WiFi for my laptop...

[Rico]

What's the best way?

What's the cheapest way?

(Yes, I realize that the questions could both have the same answer, but I seriously doubt it.

[Neophyte]

What's the best way?

Buy your notebook manufacture's built-in WiFi adapter. This has the best antenna configuration using an antenna wire in your display panel improving sensitivity and range.

What's the cheapest way?

Use your RJ-45 Ethernet port and a $2.99 CAT5 cable! You can't beat full duplex, 100 Mbps with a slow half-duplex wireless connection.

Ok, a wire isn't practical so if you have to have wireless, a Cardbus, ExpressCard, PCMCIA or USB adapter will each run about the same price. (The interface doesn't make the wifi chips inside any cheaper.) Your model of notebook will dictate which of those interfaces are available to you. These have a short-ish antenna which hinders sensitivity some. If you're in the same room as your access point, this won't matter. But if you're trying to go through floors or from extreme ends of your house you may notice a drop when compared to the built-in card with it's longer antenna. You can find some bargain adapters under $40, but they aren't the ones that I would recommend. If you plan to use the wireless adapter for a few years, look for a name-brand device (Linksys or Netgear) in the $49 to $69 price range. You do not necessarily need to match your wireless adapter to the brand of your wireless access point. Often features touted by the manufacture is just clever marketing, and unfounded by performance.

(Yes, I realize that the questions could both have the same answer, but I seriously doubt it.

That's good logic, and it does apply.

[Rico]

Thanks, Neo - I didn't know that Compaq/HP had a wireless adapter antenna in my laptop.

I need to explore that some.

[BD]

Thanks, Neo - I didn't know that Compaq/HP had a wireless adapter antenna in my laptop.

I need to explore that some.

I was going to input some witty comment here then I remembered... When I bought my Dell I was cheap and skimped on wireless. That was late 2004. This year I went to a buddies and picked up a wireless PCCARD for some gaming while there, and a new HDD for a clean install. When I got home and took the pccard out my system found wireless networks. Turns out the cheap bastardos at Dell put one in and if you paid for it, they installed the driver... otherwise they didn't give a driver and somehow hid it from the OS.

[Rico]

OK, did some exploring. I found that there *may be* a wifi modem built in to my Compaq Evo N600C. But I don't know how to tell. Device Mangler doesn't tell me anything.

I don't know "how to", so I'm sort of stuck. On the upside, I know exactly what model of modem I would need, if I needed to replace the thing - assuming it exists in the beast to begin with! Heh.

[KrAzYdAvE]

I know on the n610c notebooks, you had to buy a wifi card that snapped onto the back of the display. If yours has a silver strip on one side of it with a single small phillips screw at the top. Take that screw out and slide the silver piece off. You'll more than likely see contacts.
However, those wireless cards SUCKED and I would definitely recommend buying an alternative to it.

[BD]

I had real good luck withthis

http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=503