Need some help with T22 wifi options

[Noslen]

lets start with how pretty unknowledgeable i am with how wifi works.

I'm currently using http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/pro ... ProdID=229

with my T22, but having problem connecting with routers that are a little further away compared to other (newer) computers. The hawking card works perfectly at home, but when i'm at school it bearly works and alway discounts. Even at some of my friends' places i have problems connect while they are online (no limit access on routers)

I've been reading a couple of posts about getting an "internal wifi" "miniPCI" "antenna (that runs under the keyboard, away from metal" blah blah blah. and i don't have a clue what i need or what i can use. Honestly guy, i'm totally lost on this.

All i want is the best wireless connectivity to the web (where i can connect to any open wireless network without any problems and having a greater distance to connect would be nice ). (and if i can have it not stick out of the T22 it would be awesome) What are my options?

Thanks guys

[rkawakami]

Generally, if you try to install antennas into a T22 so that you can enjoy wireless connections without having anything "stick out the side" (the MiniPCI approach), you may not get the same range as a properly working PCMCIA wireless card. The reason being is that the T22's case is metal and that interferes with the wireless signals. The best position for the antennas is where the factory puts them; at the "top" corners of the lid. Problem is, the factory installation of the wireless antennas has small plastic windows in the side of the lid so that the signal can get out/in. The T22s did not come from the factory with built-in wireless; that started with the T23.

Assuming that you could get a T23 lid assembly with the antennas, you should be able to install that onto the T22 base. I think that is possible but don't quote me on it. Search the archives here and see if you can find somebody who has done this. In any event, here's some pros and cons about adapting your T22 with a MiniPCI wireless system:

Pros:

- Using a MiniPCI wireless card is a "cleaner" installation since there's nothing sticking out the PCMCIA slots
- You have both PCMCIA slots available for other uses

Cons (for the T22) and possible solutions:

- Some work is needed to tear down the system and install antennas under the keyboard bezel or swap lid assemblies
- Range may not be as good as a PCMCIA wireless card due to the antenna placement
- If your system already has the combo modem/ethernet MiniPCI card, you will lose those capabilities if you replace it with a wireless card (you could always use a PCMCIA modem and or ethernet adapter)
- There's no hacking needed when using PCMCIA wireless cards. Usually it's install the software drivers, plug in the card, configure the wireless settings and go.

Both MiniPCI wireless cards and antennas can be sourced from online stores, eBay or even here in the Marketplace forum. The Hardware Maintenance Manual gives you help in taking the system apart (and putting it back together).

[Noslen]

Thanks Rkawakami,

After reading ur comments, i'm deciding on getting a new PCMCIA that is a lot better than my old one.

So, whats the best PCMCIA on the market?
1)I'm looking to get a better connection with surrounding WIFI networks since i travel a lot.
2)also looking for a card that can provide a bigger connection radius

Thanks

[rkawakami]

Well, using Google, you can find some reviews of wireless cards from independent publications such as PC Magazine and PC World. Additional Googling seems to say that a 200 or 300mW output power card is about the most that you can get. However, local restrictions might make such a card illegal. As it appears that you are a neighbor, you may want to consult something like this:

http://www.comsoc.org/vancouver/srwc/Tam.pdf

Here's a couple of mfgs with high power cards:

Senao
Engenius
Ubiquiti

Note however, that some of these cards may require an external antenna for operation. In other words, in addition to possibly having the card stick out a little from your laptop, you will also have to connect (and carry around) a small whip antenna. Of course, putting out an enormous amount of power won't do anything for you if the access point you are trying to connect to is sending out a much weaker signal that you can't receive.

All-in-all, if you stick with a major-name brand card that has plenty of product support by the factory (check their web sites for the availability of driver, firmware and utility software downloads), you will probably enjoy a better connection. Some of the ones that I have personally used are: Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, Broadcom.

P.S. If you can update your site profile with your location (city/state) it would be greatly appreciated.

[Purcy]

Hi Noslen, welcome to the Community. I occassionally use a notebook adapter card too, it is this one: WPC-11

and here is the page with all the newer notebook cards, you would probably want a "g" range adapter, a lot of public wifi is now on 802.11g:

Scroll down to Adapters

[Noslen]

Hi Noslen, welcome to the Community. I occassionally use a notebook adapter card too, it is this one: WPC-11

and here is the page with all the newer notebook cards, you would probably want a "g" range adapter, a lot of public wifi is now on 802.11g:

Scroll down to Adapters

Thanks, but will there be a really big difference on quality of signal and connection between the new cards and my old Hawking (above)?

Thanks

[rkawakami]

Possibly. However, before you go out and spend some money, make sure that you have the latest drivers or updates for your card. I believe your earlier link pointed to a HWC54G card. On the right side of that page, under the Support Links heading, click on the "Product Support Page". That will lead you to a way of determining exactly which version you have. Find yours and click the associated "click here for support" link. On that specific page for your version of the HWC54G wireless card, near the bottom, will be the heading "DRIVERS". Click the green arrow for whichever operating system you are using. That should begin downloading a file. Save that file on your computer, open it when it's finished downloading and follow any included instructions.

(Wow... I just tried one of the driver packages and it was almost 16MB. Hope you have a high-speed connection! Included in the .ZIP file is Adobe Acrobat 5.1 - an old version, a couple of manuals, a utility program, and of course, the driver file. Since it's a .ZIP file you will have to uncompress it into a new folder and then run the setup.exe program.)

This might improve your connection. If the card is a couple of years old, you may be using an outdated driver. Or you could have something wrong with your card. If it was me and I believe that the card is under-performing, I'd buy a different one (another manufacturer) and see if that makes an improvement.

[iamdmc]

If you're interested, I could sell you a T23 lid with Antennas. I'm parting out my T23. Email me at DCOTFAS at UALBERTA dot CA if you're interested.