Getting a Proxim card to work on a 7Book

[Victor Warner]

I have a Proxim Gold ORiNOCO 802.11b PC Card (Prioxim Corporation 9420-WD, 842X / Agere Systems 0111-PC) card.

Although I have looked at virtually all the postings on this site and those which are referenced, I cannot determine precisely whether this card will work on a 7Book (and if it does work) why I cannot connect it.

If someone can kindly confirm whether the card works then I try to explain what I have done to get it connected and the equipment I am using.

Victor Warner

[cshandley]

Does it have any ticked boxes on the back, like 5v, or 16 or 32? Does the end with the pin holes have a thin gold strip? Do you have an FCC ID on the back of it?

[Victor Warner]

Thank you for the reply.

1. It 5v and 16v ticked
2. There is no gold strp at the end where the pin holes are
3. The FCC ID is IMRPC2411B

In my earlier post I gave the wrong model number, it is a 8420-WD (not a 9420-WD)

Victor Warner

[RichardQvS]

Hi Victor,

I think you have the Cardbus card i.s.o the "older" PCMCIA card.
The FCC id. had to be : IMRWLPCE24H.
More info: http://www.epocfaq.co.uk/faqNetworks.htm#LANcompat

Richard

[Victor Warner]

Thank you for the information.

The datasheet from Proxim clearly states it is a PCMCIA card not CardBus (see attached).

I guess I will keep looking for another card...

Victor Warner

[cshandley]

I suggest keeping an eye out on Ebay - they do appear amoungst all the more modern versions. You should find that the packaging & the card itself is very obviously different to most, IIRC. You can check if it would work by asking the buyer to tell you the FCC ID it has written on the back label.

[Victor Warner]

Thank you for the reply.

Victor Warner

[fladda]

Thank you for the reply.

1. It 5v and 16v ticked
2. There is no gold strp at the end where the pin holes are
3. The FCC ID is IMRPC2411B

In my earlier post I gave the wrong model number, it is a 8420-WD (not a 9420-WD)

The '16' box that is ticked, means that this is a 16-bit PC-Card (i.e. a PCMCIA card). Your card is certainly NOT a cardbus card, as Cardbus is 32-bit. Also note that ALL cardbus cards have an extra strip of brass/copper with a row of 'dimples' close to the connector. So your 16-bit PCMCIA card is electrically compatible with the Netbook - just that the Netbook's Orinoco driver is not recognising the card.

Some newer versions of the Orinoco card have a different (non-Hermes) chipset so might not work with Psion's Netbook drivers. I know that Proxim do make a non-compatible PCMCIA card, but I'm not sure of the number.

FWIW I recently had a Lucent Orinoco card that had the same physical casing as the old Apple Airport card (with no internal antenna). However this card would not work in an Apple Ibook, nor would it work in my Netbook ! I re-flashed the card using the Lucent Orinoco firmware (WSU810.exe), and then the card worked on both the Apple and the Netbook ?? Strange thing is that the card was re-flashed with firmware that was apparently the same revision as the card already had ???? Note hovever that this Lucent Orinoco card was a dual 3.3v 5v 16-bit card.

To be sure whether your card will work, you need to do some more 'research' to determine whether your Proxim card is Hermes-1 based. IIRC think that the Orinoco Silver chipset is sometimes also known as Intersil-Prism-One ??

Ralph

[MDF]

Hi all! Yes, I can confirm the Proxim 8420-WD PCMCIA "Orinoco Silver" card does NOT work as standard...

I've tried to find out what chip is at the heart of it, but to no avail. Weird the way they persist in calling is an "Orinoco" card when it clearly isn't 100% compatible. There doesn't seem any firmware upgrades either, on their site.

Such a shame really, as the form-factor is very similar to the famous Buffalo WLI-PCM-L11GP card all netBook users probably aspire to - it doesn't foul the stylus slot!

[RichardQvS]

Hi Victor,

fladda is right! There are Proxin cards that do not work in a netBook due to different specs. It's known amongst some Psionusers, but you can not see it from the outside of the card. Better be safe than sorrow... you should go for the well-known cards to work like statet on http://www.epocfaq.co.uk/faqNetworks.htm#LANcompat .

