Ready to pull trigger on Vostro 1500 but need some help with wireless

[bupkus]

Ready to pull trigger on Vostro 1500 but need some help with wireless

Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Wi-Fi Mini Card [add $29]
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Wi-Fi Mini Card [Included in Price]
Dell Wireless 1490 802.11a/g Wi-Fi Mini Card [add $10]
Intel 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-card [add $79]
Dell Wireless 1505 Wireless-N Mini-card [add $49] Dell Recommended

What's the diff?
I mean, I know what a/g/n is, but what I'm asking is which is best to buy?
Which will give me best connectivity when I go out for coffee or simply wardriving? (kidding)

Thanks

 

[VinDSL]

HERE YOU GO

Personally, I'd go with the included 1390, and call it a day!

 

[TheStu]

If you want to relatively 'future-proof' your machine, or at least keep it as current as possible, then you should get one of the 2 n wireless options. The speed is something like 5-6 times that of g, and is backwards compatible with it, so there is no penalty.

 

[bupkus]

Originally posted by: TheStu
If you want to relatively 'future-proof' your machine, or at least keep it as current as possible, then you should get one of the 2 n wireless options. The speed is something like 5-6 times that of g, and is backwards compatible with it, so there is no penalty.

Which of those options would you recommend?

 

[TheStu]

I know that it is $30 more, but I would go for the Intel wireless card since that is more than likely designed to be part of Centrino and therefore you might see slightly better performance and battery life out of it. Definitely do not quote me on that, I bought a Mac which means I had incredibly limited customization options (RAM, HDD) and therefore didn't have to do as much research into it.

I think you will be ok with either option, but as I said, I would go for the Intel one.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: TheStu
If you want to relatively 'future-proof' your machine, or at least keep it as current as possible, then you should get one of the 2 n wireless options. The speed is something like 5-6 times that of g, and is backwards compatible with it, so there is no penalty.

LoL!

This guy is basically buying a Honda Civic (Dell Vostro)...

The highways in this area have a speed limit of 65 MPH (802.11g)...

If they raised the limit to 390 MPH (Wireless-N) he'd still be stuck driving 65 MPH to the coffee shop!

That's Wireless-N for ya... smoke n' mirrors!

Save your money...

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: bupkus
I mean, I know what a/g/n is, but what I'm asking is which is best to buy?
Which will give me best connectivity when I go out for coffee or simply wardriving? (kidding).

Look, I go all over the country with my lappy, and I can guarantee you...

You'll be lucky to see 2 Mbps in public places - coffee shops, airports, hotel rooms, and so forth and so on!

54 Mbps (itself) is a fantasy - 270 Mbps is simply sucker bait! Don't fall for the hype...

 

[bupkus]

I'm much more interested in range than I am speed.

 

[VinDSL]

Well, that's all dependent on the environment...

Let's say I'm in a hotel room on the 8th floor. I can pick up signals from a couple of miles away.

However, if I'm in a meeting room in the center of the 8th floor, and the router is down the hallway, I'm lucky if I can get a usable signal 100 feet away!

Doesn't really have anything to do with the wireless card...