what wireless card should i get?

I'm trying to decide between between the the Intel Pro/wireless 3945 a/g or Dell draft n wireless. I'm not planning on getting a wireless router or subscribing to any sort of wireless internet because I'm only going to use my notebook away from home when I'm at school. Do you have to have your own internet subscription or can you just get a notebook with a wireless card and use it. For example, I have a friend who doesn't pay for internet, but he gets internet on his notebook in his apartment. Is this because someone in the apartment has a wireless router and his notebook is just picking up its signal?

From what I understand there are usually areas throughout the city, such as hotels, restaurants, etc. that offer free wireless connection. If this is the case, do both these cards work in all those areas? I thought I read somewhere you have to have a certain type router for the draft n wireless. Do they both work off of different signals? and if so, which one is stronger, and more common? Which do you think will work best for how i'll be using it?

Thanks. As you can tell, I know very little about this subject, so you help is greatly appreciated.

 

i have a dell e1505 with a draftn wireless and its compatible with everything.Later on people are going to use draft n routers which are alot better than the ones nowadays.If u plan on having your laptop for more than a year get draft n

 

^^yeah i would agree. rather get it now than later, although prices may drop a bit later on

 

The Intel 3495 is a much better card, I had the Dell 1390 card on my e1505 and later upgraded to the Intel one, the intel one has better range, and a much nicer user interface.

 

Yeah, I have the Intel Card. It's very nice. When I'm at my girlfriends house I pick up her neighbors signal who lives across the street. (My gf doesn't have a wireless router).

 

i mean the intel one is nice,but when n routers start to become common, intel 3945 won't be compatible which will suck.

 

It will be over a year before Draft N becomes ratified and when it does your N card will be obsolete. The only reason to get the Dell draft N card is if you plan on buying a draft N router.

 

Of the available Wireless options Dell gives you I went with the Intel 3945 connects very well and signal strength is really good as well. But in regards to Draft N will that be the future of Wireless who knows it has taken them a while just to get to the point of Draft version and it will be possibly even another year before they adopt the final revision. But that doesn't mean 'G' will die, it still will take some time for people to adopt N. But really how much of a big difference you think there is going to be between G and N.

 

I just wanted to thank everyone who helped me out over the last couple days. I decided to go with the e1405 after going to the local dell kiosk, the 1505 was little too big for what i'm using it for. Paid $1,028 with a bunch of upgrades. The e value code i use is 6F915-DNPCFY1, it starts it out at 783and almost everything is already nicely upgraded!

 

Wow, thats a great price for those preset upgrades.

 

I might be a little late but just to let you know, you can take out the G wireless card and put a new N one in when N becomes finalized and stuff.