Help finding a 54g PCI wifi card for Procase'd carputer

NJay · 01-17-2004, 07:28 AM

I currently have the carpc linked up to my house wifi and that works fine but ultimately since the house wifi system is actually 54g (and netsumbler don't work with usb wifi devices

), I'd like to get a 54g pci card that has a detachable antenna for the carpc.

I do already have a spare belkin 54g PCI card (F5D7000uk) but here's the problem.

The CarPC is in a Procase 3677 so whilst the Eden800 works fine with this card the width of the Belkin Wifi PCB (already removed the metal plate) when sitting in the PCI slot is 4mm higher than the rest of the casing and hence the lid don't fit

I've looked and belkin are very miserly with the pcb as there is no way of shaving the pcb down so that it fits

I have tried a ribbon pci extender but there is just not enough room inside the case to orientate the pci card.

So the question is (as trying to get this info out of retaliers tend to get met with an expression that I've grown another head) any of you guys know of a
54g PCI card that has a PCB of 40mm or less width excluding the pci edge connector?

Here's the belkin one which you can seen the green pcb area on

Cheers.

Batmanatthenewb · 01-17-2004, 08:31 AM

NJay,

Personally don't know of a smaller card. However, I was having same issue with my Version 1 system. Case was only 3 inches tall and cards were taller. I opted for a pci riser which came back over the motherboard (as opposed to the ones that go and cover the pci slots)from Barada (http://www.barada.ca/eng/index.htm), and a data chute. Card is tall. But since there was no external connection, it didn't matter in my case. With the Data Chute (by Antec) I can run any pcmcia card on my system. This is great for using any wifi, wired nic, pcmcia scanners, pcmcia card readers, etc.... Basically I now have a verychangeable system without taking anything apart. Push a button pop one card out , and put another in.

Hope this gives you an alternative, if you cant find a smaller card.
Batman

churnopol · 01-17-2004, 08:37 AM

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/show...ight=pci+riser

the first link has the worlds longest pci relocator card. The cables can easily be extended upto 24 inches (i think)

churnopol · 01-17-2004, 08:41 AM

or you may want to use a pcmcia to pci adapter
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=41993
and use a 54g pcmcia pc card

NJay · 01-17-2004, 09:38 AM

Cheers foir the suggestions

Yep, already have a 54G PCMCIA card as that resided in my laptop. However they are wider than the PCB on the desktop card so the PCMCIA->PCI adaptor would be even wider than that.

Here's the case with the lid off. As you can see its not the length of the PC flex riser that I have that's the problem but that there just isn't any space where I can place the pci card other than upright in the pci slot

Almost a Ghost · 01-17-2004, 10:47 AM

NJay, http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=12

NJay · 01-18-2004, 06:56 AM

Thanks,

but that dlink one appears to be a PCMCIA card mounted onto a PCI card. Consequently thats going to be 53mm wide and I'm looking for something less than 40mm

Keep looking though

Almost a Ghost · 01-18-2004, 01:38 PM

Njay, I'm going to have to guess that your SOL. Somethin that small is only compact flash which means you would need a PCI adapter, the smallest one I found looks too big http://www.axiontech.com/prdt.php?src=PW&item=58022

Besides that, Compact Flash cards only support 802.11b.

NJay · 01-18-2004, 02:11 PM

I think you might be right.

Its frustrating as I know that there are 11mps ones out there as this one from the UK e-tailer I use has a smaller width PCB.

Oh well the search continues

churnopol · 01-18-2004, 02:21 PM

or you can forget about the pci card all to gether and get the 802.11g usb adapter
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...38566?v=glance

NJay · 01-18-2004, 02:31 PM

Yeah, thought about that too.

I'd need a USB2.0 motherboard though as the Eden800 only has USB1.1 and hence can only run it a 12mbs max.

As this rate it might be quicker to get another case

Almost a Ghost · 01-18-2004, 09:12 PM

NJay, where are you placing your case?

NJay · 01-19-2004, 03:58 AM

Its in the boot (trunk) of my celica, so surrounded on all sides by metal.

My current Belkin 11mps USB device sits on the rear parcel shelf along with the gps device so has a very good view of my wireless network when parked on my drive. However its no good for use with netstumbler

jol · 01-19-2004, 05:12 AM

D-Link DWL-510 11Mbps

http://www.datorbutiken.com/se/pics/dwl-510.jpg
or
D-Link DWL-810+ Ethernet-to-Wireless Client 22Mbps wireless + 1x10/100Mbps Ethernet
http://www.datorbutiken.com/se/pics/dwl-810pl.jpg

tom2112 · 01-20-2004, 10:10 AM

NJay, I'm just throwing this out, since it looks like you're at the end of your rope.

It's hard to judge from the angle that the pic of your case is taken, but it looks like if you pull the HDD and mounting assembly out, and a PCI card might fit crossways. If you're willing to buy a PCI extender with a flexible cable you could mount the PCI card where the HDD is now. You'd have to put a hole in the side of your case for the antenna. Alsoyou'd have to put the HDD somewhere else. But it looks like there's room for it to stand up on it's side in the front, next to the CDROM.

Like I said, that's just a thought. Hope it works out for ya.