Need to boost my wireless signal, with mini PCI card

[Sidracks]

Folks,
I have installed a 50 Mbps connection here but I am only getting slower speeds with my notebooks.

Sony Vaio VGN-NR-230AE (which uses Win 7) and VGN-A270P (really old).

People said they are using wi-fi B/G. I can only reach max 15 Mbps and slower testing with Speedtest.net

I tried to find more about their specs, but couldn't find so far.

I am planning to use Comtrend CT-5372 (I use VDSL2) in bridge mode and TP-Link TL-WR1043ND which uses 802.11n up to 300 Mbps. However, that will only boost a little my notebooks speed.

I need to replace the mini PCI card they use.

People also recommended me this card:

***********
TP-LINK TL-WN861N Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g/n 32-bit Mini PCI Up to 300Mbps Wireless Data Rates 64/128/152 bit WEP, WPA/WPA2/WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK,Wireless MAC Filtering, WPS

Standards:
IEEE 802.11b/g/n

Wireless Data Rates:
Up to 300Mbps

Security:
64/128/152 bit WEP, WPA/WPA2/WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK,Wireless MAC Filtering, WPS

WPA/WPA2:
WPA2

Frequency Band:
2.4GHz - 2.4835GHz

Modulation:
DBPSK, DQPSK, CCK, OFDM, 16-QAM, 64-QAM

Transmitted Power:
<20dBm(EIRP)

System Requirements:
Windows 7(32/64bits), Windows Vista(32/64bits), Windows XP(32/64bits), Windows 2000

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&amp;Tpk=TL-WN861N
************

Will I be able to open those notebooks and replace the current wireless card they are using for that one?

A man said notebooks aren't using mini PCI cards for quite some time, but PCI-Express. But I couldn't find so far one here. Will that card (TP-LINK TL-WN861N) solve all my problems or you do not recommend I buy?

And more importantly, will those notebooks accept/fit this card?

 

[Zap]

Hello Sidracks, and welcome to AnandTech Forums.

For upgrading WiFi, you need to make sure you have the proper card for the slot, as well as the proper antennas. Most N wireless adapters need at least two antennas and some three. If your notebook has only one antenna, then you probably won't see any benefit. Also, there is mini PCI, mini PCI-Express and USB (using physical mini PCI-Express). Finally, some notebooks hard code support into the BIOS for a particular card (to support things like disabling through a key combo), making it difficult to upgrade.

How far away are you from your wireless router? You can try upgrading the antennas on it (if detachable) to a higher gain model. You can also see if there are any sources of interference. It may be as simple as changing your wireless channel if, for instance, you and all your neighbors are on a default channel 6. If you don't do anything important online, you can try disabling any and all encryption (WEP/WPA) and just allowing your MAC addresses. Not really recommended, but can speed up the connection. You can also try moving the router. Sometimes just doing something simple as setting it on a higher shelf can improve the signal. Sometimes disabling modes can speed things up, so if your router allows you to specify "G only" and you only have G devices, you can try that.

Note that they way wireless is marketed means your throughput will never be higher than half the advertised speed, and that only with a PERFECT signal. For instance, 54g will never get more than 27Mbps. They get the higher number by adding upstream and downstream. If it were marketed the same way, gigabit Ethernet would be 2000Mbps.

You can also opt to use a USB adapter. There are "nano" adapters that barely stick out of the USB port that offer N-150 speeds (max 75Mbps). EXAMPLE Note that of course your wireless router needs to support N to be of any benefit.

 

[Sidracks]

Hello Sidracks, and welcome to AnandTech Forums.

For upgrading WiFi, you need to make sure you have the proper card for the slot, as well as the proper antennas. Most N wireless adapters need at least two antennas and some three. If your notebook has only one antenna, then you probably won't see any benefit. Also, there is mini PCI, mini PCI-Express and USB (using physical mini PCI-Express). Finally, some notebooks hard code support into the BIOS for a particular card (to support things like disabling through a key combo), making it difficult to upgrade.

Hi there!

The problem I am having is to find out if my notebook will accept this exchange for the TP-LINK TL-WN861N mini-PCI card.

