Install / Change Mini Wireless Card (1390 to 3945)

In case anyone else is considering changing their mini wireless card I
thought I'd post about how simple it is to do that.

I decided to switch from Dell's 1390 mini wireless card in my Inspiron
640m to Intel's 3945 because I have been having various problems:

- If I am connected to my wireless home network, then go out and
connect to a different wireless network at a coffee house for example,
I could not connect back to my home network unless I rebooted.

- At times my laptop connected to my home network with limited
connectivity, or being able to connect to my home network but not be
able to access the Internet.

I did not have these kinds of problems with prior laptops.

Here's how easy it is to switch...

- The card is available at many places online. I got mine through
Amazon for about $28.

- The Dell service manual can be found on Dell's web site. Read that
before doing anything.

- Following the steps outlined there, the process is to unscrew the
cover, carefully pull up to disconnect two wires, take out the
existing card, put the new card in, connect the two wires, and voila
-- no problemo, very easy.

Vista recognized the card and it worked when the laptop was booted up
without my having to install any drivers. However, there are more
recent drivers on Intel's site so I installed those.

I suspect this will solve my problems but I haven't been using it long
enough to know yet. I also hope to have increased range because the
Dell 1390 was disappointing in that area.

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:29:55 -0500, Journey wrote:

In case anyone else is considering changing their mini wireless card I
thought I'd post about how simple it is to do that.

I decided to switch from Dell's 1390 mini wireless card in my Inspiron
640m to Intel's 3945 because I have been having various problems:

- If I am connected to my wireless home network, then go out and
connect to a different wireless network at a coffee house for example,
I could not connect back to my home network unless I rebooted.

- At times my laptop connected to my home network with limited
connectivity, or being able to connect to my home network but not be
able to access the Internet.

I did not have these kinds of problems with prior laptops.

Here's how easy it is to switch...

- The card is available at many places online. I got mine through
Amazon for about $28.

- The Dell service manual can be found on Dell's web site. Read that
before doing anything.

- Following the steps outlined there, the process is to unscrew the
cover, carefully pull up to disconnect two wires, take out the
existing card, put the new card in, connect the two wires, and voila
-- no problemo, very easy.

Vista recognized the card and it worked when the laptop was booted up
without my having to install any drivers. However, there are more
recent drivers on Intel's site so I installed those.

I suspect this will solve my problems but I haven't been using it long
enough to know yet. I also hope to have increased range because the
Dell 1390 was disappointing in that area.


Journey, thanks for the post as I may be in the same situation. I
have no problem connecting on my home network and the range is good
but when I go to Austin's public library (outa town from where I live
but I will be going there more often) I can't connect (well once I did
but for just a minute or so and never again after that moment). So
I'm debating whether to change cards like yourself. Tho we don't
have identical problems, yours sounds similar so I'm interested to
know if you think your new card solves your problems.

Let's say I will be listening to your every word here grin !!!

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:29:55 -0500, Journey wrote:

In case anyone else is considering changing their mini wireless card I
thought I'd post about how simple it is to do that.

I decided to switch from Dell's 1390 mini wireless card in my Inspiron
640m to Intel's 3945 because I have been having various problems:


Just to add to my last post, I have 2 of these laptops and only use
one of them when I go to Austin. I might just for the heck buy 2
cards tho to put into both laptops.

Actually I also have a 600m laptop and wonder if it too can take the
same card ? I'll have to do some checking or asking. In that case I
might be wise to buy 3 new cards????

Anyone know if the intel 3945 wifi card can go inside a 600m laptop?

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:24:39 -0500, RnR wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:29:55 -0500, Journey wrote:

In case anyone else is considering changing their mini wireless card I
thought I'd post about how simple it is to do that.

I decided to switch from Dell's 1390 mini wireless card in my Inspiron
640m to Intel's 3945 because I have been having various problems:


Just to add to my last post, I have 2 of these laptops and only use
one of them when I go to Austin. I might just for the heck buy 2
cards tho to put into both laptops.

Actually I also have a 600m laptop and wonder if it too can take the
same card ? I'll have to do some checking or asking. In that case I
might be wise to buy 3 new cards????

Anyone know if the intel 3945 wifi card can go inside a 600m laptop?

RnR, I would only replace a card if something's not working and you
suspect it is the card. You indicate that you have 3 laptops -- are
things not working in all 3?

If you do replace the card, I would start out by doing it on one
laptop and then see if that fixes any problems.

I will know by tomorrow night if replacing the card fixes my problem
and whether it improves the range. I'll post a short followup
tomorrow.

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:48:57 -0500, Journey wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:24:39 -0500, RnR wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:29:55 -0500, Journey wrote:

In case anyone else is considering changing their mini wireless card I
thought I'd post about how simple it is to do that.

I decided to switch from Dell's 1390 mini wireless card in my Inspiron
640m to Intel's 3945 because I have been having various problems:


Just to add to my last post, I have 2 of these laptops and only use
one of them when I go to Austin. I might just for the heck buy 2
cards tho to put into both laptops.

Actually I also have a 600m laptop and wonder if it too can take the
same card ? I'll have to do some checking or asking. In that case I
might be wise to buy 3 new cards????

Anyone know if the intel 3945 wifi card can go inside a 600m laptop?

RnR, I would only replace a card if something's not working and you
suspect it is the card. You indicate that you have 3 laptops -- are
things not working in all 3?

If you do replace the card, I would start out by doing it on one
laptop and then see if that fixes any problems.

I will know by tomorrow night if replacing the card fixes my problem
and whether it improves the range. I'll post a short followup
tomorrow.

