PCMCIA vs Mini PCI network cards

Question

I have a latitude C610. I bought used on ebay. I purchased a PCMCIA Netgear WAG511 network card, as my laptop lacks an internal wireless card. I was wondering, which is better for bringing in a signal? Is the PCMCIA card better or the internal mini PCI?

The next question is, will my C610 accept any mini pci card nic? I am doubtful I will replace the card I have, unless I find a great deal, but from a curiousity stand point, I need to know. Do you have to purchase a Dell part, or is it pretty much anything goes?

Thanks

puterfixer · Answer

PCMCIA is easily removable and you can take it from one laptop to another. Some even allow you to connect an external antenna for better signal. On the other hand, they stick out quite a bit and must be removed when you put the laptop in a bag or case, which tends to become annoying.

MiniPCI is a standard connector and bus, you can use any MiniPCI wireless card. Dell's are actually made by other manufacturers and simply rebranded, I've got two Intel models which work really well, there's a newer model with an Atheros chip which gives 802.11a/b/g compatibility, not just b/g, and better signal. MiniPCI just plugs in inside and you can forget about it, and doesn't take up any PCMCIA slots which you might need for other cards.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

PCMCIA vs Mini PCI network cards

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