Topic: reccomended wireless card for wireless access point

[James Mead]

I currently use a SMC Barricade router/switch/wap to provide internet access to all the computer in my house, including several laptops with wireless cards. I want to switch over to using e-smith for this instead, and I decided it would be a good idea to get some input on what PCI Wireless card I should use to simply this as much as possible, preferably one with an external antenna. Has anyone had any success with any peticular type of card? I do have 2 PCMCIA D-link DWL650's, but I would need a PCI adapter, and neither has an external antenna. Thanks for any input...

[chris meredith]

It would probably be easier to use the access point for the wireless network since you already have it.  Can you just set it to gateway mode?  I like an access point in gateway mode hanging off a firewall like e-smith.  Just secure that NIC.  That way you can require IPSEC, or only allow pptp,ssh, etc on that card.

If you decide to go the card route, most of the cards are about the same.  It might have a Linksys/Belkin/D-Link label, but it will be a Prism2/Lucent/Orinco etc, chipset..  If you are interested in an external antenna, check for that feature and don't worry too much about the brand.

Check out some reviews:
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/list.asp?p=5

[Duncan]

Have set up the following cards with no real problems.

http://www.everythinglinux.com.au/item/ZA4105
http://www.everythinglinux.com.au/item/DLI30055

Need to install quite a bit of software to get them going though. Both have external antenna fittings. You need to be careful with using any pci to pcmcia adaptors as a lot of earlier pcs cant handle them

Regards Duncan