Thinkpads Forum

What's the best internal wifi card for the T410?

That might depend on what you consider "best". Are we talking range / transmit power, power consumption, bandwidth, driver/utility features? Are you more concerned about being able to connect to a variety of public WiFi access points (AP) or do you mainly use the system(s) at home? If so, what AP do you have? I'd say it's a given that you're looking for a reliable WiFi card that can handle any of today's latest encryption technologies (WPA2-AES or WPA2-TKIP) using the latest 802.11 standards (n or ac).

So far I haven't changed any of my own T410 systems, which I'm assuming still have the standard Centrino Advanced-N 6200 cards. I haven't noticed any connection problems with them possibly because I am still using an old WRT54G at home and a personal T-Mobile or Sprint hotspot when I'm out and about. The home wireless system may change now that I've got Comcast service at 20Mbps average downloads. Before, I was limited by my 1.2Mbps DSL connection so I didn't feel the need to have the "fastest" wireless stuff out there. I also rarely transmit large files between laptops using wireless. But with the family streaming more Netflix using a wireless Wii (with plans to replace it with a T410 or T420), I probably should upgrade the AP.

Fair enough.

Both my T410 and the one you sold my friend randomly disconnect from the wifi at a client site.

Their firewall is a SonicWall NSA200 with 5 SonicPoints attached. It's so bad we both use the ethernet.

So we are looking for a more compatible solution.

I don't have any experience with the Sonicwall systems but looking around online I see that some people have been complaining about the same issue of dropped connections. If both your T410 systems work fine on other WiFi systems, then that would seem to point to the Sonicwall hardware being the problem. Since you most likely could not tell your client to switch their hardware, the only suggestion I have would be to obtain Sonicwall wireless adapters and see if that cures the connect issues. One would think that equipment made by the same manufacturer would have the best chance at maintaining a solid connection.

Which brings up this question: What does the client use for wireless adapters in their laptops?

The client uses laptops from Dell, Lenovo, and various mobile devices such as iphones, ipads, and android tablets. Only the lenovo users are reporting issues. However the client only purchases Dell's so those people with Lenovo's are technically using "unauthorized" devices. No one says anything because if someone brings in their own ipad or laptop, then my client doesn't have to issue one to them. We still have to check the devices and lock them down, install ESET, bind to the domain, etc.

Some suggestions which you could try one-at-a-time that may or may not help:

- Ensure that the wireless card Power Management setting for "allow the computer to turn off the device to save power" is disabled
- Remove Access Connections, install the latest generic Intel driver https://downloadcenter.intel.com/search ... N+6200+AGN
- Try letting Windows handle the wireless card; alternately, use whatever Intel provides

rkawakami wrote:Some suggestions which you could try one-at-a-time that may or may not help:

- Ensure that the wireless card Power Management setting for "allow the computer to turn off the device to save power" is disabled
- Remove Access Connections, install the latest generic Intel driver https://downloadcenter.intel.com/search ... N+6200+AGN
- Try letting Windows handle the wireless card; alternately, use whatever Intel provides

Already done all of those.

I never install any management software beyond what Windows comes with. No Access Connections, no Intel Network Manager, etc. Just Windows.

Were getting a shiny new facility wide WIFI network installed as part of a larger project in the next couple of weeks.

Until then, we all just plug in the ethernet cable if we need network access.

I don't really use my laptop at this particular site all that often. My workstation can remote into anything on the network and has a 24" monitor. So my T410 stays in it's bag. A very nice Dell bag I might add. Got it from another client.

Hi there,

I swapped my wifi-card for the same reasons for a *newish one. Everything's working fine now.
Here is the link http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=116413 to the other post.

Maybe that helps

Best,
C