PCI to PCMCIA card

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joe
  • Start date Start date
J

Joe

Hello!

I'm wondering if anyone could help me! I'm not very familiar with hardware.

My portable computer just died on me and I bought a desktop computer to replace it. I have two PCMCIA cards that I would like to keep using: wireless adapter and Firewire so I'm looking to buy a PCI to PCMCIA card.

First of all, I'm wondering if there are differences between cards that are sold. I'm looking at these on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/PCI-Bus-to-PCMCI...835182875QQcategoryZ41993QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.ca/New-PCMCIA-to-PC...26365107QQcategoryZ101206QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-PCI-to-PCMCI...8729561553QQcategoryZ3710QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I see they are all Ricoh chipsets. One is R5C485 and the other R5C475II. Is one better than the other?

I've also read that some conflicts can occur with other hardware. Should I expect difficulties with the following? If so, are they unsurmountable difficulties?

AMD Athlon64 3000+ Socket 939 CPU
Asus A8N-E Socket 939 Motherboard
512MB DDR PC3200 Memory (2 X 256MB)
Western Digital 200GB 7200rp 8MB HDD SATA II
Asus EN6200 256MB PCI-E Video Card
LG 16X16 DVD+/-RW
Panasonic 1.44MB Floppy Drive
Optical Mouse and Windows Keyboard

Thank you in advance for your help,

Joe.


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Hi again,

Forgot a question:

I'm dual booting with Suse Linux 10.0. Am I to expect problems with
wireless internet comming from that PCI to PCMCIA card?

Thanks again,

Joe.


Joe a écrit :
 
joe said:
Hi again,

Forgot a question:

I'm dual booting with Suse Linux 10.0. Am I to expect problems with
wireless internet comming from that PCI to PCMCIA card?

Thanks again,
Click to expand...

I think the PC-Card solution you want is has two problems. First, the
wireless antenna on a PC-Card is very small and is designed for minimum
obstruction of the wireless signal. The desktop box in itself is
obstructive, and depending on the placement the wireless might well have
reception/connection issues. I think you will be far more pleased with
a PCI wireless with its larger antenna; a USB wireless might be even
better since you have even more placement options.

The second problem is Linux, in general, and wireless cards, or rather
wireless chipsets, since the chipset governs the availability of drivers
and/or NDIS Wrapper solutions. If the PCI card/PC-Card wireless combo
can be identitified by your Linux distro is something you will have to
research since it is a non-standard hardware configuration. You will
have to also research the chipsets in the PC-Cards to verify that you
can in fact find a Linux driver or NDIS Wrapper compatibility for the
cards. I would not even proceed until you know that the PC-Cards can be
supported in Suze.

In the end I think you will find it both cheaper and easier to abandon
the PC-Cards/PCI adapter for your desktop and go directly to PCI
wireless - selecting a wireless (chipset) vendor that you know can be
installed in Linux.

Good luck, whatever you do.

Q
 
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