Which PCI to PCMCIA Adapter for Linux and ORiNOCO 802.11b?

[Nighthawk69]

Hi there...

I currently have an ORiNOCO USB 802.11b adapter and I've heard that all they are inside is an adapter with a PCMCIA card slipped right into that which is removable. Now, the only thing holding me back from running Linux is getting Internet as these adapters are not supported under Linux, but I know the PCMCIA version _IS_. So, I want to go ahead and get a PCMCIA to PCI adapter and pull the PCMCIA card from the USB adapter to use in there, but I would like to know what adpater people are using successfully with Linux? I see ORiNOCO makes one and I'm sure that's my best bet, but I wanted to be sure.

Thanks!!

 

[Nothinman]

I have a Linksys card, it's got a Prism2 chipset. Apparently there's only a small handfull of chipsets around (like 2 or 3) so if you can find which chipset the card uses you'll be better off. I havn't personally used an Orinoco card, but they seem to be one of the best supported in Linux.

 

[Nighthawk69]

Ya, that's what I've heard too. I'll probably just get an ORiNOCO adapter card for the PCMCIA card--that's probably the best route.

Can anyone tell me sure sure if taking the card out of the USB adapter and putting it into one of those cards will in fact work? I think I've read before that it will and you can even throw the card in a laptop as it's the exact card they sell for lappy's but it just doesnt have their stickers on it?

Thanks!

 

[Nothinman]

If you get the PCMCIA card working in the PCI card in Linux let me know, I've been debating on buying one to setup an ad-hoc network so I don't have to plug my laptop into the network at home.

 

[Nighthawk69]

Will do.

However, I'd like someone to confirm that the PCI-PCMCIA card adapter from ORiNOCO with an ORiNOCO PCMCIA card in it WILL INDEED work in Linux (Red Hat 7.3 is what I run).

 

[Nighthawk69]

BUMP

Little help?

 

[manly]

I don't own the Orinoco PCI adapter, but my guess is that it will work (I may have even read as much at one time).

I personally use the PCI adapter that comes w/ the D-Link DWL-500 802.11b client (this retail kit is the PCI adapter + DWL-650 PCMCIA client). You can get this kit pretty cheaply these days, so if you need to pick up an extra cheap PCMCIA client, it's actually not a bad idea. Oh and before I forget to mention it, I use an Orinoco Gold PCMCIA client, which in my case was about 3 times as fast as the Prism2-based DWL-650 client.

Most adapters should work because they are simply PCMCIA controllers. One that won't work is Netgear's, which is designed to only work with their client.

 

[Nighthawk69]

OK, good-good.

So if I pull the PCMCIA adapter that is inside of my Orinoco USB adapter out and put it into a PCI-PCMCIA adapter from ORiCOCO, I should be in biz. Looks like the adapters from orinoco (just the PCI CARD) run about 45 bucks plus shipping.

 

[Nighthawk69]

Bump for someone that has done this with ORiNOCO products in Linux...... maybe I should go to the OS forum?

 

[Nighthawk69]

I found this information in the readme file for the Linux ORiNOCO PCMCIA drivers:

5.2 Using the ORiNOCO PCI Adapter

Description: The ORiNOCO solution was designed
as a one-card solution, providing the same
PC Card type for operation in standard
Type II PC Card slots of either:
* laptop computers or
* Agere Systems Access Points.

To allow operation in desktop computers
Agere also provides an optional PCI bus
to PC Card adapter (also referred to as
"swapbox").

For correct interrupt assignment, the
system should support PCIBIOS 2.2.
It is recommended to use PCMCIA package
version 3.1.14 or higher.

The default configuration of the interrupt
routing method of the PCI Adapter's TI
CardBus Controller is incorrect.

Action: 1) Read the manual page on the "Options
specific for TI CardBus Controllers"
of the i82365 module, by typing the
command:

man i82365

2) Load the i82365 module with the
"irq_mode" parameter set to 0.

On a RedHat 5.x thru 7.x system, put this
in the file "/etc/sysconfig/pcmcia":
PCMCIA=yes
PCIC=i82365
PCIC_OPTS="irq_mode=0"
CORE_OPTS=
CARDMGR_OPTS=

For the location of the PCMCIA scripts
on other Linux distributions, you are
advised to consult the "PCMCIA-HOWTO",
"Notes about specific Linux
distributions".


Whatcha think?

 

[Nighthawk69]

OK--I have an ORiNOCO PCI-PCMCIA adapter on the way. I will be going on vacation before it gets here, so I'll have news on how it works out in about a week and a half or so.

 

[time4cash]

Newbie Question:

OK.. so are you saying that I can interchange any wireless PCMCIA card and adapter (except Netgear)???
I have 2 wireless adapter cards from LINKSYS (got for 1 cent each thanks to AT).. so I can plug any wireless
PCMCIA card into it?? If that's the case ... GREAT!
THANKS!

 

[Nighthawk69]

I honestly don't know I love the Orinoco stuff, so I'm sticking with that

 

[manly]

The PC cards are (obviously) interchangeable.

The PCI adapters are as well so long as they are just PCMCIA controllers, which are not designed to restrict the brands that can be used. I can't speak for particular brands, so you won't know until you try.

It wouldn't be difficult to get an operating system (i.e. Linux or Winblows XP) to detect a PCI adapter as a general PCMCIA controller to establish the theory.