Wireless hardware for Linux?

Dear all,

is there besides http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Devices any other
comprehensive list of PCI and USB wireless devices which are known to
work with Linux (no proprietary drivers)?

Because I switched to a 64bit system recently my current D-Link DWL-
G520+, which I was using via ndiswrapper, can't be operated with Linux
anymore since D-Link doesn't provide any 64bit Windows drivers.

I'm looking for a device (USB preferred) which works with kernel
2.6.22 and supports WPA.

Thank you!

Sven wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> is there besides http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Devices any other
> comprehensive list of PCI and USB wireless devices which are known to
> work with Linux (no proprietary drivers)?
>
> Because I switched to a 64bit system recently my current D-Link DWL-
> G520+, which I was using via ndiswrapper, can't be operated with Linux
> anymore since D-Link doesn't provide any 64bit Windows drivers.
>
> I'm looking for a device (USB preferred) which works with kernel
> 2.6.22 and supports WPA.
>
> Thank you!

In my experience, don't buy any wireless adapter for linux unless it is
based on the Atheros chipset. The MADWIFI driver supports these cards,
very, very, well, and within 12 months it looks like we'll get a driver
and HAL that will be fully GPL and hopefully in the mainline kernel.

If anyone asks me these days I tell them not to buy it unless it's an
Atheros, it's all they need to know.

--
Regards,
Sheridan Hutchinson
(E-Mail Removed)

Sven wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> is there besides http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Devices any other
> comprehensive list of PCI and USB wireless devices which are known to
> work with Linux (no proprietary drivers)?

You might have a look at http://linux-wless.passys.nl/

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:50:28 +0000, Sheridan Hutchinson wrote:

> Sven wrote:
>> Dear all,
>>
>> is there besides http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Devices any other
>> comprehensive list of PCI and USB wireless devices which are known to
>> work with Linux (no proprietary drivers)?
>>
>> Because I switched to a 64bit system recently my current D-Link DWL-
>> G520+, which I was using via ndiswrapper, can't be operated with Linux
>> anymore since D-Link doesn't provide any 64bit Windows drivers.
>>
>> I'm looking for a device (USB preferred) which works with kernel
>> 2.6.22 and supports WPA.
>>
>> Thank you!
>
> In my experience, don't buy any wireless adapter for linux unless it is
> based on the Atheros chipset. The MADWIFI driver supports these cards,
> very, very, well, and within 12 months it looks like we'll get a driver
> and HAL that will be fully GPL and hopefully in the mainline kernel.
>
> If anyone asks me these days I tell them not to buy it unless it's an
> Atheros, it's all they need to know.

Atheros cards work very well indeed. The problem is that the manufacturers
do not often indicate chipset on the box and they sometimes change
chipsets in the middle of a model run.

Sheridan Hutchinson wrote:

> In my experience, don't buy any wireless adapter for linux unless it is
> based on the Atheros chipset. The MADWIFI driver supports these cards,
> very, very, well, and within 12 months it looks like we'll get a driver
> and HAL that will be fully GPL and hopefully in the mainline kernel.
>
> If anyone asks me these days I tell them not to buy it unless it's an
> Atheros, it's all they need to know.

Surely it would be more sensible to get something
that is supported now in the Linux kernel?

Personally, I use an ancient Orinoco Gold card,
which is supported by orinoco_cs ,
which I guess is the original Linux WiFi driver.
This card has a number of disadvantages, eg it is 11b
(though I have never actually noticed that this made any difference).
But it has the best antenna of any card I have come across.

> Atheros cards work very well indeed. The problem is that the
> manufacturers do not often indicate chipset on the box and they
> sometimes change chipsets in the middle of a model run.

Apparently, Atheros USB is not supported, tho.


Stefan

Sheridan Hutchinson <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

>Sven wrote:
>> Dear all,
>>
>> is there besides http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Devices any other
>> comprehensive list of PCI and USB wireless devices which are known to
>> work with Linux (no proprietary drivers)?
>>
>> Because I switched to a 64bit system recently my current D-Link DWL-
>> G520+, which I was using via ndiswrapper, can't be operated with Linux
>> anymore since D-Link doesn't provide any 64bit Windows drivers.
>>
>> I'm looking for a device (USB preferred) which works with kernel
>> 2.6.22 and supports WPA.
>>
>> Thank you!

>In my experience, don't buy any wireless adapter for linux unless it is
>based on the Atheros chipset. The MADWIFI driver supports these cards,
>very, very, well, and within 12 months it looks like we'll get a driver
>and HAL that will be fully GPL and hopefully in the mainline kernel.

Actually the intel 2200 and 3945 cards also work well. I have not tried
them on 64 bit, but on 32 bit they work, and their drivers (except for
firmware, which has nothing to do with the CPU, is opensource)


>If anyone asks me these days I tell them not to buy it unless it's an
>Atheros, it's all they need to know.

>--
>Regards,
>Sheridan Hutchinson
>(E-Mail Removed)

In comp.os.linux.networking Sven <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> is there besides http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Devices any other
> comprehensive list of PCI and USB wireless devices which are known to
> work with Linux (no proprietary drivers)?
>
> Because I switched to a 64bit system recently my current D-Link DWL-
> G520+, which I was using via ndiswrapper, can't be operated with Linux
> anymore since D-Link doesn't provide any 64bit Windows drivers.
>
> I'm looking for a device (USB preferred) which works with kernel
> 2.6.22 and supports WPA.
>
> Thank you!

Airlink AWLL3026 is USB. It uses the kernel's zd1211rw driver. The
chipset is zd1211b, originally Zydas, but Atheros bought Zydas
recently.

Jerry

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]
Unruh staggered into the Black Sun and said:
> Sheridan Hutchinson <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>>Sven wrote:
>>> comprehensive list of PCI and USB wireless devices which are known
>>> to work with Linux (no proprietary drivers)? Because I switched to
>>> a 64bit system recently, my current D-Link DWL- G520+, which I was
>>> using via ndiswrapper, can't be operated with Linux anymore since
>>> D-Link doesn't provide any 64bit Windows drivers.
>>>
>>> I'm looking for a device (USB preferred)

Whoa. USB networking adapters that have in-kernel modules are not
common at all right now. The only one listed in a vanilla 2.6.22.1 is
the ZD1201. Also, USB networking adapters are more expensive and less
useful since they're yet another thing you have to plug/unplug when you
move the machine.

>>In my experience, don't buy any wireless adapter for linux unless it is
>>based on the Atheros chipset.
> Actually the intel 2200 and 3945 cards also work well. I have not
> tried them on 64 bit, but on 32 bit they work,

AOL on the ipw2200. I don't think the Intel chipset wireless things are
available in USB-connected devices, though you can get them in mini-PCI
or PCI-e or possibly PCI. The ipw2200 is now considered old and may be
more difficult to find.

--
One suspects that with one side demanding DRM and the other side
demanding it not get in the way of enjoying the purchase, friable DRM is
the technical solution that makes everyone happy. --AdB, in ASR
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:21:17 -0500, Stefan Monnier wrote:

>> Atheros cards work very well indeed. The problem is that the
>> manufacturers do not often indicate chipset on the box and they
>> sometimes change chipsets in the middle of a model run.
>
> Apparently, Atheros USB is not supported, tho.
>
>
> Stefan

Could be. I've not had any desire to try a USB wireless card - the pcmcia
models work fine. Several months ago I set the bit that USB was a little
problematic - don't know if it has changed significantly.