Brand Name vs. Off Brand from Ebay?

[gregnash]

I am looking at getting a PCMCIA wireless nic for my Toshiba 2800-S201 laptop that I am upgrading. But I want to know will there be a difference if the basic thing that I use it for is general net surfing and connecting to my schools wireless network? I can get my hands on a PCMCIA wireless nic from Ebay for about $20+ but it will be an off brand one vs. spending $50+ for a brand name from a retail store.

Thanks in advance

 

[movax]

Brand really doesn't matter other than warranty...look at:

1. What chipset it uses. Atheros, Prism, etc. All the name-brand cards use these chipsets.
2. Driver availability for the chipset...much less important on Linux, since almost all Linux drivers are based on the chipset of the device, not the brand. Windows might whine a little, but a chipset generic driver should work as well.