Upgrading wireless on MBP

Sometimes I do not get a solid signal from the networks that are placed around my school campus. It either takes a long time for the MBP to get connected, or it just won't won't connect. My friend's SOny SR laptop has no trouble picking up a strong signal wherever he goes.

So, I was thinking of getting one of those USB wireless N adapters to sort of "upgrade."

Would this work? Or would it be a waste of time and money?

 

Well, you should check to make sure it comes with Mac drivers since by default I don't believe OS X comes with drivers for third-party wireless adapters.

Supposedly, the MBP's aluminum case isn't ideal for wireless signals which is why the plastic MB often gets better wireless reception and is probably why the Sony likewise has better performance. A USB adapter doesn't necessarily have better wireless reception though, since they are pretty small and the internal antennas may not have the run to be optimally positioned. WiFi N particularly uses multiple antennas to better triangulate the signal.

I'm not sure which one to recommend though since a quick check on the DLink and Linksys websites, show the minimum requirements for their WiFi N USB adapters to be Windows with no mention of Mac.

 

If your airport is a g then I heard a rumor that if you upgrade the internal card to the newer N that it picks up way better. Anyhow that is an annoying problem and my roommate has the same issue but he is upgrading his to the N and when he does I will let you know what it does.

 

i installed a 802.11n card on my first generation macbook pro.

i can't really say if reception went up or not. but at least i can use n wireless now.