Linksys 802.11G CF Card Released Soon

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.linksys.com/splash/wcf54g_splash.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.linksys.com/splash/wcf54g_splash.asp</a><br /><br /></div>Linksys have just put up details of their new WiFi card. I just know it's what some of you guys have been waiting for!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wcf54g.jpg" /><br /><br /><i>"Experience the speed and convenience of wireless networking on your PDA. The Wireless-G CompactFlash Card installs directly into your Pocket PC using a CompactFlash Type II slot. The user-friendly software makes it a snap to set up, and you’re ready to share data, printers, or high-speed Internet access over your existing wireless network at speeds up to 54Mbps. It's also compatible with Wireless-B (802.11b) wireless networks." </i><br /><br />There's no defined release date yet, just a 'Coming Soon' message at the website. No word on price yet either. Rejoice! Soon mixed mode 802.11G/B networks can be a thing of the past. :wink:

[Eitel]

A 16bit wireless G card?

I would like to see that, since so far all "G" card are 32bits, and the Pocket PC can't handle 32bits cards yet.

[Vincent M Ferrari]

That's been my understanding also...

Apparently they've figured something out...

[Kash76]

What's the point?? I doubt the bus of my iPAQ 2215 will benefit the G speeds.

[Janak Parekh]

Apparently they've figured something out...
I'm pretty certain that this card is only being developed so that you don't have to run in mixed mode -- you're not going to get any speed benefit whatsoever on your Pocket PC, AFAICT.

What's the point?? I doubt the bus of my iPAQ 2215 will benefit the G speeds.
As I implied above, by running all your devices on G you avoid the slowdown amongst other computers on your network that could handle G speeds but are otherwise being handicapped by the presence of your B device.

--janak

[Jonathon Watkins]

I'm pretty certain that this card is only being developed so that you don't have to run in mixed mode -- you're not going to get any speed benefit whatsoever on your Pocket PC, AFAICT.

Not unless someone has recently developed an app for the PPC that demands some *serious* bandwidth! :wink:

[Vincent M Ferrari]

Wait a minute...

I know this is kind of a newb question, but I want to make sure...

If I have a G router, a G wifi card in my laptop, and a B wifi card in my wife's, her laptop is slowing down the entire shebang even if we aren't sharing files?

Just wanna make sure because this is a big thing for me...

[Janak Parekh]

Not unless someone has recently developed an app for the PPC that demands some *serious* bandwidth! :wink:
Even if they did, the 16-bit CF spec wouldn't be able to handle it. 10mbps is more-or-less the upper bound, IIRC.

If I have a G router, a G wifi card in my laptop, and a B wifi card in my wife's, her laptop is slowing down the entire shebang even if we aren't sharing files?
Yes - probably 50% or more. G slows down to something like 15mbps if there's a B card present on the network. That's the evil side to "mixed mode". (I think routers are smart enough to only slow down mixed mode when it first sees a B node, but if you want to maximize G performance, running G-only is probably best.)

On the other hand, if you're not sharing files between any of your computers, your Internet connection is the performance constraint, not the mixed-mode 802.11g setup, and converting to G-only will have limited use.

--janak

[Vincent M Ferrari]

:grumble:

Just got everything working, too lol

Guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to get wifey a new card...

And a new router while I'm at it (you know, because it's sooooooo necessary)

Thanks Janak!

[DiGiTYZED]

Yes - probably 50% or more. G slows down to something like 15mbps if there's a B card present on the network. That's the evil side to "mixed mode". (I think routers are smart enough to only slow down mixed mode when it first sees a B node, but if you want to maximize G performance, running G-only is probably best.)

On the other hand, if you're not sharing files between any of your computers, your Internet connection is the performance constraint, not the mixed-mode 802.11g setup, and converting to G-only will have limited use.

--janak

Really?!? Fizzle!!!!

Then my transfer speeds between my XBOX Wireless-G Adapter and Wireless-G Router will suffer because my Wireless-B PDA is detected???

