PCI Ethernet card, WITH wireless - does it exist?

[LiekOMG]

I want to add wireless to my desktop computer sometime in the near future. However, I don't want to have to be held back by crappy drivers, so i'm ruling out USB and PCI wireless options.

What i'm looking for is something similar to an ethernet bridge - an external wireless device that plugs into the ethernet jack to give wireless to anything through a simple HTML interface without drivers. Except I'm looking for this internally - through a PCI card. Basically a PCI card that offers an ethernet jack and also wireless but the wireless does not require any drivers as its seen as a simple ethernet device.

 

[T3C]

Wow, good luck with that! Closest thing to that which I am familer with is a MikroTIk mPCI adapter, http://www.wisp-router.com/product_info.php?products_id=167 Couple that with an SR2 2.4 card and you will be half way there.

I have never seen anything that has everything you are asking for. But if anyone else has I would be interested.

Good Luck!
-T3C

 

[n0cmonkey]

I have no idea if you'll find that, but the RALink based wireless pci cards aren't bad at all. In fact, the only problems I've had with mine and XP are due to XP's craptastic wireless support.

 

[LiekOMG]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I have no idea if you'll find that, but the RALink based wireless pci cards aren't bad at all. In fact, the only problems I've had with mine and XP are due to XP's craptastic wireless support.

Yet another reason for the PCI based wireless bridge - its totally transparent to windows. To windows, it would be no different than plugging in an ethernet jack. No messy drivers, no crappy wireless support, no hassle.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: LiekOMG

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I have no idea if you'll find that, but the RALink based wireless pci cards aren't bad at all. In fact, the only problems I've had with mine and XP are due to XP's craptastic wireless support.

Yet another reason for the PCI based wireless bridge - its totally transparent to windows. To windows, it would be no different than plugging in an ethernet jack. No messy drivers, no crappy wireless support, no hassle.

The only problem is that I don't think devices like that exist.

It'd be better if Microsoft got off their butts and fixed wireless support (hopefully in Vista).

 

[LiekOMG]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: LiekOMG

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I have no idea if you'll find that, but the RALink based wireless pci cards aren't bad at all. In fact, the only problems I've had with mine and XP are due to XP's craptastic wireless support.

Yet another reason for the PCI based wireless bridge - its totally transparent to windows. To windows, it would be no different than plugging in an ethernet jack. No messy drivers, no crappy wireless support, no hassle.

The only problem is that I don't think devices like that exist.

It'd be better if Microsoft got off their butts and fixed wireless support (hopefully in Vista).

Hmm, that is a shame though. An external solution would work fine, but they tend to be more expensive than internal stuff. Not to mention that they take up extra space outside the case, and use up an extra AC adapter. Would be really nice to see something like this internally for a PCI slot. Maybe we should put in a request with Netgear?

 

[spidey07]

there's tons of USB workgroup bridges out there if that would help.

 

[spikespiegal]

I agree with your hatred of PCI Wi-Fi cards.

After seeing what crappy, PCI Wi-Fi drivers have done to the network stack on several XP workstations, I'll never use them again. If somebody has a workstation and want's a wi-fi card, they won't get one from me. What they'll get is an Access Point plugged into their RJ-45 port. Much stronger signal, more flexible, and no drivers to work with.

 

[JackMDS]

There are a lot of PCI cards an USB that work well with Good Drivers.

Putting a Driverless Wireless device in a computer is a waste of money.

In addition what the difference? The Driverless devices have the same drivers embedded in the EPROM. Software is Software, whether it is on a CD, Floppy, or Embedded.

In any case these devices have solid Drivers and good QA Hardware.

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/wireless.php

:sun:

 

[LiekOMG]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
There are a lot of PCI cards an USB that work well with Good Drivers.

Putting a Driverless Wireless device in a computer is a waste of money.

In addition what the difference? The Driverless devices have the same drivers embedded in the EPROM. Software is Software, whether it is on a CD, Floppy, or Embedded.

In any case these devices have solid Drivers and good QA Hardware.

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/wireless.php

:sun:

Software might be software, but one piece is sitting all by itself on a ROM chip, and the other is mixing around in a windows enviornment where it might have compatibility issues with other devices, or stablity problems. Not to mention taking up resources. I checked around newegg, and pretty much all PCI wireless cards have complaints about "sucky drivers" in the reviews.

 

[JackMDS]

Yap, you are right the NewEgg reviews is the best source of understanding technology.:roll:

:sun:

 

[jdini76]

D-link has what you are looking for. It is meant to connect your gaming console to the internet, but it can be used for any thing with an ethernet port. I have it and it works great.

click here

edit: re-read the OP. this is not that, but this is small enought to hide behind your computer. sorry.