Disappointed with my Intel 4965AGN card

G'day all

I recently bought an Intel 4965AGN 802.11n card for my laptop, to take advantage for the N wireless speeds of my Billion 7404VNOX ADSL2/3G/VOIP/VPN router and it always says it's connected at 144MBPS instead of the full 300MBPS. My desktop has a D-Link DWA-556 PCI-E Wireless card, which uses an Atheros chipset, connects at the full 300MBPS. Is there anything I can do to speed it up, or should I turf the Intel card and get something else? And yes, I have 3 antennaes attached to the Intel card. My card and router have the latest drivers/firmware.

 

Go to the advanced settings for the card and maybe change them.

Change channel width to high throughput.
Change power management to Maximum performance.
Roaming aggressiveness > Lowest
enable packet bursting.

Also use intel proset to manage the wifi.

 

4965AGN won't give you 300Mbps with Billion 7404VNOX since this router only operates its wireless at 2.4GHz band. 4965AGN can only use wide 40MHz channel to get up to 300Mbps at 5GHz band.

 

Sounds like the card needs to be turfed. What's the best miniPCIe 802.11n WiFi card for a lappy?

 

You should have just bought an intel 5300 in the first place. It is the best readily available card and it is super cheap. A 5100 should also meet your needs just the same.

 

Actually I did consider the 5300 before I bought the 4965AGN, but since my laptop uses the old Santa Rosa platform, 5300 cards will not work, after what I read. My laptop has 3 antennaes by the way.

 

5300 will work with your chipset.

There are already new intel cards that should also work.

 

dude its the router not the card i have the same card with linksys wrt610n and i get 270-300 get a dual band and set 5ghz to N only wide channel with wpa2 security u will get the speeds 5ghz band is only way to get those speeds and it needs to be N only so if u need G get dual band

 

It's an incompatibility between the two. As mentioned the 4965AGN needs 40mhz band at 5 gig to achieve 300mpbps. The 5100 and 5300 don't. I had the same issue with my D-link DIR-655. You pretty much will need a dual band router to get that speed with a 4965AGN. Which is actually a decent card.

Unless you are streaming HD movies or doing huge file transfers, you don't really need 300. Also, often times 300 has been known to not like large files anyhow (apparently you really need jumbo frames?). Also, even streaming HD is unreliable on it.


If you have mini pci-e, you CAN use a 5100 and 5300. Even if you only have 2 antenna leads (3 antennas are not needed), so long as they are dual band antennas. Which if your 4965 is working without static, you probably have. Keep in mind though that the 5300 may create a bit of static or crackling when being used, something I experienced with mine. Changing which antenna lead went where helped to make it nearly silent, but it was never entirely quiet.

Make sure if you have an HP, Lenovo and possibly Dell that you get a Lenovo/HP/Dell part numbered Intel 5300 as they are bios locked. If you do not, have one of those, make sure you get one that specifically has an Intel part number. Also, do some research to make sure you do not get an engineering sample, some of which are good, some of which are bad.

 

For Lenovo, it seems that you not only need to make sure it is specifically for a Lenovo but that the model laptop also can be ordered with that same model card you intend to install. My x61s didn't come with the option for a 5300 but I tried 5300 for a Lenovo anyways, no go. Don't know if it is the same for HP as it is Lenovo. Does Dell have the same requirements now also?

 

My laptop is a Medion MIM2300, and I know I don't need a specific WIFI card to work, and it uses an Intel 965 Express Mobile chipset, and 5300s do work on them, right?

Also, if not, is there any better cards than Intels? I'm open for options.

 

I have heard yes and no on Dell.
I have yet to see anything conclusive. When I was looking for my card, I didn't notice any Dell branded cards.

I wonder if the generic 5300 will work on the Lenovos that were not equipped. Doubtful, but maybe.

 

i tried an es 5300, no luck. worked fine on asus 1000ha though

 

Well that stinks, stupid Lenovo.
I don't get these companies being so hell bent on doing this sort of thing.

 

Its lenovo, all mini-pci type cards need to be whitelisted to work.

 

No idea either.
When I'm looking at buying a Lenovo and upgrading the wifi card myself, I always make a point of getting the service manual first to see what cards are offered as replacement parts, and then go from there.

 

I know my computer doesn't have a whitelist, like the Lenovo and HP machines, and was wondering if anyone has tried a 5300 in a laptop with a 965 Santa Rosa chipset (non Lenovo/Dell/HP/Compaq)?

Would an Atheros, Broadcom, Ralink card be a better option, if the 5300 doesn't work?

 

Like what others have said, 5300 will work just fine with Santa Rosa chipsets.

My three notebooks are using 5300: two Dells and one Fujitsu. None of them originally came with 5300 card since they don't have Mobile Intel 45 Series Express chipsets. The Studio and LifeBook have Santa Rosa chipsets (PM965 and GM965) while the Mini has previous generation 945GSE chipset.

 

HP HDX with 965 Santa Rosa chipset here. HDX is whitelisted, but also has 2nd card slot , and 5300 has been confirmed to work with this rig. We just lose some minor quicklaunch button functionality by having to use it in 2nd slot. I don't have one in my lappie, so can't confirm how much of an improvement it is.