UCD Wireless Cards - feedback please!

Bri

Just got the details for Glenomeana's LAN access cos I'm now a postgrad!

They say you require a 3Com OfficeConnect 11Mbps Wireless Card with XJACK antenna

OR

Orinoco Silver (or Gold?) 11MBit Wireless Card

Two questions:
Any difference in the two (or three?) - why is one MB per sec and the other Mbit?!

Where to buy these guys at a reasonable price?

Laptop is 1-2 yr old Presario 900 on XP.

Thanks in Advance!

Michael Collins

I can't see there's any real difference in most WiFi cards. There WiFi they do as the say. That Mbps means "megabits per second". I think the only difference between the Silver and Gold cards it the security ability, silver is 64 bit and gold is 128 bit encyption. By far the best place to get WiFi cards is on ebay. Failing that there's www.komplett.ie, www.basewireless.net. Or you could do it the old fashion way and get it in Peats or Maplin for several times the price.

Any Wifi card should work, doesn't have to be those two I wouldn't think

tomk

I'd recommend you get an 802.11g or 802.11a/g card - both will be compatible with the college network, but they will also give you a bit of future-proofing, and they don't cost much more.

I got this 3Com one from Elara - works perfectly, and is Linux-friendly, in case that matters to you.

Bri

Thanks guys.

Ill get looking...

P.S. Future-proofing - in what way? Basic spec is better or new features?

LoBo

support a newer frequency/protocol/insert correct word : 802.11g

So if in a few years every one was using that you wouldn't have to change your card..

Bri

Fair enough - thanks for the headsup.

I still dont follow the difference in MBps and MBit - I know what MBps stands for I just want to know if theres any difference?!

On a side note, if a laptop only has one space for a PCMIA card (sp?) but you want to have two, are there decent extensions? Id like to not lose the ability to plug my iPod into a USB2 card but I'm not prepared to not use the free wireless in my room! Tough decisions.

happydude13

you could get a usb wireless network card.

or whatever they are actually called.

Michael Collins

Bri wrote:

...I still dont follow the difference in MBps and MBit - I know what MBps stands for I just want to know if theres any difference?! ...

Ack, sorry could have been clearer before. There is no difference between MBit and MBps, I just thought you were maybe confusing Mbps with megabytes per second (by the way when you use a capital 'B' like that it's an unwritten rule that you do mean bytes, a small 'b' denotes bits.) The speed of the two cards is exactly the same. But if we're being pedantic, Mbit isn't a speed, it's a size. (which I suppose could be confusing for some people, as the security of a card is measured in bits as per my previous post).

tomk is dead right though, you might as well get a Wireless 802.11g card, not that UCD will give you that ability for quite some time, they don't even have WiFi in the engineering building, well not for the students anyways.

Bri

Ah gotcha now. Yup sorry about the 'B' that was my brain in auto-pilot!

Anyone got any trusted seller names from e-bay?

Out of interest, what parts of UCD have student access? Glenomena, Commerce...is that it?! Dont tell me the library doesnt either...

briano

I have the same one as TomK, its a grand card. Although I haven't gotten it fully functional with linux yet (no WPA, can't find the ssid as its not being broadcast)

Its definatly a good card to go with, and it should work with the ucd network.

tomk

briano wrote:

no WPA

No WPA until the driver maintainers add it. They're working on it now - keep an eye on their website for news.

can't find the ssid as its not being broadcast

Ermm...isn't that the whole point of not broadcasting it?

briano

True. What I meant to say (but clearly didn't) was that it can't resolve the ssid, even when I enter the name of it into the nw interfaces settings. I think its beacause its not being broadcast by the AP. But it is picked up fine by windows machines (grrr).

Bri

happydude13 wrote:

you could get a usb wireless network card.
or whatever they are actually called.

Anyone?

happydude13

this sort of thing.

http://komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=122836&cks=PRL

Bri

happydude13 wrote:

this sort of thing.
http://komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=122836&cks=PRL

Ah ok. Apart from sticking out the back is there any kind of difference in the two - performance etc?

If the card option doesnt pertrude out the side of the laptop, then why did UCD suggest a 3Com with XJACK antenna? Things like the Vodafone card they keep plugging stick out a bit - whats the difference?

Thanks for the help

briano

The vodafone card isn't wifi (I assume you mean the little one, with the ad - guy emailing from the toilet? anyone?) It uses a sim card and acts as a modem. I wifi card connects to wifi networks rather than gprs/gsm.

The new 3com cards don't have xjack antenna afaik, its all built in. They still protrude about 2.5 cm out of the side of the laptop

Bri

Yeah that's the one - presumed it was just for wireless cos I saw it everywhere in the airport departure lounge.

