Wifi advice for laptop (1 Viewer)

D

d.steeley

Well-known member

• Mar 3, 2008

• #1

Hi all, my friend has asked me to help her set up her laptop Wifi connection to TalkTalk. She has the modem and all the other stuff and a start date. What I don't know is if her laptop is wifi enabled. It is a Dell Inspiron 1000 2/3years old. TT website suggests laptops that are wifi enabled will sport a logo shaped like a heart and coloured blue and red. Her laptop does not have this logo. I looked in control panel and then in wireless connection and was presented with a wireless connection setup wizard. By clicking next it showed 2 pictures: a usb key and the word 'auto' and the other, a wifi modem and the word 'manual'. After selecting the wifi/manual option the wizard closed down. So I am none the wiser as to if it is wifi enabled or not. I may get a usb converter from Carphone Warehouse before trying to set it up just in case. Anyone any ideas please?

Thanks

Dave.

 

Duke Leto

Without habitat, there is no wildlife. It's that s

• Mar 4, 2008

• #2

Dave, have a look in control panel>system>hardware>device manager>network adapters... all the network adapters on the laptop will be listed in here.

 

D

d.steeley

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2008

• #3

Thanks Steve, will do.

Dave

 

P

Peter_Perfect

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2008

• #4

other ways

If it does not have a built in wifi device, one can easily be connected by using a PCMIA device, these bury themselves into the laptop with only the aerial showing. Or a usb device can be used, although these tend to be more fragile.

 

D

d.steeley

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2008

• #5

Peter_Perfect said:

If it does not have a built in wifi device, one can easily be connected by using a PCMIA device, these bury themselves into the laptop with only the aerial showing. Or a usb device can be used, although these tend to be more fragile.

Click to expand...

Yes, thanks, I want to see if the laptop is already wifi enabled before buying a usb converter. Unfortunately working till late tonight so probably unable to check now until tomorrow evening. Thank you for your replies.

Dave

 

D

d.steeley

Well-known member

• Mar 6, 2008

• #6

Ok, had a look in network connections and i don't think it has a wireless adapter fitted so I'll need to use a usb converter or a PCMIA thingy, are these difficult to fit? I have several thumbs. I know the usbs are easy to fit its the PCMIAs I'm not sure about. I would be buying one from Carphone Warehouse as its TalkTalk broadband being set up and I am presuming the adapters would have all the correct info installed. (I don't really know what I'm talking about here).

Thanks

Dave

 

Mono

Hi!

Staff member

Supporter

• Mar 6, 2008

• #7

PCMCIA cards are as easy as USB. Just slide them in and Windows will auto detect it and either install it using the default drivers or prompt you to insert the installation disk.

Just a quick check. Does the laptop in question have some PCMCIA slots? Modern laptops often don't but ones of your vintage should have, best to check. They are usually in pairs and all you can see is the plastic blank or flap covering the hole.

 

D

d.steeley

Well-known member

• Mar 6, 2008

• #8

Thanks Mono, I have no idea if it has any slots so will have a look later. I'm thinking that I may just go ahead and set up the broadband connection and then see if it will work wifi. If not (as seems likely) I will leave it set up with a LAN cable until I can get hold of a usb/PCMCIA. I preume the the system will work as a wired setup?

Thanks

Dave

 

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notatwitcher!

Registered Gadget Freak

• Mar 6, 2008

• #9

If its any help, if you have to set the router up its usually better with a LAN cable to start with - sometime you have to. The router may already be set up tho.

It won't make any difference where you get the USB or PCMIA adapter from - there is no setup on the widget to do with broadband. The broadband setup is all the router. You should get a setup disc that'll do it all- or the router will already be set up. The widget will do the wireless connection to the router - and as Mono says, that should auto-detect when you plug it in etc.

Mike

 

D

d.steeley

Well-known member

• Mar 7, 2008

• #10

Thanks for the info Mike.

Dave

 

D

d.steeley

Well-known member

• Mar 9, 2008

• #11

Hi all, just an update. Set up the TT broadband this morning on my friends laptop. Used the TT installation CD and set up was faultless. As expected, there is no inbuilt wireless connection so my friend is going to get a usb adapter tomorrow. Hopefully I can then finish off the installation.

Thanks for all your advice.

Dave