I never have used a wireless network card.

I have been wanting to learn about wireless. I have a Linksys WRT54GL 1.1 router. I was thinking about obtaining a used laptop but then I realized I can plug in a PCI wireless card into one of my old desktop machines. That would be a good learning platform with both a wired and wireless connection in the same box. I then would experience many of the same issues frequently discussed here at LQ.

My challenge is I know almost nothing about wireless. I want a PCI NIC that does not use or depend upon ndiswrapper. I'm not interested in that route.

What then is the correct chip set to pursue with any new wireless network card?

I browsed the newegg.com reviews and many people report certain wireless PCI NICs work with the Linux kernel, but most of those reviewers are Ubuntu users who depend upon auto-configuration tools --- which might include using ndiswrapper. Therefore the reviews do not really help.

I'd be grateful for a link or even a simple list of which chip sets are safe. I have read just enough to know that anything with a Broadcom chip probably is a headache and will require ndiswrapper.

Thanks.

Hello Woodsman,

The list of supported chips is available in directory: /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/

There is a list about how well wireless cards are supported at:

http://linux-wless.passys.nl/

It may not be up-to-date regarding latest kernel but its description of chipset for each device is pretty accurate.

Personally, I have 3 wireless cards working with the 2.6.27.7 kernel:

D-Link DWL-510 (PCI) - driver rtl8180
Ovislink W54PCI (PCI) - driver rt2500pci
Cisco Aironet AIR-PCM 352 (PCMCIA) - driver airo_cs

Hello,

Concerning how to configure your wireless network. I always refer people to Alien Bob's excellent Tutorial:

Configuring your network in Slackware

Can I make a different suggestion? (and this is coming from a guy who actually likes tinkering with wireless) ... Consider a wireless Ethernet adapter or a router that can be used in "client bridge" mode (the term may vary by vendor).

As an example, a ZyXEL P-330W can be had for < $35 and is easily configured to work in this mode. Link: http://www.provantage.com/zyxel-p330w~7ZYXE06R.htm I've used one this way and it worked extremely well. Using third-party firmware, some of the Linky's will do this, too. There are dedicated wireless Ethernet adapters or game adapters, but they tend to be pricey.

Advantages of a bridged router over a PCI card:
* Eliminates any driver issue by plugging right into your Ethernet NIC
* Easily managed via browser interface
* Cheap (my personal favorite)
* Flexibility in placement - 100m max cable vs. a tiny antenna, jammed behind a metal case against the wall
* Conserves a PCI slot
* Four additional wired ports
* Pretty flashing lights
* Did I mention cheap?

If you still want a PCI card, look for one with an Atheros chipset. They are well-supported, Atheros being one of the folks who played nicely with the Open Source community early on and, so should be rewarded. At least as importantly, though, their products perform well. I am using and have used client and AP devices based on Atheros for a while and prefer them over most of the rest of the stuff out there.

Sorry. Duplicate.
Mods, please delete.

I went to the kernel configuration section for wireless cards. As part of the kernel there was support for Aironet PC4800 PCI cards. I went to ebay and bought one for ten bucks.

In the kernel there are a handful of supported wireless NIC cards. Note the cards and google them a bit, and buy one of those. With this you won't need the wrapper.

The problem isn't so much finding out what chipset is supported as it is determining what chipset is being used in the particular version of any given card. They seem change as often as the wind changes direction.

I ended up getting a netgear WG111v3 (USB) about 6 months ago to experiment with. I can't remember if the box spelled out the version or not but suspect it did not. The WG111v1 and WG311v2 were supported in the kernel, but for a while I needed to use ndiswrapper for the v3. I was surprised at how well it worked with ndiswrapper. The kernel that comes with Slackware 12.2 supports the WG111v3 now so you do not need ndiswrapper any longer. I've only played with it a bit using the kernel driver so I can't say how well it works compared to the windows driver using ndiswrapper.

I have a laptop with wireless and a belkin wireless router with 4 wired ports. Like you, I wanted to play a bit with wireless on the desktop and also perhaps use the wireless to connect an old IBM thinkpad to my desktop as a thin client.

Never seem to have the time these days. Ah well...

On my test machine I personally have a wired connection to a Linksys WRT54G v4 and a Gigabyte GN-WPKG wireless PCI card for my desktop. For my wireless card all I had to do was install WICD(available for slackware) and setup the configurations--no problems and no ndiswrapper

Well there was a "Doh!" moment for me. Yeah, I should have checked there right away . . . .

Yes, I started guessing as much after some more surfing. Oh, my head hurts!

I was looking at this card: Gigabyte GN-WP01GS. Was the first card listed in my newegg search. Looks like the RT61 chip set. Price looks great too.

I think now I can select a PCI wireless card. This is a training venture, so I don't want to spend a lot of buckazoids. $20 seems more than enough. Thanks all!

You might consider visiting a medial doctor for your condition . . . .

I mentioned in my original post I owned a Linksys WRT54GL 1.1 router. Unfortunately I did not mention that I use DD-WRT firmware. If I understand the gist of your post, the DD-WRT can do what you describe.

To clarify, the PCI card will allow me to learn to play with wireless configurations, scripts, etc. I'm not using the PCI card in a box that will become a router. I'll be using the card and computer as a workstation and "laptop substitute" for self-training purposes.

However, now that you raise the subject, one eventual hope is I learn enough to enable my Linksys router for people who visit my home and want to use their laptops through my internet connection. Yes, this would be an open connection. I'd want to restrict access to non-p0rn web surfing and basic email. No file downloading or sharing. Playing around on my own will help me learn that. At $20 or so for a PCI card I won't have to mess with a laptop.

One concern is that I isolate the wireless section from my LAN to prevent "curious" friends from snooping into my computers. Just to be safe. A different subnet and some iptables rules should provide a solution. I might need a second router to create a bridge as you say and truly isolate wireless connections. I'm not worried about non-friends abusing the open connection. None of my three surrounding rural neighbors own a computer. War-drivers are out of luck. I power down at night and I'm more than a quarter mile from the main road with oodles of trees in between. The router is located in my office, which is located in a finished basement (lots of signal dampening concrete). At lowest power somebody would have to sit next to the house to access the router, but that is easily discouraged. A two-day beard, a torn baseball cap, my beat-up and grimy wood-cutting clothes, untied ankle-length boots, two shirt buttons undone, some walnuts to create some mood-setting "spit," then quietly sneaking up from behind when the twerp is absorbed with the laptop. Perhaps for drama and underwear colorization, add the sound of a 12 gauge being loaded and cocked. Inexpensive entertainment! There are advantages to living in the middle of the woods . . . .

I'm using D-Link router and cards from Newegg.
wicd detected them automatically.
All I had to do is put in the encryption pass phrase.

I just picked up a TrendNet TEW-643PI Wireless N PCI @ Fry's for $18.99, sweet deal.

Going to roll a new kernel later and give it a shot. Current kernel has no wireless configured.

Bummer, had to use ndiswrapper, other than that, it works like a charm.

Now to convert the 250GB 2.5in. HDD I got for $69 to ext3!!