WiFi Networking Product Reviews:

Access Points:

D-Link Pocket Router/AP

WiFlyer

Palm OS:

Enfora Wireless Portfolio

PalmOne SD WiFi Card for the Tungsten T5, Tungsten T3, Tungsten E2 and Zire 72

SanDisk SD WiFi Card (Zire 71 only)

Sony WL100 WiFi CF Card for Clié

Windows Mobile, Pocket PC:

AmbiCom WL1100C type I CF card

Belkin type II CF card

D-Link 650W type II CF card

Linksys WCF12 type I card

Linksys WCF11 type II CF card

Mobis Just Mobile 802.11b/g SD card

SanDisk SD WiFi Card

SanDisk SD WiFi Card + 256 megs RAM

SanDisk Connect Plus CF WiFi + 128MB memory

SMC 2642W type II CF card

Socket P300 Go WiFi! SD card

Socket Communications LAN type I CF card

Socket SDIO WiFi Card

Spectec miniSD WiFi Card new!

WiFi (802.11b) Networking for your PDA

D-Link DCF-650W CompactFlash (CF) type II Network Card
(note the DCF-660W type I card replaced the 650W and works in Pocket PCs with either a type I or type II slot)

The software, available for Pocket PCs, Pocket PC 2002 PDAs and Handheld Windows 2000 devices with CF type II slots is comprehensive and simple to use. Pocket PC 2002 drivers are available at http://support.dlink.com/products/view.asp?productid=DCF-650W and Pocket PC/WinCE 3.0/Handheld Windows 2000 driver ship in a CD ROM in the box. Once you install the control panel applet, you'll launch the D-Link program and configure your card using a simple tabbed interface that allows you to specify DHCP vs. assigned IP address, base station ID (the card can detect the base station and network automatically— cool), ad-hoc vs. infrastructure connection, and more. If you choose to enable encryption on your network, the D-Link will allow you to configure 64 or 128 bit WEP encryption, and you can enter the WEP key as Character, pass phrase or hex. The configuration parameters are as robust as any full-featured notebook 802.11b card. What's more, the drivers are good. Configure your card correctly for your network and you'll be up in no time.

The 650W worked perfectly in both our Casio E-200 and iPAQ 3835 with DHCP and 64 bit encryption connecting to our first generation Airport base station. Static IP addresses and no encryption worked like a charm as well. Just insert the card in the slot and the driver loads and you have nearly instant Internet access.

The card works well with the Casio E-200 (that PDA can be picky about power requirements for CF cards, but the 650W is well within tolerance) and our iPAQ which was wearing a PC Card sleeve and a CF type II to PC card adapter (D-Link and other vendors sell this adapter). The card also works well using Compaq's CF sleeve, we just use the PC Card sleeve more often since we use both kinds of cards.

Power consumption is somewhat battery-friendly at 170 mA when sleeping (not transfering data) and 280 to 380 mA during use. These numbers are middle of the road among network and modem CF cards. If you really want to conserve power, look at the Socket card below.

I've got to give this affordable card a big thumbs up. It's inexpensive at $100 US or less, works with any Windows-based PDA that has a type II CF slot (most any Pocket PC other than the HP Jornada line which has a type I CF slot, sadly) and has separate LEDs for power and connection.

D-Link, www.dlink.com ~$100 US

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