Why buy a MIMO PC Card now?
Most new notebooks today come with at least 802.11g built in, so why add a PC card wireless LAN (WLAN) adapter? In the case of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, we find it useful to go the aftermarket route when one requires greater range than is possible with the built-in WLAN adapter.
(At left is the AirStation MIMO card from Buffalo Technology.)
Dell is shipping some notebooks with a provision for the third built-in antenna required by MIMO, but this is not common.
Users today can take advantage of the greater effective range of MIMO with a simple plug-in upgrade. This technique also will work for enterprises, with the MIMO adapter operating in 802.11g mode.
The quality of the link is improved, even with MIMO on only one end. While the top speeds possible with MIMO on both ends are even better, this “better than g” approach can prove quite useful.
