Atheros vs. Intel Cards

I've been doing some light reading about the two. Seems like a majority of the posts I've read say that people prefer one over the other but don't really state a specific reading. I'm not sure if I have been reading correctly but even on the lenovo ride they recommend the Intel wireless card over the thinkpad one?

I was just wondering if anyone could shed the light on the differences of the two or people that have experienced and used both what they saw

 

There's a thread already open about this here. Perhaps the answer you seek is contained within it?

 

Having used both back and forth in various Lenovo/IBM laptops, the Atheros chips tend to have a more stable and stronger connection. The Intel variants tend to cut out on occasion, and dont seem to get as strong of a connection.

 

A number of users on support/problem forums have had nightmares with the intel 3945 card on thinkpads. None with the atheros.

I particularly sought out and got an atheros. I work for IBM tech (not sales, who know nothing technologically speaking). We know the intel 3945 sucks with thinkpads. The intel is buggy by design, weak, drops connections, and is inherently incompatible with certain thinkpad technologies.

Many users have ripped out the intel 3945 and put in an atheros, replacing scowls with smiles.

Get the atheros!

 

I know my Atheros Thinkpad will pick up double the wireless networks from my dorm room as my room mate's 3945 equipped HP...

 

SkiBunny, how do I go abouts confirming a machine has an Atheros before I purchase? When it does not say Intel 3945 and only the 'ThinkPad' wireless a/g can I assume that is Atheros used?

 

Also, if you're into the WEP encryption cracking scene, the Atheros cards are much more likely to be compatible with the software used for that sort of thing. Not that I would ever do anything like that . . .

 

generally, the opposite is true. if it doesn't say, it tends to be Intel.

look at the details page for that model and see if it says

 

Can I call back Lenovo and ask for replacing my 3945 card with an Atheros if I have trouble with my intel card? or I have to pay extra dollars?

I heard some people can ask for replacing their keyboard by calling lenvovo.

 

Right, it seems all say Intel Wireless 3945 on the detailed page...what should I be looking for, for Atheros? Can a laptop have both? There are some machines which have numerous wireless features - blutooth, Intel, ThinkPad Wireless ect.

If there is a Verizon card will it clearly state that a Verizon or Cingular card is in there? (I live in Canada and neither suppliers are mainstream - not sure if they exist at all here)

 

If I buy the Thinkpad a/b/g card direct from Lenovo's site and install it myself, will I get that 1802 "unauthorized hardware installed" error?

 

It shouldn't, considering it'll be a Lenovo card.

 

I hope so because I've read horror stories when user switched from an Intel to an Atheros on a Thinkpad.

 

Used to be many thinkpads had atheros, but now most thinkpads are intel now (because the masses know the name, i guess)

The "thinkpad" card is Atheros.

Look up the model in the tabook here to be sure... (or ask the sales rep, if s/he doesn't know hang up and call again... some are dumb some are smart)

 

yep,... you have to update drivers and in some cases even do a bios update, so i've read on some forums.

Better to get your thinkpad configured with an atheros in the first place.

 

When I was talking to a Lenovo sales rep, I don't think he knew what an Atheros card is. He just answered by saying, "...they almost all use the Intel wireless card..." [Paraphrased]

 

Yep, you need another sales rep.

Once upon a time, most thinkpads had atheros.
This year, most t-series had 3945, tho most X-series still had atheros.

Sad to say that the core 2 duo refresh appears to be with nearly all 3945.

I'd rather have a Pentium M with an atheros, than a core 2 duo with a 3945.

The wifi card is one of the most important aspects of a laptop in terms of its useabilty. Right up there with the screen and keyboard.

 

Hmmm. So how much of a difference in quality are we talking here? If i'm in a 'hot spot' or in my home with a router, won't I recieve the same internet speed with both card? Or are we talking about really distant signals?

 

some posters claim that they have double the signal strength on the atheros campared to the 3945-equipped machines of friends.

i know that, for example, at home i keep connection with the atheros but lose it on the intel 2200 when the microwave goes on or the phone rings. Using a Netgear MIMO Rangemax router.

i can pick up my neighbor's router with my atheros. he cannot pick up my router with his intel. haha Of course, mine is WEP protected but his is not. LOL

 

Speaking of "hot spots"...being new to the notebook world I was wondering if the hot spots at Borders, Starbucks, etc. are FREE to use while you are there? Thanks, Cory

 

I don't think so. You need to pay to use. :\ I know.

 

Depends on the place.. I see a lot of coffee shops around town that advertise free hotspots.

 

There are quite a few places that allow free hotspots if you are customer (woud have to be customer to sit in the store right.) Less here in Canada, but Toronto is expanding it's hotspot areas. Watch, soon the entire world will be a hotspot!

 

I can't complain on anything with the intel card. Perhaps I got lucky but I'm glad I didn't get the Atheros (I didn't have an choice but if I would have).

