Are All 802.11b Wireless Cards Created Equal?
You have probably seen them on eBay- sellers charging $5.00 for a generic no-name 802.11b wireless PCMCIA card, charging $10.00 for shipping and claiming that the card is "just like D-Link, Netgear, Linksys" in the item title. Is this true? Are all wireless cards created equal? The short answer is no. There is usually a huge difference between most of the cheap generic cards (and routers/access points) and some of the brand name devices like Linksys. That does not mean that a generic card will be nonfunctional or useless. But there is a difference considering the range you will receive.
Different 802.11b cards sometimes have different antennae inside of them. Many Orinoco rebranded cards, which are enterprise level cards and cost upwards of $25.00, have up to 1.5 dBi gain antennae on them and get very good range (can vary depending on the wireless router or access point used). Linksys cards also use a stronger antenna that will allow connections across an entire house and up or down several stories. Most generic cards use a low range antenna that is generally only capable of picking up a wireless signal in the same or next room as the router or access point. They can get a better range if they are in a line-of-sight to the router.
At Rokland we regularly carry all types of cards. You will see we have a Cisco card without attached antenna for just $8.95 plus shipping. This is one of those short-range cards that is recommended for same or next room use. You will also see that we have Lucent Orinoco and Madge brand enterprise level cards. These cards get a much better range. So in addition to considering the price of the card when purchasing, also be sure to determine what kind of range you need. If you are not sure, just ask us.
posted at: 16:17 | path: | permanent link to this entry
Inaugural Post
Welcome to Rokblog, a special blog by Rokland.com. Visit Rokblog on a regular basis for the latest information on our products, important industry news, and other technology-related information. Rokblog is a place where you can find commentary and reviews of many products that we carry and even some that we don't. At Rokland, we want to make sure you find the product that best suits your needs, even if it happens to be one we don't inventory. In addition to product information, Rokblog writers will also reflect on industry news, such as new wireless standards in development that may affect your product selection down the road. So bookmark Rokblog and check back often.
posted at: 13:21 | path: | permanent link to this entry