I was hoping you'd say that about the aerials - sounds good.

Thanks again - I'm off to buy one

tomk

briano wrote:

What I meant to say (but clearly didn't) was that it can't resolve the ssid, even when I enter the name of it into the nw interfaces settings.

briano - mines working perfectly. If you'd like to compare notes, start a thread in the Unix forum, or PM me.

Bri wrote:

Apart from sticking out the back is there any kind of difference in the two - performance etc?

Generally not. Personally, I have a problem with using USB for things you don't have to use USB for e.g. networking, but it should be fine, if that's the way you want to go.

Stephen

With regards to using 2 PCMCIA cards with only 1 slot - you can usually hot swap them - so you can carry whichever one you're not currently using around in your bag. The only disadvantage is that you won't be able to use both at once.

Bri

As on the other board - thanks Stephen!

Michael Collins

I'd recommend against a USB one, certainly not a Belkin USB anyway. I had one and the reception wasn't the best, in fact I have it here somewhere if you want it - just to see how it works like? I'll be in UCD tomorrow

Bri

Much appreciated but I wont be up...Thanks though!
TBH I'm just gonna get the 3Com card suggested at the top of this forum. I know the USB one has a hindged bit to keep it out of the way but screw it I'm gonna have it plugged in 24/7 so mobility/ease is the deciding factor.

Thanks for all the feedback.

briano

Just a quick thing, Don't leave the card plugged in when you are carrying the laptop around. Take it out, or you could end up breaking off the end of it.

Bri

Yup I'll watch out for that...

Thing is I'm getting forced into buying a stupid USB one. Thing is I was told this the other day:

If you plug a wireless thingy in via USB 1.1 it'll only be able to get upto 10Mbps NOT the 54 possible with a card. I was told if I had USB2.0 card plugged in and then plugged in my USB Wireless adaptor into the USB2 card not the back of the laptop as I'd planned, then I'd be able to get full speed. Now I don't know much but I'm sure these figures quoted arn't exactly written in stone. But the question remains - unless the USB adaptor is plugged in via USB2 are you losing any benefit of a great connection?

Thanks (again).

Michael: Can you explain what happens if the performance isn't good - somewhat slower or fluctuating or downright loss of connection?!

tomk

And there I was, thinking you were all sorted........

Bri wrote:

I'm just gonna get the 3Com card suggested at the top of this forum.

And then you come along with this....

Bri wrote:

Thing is I'm getting forced into buying a stupid USB one. Thing is I was told this the other day:

If you plug a wireless thingy in via USB 1.1 it'll only be able to get upto 10Mbps NOT the 54 possible with a card.

So here's an idea - stick with your original decision, and Buy The Card. It's a quality piece of kit, it will connect to UCD's 802.11b network, and it will also connect to 802.11g networks - this is where the 54 (Mbps) comes in.

Bri

Heheh, ok well I'm glad my posts reflect my ever-changing mind!

The reason I've changed my mind is because it looks like I have choice in regards to making my laptop wireless...but I don't have any regarding plugging in a well-needed external hard-drive via USB2. Not to mention finally getting my iPod to work on my own computer a year later!

Annoying or what.

Michael Collins

Bri wrote:

...Michael: Can you explain what happens if the performance isn't good - somewhat slower or fluctuating or downright loss of connection?!

If the performace isn't good you can suffer from loss of connection, especially if you are moving around with your laptop. Usually when you start to go out of range (or there's big metal thing in the way) your card will lower the connection speed to 6 Mbps, then 2 Mbps until eventually you loose connection. But I doubt you'll have to worry about that, the signal should easily be strong enough for you to pick up anywhere in Glenomena.

I'd say go for that Elara 802.11g Cardbus card. The coolest thing with wireless is the ability to walk around with your laptop, but with a USB WiFi attachment that'll be annoying as you'll have this cable sticking out with a big piece of hardware attached to it. Not exactly wireless anymore!

Bri

Thanks for the explanation.

Michael Collins wrote:

I'd say go for that Elara 802.11g Cardbus card. The coolest thing with wireless is the ability to walk around with your laptop, but with a USB WiFi attachment that'll be annoying as you'll have this cable sticking out with a big piece of hardware attached to it. Not exactly wireless anymore!

Yeah sounds awful I know but Komplett have this one (mentioned by happydude13) which seems like an acceptable compromise to let me add a huge HD to my laptop. The hot-swap idea is nice but there's no point in having most of my computer unplugged when I surf the web (although I'm sure it's safer or something). Worst thing the wifi adaptor will sit out the side of laptop not even hidden behind the screen.

Ah I'll just keep wrecking my head about it.

P.S. Sorry if I'm repeating myself it's just such an annoying decision. Well to me it is anyway...