[TriLUG] A good PCMCIA wireless card for Redhat linux....

[Steve Litt]

On Wednesday 14 February 2007 22:06, dsandif wrote:
> Steve Litt wrote:
> > On Wednesday 14 February 2007 15:53, dsandif wrote:
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> I've been battling with Redhat Enterprise Linux 4 trying to get a Cisco
> >> Aironet 350 and a Cisco Aironet 802.11a/b/g wireless adapter to work on
> >> it. After much reading and fighting, it sounds like the latter card is
> >> still fairly too new for RHEL 4 not to mention that Cisco only has
> >> drivers for windows for it so I pulled it and popped in the 350. Tried
> >> to follow the directions based on what Cisco says to:
> >>
> >> dohttp://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/wireless/airo_350/350c
> >>ard s/linux/instlcfg/icglchp3.htm#wp1041126
> >>
> >> But to no avail. The sh ./cwinstall script they made wouldn't run even
> >> after making sure it was in the proper directory, so I did a ./install
> >> instead and got a couple of dependences, got them installed, re-ran
> >> ./install and got more errors than I could begin to wrap my brain
> >> around. Went and checked /vary/log/messages for any error messages or
> >> notes and couldn't make any sense of it other that the fact that the
> >> card wasn't working. Setting up wireless in Linux isn’t easy to begin
> >> with and setting up wireless on Redhat is even worse. It could just be
> >> my frustration talking here but
> >> after battling with this for three days, I’ve just about had it. I
> >> calmed down a bit enough to got do a check for hardware compatibility of
> >> wireless cards and even though it was from 2004, I didn't see either
> >> of my cards on the list which makes me wonder if I'm wasting my time
> >> with Cisco. Looked at ndswrapper and still considering it. Are there
> >> better PCMCIA wireless nics out there that won't drive you to near
> >> insanity trying to set them up? I am actively searching the web as I
> >> send this message so I know I'll get dozens of hits on this, but I did
> >> want to see what the Linux community has to say about this, thxs.
> >>
> >> D-
> >
> > I tried cardbus cards from Linksys and Belkin -- no joy no matter what.
> > Then I tried a Linksys WUSB54G version 4 USB nic. It was drop dead easy
> > with ndiswrapper, and it was doable with Mandriva's packaged rt2570
> > driver.
> >
> > The way I see it, USB is no less convenient than cardbus/PCMCIA. With
> > both, you cannot leave the nic in when putting it in the case to carry it
> > around. The USB nics (at least the ones with cables) have the advantage
> > of being able to move them around for best signal.
> >
> > Here's how I got the WUSB54G version 4 to work:
> >
> > http://www.troubleshooters.com/lpm/200612/200612.htm#_Wireless_Compaq_Lin
> >ksys_wusb54g
> >
> > HTH
> >
> > SteveT
> >
> > Steve Litt
> > Author: Universal Troubleshooting Process books and courseware
> > http://www.troubleshooters.com/
>
> Looks like a plan to me, but do you think it will work with Redhat
> Enterprise linux?
>
> D-

I don't see why not. With ndiswrapper, nothing's provided by the distro that 
can't be ./configure&make&make install. It's pretty simple, as described in 
the URL in my last email.

SteveT

Steve Litt
Author: Universal Troubleshooting Process books and courseware
http://www.troubleshooters.com/