Thinkpads Forum

My Thinkpad T61 has the 11a/b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express Adapter, basically what is the main difference/reason to get an Intel or Atheros Mini PCI Wi-Fi Card?

Does it have more reception?

Does it download faster when interfacing with other wireless devices? (At home, my brother who uses a MBP when he's downloading and so am I, I get really lousy download speeds, I don't know if it has to do with the router or the WiFi Card on itself).

Can I use a 'old' Intel 2100bg on my T61? Does the machine gives you BIOS errors when using a 'non Lenovo' wifi card?

The Atheros-based cards have a better reception than the Intel-based cards, meaning you can also go further away from the transmitter/WAP/router and still have a decent signal.

There is an Intel 2100b card, and a 2200bg. Both these cards are NOT PCIexpress, so will NOT work in your T61.
Using non-approved cards will give you a BIOS error, but if you go to this T6x BIOS thread http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=55837 you'll find you can get a modified BIOS from Zender, that will let you use any PCIe wifi card.

Were you looking to upgrade to wireless N?

The whole wifi thing raises questions for me too. You apparently have 4 antennas, right?
I've read on this forum that you can't have wireless N and WWAN at the same time because they go in the same place. But I also read that you can have the option to have WWAN under the keyboard, or have an antenna stuck to the side of the LCD(or both for certain cards).
With the wireless N, you need 3 antennas and with the WWAN you can use just 1 if you chose a card that only needs 1 antenna.(MC8775 I think).
Now some people have used an antenna from a WWAN to get N speeds. That would leave 1 antenna left?

1) So why can't that antenna be used for WWAN?

2) If they are in the same place, could you use a different location on the laptop?(above already installed LCD antenna or opposite side of LCD)

I'm obviously missing something, but I just don't know what......

I've found no measurable difference between the Intel and Atheros cards. Theoretically, some Atheros cards could do 108Mbps but IBM modified the a/b/g cards to give only 54Mbps.

Interestingly, my twoT61p computers with ABGN cards perform measurably worse than my old T4x computers with the Intel 2200bg and atheros 11a/b/g cards.