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A short adaptor cable that connects from the small "non-standard"
socket on the end of a PCMCIA [1] wireless card, ISA [2] or PCI [3]
(internal) wireless card, access point [4], or other WLAN [5] devices,
to a connector suitable for 2.4GHz-capable Coaxial Cable [6].
Depending on the style of pigtail you require to connect to your
wireless device, one end is normally an N-Connector [7], used to
connect either directly to your antenna, or to your feed line [8],
while at the other end is the connector suitable for your wireless
device.
Pigtails normally cost anywhere from $30-$60, depending on the
quality and complexity of the pigtail. Excellent pigtails are offered
by Vaskos [9].
What connector is used to connect to your wireless device normally
only depends on the brand used. Here's a list of the commonly found
pigtails, and what devices they relate to, although it is recommended
you read your device's specifications carefully before purchasing one:
* REVERSE-POLARITY SMA CONNECTORS [10] - Quite possibly the most
common connector used on wireless devices these days. It is found on
D-Link [11], Linksys [12] (WMP11), and Alloy [13] cards, amongst many
others.
* REVERSE-THREAD SMA CONNECTORS [14] - Found on Compaq [15] WL200
[16] cards.
* SHROUDED SMA CONNECTORS [17] - Commonly found on Breezecom/Alvarion
[18] equipment.
* QMA CONNECTORS [19] - Found on very cheap PCMCIA [20] WLAN [21]
cards which are unavailable in the USA (and quite possibly in
Australia too).
* REVERSE-POLARITY TNC CONNECTORS [22] - Found on Linksys [23]
(WAP11) and Cisco [24] access points [25].
* BNC CONNECTORS [26] - Found on older OEM ISA [27] 802.11 [28]
cards, and other non-802.11 cards.
* REVERSE-POLARITY BNC CONNECTORS [29] - Found on Intel [30] access
points [31].
* LUCENT MC-CARD CONNECTORS [32] - These very tiny connectors are
designed especially for PCMCIA/PC Card [33] cards. They're found on
Lucent, ORiNOCO [34], Avaya [35], IBM [36], Enterasys [37] and Compaq
[38] WL110 cards.
* MMCX CONNECTORS [39] - Found especially on small devices, such as
PCMCIA/PC Card [40] devices for laptops. MMCX [41] are often found on
Proxim [42], Cisco [43] Aironet, Symbol [44] and Zcomax [45] cards.
* REVERSE-POLARITY MMCX CONNECTORS [46] - Found on Proxim [47]
Harmony cards, and Teletonics [48] cards.
* MCX CONNECTORS [49]
Links:
------
[1] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?PCMCIA
[2] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?ISA
[3] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?PCI
[4] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?AccessPoint
[5] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?WLAN
[6] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?CoaxialCable
[7] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?NConnector
[8] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?FeedLine
[9] http://www.alphalink.com.au/~vak/pigtails/
[10] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RPSMACONNECTOR
[11] http://www.dlink.com.au/
[12] http://www.linksys.com/
[13] http://www.alloy.com.au/
[14] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RTSMACONNECTOR
[15] http://www.compaq.com/
[16] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?WL200
[17] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?SHROUDEDSMACONNECTOR
[18] http://www.alvarion.com/
[19] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?QMACONNECTOR
[20] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?PCMCIA
[21] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?WLAN
[22] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RPTNCCONNECTOR
[23] http://www.linksys.com/
[24] http://www.cisco.com/
[25] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?AccessPoint
[26] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?BNCCONNECTOR
[27] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?ISA
[28] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?802.11
[29] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RPBNCCONNECTOR
[30] http://www.intel.com/
[31] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?AccessPoint
[32] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?MCCARDCONNECTOR
[33] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?PCMCIA
[34] http://www.orinocowireless.com/
[35] http://www.avaya-apac.com/
[36] http://www.ibm.com/
[37] http://www.enterasys.com/
[38] http://www.compaq.com/
[39] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?MMCXCONNECTOR
[40] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?PCMCIA
[41] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?MMCXConnector
[42] http://www.proxim.com/
[43] http://www.cisco.com/
[44] http://www.symbol.com/
[45] http://www.zcomax.com/
[46] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RPMMCXCONNECTOR
[47] http://www.proxim.com/
[48] http://www.teletronics.com/
[49] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?MCXCONNECTOR
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