If so, what if I turn off my PDA (or Wi-Fi in PDA), will the speeds go back to normal?

[Janak Parekh]

If so, what if I turn off my PDA (or Wi-Fi in PDA), will the speeds go back to normal?
From what I've heard, they should. I personally don't use G heavily so I don't have anecdotal data.

--janak

[that_kid]

I've tried the slow down theory with my wifi array and my tests showed that the speed didn't change. I tansfered a 4 gig file via wifi to my laptop without any other clients on my ap's. Then I turned on my ppc, it associated with my ap and I started downloading another file off a different server and my laptop's speed stayed the same. Then I turned off the ppc just to make sure and everything was still good. I guess it's more problematic on certain ap's or vendors. I'm running linksys wap54g's and a wrt54g here so like always YMMV.

[Kash76]

What's the point?? I doubt the bus of my iPAQ 2215 will benefit the G speeds.
As I implied above, by running all your devices on G you avoid the slowdown amongst other computers on your network that could handle G speeds but are otherwise being handicapped by the presence of your B device.

--janak

I overlooked that point because I have a 'B' access point for just my PPC with the antenna amp on it for my PPC so I can stream music throughout my yard and a 'G' for my laptop.

[J.B.]

I've tried the slow down theory with my wifi array and my tests showed that the speed didn't change. I tansfered a 4 gig file via wifi to my laptop without any other clients on my ap's. Then I turned on my ppc, it associated with my ap and I started downloading another file off a different server and my laptop's speed stayed the same. Then I turned off the ppc just to make sure and everything was still good. I guess it's more problematic on certain ap's or vendors. I'm running linksys wap54g's and a wrt54g here so like always YMMV.

The "slow-down" theory comes from a trade-off for allowing comunnications of both B and G clients to the G access point. In order to make the AP detecting both types, a different format of header of relatively large size on each packet is required and which results overall lower throughput (larger overhead => smaller data carried).

That's why in G type AP, you often have selections among B only, G only and mixed mode. Even you have only G clients present, if your AP is set in mixed modes, I think the packets transmitted are still containing aforementioned header format. So you won't see any performance increase.

http://www.commsdesign.com/story/OEG20020409S0012

Please correct me if I am wrong :wink:

[daS]

I'm pretty certain that this card is only being developed so that you don't have to run in mixed mode -- you're not going to get any speed benefit whatsoever on your Pocket PC, AFAICT.
My bet is that they are developing the "g" card because people will buy it over a "b" card even though they don't know that they won't get better speeds. But if they see a "g" card and a "b" card, they will buy the "g" without knowing the details.

[that_kid]

Even you have only G clients present, if your AP is set in mixed modes, I think the packets transmitted are still containing aforementioned header format. So you won't see any performance increase.

This is probably the case that I had since I didn't test the throughput with the ap set to "g" only. Oh well, it's not a big issue for me because I have separate ap's for my laptops and ppc's. My laptop ap's are set to "G" only and my ppc ap's are in mixed mode. Now I wonder which ppc manufacture will be the first to have integrated 802.11g. The only ppc program that takes full advantage my wifi bandwidthh is sprite.

[twntaipan]

Does it supprt WPA or just WEP?

[bspline]

They should worry on releasing a usable driver for WM2003. My Ipaq 2215 has to use a mix of linksys and another company's driver. I don't even know how it works with WM2003 SE.

[yb]

I have been waiting for this product for nearly two years...not for the G radio, because as already mentioned in this thread the architecture of both the CF card and the PPC/WM OS won't support transfer speeds of much more that 10 Mbps. The more important thing about this card is that it will be the first CF card with NATIVE Cisco CCX v1 capabilities and if my Cisco source is correct CCX v2 before the end of the summer. That may not be important to most but on my enterprise network the fast roaming capability is a must.

