Wireless bridge advice needed, please

Hi:

I'm running a network around a Netgear DG834G v.3 router. I need to link
an ancient Dell laptop/basestation wirelessly to the router.

I have been using a Linksys ethernet bridge WET54G ver.2, a hangover
from when I was using a Linksys router. But it cannot contact the
Netgear router and I think it's broken, like the Linksys router.

Netgear have various wireless bridges: PCcard2, USB2 dongle, but the
Dell has only PCcard1 and USB1. However, it does have a NIC in the
basestation, which I was using for the Linksys bridge. Is there nowadays
a device that I can get that will use the NIC? Something more reliable
than the Linksys would be nice: I'm reluctant to buy another Linksys
bridge on the offchance (a) that it will work, and (b) that it will
still be working after a year or two.

What do people suggest?

TIA for any advice.

Hugh

 

Firstly, make sure you're using your Linksys in "Client Mode" as I
think that's the problem.

How old is the laptop? My sons Dell C600 Pentium 3 jobbie runs PCMCIA
Wifi adapters fine and has run a USB Wifi dongle fine even though it's
USB1. I think you're getting a bit too hung up on the V2/V1 issues with
the PC Cards and USB.

If you want something that uses the NIC, you can use a Netgear WG602 in
"Client Mode" - they're about £35.

 

Are you reasonably convinced that the WET54G is broken? In other words, do
you think

USB2 devices are backwards compatible with USB1.1 so a USB2 adaptor such as
the WG111 should work, although the fact that the laptop doesn't support
USB2 will limit transfer speeds to something like 8Mbit/s (around 25% of
what you would get with USB2 for LAN transfers, eg file sharing, with a good
signal). If networking is primarily for Internet use or you rarely transfer
large files this is probably not an issue.

A PCMCIA one (eg WG511) is also likely to be compatible and would avoid the
speed issue. More details on the laptop might enable compatibility to be
confirmed.

I can't beat Conor's suggestion of a WG602 in client mode - assuming it is
supported.

Alex

 

Apple Express will do you nicely