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Which adapters work with Linux?

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Daytrader889

Member
I have posted a couple of questions here and at other forums about my problem not being able to connect to the Internet using a Compaq HNW-200 USB adapter without any real solution -- I just don't know Linux enough to solve this. So I have decided to do this instead. I need to use a USB (preferred) or PCI connection to the Internet and I'm asking what brand do the forum readers here use. I'm willing to go out and purchase another adapter just so I can get Linux working so that I can access my email and web surf.

Please list some brands you are using and I will decide to which one fits my budget so I may get on with this problem and learn more about Linux and stop worrying about my current one. Almost forgot this info. I'm using Redhat 9 currently and was using Mandrake 9.1 previous to this without any luck.
 
Originally posted by: Daytrader889
Really? Why is so hard to configure a USB adapter then?
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I don't know, I've never done it. Generally what you should do is ignore the brand and model of the adapter itself, and find out what chip it uses. Then look around for info on linux support for that chip.
 
I use a PCI NIC card to connect to my ethernet network here at home, which goes to my router/firewall and then out into the internet.

I use a onboard if it has one, but barring that you can get most any ethernet card to work. I use anything with a realtec chipset, these are the cheapies you can get at the local computer store. You can pick one up for 5 (+5 bucks for shipping) bucks at newegg.com or probably 8-15 dollars at any decent computer store.

I got a few actually I got on sale just laying around for future projects. You know buy 2 get one free sort of thing. There zonenet 10/100 cheapies. They have one major chip on them that reads rtl9139d and has the little picture of a rmc lobster thingi.

Hardware is still a bit of a sticking point for linux. Kinda crappy. Hardware manufacturers don't care enough sometimes to develop drivers for linux and are to set in their ways to give datasheets to Linux people so that the open source community can develop drivers for linux.

With windows if something doesn't work you blame the hardware manufacturer saying what crappy support for drivers, when the same person switches to linux and something doesn't work it's linux's fault.

But it's not a big deal, such is life. 🙂

There are a lot resources aviable for linux stuff. Once you get familar with it a bit it may make more sense and maybe you can find a usb expert to help you a bit.

The only thing right now for your compaq hardware is to find out what sort of chipset it uses and look that up. Unfortuanatly compaq is famous for doing it's own thing and not letting anybody else on the game. Hell back in 486's to pentium 1 days they were notorious for that sort of behavior.

However they do have a strong linux presence, if maybe only for server hardware, so check out their website and see if you can find some details thru there....
 
Doh, I forgot that was a wireless card. 🙁 silly me, that zonenet is a PCI slot ethernet card for 10/100 twisted pair wire.
 
look since you told me that it was a HNW-200 I found this

i don't have time to look at it right now, but maybe it will be a start
 
OK I think I will give those links a try and see how it all goes, but this is not turning out as I had hoped. I'm not saying I'm giving up on Linux but Windows doesn't give me the headaches as Linux is doing right now. Guess we have been spoiled by Windows ease of use features and ease of configurability. I will see if those links will help me out or not then I will try out a PCI adapter instead. If I still get no where then it's back to Windows until I a better understanding of Linux.
 
No, you've just been spoiled by the fact that every POS device has drivers for Windows because that's what most companies target. When using Linux you have to be a little more particular about what hardware you use but it generally means you end up with higher quality hardware too as those are the devices that get the most Linux support.

In your case I would be curious to find out what type of hardware that Compaq device really is, I've never seen a Compaq device that wasn't just a rebadged something else before.
 
I remember reading it is really a D-LINK product that's rebadged as a Compaq, and from what I have read so far from the provided above link it's using an Atmel chipset.

Since CUSA is having a sale on the Belkin PCI wireless adapter I will go there and purchase that and see how everything goes. It's OOS online so I will drive there instead and I really, really hope this will solve this problem. I do appreciate all the help everyone here has given me and will tell you everyone here how this progresses.
 
originally posted by: Nothinman
No, you've just been spoiled by the fact that every POS device has drivers for Windows because that's what most companies target. When using Linux you have to be a little more particular about what hardware you use but it generally means you end up with higher quality hardware too as those are the devices that get the most Linux support.

In your case I would be curious to find out what type of hardware that Compaq device really is, I've never seen a Compaq device that wasn't just a rebadged something else before.
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Sigh! And to think that POS also means Point of Sale.....
 
Sigh! And to think that POS also means Point of Sale.....
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I know, I hate that, I never thinkg Point of Sale when I see it though, usually have to read the sentence atleast twice to make sense of it.
 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
Sigh! And to think that POS also means Point of Sale.....
Click to expand...
I know, I hate that, I never thinkg Point of Sale when I see it though, usually have to read the sentence atleast twice to make sense of it.
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When the family goes up north to visit relatives, we always go by this place near Indianapolis, with the name "POS Solutions." Maybe I just have a weird sense of humor, but I have a hard time not laughing when I see that. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
No, you've just been spoiled by the fact that every POS device has drivers for Windows because that's what most companies target. When using Linux you have to be a little more particular about what hardware you use but it generally means you end up with higher quality hardware too as those are the devices that get the most Linux support.

In your case I would be curious to find out what type of hardware that Compaq device really is, I've never seen a Compaq device that wasn't just a rebadged something else before.
Click to expand...

Your right. On that link I provided says that Compaq HWM-200 wireless PCMCIA card is based on the Atmel AT76C503A USB and/or? AT76C502A chipset. It says that the GPL'd version of the drivers work with it.

Looks like a real pain for a newbie to deal with though.
 
Well, I was unable to get to CUSA so I just went to WalMart and bought a Linksys WMP11 wireless PCI card and installed it. Guess what happened? It still does not connect to the internet now matter what I do. Is there anyone at all with Linux experience that can guide me to a site or themselves tell me step by step on how I can configure this.
 
Thanks for the link I hope I can get it to work for me though. This is really getting frustrating since I don't know much about PC either.
 
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