Longest range [Laptop wireless card] ?

hi,

i am building [buying] a laptop computer, and i want the longest Range wireless card i can get i'm currently looking at the Compaq/HP laptops

i'm a novice, so what do look for, in the way of a good laptop wireless adapter/card [is one brand better, for example] ?

i see this 802.11a/b/g ....which is Greek to me

and does having Bluetooth help with wireless access?

thanks waterboy

Reply to
waterboy
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On 13 Nov 2006 16:05:14 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@financier.com wrote in :

The antenna matters more than the card. Better laptops have antennas built into the screen that are better than antennas in PC Cards, so choose a laptop with good antennas.

You'll want b and g most of the time, unless you want to connect in a business environment that uses a.

No. It only helps if you want Bluetooth.

Reply to
John Navas

thanks John

how do i know it has a good antenna? are some Brands better than others? does higher price mean better antenna?

thanks waterboy

Reply to
waterboy

On 14 Nov 2006 06:38:12 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@financier.com wrote in :

There is considerable difference between different models and different brands. For example, my ThinkPad T-41 gets "good" solid signal in a location where a friend's Toshiba Satellite A60 gets only "weak" signal. But the only guides I know of are general level of quality, and the experiences of those that have them.

I'm personally partial to T-series ThinkPads, which have a high standard of quality, including excellent antennas, that give me much better performance than PC Cards with tiny built-in antennas, on the order of

25-40% more range. Some come with Intel wireless and some with Atheros wireless. Both are very good, but I find Atheros to have a bit better range than Intel.
Reply to
John Navas

one more question getting better wireless Range

would a 17" laptop have a better/Larger built-in antenna [vs a 15"] ?

thanks waterboy

Reply to
waterboy

snipped-for-privacy@financier.com hath wroth:

No. There are plenty of different internal antenna designs and styles. The better ones have two large antennas at the top of the LCD panel. In general, the bigger the antenna, the better, but you'll have to disassemble the laptop to check.

If you search eBay for "laptop antenna", there are an interesting variety of antennas with photos.

There are also some losers. For example, this abomination was found on an older Compaq 2120US laptop: |

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two antennas are mounted on the hinge which results in truely horrible range. If you look carefully, you can also see the crushed coax cable.

If you really want range from the internal MiniPCI card in the laptop, and don't mind some creative wiring and possibly drilling, an external antenna is the right answer. Obtain a u-FL pigtail to bulkhead SMA or TNC connector, and install it somewhere on the laptop. That disconnects the internal antennas and allows you to attach a proper directional panel or perhaps dish antenna. This might give you some ideas: |

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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

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