A question about WiFi

Nanostronghold

Nanostronghold

Nanostronghold

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Joined
9 Mar 2009
Posts
132
Location
Newcastle
Hi guys, I'm brand new to computer building and this forum so hi XD.

Basically i've ordered parts to build my first computer because my laptop has been slowly dropping to bits. The power supply for it was majorly iffy and I knew it wouldn't last long. Anyway, having ordered my components my laptop has completely died. It suddenly stopped charging and powered off and there was a burning smell, so i took it apart to find that the power input thinkie was dropping to bits literally, so i'm scavenging it.

My question is this. Would a laptop's Wireless reciever work in a regular desktop PC? I haven't ordered a network card at all for my PC as of yet, but if this wireless card would work then, obviously there's no point in buying one. I am assuming that it probably won't but i figure it's worth asking.

Thanks in advance for any info on this.

Bob
 
it wont be the right kind of slot. the internal wireless in the laptop will be a mini-pci. you'll need to get a mini-pci to pci adaptor if you want it to work in a desktop.
 
As said above, it wouldn't fit into a desktop PC 'out of the box'.

Desktop wireless PCI adapters aren't too expensive these days, it'd probably be easier just to buy a new one :)
 
yeah okay. Thanks guys. It was worth asking :P I'm trying to get something out of the broken laptop so i'll be selling the processor and ram then i guess. Was just hoping i could save a couple of quid.

I'm guessing that for the money it would be better to get a network card rather than the adaptor then.

Thanks guys. I love this forum, you always get really useful answers really fast XD
cheers again
Bob
 
If the Laptop HDD is between 60 and 120GB and SATA then you can buy a £15 Xbox 360 caddie and sell it for a nice tidy profit :)

HDD + RAM are ok. probably won't find many buyers for laptop CPUs. People will be wanting to upgrade to a new chip if anything, the CPUs rarely break on their own.
 
wow. If and when i can get all my stuff off the HDD i might look into that, but it's only 30gig.
I'll probably go for a network card in a while, for when im back at uni, cos there's no wifi where ill be keeping my computer.
 
Nanostronghold said:
wow. If and when i can get all my stuff off the HDD i might look into that, but it's only 30gig.
I'll probably go for a network card in a while, for when im back at uni, cos there's no wifi where ill be keeping my computer.
Click to expand...
I'd check your motherboard doesn't have an onboard network card first - most made anytime in the last 5 or so years will almost certainly have one.

(though there's a possibility I've misunderstood what you just wrote!)
 
i'm guessing you mean inbuilt wifi for the PC i am waiting to build. I'll have a look thanks. I don't recall it saying it had inbuild wifi but i may have missed that bit.
cheers
 
It may do - usually only the 'deluxe' type boards do though.

What I thought you meant was that there was no Wi-Fi, but only a hard-wired connection (i.e. no Wi-Fi) at Uni which is where you'd be keeping your computer - which is the case for most Uni Halls, at least. I think I misunderstood! :p
 
Oh i see. No, i have no wifi at home but in my house at uni we have wifi so i'd just need it for then. The motherboard description just says gigabit LAN. But since you say its usually only deluxe ones i dont think it will anyway, im only using the cheap Abit mobo.
Thanks for your help.
 
Nanostronghold said:
Oh i see. No, i have no wifi at home but in my house at uni we have wifi so i'd just need it for then. The motherboard description just says gigabit LAN. But since you say its usually only deluxe ones i dont think it will anyway, im only using the cheap Abit mobo.
Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

Gigabit LAN = a network card built in. Pretty much everything has it, even the cheapo £40 boards have at least 10/100mbit.
 
Yeah i figured, but i'm assuming it has ethernet sockets but no wifi.

@csmager: I just re-read my post before and realised it was a bit vague :P sorry. I could have been clearer. Yes I meant that there is no WiFi where I will be keeping the PC straight after I build it, but In a while I will be going down to Uni, where there is WiFi so I'd only need it for then. I'll get a Wifi card thingie nearer to the time.
Cheers again.
 
I'd go for a USB adapter, they're cheap and easy to install. Also much more practical if you're moving the PC to and fro. Arials on PCI cards are quite fragile and not always removable.
 
Ahh okay. I was kind of assuming that the pci adapters might be better quality or get a better signal or whatever. I'll have to look into it really because I'm hoping to stick with this PC for a while and hopefully not get another laptop as I am trying to avoid them. I'll probably just compare a few USBs and pci's with removable antennas and make my mind up then :P
 
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