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Wireless card for laptop

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  • 30-07-2009 11:21am
    #1
    voyage
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭


    Does anyone have any advice on where to get a wireless (wifi) card for my laptop and what brand is considered to be a good one. And also is it better to get a wireless card or a usb key?
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    #2
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,285 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    It depends on what expansion slots you have available, whether you have an insitu wireless solution etc.

    If you have a pre-existing wireless card- you may be able to swap a replacement card with it. The benefit of this is you get to use the pre-existing antenna, which can be a bitch to install. I've a personal preference for Intel 5100 and 5300s (whatever you can get at a reasonable price).


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    #3
    voyage
    Registered Users Posts: 43 ✭voyage


    Hi, thanks for the reply. The problem is I don't have a pre-existing wireless card on the laptop. I do have a slot at the side of laptop thought, which I'm guessing is where I could put the wireless card. I just want to get something cheap and easy to install to be able to connect to the web in a cafe or wherever I can find a wifi zone. Any ideas?


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    #4
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,285 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    voyage wrote: »
    Hi, thanks for the reply. The problem is I don't have a pre-existing wireless card on the laptop. I do have a slot at the side of laptop thought, which I'm guessing is where I could put the wireless card. I just want to get something cheap and easy to install to be able to connect to the web in a cafe or wherever I can find a wifi zone. Any ideas?

    Any PCMCIA wireless card will do (make sure not to get an expresscard!!!).

    If you'd like a freebie- pop me your address by PM and I'll get one in the post to you next week (note: its a wireless a/b card- so it'll be very slow- but will work. I don't have a drivers CD- so you'll have to use google and download the software/drivers).

    If you're buying- go for something with Wireless b/g- the PCMCIA cards are cheap as chips because hardly anyone uses them anymore (most laptops have inbuilt wireless).

    S.


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    #5
    dub45
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,448 Mod ✭✭✭✭dub45


    You are looking for something like this:

    http://www.netgear.co.uk/extra/wirelessnetworkcard_wg511.php

    As above these type of cards use the PCMCIA slot on your laptop. More up to date laptops use a variant of that slot called the express card slot but any laptop with such a slot is like to have a built in wireless card anways.

    With the type of card above you can more or less plug it in and forget about it.

    Obviously the usb card will not be so handy but if you get a usb extention cable (very cheap) you can then try other postions for the card which might suit in certain situations.

    You pays your money!


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