STOCK Wireless on NP8170 just not that good

Hey all, after 1 month of happy np8170 buyer, I would like to point out to you guys that the stock realtek wireless card really does not worth having. I am using college wifi and it is really sensitive on reception. therefore I will give up BT and get an intel wifi card 6300 most likely

just want to let u guys kknow for furture purchase

 

There is no question that the Intel 6300 or the 1103 Bigfoot has the best range of reception and is capable of much better download speeds.

Yes the 6300 should be a great choice for you!
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It seems that college networks are the real proving ground for these laptops

That said, public wifi networks tend to be stretched over further distances, have more interference, and have more overall traffic than home networks. A better wifi card will always benefit you regardless though.

 

I purchased a P170HM with the Intel 6230 w/ BT, and had a question somewhat on topic. I notice what appears to be a 3rd antenna cable hanging out near my wifi card (underneath the keyboard). Does the lid on this model have the 3 antenna wires already ran? So, if I decide to switch to the Intel 6300 later I already have the wires needed ran along the edge of the lid? Thanks.

 

Yes this model is ready for a 6300. The wires are there.
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Didn't really matter for me since i only use my laptop at home with my strong wifi connection. I guess students should definitely consider the stronger wifi card though.

 

yeah man, it really drove me nuts to loose a game because I lagged like a

anyway, i'm abt to order the 6300 online, are the ebay/amazon source reliable? for like 22 bucks....

 

I can't say, but you just have to be careful because parts sold online can sometimes be gray market or knockoffs. It really comes down to the individual seller for that part though.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I've used the 6230 at school and I can confirm it works great. I really haven't heard of much more of a signal gain with the 6300 over the 6230, however.