Wireless PCMCIA cards

Hi there

I'm new to notebooks in general and I've just got hold of a Packard Bell Easynote E6310 notebook, it has a PCMCIA slot and I'm looking at buying a wi-fi card.

Problem is there are so many on the market and I haven't got a clue what I'm looking for.

I want a wi-fi card that will allow me to walk into any public place that has a wi-fi hotspot and connect there and then, much in the same way as the PSP can. I'd like it to allow me to surf the net as I would on a LAN.

My notebook has 512mb of RAM, at least it's supposed to have it's slightly lower more like 450mb but I'm looking at upgrading that.

The PCMCIA slot is a type II according to Packard Bell but I don't know if it's a 32 bit one.

I'd be grateful if someon could give me some pointers on what to look for or if someone could reccomend a card that'd be even better.

 

Any PCMCIA 802.11b/g wi-fi card will work. These cards can now be had for less than $10 in stores.

 

Oh cool, thanx for that - I asked a company called Maplin.co.uk and they offered me one for £50 exc. vat. Now I know roughly what I'm looking for I can buy a decently priced one.

 

What about the cards that are 802.11 N Draft. I hear the internal cards require 3 antennas to get the increased distance (MIMO). How will this affect either the PCMCIA or express cards?

 

Stay away from 11n draft for now, till the std is ratified. It will be 6-9 mo before that happens and another 3 mo till they start shipping.

I do not like MIMO because they do not play well with others. You are required to have matching hardware for it tow work, same mfg.

 

If the pcmcia card has a external antannae that sticks out of the notebook, I recommend a usb thumbdrive-type wireless adapter instead. They're generally smaller, easier to plug and remove, and you can use it with desktops.

 

I don't know what kind of antennas the pc cards will have but what I've read is that the internal cards need 3 antennas for MIMO. The 802.11 G only needs 2 antennas.

 

I to am in the market for a reasonably priced PCMCIA 802.11b/g. Is there a noticeable difference from the $50 Netgears, and the $20 never-heard-ofs on Newegg? What is a reliable brand if I go cheap?

 

Go with the cheaper cards. Check the reviews. Make sure you can find the appropriate drivers online before buying in case you lose the CD.

IMO, Netgear isn't so great anyways. I just spent 2 hours troubleshooting my cousin's Netgear wireless adapter over AIM. Their proprietary wireless management software is garbage.

Wireless networking seems to be a blind swing and hope you don't miss.