Also MDF is right; the Buffalo Airstation WLI-PCM-L11GP is the nicest one, since it doesn't block your stylus in any way! The only problem you'll encounter is the hard way to get one. You have to browse Ebay and other sites and probably pay a lot of money. Also you have to be carefull; there are also Cardbus Buffalo cards!

Another option you have is to buy one of the other known working brands, like Wavelan Silver or Gold, Orinoco Silver or Gold, Compaq WL110, Dell Truemobile 1150 or Enterasys (Cabletron) Roamabout. To be honest I would not go for the Wavelan. Also I would not buy the Cisco Aironet re. the power consumption.

As for the other brand mentioned above, just send me an email and I can give you an price on one of these cards. I have several collected (both NEW and 2nd-hand), tested and are selling some of these cards.

Many Psiongreetings,

Richard van Stappershoef

PS Yes, I have also the Buffalo, but I'm not selling that one. It's the only one I have...

[MDF]

Yes, I used to have a Buffalo card, but it "went missing" :( Really annoying a I had to buy it from the US!

(By the way, hello RichardQVS! I sent you an email last night about your wireless cards - my name is Nigel etc... :))

[fladda]

Just a reminder that another option is to use a Compact Flash WiFi card. CF cards can fit into a Netbook using a standard PCMCIA adapter, and take even less room and power than the Buffalo slim-line PCMCIA card.

Dell Truemobile 1180 802.11b CF 114100 FCC ID:IXMCF114100 works fine in the Netbook, using the Wavelan Orinoco driver. These Dell 1180 CF cards are probably more common than the Buffalo slim-line 802.11b cards too.

Ralph

[MDF]

Thanks fladda!! That is incredibly useful information - and an avenue I hadn't thought to explore! :)

[MDF]

Just been scouring the FCC site for more information about the Proxim card... Mentions Agere and even Buffalo in the specs!!

Then I found a Linux site where people were trying to use this card with SUSE 9.1. I noticed mention of Proxim buying out Orinoco and using the name for their cards even though they are not electrically similar. The Atheros and Hermes 2 chipsets were also mentioned...

Shame. It's a nice card, clear of the stylus port.

[fladda]

Thanks fladda!! That is incredibly useful information - and an avenue I hadn't thought to explore! :)

Note however that the Dell 1180 CF 802.11b card does NOT have the 'standard' Orinoco antenna socket that is found on most of its larger PCMCIA cousins.

Ralph

[Nemo20000]

What is the current thinking on 802.11g CF cards on Netbook? Presumably the 32bit cardbus interface isn't relevent, so it 'just' a driver issue?

[e_tellurian]

Does your choice offer a wireless choice? If the card is one choice, does your PDA offer more interaction?

E-T

[fladda]

What is the current thinking on 802.11g CF cards on Netbook? Presumably the 32bit cardbus interface isn't relevent, so it 'just' a driver issue?

All Compact Flash cards are 16-bit, so you are correct. Getting a CF 802.11g card to work on a Netbook is 'just' a driver issue.

Ralph

[fladda]

Hi!

No, sadly this is not true. Cardbus 32-bit cards simply will NOT work in a netBook. The socket, for one thing, is 16-bit and 5v. All carbus cards I've ever seen are 3.3v anyway - there is a thicker "lug" on one side of the slide which prevents insertion. Also 32-bit drivers have never been written for a Psion, as far as I know. Sorry :(

What is not true ? Not sure what post you are referring to ?

Are you referring to the post about CF 802.11g cards ?

Are you confusing the 16-bit Compact Flash form factor with Cardbus (32-Bit PC-Cards).

Ralph

[MDF]

I'm sorry guys, my entry was not actually wrong in itself, just confusing given the context and given that I miss read the previous entry :) I do (usually!)fully understand PCMCIA formats/voltages/bit-rates and other differences. I missed those vital initials "CF" when reading the entry! The stress of work, I like to excuse myself with!

I am though now very interested in the CF-in-an-adapter route for netBook wireless. Not one I'd considered until fladda mentioned it. I take it the adapter steps-down the 5v to 3.3v? If the netBook's standard drivers can recognise certain of this format card then this must be a very viable way forward.