buying laptop PCIe mini dual band adapter

Matts1 · 13 Sep 2012

Unfortunately, at my school you need a dual band wireless adapter in order to connect to the internet. With my current laptop, there are certain requirements it must meet in order for it to work.

it must be a full height card. An adapter will not work as the antenna wires won't go that far.
It needs to have 2 antenna ports. I have found a few ones which fit all the other specifications, but they appear to have 3 ports.
Obviously it must be PCIe-mini and dual band, as stated in the title

Does anyone know what one to get, or even if there is one that meets those specifications?

TVeblen · 14 Sep 2012

Your post is confusing for a few reasons:

Laptops do not have expansion slots, PCIe or otherwise. Everything is expanded through the external ports.
Very few laptops are made with dual band adapters right now. It is curious that a school would require something that is only available on top end laptops.
Wires? Network connectivity is done through CAT5 or 6 Ethernet wiring or wirelessly.
Dual band refers to the frequency of the wireless signal: 2.4GHz or 5GHz.
The antennas on a wireless device correspond to the channels that the wireless signal is sent out on. 2 antennae do not equal dual band.
Full height or half height cards are only configurations. The configuration of a card has nothing to do with performance. Where are you going to put a full height card for desktop PC in a laptop?
PCIe-mini makes a little more sense, but contradicts the earlier need for a full height card. These are opposites.

Perhaps it would be better to explain what you are trying to do.

Matts1 · 15 Sep 2012

1. Yes, I meant PCI-e mini
2. The school provides us laptops for us to use, but they are crap and I don't have privelages to install nessecary programs
3. Antenna wires connect to a pci-e mini wireless card (see here)
4. I know that dual band refers to the frequency. The school runs on 5GHz and my house runs on 2.4GHz, so I need a dual band card.
5. Is what you're saying that 3 antennas are nessecary for dual band? If so, is it possible to add a third antenna wire.
6. I know they are only configurations. In the attatchment is a crappy sketch of the problem.
Comparison between full and half height PCI-e

pebbly · 15 Sep 2012

Hi Matts1, have a look at this link WLAN Card / Extra Antenna installation - Wireless LAN - LaptopVideo2Go Forums It will give you an idea of what to do and where to obtain the additional wire from :)

bobafetthotmail · 15 Sep 2012

Matts1 said:

4. I know that dual band refers to the frequency. The school runs on 5GHz and my house runs on 2.4GHz, so I need a dual band card.

If you don't have the privileges to install stuff on the laptops, even if you place a dual-band mini-pcie wifi adapter you won't be able to install drivers. So it's pointless.

What about buying a dual band router for your home?

Also, what about asking the IT guys of your school? Thay may be able to do something for free.

TVeblen · 15 Sep 2012

This is the type of USB connected device you would use to add dual band wireless connectivity to a laptop:

WNDA4100

There is no need for wires.

As I stated previously, the antennae on routers and wireless adapters only receive the radio signal through the air. The frequency of that signal, 2.4GHz or 5GHz, is generated inside the router. The antennae do not determine the frequency.

The "PCI-e wireless card" you show in that picture is actually the laptop's "Wireless Adapter". Yes it is a card, but it is an integral part of the laptop. That adapter must be a dual band adapter in order to receive signals on both bands. Adding more antennae wires to it will not change it from a single band adapter to a dual band adapter. That can only be done on the adapter's circuit board.

You may be able to get a replacement adapter for that laptop that is dual band, but don't count on every manufacturer having one.

bobafetthotmail's idea of talking to the IT guys at your school is a very good one.

alphanumeric · 15 Sep 2012

Your current antennas are likely only 2.4 GHz antennas. Even if you find a dual band card that fits, your antennas won't support the 5 GHz band. As far as I know it has nothing to do with how many antennas there are. My DIR-655 has three antennas but it only works on the 2.4 GHz band. The third antenna just gives it another MIMO stream to play with. Its my understanding that dual band Routers and adapters have dual band antennas.

Matts1 · 16 Sep 2012

Thanks alphanumeric. I didn't realise that my current 2 may not support dual band.

Pebbly, thanks, I read that post and it seemed very useful. The only issue is, I don't trust myself to install another 3 antenna leads, so I think I will end up going with TVemblem's solution instead.

PS. I wanted the dual band on another old laptop I have (not school laptop, it already has dual band)

Layback Bear · 16 Sep 2012

How do all the other students make their laptops do what you are trying to do?
The OP's post #3
2. The school provides us laptops for us to use, but they are crap and I don't have privelages to install nessecary programs

alphanumeric · 16 Sep 2012

@ Layback Bear, The way I read it the OP doesn't want to use the school provided laptop because its restricted in what can be installed on it. He is trying to modify his own laptop so he can connect to the school network and use it instead. The school provided laptops connect fine without any modifications. His laptop won't because the school uses the 5 GHz band, which his laptop doesn't have.