Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN only "G", no "N"?

Message

Yahdie · #1 Post by **Yahdie** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 9:47 pm

Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN only "G", no "N" the type of security doesn't make a difference, nor the brand or model of router I'm connecting to.
I have tried changing all the settings, in Device Manager but nothing seems to make a difference.

Brad · #2 Post by **Brad** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 10:08 pm

Which routers have you tried?

I am connecting at 450Mbps with this same wireless card and a Linksys E4200 router.

Brad

kaede · #3 Post by **kaede** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 11:00 pm

its need support from both device. the wireless card and the router. make sure you have n router

Yahdie · #4 Post by **Yahdie** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:11 am

Thank you for responding so quickly!
I connect to mutiple routers at various customer sites, so it is definately my Wireless Card, however I just realized that I was using Windows update rather than Thinkvantage to find an updated driver!
I have updated to the Driver 10/18/2010 13.4.0.9 and will try it out today to see if that fixes it and will post results

#5 Post by **bill bolton** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:30 pm

Yahdie wrote:I connect to mutiple routers at various customer sites, so it is definately my Wireless Card....

Not if those routers don't support 5GHz band 802.11n WiFi operation! There's still a LOT of kit around that only (anti-socially) supports 802.11n in the 2.4GHz WiFi band

Cheers,

Bill B.

#6 Post by **Harryc** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:41 pm

Awhile back I was looking for a router solution that would handle any (current) wireless N adapters and Bill suggested a Linksys WRT610N. I can tell you that I have run every conceivable N adapter through this router with zero problems. The point being that (#1) Bill knows what he is talking about WRT wireless communications, #2 being that different adapters may require different signals. A dual band router can accommodate 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz, separately or together. Not all wireless N routers are dual band. Hands down this is the best router I have ever owned and I recommend it.

Daniel Bakker · #7 Post by **Daniel Bakker** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:02 pm

+1 for the 610N.

emtee3511 · #8 Post by **emtee3511** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:13 pm

re: Linksys WRT610N

I don't know if all wireless routers are 'modem-routers' -- but is this particular Linksys a 'modem-router' ?

I want to replace my single channel bgn modem router provided by my dsl provider with a dual channel -- currently the modem-router for my home network will only use N if there are no other G connections being used -- when it sees several of my older thinkpads with G, it reverts to only G -- I would like to see how a dual band would work on my home network --

#9 Post by **Harryc** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:22 pm

It isn't a DSL Modem/router, it's just a router. I think your choices are limiited with ISP provided DSL modem/routers. If I can make a suggestion, go with a DSL modem only and also get a good quality N router like the Linksys WRT610N, and connect the two together.

emtee3511 · #10 Post by **emtee3511** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 4:07 pm

I have my original Verizon DSL Modem from five years ago, before we went wireless and added the Modem-Router -- Do I connect the Linksys WRT610N to my Modem using the USB connection? Is a five year old modem 'outdated' and I would need a new DSL Modem also?

#11 Post by **Harryc** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 5:03 pm

A five year old modem may or may not be outdated, you'd have to contact your ISP to ask if they still support it. The connection would be via Ethernet cable between the router and the modem.

#12 Post by **bill bolton** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 5:31 pm

Daniel Bakker wrote:+1 for the 610N.

Cisco have revamped their Linksys router product line and given it a new number sequence.

The latest iteration of what wwas formerly the WRT-610N is now the E3000, and they have recently released a new "top of the line" dual band WIFi router that supports 3T3R operation in the 5GHz WiFi band.... this means that the newer Intel WiFi Cards (5300 and 6300) with 3T3R capability will be able to deliver higher than 300 Mbps raw link speed connections, as Brad has noted earlier in this thread.

I've bought an E4200, and its on its way to me in the Antipodes...... I'll have more to say about my experience with it in a week or two.

Cheers,

Bill B.

emtee3511 · #13 Post by **emtee3511** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 6:42 pm

Thanks very much for letting me 'tag onto' this thread -- all very good info -- now I have a little project to work on

(and a new Linksys Router to find)

Yahdie · #14 Post by **Yahdie** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:57 am

Thinkvantage Update latest driver installed but still only connects at 54mbps to "N" routers, doesnt matter what brand I connect to.
Any ideas?

Daniel Bakker · #15 Post by **Daniel Bakker** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:17 am

what are your wifi power settings? if it's set to low power N will be disabled.

Yahdie · #16 Post by **Yahdie** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:58 pm

At that location?
Maximum Performance under Access Connections>Location Profile>Wireless Settings>Advanced Configuration; is this the setting?
No "N", could it be hardware?

Daniel Bakker · #17 Post by **Daniel Bakker** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 6:04 am

and in power manager -> advanced settings -> wireless?

