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    What is the difference in wireless cards?

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by dsmwookie, Jan 24, 2011.

  1. dsmwookie

    dsmwookie Notebook Geek

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    I am looking to order an Asus U36 and the option for the Intel 6200 has intrigued me. My old Asus G51 dropped signal frequently and seemed to have a terrible range. My router is in the front of my house and I like to stream movies in bed and surf the net. Will this increase signal strength? Do I need a better router too? Will this change download speeds?

    All in all I am trying to increase range and reliability, but if I can increase download speeds at the same time that is an added bonus and makes the upgrade more than worth wild. I am currently using a Belkin router, it is white, one antenna, and smooth all around the front and top; I am pretty sure it allows 108mb download speeds. I will get an exact model number when I get home.

    Thanks for the help guys!
     
    dsmwookie, Jan 24, 2011
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  2. reb1

    reb1 Notebook Evangelist

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    The 6200 is a dual antenna and uses newer hardware. You may not increase the distance but you should have less dead spots and faster file transfers than some of the older cards.
     
    reb1, Jan 25, 2011
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  3. Terry Kennedy

    Terry Kennedy Notebook Consultant

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    Regarding range and reliability - the issue may be that there are other wireless networks in your area which are interfering with your signal. I suggest downloading inSSIDer to show you what's going on.

    If the issue is interference, you could try moving to a different channel (in the US, the "good" ones are 1, 6, and 11).

    If there are other networks on all of those channels, you might consider upgrading to a 5GHz or dual-band router/access point and wireless cards. While 5GHz does not travel through walls as well, it has far more channels and fewer people using it. 2.4GHz has cordless phones and other stuff as well as wireless networking using it. In my neighborhood there are 70+ 2.4GHz wireless network and only one (me!) 5GHz one.

    Watch out for units that claim to be dual-band but can only do one at a time - if you use one of those in 5GHz, any "legacy" 2.4GHz wireless clients won't see your network.

    With a card like the Intel Ultimate-N 6300 and a router/access point bristling with antennas (mine have 6) you get antenna diversity and MIMO to increase speed and coverage. Of course, to make full use of the 6300 in a notebook, the notebook will need to have 3 wireless antennas, not just 2.

    You might find the reviews and discussions over at SmallNetBuilder useful in evaluating potential wireless equipment purchases.
     
    Terry Kennedy, Jan 25, 2011
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  4. dsmwookie

    dsmwookie Notebook Geek

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    Awesome information! Already now I have somewhere to begin looking for proper answers.
     
    dsmwookie, Jan 25, 2011
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