Looks like lots of wireless cards can go in a Dell D830

[sonoferu]

My wife's Dell Latitude D830 has a wireless card. In Device Manager it says

Dell 1395 WLAN MiniCard

Looking around on the web, I see lots of different looking cards that say they are compatible with the D830. I found only a few that were actually 1395's.

Does it matter much which one I choose? I did see that some had 3 little antenna connectors, some had 2. The one picture I saw of the 1395 has 2.

Do I need to get a 2-connector card? Do I look for the latest model number? Do any of them have a higher performance?

any advice, thanks

 

[Emulex]

you can hack the rom to allow any to fit - just make sure you have the right # of antennas.

you need more antennas for 802.11n to mimo (1 2.4 antenna=150, 2 = 300, 3=450, 4=600), then if you have 5ghz you'll need likewise as many antennas for that band as well. some laptops gimp and do 1 2.4 and 2 5ghz - some do 3 2.4ghz .

just remember (n):
150mbps max = 1 antenna
300mbps max = 2 antenna
450 = 3
600 = 4 (haven't seen this but it exists!)

 

[sonoferu]

I havent gone in to see how many antennas there are in mine. I know how to get in there, I've been inside before, it's just a bit of a job and I would rather do it once. If the picture of the 1395 model I see on the web is 2-pins



then it's safe to say I have 2 antennas?

In other words various different D830's came out of the factory with one type or another, I just better stick with what I have?

thanks

 

[imagoon]

I havent gone in to see how many antennas there are in mine. I know how to get in there, I've been inside before, it's just a bit of a job and I would rather do it once. If the picture of the 1395 model I see on the web is 2-pins



then it's safe to say I have 2 antennas?

In other words various different D830's came out of the factory with one type or another, I just better stick with what I have?

thanks

It is a single screw to get to the wireless module on those... I believe there are 3 (wifi) antennas stock in the chassis. There is a 4th for bluetooth. They don't install the antennas based on the card either, they put all 3 in and only connect the ones that are needed for the card.

 

[sonoferu]

got it. All D830's come with 3 antennae, and then either kind of card can go in.

Another rookie question then? Is the 3-type better than the 2-type? Or is there any other specification that makes one card better than another? From emulex's formulas, more antennae means higher rate?