My laptop (Sony Vaio PCG-501FX with Fedora Core 3) comes with no built-in wireless network card or bluetooth. I would like to create a wireless internet access through a router as I have one more computer with Windows. What would be better to use: a wireless notebook network card or a USB bluetooth adaptor? I found that modern wireless network cards are not compatible with linux, but I found a USB bluetooth adaptor from SITECOM which is compatible with linux (at least the manufacturer says that).
What is the difference between the wireless network card and bluetooth?
How do I use the bluetooth to attach my laptop to the network and internet?

Cheers,
Irena

Personally I would go with the Wi-Fi card. You can go more places and get access. Saying modern Wi-Fi card aren't compatible is not entirely true. Actually there is a thread on
here listing 802.11g cards that other users have successfully configured. I recently purchased a Belkin card and I use it at college and home (commuter student). I had to use NDISWrapper, but it works. The installation was straightforward and only took about 10 minutes. I even have it running WEP at home.

Bluetooh is an entirely different technology, aimed at short distance communication sans wires. Once you have an adapter you can use all sorts of devices with it, but I would see it as a complement to Wi-Fi not an alternative.

Here are a couple quick Googles on Wi-Fi vs. Bluetooth to help you decide.

• http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article...,103848,00.asp
• http://searchmobilecomputing.techtar...4161%2C00.html
• http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl.../ai_kepm139801

Let us know what you decide to do.

Many thanks for your reply.
I decided to go for Belkin HIGH-SPEED MODE WIRELESS G NOTEBOOK NETWORK CARD (product code F5D7011UK). I learned from the ndiswrapper web that someone installed ndiswrapper for a similar card (the name is different but the product code is the same F5D7011).
Do you have the same card? Where did you get the Windows drivers from? Windows drivers that come with the installation CD don't alway work with ndiswrapper.

Cheers,

Irene

If you go to ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net they will tell you where to get the driver. But you need to know which version of the card you have. Then download the correct driver. The installation instructions from ndiwrapper are very good, almost brainless. Go there first. DO NOT use the drivers on the CD. they have not been tested. If you run into a problem with the install, you won't know if it's you or them.

Useful links:

• http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/index.php/List
• http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/index.php/Installation
• http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/index.php/FAQ