Mini-PCI WiFi card not as good as PCMCIA?

ambro25

Hi,

Just bought an Intel 2200 mini-PCI WiFi adapter (801.11 b/g) for my D600, installed, etc. - working fine, BUT... range appears absolutely dismal compared to the Intel PCMCIA card I was using until then (old workhorse, 801.11b only).

As I bought the D600 2nd-hand, I have no manuals re. built-in antennas (nor do I know if/where those are, how to connect to the PCI adapter, etc.). I just unscrewed the mini-PCI port underneath, guesstimated how the adapter would fit/in which direction etc. and it went in no probs.

Has anyone gone through this before? Can anyone help / provide some feedback about a similiar/dissimilar experience / even tell me poor noob what I'm doing wrong or can improve?

formatman

think the atenna is in the screen , are you suing the laptop as a laptop or with a external monitor ?

ambro25

As a lappie.

Thing is, with the PCMCIA I used to hook up to my 801.11b anywhere in/around the house, within 50+ yards or so. Still get that with the other older lappie (same OS, XP Pro).

With the mini-PCI, 20 feet away max or -essentially- "OK whilst upstairs" (router is upstairs).

formatman

knowing Dell they probably don't include the antenna if you don't buy it at point of sale originally

Might want to verify this with their tech support dept

maidhc

The antenna is around the LCD; if it is there.

The connector is similar to a small co-ax cable that screws into the Mini PCI card. It should be around the Mini PCI slot somewhere.

odie

There is an updated driver released last month here -

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/detail_desc.aspx?ProductID=1637&DwnldID=9003&agr=N

I had an issue with dropped connections with my Ralink wireless card, however after I updated the drivers it was sorted.

ambro25

Thanks a bunch - will take the screwdriver back to it later this week (most dangerous thing, that ) and look for the mini-coax-thingy...

Gone West

It depends more on the radio than anything else. The antanae are usually very decent (for what it is that is.)

ambro25

FuzzyLogic wrote:

It depends more on the radio than anything else. The antanae are usually very decent (for what it is that is.)

You mean the Wi-Fi router, by 'Radio'?

If that's the case, it's been working pretty decently for the last year or so, and -as posted- is now still working absolutely fine with my older ThinkPad 240X + PCMCIA WiFi (Intel), compared dismally with the D600+ miniPCI WiFi (Intel).

Note that in both cases, branded components, and the router is a D-Link Airplus (801.11b) 5-port hub + WiFi router.

So, dunno... But I'll open it up & try to secure antenna coax at the W-E, as posted.

sceptre

maidhc wrote:

The antenna is around the LCD; if it is there.

No it isn't. On the D610 it rather obviously comes out of the screen and winds its way around the edge of the laptop innards when you pull the keyboard off, on the D600, which despite the similarity in names is rather different inside, both cables should be present when you unscrew the comms door on the bottom of the machine (in other words, on the other side of the laptop entirely from the LCD). The cables should be there regardless of whether a wireless card was included on purchase or not, held together but apart with a small bit of brown sticky tape. Of course if they're not it's a bit of a problem.

ambro25

Just a quick post to thank you guys - re-opened the panel, found the mini-coax (x2, 1 black, 1 white) & secured to mini-PCI, now working perfect (with better range than old PCMCIA card.

Thanks again

sceptre

ambro25 wrote:

(x2, 1 black, 1 white)

Small point which probably won't affect your browsing pleasure much if at all. It expects the white one to be connected to the connector marked MAIN or similar and the black one to be connected to AUX. Might be worth a quick check (sometime) to see that's the way they're connected. Rather glad to hear all's working well though.

ambro25

Thanks for that, Sceptre. There was diddly-squat written on the card itself in or around the connectors, which therefore had me puzzled for a while... never to worry, did a quick search with desktop and found all necessary info, so done deal. That'll teach me to buy all my IT gear second-hand off eBay, with rarely any user manuals supplied (but then a 1.6 Centrino, 512 RAM, 30 GB HDD, DVD/CDRW, minter D600 at a fraction below £315 doesn't stroll on everyday )

glynf

ambro25 wrote:

Hi,

Just bought an Intel 2200 mini-PCI WiFi adapter (801.11 b/g) for my D600, installed, etc. - working fine, BUT... range appears absolutely dismal compared to the Intel PCMCIA card I was using until then (old workhorse, 801.11b only).

As I bought the D600 2nd-hand, I have no manuals re. built-in antennas (nor do I know if/where those are, how to connect to the PCI adapter, etc.). I just unscrewed the mini-PCI port underneath, guesstimated how the adapter would fit/in which direction etc. and it went in no probs.

Has anyone gone through this before? Can anyone help / provide some feedback about a similiar/dissimilar experience / even tell me poor noob what I'm doing wrong or can improve?

Hi ambro,

I have an Intel 2200 in my Xps gen2, and I find it ok for browsing, but as you said, the range is dismal.
It drops the connection to the wireless router regularly,lot more than an I8600 with a dell truemobile 1350 wireless card I have, which works perfectly.
The intel software also uses 5 processes in task manager, and its also crap for online gaming, very laggy.
If its possible, i would advise you to return it and order a card based on the Atheros AR5005,
I ordered one of these for €51 off ebay. Its one of the better mini-PCI's on the market, and Its 108Mbps.(time to upgrade the router )
I'll let you know how the Atheros works out.