I get noticably better reception than any card I've compared, haven't tried the "microwave test" but considering how my old laptop with an older intelcard (which doesn't perform as good as the new one in the thinkpad) handles it perfectly I wouldn't suspect otherwise.

Also since the atheros card seems to be running hotter and drain more battery-life the choice is quite simple for me. But then again I might have been lucky.

 

I don't think the card on its own would change the decision about which machine to purchase, but I suppose one would want to get the best reception they possibly can with an integrated unit.

 

There are free wifi hotspots all over the place in big cities. In Washington, DC, the entire Dupont Circle area is a wifi hotspot (though, I'm not sure how good the reception is inside a building, but on the street/in the park it's fine.

 

Its funny, I did not know what I was missing until I started getting review units with Atheros wifi chips. In my case it became a huge difference once I changed routers. I have serious problems with Intel's wifi and D-Link routers. Linksys routers worked well with everything.

 

Linksys? That is good to know. I guess i'll steer clear of D-Link routers.

 

Not just D-Link.... I get great reception in public hotspots with my atheros when people with me who have brand new intel-equipped HP's cannot connect.

But if you're mainly using wireless at home, it's not an issue so long as you connect with your intel card.

And yes, the price to pay with the atheros is that it's said to run warmer and use more battery (however, my battery meter still says 10-11 hours life when my machine idles with atheros turned on)

 

10 - 11 hours, not bad. But do you actually get that much?

I'll likely be using wireless at home and on campus. Is Linksys the best for home networking? How difficult is it to set up a home network?

 

I recently read a review that the T60 (probably all ThinkPads) has TWO antenna, one on each side of the screen that helps reception. Has this always been the case or did they just recently start putting two in and on the screen that sticks up in the air? This would possibly help the newer models with wireless signal strength?

Cory

 

Easy. Install s/w, plug and play.

I use netgear... i started years ago with the WGR614 and graduated to a Netgear MIMO RangeMax (has 7 built-in antennas that adjust or something, i dunno, but it looks cool and gives me consistent stronger signals). I bought a refurb one on ebay 2 years ago cheap when they were still >$200 in stores. Now they're about half as much both in stores and on ebayes maybe $30 on ebay.

If you get a refurb, you wont get a CD. Who cares, just download the driver from the manuf site. And pay half as much.

You will love your thinkpad's Access Connections for automatically switching between your use on campus, home wireless network and home ethernet.

 

Beginning to believe that I've been lucky because I've never had a single cut-off and I've been connected quite much. I don't have an wireless at home so I only use it in open areas.

And I've downloaded a couple of gigabytes through those networks. Sometimes at ~600 kb/s and sometimes I just tag along and download at 20-30 kb/s (the server had limited bandwidth) for a couple of hours, and never gotten disconnected.
I mostly just browse the web and I do that almost every day but still, no disconnects.
(got an x60s with intel card)

 

My old T41 with an old atheros beats the crap out of a friend's brand new hp (equipped with intel 3945) for wireless strength. He was very annoyed because he got nothing while i got at 12 mbps.

 

Doesn't the inbuilt (in XP) do the same?

 

Yep you're lucky... over at thinkpads there are a bunch of X60s users with the intel card who call their x60s "junk" because of the horrible wireless performance with the 3945.

 

I just have a hard time accepting those differences, I'd guess on poor antenna in the HP but it shouldn't be that bad and as a brand I think HP is among the better as well.

Confused

But as you say, when comparing to what others have experienced, I'm probably lucky.

 

Count me in for having a X60 + Intel with no drop out.

Nope. AC has profiles saved and it will automatically choose the certain profile for the certain area. While for XP, you have to find from a list again. Different in my opinion.

 

Access connections is much better. It does what XP does, but this is only minor functionality, comparing to what Access connections can do. You can setup profiles for the networks you are using. In each of the profiles you can specify:

• Network settings (ip address, ad-hoc or access point mode etc.)
• Proxy settings in your IE and homepage too (e.g. if you need to login to some network)
• Default printer
• Set proxy on/off
• Set file sharing on/off
• Preferred connection (wireless or/and ethernet)
• Run some applications when the profile is selected

It can recognize your network and select appropriate profile automatically. There is a keyboard shortcut for profile list too. I remember it had even more capabilities. So it is helping a lot, if you often "travel" between different networks.

 

I just got my T60 this morning w/IntelPro and used the IBM Access Connection to connect to my Netgear wireless router down stairs. I had a 35-40% signal...my router is in our office which is under several inches of concrete (deck above it)...but it just zipped through the web pages, and never once in about 4 hours did I drop the connection. I haven't tried it on the 3rd floor yet, but I am hoping for enough signal...if not I may try Netgears plug-in signal booster. On my desktop, in the same room as the router, which a has Netgears Smart Wizard, I drop the connection every couple hours and after about 3 drops the program closes on me and I have to reboot to reconnect. I am have way tempted to remove Netgears program and just use windows!

 

Cory, be sure to give us your first thoughts on the machine.