HardwareComparison | LinuxDrivers | DlinkCard
D-Link Card
Contents
D-Link References at Seattle Wireless
Some D-Link references at Seattle Wireless:
DlinkCard |
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HardwareComparison D-Link DI-614+ |
Some models
DWL-122, USB
What about D-Link DWL-122 USB Adapter?
Search D-Link category USB/Firewire.
DWL-500
The DWL-500 is the DWL-650 card, below, plugged into a PCI-PCMCIA adapter card. The adapter card uses a Ricoh RL5c475 chip and works with most any PCMCIA card. It is supported by pcmcia-cs under Linux. See also the RicohRl5c475, PcmciaBridges, and LinuxDrivers pages.
DWL-520, -G520
The DWL-520 is a newer native PCI model which has apparently replaced the DWL-500. The DWL-520 is nearly identical to the Linksys WMP-11, including the ReverseSma antenna connector. The Linux-WLAN driver works well with both the DWL-520 and the WMP-11 under Linux. WARNING: according to the FAQ this card only works in PCI 2.2 slots. Check your MB documentation before beating your head against a wall.
Buyer beware: The DWL-520 only works in 3.3V PCI 2.2-compliant slots. This is only documented in the D-Link troubleshooting FAQ at prod_id=916.
HOWEVER, that's not entirely true: the card works fine in at least some PCI 2.1 boards (mine is an old 586 board from Gigabyte with an Intel 430FX host bridge, for example). Other reports of it working on older hardware are available at PersonalTelco.net DlinkDwl520. I run it with the host AP driver.
The D-Link cards are based on the Prism II (aka Prism2) chipset. This allows you to use generic Intersil drivers if you want to use it with WindowsCE. Also, Intersil has a really nice bundle of free (as in beer, not speech 
software availible at p2smtrx.asp. (Look at the bottom of the page for the download link.)
The package includes the Prism Test Utility, which lets you hack your card with the click of a button, you can even put it into Access Point mode!; and the Prism Wireless Lan Evaluation software, which lets you test the link between two Prism chipset cards. This gives you the max link speed in stream mode and the average packet loss. Check out the "Exam RIDS" control panel, and scroll throught the options of the RidID drop-down; one of them (FC85 I think) lets you see (or maybe set!--I haven't dared try yet) the card's Promiscous Mode setting! This has the potential to enable sniffing in Windows, which was previously only availible in Linux.
NOTE: Later revisions of the DWL-520 (C and later?) use an ADMtek chipset (ADM8211 on my Rev. C). The PrismII modules will not work and the card is usually misidentified by some Linux distros as a PrismII card. See AdmTek ADM8211.htm for module source (binary object library, free-beer).
DWL-650, -650M, -G650, -G650M
The DWL-650 is an 802.11b wireless 30mW Cardbus card using the IntersilPrism 2 chipset. Obsolete, replaced by DWL-G650 108Mbps, newegg $53 including 3-day shipping, less $15 mail-in rebate; or DWL-G630 54Mbps, newegg $40 including 3-day shipping, less $15 mail-in rebate; (Apr.'06).
Want pics of the insides? They're on the DlinkCardComments page.
Update: The DWL-650 has newer variants (they no longer have the "axe-head" style antenna housing) that are *not * Intersil Prism-based. Linux users beware: the DWL-650 version 2 uses the ADMtek chipset. Trust me, no amount of forcing any ORiNOCO module will work with that card or any later version, go to ADMtek's site and download/compile/install the source. D-Link has changed the chipset on this card at least twice since version 1 without any change in the model number that is typically quoted by vendors.
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Updated 03 Jan. 2005:
After reading the article on the D-Link 650, I called my local Fry's and found out they carried the newest Rev. P of the D-Link DWL-650. Thinking this would be based on the Prism2 chipset, I rushed out to grab one. After hours of frustration, I called up D-Link only to find out that it's now based on the IntersilPrism3 Chipset. Being an OS X user, this made it worthless. Some people have claimed to be able to get it working, I'm gonna keep at it, and if I find anything I will report it. Cheers!
Also, you can hack the DWL-650 to have an external antenna; see DWL-650 Antenna Connector. Try the mirror at guerrilla.net index) for details [server guerrilla.net timed out, Feb.-Apr.'06].
The DlinkCardComments page also has inside pictures.
PrismII devices like this card may also be made to act as an AP in Linux using the drivers available at people.ssh Prism2.
See the drivers on the IntersilPrism2 page.
DWL-650H, -G650M
DWL-650H (the "H" is for high power) is a 100mW card going for less than $99 (Mar.'02). How does it rate?
Obsolete (Apr.'06)Replaced by DWL-G650, newegg $53 including 3-day shipping, less $15 mail-in rebate (Apr.'06).
Or DWL-G650M, newegg $77 including 3-day shipping (Apr.'06).
DWL-650M RealTek driver
I've got a DWL-650M, as detailed on their revision disambiguation page. [Page DNE, Apr.'06.] This revision seems to use a RealTek driver that you can download as rtl8180_linuxdrv_v15_rh90.zip, source code included. I'm logging my experiences on my wiki page. -- TheAnarcat
[Link valid, last edited 2006-04-09]
Guide to identify the real model page does not exist, Apr.'06.
Which D-Link wireless adapters have Linux drivers available?
DWL-650 Update #2: As you can see on the D-Link page Which D-Link wireless adapters have Linux drivers available?, early versions used Prism2, middle revisions used both ADMtek and Realtek, and they now again use Prism2 (as of Rev. P). If you're unsure which revision you have, go to the D-LInk support page, enter DWL and 650 in the boxes and they have a visual guide. (Note: When you pick your revision, the page will say that Linux drivers are unavailable; use the first link to get the drivers.)
See also the LinuxDrivers page.
Q and A
Q: Drivers for D-Link DWL-650 that supports profiles
A: See the LinuxDrivers page, and possibly the Linux Drivers section on the PcmciaBridges page.
[Before Jan.'06]
Hi, everyone
I am looking for a Win2K driver for the D-Link DWL-650 that supports profiles. Many people here show a link to the Intersil website for reference driver, p2smtrx.asp. I try that and find the reference driver can only be downloaded by registered users. Can anyone here with the latest driver send a copy to my email (guanj at ust.hk) or point me to another download link? Thank you very much. Your help is appreciated.