Thanks Journey.

At home no problems. In Austin's library, one laptop (640m) doesn't
work well no matter how I change settings. I don't really know if the
card will make the difference but I think I tried everything else .

I'll stay tuned tomorrow night.

The Inspiron 600m uses the miniPCI form factor, so you would want the Intel
2915ABG. More or less the same on-board hardware chip and exactly the same
software as the 3945.

Also, DO install the software from the Intel web site, not Dell's. It is
approx 45MB download, but well worth it. Intel's software to manage wifi
connections is among the best I've seen, very intuitive and helpful... Ben Myers

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:24:39 -0500, RnR wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:29:55 -0500, Journey wrote:

In case anyone else is considering changing their mini wireless card I
thought I'd post about how simple it is to do that.

I decided to switch from Dell's 1390 mini wireless card in my Inspiron
640m to Intel's 3945 because I have been having various problems:


Just to add to my last post, I have 2 of these laptops and only use
one of them when I go to Austin. I might just for the heck buy 2
cards tho to put into both laptops.

Actually I also have a 600m laptop and wonder if it too can take the
same card ? I'll have to do some checking or asking. In that case I
might be wise to buy 3 new cards????

Anyone know if the intel 3945 wifi card can go inside a 600m laptop?

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:31:44 -0400, Ben Myers
wrote:

The Inspiron 600m uses the miniPCI form factor, so you would want the Intel
2915ABG. More or less the same on-board hardware chip and exactly the same
software as the 3945.

Also, DO install the software from the Intel web site, not Dell's. It is
approx 45MB download, but well worth it. Intel's software to manage wifi
connections is among the best I've seen, very intuitive and helpful... Ben Myers

Hi Ben -- I am not sure I was able to find the software you mention. I
downloaded from this link:

http://tinyurl.com/34pu9j

#1, #2, and #4.

I didn't recall anything special about anything I downloaded so I must
be missing something.

Thanks!

You do want to download the software behind door #4. That's the whole
enchilada, including the wireless connection management software which
supercedes Microsoft's brain-dead wifi built into XP/Vista. The ID tool (#1)
is an ID tool that only tells you what the wifi card is. #2 is drivers only,
essentially what Dell provides... Ben

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:02:00 -0500, Journey wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:31:44 -0400, Ben Myers
wrote:

The Inspiron 600m uses the miniPCI form factor, so you would want the Intel
2915ABG. More or less the same on-board hardware chip and exactly the same
software as the 3945.

Also, DO install the software from the Intel web site, not Dell's. It is
approx 45MB download, but well worth it. Intel's software to manage wifi
connections is among the best I've seen, very intuitive and helpful... Ben Myers

Hi Ben -- I am not sure I was able to find the software you mention. I
downloaded from this link:

http://tinyurl.com/34pu9j

#1, #2, and #4.

I didn't recall anything special about anything I downloaded so I must
be missing something.

Thanks!

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:31:44 -0400, Ben Myers
wrote:

The Inspiron 600m uses the miniPCI form factor, so you would want the Intel
2915ABG. More or less the same on-board hardware chip and exactly the same
software as the 3945.

Also, DO install the software from the Intel web site, not Dell's. It is
approx 45MB download, but well worth it. Intel's software to manage wifi
connections is among the best I've seen, very intuitive and helpful... Ben Myers



Thank you Ben for that info.. I probably should take Journey's (and
my deceased dad's advice for that matter) and not replace my network
cards unless there is a problem. In my case there isn't UNLESS I use
Austin's (Texas) public library (at home no problem on wifi) in which
case I can't get on their free wifi. I tried various things then and
except for about 1 minute or less, I never could get on. I can't say
it's a card problem but I was willing to try that after exhausting all
the other ideas in my head. It sounds silly perhaps but I was able to
get on the net effortlessly using the same laptop the same day in
Austin outside a hotel providing free wifi so for a while I surfed the
net in the parking lot in my car. Needless to say it wasn't as
comfortable as the library.

A quick thought just hit me..... I wonder if I update the intel
drivers in this problem laptop, if that might make a difference? I
sorta doubt it but heck I'm grasping for ideas .

Yes, if the card in your system is an Intel card, by all means update with the
Intel software... Ben Myers

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:01:14 -0500, RnR wrote:

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:31:44 -0400, Ben Myers
wrote:

The Inspiron 600m uses the miniPCI form factor, so you would want the Intel
2915ABG. More or less the same on-board hardware chip and exactly the same
software as the 3945.

Also, DO install the software from the Intel web site, not Dell's. It is
approx 45MB download, but well worth it. Intel's software to manage wifi
connections is among the best I've seen, very intuitive and helpful... Ben Myers



Thank you Ben for that info.. I probably should take Journey's (and
my deceased dad's advice for that matter) and not replace my network
cards unless there is a problem. In my case there isn't UNLESS I use
Austin's (Texas) public library (at home no problem on wifi) in which
case I can't get on their free wifi. I tried various things then and
except for about 1 minute or less, I never could get on. I can't say
it's a card problem but I was willing to try that after exhausting all
the other ideas in my head. It sounds silly perhaps but I was able to
get on the net effortlessly using the same laptop the same day in
Austin outside a hotel providing free wifi so for a while I surfed the
net in the parking lot in my car. Needless to say it wasn't as
comfortable as the library.

A quick thought just hit me..... I wonder if I update the intel
drivers in this problem laptop, if that might make a difference? I
sorta doubt it but heck I'm grasping for ideas .