What are the requirements for a PC to accept a wireless card?

Hey!
I am looking into buy a desktop. I want to make sure it is able to
take a wireless card. What should I look for when shopping for a pc?
Thanks so much

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <(E-Mail Removed) .com> on 31 Oct 2005
15:06:12 -0800, "newcompgirl" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I am looking into buy a desktop. I want to make sure it is able to
>take a wireless card. What should I look for when shopping for a pc?

An open PCI slot or USB port.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

newcompgirl wrote:
> Hey!
> I am looking into buy a desktop. I want to make sure it is able to
> take a wireless card. What should I look for when shopping for a pc?
> Thanks so much
>

Either a PCI slot (for internal) or a USB port for external. Basically
any relatively recent machine will go wireless. I have 2 new machines
on my wireless network (Dell 5100's), a homebuilt machine (6 months old)
and a pentium 3 machine(Dell optiplex). The new Dells connect with Dell
USB branded dongles, my machine connects with a PCI card, as does the
old optiplex.

--
MCR
MAME(tm) - History In The Making
www.pleasure-dome.org.uk

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <(E-Mail Removed)> on Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:39:00
GMT, Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:21:10 GMT, John Navas
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>In <(E-Mail Removed) .com> on 31 Oct 2005
>>15:06:12 -0800, "newcompgirl" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>I am looking into buy a desktop. I want to make sure it is able to
>>>take a wireless card. What should I look for when shopping for a pc?
>
>>An open PCI slot or USB port.
>
>Ummm... if your USB port is USB 1.1, then you'll be limited to 802.11b
>speeds (11Mbits/sec maximum). With USB 2.0, 802.11g speeds are
>possible (54Mbits/sec).

Ummm... those are raw speeds. Real throughput is more like 5 Mbps for
802.11b, and more like 20 Mbps for 802.11g, and pretty much any broadband
connection is within USB 1.1. Thus USB 1.1 won't slow Internet access (the
most likely use), and probably won't even have all that much effect on
computer-to-computer networking, particularly if there's more than one
simultaneous wireless transaction.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:21:10 GMT, John Navas
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
>In <(E-Mail Removed) .com> on 31 Oct 2005
>15:06:12 -0800, "newcompgirl" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>I am looking into buy a desktop. I want to make sure it is able to
>>take a wireless card. What should I look for when shopping for a pc?

>An open PCI slot or USB port.

Ummm... if your USB port is USB 1.1, then you'll be limited to 802.11b
speeds (11Mbits/sec maximum). With USB 2.0, 802.11g speeds are
possible (54Mbits/sec).
--
Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
831.336.2558 voice
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS
http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann
(E-Mail Removed) (E-Mail Removed)

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:13:31 GMT, John Navas
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
>In <(E-Mail Removed)> on Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:39:00
>GMT, Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:21:10 GMT, John Navas
>><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>In <(E-Mail Removed) .com> on 31 Oct 2005
>>>15:06:12 -0800, "newcompgirl" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I am looking into buy a desktop. I want to make sure it is able to
>>>>take a wireless card. What should I look for when shopping for a pc?
>>
>>>An open PCI slot or USB port.
>>
>>Ummm... if your USB port is USB 1.1, then you'll be limited to 802.11b
>>speeds (11Mbits/sec maximum). With USB 2.0, 802.11g speeds are
>>possible (54Mbits/sec).

>Ummm... those are raw speeds. Real throughput is more like 5 Mbps for
>802.11b, and more like 20 Mbps for 802.11g, and pretty much any broadband
>connection is within USB 1.1. Thus USB 1.1 won't slow Internet access (the
>most likely use), and probably won't even have all that much effect on
>computer-to-computer networking, particularly if there's more than one
>simultaneous wireless transaction.

I beg to differ somewhat. You're correct on the thruput. A 5Mbit/sec
thruput is not going to be a bottleneck for a 1.5 or 3.0Mbits/sec DSL
line. However, it will be too slow for a 6Mbit/sec DSL or cable
modem.

Also, the serial interface (USB) has to go faster than the raw
wireless speed or the system will bottleneck. To the best of my
limited experience, all 802.11g USB wireless devices have a feature
where the driver sets the maximum speed to 11Mbits/sec if it's plugged
into a USB 1.1 port. I just verified that with a Dlink DWL-G120.
11mbits/sec maximum association speed when connected to my WRT54G
v1.1.

Incidentally, I try to refer to connection "speed" as the raw wireless
data rate and use the term "thruput" for the actual transfer speeds.

