Like a Bat Out Of Wireless Hell

Back when I got my G73JH, the first thing I did was order myself a nice Intel 6200 Wifi adapter. Knowing that ebay was riddled with pseudo ones, I spent the extra $4 and ordered it from provantage.com

At the time, I was also using a D-Link Gaming Router, and was able to connect to the router at 300Mbps with no problems on 5Ghz. Then later, as the need for 2.4Ghz in the house grew, I got a Linksys WRT-610N Dual Band Router. And after that, I was never able to get 300 ever again. :/ It always maxed at 150. I'd get an initial connect of 300, then it would bounce down to 150.

inSSIDer reports the router set for 450N, but never any decent N goodness with the 6200.

When I moved to CA, I invested in a Cisco E4200. Same problem.

So I finally ordered an Intel 6300 from buy.com ($34 shipped), and swapped it out. Using the same drivers, and adjusting the adapters settings enabling WMM, instant 300 success!

In the end, I probably got one of those pseudo-Centrinos. I think I am going to use it for gun targeting, for all the pain it put me through.

 

I purchased the 6300 from provantage as well. It will hit 300, but seems to constantly flucuate, going down to 120. Just seems too erratic.

 

Is the stock one coming with G Series not that good ? I have a G74 , don't even know what kind of card is it.
Atheros AR9002WB , is this a good card ? Will it worth to spend more ? Does it void Warranty ? Can we switch it just like ram and HDD ( easy pannel access ) or is it harder ?

Thanks

 

The stock card (for the JH, donno bout the other models) lacks 5ghz support, as well as can only use the 2.4ghz 20mhz channel, and not the 2.4 40mhz channel-width. The 40mhz channel-width is what allows 300mbps over 2.4ghz, so effectively, the factory card is limited to only the 2.4ghz band, and a max connection speed of 150mbps.

This is a major problem as 2.4ghz channel is widely used, and depending on your neighborhood, could be overloaded with wireless networks (like my neighborhood). For 20mhz channel-width, there are 3 non-overlapping channels in the 2.4ghz spectrum, and for 40mhz, there are 2 non-overlapping channels. I'd have to check again, but for 5ghz, I think there was upwards of 30 non-overlapping channels, which eliminates interference. Additionally, many people this wireless is awesome-sauce like a cable connection, but the truth is that any wireless devices and network act as if they are interconnected via a hub (shared speed, collisions, and all the fun stuff that goes with collisions....) rather than a switch. This can be the source of annoyance for many online games, particularly online FPS games (random lag spikes, tele-lag aka warping, etc).

 

As bluefalcon13 pointed out, the Atheros solutions currently being used are basic 2.4N cards. Swapping them out is fairly easy (2 screws and popping off two antenna) and accessible from the underside panel.

Upgrading the card does not void the warranty, unless you by some cosmic error you manage to break something doing it. I upgraded mine to get 5GHz support and wide-channel support. The apt complex I am in now is littered with 2.4 systems, and no 5Ghz systems. (awesomesauce!) I'd like to get an access point for use with my color laser to free it up so I can move it.

 

The 2.4 GHz 40 MHz mode is actually just using two regular 20 MHz channels so it isn't so great in congested areas. 5 GHz is still pretty clear because those routers cost more and I doubt many people care to bother. Personally I'd rather run gigabit if speed is needed

I know that the Atheros wifi has more than just speed problems. I dont run the wifi much but it has been troublesome when I have. My EeePC originally had Atheros G but I replaced that with Intel 5100 and it is clearly better. My EeePC travels a lot and gets used on many access points and the Intel card has been more reliable. I also have a Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH router with Atheros hardware and it has become known for flaky wifi! You might say that I'm unimpressed with Atheros.