At 10:39 AM 6/13/2003 +0200, Wojciech Puchar wrote:
>i don't know dlink but linksys products are just pure crap - all i tested
>(cards, APs, bridges)

I have a Linksys WAP11 v2.2 and a Cisco AP340. There is a *huge* 
difference. Although both claim 30mW max output, I get a much better range 
from the Cisco (using the same antennas). Also, interactive performance 
through the Cisco is quite good (eg displaying a remote X desktop via VNC), 
while the WAP11 cuts out so often, and for such long periods (sometimes up 
to 10 seconds) that not only does interactive response suffer, but the 
application sometimes even gives up and closes! And it's even worse if the 
client is a Cisco Aironet card (eg, ftp throughput of 20KB/sec)

I did find one way to make the WAP11 marginally useful - it turns out that 
the WAP11 v2.2 and the Dlink 900AP+ are identical hardware, and you can 
(with a bit of trickery) load the 900AP+ firmware onto the WAP11. Once I 
did that, not only did the long dropouts disappear, but I also got a new 
"repeater" mode which allows me to use the WAP11 as a wireless-only 
repeater (unfortunately, the signal strength is no better than before, so 
it still doesn't quite reach the place I need it to :-( ), along with a few 
other features (22Mbps mode, DHCP server).

Anyway, getting back to the earlier comment about quality of Dlink vs 
Linksys - if the firmware Dlink provides with their 900AP+ is any 
indicator, they should be much better quality than Linksys. I have, btw, 
had reasonably good luck with the Dlink 650 model PCMCIA wireless card. 
Note, however, that this card is now out of production in favor of the 
650+, which uses the dreaded TI chipset that nobody can get info for w/o 
signing and NDA. Bah. 


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