What is the Best Wireless Card for: Satellite Toshiba Notebook

Ronda Bowen
Categories : Hardware ,Computing
Tags : Computing hardware topics laptops

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What to Look For in a Wireless Card for Satellite Toshiba Notebook Computers

Before reviewing the top five wireless cards for Satellite Toshiba notebooks, it is important to first consider the different features that wireless cards have. The first thing you may be looking at when purchasing a new wireless card is price. This is understandable, but in order to know what that price represents, it is quite helpful to understand what the technical specifications mean.

Here are some of the specifications you will come across:

Data Transfer Rates - this is the speed at which your wireless card will transmit data to and from a network. This specification is measured in Mbit/s and ranges from 2 Mbit/s to 54 Mbit/s. As you can imagine, the higher the number, the faster your wireless card will be.
Wireless Transmit Power- the range at which your wireless card will be able to pick up a wireless signal from. This measure is in dBm.
Wireless Network Standards - this is the general specification for connecting to a network. Generally this will be 802.11b. A network set up with 802.11b is the current standard for wireless routers.

Note: Bluetooth devices do not generally work with 802.11b since they run on a different frequency.

Now that you know some of the key terms used in describing wireless cards for Satellite Toshiba notebooks, we can move on to discussing the top five wireless cards for this type of computer.

Toshiba Satellite M105 Wireless Card

When purchasing a wireless card for your Toshiba Satellite computer, you’ll want to make sure that the wireless card you are using will work with your specific model. To find the model number of your Toshiba Satellite notebook, look on the bottom; you will find it listed there.

For a Toshiba Satellite M105 series notebook, the wireless card is the 802.11b standard, with up to 54 Mbit/s. A replacement wireless card will run you approximately $50. The transmit power of the Satellite Toshiba M105 wireless card is 16.9 Mbps at 15 feet and 13.9 Mbps at 50 feet. This is a fairly powerful wireless card, and if you do a lot of wireless computing, it will suit your needs.

The M45 Wireless Card for Toshiba Satellite Notebook

The next wireless card is the M45 card. This card is an 802.11g standard and it produces a data transfer rate of up to 54 Mbit/s. It can be upgraded, and it gives you Bluetooth compatibility. The Toshiba Satellite M45 will cost you about $20.

Bluetooth compatibility is a plus, especially if you use Bluetooth enabled devices like headphones or a Bluetooth-enabled iPhone. This will allow you to take full advantage of such devices when working with your computer.

The A215 Toshiba Satellite Wireless Card

The Toshiba Satellite A215 Models are known for using the Atheros wireless card. This wireless card is compliant with 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11d and 802.11i standards. An excellent feature of the A215 series wireless cards is that they feature encryption, making your information more secure when working over a network. The hardware features encryption for advanced encryption standard (AES), temporary key integrity protocol (TKIP), and wired equivalent privacy (WEP) so that you can surf the net wirelessly with little worry. This card costs about $20.

The L635 Card for Wireless Access on a Toshiba Satellite Notebook

The wireless card used by the L635 series Toshiba Satellite notebooks is more powerful than the other three. This wireless card is 802.11n standard compatible; replacing this card will run you about $100. It is backwards-compatible, meaning that it will work with older networks and computers. Like the M45 series, the L635 series is Bluetooth enabled. Finally, it is one of the more energy-efficient cards, meaning less battery drain when you are using your computer on the road.

T235D Toshiba Satellite Notebook Wireless Card

Finally, the T235D wireless card is much like the L635 series card. It works with the 802.11n standard and is backwards compatible. The card in this system promises to provide you with fast connection speeds and quick upload times. The difference between this card and the L635 card is that this card does not feature Bluetooth compatibility, making it a good fit for individuals who do not use Bluetooth-enabled devices. Replacing this card will run you upwards of $150.