Cheap Linux Hardware - NetGear WAG511 Most Linux Friendly PCMCIA Wireless Card

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NetGear WAG511 Most Linux Friendly PCMCIA Wireless Card

Rockinghorse Winner

2007-07-22, 1:14 am

I recently returned from a journey on the web, looking for linux friendly
pcmcia cards, in anticipation of a new desktop I am assembling. You see,
wireless is my main path to the internet. It was a lesson in frustration, as
card after card on the Ubuntu list was either not available anymore or had
issues. I came upon the WAG511, and surprise, it is almost universally
acclaimed as a great card for Linux, and for all distros, and that works out
of the box. Finally! It's also currently being marketed, and is available
everywhere. It's not cheap, 60-70 dollars.

While I'm on this topic, may I just ask: why doesn't the LInux community
form a partnership with a company to develop wireless accessories and
drivers that are supported on all distros? Seems like it would be a license
to print money for any co. that would become involved. I know that I am not
the only person to be confronted with a brick wall when it comes to wireless
compatibility. It would seem there is pent up demand for such a card.
While I have used wireless successfully, the path to it is
often one of trial and error. The day of the universal Linux wireless card
should by now be upon us, don't you think?

*R* *H*

--
Tim and I a hunting went
We found three damsels in a tent,
As they were three, and we were two,
I bucked one and Timbuktu.
-- the only known poem using the word "Timbuktu"

Joe LaVigne

2007-07-22, 1:14 am

Rockinghorse Winner wrote:

> I recently returned from a journey on the web, looking for linux friendly
> pcmcia cards, in anticipation of a new desktop I am assembling. You see,
> wireless is my main path to the internet. It was a lesson in frustration,
> as card after card on the Ubuntu list was either not available anymore or
> had issues. I came upon the WAG511, and surprise, it is almost universally
> acclaimed as a great card for Linux, and for all distros, and that works
> out
> of the box. Finally! It's also currently being marketed, and is available
> everywhere. It's not cheap, 60-70 dollars.

Seek it out on E-Bay. I just bought one the other day for under $20 for a
client. My last one before that was about $25, IIRC, both prices including
shipping.

>
> While I'm on this topic, may I just ask: why doesn't the LInux community
> form a partnership with a company to develop wireless accessories and
> drivers that are supported on all distros? Seems like it would be a
> license
> to print money for any co. that would become involved. I know that I am
> not the only person to be confronted with a brick wall when it comes to
> wireless compatibility. It would seem there is pent up demand for such a
> card. While I have used wireless successfully, the path to it is
> often one of trial and error. The day of the universal Linux wireless card
> should by now be upon us, don't you think?

Who is the Linux community? Which company is interested? Who organizes it?

I wish more people would just start buying the cards that are compatible,
and stop giving money to the companies that ignore Linux. That is about
the best we can do to get them to start developing drivers for their
products that work under Linux...

notbob

2007-07-22, 1:14 am

On 2007-07-22, Rockinghorse Winner <rockinghorse@deadtime.com> wrote:

> issues. I came upon the WAG511, and surprise, it is almost universally
> acclaimed as a great card for Linux....

Netgear has pretty much always been linux compatible as far back as I
can remember (which ain't long! ;). All my routers, NICs, etc, have
always been Netgear and I've yet to run into problems. They do
produce a stinker now and then, but it's usually a hardware prob, not
a linux compatibility problem.

nb

MikE Campbell

2007-07-22, 7:15 am

"Joe LaVigne" <jlavigne@hits-buffalo.com> wrote in message
news:f7unl3$eoq$1@news.datemas.de...
>
> Who is the Linux community? Which company is interested? Who organizes
> it?
>
> I wish more people would just start buying the cards that are compatible,
> and stop giving money to the companies that ignore Linux. That is about
> the best we can do to get them to start developing drivers for their
> products that work under Linux...
>

Well here's one Linux Community that have got it sorted. I was going to
publish this when i'd finished the page on Ubuntu wireless, but you can look
here to see how easy wireless can be with Mandriva.
http://mikecampbell.50webs.com/

(Ubuntu page not done yet)

[cross posted to alt.os.linux.mandriva]

Rikishi 42

2007-07-25, 7:16 pm

On 2007-07-22, Rockinghorse Winner <rockinghorse@deadtime.com> wrote:

> I recently returned from a journey on the web, looking for linux friendly
> pcmcia cards, in anticipation of a new desktop I am assembling. You see,
> wireless is my main path to the internet. It was a lesson in frustration, as
I'm looking for one myself, for an old laptop on which I read my news.
So, thanks for mensionning the brand/model.

