Aironet 350 vs ORiNOCO Gold

[integramodder]

I am leanning toward getting a ORiNOCO AP-200 Access Point. They are avaliable for $129.99 from eCost.

I am debating about either getting a Cisco Systems Aironet 350 Series Wireless PC Card which are for $118.99 from eCost or a Proxim ORiNOCO 802.11a/b Wireless Gold ComboCard from
.eCost for $62.95.

Now given the fact that you can buy two ORiNOCO cards for the price of the Cisco unit, is it worth the money to get the Cisco because of its higher quality, better reception, and other benefits that it has over the ORiNOCO? I dont mind spending 120, but I just want to know that I'm not trowing my money out of the window.

The AP will be my wireless network for my laptop while at home so that I can parade around the house with a working connection and work on my car with the benefits of listenning to music off of my PC. The wireless card will be used around my campus, in doorms and in the classrooms.

 

[zeusfaber]

i would go with the card that has the highest output, so check which has the higher mW. if the cisco has a significantly output, making it worth the extra bones go with it. otherwise the other should be fine. the most powerfully cards that i have seen are the raylink ones, you may try looking at one of those.

 

[integramodder]

http://www.raylink.com/image/wlan_pc3bottom.jpg

Those are the specs for the ralink, its only 100 mW.

 

[zeusfaber]

heres a site that may help: http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/HardwareComparison

some are at 200mW, and there are 500mW APs. but not really cheap.

for a card go with: http://www.netgate.com/NL2511.html

its 200mW and it has external antenna ports, if you ever want to add a pair for more range

 

[integramodder]

Originally posted by: zeusfaber
its 200mW and it has external antenna ports, if you even want to add one for more range

the only thing im worried on something that powerful is that itll take a lot of my battery to power that thing
cisco carsds are suppose to be very effiecient in their power consumption...

 

[zeusfaber]

im not sure about that with these cards. i would assume the more power the card outputs the more it consumes. i doubt that it would make much of a difference in battery life, but i dont own a laptop nor use one often.

btw the cisco are is 100mW max: http://cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/wireless/ps4555/products_data_sheet09186a0080088828.html

and it seems adjustable, so others maybe too.

 

[integramodder]

Have you heard of anyone owning the Netgate 200 mW card?


Also, the link you provided to the Netgate card requires external antennas. They are avalaible for $25-60 from the netgate website. However, they also have a 200mW PC Card Internal Antenna Card. My only worry is that Cisco is a trusted company that other home consumers and massive corporations use. Netgate appears to be a company not many people have heard of. According to the spec sheet of the Netgate card, its is only able to operate at 200 mW according to FCC standards.

 

[integramodder]

For the afternoon guys.....bump...

 

[SaigonK]

I use nothing but Cisco 350 series or 340 series cards.
The 350 series are adjustable in power all the way down to about 1mw, they have a max of 100mw which is more than enough for anyone to be honest.
Unless you plan to go down the block and around the corner.

The 340 series only goes to 30mw and is adjustable as well, it is a solid card but not as strong.

The AP you are looking at only outputs 30mw so getting the better card (cisco) will help out if you intend to go long distances.
I would weigh out what you really need, so many people say get the 200mw card when frankly I dont know of anyone who ACTUALLY needs it in their home or office.

 

[integramodder]

Originally posted by: SaigonK
I use nothing but Cisco 350 series or 340 series cards.
The 350 series are adjustable in power all the way down to about 1mw, they have a max of 100mw which is more than enough for anyone to be honest.
Unless you plan to go down the block and around the corner.

The 340 series only goes to 30mw and is adjustable as well, it is a solid card but not as strong.

The AP you are looking at only outputs 30mw so getting the better card (cisco) will help out if you intend to go long distances.
I would weigh out what you really need, so many people say get the 200mw card when frankly I dont know of anyone who ACTUALLY needs it in their home or office.

Proxim ORiNOCO 802.11a/b Wireless Gold ComboCard ------ $ 62.95 from eCost ------ 34 mW - NON Adjustable
Netgate 200mW Ultra Long Range Wireless LAN PC Card --- $ 89.00 from Netgate -- 200 mW - NON Adjustable
Cisco Systems Aironet 350 Series Wireless PC Card --------- $118.99 from eCost ----- 100 mW - Adjustable

If I were to weigh it mW/$, I should choose the Netgate, but the fact that its a nobody company discourages me from the purchase along with the fact that it will continuesly use 200 mW, thus drainning my battery.
The Proxim is a tempting card, but at 34 mW, I dont think that will be sufficient for college life consitdering the amount of exposure I get to interferance.
I think the Cisco PC card has the highest reputation and best overall performance.

If anyone has any reason to advice me against this purchase, please let me know.

Thanks,
D

 

[SaigonK]

I have no reason to adivse you against the Cisco, they rule and I use them every day.
I agree with the fact that the 200mw card is from an unknown company..would make me a bit wary.

 

[Chu]

>>The Proxim is a tempting card, but at 34 mW, I dont think that will be sufficient for college life consitdering the amount of exposure I get to interferance.

I cuurently have an Orinoco gold card. I live on the 9th floor of a very tightly packed apartment building, with god knows how much interfearance. I can get an excellent signal to the TiMobile wireless AP in the starbucks across the street 100% of the time. The range on these suckers is pretty good.

BTW, I was thinking, anyone know what type of connection is feeding the starbucks AP's? I noticed that TiMobile offered unlimited access for $40 a month, $10 cheaper then my DSL. It makes just leeching off of starbucks 100% of the time look very tempting, if the connection is solid.

-Chu

 

[SaigonK]

Of course that would be somewhat illegal wouldnt it?
I mean by that..you are supposed to buy their coffee right? So if you go buy one once a month that would cover it right?

That might be quite a good thing! haha!

 

[integramodder]

Note to self, buy future house in close vecinity to a starbucks.

See finding out stuff like this makes it much more difficult.

Has anyone seen detailed reviews of both cards and maybe testing of both cards?

 

[zeusfaber]

if you notice on this chart: http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/HardwareComparison
the netgate uses the same chips(Prism 2.5) as many well know manufactuers(linksys, netgear and smc). The Senao/Engenius NL-2511 Plus EXT2 also goes up to 200mW(250mW is possible apprently) and its for $90. by no means am i a netgate advocate but i like getting the most for my money. my two cents.

 

[zeusfaber]

heres a smc(really cheap): http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?DPNo=155861
specs: http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?action=products_show_product&productcode=SMC2532W-B

thats what i would go with, high power and cheap!!

 

[taxi]

I don't think anyone has mention that the AP200 only has a Orinoco gold card in it.

So the AP you are looking at is only 34mW.

TX power is important but so is the antenna's RX sensitivity.

I personally have both an Orinoco Gold and a Cisco 350. They both work well.
(AP's used are an AP200 and Cisco 1200)

I would not bother with the Orinoco A/B card as it does not have an antenna jack, like the gold and silver cards have.

 

[integramodder]

Taxi, do you concur with what zeusfaber said about getting a very powerful card and AP for about half the price of the Cisco units?

Whats your opinion of the Cisco 350 Series AP?

Thanks,
D