Wireless N - Intel 5300 connection problem

So, I've got this new Latitude E6400 with an Intel 5300 A/G/N wireless module and a D-Link DIR-628 A/G/N wireless router. I've never had N or A before, only B & G. The laptop is currently connected in G mode and works fine. The router is set to G & N.

I can't get the laptop to connect to the N side. If connected via G and I go to look at wireless networks, I see another 'unnamed network' there which is the N side. If I choose to connect to it and enter the WPA2-PSK key, it never connects, but while it is trying, I have N speeds. I've tried setting the router to N only and the laptop won't connect at all.

Any thoughts off-hand? It's a mystery to me

 

Have you visited the D-Link forums? http://forums.dlink.com

There is a guide for each router on how to best achieve 802.11n connections and speeds. Do that, and then return and let us know your results.

 

I did go and download the manual for the router and read through the whole thing to no avail. I'll keep digging. Just doesn't seem it should be this hard. I'm a PC tech by trade

 

Forget the manual - there are stickies on each router's board that explain the steps needed. If I recall, there is also a note about certain Intel cards, too.

 

Make sure you set the encryption on the router to AES.

 

You've already stated your problem - you've got your router set to G & N.

Also, don't assume that the unnamed "N" network you're seeing is being broadcast by your router - many don't change the default SSID, and people forget that with N devices, ranges are much greater, and it's easy to pick up one or more neighbor's network broadcasts. If it's not accepting your security key, that's a possible reason.

The only way to be absolutely sure is to change your SSID to a unique name that only you would know is your network. For example, since I'm using a Linksys WRT600N DBN (Dual-Band N) Router, I have both the 2.4ghz and 5ghz band SSID's set to variants of my business name. When my laptop searches for it, there's no question which ones are mine, and which are my neighbor's - they usually don't change the SSID from the default either.

Make sure you use a unique SSID and that your wireless is set to broadcast it.

For N networks to connect solely on N MIMO signals (overlap frequencies of 2.4 and 5ghz) all devices need to be N and set to N only. THe Intel AGN adapter will actively seek the wireless standard frequency the network is broadcasting - G and B use 2.4, A uses 5ghz, and N uses 2.4ghz & 5ghz simultaneously for both increased range and throughput. Since you've got your router set to both G and N, it's assuming that you've got both G and N devices in your network, and thus is setting itself to the lower wireless standard that a G device on the network could connect to.

You should have an N only setting - you might also try to set your Radio Band to 20mhz and your Channel setting to 11 (2.462ghz) or any frequency that's not close to 2.4. Just about every cordless device in a home uses 2.4 or 5ghz - since you're not using a DBN router, you only have to really worry about 2.4ghz device interference. Setting your channel to a frequency near 2.4 will be more affected by any devices in your house or generated by neighboring networks, so you want to be on an offset frequency.

You might also think about getting a USB or PCMCIA adapter as a backup, or if you're not getting at least 140mbps out of the Intel unit. Since I've got a DBN Router, I use both a USB and a Gaming/Media adapter in addition to my AGN adapter. Since a Media adapter connects to your Ethernet port, the system and router believes that you're connected by Ethernet cable, and acts accordingly. Also, with Dual-Band, you can stream low-end stuff on the 2.4ghz band, and good stuff (gaming data, movies, etc.) on the 5ghz band since they can be accessed and setup independently. Keep in mind though that with DBN devices ALL of them (router and adapters) must be DBN capable or you won't be able to access both frequency bands independently.

If you need help in general with Network setup and management, Cisco just released a good program called Network Magic, which is based on their Linksys Network Management program. They also have a program called Speed Meter, which will tell you where Network data loss is coming from (a device, neighbor's kid hijacking your signal for Por_n download (which takes away from YOUR Por_n dowload), etc.). You can download trial versions at

http://tinyurl.com/6xs2xp

If you're going to be using your system for online gaming, N devices have been known to have problems with server drops when using one of the encrypted security settings (WPA or WEP). Since I game a lot online, my security is turned off, and I use MAC Address filtering in its place. Since adopting that method, the dropoffs I used to have are history. Many people assume that it's the gaming server causing the problem, but it's usually security settings or they don't have the correct Port Forwarding/Triggering setups done.

 

You don't need to be in "N" only mode to achieve 300Mbps. I have my DIR-655 set to G and N, as I have computers that do not have 802.11n wifi cards. All computers with 802.11n cards connect at 300Mbps.

The OP owns a D-Link router - specific instructions are available at the D-Link forum.

Also - MAC filtering is not a security measure, as I'm certain you are well aware. And, in order to get N speeds, you must use AES.