Novice computer geek needs advice from the pros

caseopele · July 2007

Hey guys! Anyone know anything about wireless cards? I know more about desktops than laptops and next to nothing about wireless cards. A friend was given an old laptop that needs a wireless card. It's an HP Pavilion ZT1135 (6 years old, I think), model #F3393H, and running Windows XP. I have no idea what info would be needed so here are the specs from the HP website and the cards they have for this model:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=lpi05627&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=81295&lang=en

http://h20141.www2.hp.com/hpparts/Search_Results.asp?mscssid=3X1SQVJM2DDN8MLH03V8K5N8AN5R9W6B

She would be using it from home in PS and in CT. I would love if someone could even explain wireless options on laptops to me. Thanks in advance!

doctorj · July 2007

This is pretty easy. A 6-year old laptop should have a PCMCIA slot (it's about 2 1/8 inches wide). Buy a PCMCIA wireless-G card from Circuit City or whereever, e.g. a linksys, plug it in, install the software, you're done. If they've gone out of style, pick one up on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/LINKSYS-WPC54G-PCMCIA-54Mbps-Wireless-G-Adapter_W0QQitemZ190134109851QQihZ009QQcategoryZ45000QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I think I have one lying around that would work; could be persuaded to sell and install for you.

caseopele · July 2007

So, any one like that would work? I tend to think that wireless cards are like memory, that they have to be specific to one model. The 54Mbps and 802.11b stuff confuses me. Everything I know about computers came from personal experience. My 1st computer was an old one a friend gave me, it crashed and I fixed it but it took me about 3 months (I knew nothing about computers then). My 2nd one was also given to me, it lasted 5 years and I made a few upgrades to it, learning more with each problem. So, I know more than the so called average user but not as much as I'd like to.

This laptop is a friend's who doesn't have alot of money so I have to be extra careful about what I tell her she should buy. If there isn't a public wireless spot for her to connect to, what would she need to get online? I really appreciate your advice doctorj, you don't happen to like wine do you?

doctorj · July 2007

Yes, any one like that should work. If it fits the slot and isn't broken then it works -- model of computer is irrelevant if it has the slot. Best to get a card that can do both G and B (which is basically all of them if you buy it new, which is ca. $50) as G is normal these days, B is slower and on the way out. To save money, buy on ebay, maybe $20 + $5 shipping. For home use, i.e. not a private or public wireless zone, then you need a wireless router as well. I use and am happy with linksys WRT54G ($70). A matched pair of card and router is easiest, but with a bit of fiddling any combination will work. Sorry, this household is dry.

caseopele · July 2007

Thank you so much! I've gotten computer stuff from ebay before so I was hoping I could buy the card there. You really helped me out, I know one good computer person but he knows more about macs. I don't drink either but I get a discount at work so I like to pass it on to awesome people like you. If you ever need a bottle of wine for a gift or something, you know who to talk to. Thanks again!

bigguy · July 2007

If slots are an issue, USB wireless cards are available as well.

caseopele · July 2007

It looks like it has the slot. When I check in device manager under PCMCIA adapters this is what it says: ENE CB1410 Cardbus controller. I have no idea what that is. :shock:

doctorj · July 2007

Yup, it has the slot. The controller will do its thing without you having to worry about it; it's there to make the slot the same as any slot on any PC, which is why you can plug any wireless card into it.

caseopele · July 2007

Sweet! I'm off to ebay, thanks!

carnivore · July 2007

Can you get an 802.11n card for a PC, or is that tech strictly Mac for now? FWIW, 2 of the computers in my household have 802.11n cards, but when I recently replaced my wireless router, I stuck with 802.11g to keep my network more widely compatible (and also because the Mac 802.11n router doesn't have an audio out like the 802.11g, and I stream my music to my stereo with my router).

bigguy · July 2007

No, it's an industry standard technology.

doctorj · July 2007

BTW caseopele, I don't recommend paying extra to get 802.11n for a six-year-old laptop. G+B is ample.

bigguy · July 2007

Yea, I don't recommend doing anything with a 6 year old laptop except kicking it out the window. Unless you have masochistic tendencies.

I'd say you can go either way regarding N vs G, but I'd lean towards N. Your internet connection is way slower than either, so you won't see any difference in terms of speed while surfing/downloading. However, when you do finally kick that laptop out the window, I'd rather have an N card lying around than a G.

doctorj · July 2007

I'm guessing that by the time the laptop gets kicked out the window, the N will be $25 like the G is now, instead of $100. And that the laptop it gets replaced with will have N onboard.

caseopele · July 2007

I'm with you guys when it comes to how old this thing is but it was free and my friend can't afford to buy a new one now. Basically, if she can get online to check email it'll work for her. If it was mine it would be a different story, I couldn't deal with it. I'll definitely look for the G + B one and it turns out she'll only need the card.

Here's another question for you guys. My hard drive in my less than a year old computer had to be replaced. Now, it's not being recognized as a secondary drive. I have alot of pictures on this drive that I would love to save. I have an ATA to USB adapter that I used to get files off another old drive but this one is a SATA drive. Anyone have a SATA to USB adapter they might be willing to let me borrow for a few days? I would pay you for using it, whatever you think is fair. And you can trust me with it, I swear!

doctorj · July 2007

You can get a SATA to USB adapter for $10 including shipping on ebay.

If the drive is messed up, an adapter may not help. Can you see the drive in BIOS?

caseopele · July 2007

Here's the story of how the hard drive crashed. My super flipped the circuit breaker while my computer was on, after that my computer wouldn't boot to windows. The idiot at Dell told me it was my motherboard but after replacing the mb my computer still wouldn't boot. A different tech person had me run a drive diagnostic and we found out it was the drive. Up until this point the drive was recognized in the BIOS. After I got the replacement drive and hooked it up, I hooked the old one up as a secondary drive. That was when the BIOS stopped seeing it. Dell has been no help in that area. Am I screwed? :?

doctorj · July 2007

OMG, if the MB got as far as seeing the drive in BIOS, why did the idiot at Dell think it was the MB?

Depending on how much the data is worth to you, and how busted the drive is, it can most likely be recovered. It might be straightforward or it might take an expensive data recovery expert. Hard to diagnose remotely. Is it NTFS? Does it sound ok when you turn it on? The USB/SATA is a cheap thing to try and is unlikely to make the problem worse.

caseopele · July 2007

I have no idea what the 1st tech was thinking, even the 2nd one thought she was a moron for thinking it was the MB. I'm pretty sure the drive is NTFS, that's what my new drive is. I think I'll just buy the USB/SATA adapter and give that a shot. If it doesn't work then I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Thanks so much for your help doctorj!

Novice computer geek needs advice from the pros

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