Re: [LUG] Hardware questions - PC power - Wireless adaptors

[Robin Cornelius <robin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Saturday 24 Apr 2004 18:14, Simon Waters wrote:
> Basic question..... it just never arose before.
>
> All the PC's I've had before have two types of power cable from the
> power supply, small ones and large ones (excuse the deep technical
> terminology). The larger ones have a proper socket with missing corner
> so you get them the right way around, the smaller ones go straight on a
> bit like jumpers (some use a socket and notch affair to ensure they are
> the correct way around).
>
> My new PC has only the larger sort, but one of the devices I was hoping
> to move across uses the smaller power connector.
>
> What is the difference?
> Is there an appropriate adaptor, or am I buying more hardware?

Just to confirm, you mean inside the PC for powering CD-ROM's (large)/ floppy 
drives (small) ?

If so apart from physical size there is no difference, they are both have +12 
+5 and 2x GND on them. Not sure if you can get an adaptor but you could 
easily make one if you have an old PC you can steal the correct connector 
from, then just buy a "Y" cable (one big plug to 2xbig socket) and hack one 
of the large sockets off and join your small socket to the now bare wires 
using "chocolate block" that screw terminal stuff that looks like Lego 
bricks. (Or if you have loads of big sockets don't bother with the Y cable)

> Also I need a wireless network card, previously I've usually used PCMCIA
> adaptors, but since I bust one of my PCMCIA cards <it had a full life>,
> and the PCMCIA adaptors are all ISA, so I have to buy a new wireless
> device anyway.
>
> I'd prefer a device in the PC, but I could use a wireless access point,
> or a USB device. We also use USB powered ethernet devices at work (these
> take power from the USB slot, but act as a wireless bridge) which I
> could use as I'll be salvaging a PCI ethernet card from one of the PC's).
>
> So what is cool as regards Linux compatible wireless cards, or can I
> just get a cheap 802.11b PCI card and leave the cool stuff for later.

A card with access to the raw packets is nice, then you can do security scans 
using kismet ( a wireless packet sniffer). This is less common on access 
points. Access to the RF output is always nice, most access points use a 
small external ariel so this is often possible, with PCMCIA cards though it 
is not the most common feature.

Robin

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