I finally bought a new wifi card for my laptop. I needed one that would work with the Ubuntu Linux operating system, obviously. I did not want a card that relied on Windows XP drivers because the Windows drivers only offer limited features. For example, Windows XP wifi drivers can't automatically discover nearby access points by themselves. So I found some information at tuxmobil.org which suggested most Atheros-based wifi cards work perfectly with Linux systems. While browsing the aisles at Best Buy I noticed that the Atheros-based wifi cards prominently state "Atheros" on the box in a huge logo.

I purchased a Netgear WG511T. I inserted the card, installed NetworkManager and ran "nm-applet" which, as you can see to the right, added a handy signal meter and wifi network list to my my menu bar. Very cool. It conveniently stores the wifi network keys in my keyring along with all of my other system passwords. If I plug in an Ethernet cable it automatically switches to the "Wired Network" and disables wifi.

Labels: linux