External Network Cards?

[Bowbuck2]

Hello Everyone,

So During Halloween a community in my area was giving away 250 or so computers for free i managed to get one, however i am not able to get wifi for my Hp Compaq because in Quote "These computers are internet ready but do not have wifi. To run wifi you will need an adapter card." So can someone show me what a Wifi Adapter card looks like and not a Ethernet One, also will a wifi adapter card fit inside a HpCompaq or will i need to replace the Ethernet Card in the back of the computer or is there a Type of External Wifi Card?

If you guys can help me out that would mean alot thanks!

Would Something Like This Work?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Comfast-CF-WU755P-150mbps-Network-USB-Wi-Fi-Dongle-Lan-Card-5dBi-External-Antenna-Wireless-Adapter-with-WPS-button/117630396#about

 

[Natsukage]

Hello there. I assume this PC is a computer tower? Since laptops without Wifi are almost nonexistent nowadays.

First of all, the ethernet card cannot be replaced, it's part of the computer.

As for a WiFi adapter card, yes, that Comfast adapter is a good adapter for any type of pc. Simply plug it in the rear or front usb slots, then connect to internet using the windows wi-fi manager.

For a recent tower computer, you have two types of WIFI adapters:
1) USB adapter
Just like that Comfast, this plugs in the available USB slots, and allows you to connect to the Wifi signal.

2) PCIe wifi card
This type of card is internal. You need to open your casing and slide it in the available PCIe slots. For example:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833127576

If you are not familiar with the internals of a PC, I suggest going with a USB wifi adapter, such as the Comfast adapter you mentioned. Usually, I recommend getting a better brand one, such as from DLINK, ASUS, Netgear or TP-Link.

 

[BadAsAl]

That one is a USB wireless adapter, and it will work for connecting to a wifi network. The only downside is you use up a USB port. If you aren't concerned about that, then this is the way to go since it is then easy to use on another computer should you ever need to without opening the computer and removing a card from it.

Your other option is to install an internal card that will look similar to the Ethernet card but it will have antenna(s) sticking out of it. Without knowing your exact Compaq model, we can't tell you if you have to remove the Ethernet card or not, but it is likely another internal card would be able to fit in next to the Ethernet one.

Here is an example of an internal wireless card: https://www.walmart.com/ip/D-Link-DWA-548-Wireless-N-300-PCI-Express-Desktop-Adapter/22254896