But something puzzles me: why would you need a pcmcia card ... for a new
desktop? Did you means new laptop, or did you mean wifi-card?

--
There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying.
The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
Douglas Adams

Rockinghorse Winner

2007-07-26, 7:16 pm

In comp.os.linux.hardware, Rikishi 42 had the audacity to say that:

> On 2007-07-22, Rockinghorse Winner <rockinghorse@deadtime.com> wrote:
>
> I'm looking for one myself, for an old laptop on which I read my news.
> So, thanks for mensionning the brand/model.
>
> But something puzzles me: why would you need a pcmcia card ... for a new
> desktop? Did you means new laptop, or did you mean wifi-card?
>
>

I would connect via pci adapter, easier to swap out diff cards, important
when you're trying to find one that works ;)

*R* *H*

--
"I'll take the nice ones with simple installers etc, because to me, thats the
whole and only point of using a distribution in the first place."
Linus Torvalds (2007)

Manga Rosa

2007-07-29, 7:15 pm

On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:10:29 +0100, "MikE Campbell" <mike28@gazeta.pl>
wrote:

>
>"Joe LaVigne" <jlavigne@hits-buffalo.com> wrote in message
>news:f7unl3$eoq$1@news.datemas.de...
>
>Well here's one Linux Community that have got it sorted. I was going to
>publish this when i'd finished the page on Ubuntu wireless, but you can look
>here to see how easy wireless can be with Mandriva.
>http://mikecampbell.50webs.com/
Still no ubuntu page ??
>
>(Ubuntu page not done yet)
>
>[cross posted to alt.os.linux.mandriva]
>

MikE Campbell

2007-07-30, 7:16 pm

"Manga Rosa" <mangarosa@not_re.al> wrote in message
news:69aqa3ld2d6ftdrh3ptqkn2f87hr87l5s3@
4ax.com...
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:10:29 +0100, "MikE Campbell" <mike28@gazeta.pl>
> wrote:
>
> Still no ubuntu page ??

I almost didn't have the heart to upset the computer again. If you think its
worth it for anyone else i'll do it and document it. I also have a Netgear
Wireless USB adapter, same results. I suppose what i'm trying to say is its
kind of you to offer to help me install it but my hope by mentioning it
further would of been for the Ubuntu people to look into getting better usb
support for these popular devices. Rather than fix the problem for me so to
speak. I'm not sure if thats your sphere? if it is then i'll relay results
back from the two adapters .I installed Linux on another computer again this
weekend , for someone who was having lots of problems with Windows. I ended
up putting Mandriva 2007 on it as Ubuntu would not go (straight off ) with
the usb motorola Cable modem, it did with Mandriva. Without going into in
depth comparisons of the distros here if i am installing Linux for someone
who is not computer savvy it is easier for me to install Ubuntu (if it
recognises all the hardware) and its then quick and simple to use automatix
and get all the plugins etc. straight off at the click of a button. I
stuggle to install the required JRE for Limewire for instance in Mandriva.
(thanks to bit twister i have that down to a fine art now! Well almost !)The
type of users i have been installing Linux for are probably typical
myspacers/msn live users/music downloaders/email and web browsing, not
really any office stuff/ web authoring (as such other than myspace)/digicam/
printer/ bluetooth for mobile fone. Also they are not interested in
computers as such other than the end results, hence their ignorance in
getting infected/malfunctioning windows machines. I've had mixed results
from the two distros, mostly good and all the end users have been happy
with them. Thats the only thing that holds back the Ubuntu installs is the
thorny problem of wireless usb support. Out of interest (or maybe not!) i
have not been called back to one Linux installation, all of them have been/
are very happy with it.