I only hope the RF performance is even remotely close to a 350 card...

yb

[Mark_Venture]

...If I have a G router, a G wifi card in my laptop, and a B wifi card in my wife's, her laptop is slowing down the entire shebang even if we aren't sharing files?
Currently with G only, I get about 21-22Mbps max. With BOTH B&G clients active, I get 5 to 6Mbps out of the B client and the G client drops to about 12-16Mbps max.

Previous discussions on the subject of B and G speeds, both in B only, Mixed mode, and G only (from DSLReports.com)....
»Is the WRT54G a good solution ? (http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,8026298~mode=flat)
»B vs G real world speed?? (http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,7393295~root=wlan~mode=flat)
»(wireless) 54mbs is never sustained or reached! + wrt54g (http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,7835833~root=equip,16~mode=flat)
(they also include other links and tests/results, including PCMagazine write ups)...

If so, what if I turn off my PDA (or Wi-Fi in PDA), will the speeds go back to normal?
My informal testing shows... Yes. Turn off your B device, and the speed of G devices will increase. However, unless you also set your Access point to G Only mode, your G devices will still be slightly slowed.

So in my case, having a G card in my PDA will allow me to set my access point as G Only and get me back to 21-22Mbps all the time, as opposed to the 12-16Mbps I see in mixed mode, a difference of 5-10Mbps.

While G Only mode makes no difference when surfing the net, it does come in handy for file transfers and streaming audio/video.

[Cybrid]

Correct me if I'm wrong but most DSL/Cable is about 2-3Mbps and small business is 5Mbps.
Even video streams are watchable at 300Kbps
So????
Big whoop!!
Going from dialup to my new WiFi card was a big step. But further than that, even my desktop isn't all that much "faster" on 10/100.
Janak has pointed out quite correctly, you won't notice at all.

[ctmagnus]

Janak has pointed out quite correctly, you won't notice at all.

Unless you're accessing resources on your local 100mbit lan. ;)

[Janak Parekh]

Unless you're accessing resources on your local 100mbit lan. ;)
Nope - the Pocket PC and its CF interface as it stands today won't be able to sustain a higher rate of transfer. Unless you mean having other devices on your LAN talk to each other, in which case this card might be useful in not slowing them down. ;)

--janak

[Mark_Venture]

.... Unless you mean having other devices on your LAN talk to each other, in which case this card might be useful in not slowing them down. ;)
Exactly what I am thinking about... I know that using a G card in my iPAQ will not speed up my "surfing the net", Activesync, streaming audio/video...

BUT...

Using a G card in my iPAQ will mean the wireless LAN connections for my Laptop and 2nd PC will be slightly faster. Considering the fact that I live in an apartment and CAN'T run wires everywhere, the more speed I can get from my wireless lan the better :)

[brianbitzkowski]

I really notice a problem with the slow transfer speeds when copying large files over network shares. But that could be from a limitation of Pocket PC's Network Client or the memory card controller(?), rather than the wireless. Anyone also notice that you cannot connect to Samba 3.0 servers since your Windows 2003 Mobile upgrade? It worked in Pocket PC 2002, and works fine with Samba 2.0.

[Janak Parekh]

I really notice a problem with the slow transfer speeds when copying large files over network shares. But that could be from a limitation of Pocket PC's Network Client or the memory card controller(?), rather than the wireless.
Very possible.

Anyone also notice that you cannot connect to Samba 3.0 servers since your Windows 2003 Mobile upgrade? It worked in Pocket PC 2002, and works fine with Samba 2.0.
I haven't tried this... what problem do you get?

--janak

[brianbitzkowski]

Here is the error displayed when using Windows Mobile 2003 on a HP iPaq 5455 to connect to a Samba 3.0 server:

http://brianbit.sdf-eu.org/images/samba3.0_wm2003_error.gif

Thanks,
Brian Bitzkowski

[Janak Parekh]

Hmm! I'll play with it in a couple days if I get a chance, but I'm totally swamped right now. There might be a compatibility setting in smb.conf somewhere, assuming it's indeed the version that's triggering the incompatibility.

--janak