Wireless antenna retrofit?

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rodgermcliff · #1 Post by **rodgermcliff** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 10:34 am

I am having problems with my 3Com x-jack antenna wireless card (again) and am looking into other cards. The problem is that all other cards that I see have the huge antenna sticking out the side. (None of these cards even seem to even have a removeable antenna that put the card to "sleep" when the antenna is removed, similar to the xjack antenna.) This means that to protect the card, antenna, and PCMCIA slot, I have to remove the card each time I put the laptop away. I am also disappointed with the xjack lesser range and sensitivity.

I was wondering if anyone had ever thought about putting an antenna inside the display lid like the newer thinkpads. I hear that these antenna are much more sensitive also. There are many issues:

- Card form - PCMCIA. This is the easiest style to integrate (just plug it in) but the antenna connection still has to be made at the outside edge of the card. A low-profile right angle connection would minimize the concern about damage when the laptop is stowed but not eliminate it.

- Card form - other. The obvious choice seems to be PCMCIA but I was wondering how hard it would be rig a mini-PCI card inside. I haven't been inside this laptop (770X) to know if there is even room for a small card like that. Windows thinks that there is a PCI bus inside (drivers install); not sure if it can be accessed. Any thoughts?

- Antenna routing. I think there is enough room to run a wire in the lid and run it "through" the hinge with the other wire harness.

- Antenna tuning. This would probably have to be trial and error (software/hardware suggestion?)

Any other thoughts (other than " you are nuts!"... already know that)

Rodger

sktn77a · #2 Post by **sktn77a** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 10:56 am

What model 3-Com wireless card do you have? The X-jack antennas produce a weaker signal than regular external antenna cards and the 62092A was a driver/installation disaster!

rodgermcliff · #3 Post by **rodgermcliff** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 11:17 am

Luckily, I at least have the "B" model. I did a little research and found out to stay away from the "A" model. I knew that the sensitivity was less with the X-jack antenna before buying it.

The big reason for me was the antenna not sticking out. (I damaged the USB connector on my other 770 [plain, no X/Z/E] because the connector was sticking out. I use a Xircom NIC when not wireless... seeing the pattern here?) The truth is that if I cannot find any acceptable alternatives, I will probably buy another Xjack card (G version) just for this very reason. (I can't afford to buy a new laptop with integrated wireless right now.)

JHEM · #4 Post by **JHEM** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 1:06 pm

sktn77a wrote:What model 3-Com wireless card do you have? The X-jack antennas produce a weaker signal than regular external antenna cards

That, simply put, isn't true. Or at least it hasn't been my experience.

I have a 1/2 dozen of the 3COM X-Jack Wifi NICs in both 802.11b as well as 802.11a/b/g. They all perform quite well.

Regards,

James

JHEM · #5 Post by **JHEM** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 1:14 pm

Rodger,

rodgermcliff wrote:I am having problems with my 3Com x-jack antenna wireless card (again)

Exactly what kind of problems are you having with the X-Jack card?

Regards,

James

sktn77a · #6 Post by **sktn77a** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 3:02 pm

James:

I calls 'em as I sees 'em. The 62092A has MUCH less signal strength than my Belkin PCMCIA card, my IBM/Intel 802.11b or my IBM a/b/g mini PCI cards. The Microsoft driver in XP doesn't work but insists on installing itself without the option not to, the hardware must be updated to work properly, it refuses to work with hidden SSIDs (all of these are well known problems with the 69029A)......... I could go on! Most of the hardware/driver problems were resolved with the 62092B card but the reception quality wasn't.

Like I say, I calls 'em as I sees 'em!

Keith

rodgermcliff · #7 Post by **rodgermcliff** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 10:44 pm

JHEM wrote:
sktn77a wrote:What model 3-Com wireless card do you have? The X-jack antennas produce a weaker signal than regular external antenna cards
That, simply put, isn't true. Or at least it hasn't been my experience.

I have a 1/2 dozen of the 3COM X-Jack Wifi NICs in both 802.11b as well as 802.11a/b/g. They all perform quite well.

Several PC magazines and at least one online source confirmed that the xjack antenna cards were not as sensitive as their 3Com regular antenna counterparts. It is a small difference but not trivial in many real world situations.

I can confirm that my card was not as sensitive as a Microsoft "b" card that I had for a week.

All of this is a moot point if your main concern is the same as mine (see other post) and you need an add-on wireless capability.

cmeilahn · #8 Post by **cmeilahn** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 9:00 am

My personal wireless card is the Proxim Gold 802.11a/b/g because of its superior capabilities. The downside is that it doesn't have an external antenna connector like to Orinoco did.

As for fitting in the laptop case, I have a 770ed with an IBM case. The Card fits just right around the padding, if I put the screen in "first." So, I don't have a problem with it fitting in my laptop case.

Speaking from experience, regarding signal send/recieve strength, I have tried the following in my 770ed and other laptops (IBM, Dell, Toshiba & Gateway). They are listed from worst to best overall reception/sensitivity:

3-COM X-Jack (802.11b)
D-Link USB key (802.11b)
D-Link PCMCIA (802.11a/b/g)
D-Link PCI - for a desktop (802.11a/b/g)
IBM's built-in mini-pci wireless nic (Cisco, I think - 802.11b)
Linksys (802.11b)
Orinoco Gold (802.11b)
Proxim Gold (802.11a/b/g)

I tested them using the following:

D-Link a/b/g access point
Linksys 802.11b access point
Linksys 802.11b broadband router
Microsoft's b access point
Netgear 802.11b route/access point
Cisco 802.11b access point

In general, Brand-to-Brand communication was always best.

They were tested on both WinXP and Win2000 configurations.

