Recommendation?

I need to replace an old router -- a Netgear RT314. I am looking at the
D-Link DIR-655 because it has a 4 port wired gigabit plus Draft N with
decent speed. I plan on using cat5e to my desktop using XP Pro. My
laptop is a 10 month old Dell 1505 with Vista Business. Currently, it
has an internal mini-PCI Intel 3945ABG wireless card.

Should I replace the internal card with a newer (but similar) Intel
4965AGN or get a Draft N PCI Express card? I read somewhere that my
laptop may have 2 internal antenna wires and that the N cards need 3,
but not needing to drag around the external card is a plus too...

Thanks,
Dave

Dave Balcom wrote:
> I need to replace an old router -- a Netgear RT314. I am looking at the
> D-Link DIR-655 because it has a 4 port wired gigabit plus Draft N with
> decent speed. I plan on using cat5e to my desktop using XP Pro. My
> laptop is a 10 month old Dell 1505 with Vista Business. Currently, it
> has an internal mini-PCI Intel 3945ABG wireless card.
>
> Should I replace the internal card with a newer (but similar) Intel
> 4965AGN or get a Draft N PCI Express card? I read somewhere that my
> laptop may have 2 internal antenna wires and that the N cards need 3,
> but not needing to drag around the external card is a plus too...
>
> Thanks,
> Dave

I'm not sure there is any advantage in running a Draft N card unless
you're using broadband connectivity that will take advantage of the
extra speed. If your broadband is 10mbs or less, what will you gain by
running faster than 54mbs? Can you use more than the broadband access
speed? Are you doing really big file transfers between your computers
where a speed improvement will make a difference?

My suggestion if you need a replacement wireless set-up is to go with a
3Com OfficeConnect DSL/Cable router and get a separate wireless access
point. The router will do whatever you need from a router, a good
quality wireless access point will give you reliability. If you feel
the need to upgrade wireless then you replace the access point. If you
need it and if it will be an improvement in performance.

My $0,000.02 worth.

Don't buy an all in one modem/router device. This limits
upgradeability. The DIR 655 is a great router and is backwards
compatible with "G". So you don't need to replace the wireless in it
just yet. The Intel draft N drivers seem to be causing some issues
for others, so I'd definitely wait.

On Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:21:53 -0500, Dave Balcom
<balcy24@charter.net> wrote:

>I need to replace an old router -- a Netgear RT314. I am looking at the
>D-Link DIR-655 because it has a 4 port wired gigabit plus Draft N with
>decent speed. I plan on using cat5e to my desktop using XP Pro. My
>laptop is a 10 month old Dell 1505 with Vista Business. Currently, it
>has an internal mini-PCI Intel 3945ABG wireless card.
>
>Should I replace the internal card with a newer (but similar) Intel
>4965AGN or get a Draft N PCI Express card? I read somewhere that my
>laptop may have 2 internal antenna wires and that the N cards need 3,
>but not needing to drag around the external card is a plus too...
>
>Thanks,
>Dave
--

Barb Bowman
MS Windows-MVP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...ts/bowman.mspx
http://blogs.digitalmediaphile.com/barb/