hey, everyone. I hope to learn lots and share what I know, too.

What I know---linux wireless is not plug and play-- unless one chooses
correct hardwear (spelled that way on purpose!)...I have gone on the browsers ---wired---easy as pie. . . no config, plug and play---even easier than windows is!

I am relatively new to linux, and usually run an old pc with kubuntu -- I love the kde icons!

I am interested in hooking up my pc to a wireless network I have...I can now hook into the lan at work fine, and my wired network without a hitch! I love THAT, but the wireless is difficult for me.

Q-- does anyone know of a good plug and play wireless card (pci) OR a
usb adapter that will work well with kubuntu?

I will appreciate all assistance. Thanks!

Welcome to LQ.

The beuty of free software drivers is that they are in the kernel already. While vista boasts thousands of additional drivers, linux quietly supports millions of products.

Drivers actually support chipsets rather than products, that way, one driver supports (sometimes) hundreds of products. In linux the "chipset" is king.

Any pci card using a prism or intel chipset will be fine.

However, in any HW purchase, the best practise is to find a local store with a range, make a note of what they've got, and then google the products with "linux" as an additional term.

Increasingly, you can just tell the retailer that you are running linux and you want a compatible wireless nic, which uses GPL drivers.

Moved: This thread is more suitable in <Ubuntu> and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

I have a Dell 1420n with the Intel 3945 chip set. It works without any additional configuration and roams nicely with Gnome.

Yup: intel is the new darling of opes-source wireless. I have hp/compaq dx5500 with intel chipset, also no fuss, no problems. XP on the same box reqires about 50 patches before wireless is remotely useable.

I just wanted to point out the the OP is looking for a PCI wireless card that is supported in Ubuntu. Saying which laptop chipsets worked fine won't help him much. Unfortunately I have never tried a wireless PCI card either, though if I were a betting man I would take a look at this page:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ha...rkCardsNetgear

and pick one that is reported to work.

Actually it can and should... the kernel doesn't support models so much as chipsets. Notice that the table you point to tells you the chipset? (Any particular reason for singling out netgear?)

Unless you know of an intel or prism chipset card that isn't supported?

Discovering the chipset can be problematical - historically manufacturers have been reluctant to part with that info. But going to a vendor and saying "prism chipset please" will get results... try it. Better than "Netgear WG511 please".

HCLs tend not to be a lot of use because they list a lot of great devices that almost nobody actually sells - at least, not from "the store down the road". It's a general phenomenon that if you pick a HW component (wifi cards being particularly notorious for this), at random, off the shelf, it either isn't supported or needs extra config. This is not because the majority of cards are not supported, but because the maximum-lock-in cards are the ones that tend to get shipped to retailers.

It's a lemons market and the best cure is education ... the buyers need to be able to tell the lemons from the good stuff. Hence the discussion, with examples, on chipsets. It's not just about answering the question in front of me.