Document Number: OSUP1001
Product: Observer
Date: 3/10/2004 (updated 9-21-2005)
Title: Suggested PCMCIA (Laptop) Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g, and Token Ring Adapters
Suggested PCMCIA 10/100 Ethernet
Network Instruments recommends the Network Instruments PCMCIA CardBus adapter for all 10/100 Ethernet laptop Observer installations. Our adapters, in combination with the ErrorTrak™ drivers have been optimized for capture performance, and provide complete error tracking and full errors by station and aggregate error counts. Other adapters may work, but none provide the errors by station that the Network Instruments adapters provide. Network Instruments’ adapters are based on the Intel chip set. These adapters are listed on our price lists.
More information on Ethernet errors, and ErrorTrak™ drivers
Note: At this time there are no Gigabit PCMCIA adapters available. Please see the notes on PCI adapters for more Gigabit information.
Suggested Token Ring Adapters
Suggestions here are based on a combination or our in-house experience, and reports from customers. Please note that drivers change, and any recommendation here may be outdated at any time. Additionally, if a card is not listed, it MAY work with Observer - it is best to contact the card vendor and ask if they support promiscuous mode.
Suggested 802.11a/b/g Adapters
Note for 802.11b: Most wireless 802.11b adapters are either based on the Cisco or Symbol chipsets. If you adapter is not listed here, please try either the Cisco or Symbol driver - one of these should work.
Note for 802.11a: Network Instruments wrote drivers for the Atheros chip set adapters. Any Atheros based chip set adapter should work.
Note for 802.11b/a/g: any adapter
based on the Atheros chip set is supported, including Linksys
and Netgear a/b/g adapters. Please see our listing of Atheros
Based Adapters for more information.
PCMCIA 802.11a/b/g and Token Ring adapters that are known to work:
Topology |
Vendor |
Errors |
Comments |
802.11 a/b/g combo |
Cisco |
All 802.11 a/b/g errors reported. |
Current model number is AIR-CB21AG-J-K9. Based on the Atheros chipset. |
802.11b |
Symbol |
All 802.11b MAC errors are reported. |
Spectrum24 - 41x1 models have been approved. Observer includes drivers that were co-developed by Network Instruments and Symbol. These drivers let you use Observer for analysis and when not using Observer, use the card as a standard 802.11b adapter for send and receive. Any other Symbol compatible cards should also work. |
802.11b |
Cisco |
All 802.11b MAC errors are reported. |
The 350 series is recommended. Observer includes drivers that were co-developed by Network Instruments and Cisco. These drivers let you use Observer for analysis and when not using Observer, use the card as a standard 802.11b adapter for send and receive. Any other Cisco compatible cards should also work. |
802.11b |
Intel |
All 802.11b MAC errors are reported. |
Intel 2011b models (and compatible). Note: This is a Symbol compatible mode. |
802.11b |
Nortel |
All 802.11b MAC errors are reported. |
Nortel 41x1 models (and compatible). Note: This is a Symbol compatible mode. |
802.11a |
Proxim |
All 802.11a MAC errors are reported. |
Skyline and Harmony adapters are supported. Note: These adapters use the Atheros chip set. |
802.11 a/b Combo |
Orinoco |
All 802.11a and 802.11b MAC errors are reported. |
Orinoco's 802.11 a/b "Combocard" is based on the Atheros chip set and is fully supported. Does not support Orinoco Gold "Classic" cards (i.e. those Orinoco cards pre-Proxim buyout that us the Lucent chip set).. |
802.11 a/b/g |
Linksys |
All 802.11a , 802.11b and 802.11g MAC errors are reported. |
Network Instruments drivers support the "Wireless A+G" (this is an a/b/g adapter). We do not support the "g-only" adapter. |
802.11 a/b/g |
Netgear |
All 802.11a , 802.11b and 802.11g MAC errors are reported. |
|
Token Ring |
Madge |
All 29 MAC layer errors reported. |
We tested these adapters with the 6.0 drivers and everything worked perfectly. Note you must turn on “Statistics Gathering Mode” in the drivers Advanced settings dialog. |
Token Ring |
Olicom |
All 29 MAC layer errors reported. |
We have tested the version 4.16.00 driver and found it to work well |
Token Ring |
Intel |
All 29 MAC layer errors reported. |
(OEM of the Olicom card - see above) |
For Token Ring, please note that 3COM uses the Tropic Chip Set, and DO NOT SUPPORT PROMISCUOUS MODE for our products, or for any protocol analyzer. |
