04-16-2010, 04:05 AM
spgsose wrote:
Hm. Many options.
Any idea if my laptop will work with 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11n cards, all of them? Will it, for example, downgrade 11n signals to 11g or something like that?
Comparing the 11Mbps/54Mbps Ebay card (no brand name given, btw) and the Edimax, whose speed changes based on the type of WiFi it's used in: is there a sizable advantage to the Edimax in this comparison, for my computer?
The eBay card is 802.11g. The Edimax card is 802.11n. The "g" standard includes "b" and the "n" standard includes "b" and "g". The speed is set by the router, not by the card. If you have a "g" card it will not be able to connect to a router set to "n" only.
Pretty much all publicly available WiFi signals are "b" for compatibility, so it won't be an issue when you are traveling.
So for practical purposes you really only can use an "n" card if you have an "n" router at home. Routers can be set to use only their fastest speed (g or n) or can be set for compatibility to slow to b or g speed depending on what's connecting to them. If you have other b or g devices which need to use your router you should consider that.
As far as needing the better speed, most people's internet connection is not as fast as the older "b" speed cards. Having an "n" card is not needed unless you want to do large file transfers with your laptop. For example, if you'd like to use Time Machine to do wireless backups I'd recommend an "n" card. If you only need it for internet access, a "g" card will be fine.
As to which cards will work in your laptop:
- b cards will work with an appropriate driver. There are several sources for drivers depending on the card.
- g cards which have the Broadcom chipset will work without a driver. I think you need OS 10.4, but it might be 10.3 as a minimum.
- n cards will work with a driver. You need to get an n card which comes with a Mac driver.
Good luck.
- Winston