptop. The question
>>>is, which new card to get? >
>Which maker and model laptop? (Your original message didn't appear on >Newsguy). Be advised that current IBM, HP, and possibly Compaq >laptops all have a "feature" which prevents MiniPCI cards that have >not been type certified with the specific laptop from working. The >BIOS detects the card and won't let the machine boot. There are >workarounds but most are no fun. The one for most ThinkPads is dead easy. Google "thinkpad no-1802". -- Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi> Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_How_To> Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Bill Kearney on June 30, 2006, 9:03 pm
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> Which maker and model laptop? (Your original message didn't appear on
> Newsguy). Be advised that current IBM, HP, and possibly Compaq > laptops all have a "feature" which prevents MiniPCI cards that have > not been type certified with the specific laptop from working. The > BIOS detects the card and won't let the machine boot. There are > workarounds but most are no fun. That won't be a problem. It's a Toshiba laptop and it's already had several different cards in it over time. All have worked just fine. The only thing the 'genuine' toshiba card can provide is support for their on-board wifi on/off switch. But it's a software switch that only their driver supports. I've lived without that for quite a while. It's had a Dell 1300 Truemobile (b/g) card in it for a while an Intel 802.11b before that. I just discovered they hobbled the driver upgrade process by fiddling with the setup.ini file. Damned driver install wouldn't work until I whacked some values out of the ini file. Idiots, tough to say whether it's Dell or Broadcom to blame. I'm sure there's enough to go 'round. I can now control which antenna it favors, so now I can add that external pigtail. > Current favorite card is Intel 2200BG with Proset 10.x.
The Proset stuff is what my wife's ultra-tiny Sony Vaio uses, can't recall which model card. It does seem to work well. That and her machine gets amazing battery life. Mine's a beast that doesn't usually last more than a hour on batteries. So I'm less worried about power saving issues. I want better WiFi use. > Incidentally, MiniPCI cards are much like WinModem PCI cards. The
> bulk of the "intelligence" is in the drivers and not in hardware on > the card. The card determines the RF performance, but the drivers > determine how well it deals with errors, PAD (packet assembly > disassembly), retransmissions, user control, and such. Find the best > driver, and then buy the card that goes with it. Hmmm, so are there any seriously negative issues with the drivers for the Senao and Ubiquiti cards? I looked at those for their power capabilities. I've never been particularly thrilled with how the inboard antennae on the laptop have worked. Getting a card with the possibility of more power holds some appeal. I find it somewhat odd that the miniPCI cards would be described similarly to a winmodem. Given it's a PCI bus you'd think the cards would be as capable as a regular PCI card, certainly more than a PCMCIA slot device. Is that not the case? Or, much like modems, does it vary from card to card? -Bill Kearney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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>is, which new card to get?
>
>The senao, ubiquiti sr2 and wistron cm9 cards all look like contenders.
>
>Which ones perform the best all-round under XP? With netstumber? Under
>linux? With Kismet?
>
>I'd be using this just as a workstation, not as a router, access point or
>anything else. I'd be starting with just the built-in antennae that have
>U.fl cables but will eventually hack the case to allow for attaching an
>external antenna. I see that at least one card has a single U.fl connector
>so that'd hasten my addition of the external connector.
>
>So whose card should I consider? Which ones are a pain to use and should be
>avoided?