TrueMobile Mini-PCI Wireless on Dell Inspiron laptop?

[GizmoFreak]

Does anyone have the BTO Mini-PCI TrueMobile Wireless option in their Inspiron notebook?

How is the reception? Is there a hardware on/off switch?

Any observations would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[vetteguy]

At work we just got brand new Latitude C840's with the mini PCI wireless card. Once I've had a chance to test it I'll let you know.

 

[GizmoFreak]

great, thanks

 

[Slacker]

My laptop has a mini pci slot with a modem/nic in it, can I buy a mini pci wireless card and swap out the modem/nic?

Is this wireless card a modem also?

on laptops that come with this card, is there an external antenna somewhere?

 

[merlocka]

Dell has an internal antenna on their laptops.

 

[MWink]

Originally posted by: Slacker
My laptop has a mini pci slot with a modem/nic in it, can I buy a mini pci wireless card and swap out the modem/nic?

Is this wireless card a modem also?

on laptops that come with this card, is there an external antenna somewhere?

You may be able to physically swap the cards with no problem but I don't think you have the right connectors. Right now you probably have a phone/ethernet connector. For wireless you probably need the antenna. I got my Inspiron 8200 without a card in the Mini-PCI slot and there is a wire with a connector on it which I think is the antenna. I don't think the wireless card is a wireless modem. The Inspiron has an Internal antenna.

As for the original question... I've heard bad things about the Inspiron 8200's reception. I'm pretty sure there is no hardware on/off switch.