--
Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
831.336.2558 voice
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS
http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann
(E-Mail Removed) (E-Mail Removed)

"newcompgirl" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> Hey!
> I am looking into buy a desktop. I want to make sure it is able to
> take a wireless card. What should I look for when shopping for a pc?
> Thanks so much

As John says, either a spare PCI slot *inside* the PC, or a spare USB port
on the *outside*.

My personal preference is the former; this just involves undoing a couple of
screws on the side panel of the PC, removing the panel, taking out a
blanking plate on the back of the PC so that the PCI card antenna can poke
out, then just slotting the WiFI card in to a vacant slot. There's only one
size slot the card will fit in. -ut the panel back. WIll take 5 mins tops.

With the PCI option however, you will have the WiFi antenna poking out the
back of the PC, which if your PC is shoved under a desk in a corner of the
room, will not help signal strengths. The advantage of the USB dongle is
that it will be more readily positionable. For my PCI WiFi card, I bought a
more 'powerful' antenna, and a 1m extension cable. Through a floor and
doors, I still get maximum signal strength from the router.

Either way, make sure that you buy a WiF 802.11g capable card, not 802.11b.

You will also need access to a WiFi access point (AP) attached to your
internet connection, this to transmit the data to/from your new WiFi
desktop. E.g. I have broadband cable modem connected to a Linksys WRT54G
router/AP. One of my PCs is connected to this router/AP by cable, and one
by WiFi.

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <(E-Mail Removed)> on Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:48:31
GMT, Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:13:31 GMT, John Navas
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>In <(E-Mail Removed)> on Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:39:00
>>GMT, Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>>>Ummm... if your USB port is USB 1.1, then you'll be limited to 802.11b
>>>speeds (11Mbits/sec maximum). With USB 2.0, 802.11g speeds are
>>>possible (54Mbits/sec).
>
>>Ummm... those are raw speeds. Real throughput is more like 5 Mbps for
>>802.11b, and more like 20 Mbps for 802.11g, and pretty much any broadband
>>connection is within USB 1.1. Thus USB 1.1 won't slow Internet access (the
>>most likely use), and probably won't even have all that much effect on
>>computer-to-computer networking, particularly if there's more than one
>>simultaneous wireless transaction.
>
>I beg to differ somewhat. You're correct on the thruput. A 5Mbit/sec
>thruput is not going to be a bottleneck for a 1.5 or 3.0Mbits/sec DSL
>line. However, it will be too slow for a 6Mbit/sec DSL or cable
>modem.

With all due respect, such speeds are very rare in practice -- that really
isn't going to be an issue.

>Also, the serial interface (USB) has to go faster than the raw
>wireless speed or the system will bottleneck. To the best of my
>limited experience, all 802.11g USB wireless devices have a feature
>where the driver sets the maximum speed to 11Mbits/sec if it's plugged
>into a USB 1.1 port. I just verified that with a Dlink DWL-G120.
>11mbits/sec maximum association speed when connected to my WRT54G
>v1.1.

Crappy design, but I'll take your word for it.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

> 802.11b, and more like 20 Mbps for 802.11g, and pretty much any broadband
> connection is within USB 1.1. Thus USB 1.1 won't slow Internet access (the

I disagree. My broadband connection is to be upgraded to 10Mbps by the
year end and there are a lot of ISP's in the UK that are offering 8Mbps
and even 24Mbps for about $40 a month.

That's going to start to present issues for even 802.11g for people that
aren't damn close to the AP.

David.

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:13:31 GMT, John Navas
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Ummm... those are raw speeds. Real throughput is more like 5 Mbps for
>>802.11b, and more like 20 Mbps for 802.11g, and pretty much any broadband
>>connection is within USB 1.1. Thus USB 1.1 won't slow Internet access
>>(the most likely use), and probably won't even have all that much effect
>>on computer-to-computer networking, particularly if there's more than one
>>simultaneous wireless transaction.
>
> I beg to differ somewhat. You're correct on the thruput. A 5Mbit/sec
> thruput is not going to be a bottleneck for a 1.5 or 3.0Mbits/sec DSL
> line. However, it will be too slow for a 6Mbit/sec DSL or cable
> modem.

I tend to agree with John. How much throughput do you really get on a
6-10Mbps cable/DSL connection? I've variously seen the 'real' speed of the
Internet calculated at 1-2Mbps. I can rarely get much more than that off
my T1-LAN connected desktop machine. Right now, numion.com says it's
256Kbps and DSLreports.com says 738Kbps - but it's a busy period with 1000
or so computers on this LAN.

If you're just using the connection for Internet access, USB 1.1 isn't going
to make much difference. If you have local file sharing, it's going to be
significant - not least because aiui a single USB 1.1 connection is going
to force your whole WLAN to use 802.11b.
--
derek