What do you recommend for a network adapter card?

[kidziti]

I have a T40p with an original built-in wireless a/b card (device mgr calls it a Dual-band WiFi Wireless Mini PCI adapter, connecting via the latest Atheros driver). Connection quality is a big issue - slow with dead spots and signal drops. I just upgraded the router to a Linksys G (the new 3-antenna MIMO type if anyone is familiar with them) with absolutely no improvement - the a/b card does not connect even though it sees the network, and even acknowledges signal strength (near 100%).

Frustrated (a mild way of putting it, actually), I purchased an external Linksys wireless G network adapter (also with SRX400 technology - supposedly an unbeatable pair with the router for strength, drop-out coverage and speed), and after a lot of work managed to get it to connect via XP. But it crashes Access Connections (Lenovo techs are divided on it's compatibility with AC - I've downgraded AC from 4.11a to 3.82 on one tech's suggestion, no joy. I really would rather have the AC features vs. having Windows configure my connections.

Has anyone gotten an external non-IBM card to work with AC? Which adapters (or for that matter routers) do the forum members prefer?