Hi there
I'm new to notebooks in general and I've just got hold of a Packard Bell Easynote E6310 notebook, it has a PCMCIA slot and I'm looking at buying a wi-fi card.
Problem is there are so many on the market and I haven't got a clue what I'm looking for.
I want a wi-fi card that will allow me to walk into any public place that has a wi-fi hotspot and connect there and then, much in the same way as the PSP can. I'd like it to allow me to surf the net as I would on a LAN.
My notebook has 512mb of RAM, at least it's supposed to have it's slightly lower more like 450mb but I'm looking at upgrading that.
The PCMCIA slot is a type II according to Packard Bell but I don't know if it's a 32 bit one.
I'd be grateful if someon could give me some pointers on what to look for or if someone could reccomend a card that'd be even better.![]()
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Any PCMCIA 802.11b/g wi-fi card will work. These cards can now be had for less than $10 in stores.
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What about the cards that are 802.11 N Draft. I hear the internal cards require 3 antennas to get the increased distance (MIMO). How will this affect either the PCMCIA or express cards?
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blue68f100 Notebook Virtuoso
Stay away from 11n draft for now, till the std is ratified. It will be 6-9 mo before that happens and another 3 mo till they start shipping.
I do not like MIMO because they do not play well with others. You are required to have matching hardware for it tow work, same mfg. -
If the pcmcia card has a external antannae that sticks out of the notebook, I recommend a usb thumbdrive-type wireless adapter instead. They're generally smaller, easier to plug and remove, and you can use it with desktops.
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I don't know what kind of antennas the pc cards will have but what I've read is that the internal cards need 3 antennas for MIMO. The 802.11 G only needs 2 antennas.
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I to am in the market for a reasonably priced PCMCIA 802.11b/g. Is there a noticeable difference from the $50 Netgears, and the $20 never-heard-ofs on Newegg? What is a reliable brand if I go cheap?
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Go with the cheaper cards. Check the reviews. Make sure you can find the appropriate drivers online before buying in case you lose the CD.
IMO, Netgear isn't so great anyways. I just spent 2 hours troubleshooting my cousin's Netgear wireless adapter over AIM. Their proprietary wireless management software is garbage.
Wireless networking seems to be a blind swing and hope you don't miss.
Wireless PCMCIA cards
Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by ravenmorpheus, May 4, 2007.