I've got a wireless router and am using a netgear "receiver" plugged
into the USB port of my laptop. To be honest the reception is very bad.
I can barely get two out of five bars when I'm in the same room as the
router! I'm thinking of getting a wireless card (it will also free up a
usb port). Newbie question: how hard is it to fit? How can I find out
if I can fit one to my laptop?

Peter

plbrown wrote:
> I've got a wireless router and am using a netgear "receiver" plugged
> into the USB port of my laptop. To be honest the reception is very
> bad. I can barely get two out of five bars when I'm in the same room
> as the router! I'm thinking of getting a wireless card (it will also
> free up a usb port). Newbie question: how hard is it to fit? How can
> I find out if I can fit one to my laptop?

It just plugs into the card slot. The card you need depends on the
card slot in your laptop.

Tom J

"Tom J" <tomnews@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:U2Ddh.8142$1s6.1702@newsread2.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> plbrown wrote:
>> I've got a wireless router and am using a netgear "receiver" plugged
>> into the USB port of my laptop. To be honest the reception is very
>> bad. I can barely get two out of five bars when I'm in the same room
>> as the router! I'm thinking of getting a wireless card (it will also
>> free up a usb port). Newbie question: how hard is it to fit? How can
>> I find out if I can fit one to my laptop?

do you have any other wireless device to know that it's NOT the router ?
( Just checking - don't want you spending money to only find out that
it's not the usb device with the problem)
Or maybe visit a Starbucks, Panera etc that has free wireless just to
check it out.

I'm going to test out the router by borrowing another laptop tomorrow.
If it is the USB receiver do you think that an internal one will be
better?

Peter

- Bobb - wrote:
> "Tom J" <tomnews@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:U2Ddh.8142$1s6.1702@newsread2.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> > plbrown wrote:
> >> I've got a wireless router and am using a netgear "receiver" plugged
> >> into the USB port of my laptop. To be honest the reception is very
> >> bad. I can barely get two out of five bars when I'm in the same room
> >> as the router! I'm thinking of getting a wireless card (it will also
> >> free up a usb port). Newbie question: how hard is it to fit? How can
> >> I find out if I can fit one to my laptop?
>
> do you have any other wireless device to know that it's NOT the router ?
> ( Just checking - don't want you spending money to only find out that
> it's not the usb device with the problem)
> Or maybe visit a Starbucks, Panera etc that has free wireless just to
> check it out.

Do you have other wireless devices that are in the 2.4GHz band (cordless
phones being the prime suspect)?

To get a card for the laptop, be sure you know which type of card it takes -
PC card (aka PCMCIA aka Cardbus) or the newer Express Card.
Installation of either type is simple - plug it in, maybe install driver
software.

With the current unit, do you have antennas of router and of reciever
oriented the same way ( all vertical is normal) ?

Val

"plbrown" <solvino@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:1165424731.331614.7930@f1g2000cwa.googlegroup s.com...
> I've got a wireless router and am using a netgear "receiver" plugged
> into the USB port of my laptop. To be honest the reception is very bad.
> I can barely get two out of five bars when I'm in the same room as the
> router! I'm thinking of getting a wireless card (it will also free up a
> usb port). Newbie question: how hard is it to fit? How can I find out
> if I can fit one to my laptop?
>
> Peter
>

If the laptop is "WiFi ready" (already has the antenna installed) then
it's a piece of cake. But if there is not a pre-installed antenna, then
forget about it, it's nearly impossible (there was another thread on the
exact same subject here about 2 or 3 weeks ago). You might try a PC
Card instead of the USB device. Or another USB device. There is
nothing inherently wrong with either a USB or PC Card WiFi NIC.



plbrown wrote:
> I've got a wireless router and am using a netgear "receiver" plugged
> into the USB port of my laptop. To be honest the reception is very bad.
> I can barely get two out of five bars when I'm in the same room as the
> router! I'm thinking of getting a wireless card (it will also free up a
> usb port). Newbie question: how hard is it to fit? How can I find out
> if I can fit one to my laptop?
>
> Peter
>

The differences between specific models of WiFi NICs is probably greater
than any inherent difference between internal and external devices.


plbrown wrote:
> I'm going to test out the router by borrowing another laptop tomorrow.
> If it is the USB receiver do you think that an internal one will be
> better?
>
> Peter
>
> - Bobb - wrote:
>> "Tom J" <tomnews@earthlink.net> wrote in message
>> news:U2Ddh.8142$1s6.1702@newsread2.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
>>> plbrown wrote:
>>>> I've got a wireless router and am using a netgear "receiver" plugged
>>>> into the USB port of my laptop. To be honest the reception is very
>>>> bad. I can barely get two out of five bars when I'm in the same room
>>>> as the router! I'm thinking of getting a wireless card (it will also
>>>> free up a usb port). Newbie question: how hard is it to fit? How can
>>>> I find out if I can fit one to my laptop?
>> do you have any other wireless device to know that it's NOT the router ?
>> ( Just checking - don't want you spending money to only find out that
>> it's not the usb device with the problem)
>> Or maybe visit a Starbucks, Panera etc that has free wireless just to
>> check it out.
>