# Everybody in the house has fast wireless but my laptop



## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Recently our cable provider boosted the internet speed to 15Mb/s down and 2Mb/s up. My son is connected to a desktop through the Cisco router and gets the stated speed. My wife has a newer Dell laptop and she also gets the stated speed.

My laptop is much older. I have a Dell Inspiron 9400 running WinXP and it has a WLAN 1390 card that doesn't have 5GHz capabilities.

The fastest speed I have been able to get out of the wirless card is 7Mb/s down and 2Mb/s up.

Is this the limitation of my 1390 mini card or is something else going on here.

Thanks.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Leo G said:


> Recently our cable provider boosted the internet speed to 15Mb/s down and 2Mb/s up. My son is connected to a desktop through the Cisco router and gets the stated speed. My wife has a newer Dell laptop and she also gets the stated speed.
> 
> My laptop is much older. I have a Dell Inspiron 9400 running WinXP and it has a WLAN 1390 card that doesn't have 5GHz capabilities.
> 
> ...









From Start Menu >> Control Panel >> Device Manager >> Network, double click on Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card >> Advanced. 

Antenna Diversity setting >> Change it from Auto to AUX.


Restart.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Damn that sounded like it was going to work.

No change.


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

Our provider sent us a new router. We had no choice.

Now the wireless printer doesn't work anymore so we have to dig up how we set it up in the first place, along with finding a USB cable that is mechanically compatible with the connectors. The printer paper manual really sucks but the online manual is slightly better.

Whatever you end up doing, keep a diary because in 6 months or a year from now you will be doing this all over again.

For one reason or another computers are unreliable and a sinkhole for time and effort. If cars worked this badly there'd be congressional hearings on it.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Leo G said:


> Damn that sounded like it was going to work.
> 
> No change.


I got one of these.

http://www.asus.com/us/Networking/USBN10/


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

Taking a wild guess here but it could be that the lap-top which uses the Centrino processor, dual core is a slow azz piece of chit. Also it is running XP.

Now going with this theme you might get quicker downloads if you got a more modern lap-top.

Something with Windows 8.1 or now that I think about it, look into the Chrome book.
Depending on what you want to do with it it might be the best bang for your buck.
If you want to run Windows programs then a windows machine but if it is just for email, Netflix and other internet based things that is what I would buy.

Andy.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Trying not to spend $2K to fix my problem. Centrino is a single core processor and a duocore would be faster. The computer itself isn't that bad, but it is getting older. I know the Wifi Card in it is definitely old generation, won't even do 5GHz


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Leo G said:


> Trying not to spend $2K to fix my problem. Centrino is a single core processor and a duocore would be faster. The computer itself isn't that bad, but it is getting older. I know the Wifi Card in it is definitely old generation, won't even do 5GHz


Try one of those usb dongles I suggested, I got mine for $15. Works better than built in wifi in my old laptop.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I might have one of those kicking around.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

Do you actually notice the slower speed? That's plenty for web browsing, HD streaming, etc. Big downloads will be half as fast.

You say you don't want to spend $2k to fix it. You could get an enormous upgrade for $500.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I need a computer that can deal with 3D graphics in CAD. Just the video card costs that.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Even in a PC?


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Recommended Laptop Systems (October 2014):

Intel® Core™ i7 Dual Core Processor (i7-2620M) at 2.70GHz (or faster)
Windows® 8 Professional 64-bit
8 GB, DDR3-1333 Memory
160GB Hard Drive (7200RPM)
2GB nVidia® Quadro® 1000M Graphics Card
Integrated Ethernet
24X max/10X min CD-ROM Drive
Two-button mouse w/Scroll
Broadband Internet Access


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Just about half that... This thing is a beast for the price.

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-17-3-I...TF8&qid=1426559469&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo+y70


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## SectorSecurity (Nov 26, 2013)

Break out the cat5e cable (cat6) if u want to be fancy because the way to get the best speed is to go wired.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

Leo G said:


> I need a computer that can deal with 3D graphics in CAD. Just the video card costs that.


I thought we were talking about upgrading a 10 year old laptop.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

My laptop works great. The program I use (eCabs) is barely skating by though. My graphics card is outmatched and there is no replacing it. Eventually an upgrade to the program will make it unusable in my computer.

On of the reasons, besides money, for me not upgrading is the screen. I have one of the older screens that is much taller then the newer 1080 format. I like that, and I don't care for the squatness of the new format.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Well I ordered a new WiFi card. Less then $15 including shipping. If it works great, if not, no big loss.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FA3NR3E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## TWhite (Oct 29, 2013)

Look at a 13" MacBook Pro. You can find them competitively priced.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Apple. Me. Riiight.

I have a 17" screen. Not downgrading


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