A $15 USB 802.11g WiFi Adapter For Linux

[phoronix]

Phoronix: A $15 USB 802.11g WiFi Adapter For Linux

If you've been looking for a very affordable USB WiFi adapter that works with Linux, you may be interested in the Encore ENUWI-G2. This 802.11g WiFi adapter has a USB 2.0 interface and supports 64/128-Bit WEP, WPA, and WPA2...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=NjgwOQ

[Game_boy]

Don't buy this. I have a wireless dongle based on this chipset and am encountering frequent disconnects and even kernel-level freezes.

Many other people suffer from this too: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ux/+bug/182473
http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=9143

There is no reliable workaround.

[Extreme Coder]

Why call it working with Ubuntu when it's working with all Linux distros? This site seems a tad in favor of Ubuntu

[salamaza]

I have rtl8187B and i too suffer from disconnects, Veryvery Slow internet..unstable, tryed with ubuntu 8.10 RC

[Thetargos]

Indeed Phoronix seems to be on the promoting from for Ubuntu

Now onto this chipset drivers... I have the misfortune to have it as the wireless component of my laptop (a Toshiba Satellite A215-S7437) and been struggling to have this working since kernel version 2.6.24 in Fedora 8. I'm currently trying out Ubuntu 8.10 on this laptop and writing these lines from it, actually... The behavior is identical between the two systems.

From what I have been able to gather regarding this particular driver, the problem lies within NetworkManager and WPASupplicant. Apparently the driver has a problem with determining the signal strength and other features... Also from my experience, the driver seems to have some kind of transmit cap... At regular intervals, there is kind of a disconnect (if you use a network activity monitor, you'll see a "silent" period between traffic activity at regular intervals. Apparently these interruptions are due to WPASupplicant and something to do with the 802.11 stack (to speak the truth I only understand half of it). If instead of using NM to connect you set up a connection in the regular way (from the network configuration tools) you are able to keep a much better connection without interruptions. I have yet to attempt this. Generally speaking if the signal is too weak you won't be able to connect (apparently the driver lacks signal boost code or something) and transmission speed is rather limited (in immediate vecinity with the AP, at most I am able to get about 10mbits/s speeds. As far as I know there is much work still to be done with this driver to get it into shape.

[deanjo]

For about the same price you can get a Ralink based solution that offers greater range and better drivers.

[niniendowarrior]

Anything with the acronym USB on it and you know it's anti Linux. lol. j/k

I think this product needs a bit more of testing... maybe a follow-up article? To those who have problems, maybe you can post a bit more info on it so we get a more balanced and informative article.

[deanjo]

Anything with the acronym USB on it and you know it's anti Linux. lol. j/k

Anything more then parallel and serial support is overkill anyways

[niniendowarrior]

Anything more then parallel and serial support is overkill anyways

Amen to that. We should go back to the COM port days.

[Thetargos]

Amen to that. We should go back to the COM port days.

Indeed I miss my 115000 baud transfer rates!