Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The other reviewer clearly did not do his research before marking it down and 1 star is a little too much don't you think just for the user not doing research? 802.11n ONLY SUPPORTS WPA and above!!! WEP stopped at G as it is a very weak form of security compared to WPA/2 and that is a decision belonging to the WiFi Association.
This is used in an HP Pavilion dv7-1270us upgraded from a 5100. This hooks to my Apple Airport Extreme Base Station the latest revision version 7.4.2. Sadly this only goes upto 300mbps even on the 5GHz band. I am using Windows 7 Ultimate on this machine because I use Spanish and Russian languages on it too.
Power usage:
It uses very little above its sibling 5100 but it does use more nonetheless being that it has a 3rd antenna connection as well. I have noticed that when it is idle, it will trigger it's speed down (on N connections) to conserve some of the battery and when it is on full blast, it will go to the 270-300mbps range. Most of the time when it is idle, it will be around 150-216mbps. It is very smart about power management but that doesn't really apply to me seeing as I have a 17" laptop.
Performance:
With my setup unfortunately, I can't achieve the advertised 450mbps (see setup above). I am only left on 300mbps but it feels more stable compared to the 5100's 5GHz N connection. I do get sustained speeds of 10-12MB/s when copying large files (ISO, HD Video) and for smaller files ~8MB/s - ~10MB/s coming from a Gigabit machine. I have stressed it by streaming 2 1080p videos simultaneously without too many lags in playback. 3x 720p videos came out with similar results. 802.11N by all means isn't meant to get too far of a distance but since I got the third antenna working, I can go 3 rooms apart until it drops a signal bar to 3 from 5. If you must use a far distance connection, G will suit you better but for network related work, N in a closer range works best. Overall one of the best devices you can find out there.
Compatibility:
It works from XP and above and Linux support in more modern distros seems to be in order. For Windows, it supports XP but 802.11N on XP is very flaky and doesn't work as well as Vista and 7. I used the driver from Intel's site as the stock 7 driver is very basic. MyFi only works in Vista and 7 and makes your laptop its own SSID/hotspot which is pretty neat, sorry XP users but why bother beating a dead horse? This is unfortunately tied down to Centrino/Centrino 2 users meaning you must have an Intel machine. I'm not sure of Atom netbook users so please report if such is done. Hackintosh users are out of luck with this and the other siblings 5100 and 1000. Atheros and Broadcom chips are better for Macs and Hackintoshes.
Packaging:
It was packed in a little, easy-to-open clamshell package which wouldn't open too easily as I was scared it would let the 5300 drop. I had to gently open it and while it didn't drop, its better safe than sorry. Nothing too fancy either, ANTOnline shipped it in the mail via USPS in 2 (yes 2) yellow envelopes insides, full of bubble wrap.
I hope I had enough info to provide to other possible buyers, ANTOnline did their job well and shipped it very securely as well. Feel free to leave questions in the comments as well, I might post benchmarks later on if I get enough demand.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel Intel 5300 Ultimate N Wi-Fi Link Wireless Network Adapter - Mini PCI Express - 450Mbps - IEEE 802.11n (draft), IEEE 802.11a/b/g
The Intel 5300 Ultimate N Wi-Fi Link Wireless Network Adapter is family of IEEE 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N1 wireless network adapter that operate in both the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz spectra. This adapter, available in both PCIe Mini Card and Half Mini Card form factor deliver up to 450 Mbps of bandwidth, in addition to providing a host of features that enhance today mobile lifestyle.
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