Best value in Wireless LAN for PC?

[Slappy5]

Help me out here... I'm looking all over the place for a Wireless LAN setup for a Win98 based PC that DOESN'T require the purchase of a PCMCIA card in addition to a PCMCIA PCI adapter. WTF is with thte world when wireless caters primarily towards Notebooks?! 99% of offices I've worked in or for use docking stations for their notebooks that come with a pci slot and an rg45 port, so wtf? Anyhow, rant mode off, any recommendations out there?

John

 

[cchan]

Cisco's 350 Aironet series has 3 types of adapters. One just PCMCIA with a built in antenna, another PCI version (yes it is technically the PCMCIA version with an external antenna) but it has greater range, and a third which is a PCMCIA without any antennas for use with handhelds like the Compaq iPaq.

However, I don't know if I would classify these as "value" cards, although they have the best performance out of all WIFI cards I have used.

Edit: Or you can always use the USB versions that are available from Linksys and D-Link.

 

[JackMDS]

PCMCIA Wireless card has Fixed Antenna at the edge of the card. When stuck in the Back of a Tower, or Desktop, the transmission is attenuated by the Computer, the wall, and the Desk.

For this reason, it is better to buy USB Wireless Card; the Antenna is on the module that hangs at the end of 2?-3? USB cord. That gives some latitude to maneuver the Antenna position, and put it above the obstacles.