New (old) laptop, and putting in a mini-PCI WiFi card

Just started a new job, and they handed me a Dell D600 laptop for now. One
thing it's missing is a wireless Internet card, so they told me to go out
and get one. Will the Intel 2915 card just plug right in if there was no
wireless card in there before? Will all the antennae connections be there?

Here's a link to a local supplier. Don't care much about the cost, but
having a local place I can take it back to would be nice. As well as an
"official" receipt, rather than an eBay transaction.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.p...ctID=5922&SID=

Clint

Easiest thing for you to do is to remove the miniPCI card cover and see if there
are two antenna leads inside. If so, you are good to go with wfi. If not,
you are better off with a PC Card (aka PCMCIA or CardBus) wifi card. Without
the internal antenna, wireless reception is weak and spotty. With one, wifi
reception is solid... Ben Myers

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 04:18:30 GMT, "Clint" wrote:

Just started a new job, and they handed me a Dell D600 laptop for now. One
thing it's missing is a wireless Internet card, so they told me to go out
and get one. Will the Intel 2915 card just plug right in if there was no
wireless card in there before? Will all the antennae connections be there?

Here's a link to a local supplier. Don't care much about the cost, but
having a local place I can take it back to would be nice. As well as an
"official" receipt, rather than an eBay transaction.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.p...ctID=5922&SID=

Clint

"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
Easiest thing for you to do is to remove the miniPCI card cover and see if
there
are two antenna leads inside. If so, you are good to go with wfi. If
not,
you are better off with a PC Card (aka PCMCIA or CardBus) wifi card.
Without
the internal antenna, wireless reception is weak and spotty. With one,
wifi
reception is solid... Ben Myers


That card will take an Intel 2915 with no problem. Antenna should be in
there.

I use this model at work with a Dell (Broadcom) internal card. Does fine.


Stew

If the laptop was "WiFi Ready", you can use most (not all) mini-PCI
cards (internal). If it was not "WiFi Ready", you have to use a PC
Card. PC cards come in two flavors, 16-bit and 32-bit (32-bit =
"Cardbus"). Almost all laptops since about 1997-98 can take either.
Most laptops that did not come with an internal WiFi card are not "WiFi
Ready", which means, basically, having an antenna installed already.
Generally, adding the antenna & associated wiring, while perhaps
theoretically possible, is not feasible.


Clint wrote:
Just started a new job, and they handed me a Dell D600 laptop for now.
One thing it's missing is a wireless Internet card, so they told me to
go out and get one. Will the Intel 2915 card just plug right in if
there was no wireless card in there before? Will all the antennae
connections be there?

Here's a link to a local supplier. Don't care much about the cost, but
having a local place I can take it back to would be nice. As well as an
"official" receipt, rather than an eBay transaction.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.p...ctID=5922&SID=


Clint

Thanks, all. Popped open the MiniPCI area, and the two antennae connectors
are there. So it looks like I'm good to go.

Clint

"Clint" wrote in message
news:q4qfh.472541$R63.396914@pd7urf1no...
Just started a new job, and they handed me a Dell D600 laptop for now.
One thing it's missing is a wireless Internet card, so they told me to go
out and get one. Will the Intel 2915 card just plug right in if there was
no wireless card in there before? Will all the antennae connections be
there?

Here's a link to a local supplier. Don't care much about the cost, but
having a local place I can take it back to would be nice. As well as an
"official" receipt, rather than an eBay transaction.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.p...ctID=5922&SID=

Clint

Yes. I thought that the C600 had the antennae. But I no longer have one here
to check. Sold it and shipped it out today... Ben Myers

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:10:18 GMT, "Clint" wrote:

Thanks, all. Popped open the MiniPCI area, and the two antennae connectors
are there. So it looks like I'm good to go.

Clint

"Clint" wrote in message
news:q4qfh.472541$R63.396914@pd7urf1no...
Just started a new job, and they handed me a Dell D600 laptop for now.
One thing it's missing is a wireless Internet card, so they told me to go
out and get one. Will the Intel 2915 card just plug right in if there was
no wireless card in there before? Will all the antennae connections be
there?

Here's a link to a local supplier. Don't care much about the cost, but
having a local place I can take it back to would be nice. As well as an
"official" receipt, rather than an eBay transaction.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.p...ctID=5922&SID=

Clint