I looked into the specs for the newer notebook model, Sony Vaio VGN-NR-230AE, which I have uploaded here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?5963pyfe53l28ij
http://www.mediafire.com/?37taemuo51luvmt

And it seems this notebook already accepts 802.11n technology, not only G.

It says (please look into both files) that it reaches up to 144 Mbps. But I believe the N technology was improved over the years, maybe this wireless card already built in the laptop is not good enough?

This card I am looking for to buy says it reaches up to 300 Mbps. I am also buying a wi-fi router called TP-Link - TL-WN861N which also supports N and up to 300 Mbps.

So in theory, even if this new router can't give me more speed in this notebook, this card will.

But how do I know (and that is the issue here) if this notebook can accept this exchange? And the other one (Sony Vaio A270P)? Is there a way to tell right now or do we need to open and check it?

You mentioned PCI-Express but I couldn't find any models (with N support) in my area. Will I have any major difference in results?

And about the USB wireless adapter, I always heard that USB devices cannot reach the same max speeds when compared to hardware cards. From what I heard (don't know if it's true, but judging from the awful speeds I had with a PC desktop distant from my router, slower than notebooks in the same area, I'd say there's some truth to that), they always had worse results when compared.

Another question, if you do know anything about that, please say something: what happens if I am using two wireless phones and a third phone with wires in my place?

Someone recommended me to use a single wireless phone with the possibility to have extended devices (but not connecting the phone line cable to them, only charge them and use it) with the technology DECT 6.0.

It seems this DECT 6.0 can help not interfering in the internet wireless signal. But I must say I tested with all phones disconnected and nothing changed in terms of speed.

This is the result I am getting with a VDSL2 connection, 50 Mbps, using Comtrend CT-5372.

 

[Zap]

I do not know whether your notebook can take the card. Like I said, it is a matter of interface and antennas. Mini PCI versue Mini PCIe doesn't matter for wireless performance. It is just the interface.

The "problem" with those USB WiFi dongles is a matter of antenna placement. The antenna is inside the dongle. A notebook will be on a desk, while a tower computer may be on the floor.

DECT 6.0 phones supposedly don't interfere, but that's all I know about them.

What kind of distance are you trying to go? If you are going across a whole building and through a number of walls, there may not be much you can do. If your system stays in one place, you may want to consider using powerline Ethernet adapters.

Alternately bite the bullet and get an electrician or phone wiring guy to run CAT5 throughout your house, and just plug in to the nearest jack. Sometimes that's the only solution.

 

[Sidracks]

For the record, I have tested the TP-Link WR1043ND (Comtrend with wireless disabled and in bridge mode) and the results were even worse than Comtrend CT 5372. From 15 Mbps the speeds I got 10 Mbps and slower!

TP-Link is already configured to 11bgn mixed, 20 Mhz channel width and Max Tx Rate - 130 Mbps. But I couldn't achieve better results with those notebooks even changing to 11g/11b modes only.

Guess I will just have to buy this mini PCI card. And distance is not a factor, since I have tested in many ways this thing...

Update: I noticed Windows Update had something new for my notebook network card. Also, another user recommended me those settings:

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x454/fritzen/wifisett.png

I updated my driver and tried those settings, and speeds improved!

Let's see what I can achieve with a mini PCI card...

I also noticed the new notebook has PCI-E...

Maybe that's a hint it won't accept PCI?

This is the speed I was receiving before installing TP-LINK, with Comtrend alone:

But the difference now is negligible, I would say it's the same at least.

 

[Emulex]

my usb sticks sustains (300mbps) 16.5 megabytes/second - a router in client bridge mode (62$ 300, $84 450) plugs into your ethernet jack - gets 16.5MB/s in 300 and 23-25MB/s in 450 mode (2.4ghz) - thats 250megabit - enough to keep up with that SSD or raid-0 of two hard drives. i like client bridge - no card that crashes pc or heats up or inteference, distance of ethernet for best positioning. directional antennas (buffalo airstation) - .8 to 1 watt output - 5 ports so you can plug many devices in - no b/s authentication (hardcoded into router) - solid reliable since it's not routing just bridging- safe for use with server (many pci cards will cause instability in 2008R2) - just sayin'