You do not _have_ to purchase the cheapest NIC or the lowest-cost USB controller and with today's tendency to integrate everything into the mobo the problem might eventually solve itself.
I've asked a thousand times and never had answered very well: List wireless cards, vendors, and prices that I can obtain today, which do work with Linux.
The compatability lists on the linux wireless sites are useless -- sure there are lots of cards that work, but many of them have been discontinued for years, some were only available in certain locales, and some, if you found the model, have had their chipsets changes.
I know of no resource that would allow me to successfully pursue wither of the following use
Basically everything powered by ZyDas and RaLink-Chipsets works flawlessly with GNU/Linux and the Free/OpenBSD. You can grab those off of EBay dirt cheap in large quantities, mostly from Power Sellers/commercial shops. Big-brand vendors with "the good stuff" on their boards I've personally seen yet were GigaByte (for MiniPCI), ASUS (PCI), and a crapload of others with ZyDas and Prism (for USB - including, for instance, NetGear). There's also an emerging (well, maybe they exist for ages, but I've not known the company up until recently) manufacturer for networking gear called "TP-LINK" which sells virtually everything from RaLink. I happen to have a "TP-LINK TL-WN321G" (usb2 full speed) adapter which features a RaLink chip supported by the rt73-usb driver just perfectly. Cost me 9 Euro in germany.
>Also, anything with an Atheros chipset also works very well with the MadWifi drivers. I knew that too. What I still *don't* know is, where to go to buy one, and exactly what to ask for in order to have some assurance that what I receive will in fact be Atheros based. My basic question is, and has been for some time, what do I need to buy in order to be sure it will work with Linux, and where do I buy it? Is there a vendor that actually makes guarantees based on chipset?
For things that have driver issues (wireless, modems, video cards, etc) it's best to either buy online or find a Linux-friendly vendor (good luck on that). If you're online, just google the model number and add something like "linux", "ubuntu" or "gentoo" to the query. Ubuntu and Gentoo usually have forum topics or howtos for every peice of hardware I consider buying. Also, often on Newegg if you look through the comments someone will say if it works on Linux or not.
>As someone already said, try TP-LINK. Pretty much everything they sell should be supported. Good to know. However, a quick check of the TP-Link website yields the following results:
A search for "Linux" just pops up an error message.
A check of the specs neither gives information about the chipset used, nor information on any operating system except "Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP"
Most interesting is the fact that they *do* specify Linux compatability on their wired cards!
Unfortunately, I'm going by what I've been told by PC builders in my local area. I live in China- a lot of people buy the parts and have someone put it all together for them. When I asked one of them about building a computer that supported Linux, he said to make sure to get TP-LINK for wireless networking. Of course, TP-LINK is also (as far as I've been told) a local brand (local to China, where I live) so that may be part of the reason. I can't say myself how reliable TP-LINK is because every time I've in
Netgear RangeMax WPN511 (NOT WPNT511 RangeMax 240, NOT any "RangeMax Next" products) Actually, a better answer: Anything that advertises 108 Mbps "Super G". "Super G" is an Atheros trademark, and only WLAN cards with Atheros chipsets are allowed to carry that mark.
Also, anything Intel PRO/Wireless based works well under Linux. I keep on seeing people (actually, basically only Theo de Raadt...) bitch about Intel and wireless, but the fact is that all of their chipsets are very well supported, and Intel ha
>> I've asked a thousand times and never had answered very well: [where is a list of] wireless cards, vendors, and prices that I can obtain today, which do work with Linux.
> [Detailed list of some compatible cards, and some general guidelines]
But this is exactly the problem! When people ask this question, they get details, and perhaps a link to a list or two. But there is no single up-to-date reliable hardware list that a Linux-user can really rely on. This should be a simple URL of a website
>I guess for most people knowledgeable about Linux, this isn't a big issue - they know the answers or know where to get them. For my personal needs, I definitely fit that description, am slightly willing to do trial-and-error, buy used items, really search for discontinued things, etc.
For my *professional* needs, it is a big problem, one that has led to linux being taken off the table for a project. While I appreciate being steered toward "RaLink" and "Atheros (not so great a solution!)", I also note tha
But this is exactly the problem! When people ask this question, they get details, and perhaps a link to a list or two. But there is no single up-to-date reliable hardware list that a Linux-user can really rely on. This should be a simple URL of a website that answers all hardware questions: enter a chipset or a product name, and get a list of distros on which it works. Sounds obvious, and necessary, but we still don't have it. Even such a website for a specific distro doesn't exist, to my knowledge - for e
You're going about this incorrectly. If a piece of hardware works in one distribution, it will theoretically work in all. Granted, it will probably be easier in Ubuntu or Fedora, but just because you may have to work a little harder in Slackware doesn't mean the hardware isn't compatible. The OS is still GNU/Linux, and there are very few hardware-related tools that are propriety among any one of the big distros.
You're going about this incorrectly. If a piece of hardware works in one distribution, it will theoretically work in all. Granted, it will probably be easier in Ubuntu or Fedora, but just because you may have to work a little harder in Slackware doesn't mean the hardware isn't compatible. The OS is still GNU/Linux, and there are very few hardware-related tools that are propriety among any one of the big distros.
I think you're missing the point about what exactly tuxpatible.info is meant to be.
>You're going about this incorrectly. If a piece of hardware works in one distribution, it will theoretically work in all. I understand that very well. If the variety of distributions is what's scaring the manufacturers away, I hope they get over it.
But even though this thread has gone on for a while, I can't help but notice that few have given specific answers.
What Wi-fi card would you buy today? Not "what chipset would you like to have?" How would you identify it? How would you explain to a disinter
"When people ask this question, they get details, and perhaps a link to a list or two. But there is no single up-to-date reliable hardware list that a Linux-user can really rely on."
