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best wireless pci card
Whats the best wireless pci card also I've seen certain cards that have a movable antenna does this help or is it a waste of money. I will be placing this card in a system thats up against the wall. I have a link to the type of card with a cord attached to the atenna.
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=546351
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=546351
I agree with chicagoan on the USB ones. They can be cheap, (also if you need to quickly get a visitors copmuter on it's easy) and get better reception.
For PCI cards though, i don't recomend that D-Link card. I have had many bad experiences with their stuff.
I rccomend this onw
http://hardwarecentral.dealtime.com/xPO-Proxim_ORiNOCO_11a_b_g_PCI_Card_Gold_8482_WD
For PCI cards though, i don't recomend that D-Link card. I have had many bad experiences with their stuff.
I rccomend this onw
http://hardwarecentral.dealtime.com/xPO-Proxim_ORiNOCO_11a_b_g_PCI_Card_Gold_8482_WD
The Orinco's have a good reputation, but i've only used the PCMCIA.
I've had excellent luck with NetgearPCI and PCMCIA, on *nix and windows, good luck with the SMC USB (but NOT their PCI), and Cisco's PCI cards. My wife has an SMC USB (2655) and if seems to pick up AP's in 6 states.
I've had excellent luck with NetgearPCI and PCMCIA, on *nix and windows, good luck with the SMC USB (but NOT their PCI), and Cisco's PCI cards. My wife has an SMC USB (2655) and if seems to pick up AP's in 6 states.
You can't go wrong with the Orinoco, Cisco or other type of cards that have an external antenna connection. The USB wireless cards also work pretty well. Your connection strength also has to do with the type of router you have. In my experience the 2wire routers are excellent and provide the alternative to create a HPNA network in your house where you can use the phone wiring to create a network. This is especially good in large houses or older houses( with better construction) where the wireless signal may drop off.
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
i've only used the PCIMCIA one as well but, i assume the USB will work with the same consistancy.
Also I reccomend Linksys over Netgear because of the few i've seen they seem to get better reception.
I've never used an SMC but it seems kind of expensive.
http://www.mobiledatadirect.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=27_51&products_id=537
linksys is about 50
then again it might be worth it.
Choose wisely. I've had many problems with repeaters or 3rd party antenas trying to get better reception.
Out of curiosity, what brand is your base station?
Also I reccomend Linksys over Netgear because of the few i've seen they seem to get better reception.
I've never used an SMC but it seems kind of expensive.
http://www.mobiledatadirect.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=27_51&products_id=537
linksys is about 50
then again it might be worth it.
Choose wisely. I've had many problems with repeaters or 3rd party antenas trying to get better reception.
Out of curiosity, what brand is your base station?
ASKER
Well I had purchased a netgear wireless router. The problem was when I hooked it up to the wired clients internet surfing was slow as hell. So I put my original linksys befsr41 back in than I returned the netgear to the store and picked up a linksys wireless g access point. The computer it the from of the apartment gets about 50 to 60 percent of signal strenght this is good when the system is in a computer desk in the wireless pc11 adapter is facing the wall. I'm thinking about trying out this 3com product this http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=546351 right now I'm using the dlink gwl 520. The main reason for the 3com card is I might be able to pick up more signal by moving the antenna to the front of the computer case.
have you tried using a signal booster on you Linksys router?
I have one and it gives me a small boost.
Also try putting a larger antenae on your router.
I bet you'll get more of a boost by working on the base than on the recievers.
I'm starting to think that the NIC you have is as good as you'll get
I have one and it gives me a small boost.
Also try putting a larger antenae on your router.
I bet you'll get more of a boost by working on the base than on the recievers.
I'm starting to think that the NIC you have is as good as you'll get
This was exatly the proble my wife was having, she's exactly opposite the access point and the PCI card was facing away from it, blocked by the computer case.
We replaced the PI card with a USB which is mounted on the wall about six feet up and blammo! she's getting 100% consistently. Had the same thing at a client site, the cubicles were attenuating the pc-card signals during testing, we got usb units and mounted them on top of the cubes and were able to go with 2 AP's where we figured 4 or 5 would have been needed originally (this was temporary office space they didn't want to cable).
We replaced the PI card with a USB which is mounted on the wall about six feet up and blammo! she's getting 100% consistently. Had the same thing at a client site, the cubicles were attenuating the pc-card signals during testing, we got usb units and mounted them on top of the cubes and were able to go with 2 AP's where we figured 4 or 5 would have been needed originally (this was temporary office space they didn't want to cable).
ASKER
I had to use the wall also I mounted the linksys access point to the wall and we are now pulling a solid 90 percent. It seems like this wireless is a lot about position. A lillte off topic but I would like to ask what security protocal are ypou guys using I'm trying to set up wpa and of course I'm doing mac address filtering and ssid blocking. The strange thing is I installed the dlink software on the xp box as you guys know windows xp will configure a wireless network almost automatically, so now I have 2 computers in the buttom of the systray that shows the wireless connection is connected. I also have a D in my system tray the d is of course the icon that the dlink software installed, but when I click on the Dlink icon I get the same properties as when I click on the 2 computer icon in the systray. Have any of you guys experience this I'm assuming its better to configure the card from the software that it shipped with.
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ASKER
Man that sucks but do you think I'll be able to mange secuirty better from the dlink software or is letting xp mange it ok. I'm going to have to pick a book up on wireless security.
If you insist on PCI, a remote antenna is usefull as without it the card is down low, blocked on a 45 degree arc by the PC itself and invariable has all sorts of cables sucking up rf and bleeding lord-knows-what. Get a unit that already has one (aka http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=16 , etc.) as the seperate pigtail and antenna will add up later.