ProXim "OEM" Mystery Card


    Tiger Direct is selling a  wireless PC card labeled as "Proxim - 11Mbps 802.11b Wireless LAN PCMCIA Card (OEM)".   After seeing the $14.99 price tag (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=579897&Sku=C26-1076%20P), I was very interested in this PC Card.  I did some research, and to my surprise I found people on the net having difficulty installing the PC Card with Tiger Direct's supplied "Proxim Harmony" Drivers.  This halted my purchase and forced me look further into the issue. 

    I was able to come across a MAC address for this supposed OEM card (Ex. 000278FFFFFF).  Low and behold the OUI "000278" is registered to "Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd." While it is true Proxim has OEM'd some equipment from Samsung in the past, it is my understanding the rebranded part would reflect Proxim's OUI (0020A6) or one of their acquired companies' OUI.

    Assuming this wireless card is Samsung's, we must try to determine the card type and model.  The site www.samsung.com does not make any real mention of their wireless product line.  I was able to determine that Samsung has a wireless product line called "MagicLAN" (www.magiclan.com) under its Samsung Electro-Mechanics division.  There has been "MagicLAN" PC cards since at least 1997 to current.  The PCMCIA Card models available are:

    1. SWL-1000N  (Harris Semiconductor PRISM based) 
                               PC Card Type-II,  IEEE 802.11 - 2Mb MAX
                               NO WEP
    2. SWL-2000N  (Intersil PRISM 2 based) 
                               PC Card Type-II, IEEE 802.11b - 11Mb MAX 
                               64-bit WEP MAX
    3. SWL-2100N  (Intersil PRISM 2 based) 
                               PC Card Type-II, IEEE 802.11b - 11Mb MAX
                               128-bit WEP MAX
    4. SWL-2300N  (Intersil PRISM 2 based) 
                               CardBus, IEEE 802.11b - 11Mb MAX 
                               128-bit WEP MAX

    Based off the models available and the description of the "OEM" Card, the card is most likely a SWL-2000N, but it may be a SWL-2100N.  The only difference between the two models being the MAX encryption key size.  It appears the SWL-2100N drivers on Samsung's web site (http://www.magiclan.com/en/download/KmlDownLst.jsp?keyGrpC=PD03) are backward compatible with the SWL-2000N, except for the 128-bit option.  If I am wrong and  the SWL-2000N specific drivers are required, I suggest you e-mail Samsung requesting these drivers or do a search for SWL-2000N on the web (several German sites carry them).

    In conclusion, based on all the above evidence, I believe this "Proxim OEM" card to be a "Samsung OEM" SWL-2000N/SWL-2100N.  Except for the Samsung lettering, they look the same.  I really don't know how Tiger Direct believed it to be Proxim's.  It could be that they were misinformed by their supplier, they have mixed stock, or assumed the product was Proxim's because it may have worked with Proxim's Harmony Prism 2-based drivers.  If  I am not mistaken, Samsung would be your support contact "if" they support their OEM products.  If they do not provide support, Tiger Direct would be your only means for support.  Take this in consideration  if you decide to purchase this PC Card.
 


 
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