Compact Flash WiFi Card For Any Budget

[Brad Adrian]

<a href="http://www.trendware.com/products/TEW-222CF.htm">http://www.trendware.com/products/TEW-222CF.htm</a><br /><br />If you're looking for an inexpensive 802.11b (WiFi) card for your Pocket PC or Notebook computer, you might want to give this one from TrendNet a try. I haven't used it myself, but one of our astute readers has pointed out that it's often available for around $55.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/trendnetwifi.jpg" /><br /><br />You can read all of the card's specs by clicking on the link above. However, since prices on these kind of things change very frequently, here's how to find the best price: Go to the Pocket PC Thoughts home page and enter "TEW-222CF" into the PriceGrabber search window in the upper right-hand corner (and then click on "GO.") When I tried it, I found five Web stores selling it for under $60. <br /><br />Happy hunting! (By the way, if anybody has used this specific card, it would be great if you'd post your impressions of it to this thread.)

[Fzara]

i think that any CF WiFi card today is cheap, not just this one.

In fact, the Dell TrueMobile Wireless 802.11b card is being sold for about $60.

[Jason Lee]

I have two trendware wired ethernet cards, a 10 and a 10/100. They work very well and they were also very cheap. I think I payed around $25US for the 10/100 when the only other 10/100 CF in existance was around $179US.

Good stuff. :D

[RHighley]

My TEW-222CF WiFi CF card arrives this afternoon and I will be posting an assessment sometime next week.

I have used both a Trendware TE100-PCBUSR 10/100Mbps CardBus Ethernet Card with my laptop and a Trendware TE-CF100 10/100Mbps CompactFlash Ethernet card with my Pocket PC. They both work extraordinarily well. I tried both Pretec and Socket CompactFlash Ethernet cards with my Pocket PC beforehand and was unhappy with both.

I hope my experience with Trendware's WiFi card is similar to that with their other products. However, it is well to bear in mind the old saying "you tell the pioneers; they're the ones with the arrows in their backs." :wink:

[jeffmd]

ok now go find us some cheap bluetooth ;)

[Joff]

i think that any CF WiFi card today is cheap, not just this one.

In fact, the Dell TrueMobile Wireless 802.11b card is being sold for about $60.

the TrueMobile is it a PCMCIA card or CF card? It makes quite a difference. Also, does it come with WinCE drivers? Otherwise it is useless for PPC users. It's good to see more WiFi cards in CF format. The advantage is that you can use it with both your PPC and Laptop 8)

[dacs29]

the TrueMobile is it a PCMCIA card or CF card? It makes quite a difference. Also, does it come with WinCE drivers? Otherwise it is useless for PPC users. It's good to see more WiFi cards in CF format. The advantage is that you can use it with both your PPC and Laptop 8)
Dell sells a couple different networking cards under the TrueMobile name. (mini-PCI, PCMCIA, CF, WAPs, etc.) They do sell a CF WiFi card though. It's the TrueMobile 1180 and currently costs $69. They also sell a Bluetooth TrueMobile 300 which costs $69 and is also a CF card. Finally, they both come with PPC drivers.

David

[Mike Temporale]

RHighley,

Can you let us know if this card works with Mini-stumbler?? I'm looking to pick up a CF WiFi, but I would really like it to work with Mini-Stumbler.

Thanks!

[Underwater Mike]

Jeff,

A couple weeks ago, CU$A had the Ambicom CF BT card for $29 after rebate. I think that special is over now, but there might be something similar someplace else. You know how one special like that tends to spawn others...

BTW, I didn't bite on the BT card. Gotta wait until I finish my taxes and find out whether to cheer or weep. :?

ok now go find us some cheap bluetooth ;)

[RHighley]

RHighley,

Can you let us know if this card works with Mini-stumbler?? I'm looking to pick up a CF WiFi, but I would really like it to work with Mini-Stumbler.

Thanks!

A little confession is in order: while I am reasonably knowledgeable about wired LANs, the Trendware WiFi CF card will be my first venture into 802.11b territory. Hence, my question: what is a Mini-Stumbler?

[Mike Temporale]

Mini-Stumbler is the PocketPc version of Net-Stumbler. The Stumblers allow you to walk around and it will tell you what Wireless networks are in the area. It tells you everything from what the SSID, the channel, and even tells you if WEP is enabled.

It can be found at www.netstumbler.com and it's a free application.

I use it on my laptop all the time, and I would love to be able to use it with a CF WiFi card. :D

[ctmagnus]

RHighley,

Can you let us know if this card works with Mini-stumbler?? I'm looking to pick up a CF WiFi, but I would really like it to work with Mini-Stumbler.

Thanks!

Likely not. MiniStumbler works only with Lucent chipset cards, which the vast majority (if not still all) CF cards do not use.

You can try Pocket Warrior (http://www.pocketwarrior.org/) though, but it's still not guaranteed to work with this card.

[RHighley]

The FAQ section of the Pocket Warrior website states that it was confirmed to run on Trendware's TEW-202CF -- the immediate predecessor of the new TEW-222CF.

[Mike Temporale]

Likely not. MiniStumbler works only with Lucent chipset cards, which the vast majority (if not still all) CF cards do not use.



According to the readme that can be found in the min_stumbler zip, Lucent and Compaq WL110 are supported, under other possible cards it lists "Other Hermes cards".

I'm not sure what chipset is used in the TrendWare chip. The Lucent chip can be found in Agere / ORiNOCO cards.

If you choose to install either of these apps, please let us know if they work with, or if you have any problems with the Trendware chip.

[ctmagnus]

MiniStumbler works only with Lucent chipset cards...

And by Lucent chipset cards, I am of course referring to Hermes chipset* cards. :oops:

[RHighley]

You can try Pocket Warrior (http://www.pocketwarrior.org/) though, but it's still not guaranteed to work with this card.

What is the closet analog of Pocket Warrier for Windows laptops?

[ctmagnus]

What is the closet analog of Pocket Warrier for Windows laptops?

afaik, that would be Netstumbler. Fortunately, version 0.3.30 of Netstumbler (not Ministumbler) supports some Prism cards. Check the Netstumbler faq for info.