Good, inexpensive CF wireless card? Which one?

[Hugh Nano]

I'm looking for a good but inexpensive CF wireless card (802.11b) that I can use in both my iPAQ 3650 (Pocket PC 2000) and my laptop (Win 98SE) with my CF to PCMCIA adapter. Any suggestions? What works for you?

[absolutVenky]

Good or inexpensive, pick one :)

I've used Linksys (WCF12) and Socket. The Socket is a better card from my perspective - lower power, works in both my PPC and my Zaurus.

[Pat Logsdon]

I've used Linksys (WCF12) and Socket. The Socket is a better card from my perspective - lower power, works in both my PPC and my Zaurus.
The Socket will also work in a WM2003 machine. I don't think Linksys has released an official WM2003 driver, although I believe there's a work-around somewhere. I have both, and use the Socket around the house and at hotspots, and use the Linksys for sniffing.

[Hugh Nano]

Good or inexpensive, pick one :)

:cry: I can't pick both? :cry:

Anyone use the SanDisk 128MB+802.11b CF card? How is it? I seem to remember reading a review of it that was quite negative, but I can't find it now. If it did work well, it would help to justify the higher price--especially if it worked in my laptop.

[Hugh Nano]

Drat! Just looked at the SanDisk site. Looks like their ConnectPlus WiFi card doesn't support Windows 98SE--and I can't upgrade this old laptop of mine to anything higher... :cry: So much for that idea. :(

Oh, yeah. Not to mention that it only supports PPC 2002. :P I do not want to upgrade to that, but it looks as though I may have to. Just bought M$ Money 2004, and you can't install the Pocket PC client unless you have the new OS. :pukeface:

[Mark_Venture]

Ambicom WL1100C-CF works great in my iPAQ 2215 (with WM2003/.NET drivers from Ambicom's web site). It also works in a CF to PCMCIA adapter in my Thinkpad T23 under Windows XP Pro and Win98se (again with updated drivers from Ambicom's web site).

Price... $69.99 at Circuit City and Best Buy... others have posted finding it cheaper.

With it in my iPAQ, I get about 3.5 hours of continuous use before I need to recharge the battery. With it in my Thinkpad, batter life is about the same as without it.

[Brad Adrian]

Ambicom WL1100C-CF...Price... $69.99 at Circuit City and Best Buy.
I just bought this card at Best Buy the other day and it was $69.99 PLUS a $20.00 rebate!

[townsendtribe]

I use the D-Link 660W... I got it off eBay for $40 but you can find it for $60. Nice card, no complaints here.

[lungbutter]

using the ambicom card from best buy here with senao drivers. the senao drivers allow you to turn off the power to the cf card when not in use.

lb

[Hugh Nano]

I use the D-Link 660W... I got it off eBay for $40 but you can find it for $60. Nice card, no complaints here.

Yes, I looked at that one, but, as I mentioned at the beginning, I want to be able to use the card in my laptop as well. Quote from the D-Link web-site:

At this time, the DCF-660W will only work with the following:
Linux (built-in)
Windows CE 3.0 (Pocket PC 2000)
Pocket PC 2002

...

We have no plans for development of drivers for the following:
DOS
Windows 3.1
Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows Me
Windows XP


That rules this one out for me, unfortunately. Unless someone knows how to get it working with Win98?

[Brad Adrian]

I've contacted SanDisk several times to see when their WM2003 drivers will be ready. They tell me a beta will be available any day now. I hope they're right, because I especially like the sniffer software that comes with their card.

[Mark_Venture]

using the ambicom card from best buy here with senao drivers. the senao drivers allow you to turn off the power to the cf card when not in use. Is there a link to the Senao Drivers and how to make them work with the Ambicom card?

[edit] Nevermind... I found it in another thread here... http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14396&start=30 Willmonwah posted a link to step by step instructions [edit]

[wardseward]

Are there any other CF wifi cards out there, besides the socket, that have a low power feature and work with MW2003?

[tsb_hcy]

SMC all the way. It's cheap and has the best range by far. The Asus card is good and cheap too, but it doesn't have the range of the SMC. If power is your concern, Socket is the only way to go.

[darrylb]

I've contacted SanDisk several times to see when their WM2003 drivers will be ready. They tell me a beta will be available any day now. I hope they're right, because I especially like the sniffer software that comes with their card.

I've got this card and the 2002 drivers seem to work fine in my 2210 (along with the sniffer part :D )

[Stephen Beesley]

Well I have been using a Z-com x-815 card (also sold as the Netgear MA701) in my Jornada 568 for a couple of months now. It definately meets the cheap criteria but I think you get what you pay for.

No real problems for most of that time but it is not well supported by any of the sniffer apps (had to load the Intersil Reference drivers to get them to work) and laterly it has seemed to be getting less and less reliable. Now it is at the stage of not recognising the card, a problem which a quick trawl of the net seems to indicate is fairly common. So I am about to do a hard reset to make sure it isn't a PPC problem and then look at sending it back.

My point is, that with wifi cards it definatley seems to be a case of you get what you pay for.

Goldtee