Antenna-signal loss, a direct byproduct of antenna location, plays a critical role in the performance of embedded wireless notebooks. In laptops, the antennas are in the monitor frame or under the keyboard. Both placements provide suitable Wi-Fi support.
Compared with antennas under the keyboard, those in the monitor frame have more gain horizontally, which helps users connect to access points on the same floor. The drawback is increased signal loss--50 percent for 802.11b/g and slightly more for 802.11a. Most embedded wireless laptops use the native wireless utility provided by Microsoft XP. But if you want something more versatile, robust and easy to use, consider a proprietary client utility for your embedded WLAN NIC.
Proprietary utilities offer more information on the WLAN NIC and its environment. Many include applications that supply granular information on signal-strength percentage, noise level and signal-to-noise ratio, as well as tools to assist in site surveying and troubleshooting, which are not available from Microsoft Windows XP.
Size Matters
There are many options you can add to your notebooks--but you'll have to sacrifice some capabilities to keep your box lighter than eight pounds. Prioritize your computing requirements. With notebooks ranging from desktop replacements to ultraportables, you'll probably find all the sexy options overwhelming.
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