Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (
More info?)
Generally speaking, if the antenna is not built-in, it's better to just
use a PC card. Adding the antenna is just not practical in almost any
cases, given the degree of disassembly that is required (the antenna is
in the lid and the PC card is in the base, so even in the best
situations, it is a very difficult installation).
Timothy Lange wrote:
> One caveat you should be aware of, if the laptop did not come with a
> mini-PCI card for wifi it may also not have a built-in antenna. My
> Compaq Presario 2100US is like this. I bought the mini-PCI wifi card
> and found there was no antenna. The antenna is a $20 cost, but I must
> disassemble my laptop (and screen) to install it. Two hours of reading
> the manual and taking out screws got me about one fourth the way done.
> I gave up and put it back together.
>
> Tim Lange
> West Lafayette, IN
> (Go Boilers!)
>
> Andrew wrote:
>
>> bob@coolgroups.com wrote:
>> : Do pretty much all laptops support the addition of a wireless card? I
>> : basically want to buy a cheap laptop off of ebay and add a wireless
>> : card so I can use it in Starbucks.
>>
>> Almost every laptop is capable of adding a PC Card to add wireless,
>> including many older laptops. You can also use a USB wireless card,
>> but I think the PC Card cards will be more reliable if only because
>> they are less likely to pop out by accident.
>>
>> If your laptop is too old, it may not support the newer cards or the
>> operating system may not. Any laptop that came pre-installed with
>> Windows XP or even 2000 will probably be fine. You might get away
>> with Windows 98 or ME, but I highly discourage you from going that way
>> - those operating systems are too unreliable. Don't even consider a
>> laptop with Windows 95 or NT.
>> Most Starbucks use T-Mobile Hot Spot for wireless internet, by the
>> way, and it's not free. If you sign up for a year contract
>> it's $29.99/month or $39.99/month for a month-month contract (you save
>> $10/month if you have a T-Mobile phone). I did the year contract a
>> few years ago when I was traveling more but have thought about dumping
>> Hot Spot lately. In Portland there are free Hot Spots everywhere now,
>> so you don't really need it here.
>>
>> Andrew
>> --
>> ----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
>> *******************************************************************
>> ---->
http://www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
>> ----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
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>>
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