MRK

Ok i'm going to buy a new wireless card soon. I need one bad. My current Entrasys is doing really weird things.

I've narrowed it down to three possibilites. I want to know which one would be the very best at stumbling. (not connecting to networks or anything. My linksys does that just fine. ) I'll be using slackware 9.1, debian 3, and a couple other cd distros of linux. I love linux. :P Anyway, i really could care less if it works with netstumbler although it'd be nice. (not really since i never use it. Kismet has me spoiled. ) Here are my choices. I've listed them in the order i think they come im. If you have any other ideas of suggestions please make them, but i'd like to hear about these choices specifically.

My first choice is the NetGate NL-2511CD PLUS EXT2. This card is an oem of the Senao SL-2511CD PLUS EXT2 or an Engenius EL-2511CD EXT. They are all the very same card. This card runs about $75. I love this card because of its power and because it has 2 antenna ports.
http://www.netgate.com/NL2511.html

My second choice, which i just read about, is the SMC EliteConnect 2.4GHz High Power Wireless PC Card. I just read about this card in another post on the board. I remember reading somewhere that this card supposedly had better recieve range than the netgate. I'm not sure where though. I like this choice because its local and its cheaper. Its $69.
http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...724&pfp=BROWSE

My third choice isnt really a choice. lol. Its more of a fall back option. And that option is the standard Orinoco Gold Classic. I like this card, but i think i'd perfer one of the other two.

I'd appriciate anyting anyone has to say. Remember all i want this card for is stumbling. I want it to have a really good recieve range. Thanks for your help!!!

-Mr.K

Eyecannon

I love my ORiNOCO Gold... very solid, works great in any distro of linux and windows as well. Don't know jack about the other cards, but it would probably be nice to have a 802.11b/something else card.

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http://eyecannon.com/wardrive.html

Twisted

Recieve range is a function of the antenna, compatibility with netstumbler is a function of the card.


Get the Orinoco.

Wanderer

Considering this is the Kismet forum, I don't think that he really cares about Netstumbler...

The Senao card is excellent, as is the Cisco LMC352. I think that the Cisco card has ever-so slightly better recieve sensitivity, even though the Senao cards look better on paper..

I'd get the Senao.

Monitr7

Ditto. But, make sure you get the Orinoco "Classic" Gold Card, with the external antenna jack.

I agree about the Cisco card, as I've heard good things about them, although I've never had the chance to use one. For my money, though, I'd still look around for the Orinoco.

Also, Wanderer, with regards to Twisted's comment about NS, it looks like he was just saying NS as a catch-all with regard to the functionality of wardriving programs and compatable cards. Feel free to flame if I'm way off base, Twisted.

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peekitty

I'm in the Senao camp though I don't actually own one... The Orinoco is a good card, but you still need to patch the drivers, and the patch doesn't work with the bleeding-edge version of PCMCIA-CS, IIRC. The Cisco is also a good option, but I recall reading that it requires a specific firmware rev to get into rfmon.

I've been using a Xircom XI-325 which has the dual-MMCX layout, similar to the Senao, but most importantly it uses the HostAP driver (or wlan-ng if you prefer.) I've made the transition from Orinoco cards to Prism, and I think it has simplified things for me.

IMHO the HostAp drivers are more usable, and I've heard nothing but glowing reports about the RX sensitivity of the Senao. There are hordes of cheap Prism cards out there from PCI to USB, so you can always tinker around and not interfere with your current setup. I'd go with the Senao.

MRK

Well, i went to compusa and picked up one of the SMC EliteConnect's. Well i opend it up and sure enough it had a detachable antenna. When i removed the antenna, it had 2 ports. Well apparently they arent the standard mmcx connectors like thier website states. Its some weird connector. Its about the same size. In the book it says its a MMCX Reverse Connector. Whatever the heck that means. Who knows. I took it back.

-Mr.K

peekitty

Cisco, Senao and others use the RP-MMCX, also known as reverse-polarity MMCX, that's probably what your SMC card has. Most of the usual vendors carry the pigtails for these.

Now that I think about it, increased output won't help you much with Kismet, maybe you should just go with a standard Senao or similar.

Found a review of the SMC card at Tom's Hardware Guide

MRK

Yea. thats what i'm going to do. I've also read that the rp-mmcx is not as good a connector as the one that the mmcx is. (I dont know if this is true, but anyways) I've got a hyperlinktech antenna, so i cant really exchange pigtails for it. Oh well.

-Mr.K