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Wireless band 2.4 or 5Ghz for Intel PRO 2100 3A mini PCI adapter
Hi
According to device manager I have the
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3A Mini PCI Adapter in my ancient Dell Latitude X300, still running on XP SP3 with all updates.
My Internet provider , Virgin, have given me the Super Hub 1 which has the option of setting the wireless band at 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz. The default is 2.4.
Short question: Should this adapter work at 5Ghz?
Long version: Before I reset the Super Hub using my desktop, which is the main pc and has an Ethernet connection, I looked around the laptop to see if there was any info to give a clue as to whether the adapter WOULD work at 5GHz. While in Device Manager for the adapter properties I had the details tab open at the some time as I reset the bandwidth to 5GHz and then clicked the device properties window closed. I didn't think I had changed anything but a window said "your changes have been saved" or something like that and the wireless disconnected. I reset bandwidth back to 2.4 and it reconnected, so implying that adapter won't work at 5 GHz, but according to this:
http://www.wireless-driver.com/intel-wireless-2100a-windows-driver/
the 3B is definitely compatible. (But mine is the 3A.). Also, could I have disturbed a setting while I had the details tab open? I didn't think I did.
benaround3
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January 17th, 2014 06:00
Bump. Looks like no one has even viewed yet! Added some tags.
PudgyOne
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January 17th, 2014 07:00
benaround3,
Your question interested me into doing a little research. I was reading IEEE 802.11 - Wikipedia which has some very good information.
Your link to the adapter mentions...
Operating at 5 GHz (802.11a) or 2.4 GHz (802.11b) frequency at speeds of up to 54 Mbps using 802.11a you can now connect your computer to high-capacity 802.11a networks using multiple access points within large or small environments, and also to existing 802.11b networks.
The Wikipedia article, try reading 802.11a (OFDM Waveform)
From what I'm seeing, it was a very low power type of issue, but the adapter article was written in August 2003. Wireless 5.0GHz was not really introduced until sometime after 2007(I may be wrong) so the adapter was using some type of low power streaming on their network.
Most 2.4GHz adapters are 802.11 a/b/g/n You have to be careful when you see wireless N because some 2.4GHz adapters use dual streaming and only work on 2.4GHz, not 5.0GHz
A 5.0GHz USB Adapter would be nice, I know it's better to have the card inside. You could also ask at Wireless: Intel Communities and see what they tell you.
Rick