how do i pick out the right wireless card -- a ZE4427wm HP..

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

This is very basic to you, but I have an HP notebook computer, model
ZE4427WM, which i bought in late 2003.

Comcast's billing irregularities have become intolerable, and I am
going out to buy a wireless card. My computer has a "PC Card and
CardBus slot and button" on the left.


My questions are

1) do I have a 32-bit card slot or a 16-bit card slot?

2) will it be easy to buy a suitable card in a computer store for my
semi-old PC?

3) if i sit down in a wifi-equipped coffee shop, will I have to
configure stuff, or will the computer lead me right to email and
internet?


Thanks for your patience in answering these very basic questions. Man,
I hate comcast.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

thanks for your answers. I do mean giving up internet at home. I
think wifi at the coffee chain called panera's is free, and that's
where I intend to read my mail. Comcast has jerked me around once too
often.

Now that you're pretty certain I need a 32-bit card, that's what I'll
look for. I presume that best buy or the likes will have such a card.


concerning DSL, no thanks, verizon is the phone company here, and it is
no improvement over comcast. The US really screwed up the telecom and
broadband issues, when countries like south korea and taiwan have such
services as cheap as water.

Andrew wrote:
> tariq.1.rahim@spamgourmet.com wrote:
> : This is very basic to you, but I have an HP notebook computer,
model
> : ZE4427WM, which i bought in late 2003.
>
> : Comcast's billing irregularities have become intolerable, and I am
> : going out to buy a wireless card.
>
> I am not sure you mean you are going to give up having internet at
> home when you dump Comcast, but I am guessing you mean you think
> getting a "wireless card" will automatically give you some
alternative
> to Comcast internet at home. If this is not what you mean, ignore
> what I've written below.
>
> You might be confused as to what a "wireless card" is but you
probably
> still have to pay Comcast for service if you get one. "Wireless
card"
> could mean several things, but to most people it means an 802.11
b/g/a
> card commonly used for wireless networking aka WiFi. All having an
> 802.11 wireless card does is eliminate the wire - you still need the
> internet connection. Think of it like getting a cordless phone -
it's
> very similar technology. Your question sounds like, "I am tired of
> dealing with the phone company, so I am planning to buy a cordless
> phone." You still have to deal with the phone company...
>
> Now, if your neighbor has DSL or Comcast and a Wireless Access Point
> (WAP) that is unprotected, you might be able to pick that up with an
> 802.11 card and dump Comcast. Or if you want to go to coffee shops
> and read email there with WiFi, you could dump Comcast. But if you
> want high speed wireless internet at home, you're probably still
going
> to be using Comcast.
>
> Perhaps you are thinking of getting a cellular card to connect to a
> cell phone provider's internet service? Note, you can also simply
get a
> cell phone that has a built-in cell modem (I connect to Verizon's
> internet with my cell phone). In most cases, this service is very
> slow, roughly the speed of a dial-up connection (give or take).
> Verizon has been testing high speed wireless broadband in a few
> cities, but unless you are in one of them, you can't get this
service.
>
> So keep all this in mind before considering the hardware...
>
> : My computer has a "PC Card and CardBus slot and button" on the
left.
>
> : My questions are
>
> : 1) do I have a 32-bit card slot or a 16-bit card slot?
>
> Probably 32-bit since your laptop is fairly new.
>
> : 2) will it be easy to buy a suitable card in a computer store for
my
> : semi-old PC?
>
> Yes.
>
> : 3) if i sit down in a wifi-equipped coffee shop, will I have to
> : configure stuff, or will the computer lead me right to email and
> : internet?
>
> Depends. If you have Windows XP (install all the Windows Updates),
> WiFi is very easy. Windows will monitor the airwaves and pick up
WiFi
> networks you can connect to. Once it connects to the network, you
> usually need to bring up a web browser. Then you often have to sign
> in (even if it's free WiFi) or click an "I Agree" button after
reading
> a disclaimer. If you pay for WiFi (Starbucks T-Mobile HotSpot), you
> have to login and give a password to get on the network - in your web
> browser.
>
> : Thanks for your patience in answering these very basic questions.
Man,
> : I hate comcast.
>
> Have you thought about getting DSL? Is it available?
>
> Andrew
> --
> ----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
> *******************************************************************
> ----> http/www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
> ----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
> *******************************************************************

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

> according to my manual, the bottom of the computer has a plate for
> mini-PCI but it says "no user parts inside." Is there any problem
or
> risk with mucking around down there?

Don't bother. The WM Wal-Mart custom build laptops are costed-down
versions of the regular HP model. Not only do they lack inbuilt
wireless (which would go in that slot) but they also lack the internal
antenna necessary to use such a card.

