Best USB wireless interface with Linux?

Best USB wireless interface with Linux?

[Carlo Nyto]

I am looking to choose a USB wireless network interface that works
well under Linux. Research along these lines has been difficult, as
most people don't choose a wireless interface with Linux support in
mind. Hardware compatability lists do not indicate whether a device
barely works and was in opposition to the vendor's desires, or is with
a full and complete driver. I only purchase from hardware vendors that
do not oppose use of their hardware under Linux.

Requirements:
1) USB.
2) External antenna connector. (something either standard or widely
available, antenna interfaces that you can not buy a cable or antenna
for are useless)
3) Complete open-source drivers that exist due to the vendor being
cooperative, or at least not deliberately uncooperative. Drivers that
are hopelessly buggy, missing critical functionality, do not have
source, or do not work with my choice of recent kernel, are not OK.
4) 802.11a/b/g support, of course. Draft 802.11n support would be nice.
5) Must work as an access point, as a wireless NIC, and with tools
like Kismet. Of course, if it has a reasonable interface to the
hardware and good driver support, this will be guaranteed.

I appreciate any advice.

Re: Best USB wireless interface with Linux?

[Luis R. Rodriguez]

On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 6:03 PM, Carlo Nyto <carlonyto@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am looking to choose a USB wireless network interface that works
> well under Linux.

Atheros zd1211rw:
http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/zd1211rw

Atheros otus (802.11n, not upstream though):

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/otus

* Intersil p54:

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/p54

rndis_wlan:

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/rndis_wlan

* Marvel usb -- no website

I'll be inclined to support zd1211rw due to the amount of time its
been in the kernel and the amount of wide testing it has received.
Atheros 11n otus is the only 11n usb driver I'm aware of for Linux.

  Luis

Re: Best USB wireless interface with Linux?

[drago01]

On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 3:57 AM, Luis R. Rodriguez <mcgrof@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 6:03 PM, Carlo Nyto <carlonyto@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I am looking to choose a USB wireless network interface that works
>> well under Linux.
>
> Atheros zd1211rw:
> http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/zd1211rw
>
> Atheros otus (802.11n, not upstream though):
>
> http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/otus
>
> * Intersil p54:
>
> http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/p54
>
> rndis_wlan:
>
> http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/rndis_wlan
>
> * Marvel usb -- no website
>
> I'll be inclined to support zd1211rw due to the amount of time its
> been in the kernel and the amount of wide testing it has received.
> Atheros 11n otus is the only 11n usb driver I'm aware of for Linux.

rt2800usb but afaik the driver is not in a working state yet. (the
vendor supplied one should work)

Re: Best USB wireless interface with Linux?

[Johannes Berg]

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On Thu, 2008-10-23 at 21:03 -0400, Carlo Nyto wrote:

> Requirements:
> 1) USB.
> 2) External antenna connector.
> 3) Complete open-source drivers
> 4) 802.11a/b/g support
> 5) Must work as an access point

There's no device that fulfils all these requirements at this time.
_Maybe_ p54 if you can find one with antenna connectors, but I doubt it,
and even then it doesn't support AP at this time.

johannes

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