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#1 2012-11-17 07:16:45

Mactownes
Member
From: The womb
Registered: 2012-08-17
Posts: 22
Website

Best WiFi card?

Hi, I'm in the market for a new wireless adapter and I was wondering if there was a general concensus on what "the best" network adapter was. What I mean is, what do most people consider the best supported, best working wireless card for Linux systems? Thanks.

P.s. no PCMCIA cards please, desktop doesn't have one of those
P.s.s. preferably USB, but it doesn't have to be, as I realize that most USB wifi cards aren't well supported.
P.s.s.s. I recently bought a Netgear WG111v2 but it's not working and I've looked all over and cannot get it to work, and to be honest I just want to get a new card and get it over with.

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#2 2012-11-17 11:49:04

rayjgu3
Member
From: Chicago IL usa
Registered: 2004-07-04
Posts: 695

Re: Best WiFi card?

I had a cisco aironet 350  I believe, it was a pmcia card but it had linux support from day 1 of my owning it.
tried many different distros, mostly live, & they all worked great with it. there was minor issues back when switching to hwd <years ago https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=15696
so if any I would say research a cisco card. I want to say the chip was prism54 but I could be wrong.
most other chips I dealt with have been atheros & I havent been impressed

Last edited by rayjgu3 (2012-11-17 11:49:55)

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#3 2012-11-17 11:53:31

Gusar
Member
Registered: 2009-08-25
Posts: 3,605

Re: Best WiFi card?

Mactownes wrote:

P.s.s. preferably USB, but it doesn't have to be, as I realize that most USB wifi cards aren't well supported.

Depends on chipset. Broadcom USB chipsets are terribly supported, others have better support.

As I always say when such a thread pops up (which means you really should use search, as this question has come up several times already), get a TP-Link device (WN721N, WN821N). They use Atheros chipsets which work great in Linux.

PS. Your Netgear thingy has a Linux driver, it should work fine. So rather than shelling out money for a new device, you should troubleshoot your current one.

Last edited by Gusar (2012-11-17 12:00:12)

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#4 2012-11-17 12:15:21

satanselbow
Member
Registered: 2011-06-15
Posts: 538

Re: Best WiFi card?

Gusar wrote:

PS. Your Netgear thingy has a Linux driver, it should work fine. So rather than shelling out money for a new device, you should troubleshoot your current one.

Netgear seem to be pretty tarty as to what chips they bang in their branded dongles... Could be broadcom / atheros or whatever...

OP: You don't state whether this is for desktop / laptop / netbook etc - may/will make a lot difference to the guality of guidance you get...

If you are equipping a desktop I would say get a PCI(e) card every time - pref Intel / Atheros wink USB wifi should always be considered a 2nd choice (not Linux specific prob - same applies to MS boxes)

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#5 2012-11-17 12:25:49

Gusar
Member
Registered: 2009-08-25
Posts: 3,605

Re: Best WiFi card?

satanselbow wrote:

Netgear seem to be pretty tarty as to what chips they bang in their branded dongles... Could be broadcom / atheros or whatever...

Mactownes' WG111v2 uses a Realtek chipset, rtl8187 driver.

satanselbow wrote:

If you are equipping a desktop I would say get a PCI(e) card every time - pref Intel / Atheros wink USB wifi should always be considered a 2nd choice

At the beginning I was thinking that as well. But why really? I ended up buying the TP-Link WN721N USB adapter. It's 100% stable.

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#6 2012-11-17 12:46:53

toketin
Member
From: Belluno (Italy)
Registered: 2007-04-17
Posts: 326

Re: Best WiFi card?

Hi, i bought recently a wifi usb adapter, Alfa Awus036h, that doesn't work  under Linux as well as under Windows. It's a great product because i can receive a wifi signal from the 20/25%, with my internal atheros card of my notebook, to 50/60% with it. The problem is that it uses the rtl8187 drivers that are ugly under linux, i have multiple disconnections each time i start a download. I fixed this issue only using ndiswrapper and the Xp driver (only 32bit version). My advice is to buy an Atheros one that wouldn't make you any problem.

@Gusar  does the TP-Link WN721N USB adapter perform a better reception of wifi signal?

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#7 2012-11-17 13:10:06

Gusar
Member
Registered: 2009-08-25
Posts: 3,605

Re: Best WiFi card?

toketin wrote:

@Gusar  does the TP-Link WN721N USB adapter perform a better reception of wifi signal?

I never paid attention to signal strength, I only know I never had disconnections or problems downloading large files or anything. If you think you'll have signal strength problems, get the WN722N which has an external antenna.

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#8 2012-11-17 13:38:12

toketin
Member
From: Belluno (Italy)
Registered: 2007-04-17
Posts: 326

Re: Best WiFi card?

Gusar wrote:
toketin wrote:

@Gusar  does the TP-Link WN721N USB adapter perform a better reception of wifi signal?

I never paid attention to signal strength, I only know I never had disconnections or problems downloading large files or anything. If you think you'll have signal strength problems, get the WN722N which has an external antenna.

Thanks, but this WN721N/WN722N which drivers loads?

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#9 2012-11-19 07:36:33

hunterthomson
Member
Registered: 2008-06-22
Posts: 794
Website

Re: Best WiFi card?

P.s. no PCMCIA cards please, desktop doesn't have one of those

You looking for a wireless adapter for a Desktop?
You don't need package injection for like aircrack-ng?

Intel all the way.
$26
Intel 2200BNHMWDTX1 PCI Express x1 Centrino Advanced-N 2200 for Desktop IEEE 802.11b/g/n Up to 300Mbps Wireless Data Rates
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6833106136

$34
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 for Desktop IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n PCI Express x1 Up to 300Mbps Wireless Data Rates WPA, WPA2, 802.1X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6833106135

Last edited by hunterthomson (2012-11-19 07:42:19)


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