Atheros AR5006EXS Buy?

Hi guys,

I was looking at getting some atheros cards. They are re-branded IBM cards but work fine, im using one now. Just wanted to see interested before I go through all the trouble of getting an order put through. Obviously it would be cheaper the more we get but I imagine if we get around 15 or so we should be able to get em down to ~ 50ish USD.

These would be the top of the line atheros the AR5006EXS: http://www.atheros.com/pt/AR5006EXS.htm

Unfortunately with atheros the drivers arent updated that regularly so I had to use a 3rd party one that is working fine. Just thought id mention it.

 

I'd be interested if we can beat the eBay going rate, which hovers around $30, I believe.

 

not for the ar5006exs: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Genuine-IBM-Athe...ryZ45000QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

We should be able to get a bit less than that... depends on # though and shipping to whereever ppl are...

 

Is that a different pin-connector? It doesn't look like a standard mini-PCI interface

 

That's because it's not mini PCI. It's mini PCI-Express. Otherwise, it looks like the usual to me.

The 3945ABG is a mini PCI-Express card, found on most recent generation laptops that support Core/Core2 Solo/Duo. This is the same socket as the above-mentioned card.

Here's an auction with a pic of the 3945 on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-Compaq-Intel...emZ190092695593QQcategoryZ45003QQcmdZViewItem

The 2200BG and 2915ABG are a mini PCI cards, typically found on earlier generation Pentium-M laptops. You can use the different mini PCI cards on the different generations of Pentium-M, but you cannot put a mini PCI-E into a mini-PCI and vice versa.

Here's an auction with a pic of the 2915 on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-Pro-Wirel...emZ190089842204QQcategoryZ45003QQcmdZViewItem

Oh... before I forget, if you change your WiFi NIC card to a non-Intel, your laptop stops being recognized as a Centrino, since Centrino is basically Intel chipset, Intel processor, and Intel wireless card.

The main benefit of changing the card is for 108Mbps functionality with routers that use the Atheros chips (ie: Netgear, D-Link). Some other people mentioned it might increase signal strength compared to the Intel, but there's an article floating around here which basically attributes Intel's low signal being due to a setting in network card properties that makes signal power adaptive to the AP it's talking to.

 

I'm oblivious to the article you make mention to regarding the Intel WiFi card's performance. But I can definitely assure you that the Atheros card have bumped up my range and strength by a lot!

 

this is my first post in AAAAGGGGEESS! I just wanted to mention, I also got the same card Scott is talking about and it's working flawlessly. I also wanted to mention that the deficiency in the Intel Wifi cards is not a software issue. The intel radio's are sensitive to ~80dB while the atheros are sensitive to 100db (that's 4 times more sensitive!) and the intel has a maximum transmit power of 33mW (now I think there may be a way to boost this to 50mW, but the software blocks it and maybe this is what you were talking about) while the Atheros transmit at up to 100mW! The 5006EXS also has the 108mbit as mentioned. So on paper and in practice, the Atheros is hands down a better wifi. It's like day and night for me and I would never go back to Intel's. I also wanted to mention that I'm going to put my Atheros 5006EG on eBay (since I just got the 5006EXS), but before I did that, I wanted to check and see if anyone here was interested in purchasing it from me directly for $35 USD. I'm PayPal Confirmed.

 

Just out of curiosity, can anyone verify if the 108Mpbs ability of the Atheros card works with pre/draft-N routers, or is it just for "Super-G?" I have a draft-N Belkin router at home, and would like to get it full ability if I can.

 

I'm pretty confident its for "Super-G" technology only.

 

Yep, that's what I thought. Thanks.

 

exactly what is a atheros card?

 

Atheros is a company, like Intel. They make wireless cards that conform to 802.11 standards.