How strong is the wireless signal on the PCG-TR3AP1?  Say like sitting in a starbucks/barnes & nobles.  Or even across the house with a wireless router.  Any sudden lost in connections at random moments?

Would it be necessary at all to pick up a PCWA-C800S wireless card for any better signals?

I’m not the biggest coffee fan, but I’ve found the antenna on the TR to pretty decent. I can get a good signal outside my parents house on the other side of the house from the router and I’ve had very little signal dropping on either Linksys or Netgear equipment, at least when I use WAP rather than WPA. It outperforms the Linksys PCI card (with an external antenna) that’s in my parents PC.

The connection quality on my TR3A is really good.  I can pick put a wireless signal in almost all classrooms on campus where as most other people have a really hard time getting a signal in many classes.

So I will say it seems to be better then many other laptops.

Sometimes i think the signal strength may not be accurate ... i have a couple of experiences where the signal strength shows 4/5.. but it’s only 2Mbps ...

I hv both the TR3A and the X505 with the PCWA-C800S so the comparison should be deadon for your needs.

the TR3A centrino gets ‘decent’ signal. it’s no better and no worse than the broadcom chipped wifi cards.

the PCWA-C800S definitely sees/picks up more APs, but when connecting to a nearby AP, does not get any better speed than the TR3A.

essentially, if you wanna go wardriving, neither will suffice

i have a tr3 and see no need for an external wireless card - but i think one must understand that transmitters have different ranges, as i found out at the Federal Hotel, Soi 11, Bangkok. Their system had the most limited range I have ever found, limited to the poolside/lobby which is very small. In sharp contrast with the SangriLa, which transmitter goes across the size of a cricket field. But in short, I am very pleased with the onboard wireless card…i am always finding free networks in my travels
jigs