How to improve wireless capacity on an old laptop?

Hi,

I have a Dell laptop retired from work, it is Dell Latitude D800 with
Pentium M processor and some built-in wireless connection. I found
that this laptop performs very bad at my home wireless network. When I
work upstairs, the connection speed is very bad. I have to take the
laptop downstairs where my wireless router sits. But if I use another
newer Dell laptop, Latitude D830, the wireless works perfect.

I thought this is because D800 wireless is old, so I purchased a
LinkSys PCI card, it says "Dual Band Wireless-N Notebook Adapter" from
LinkSys, but it turned out not helping at all.

Do you know what I can do something to improve the wireless on D800?

Hi!

> I have a Dell laptop retired from work, it is Dell Latitude D800 with
> Pentium M processor and some built-in wireless connection.

> Do you know what I can do something to improve the wireless on
> D800?

Hmm. I have the same model and it works *great*. No problems at all with
wireless or much of anything else. It's easily been the best laptop I have
ever owned. Mine has the Intel 2200BG 802.11B/G wireless hardware. The only
wireless access point it didn't like was a Netgear WGR614v6 that I strongly
believed to be somewhat broken even on a good day.

There were two wireless solutions offered with the D800 system...the Intel
2200BG wireless adapter and a Dell TrueMobile model that based on a Broadcom
chipset. Both are mini-PCI cards. Do you know which one you have? (Hint: If
there is a Centrino sticker anywhere on the machine, it's a very good
possibility that you have the Intel 2200BG wireless hardware.)

Either way, start with the latest drivers. The TrueMobile ones have to come
from Dell so far as I know. The Intel hardware can use the drivers available
from the Intel web site...and they're much newer than the ones Dell offers.

Since you reported bad performance with a Linksys add-on card, it's also
worth looking into the details to see if you are by any chance sharing your
chosen wireless channel with a neighbor or if there is anything odd about
your home that would block or stifle the radio signal.

William

<1230987za@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d2e3fecb-0e63-45f2-9306-91b6435e5dcd@k36g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I have a Dell laptop retired from work, it is Dell Latitude D800 with
> Pentium M processor and some built-in wireless connection. I found
> that this laptop performs very bad at my home wireless network. When I
> work upstairs, the connection speed is very bad. I have to take the
> laptop downstairs where my wireless router sits. But if I use another
> newer Dell laptop, Latitude D830, the wireless works perfect.
>
> I thought this is because D800 wireless is old, so I purchased a
> LinkSys PCI card, it says "Dual Band Wireless-N Notebook Adapter" from
> LinkSys, but it turned out not helping at all.
>
> Do you know what I can do something to improve the wireless on D800?
>

I think you mean PCMCIA card. If so get one that is capable of fitting an
antenna extension.

http://thewifishop.net/wifi-cards-80...r/prod_14.html

then buy a long adaptor cable ie one of these 2M or 4M

https://www.thewifishop.net/aerial-c...sort_order=low

"William R. Walsh" <newsgroups1@idontwantjunqueemail.walshcomptech.co m>
wrote in message news:rmorl.1091$DP1.443@attbi_s22...
> Hi!
>
>> I have a Dell laptop retired from work, it is Dell Latitude D800 with
>> Pentium M processor and some built-in wireless connection.
>
>> Do you know what I can do something to improve the wireless on
>> D800?
>
> Hmm. I have the same model and it works *great*. No problems at all with
> wireless or much of anything else. It's easily been the best laptop I have
> ever owned. Mine has the Intel 2200BG 802.11B/G wireless hardware. The
> only
> wireless access point it didn't like was a Netgear WGR614v6 that I
> strongly
> believed to be somewhat broken even on a good day.
>
> There were two wireless solutions offered with the D800 system...the Intel
> 2200BG wireless adapter and a Dell TrueMobile model that based on a
> Broadcom
> chipset. Both are mini-PCI cards. Do you know which one you have? (Hint:
> If
> there is a Centrino sticker anywhere on the machine, it's a very good
> possibility that you have the Intel 2200BG wireless hardware.)
>
> Either way, start with the latest drivers. The TrueMobile ones have to
> come
> from Dell so far as I know. The Intel hardware can use the drivers
> available
> from the Intel web site...and they're much newer than the ones Dell
> offers.
>
> Since you reported bad performance with a Linksys add-on card, it's also
> worth looking into the details to see if you are by any chance sharing
> your
> chosen wireless channel with a neighbor or if there is anything odd about
> your home that would block or stifle the radio signal.
>
> William
>
>
>

He may have the Intel Pro 2100 802.11b card fitted as per my M60 which is of
the same era. I had a weak signal so fitted a 2200BG but it made very little
difference even with the latest drivers. It could still worth a try cos they
are cheap now.