The BIOS will not allow the machine to start up unless the card in the
MiniPCI slot is a genuine HP card. So your only option is to find the
card as a spare part. HP won't answer questions on the part number or
whether or not it can be retrofitted. But even if you can find the
card, you can't use it because the machine lacks antennas. The antennas
live in the LCD half of the laptop and it would be a major undertaking
to install them and route the coax down to where the MiniPCI slot is.
Even if you could find them as spare parts If you're truly a handy
hacker, then you could whip something up with a piece of stiff wire and
some off-the-shelf thin coax, but it doesn't sound like you're up to
this task.

Your only realistic options are Cardbus or USB. Given the annoying
position of the USB sockets on these machines (right next to power),
Cardbus is a better choice.

 

[Andrew]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

tariq.1.rahim@spamgourmet.com wrote:
: This is very basic to you, but I have an HP notebook computer, model
: ZE4427WM, which i bought in late 2003.

: Comcast's billing irregularities have become intolerable, and I am
: going out to buy a wireless card.

I am not sure you mean you are going to give up having internet at
home when you dump Comcast, but I am guessing you mean you think
getting a "wireless card" will automatically give you some alternative
to Comcast internet at home. If this is not what you mean, ignore
what I've written below.

You might be confused as to what a "wireless card" is but you probably
still have to pay Comcast for service if you get one. "Wireless card"
could mean several things, but to most people it means an 802.11 b/g/a
card commonly used for wireless networking aka WiFi. All having an
802.11 wireless card does is eliminate the wire - you still need the
internet connection. Think of it like getting a cordless phone - it's
very similar technology. Your question sounds like, "I am tired of
dealing with the phone company, so I am planning to buy a cordless
phone." You still have to deal with the phone company...

Now, if your neighbor has DSL or Comcast and a Wireless Access Point
(WAP) that is unprotected, you might be able to pick that up with an
802.11 card and dump Comcast. Or if you want to go to coffee shops
and read email there with WiFi, you could dump Comcast. But if you
want high speed wireless internet at home, you're probably still going
to be using Comcast.

Perhaps you are thinking of getting a cellular card to connect to a
cell phone provider's internet service? Note, you can also simply get a
cell phone that has a built-in cell modem (I connect to Verizon's
internet with my cell phone). In most cases, this service is very
slow, roughly the speed of a dial-up connection (give or take).
Verizon has been testing high speed wireless broadband in a few
cities, but unless you are in one of them, you can't get this service.

So keep all this in mind before considering the hardware...

: My computer has a "PC Card and CardBus slot and button" on the left.

: My questions are

: 1) do I have a 32-bit card slot or a 16-bit card slot?

Probably 32-bit since your laptop is fairly new.

: 2) will it be easy to buy a suitable card in a computer store for my
: semi-old PC?

Yes.

: 3) if i sit down in a wifi-equipped coffee shop, will I have to
: configure stuff, or will the computer lead me right to email and
: internet?

Depends. If you have Windows XP (install all the Windows Updates),
WiFi is very easy. Windows will monitor the airwaves and pick up WiFi
networks you can connect to. Once it connects to the network, you
usually need to bring up a web browser. Then you often have to sign
in (even if it's free WiFi) or click an "I Agree" button after reading
a disclaimer. If you pay for WiFi (Starbucks T-Mobile HotSpot), you
have to login and give a password to get on the network - in your web
browser.

: Thanks for your patience in answering these very basic questions. Man,
: I hate comcast.

Have you thought about getting DSL? Is it available?

Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
*******************************************************************
----> http/www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
*******************************************************************

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Broadband for Cheapskates: Favorite cheap ISPs: 'Linksys" and 'default'.
http/www.dslreports.com/shownews/60574

"My ISP, "Linksys", is said to have nationwide presence, and best of
all, their service is free! They are Wi-Fi only, however; look around,
they might be servicing your neighborhood."

Q

tariq.1.rahim@spamgourmet.com wrote:
> This is very basic to you, but I have an HP notebook computer, model
> ZE4427WM, which i bought in late 2003.
>
> Comcast's billing irregularities have become intolerable, and I am
> going out to buy a wireless card. My computer has a "PC Card and
> CardBus slot and button" on the left.
>
>
> My questions are
>
> 1) do I have a 32-bit card slot or a 16-bit card slot?
>
> 2) will it be easy to buy a suitable card in a computer store for my
> semi-old PC?
>
> 3) if i sit down in a wifi-equipped coffee shop, will I have to
> configure stuff, or will the computer lead me right to email and
> internet?
>
>
> Thanks for your patience in answering these very basic questions.
> Man, I hate comcast.