Home > Consumer Reviews > Intel WM3B2100NAWB Pro Wireless 2100 Mini PCI Card (11 Mbps)

I wish I could recommend this product, but it does not work for me under the Linux operating system. Intel normally has a good track record providing technical documentation so that open-source OSs such as Linux can have drivers for their products. However, in this case, no such support is available. This wireless card simply does not work under Linux because no driver is available. Rather, Orinoco cards are still the best way to go for Linux 802.11b capability. They are available under many names as Mini-PCI cards, such as the Dell Truemobile 1150.

In addition, Windows support for the PRO/Wireless 2100 is also flaky. Specifically, when coupled with a Netgear wireless router, the card will often loose signal to the router, requiring either the router or the computer to be restarted.

This card is not compatible with IBM T40,40p,41,41p laptops. Even though it is almost exactly the same card that IBM will sell you for twice as much, the bios in these laptops will stop you before windows can even boot. In any other laptop it is probably a nice card. Just a friendly word of warning.

It is a shame that Intel continues the "Wintel" (Windows+Intel) legacy of releasing drivers for their hardware for windows only.

I tried this card on a Thinkpad T40, on which I installed SUSE LINUX PRO v9.0. It turns out that Intel has not developed (nor they seem to be planning to) linux drivers for this card.

Hopefully I was able to return the Intel WLAN card, and I'm currently using a Orinoco dual-wlan (802.11a/802.11b) card on the Thinkpad's Cardbus slot. Unlike the Intel "solution" the Orinoco works beatifully.

Until Intel stops meaning "wintel", avoid this card, unless you use WinXP, which is apparently what Intel wants you to do, along with Microsoft.

That some companies would use their market domination to prevent competition and letting the users run alternative operating systems is a shame. Hopefully other vendors of Wireless lan cards (see above) are fully supporting Linux.

I added this to my laptop and it works very well. Range is much increased over the Linksys PC card I had. The loop antenna system in the Toshiba gives a great signal. Intel makes good stuff. I called Toshiba to see what they reccommended and this was a good number with them.