Wireless 3945ABG vs 4965AGN Network w/Bluetooth

I was looking to purchase a Pavilion dv6500t and I couldn't decide which network...How much different is the Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection from the Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network w/Bluetooth? Is it worth the price difference of $45? Thanks

 

3945ABG has network disconnection issue. I say go with the cheapest, save money and get a dell 1500 AGN from ebay for around $35. I have it installed on my dv9000t, love it.

 

The 4965AGN supports the new Wireless Draft-N standard and Bluetooth. If you plan to upgrade to Draft-N then get the 4965AGN. It also has built in Bluetooth so you can connect Bluetooth mice and phones to your computer.

Quick tip: Look at the name and you will find the standards each adapter supports

3945 ABG
Supports 802.11 a, 802.11 b, and 802.11 g

4965 AGN
Supports 802.11 a, 802.11 g, and 802.11 n

Is that what you were looking for?

 

I'm sorry. but what's Wireless Draft-N?
and would the 4965 increase internet speed or what?
And I also hear draft N has issues?

 

Draft-N is exactly what the name says: a draft version of the actual standard which will not be released for a year or two. I have heard it is very buggy and not very stable for most people.

Draft-N is much faster and has a much wider range than Wireless-G. In the short run it may seem like a good idea but in the long run, not so much. This does not mean that you should not buy the 4965 because I would personally buy that card (actually, I did buy it), just don't buy a Wireless Draft-N router. Wireless-G is enough for most people.

The 4965 will probably not increase speed any as it is using the same standard any other 802.11 card is.

Do you own a wireless router? If so, what standard is it using (a,b,g)?

 

I currently have a wired router but I'm planning to buy a wireless one(probably the Linksys WRT54GS Wireless Router) when I receive the laptop I just ordered below. If the 4965 does not increase the "speed" of internet, then what does it mean by being "much faster" and "wider range"? I didn't really understand the significance so I chose the 3945 but that excludes Bluetooth. That leads to 2 other questions: Would I be able to buy another network card w/ bluetooth and install it manually? What's the point of having a Draft N network card If I'm not going to have a Draft N router?

HP Pavilion dv6500t customizable Notebook PC

* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
* Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/4MB L2Cache)
* 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
* $50 off upgrade from 1GB (2 Dimm) to 2GB (2 Dimm)!
* 383MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
* HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Microphone + Webcam
* Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
* 120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support
* No TV Tuner w/remote control
* 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* System Recovery DVD w/Windows Vista Home Premium
* Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

11n is the future. The current hardware will be the final hardware for 11n. No changes in hardware till the final stage. Only changes will be the BIOS/drivers. Go with 11n as sooner or later you will be moving to it. 11g is alright but bandwidth requirements are increasing every month and you will find yourself buying 11n pretty soon.
I had the WRT54GS since its launch, was pretty decent but I always found its performance lagging. 11n is faster than 100Mbps wires lan connection, so atleast you will have space to breathe if you are a frequent large files downloader.

 

Hey...I just ordered a dv6500 on wed, and I too went with the ABG because it was $45 cheaper (i'm a student ) As for bluetooth, I have a usb bluetooth dongle (got it for like $8 shipped on ebay) and since I don't use bluetooth that much, I will just plug it into the usb ports whenever I want to use bluetooth.

 

Question 1

What it is referring to by saying "much faster" and "wider range" is when the card is used with a Wireless-N router it will be faster and cover a wider area than a Wireless-G router.

Question 2:
You can buy a bluetooth adapter that would plug into one of your USB ports. They are about the sizes of a small flash drive.

Question 3:
The only reason you would get a Draft-N card is if you every found a Draft-N network that you wanted to connect to. You would be ready for it and ready when the technology is no longer draft (see note below).

Note: Here is the big thing that the wireless router companies are saying about Draft-N being "draft": You will be able to update the card with a BIOS update went 802.11n is no longer draft.

This is easier said than done if you have no idea what the BIOS is (however, you can ask for help in this forum and someone would step you through it). And this may not even be possible for some cards. It is one big mess.

The only reason that I would tell you to get the 4965 is because the 3945 has been know to disconnect from networks randomly. However, the problem may be fixed now or it may be fixed with an update later.

All in all, the computer you have configured above is a strong buy and you will be very happy with it. You should be fine no matter which wireless card you pick. As for Bluetooth, if you decide that you want to try it out, just PM me and I will provide you with some links. Other than that congratulations on your new notebook purchase. The WRT54GS is a great router but that Intel wireless card cannot take full advantage of the "Speedbooster" capability of the router. It will increase the speed slightly.

I hope this helps.

--
Michael

 

Thanks a bunch these responses really helped

 

I think you mean Firmware update, but same idea. Apple recently had such an upgrade from g to pre-n on their MacBooks...so the idea you speak of is certainly possible assuming the hardware of n cards do not change significantly (in the ratification specs).

I'd get the 4965 if I had a pre/draft-N router or knew I was getting one soon. Otherwise, the 3945 is going to be JUST fine speedwise.

 

Yes, your right. Sorry, it was getting late.

 

Hi,

I purchased HP Pavillion with below configuratrion, can i know which Wireless router model of which company(Linksys, Netgear,....) is good one which supports my Laptop configuration

• – Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
• – Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5250 (1.5 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
• – 15.4" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
• – 75% OFF Upgrade to 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)!!
• – Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
• – HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone
• – Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
• – 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• – LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
• – 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• – Microsoft(R) Works 8.0

 

...it really cracks me up what threads people post in sometimes!

Generally, all wireless routers will work with your laptop. I'd recommend an 802.11g router to avoid any issues with 802.11n, which you may have to do advanced PC troubleshooting if problems arise.

In the past 5 years I've gone through about 5 wireless routers due to drop out problems. So far, dLink has worked the best for me. I use the "gamer wireless router" and never have any connection issues: http://games.dlink.com/products/?pid=370&#DGL-4300

 

Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965A/G/N Network Connection with Bluetooth <<<=== ???? WITH BLUE TOOTH?? Uhmmm didn't know it had Blue tooth included. I ripped out this card as it would not allow me to get a speed more then 150 Mbps with my Dlink Dir-655 router. I replaced it with an Gigabyte card and am a very happy camper 300 Mbps all the time. I still have the Intel card but when I bought this laptop it did not say Bluetooth was also part of the deal which I found a shame as it is for me anyways as common as wifi... could you please elaborate on this , tnx

 

The HP site says Bluetooth is included when you upgrade to 4965. Bluetooth is NOT part of the 4965 card.