help with choosing Wireless Network Card & Router:

I am buying my first laptop and I am unaware of the basics of networking. Just trying to gather some info via internet. The notebook I am planning to get is Dell Inspiron 640M Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5200 (2MB Cache/1.6GHz/533MHz FSB) in Canada. I have a few questions:

1. Which Wireless Network Card should I go for : Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps) [Included in Price] or Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Internal Wireless which is just 10CAD more. Is there any difference and if yes which one is better.

2. Which Wireless Router should I buy. I live in a house and it is a 4 level back split. I would like to get the signal throughout the house and secondly I want it to be secure. Also I am on a tight budget so I am also looking for something reasonable, but no compromise on quality.

3. Also will a Speedbooster router work with the above mentioned Network cards.

Please guide. Thanks.

 

1) Intel is better and is more powerful while using the same amount of energy or less energy.
2) Check out the Linksys WRT54G or SRX200. The SRX200 has an incredible range, but the WRT54G has no problem covering a large three floor house that I recently set up a WiFi network in. The WRT54G should be either $49 or $69, and you don't need or want SpeedBooster unless that is the only router available in the stores...SpeedBooster only works if you have a Linksys SB WiFi card for your laptop.
3) No...SB requires both the router and the laptop to have a Linksys part. The only way to do that would to get a SB USB WiFi device or SB PC Card WiFi device.

FYI: Most internet connections top out at around 8-10Mbps, and home networks rarely use much network bandwidth either. These routers can handle 54Mbps without the SB, you won't even use the full 54 anyway so why pay for more that you'll never use?

 

Well for question two i would reccomend a Netgear Rangemax Router with their own Rangemax Adapters, The reason i dont say linksys like mentiond above is because when i had even a wired one all it did was crash or the ports would reset all the time was a pain so i ended up throwing it.

 

Thanks for the info. Any suggestions are always welcome.

 

Linksys is a good brand but I think you should go with netgear.
They are cheaper but are still a very good brand. This one is a great economy model:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833122022