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450

Use the Intel network cards instead of Broadcom

450 points posted to Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops by thefirstm Apr 25

I think that Dell should stop integrating the wired Broadcom 44xx card (or 57xx card for professional PCs). Since as far as I can remember, every Dell laptop has come standard with these, where the Intel counterparts are much better. Every Intel chipset since the ICH2 southbridge has come with an integrated ethernet controller, and since the ICH5 this has been a gigabit controller. Additionally, it seems as if it would be cheaper to use the Intel controller. To utilize it, all you have to do is add a PHY chip instead of a whole ethernet controller. I think Dell needs to get over its Broadcom thing and start offering gigabit controllers in its home and small business laptops by switching to the Intel integrated controller.

theideasman
Apr 25		 I agree give the customer the choice.
sin
Apr 27		 There also are issues with broadcom cards on linux, since their drivers are crap.
theideasman
Apr 27		 Another reason that the choice should be given.
thefirstm
Apr 28		 I am talking wired networking here, not wireless. But since you bring it up, Intel's wireless lan controllers generally work better than those of Broadcom. Besides, like you said yourself, Broadcom has poor compatibility with linux, most specifically their wireless cards do not work.
theideasman
Apr 28		 Maybe the whole networking scheme should switch over to intel then? I myself am not a linux user but do agree that if people use it they need the choice.
As for e-mailing broadcom directly thats probably a very good idea indeed. But my email would include a lot of swearing if i was a linux user! :D
umberto
May 22		 I work tech support at a university, and we have more problems with people connecting to our wireless network with Dell laptops with Broadcom cards than any other type of laptop. It's almost an exclusive problem with the Dell laptops. Is it the broadcom cards that are so bad or is it an engineering problem with Dell laptops and the antenna placement? For those of you who replace your subpar Broadcom card with an intel or atheros card, do you notice better results?
thefirstm
Jun 4		 Intel WLAN cards are an option, and I highly recommend that people buying Dells choose them. I also think that they should be made part of the default configuration. However, what my idea is about is the wired lan, not the wireless lan. The Intel wired lan controller integrated into all Intel southbridges outclasses and outperforms the Broadcom controller that Dell integrates, and it would be cheaper.
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