They were tested both with and without WEP (both 56/64 and 112/128 bit).

All this testing was done over a 6 month period at my previous job, before Cisco bought Linksys, to determine the viability of wireless in our infrastructure. Testing included monitoring signal strength & reception throughout a manufacturing facility with lots of residual interference, including another 2.4GHz wireless networking technology called OpenAir. The end result is that we now buy IBM laptops with built-in wireless capability (802.11b) and have a few access points available for conference rooms and the "sales" area. All are secured with 128bit WEP (better than nothing). Normally, the salesmen just plug into port replicators and connect to the LAN... it's faster and more secure. The IT staff have OpenAir NIC's for troubleshooting and network connectivity within the plant itself. For reference, OpenAir is about 1.5mbits vs. max of 11mbits for 802.11b.

rodgermcliff · #9 Post by **rodgermcliff** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 12:04 pm

Before I try to steer this thread back to the original topic, let me ask some questions:

Should I been concerned about the typical wireless PCMCIA antenna sticking out of the laptop?

Any horror stories of the antenna/card damaging the PCMCIA bay in common usage (other than just dropping the laptop and landing on the antenna/card)?

Rodger

rodgermcliff · #10 Post by **rodgermcliff** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:19 pm

Ok... back to the original topic...

- Anyone know where I can get a dead IBM min-PCI wireless 802.11b card (for form factor and physical layout... should be a mini-PCI Type III or IIIa but there is some variablity)?

- Anyone have a copy of the mini-PCI spec that I can peek at? (not ready to shell out almost $500) I really need pin-out and signal information.

- Anyone heard of a mini-pci to PCMCIA/cardbus adapter?

- Anyone know or can measure the exact dimensions of one of the newer Thinkpad internal antennas (just for a reference).

I found a source for the mini-PCI connectors... may also be the same as the SODIMM (RAM) connector (or close enough).

Rodger

#11 Post by **carbon_unit** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 6:31 pm

Here is another possibility.
This card has no built in antenna but has two antenna jacks on the end of the card where the antenna usually is
The card should be flush when inserted into the pcmcia jack . Maybe you could plug an antenna into it with very little sticking out the side.

(Disclaimer) I know nothing of the guy selling that card, I just used it as an example to show a pic of the card. Buy at your own risk!

rodgermcliff · #12 Post by **rodgermcliff** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 10:49 pm

This was my first thought (see original post). I will look into this card (it looks a little pricey for no antenna... but maybe not... not familiar with this card.)

Thanks.

#13 Post by **carbon_unit** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 5:44 am

Cisco aironet 350 series cards are very high quality equipment, NOT cheap consumer grade stuff.
It is what my wireless ISP uses. It has been up and running 24/7/365 here for 2 1/2 years and never dropped a signal.

JHEM · #14 Post by **JHEM** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 9:33 pm

Keith,

sktn77a wrote:I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

Please don't think that I don't hold your opinion in high regard, but the 3COM cards have been working well for me here at home as well as on the road accessing WAPs in hotels, airports, clients and the Verizon public WAPs in Manhattan.

The performance of the 3COM cards would have to degrade to near zero before I'd want to give up the convenience of the X-Jack antenna.

Of course this is almost moot as I now primarily depend on the internal antennae of my T40.

Regards,

James

JHEM · #15 Post by **JHEM** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 9:38 pm

cmeilahn wrote:The downside is that it doesn't have an external antenna connector like to Orinoco did.

I will admit to frequently falling back on using my venerable Orinoco gold and Pringle's can antenna when doing a bit of WAR driving (or flying!).

Thanks for sharing your test experiences, it is a very interesting and complete report.

Regards,

James

sktn77a · #16 Post by **sktn77a** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 10:07 pm

James: I agree about the convenience of the xjack antenna. There's really nothing else like it out there (same with the older ethernet cards, too). Just wish I'd had better luck with connections/performance!

Roger: I've never damaged anything poking out of the PCMCIA slot but I just didn't feel good having something sticking out like that. That's why I went to the Xjack (I had an Xjack 10/100 ethernet card in the slot right underneath it - very slick looking combo in my old 600E).

Hanover Brisco · #17 Post by **Hanover Brisco** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:04 am

Posted this question about a 3COM X-Jack "62092B" WiFi Card I am using in my T21 on the Thinkpad Mailing List Org, so thought I would try to get an answer here as well.

With this particular card, the x-jack antenna retracts and "clicks" into the PC card only in vertical positions. It can be pushed in but won't stay retracted in a flat horizontal position such as when inserted into the side of my T21 on my desk when in use. But it will stay pushed in at the off position when the notebook is picked up and both the Thinkpad and card is held in a vertical position with card left, right, pointing up or down. Is this normal and to facilitiate turning off the card as one is putting it away into a case or do I have a bad card?

Thanks in advance!

rodgermcliff · #18 Post by **rodgermcliff** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:09 am

Hanover Brisco wrote:With this particular card, the x-jack antenna retracts and "clicks" into the PC card only in vertical positions... Is this normal and to facilitiate turning off the card as one is putting it away into a case or do I have a bad card?

I am not saying that you don't have a bad card, but mine does that too most of the time. I just learned to live with it.

Rodger

JHEM · #19 Post by **JHEM** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 9:44 am

Hanover Brisco wrote:Is this normal and to facilitiate turning off the card as one is putting it away into a case or do I have a bad card?

It's not "normal", but neither is it uncommon. Several of my 3COM cards do this (only the 11b cards BTW) and I've just learned to live with it.

Regards,

James

Hanover Brisco · #20 Post by **Hanover Brisco** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 10:56 am

Appreciate the speedy replies and the confirmation that this is not that abnormal a finding.

Best

Hanover

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