Dual networkadapters possible?

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Jona · #1 Post by **Jona** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 5:45 am

I recently bought a T60 to replace my trusty T41. Since the built-in Intel wireless card is not really suitable for long range use I bought a seperate PCMCIA networkcard from Ubiquiti.

The problem is that these card just don't want to work together. For some reason they both refused to work after installation of the pc card software. My Intel wireless immediately stops connecting when I choose a profile with Access Connections. I finally managed to get the Ubiquiti card working after reinstalling the software but my Intel card still won't connect. I tried two accesspoints but it won't associate and if it associates it cannot get a IP address.

I am wondering if there are more people who use dual networkcards in their thinkpad. Do you use Access Connections to manage both cards? The problem is that I have to use the supplied utility for the Ubiquiti card because it allows you to set certain options like transmitpower.

killigrew · #2 Post by **killigrew** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:15 am

Hi

I don't think a pcmcia WLAN Card is better than the bild in one because the antenna ist much smaller.
Did you have the latest Intel WLAN Drivers installed?
Perhaps you shoud try the atheros build in card that ist availiably from lenovo.
Sry that i can't help you with your problem.

cu

Jona · #3 Post by **Jona** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:26 am

I bought a special card from Ubiquiti. They sell cards which have a much higher transmit power as usual cards and I use a bigger external antenna.

The latest Intel driver is installed now but then the Ubiquiti doesn't work anymore. So I have two wireless cards now and no networkconnection

DAH · #4 Post by **DAH** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:14 pm

Assuming you bought the SRC Cardbus 802.11a/b/g 300mW High Power Atheros Wireless because it uses the Atheros chip set which IBM also uses, you may find that it will be an either or option.

steveg47 · #5 Post by **steveg47** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:37 pm

I have an Intel a,b,g internal wireless and I also use a Dlink pccard because it supports SuperG mode which gives me 108 as opposed to 56 mbps. I can use both card simultaneously with access connections and have no problems. Quite frankly from a reception perspective the internal Intel card stinks compared to the Dlink which pulls in many more nearby access points. The intel card occasional disconnects even with a strong signal, the dlink never disconnects.
If i wanted to order the A,B,G,N internal card from Lenovo what part number should I use and how much would it cost?? Any ideas?

Jona · #6 Post by **Jona** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 3:08 pm

DAH wrote:Assuming you bought the SRC Cardbus 802.11a/b/g 300mW High Power Atheros Wireless because it uses the Atheros chip set which IBM also uses, you may find that it will be an either or option.

What is exactly the reason why you cannot use them together?

I have tried some more things to get it to work. First I reinstalled the Intel wireless drivers but then both the Intel wireless and the Ubiquiti card didn't work. The cards did work in netstumbler by the way, so it seems the Ubiquiti utility and Access Connections were having trouble with each other. Deinstalling the Ubiquiti driver and utility however didn't help either.
Now I went back to a backup image from R&R and tried to install the Ubiquiti using just the drivers and the Windows wireless configurationtool. Now everything works fine although I cannot use the advanced functions of the Ubiquiti utility like transmitpower control. Access Connections also recognizes the Ubiquiti but it uses the Windows Zero configurationtool to control it.

@steveg47
You are probably using the Dlink card without the supplied utility and installed only the drivers? Or do the Dlink utility and Access Connections work peacefully together?

I wonder if using a N internal card wil give better reception and speed compared to the current generation. Or does it come with newer multiple antenna's?

DAH · #7 Post by **DAH** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 3:35 pm

Not having the card, I'm guessing here somewhat. But my take is the cards have common subprograms, that have embedded values, these values are unique to the card. So when you load both drivers the programs get confuse in just what memory area of the card does what. Or your T60 no longer knows how to talk to the cards.

The Dlink card works because it uses a different chip, because there are no common subprograms between that card and the T60.

Jona · #8 Post by **Jona** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:55 pm

I get your point. But IBM uses the Atheros chips on their own thinkpad wireless adapters and my T60 is a Centrino laptop so it uses the Intel 3945abg wireless adapter with a Intel chip. The Intel chip shouldn't have any common subprograms with a Atheros chip, should it?

steveg47 · #9 Post by **steveg47** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 7:52 pm

Jona wrote:
DAH wrote:@steveg47
You are probably using the Dlink card without the supplied utility and installed only the drivers? Or do the Dlink utility and Access Connections work peacefully together?

I wonder if using a N internal card wil give better reception and speed compared to the current generation. Or does it come with newer multiple antenna's?

The dlink utility does not work if AC is managing the card. Incidently, thanks for reminding me as I had forgotten to remove the dlink "airplus.exe" and "reg.exe" from startup as they were both loaded and wasting considerable memory.

As for the N card. I am also hoping that it will have better reception since I will eventually be upgrading my router to support "N". I figured if reception is better why not get it now and leave the dlink card at home. Wonder if I can order it now???

claudeo · #10 Post by **claudeo** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:43 am

As far as I can tell, Access Connections works only with the IBM/Lenovo hardware and even then only with specific drivers. It does not seem to be able to degrade gracefully when it does not find the hooks it seems to depend on.

#11 Post by **BillMorrow** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 4:22 am

save yourself a lot of trouble..

just get the atheros based mini-pci daughter card..
its so much better than the intel version..

dumb that intel forces makers to use the intel wifi card to qualify for "centrino" badge..
when if it were me i would avoid that intel wifi card if at all possible..

steveg47 · #12 Post by **steveg47** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:16 pm

BillMorrow wrote:just get the atheros based mini-pci daughter card..its so much better than the intel version..

Would you know the product number for the atheros based card?

I suspect that the new "N" card is also atheros based. You wouldn't by any chance have a product number for that as well???
tia

Jona · #13 Post by **Jona** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:52 am

BillMorrow wrote:save yourself a lot of trouble..

just get the atheros based mini-pci daughter card..
its so much better than the intel version..

dumb that intel forces makers to use the intel wifi card to qualify for "centrino" badge..
when if it were me i would avoid that intel wifi card if at all possible..

I know, but unfortunately I had no choice about the wireless card. Otherwise I would certainly have chosen the Atheros card.

On the other hand. I bought the Ubiquiti Cardbus card because it is a high power card with 300mW output. Plus I can connect a external antenna to boost the range even further. So it can do better than a internal card.

@steveg47

I searched the Lenovo site but couldn't find any productnumber of the N card. But it is a Atheros based card, according to the latest Tabook (check the widescreen T60).

Dual networkadapters possible?

Dual networkadapters possible?

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