= DLink DWL-520 = ''Reviewed by'': MichaelRasmussen ''Review Date'': June 9, 2002 '''Model Number:''' DWL-520 (Note: The DlinkDwl520Plus uses a completely different chipset and currently will not work with Linux -- Adam 12 Nov 2002) '''Manufacturer:''' D-Link '''Cost:''' $69.95 after $20 mail in rebate (Frys) '''Operating Systems:''' Comes with Windows drivers on CD. Linux drivers seem to be available from wlan project. === Description === This is a Prism 2.5 based card. ''However'' it seems to require a PCI 2.2 slot for operation. This is not mentioned on the box. It is mentioned in the data sheet you can download from D-Link http://www.dlink.com/products/wireless/dwl520/ and explained in this FAQ ftp://ftp.linux-wlan.org/pub/linux-wlan-ng/FAQ under question 4. PCI 2.2 is a newish standard, if your motherboard documentation does not explicitly mention it you don't have it. Hopefully someone with a system that supports this card will have something to add here. For now I'm getting ready to drive to Wilsonville. === Update 06/12/2002 === Seems to work fine on Intel based PCI 2.1 YMMV I have a DWL-520 in a rather old machine (it's a P200 running on an Intel 430TX motherboard which supports PCI 2.1) and am currently using the Host AP driver for Intersil Prism 2/2.5/3 with no problems. {{{ Jun 10 11:24:30 blowfish kernel: PCI: PCI BIOS revision 2.10 entry at 0xfb560, last bus=0 Jun 10 11:24:30 blowfish kernel: wlan0: Intersil Prism2.5 PCI: mem=0xe0410000, irq=7}}} -Vigilant WLF === Update 6/14/2002 === One of the most important things this works with is the Soekris http://www.soekris.com 4501. Namely that the card is 3v and the slot is PCI 2.2 or close enough. I have deployed this in a decently old PII motherboard, the Intel SE2 based on the 440BX. Also of note is that it works very well with the venerable HostApMode drivers. -- JerrittCollord === Questions === Is this card really a "pure" PCI card or does it use a PCI-to-PCMCIA bridge chip internally? Could someone please do a {{{lspci}}} on his Dwl520-equipped system? I'm asking because I own a Tyan Tiger MPX dual Athlon mainboard with a braindead BIOS that doesn't deal correctly with PCI-to-PCMCIA bridges (they get no IRQ). And it's odd not to have wireless, you know ;( I already tried different PCI-to-PCMCIA adaptors and even put them into one of the 64Bit slots, but nothing worked. I did even install Win2000 ( 8-X ) to verify if it is a Linux problem, but it didn't work, too. So AVOID this board if you wanna do wireless. -- ThomasWaldmann . The best person to ask is JerrittCollord but I believe that that they are "pure" PCI. I have a vague recollection of them only supporting the new PCI standard though so that they won't work in older motherboards. Sorry that's kinda vague :) -- AdamShand . Greetings. Here is the relevant chunk of {{{lspci}}}: 00:0a.0 Network controller: Harris Semiconductor: Unknown device 3873 (rev 01) . Subsystem: D-Link System Inc: Unknown device 3501 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10 Memory at d8001000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K] Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2 --JerrittCollord . On an old dell optiplex G1 (PII 350 MHz) lspci said "Ethernet controler: Artheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC -- SylvainBouchet 2006-08-30 ---- According to D-Link, the DWL-520 will only work on a PCI 2.2 board (still quite rare). However, some people have reported success in getting it to work in some later PCI 2.1 machines, particularly name brand mainboards; I am currently using mine in a PCI 2.1 IBM 300gl P-II 350. If you have a PCI 2.1 board, however, don't expect it to work. The card should light up on powering up the computer; if it doesn't, then don't waste any time trying to get the drivers to work - they won't, no matter what OS you use. I bought this card because it had a removable antenna, presumably making it easier to put an extension antenna on, which I have done. However, as with most consumer-level equipment of this nature, the connectors are non-standard (this is a "reverse-SMA"), which means finding a connector will not be as easy as going to your local electronics supply store. Bruce D-Link DWL-520 E1 work on Intel Advanced/ML (Intel AA number 654850-206) and Intel TC430HX (AA 677270-605). These motherboards support Pentium /MMX processors LZIggy [CategoryHardware] [CategoryVendor]