Signal problems on laptop but not PC?

I just bought a Dell laptop and installed a Netgear MA521 wireless
card but for some reason it is getting a really poor signal. When I am
in my room upstairs with the door shut (the router is downstairs) the
signal fluctuates between 50-70% most of the time and disconnects
often. Especially if I move the laptop slightly, it will cut off
straight away.

Thing is, I have a PC right next to it with a D-Link PCI wireless card
and that gets an excellent signal 100% of the time, no cut offs.

Does anyone know what might cause the laptop to get such a bad signal?
I have tried turning off phones, the other computer etc but it doesnt
seem to be an interference problem.

many thanks

rich

: Does anyone know what might cause the laptop to get such a bad signal?
: I have tried turning off phones, the other computer etc but it doesnt
: seem to be an interference problem.

Because it's not.
Firstly, these cards may have different sensitivity and different output powers.
(Not quite sure)
But the most important thing is a PCMCIA's antenna, and this is a problem.
When moving down/upstairs it changes the polarization relative to AP and
the signal quality is getting lower then.

m.

"Marcin Lukasik" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<c1qrgt$m72$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> But the most important thing is a PCMCIA's antenna, and this is a problem.
> When moving down/upstairs it changes the polarization relative to AP and
> the signal quality is getting lower then.
>
> m.


So you are saying there is no way round this?


Also I noticed that when I put my laptop right next to the AP, the
signal only goes to 80-90%. Is that normal? (would have thought I
should get 100% easily, but then I am just guessing)

: So you are saying there is no way round this?
:
:
: Also I noticed that when I put my laptop right next to the AP, the
: signal only goes to 80-90%. Is that normal? (would have thought I
: should get 100% easily, but then I am just guessing)

That's normal. This is due to different polarizations.
When you put laptop on the table its antenna has horizontal polarization
while the AP's polarization is vertical. Try to rotate your laptop by 90 deg.
You'll see what will happen ;-)

m.

"Marcin Lukasik" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<c1tnr7$aht$(E-Mail Removed)>...

> That's normal. This is due to different polarizations.
> When you put laptop on the table its antenna has horizontal polarization
> while the AP's polarization is vertical. Try to rotate your laptop by 90 deg.
> You'll see what will happen ;-)
>
> m.



Nothing!? It stays around the 80-90% mark.