Wireless adapter?

[keef_haggerd]

Today I realized i dont know a single thing about wireless stuff.

So my mom just ordered a gateway labtop and she could get a wireless router for $20, so i told her to get it considering routers arent any less then $50 most of the time.

Well I then was thinking "what the heck do i need to put into MY computer so i can pick up on the internet?"

i was looking on new egg and was like "uhhh"


so what replaces my ethernet card? is it a wireless adapter? because thats the only thing that looked to me like it would work.

 

[Greg]

Yeah, its a wireless adapter, either PCI or USB.

 

[MikeyE]

Do you have a laptop or a desktop? Yes, a wireless adapter is what you need. If you have a laptop with PCMCIA slots, then you want a card to fit that. (That's a slot somewhere on the side of your computer, usually has a little door on it, looks like a floppy drive but smaller). Just do a search for it.

If you have a desktop then go for a PCI or USB adapter.

Let us know what kind of computer you have and we'll talk you through what you need to do.

 

[keef_haggerd]

thanks, its a desktop, an old gateway, and our wireless router is a D-link, which is better USB or PCI? and cheaper,im going ot check some out at pricewatch.

 

[MikeyE]

USB and PCI adapters will both work equally well. But you must open your case to install PCI and make sure you have an available slot first!

USB will be obviously be simpler to install, just plug it in. Also you may get slightly better reception with the usb adapter because you can put the antenna anywhere instead of it being stuck in back of your pc case.

 

[keef_haggerd]

thanks! ill definatly be checking out some USB adapters then.

so im looking for something like this?

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=TRAN-BT-DONGLE&cat=NET


my bedroom is like exactly 32 feet away from the router, and there is the wall of the kitchen the wifi would have to go through

 

[MikeyE]

I don't think you want that one, that's a BlueTooth adapter used for connecting cell phones, PDAs etcetera to your computer. Totally different from wifi.

What you need is more like this: http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PQP-WU221L&cat=NET

Or even better:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833127151

The d-link one costs a bit more but I'm not sure I'd trust that generic adapter on geeks.com

 

[keef_haggerd]

alright thanks! i think ill be getting the one from newegg soon.