Question about using both an internal network card and an external network

[talamoth]

Hi there,

I just got a new XPS 1530 laptop which I love. It comes with an internal WLAN card. The router for our wireless is in my landlord's house which is only about 50 feet away. She has AT&T internet service, the only service we can get in the area we are in. They sold her the product telling her that anyone within 20 bus lengths would get an excellent signal. They failed to tell her that the material that her house is made out of is muffling the signal. For me, the signal is so poor that I either can't connect to the network or, if I do, it is constant disconnect and slow to the point of screaming.

My very old Dell Dimension desktop has a link-sys external antenna and I can access the network fine on that - it has a "good" signal strength compared with "poor" on my laptop.

So I ordered a WUSB600N Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N USB Network Adapter for my laptop to help boost the signal. The question is - do both the internal WLAN card and the external antenna work together? Or do I need to disable the internal one before the external one will work.

Thanks much!

Roxanne

[_McGoo_]

Only one NIC will connect to the wireless network at one time, as only the external will be able to pick up the signal (if it picks it up at all). There is no need to do anything to the internal NIC, they can both run at the same time with no problems.
If the new adapter doesnt work, have you thought about getting a wireless extender? It is cabled to the router, and would then be run in your direction (or somewhere not blocked by the house), and you would pick up the signal from that. This may still be necessary, even with the new NIC you purchased.

[johnwill]

I'd consider a wireless adapter with an external antenna connection. That way you can use any one of a number of hi-gain antennas.


Hawking Tech has a number of products that will help you increase your wireless range. The root page is Hawking Hi-Gain™ WiFi Range Extending Products.

Some of the more interesting products are this Hawking [HSB2] Hi-Gain WiFi Signal Booster, which can be used on either end of a wireless connection to boost the signal power.

Another way to increase your signal strength is by the use of hi-gain antennas. You can choose from omni-directional or directional models, here are a some examples.

Hawking [HAI7SIP] Hi-Gain 7dBi Omni-Directional Antenna

Hawking [HAI15SC] Hi-Gain 15dBi Corner Antenna

[HAO14SD] Outdoor Hi-Gain 14dBi Directional Antenna Kit

For really long range outdoor applications, this 24dB parabolic WiFi Antenna may be a good choice.

This is just a sample of available products, many people have hi-gain antennas with similar specifications, but I haven't seen any other suppliers of signal boosters.