Which Atheros card to buy and where

[rmendoza]

Hey guys,

I currently have a T60 with Intel 3495. It actually works ok, but it does drop the connection now and then, and I need to reset it for it to pick up the signal again.

In any event, I thought I would try an Atheros card, since a lot of users here say it's better and more stable. So, which model card would you recommend and where should I buy it?

Thanks for your input.

[brentpresley]

I HIGHLY recommend getting a card from bonistic (a trusted TP.com member).

Here is his current FS thread:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=42696

Keep in mind that if you get the ABGN adapter, you will need to fnid a third antenna for it (and currently I know of no one that has them but IBM/Lenovo).

[Tholek]

In this case the third antenna is a different type and must be from Lenovo?

[sb37]

If you have a 7200 processor, there's a good chance it's new enough that you have the 3rd antenna already in there already - i know mine does, purchased in February. You should check the hardware manual to see.

[stephanpark]

Hiya sb37,
How did you find out if you had a third antenna? I've been eying that card for a bit but hadn't found much as of my last post asside from the LENOVO part number for it. But you say the 7200 systems have this? I have a T60p 7200 2613CTO, how can I check without voiding warranty?

Much bilged suh,

Here is the thread where I put my research on 15" LCD for T60 http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

[XIII]

I would not touch the Atheros wireless card. You can try solving your problem by updating drivers, installing access connection.
The Intel card, despite having problem, is part of the Centrino platform which benefits from better power management and saving than the Atheros card. Hence, you will have better battery life if you keep the Intel card.

[spotter]

if you can't find a part from a local member, you can generally buy these form IBM/Lenovo directly

this url lets your purchase individual parts

http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/store ... logId=-840

FRU 39T5578 (The ABG card) is $52.79 from them.

[brentpresley]

In this case the third antenna is a different type and must be from Lenovo?

Yes. To get an antenna of the proper length and so it will fit in the LCD housing, you MUST get the Lenovo part.

[brentpresley]

I would not touch the Atheros wireless card. You can try solving your problem by updating drivers, installing access connection.
The Intel card, despite having problem, is part of the Centrino platform which benefits from better power management and saving than the Atheros card. Hence, you will have better battery life if you keep the Intel card.

I can't disagree MORE.

Centrino is 99.9% pure marking. Yes, there are some power benefits to the Intel card, but compared to how much juice RAM and CPUs and HDs take up (and I won't even get into LCD panels), the difference in battery life on a 9-cell battery is MAYBE 5-8 minutes.

That 5-8 minutes is easily worth it for me just to have a better signal.

[kay.one]

I would not touch the Atheros wireless card. You can try solving your problem by updating drivers, installing access connection.
The Intel card, despite having problem, is part of the Centrino platform which benefits from better power management and saving than the Atheros card. Hence, you will have better battery life if you keep the Intel card.

[sb37]

stephanpark -- i'm pretty sure it was in the hardware maintenance manual, might take some digging. however, i have the same model as you (t60p 2613-CTO), 15" FlexView, so chances are you're good to go. When did you purchase it?

[shalliday]

I purchased my 15" T60p 2613CTO 7600 2.33 Ghz in February and it definately did not come with the third antenna installed. I ended up installing one in April when the screen was upgraded to a UXGA 1600x1200.

[rmendoza]

thanks to everyone for their input.

I believe I discovered what was causing the dropped signal. I had some problems because I installed Easy Media Creator 9, which was advertised as Vista compatible. Needles to say, it's not: it broke down WMP11, it gave me a couple of bluescreens, and it was a hassle in general.

I finally uninstalled it, and have not had any problems with the wifi signal since. How is EMC9 related to this? I have absolutely no idea, but somehow the uninstall of it and the improved signal stability seem related. Also, WMP11 is back to normal.

So, for the time being, I will stick with the Intel card, unless I have more problems. Thanks again for your advice, it was very informative.

[redburgundy]

I would not touch the Atheros wireless card. You can try solving your problem by updating drivers, installing access connection.
The Intel card, despite having problem, is part of the Centrino platform which benefits from better power management and saving than the Atheros card. Hence, you will have better battery life if you keep the Intel card.

It is well known that Intel's power management scheme causes dropped connections.

[tebore]

Based on my old laptop Intel was terrible at maintaining a solid connection unless you were really close to the AP. It has no power saving advantage over Atheros, actually used more power and because it drops connections it spent a lot of power and time scanning.

My atheros on the other hand found a connection fast and held it and since it was able to hold it easily it could use a lower power state.