View Full Version : What is the best WPCI card for general CPE use.?
David L. Vrablic
07-24-2003, 08:06 AM
In order to have a full featured Star-OS CPE I am using the C3-733 board.
I want to cut the cost as much as possible so if I can eliminate the PCI adapter "so much the better"
I have only seen D Link and AMDtek WPCI cards so far.
What is the best bang for the buck based on.
These customers are under 12 miles.
The radio will only need to be CPE (Infrastructure Mode).
I would like to keep the antenna gain around 16 dbi..
Are there any other draw-backs (aside from hot swap) to using WPCI.?
I think I would like something that is 100 mw and Prism based.
What nanuf / what model?
Thanks folks
lonnie
07-24-2003, 09:26 AM
Not sure on the model but zcom makes a 100 mW PCI unit that still uses Intersil prism chips.
The problem - and be very careful - is that very few companies use the prism2.5 chips. Most of the original ones did, but then :evil: silently :evil: changed the chips to Broadcom, Atheros, ADMTek, TI, etc.
The prism based cards will be in the $70-80 range, which is why everybody went with the other chips, as they are struggling to produce radios in the <$50 range. You'll get specials as guys clear out stock, but typical pricing for solid units will be in that range.
David L. Vrablic
07-24-2003, 11:16 AM
Thanks Lonnie<
"Fore-told is fore-warned is fore-armed"!
I knew something was sticky when I got three different cards that all looked the same that acted differently.
One vendor that doesn't have them any more sold me one that had the large "can" covering the works. It seemed to be 100 mw and worked great.
The OS It reported back that it was a Prism 2.5.
I'll bet it was a Zcom.
Sure would like to get a hold of some more of those at a right price.
The problem would be to identify them.
Thanks for keeping me out of trouble.
lonnie
07-24-2003, 10:55 PM
We are down to about 20 or so of the DWL-520B1 and we are not having much luck at finding more. Could be the end of an era.
We still have tons of the Orinoco ruby units. I suspect they will be in the same spot soon, though, as I hear the replacement units are without the external connector.
georgew
10-20-2003, 02:30 PM
I just got a couple dwl-520's new... StarOS does not see them, and under the metal can I clearly see a mini-pci slot.
Under the can is a minipci card with an RTL8180L chip...
Not surprising....
DWL-520 (rev A) = Intersil Prism 2.5
DWL-520 (rev B) = Intersil Prism 2.5
DWL-520 (rev C) = ADMtek
DWL-520 (rev D?) = Realtek RTL8180
I wonder which chipset they will choose next?
sure-data
10-20-2003, 06:22 PM
I have the Siemens PCI ss1024 part number 709-0030-001. They are 2.5 chips and StarOS sees them OK.
Part numbers ending in 002 work Windows only. they are Broadcom - no linux support at all.
And if you really want to go cheap - the Blitz PCI cards at Walmart are prisim 2.5 and they do work in StarOS. They seem to be a little lower power, no can on the board for sheilding. But they are $38!
georgew
10-20-2003, 08:53 PM
Yeah, I just need some low-power stuff for short hop connections... I haven't been to wallmart in a long time...
georgew
10-21-2003, 08:12 AM
the Blitz PCI cards at Walmart are prisim 2.5 and they do work in StarOS. They seem to be a little lower power, no can on the board for sheilding. But they are $38!
You say they work..... What did you do to make them work? What version of StarOS did you use? Did you flash the cards with new firmware? What version of firmware from where?
I put the card in a staros box, and StarOS sees the card, but it does not respond to any configuration changes... it appears inert. It won't go into AP mode, and it won't associate with an ap sitting a foot away. If I was not sure of the signal I might guess it was lower in power... but no power whatsoever is a closer description to what I am seeing.
sure-data
10-21-2003, 08:20 AM
I never tried the blitz cards in the AP mode. Just as a client.
The Netgear cards at Walmart work but cost a few dollars more.
georgew
10-21-2003, 08:29 AM
I'm only trying to get the cards working in client mode... but they do nothing.....
georgew
10-21-2003, 08:38 AM
Ok, I got it to do something now....
In infrastructure mode I am getting it to work, though is has only "link quality" being reported, no signal or noise.
The thing that made it work was unchecking the "use fw 1.7.1..." option.
Do you have a kernel log snippet you can send me for when it detects your radio card? (F9 key)
Thanks!
georgew
11-18-2003, 02:52 PM
It is reporting that it is on a shared interrupt. The bios (latest version) insists on sharing the vga interrupt with the card. Looks like a bios bug to me.