danbarber.me.hugo/content/blog/2006-05-06-do-most-pci-wireless-nics-suck/index.md

title	date	categories	layout
Do Most PCI Wireless NICs Suck?	Sat, 6 May 2006 00:00:00 +0000	blog geek	post

I decided a week ago, while in B&Q, to add a PCI Wireless network card to my main PC. I was originally planning to run cables from the corner of the lounge where the router is located, to the back bedroom where the computers are situated.

The card I bought from B&Q was a TrendNet card. Fairly generic, based on a Ti TNET chipset. It took me about an hour to get it connected to my network (the same network that took me mere seconds to connect to from my Powerbook) and once it was connected, browsing the Internet became an almost nostalgic experience. Nostalgic because the last time I remember it being that slow was when I used a dial up modem! Even accessing the admin interface on the router was slow!

So I decided to pack that one back in it's box and return it, and promptly ordered a Netgear WG311T from Amazon.co.uk. 'Can't go wrong with a Netgear' I thought. Oh, how wrong could I be...

The card installed fine. Connecting to the network was a painless experience that took seconds, and all seemed well. Browsing was as quick as it should be so I leave the machine thinking everything's ok.

So a few hours later I came back to the machine, and everything has stopped. The computer is locked up tighter than a Nuns arse. Not even numlock on the keyboard works. So I turned the machine off and went to bed, hoping it was a one off. Not so. The next day, after getting home from work, the machine locks up twice in ten minutes. Did a bit of research, and it turns out that this is a common problem with this card (Atheros chip based) when partnered with VIA motherboard chipsets.  So I chanced a call to Netgear technical support.  Well, that was a waste of time.  The bloke at the end of the phone was clearly not English, and simply took me through a script that had me move the card to a different PCI slot.  Anyway, it locked up again half an hour later and that card is now in a box waiting to be returned to Amazon.

I've now got a Linksys card in there, which as far as I'm aware is based on a Broadcom chipset. No problems as yet, and I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed...