Comments on the Proxim RangeLAN-DS PCMCIA Prism2Card:

Originally we were hoping that this card was a rebranded Zcomax XI-300 (see ZcomaxXi300Comments). However MichaelCodanti reports that:

I just got my 20 Proxim RangeLan-DS 8434-05 cards...

The good news:

Now for the bad news:

Now for the REALLY bad news:

I, also, got 2 Proxim RangeLan-DS 8433-05 cards. They are almost the same as the above 8434-05 cards but the have an integrated antenna with a single connector of unknown type (maybe SSMB)(see the connector guide at www.pasternack.com, if anyone knows what connector this takes I would love to know, is does look like SSMB). They still come with old firmware and are 3.3 volt.

After showing the card to the SeattleWireless/FreeNetworks guys at DCX, they said the connector was RP-SMA.

It is not RP-SMA... At least not the cards I have.. --MichaelCodanti

I'm still hoping that someone can positively identify this connector, anyone know?

NOTES:

Here is some sample signal numbers from using cards in an iPaq running PocketPC all using the same driver (Compaq's WL100 driver) and everything:

Card

Signal Quality

Link Quality

Notes

D-Link DWL-650

33%

6%

Couldn't maintain a link to the AP

Proxim RangeLan-DS 8433-05

40%

26%

Dropped the link once

Proxim RangeLan-DS 8434-05

53%

46%

No problems at all

Zcomax XI-300

53%

46%

No problems at all

Above numbers are all the best I saw from the card while holding the iPaq in the same spot in my house connecting back to an AirPort base.

I think the Lucent cards are still better, but the Zcomax and Proxim cards with the snap off antenna appear to almost as good.


[CategoryHardware]

RangeLanDsComments (last edited 2007-11-23 18:01:24 by localhost)