help with wireless signal strenths

[bigG]

Hello,

I have a basic wireless network using an adsl router made by dynomode. The router is positioned at front of the house. My desktop is connected to the router by cable, no problem there. My laptop is a dell with built in wifi (intel(r) pro wireless 3945abg) I have no problem with connection anywhere in the house and it even works outside at the bottom of the garden.

My fathers laptop on the other hand is a 2 year old advent with a dynamode pcmcia card, it picks up the network when in the same room as the router, but fails to pick it up anywhere else in the house. I have bought a netgear rangemax pcmcia card aswell but this works the same.

Any one know why my laptop works better than my fathers and is it worth buying a wireless g network expander to boost the signal round the house.

Thanks in advance sorry its so long winded

 

[Mr-White]

you could try swapping the antennas ?

what speeds are the cards and router runnning at ?

MW

 

[bigG]

you could try swapping the antennas ?

what speeds are the cards and router runnning at ?

MW

54Mbps

I have tried swapping the cards. The only thing i can think of is that the antenna is stronger on my built in card than the ones on the pcmcia cards

 

[Mattw]

in a laptop, the wireless antenna generally runs up the side of the screen, it is an actual aerial as opposed to a little sticky out bit on a pcmcia card, so that could be it?