How to Get Better Reception With a Wireless PCMCIA Card
PCMCIA is an interface used in many laptops that uses interchangeable cards to connect a variety of peripherals. One type of PCMCIA card is a a wireless Internet card, which connects your laptop to a wireless network. However, a variety of factors can affect the reception on the wireless card.
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Instructions
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Move the router. The reception on the PCMCIA card is affected by how far it is from the wireless source. Move the router to an open area that is closer to the laptop and away from metal cabinets, phones and microwaves. Also move the router away from floors and away from too many walls--especially outside walls. All of these can interfere with the wireless signal.
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Upgrade the router and/or wireless PCMCIA card. If the wireless router is using a wireless standard that is lower than the one used for the wireless card, both speed and reception may be affected. Make sure to use the latest wireless standard on both the wireless router and wireless card, for example 802.11n. Refer to the PCMCIA user manual to see what standard it uses.
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Add a Wireless extender. The further the laptop is from the router the weaker the wireless signal will be. A wireless extender can amplify the wireless signal at weak points, which will improve the reception on the wireless PCMCIA card. The distance and coverage area that the wireless extender can extend to varies depending on the manufacturer, but at the very least it can help to extend the signal to the furthest parts of the area you are trying to cover.
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Update the driver for the wireless PCMCIA card. If the card is using a outdated driver, it may not be functioning to the best of its abilities. You can download and install the latest driver from the manufacturer's website.
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Match the manufacturer between the router and the wireless PCMCIA card. Sometimes using the same brand router and wireless PCMCIA card can help improve signal quality because they are the most compatible with each other.
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References
- Photo Credit pc card insertion end image by Georgios Alexandris from Fotolia.com
