[GLLUG] PC Card eth0 Recommendations

[Marr]

On Tuesday 02 April 2002 03:15pm, Marr wrote:
> On Tuesday 02 April 2002 01:31pm, Brian Hoort wrote:
> > I'm looking for an inexpensive PCMCIA NIC for my old GNU/Linux laptop. My
> > primary concerns are that it be inexpensive, and easily used on Linux.
> > What do you folks recommend?
>
> I've used the Linksys 'EtherFast 10/100 CardBus PC Card' (model PCMPC200)
> for over 2 years.
>
> I had to get the first one replaced under warranty -- it died after about 6
> months. The Linksys return policy was decent -- after getting a VISA
> number, they sent a replacement to me before I had to return the defective
> card. Since then, I've used the replacement card with no problems.
>
> Don't know if that's a 'good' or 'bad' experience in your eyes, and I don't
> know the current cost, but the card works under Slackware 8.0 (and the
> previous 7.x series) just fine with the standard 'tulip' Ethernet driver.
>
> P.S. I think some people have complained about Linksys, but I've also used
> 3 of their PCI 10/100 cards under Linux with no troubles whatsoever.
>
> Bill Marr

Just a follow-up to this "way-back" post of mine from Apr 2002....

My replaced-under-warranty Linksys PCMPC200 PCMCIA (wired) Ethernet card died 
outright a couple of weeks ago. Since it's no longer under warranty, I'm out 
of luck. I replaced it with a D-Link DFE-690TXD CardBus 'PC Card' that works 
great in Slackware 9.0. Even better, Best Buy was selling them for about $10 
when everything else out there seems to run about $30 or more, even online.

Humorous aside: I went looking in Circuit City initially and couldn't easily 
find the PCMCIA hardware so I told the salesperson that I wanted a PCMCIA 
Ethernet card that was Linux-compatible. He led me right to the Microsoft 
card, ignoring all of the other manufacturers. I laughed and said, "I'm 
pretty sure they're the _last_ manufacturer who's going to be 
Linux-compatible!"

Bottom Line: I still have several Linksys PCI-bus 10/100Mbps Ethernet cards 
that are all working fine under various Slackware versions, including one 
that was used with a boot PROM to boot completely diskless, but Linksys won't 
be getting any more of my PCMCIA / 'PC Card' business.

Bill Marr