Hey all I have a Dell Inspiron 630m laptop with an Intel 2915ABG wireless card. The antenna is in the lid of the laptop. I've found that my signal is always stronger and I have longer range when I use the Intel-provided software compared to Windows built-in connection management (this is not a question of drivers, I am using the same Intel drivers either way, I am just referring to the actual software application). The Intel software, however, has a huge performance tax on my system. My startup times nearly double when using it (it's absolutely brutal), and even then, I still have to wait for it to connect in addition to that. With the Windows connection management, it will connect during (or before) login, which shaves a considerable amount of time off before the computer is "usable". I found I had no connection issues using the Intel software, and I could go out in the yard, etc, but now even at my desk sitting about 8 feet from the router, I can sometimes lose my connection due to interference (such as buses driving by on my street). This was never an issue (same router, same config) using intel software except it took forever to start up. Is there any way you can think of to improve my signal strength and range without using the Intel software? It's clear my card is CAPABLE of it, but it's like the intel software somehow unlocks that capability. Thanks