[geeks] 16-bit 802.11g cards?

[nate at portents.com]

> On Tue, Jul 24, 2007 at 02:39:11PM -0500, Jonathan C. Patschke wrote:
>> That specification sheet claims that the laptop supports Cardbus, which
>> is the 32-bitness you're looking for.
>
> You'd think so, but, my 32-bit 802.11g Netgear card (WG5111) won't "snap"
> in, unlike the
> 16-bit 802.11b Netgear card (MA401) that came with it.
>
> It's like there's something inside that's blocking it from snapping in
> or something. I'm not a PC guy, so, I'm not entirely sure.

>From http://www.pcmcia.org/faq.htm

Why won't some cards fit into the slot on an older computer?

The PC Card Standard includes definitions for the operation of PC Cards at
two different voltages: 3.3 V and 5.0 V. A "key" was defined on the edge
of the PC Card connector to prevent 3.3 V cards from inserting into slots
that only operate at 5.0 V in order to prevent damage to the card. Some
cards are able to operate at either voltage, and some slots are able to
accept cards that operate at either voltage. If you have a card that will
not fit into a slot, that means that the slot is providing 5.0 V and the
card will only operate at 3.3 V. Do not attempt to remove the connector
key, because if you do so and insert the card, the card will very likely
be damaged beyond repair. The CardBus interface was defined as a 3.3
V-only interface, so they will not operate on a 5.0 V-only system.