<1230987za@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d2e3fecb-0e63-45f2-9306-91b6435e5dcd@k36g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I have a Dell laptop retired from work, it is Dell Latitude D800 with
> Pentium M processor and some built-in wireless connection. I found
> that this laptop performs very bad at my home wireless network. When I
> work upstairs, the connection speed is very bad. I have to take the
> laptop downstairs where my wireless router sits. But if I use another
> newer Dell laptop, Latitude D830, the wireless works perfect.
>
> I thought this is because D800 wireless is old, so I purchased a
> LinkSys PCI card, it says "Dual Band Wireless-N Notebook Adapter" from
> LinkSys, but it turned out not helping at all.
>
> Do you know what I can do something to improve the wireless on D800?

you have an empty usb port don't you? just get one of the USB/Wifi dongles
and plug it in... You can have BOTH built in wireless AND an external
USB/Wifi dongle on the same machine, you can only use ONE at a time however,
ie can't use both at the same time - no bonding of channels......
no muss, no fuss, no opening the case etc....

that will improve the wireless ON your d800, by not messing with the one IN
your d800....

"Peter Pan" <pponvistaNOSPAM@MarcAlanNOSPAM.Info> wrote in message
news:E_KdnaMc3MsdkS3UnZ2dnUVZ_rjinZ2d@earthlink.co m...
>
> <1230987za@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:d2e3fecb-0e63-45f2-9306-91b6435e5dcd@k36g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have a Dell laptop retired from work, it is Dell Latitude D800 with
>> Pentium M processor and some built-in wireless connection. I found
>> that this laptop performs very bad at my home wireless network. When I
>> work upstairs, the connection speed is very bad. I have to take the
>> laptop downstairs where my wireless router sits. But if I use another
>> newer Dell laptop, Latitude D830, the wireless works perfect.
>>
>> I thought this is because D800 wireless is old, so I purchased a
>> LinkSys PCI card, it says "Dual Band Wireless-N Notebook Adapter" from
>> LinkSys, but it turned out not helping at all.
>>
>> Do you know what I can do something to improve the wireless on D800?
>
> you have an empty usb port don't you? just get one of the USB/Wifi dongles
> and plug it in... You can have BOTH built in wireless AND an external
> USB/Wifi dongle on the same machine, you can only use ONE at a time
> however, ie can't use both at the same time - no bonding of channels......
> no muss, no fuss, no opening the case etc....
>
> that will improve the wireless ON your d800, by not messing with the one
> IN your d800....
>

until the poster replies we no nothing about his actual set-up..........

why should a USB adaptor be guaranteed to improve the wireless.....

nothing is guaranteed.....

"Tom E" <TE@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:l5SdnceLrq3d1izUnZ2dnUVZ8uKWnZ2d@bt.com...
>
> "Peter Pan" <pponvistaNOSPAM@MarcAlanNOSPAM.Info> wrote in message
> news:E_KdnaMc3MsdkS3UnZ2dnUVZ_rjinZ2d@earthlink.co m...
>>
>> <1230987za@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:d2e3fecb-0e63-45f2-9306-91b6435e5dcd@k36g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have a Dell laptop retired from work, it is Dell Latitude D800 with
>>> Pentium M processor and some built-in wireless connection. I found
>>> that this laptop performs very bad at my home wireless network. When I
>>> work upstairs, the connection speed is very bad. I have to take the
>>> laptop downstairs where my wireless router sits. But if I use another
>>> newer Dell laptop, Latitude D830, the wireless works perfect.
>>>
>>> I thought this is because D800 wireless is old, so I purchased a
>>> LinkSys PCI card, it says "Dual Band Wireless-N Notebook Adapter" from
>>> LinkSys, but it turned out not helping at all.
>>>
>>> Do you know what I can do something to improve the wireless on D800?
>>
>> you have an empty usb port don't you? just get one of the USB/Wifi
>> dongles and plug it in... You can have BOTH built in wireless AND an
>> external USB/Wifi dongle on the same machine, you can only use ONE at a
>> time however, ie can't use both at the same time - no bonding of
>> channels......
>> no muss, no fuss, no opening the case etc....
>>
>> that will improve the wireless ON your d800, by not messing with the one
>> IN your d800....
>>
>
> until the poster replies we no nothing about his actual set-up..........
>
> why should a USB adaptor be guaranteed to improve the wireless.....
>
> nothing is guaranteed.....
>

Never said it was guaranteed, you misread what I wrote and added words I
never said... But one of the cool things I have done is use em with USB
exstension cables (two 12 ft) so they can be placed in different areas...
and use em with various laptops too.... (cheaper than external antenna
wires) lets see, point is it installs/works indepently of what is already in
the unit (if it doesn't have it's own software sometimes installs as
wireless device #2), can be moved changed easily, cheaper (i have some i got
online for under $10, others high power/performance/directional are usually
under $50) probably a lot cheaper than finding an old card (PCMCIA or
Cardbus?) or various mini pci cards to fit in a laptop (and what guarantee
<--- ((i used the g word here)) is there that the laptop internal antenna
cable/connectors are good when you put in a new card?)

FWIW, for this guy (and others lurking) it may be well worth
considering.....

ps i like this one when travelling, or in the rv
<http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/productlist.php?CatID=32&FamID=60&ProdID=379>

Hi Gain Wireless-300N USB Dish Adapter (For Windows)

(bit more, about $80, but both higher gain/directional, and can do n....)