Dell wireless help.

I own a dell xps m1330 with the intel 3945abg card.

When I use the wifi catcher while the machine is running, it takes a while to respond the first time. Also refreshing the available network list sometimes gives varied results. As in, when im quite far from my router, it shows one bar, but refreshing the list can lead to full bars too, even though its not meant to. Also, my friend has an hcl notebook (pentium m) with the older intel 2200 card and it can pick more networks with much better signal strengths too.

Can someone please help me on this issue?

 

is this normal or do i need to get the card changed.. also, can i ask dell to replace the card with the 4965 and pay the balance? does the 4965 perform better than the 3945 for G networks?

 

some network cards are better at picking up signals than other cards. it is really a radio thing. radios just have different aptitudes at picking up signals. could do with the antenna, power output, etc., etc.

 

thanks for the response,

so,

1. is there a way to tweak the card?

2. can 2 cards (same models) perform differently?

3. should an older intel card perform better than a newer one? in this case, a 2200 over a 3945.

4. could there be something wrong with my card? and should i call dell for a replacement? if yes, is there any point in getting the 4965 apart from the draft n compatibility? will it perform better on G networks too?

thanks.