This is one of the reasons I like and use FreeBSD. When I want to purchase a piece of hardware, or even an entire system, there is a single up-to-date reliable hardware list [freebsd.org] that I can consult to make sure what I buy will work.
I cannot submit purchase orders for Ebay, and "dirt cheap" is not the goal. I (and many others) need a vendor that (A.) asserts, if not guarantees, linux compatability and (B.) has a presence that will pass muster for corporate (and academic institution) purchasing requirements.
Ubiquiti Networks [ubnt.com] sells Atheros-based Mini-PCI cards that may fit your criteria, and the company has been quite good to deal with in my experience.
And there you have it. As it always has been in linux land. if you go to the big box computer wearhouse and buy crap willy-nilly you cant expect it to work when you get home. Linux works great if you buy supported hardware and make informed purchasing deciciosn like you just mentioned. It avoids the problems with the crap-level broadcom and other wifi hardware that is lower grade than a $3.95 winmodem. It blows my mind how the linux community continues to make the low grade hardware work instead of universa
As this story is about devices requiring proprietary firmware to run, it seems prudent to point out that anything using the rt73 driver also needs to load firmware before it's usable.
Nature is by and large to be found out of doors, a location where,
it cannot be argued, there are never enough comfortable chairs.
-- Fran Lebowitz
Vote with your wallet (Score:0)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
List wireless cards, vendors, and prices that I can obtain today, which do work with Linux.
The compatability lists on the linux wireless sites are useless -- sure there are lots of cards that work, but many of them
have been discontinued for years, some were only available in certain locales, and some, if you found the model, have had their
chipsets changes.
I know of no resource that would allow me to successfully pursue wither of the following use
Re:Vote with your wallet (Score:5, Informative)
There's also an emerging (well, maybe they exist for ages, but I've not known the company up until recently) manufacturer for networking gear called "TP-LINK" which sells virtually everything from RaLink. I happen to have a "TP-LINK TL-WN321G" (usb2 full speed) adapter which features a RaLink chip supported by the rt73-usb driver just perfectly. Cost me 9 Euro in germany.
Hth.
Atheros (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
>Also, anything with an Atheros chipset also works very well with the MadWifi drivers.
I knew that too. What I still *don't* know is, where to go to buy one, and exactly what to ask for
in order to have some assurance that what I receive will in fact be Atheros based. My basic question
is, and has been for some time, what do I need to buy in order to be sure it will work with Linux, and
where do I buy it? Is there a vendor that actually makes guarantees based on chipset?
Starting from the chipset basicall
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Unfortunately that doesn't help when the manufacturer changes the chipset without changing the model number.
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This thread could have ended with one post, had anyone simply shared a name, url, phone number of such a vendor.
I would *love* to be able to call someone and say "I need an 802.11b/g PCI card with a chipset known not to be unsupported."
I don't really think I'm asking for much here.
>If you're online, just google the model number and add something like "linux", "ubuntu" or "gentoo" to the query.
If you find one that way, where is the assurance that the ne
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
>As someone already said, try TP-LINK. Pretty much everything they sell should be supported.
Good to know. However, a quick check of the TP-Link website yields the following results:
A search for "Linux" just pops up an error message.
A check of the specs neither gives information about the chipset used, nor information on any operating system except
"Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP"
Most interesting is the fact that they *do* specify Linux compatability on their wired cards!
If I wanted one card for myself, I might
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, a better answer: Anything that advertises 108 Mbps "Super G". "Super G" is an Atheros trademark, and only WLAN cards with Atheros chipsets are allowed to carry that mark.
Also, anything Intel PRO/Wireless based works well under Linux. I keep on seeing people (actually, basically only Theo de Raadt...) bitch about Intel and wireless, but the fact is that all of their chipsets are very well supported, and Intel ha
Re: (Score:2)
> [Detailed list of some compatible cards, and some general guidelines]
But this is exactly the problem! When people ask this question, they get details, and perhaps a link to a list or two. But there is no single up-to-date reliable hardware list that a Linux-user can really rely on. This should be a simple URL of a website
Re: (Score:1)
>I guess for most people knowledgeable about Linux, this isn't a big issue - they know the answers or know where to get them.
For my personal needs, I definitely fit that description, am slightly willing to do trial-and-error, buy used items, really search for discontinued things, etc.
For my *professional* needs, it is a big problem, one that has led to linux being taken off the table for a project. While I appreciate being steered toward "RaLink" and "Atheros (not so great a solution!)", I also note tha
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:1)
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I think you're missing the point about what exactly tuxpatible.info is meant to be.
Yes, th
Re: (Score:1)
>You're going about this incorrectly. If a piece of hardware works in one distribution, it will theoretically work in all.
I understand that very well. If the variety of distributions is what's scaring the manufacturers away, I hope they get over it.
But even though this thread has gone on for a while, I can't help but notice that few have given specific answers.
What Wi-fi card would you buy today? Not "what chipset would you like to have?" How would you identify it? How would you explain to a disinter
Re: (Score:1)
"When people ask this question, they get details, and perhaps a link to a list or two. But there is no single up-to-date reliable hardware list that a Linux-user can really rely on."
This is one of the reasons I like and use FreeBSD. When I want to purchase a piece of hardware, or even an entire system, there is a single up-to-date reliable hardware list [freebsd.org] that I can consult to make sure what I buy will work.
Re: (Score:1)
I cannot submit purchase orders for Ebay, and "dirt cheap" is not the goal. I (and many others) need a vendor that (A.) asserts, if not guarantees, linux compatability and (B.) has a presence that will pass muster for corporate (and academic institution) purchasing requirements.
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It blows my mind how the linux community continues to make the low grade hardware work instead of universa
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