SDIO WI-FI Cards

[maikii]

Anyone have any recommendations for these?

[Darius Wey]

Have a look at this: http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=31856

There's not much as to advice on which card is the best, but I do discuss some common makes out there.

SanDisk
Socket
(I would provide links of relevant topics but there are so many here that it would be too messy to list)

There are other ones out there although I tend to find that these are the most commonly used. Search around the site and you should find reviews or discussions of each particular model.

[Carlos]

The Sandisk has a couple of serious issues which they say are "normal" and don't intend to address.

1. No WPA support, even though it's in the software, and the specs did say it does.

2. If you remove the card, then want to re-insert it, you have to reset the device or it will not be recognized. Let me repeat that; every time you want to use the card, you have to soft-reset. Ridiculous.

[PoweriPaq]

I have no problem with mine. When I just purchased my XDA II and didn't have the driver for Sandisk SDIO Wifi, the XDA II comes with Socket SDIO Wifi driver. So I used that for a week and it works fine.

As what Carlos metioned his problem, I don't have the same problem even with the correct Sandisk driver.

[Dave Conger]

2. If you remove the card, then want to re-insert it, you have to reset the device or it will not be recognized. Let me repeat that; every time you want to use the card, you have to soft-reset. Ridiculous.

I have both editions of the SanDisk cards and don't see this. What device do you have?

[Carlos]

I have an XDA II, and the card says it is hardware version 2.0 on the back. When I called Sandisk, they told me both problems were "just how it is." The guy literally told me it is normal that you have to restart the device when you remove and re-insert an SDIO card.

I wasn't aware that the built-in drivers would work with this card, so I didn't try it. I wonder if I remove the Sandisk drivers if the others will still run/work...

So you guys are able to use WPA?

[PoweriPaq]

I'm not using WPA because I haven't had time to set it up yet and my other wireless device don't have WPA as part of the software. I have yet to update them to work with WPA.

[maikii]

Yes, the only two types I have seen are Sandisk and Socket. (I am not interested, BTW, in one that includes memory. Just the wi-fi card.)

Has anyone tried both of these two brands, and could compare them? Are there any comparative reviews one could read on the net of these?

If what one poster wrote here is the case about having to reset every time one uses the Sandisk card, that is definitely a disadvantage. However, others report not having that problem, so it is probably his configuration, or particular PPC.

Have people found these SDIO Wi-Fi cards in general to work well, in connecting the PPC to a wi-fi network for Internet connection?

Any other considerations, other than price, in deciding which to buy? (I think the Sandisk model is available at lower prices than the Socket model.)

[Carlos]

I loaded the Socket drivers (they were not included on my i-mate). Everything works MUCH better. I still don't have WPA support, but I can hot-swap the card as much as I want. Initial connections happen about 3x faster, and the throughput is about double what I was getting with the SanDisk drivers.

So my recommendation is to buy the Socket card. Sure, you can use their drivers on the Sandisk card, but that's just unethical and why reward Sandisk for their poor driver development?

This is not surprising; Socket has always done a much better job than Sandisk or most of the others.

[maikii]

I loaded the Socket drivers (they were not included on my i-mate). Everything works MUCH better. I still don't have WPA support, but I can hot-swap the card as much as I want. Initial connections happen about 3x faster, and the throughput is about double what I was getting with the SanDisk drivers.

So my recommendation is to buy the Socket card. Sure, you can use their drivers on the Sandisk card, but that's just unethical and why reward Sandisk for their poor driver development?

This is not surprising; Socket has always done a much better job than Sandisk or most of the others.

I was going to buy the Sandisk card, as I see it is normally available at much lower prices than the Socket card, and seems to be the same card, with different drivers. (You say the Socket drivers are better, but will work with the Sandisk card. Also, Sandisk might upgrade and improve their drivers.)

However, I saw a good deal on the Socket card today, and went ahead and bought that. I'll share the info, in case anyone is interested. From Mobileplanet no less, who I think generally is not very competitive in the price area. (Fun catalog to look through though.) Their usual price for the Socket card is $109.95, not a very good price. However, they now have a $30 instant rebate, so that one is only charged $79.95, and there is also a $20 mail-in rebate. So, considering the mail-in rebate, the price "after rebate" is $59.95, lower than I have seen the Sandisk card anywhere. (ALthough I have seen the Sandisk card for less than $79.95, like around $70, or a little more.) (And mail-in rebates are a hassle, and don't always come. I wish they would make all rebates the "instant" kind.)

So, I went ahead and ordered one. They have it in stock, and it should be shipped by tomorrow, I think. I was also pleasantly surprised that I wasn't charged anything for shipping (I'm not sure why--whether that is a special promotion or something), only CA sales tax. Not a bad deal, in case anyone else is interested in buying an SDIO WiFi card soon.

[maikii]

By the way, now that I have an SDIO WI-Fi card on order, has anyone reading used one with an IPAQ 2210 (running the build of WM2003 that came on it)? (Perhaps I should have asked this before ordering one! ) :lol:

The 2210 comes with built-in Bluetooth, but no Wi-Fi, so this card should add that capacity. Curious to hear anyone's experience with using an SDIO Wi-Fi card with the IPAQ 2210 or 2215.

I'm not sure I'm quoting correctly, but did someone write that you do not need to install the drivers with some Pocket PCs? Is Wi-Fi capability built into WM2003, including detecting SDIO Wi-Fi cards? If so, should I try to use the card first without installing the drivers, and see how that works?

[ironguy]

Let me tell you my Socket rebate story...

Once upon a time, an intrepid pocket pc user (me) bought a Socket SDIO WiFI card from MobilePlanet. It was on sale and had a $30 rebate. The card came, the intrepid user filled out the forms and sent them in. Many weeks later, an email was received stating that the rebate was submitted and the check was forthcoming. The user waited patiently. Several weeks later, the rebate check arrived - the day before the user went on vacation. The user went on vacation and played in the sun. When he came home, he took the rebate check to the bank to find it had expired! The expiration date was 11 days after I, uh, the user, received the check in the mail. The user got hold of tech support and explained the issue. They said it would be bumped to a manager. Instead, the trouble ticket was closed. Once again, the user contacted tech support and was again relayed to a manager. This time, the ticket stayed open and the check is to be re-issued. The user patiently waits in his little castle for his check...

Moral: Cash that sucker the day you get it!

[maikii]

Well, how do you like the card?


Let me tell you my Socket rebate story...

Once upon a time, an intrepid pocket pc user (me) bought a Socket SDIO WiFI card from MobilePlanet. It was on sale and had a $30 rebate. The card came, the intrepid user filled out the forms and sent them in. Many weeks later, an email was received stating that the rebate was submitted and the check was forthcoming. The user waited patiently. Several weeks later, the rebate check arrived - the day before the user went on vacation. The user went on vacation and played in the sun. When he came home, he took the rebate check to the bank to find it had expired! The expiration date was 11 days after I, uh, the user, received the check in the mail. The user got hold of tech support and explained the issue. They said it would be bumped to a manager. Instead, the trouble ticket was closed. Once again, the user contacted tech support and was again relayed to a manager. This time, the ticket stayed open and the check is to be re-issued. The user patiently waits in his little castle for his check...

Moral: Cash that sucker the day you get it!

[ironguy]

The card works great. The new software is nice with a very straightforward GUI. I use the card mostly at work and occasionally at home. With the new software combined with the inhgerent WiFI stuff, I tap on the connection icon (if I'm impatient) and I get a list of available WiFIs. Connect and I'm in!

I had some problems at home when I started, but after I connected at work, home started connecting all the time. Strange, it's like it needed to learn how to connect.