Which wireless card should I go with?

I decided to get an IBM. Which wireless card would be the best internal card? It is for a Z60m and I use wireless more then any other form of connection. If the base card will work then I do not need anything extra.

Integrated WiFi wireless LAN
Wi-Fi wireless upgradable and Bluetooth (Standard)

Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters [2] [Help me decide]
None
11a/b/g Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Adapter II [add $34.00]
Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Mini PCI Adapter [add $34.00]
Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG Mini PCI Adapter [add $8.50]

Wireless LAN accessories [2] [Help me decide]
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG 11 b/g mPCI Adapter [$50.15]
Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Mini-PCI Adapter [$50.15]
ThinkPad 11a/b/g Wireless CardBus Adapter [$75.65]
ThinkPad 11a/b/g Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Adapter II (US) [$55.25]

 

Either one should work fine for you. I'm fond of the "Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Mini PCI Adapter [add $34.00]", I use them a lot. The 2200 is fine too, some people have difficulties with those sometime (but it's mostly user error).

 

If you can afford it, I'd get the IBM card. There's just too many complaints about the Intel units.

 

Depends. Do you already have a router? If you do it's probably G enabled. If so, you only need the 2200. If you have a router that can handle 801.11a then get the 2915. If you don't currently have a router and will need to buy one I'd look at an atheros solution that is 108Mbps enabled and then an atheros wifi mini-PCI card.

This last solution will cost you about $30-60 from ebay or an online shop for the mini-PCI card and about the same for the router. You could also goto a place like Circuit City or some other retail store and buy this stuff for a bit more. I don't think you can get the mini-PCI from a retail store though??? Maybe you can only get the PCMCIA and usb wifi cards.

edit:
Just a note, Atheros makes the chipsets involved not the routers and mini-PCI cards themselves. I think DLink makes routers and cards based on the Atheros solution.

 

I just found out my school requires 802.11b or 802.11g compatable cards. Will the standard card that comes with the Z60m compatable or do I need to go for the upgrade.

-Sorry I was not clear in my first post on what exactly I needed. And no i do not have a router currently and will need to get one.

 

I'm with Brian, even though the Intel 2200BG on my T42 has been working fine from day one.

 

Thanks guys between everyone here IT at my school and IBM I finally figured out what will work. I went with the IBM card because of Brian and drst comments.

 

one question please..
does 802.11a is already legazy isn't it? I saw that every where use 801.11bg, not a.

 

Not quite legacy, more like a niche that is used by few. It operates at higher frequencies, thus has less interference, but I think shorter range.

 

Hey if you can opt out and save money on the wireless card, then do not select one.

Why? Am I crazy you ask? Well a little bit, but the reason is because a notebookreview.com forum member has started a little group to buy some Atheros AR5006XS mini-pc cards at a discount.

Go to the Buy/Sell/Trade section and you will see it. I'm getting one

No more bad connections or weak signals~!!!! woo hoo~!!!!

Cheers,
Mike

 

Shampoo,

The only problem with this is the fact that the card is not 100% guaranteed to work in the unit. Like HP as an example, you can't use any card in their notebooks as they tend to modify something (possibly in their bios) that prevents non-HP purchased wifi cards to work.

I'd recommend a wireless card to always be purchased from the manufacturer at the time of purchase (if it's not already included).

-Vb-