At last, on 10.1 CE *BOTH* my wifi cards (Netgear MA401 11Mbs and Netgear WG511T 54Mbs) work flawlessly on my Sony VAIO PCG-GRV616S.

If anyone is interested the trick has been to cvs checkout the lates madwifi package, plain compile and add to /etc/modconf.preload all its modules. Those are the drivers for WG511T , but they might have

After that, even the 11Mbps card which uses the orinoco_cs card started working!

both connection have been configured and started using Mdk's control center.

Hey Edoardo, thanks for your posting.
I was wondering if you could provide a more detailed description of your success to get
the Netgear Adapter to work.
I am new to Linux and consider buying a wirless LAN PCI adapter to use under Linux,
it's hard to choose one. The Netgear adapter seems cheap, but it;s hard to figure out
if it's really linux compatible beforehand. Therefore my question.

Thanks for a detailed instructions how to get the Netgear going, assuming the user
is really new to Linux.

Kind Regarss,
Wolfgang

install 10.1 CE with your laptop connected with plain ethernet.
install kernel sources as well

For a WG511T pcmcia card, do a cvs checkout of this project:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/madwifi/

unplug the ethernet cable

compile (as root) - there's a README buty I really did not have to tewa anything.

compiling the driver (eg executing 'make install' from the driver's directory) will create some .ko files in /lib/modules/<2.6.xyz>/net

add them all to /etc/modprobe.preload

execute (as root)
modprobe /lib/modules/<2.6.xyz>/net/*.ko

run mandrake control center and execute 'new connection' choosing wireless

I use wep encription and I just copied and pasted the key the key I eneterd into my router in the corresponding field - but I suggest that to start with you set up your wap w/o encription and any security - just to make it work. then add wep and restrict MACs to your own cards only.

cheers
Edo