[PLUG] USB Wifi - My Essentials ME1001-USB ver. 1000 works!

Keith Lofstrom keithl at kl-ic.com
Sun Oct 5 18:46:24 UTC 2008


I am typing this on an Ubuntu Gutsy 8.04 laptop, connected through a
MyEssentials ME1001-USB ver.1000  USB Wireless G adapter, purchased
yesterday ( 2008 Oct 4 ) at Fry's for $24.99 .  Red box.

My Essentials is part of Belkin, and it is not surprising that 
lsusb reports:     ID 050d:705c Belkin Components

It uses the Zydas chipset and the zd1211rw driver.  The ZD1211 is
apparently the only wireless USB chipset currently available that
works out of the box.  See the recommendations at:
http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Devices/USB

This will provide wifi for my sister until the Realtek RTL8187B
driver ( 0bda:8189 ), which she needs for her builtin mini PCI-E
card, moves beyond early alpha status.  Otherwise, the only way
to use the B version is with ndiswrapper, which doesn't play
nice with Network Manager, the preferred Ubuntu wireless manager.   
ndiswrapper may work better with other AP management systems.  

The Trendnet TEW-424UB and the Belkin FD7050 used to have the
Zydas chipset, and worked, but now they also use the RTL8187B
chip and have the same driver problems. 

If I was willing to use ndiswrapper, I would probably get a 500mW
Alfa from local wireless guy Rick Lindahl's Invictus Networks:

https://shop.invictusnetworks.com/detail.php?id=16104

It is a little larger, but ought to have incredible range, especially
with the big antenna and the long USB cable.  

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com         Voice (503)-520-1993
KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon"
Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Scan ICs



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