random memes }

Wireless network and Linux

A signpost of sort - wireless network support on Linux, at least for the Intel 4965AGN adaptor - sucks.

Went with the Intel adaptor when I ordered this notebook, in part as Intel seems to be actively supporting the development of Linux drivers. In practice, my laptop wireless connection is mostly unreliable, and often near-useless.

I used to think the problem was interference from other nearby wireless routers, but my daughter's laptop seems to work well when mine does not. I have a simple "bounce" test for network performance. My daughter's cheap Toshiba, on the same "bounce" page, gets steady/fast performance when side-by-side to my laptop ... which gets slower/unsteady/unreliable performance.

Not specific to the wireless router or crowded neighborhood either - I get similar poor performance when at my father's place in Colorado (different brand and generation of router, and fewer/further neighbors).