[Scottish] Linux compatible Wireless router??

[Chris Nicolson]

I wrote:
 >> As the Linux computer is just acting as a client over
> > standard network
> > protocols, which wireless router you use is basically irrelevant.
> > Compatibility problems come into play when you start talking about
> > wireless interface cards at the other side of the network
> > link for the
> > Linux PC itself. Does your computer have a wireless interface
> > that you
> > have used before or are you planning on purchasing one for it?

Colin.Speirs at scotland.gsi.gov.uk wrote:
 > There are two possibilities for a wireless interface. It comes with a
 > PCI card or a USB dongle. I am expecting that the PCI card won't work
 > with it, but that maybe, just maybe, the USB one might. Don't know why
 > I'm that optimistic, I just am.
 > Unless you can suggest a separate card that would be worthwhile getting?

It's impossible to say without knowing which particular interfaces they 
are, but I think you'd actually have more luck with the PCI card rather 
than the USB one. USB adapters usually do as little as possible in the 
hardware, relying on proprietary drivers to do a lot of the work, even 
more so than PCI adapters.

Is it possible to find out what interfaces are offered? Most useful 
would be the what chip-sets they use as this determines what drivers are 
required. You can then use the power of Google along with the name of 
the Linux distribution you intend to use to perhaps find some info on 
compatibility. If there are not open-source drivers available for the 
interfaces then you may be able to use ndiswrapper around the Windows 
drivers but it's not the most ideal solution!

As for recommending cards, I haven't bought any in a few years so I'm 
not up-to-date with which have the best compatibility.

-- 
Chris Nicolson
Institute for Communications and Signal Processing
University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1XW
+44 (0)141 548 2250