After playing a lot with multiple Linux distributions, I had hard time make my wireless card working. This was back to the release of Ubuntu 6.06. My wireless card was a Dell TrueMobile based on the Broadcom chip. Broadcom is known to not release chip specifications, so at that time, I had to use the just released open source driver built using clean-room reverse engineering, or rely on NdisWrapper to run the native Windows driver. I managed to make the open source driver work but it was painful: Needed to reconnect repetitively to get a “B” (11 mb/s) connection while my card could go “G” (54 mb/s).

Finally I got tired of all this… Since the Inspiron is using a mini-PCI card for the wireless card, I looked for a replacement card that was working well with Linux and found the Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG for less than 50$ CDN. After installation, it worked flawlessly!

If you are tired of you TrueMobile (or Broadcom based) wireless card and you want to replace it, here are the steps:

Oh, by the way, if you follow these steps… remember that your doing it at your own risk! First, it is suggested to ground yourself. You can use an anti-static wristband like this Belkin. Turn your Inspiron on the back and identify the battery and Wi-Fi compartment.
Turn your Inspiron on the back and identify the battery and Wi-Fi compartment. Remove the battery
Once the battery is removed and the Wi-Fi compartment is opened…
Now we need to remove the old Dell TrueMobile wireless card. Gently unplug the two antennas represented by the red circles on the picture beside. (click on the picture for a bigger display) Then press outwards on the little metal clips (blue circles on the picture) holding the wireless card in its socket and it will pop out at a 45 degree angle.
Install the new card by holding the card at a 45 degree angle and slide into the socket. Push down the card and snap it into place alongside the metal clips. Replug the two antennas (see picture beside). Screw the panel back to close the Wi-Fi compartment. Put the battery back in place. If you are using Windows, install the new drivers. For Linux, it should automatically detect it. Enjoy!