Yahdie · #18 Post by **Yahdie** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:23 am

I dont see a specific Wireless setting, however I have been running in Energy Star Mode which has a PCI Express Link State Power Management setting of "Maximum Power Saving" on battery and "Moderate Power Saving" on A/C.
I am usually on Battery Power at these sites (8-cell) as I tend not to be in one place for long.
Until your suggestion i never thought to adjust my power settings so I will try with the Maximum Performance Profile when I'm on site and post results.
Thank you for responding!

emtee3511 · #19 Post by **emtee3511** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:47 pm

bill bolton -- "I've bought an E4200, and its on its way to me in the Antipodes...... I'll have more to say about my experience with it in a week or two."

After following several Forum threads this past year, I decided a few months ago to go with my DSL provider's wireless n modem/router -- but I was not savy enough to realize Verizon offers only a single channel router which reverts to g because my older thinkpads don't have n -- so was a bit of wasted effort.

Now after reading this thread, I jumped off and got a dual band n router

-- I chose the Cisco/Linksys E4200, and used a $40 off Best Buy coupon I found on the net, along with some bonus credits from previous purchases -- What has kept me from doing this before now is not understanding how my home network works enough to be able to choose what I need -- I think I got it right this time --

I got assistance from Verizon to switch my modem/router to bridge mode (don't really understand what we did, but it now works 'like' a modem only.) I am happy with the performance improvement -- my wireless g thinkpads still run at 54mbps, which all my machines ran at before -- my wireless n thinkpads are now at 144mbps -- my ethernet connected thinkpad is running at 300mpbs --

So I have several questions for those of you who are familar with wireless router settings:

On my previous Verizon Westell bgn modem/router, I could see my entire home network by signing in with my user name and password at 192.168.1.1 -- I could also name various networked devices, and I think I remember I could tweak settings, but I don't remember that for sure -- I don't really understand the various settings except for WEP or WPA, SSID Name, Password, so I basically don't touch anything -- I was able to select the channel on the Westell router to avoid the most crowded channels in my neighborhood.

On the Cisco sign-in page at 192.168.1.1, I don't see my networked devices -- Is that just the way Cisco sets up their router page? I also don't see an option to select a specific channel -- Is that because the router will change channels dynamically to select the current least crowded channel?

I also notice on occasion the wireless thinkpad I am using shows a large drop in mpbs, from an average of 144 to maybe 74 or maybe lower than that. When that happens, I close the wireless connection and reconnect. When I reconnect, the mbps always goes back up to the 144. I'm not at my desk often enough to know if the 300mbps ethernet connection also occasionally drops -- I have only seen it at the 300mbps. Why does the wireless connection drop, and then why does it go back up after I disconnect/reconnect?

Are there settings I should be looking at on my new Cisco/Linksys for my home network?

#20 Post by **Harryc** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:13 pm

I've never seen the config pages on an E4200, sorry. Bill Bolton might be able to help when he gets his router. I'd be shocked if there weren't config options to change something as simple as a wireless channel though. Cisco usually arranges things in sections. So there might be a 'wireless' section in the configuration screens.

emtee3511 · #21 Post by **emtee3511** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 5:16 pm

Thanks Harry -- I went back and looked under the wireless status settings and found my local network -- it's just a different interface than the Verizon/Westell

#22 Post by **bill bolton** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:20 am

emtee3511 wrote:my wireless n thinkpads are now at 144mbps

(snip)

I don't really understand the various settings except for WEP or WPA, SSID Name, Password, so I basically don't touch anything

You definitely need to do some work there then.

To get maximum speed out of 802.11n while running a secure WiFi network) you MUST use WPA2 encryption, and with that you should use a strong "key" that is at least 16 characters long and includes letters and numbers.

emtee3511 wrote:On the Cisco sign-in page at 192.168.1.1, I don't see my networked devices -- Is that just the way Cisco sets up their router page?

Yes.

BTW, if you are running Windows 7 on your computers, you can see a network map from any of them.

emtee3511 wrote:I also don't see an option to select a specific channel -- Is that because the router will change channels dynamically to select the current least crowded channel?

There are settings for Channels on the "Wireless" Tab under "Basic Wireless Settings". The default is "Auto" but you can also manually select channels for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.

If you look on the "Status" tab under "Wireless Network" you can see what channels the Auto choice have selected.

There is a User Guide on the CD that came with the e4200, you should have a read of it.

Cheers,

Bill B.

#23 Post by **bill bolton** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:33 am

As you may have gathered from the message above, I've received the e4200 and have it up and running.

My T400 with Intel 5300 and three antennas can easily do 450 Mbps (raw link speed) for 10 metres or so from the router. My X200 with the same Intel card but only two antennas (it has a camera in the lid) will do 450 Mbps when within a few metres of the router but drops down to 270 Mps when further away.... but will hold that speed for further away from the e4200 than it did from the WRT600N.

There is still more testing to do, but I am very happy with the initial performance I am getting from the e4200.

Cheers,

Bill B.

emtee3511 · #24 Post by **emtee3511** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:27 am

Thank you bill bolton -- I thought my CD only had the "install" instructions -- going now to check what other info I can find on the CD