Wifi adapter - Ethel or anyone

[netibiza]

This is for a friend - she has a 6yr old Acer laptop and wants wifi added, the local shop says they have a dongle-type thing which will plug in and make it wifi (costs 20�) but it is not mobile broadband or anything, so seems a bit silly to me, as she doesn't even know if there is free wifi available where she lives. Has anyone heard of these things, and are they worth having, when I reckon that she'll have to have mobile broadband eventually . Thank all.

[Ethel]

The adapter dongle that you have referred to simply makes any pc wifi enabled so it will connect wirelessly to a home broadband connection or a wifi hotspot.

http://www.blueunplugged.com/c.aspx?c=41106

The mobile broadband dongle is usually pay as you or contract, and usually has a capped limit. You buy these from a mobile phone provider such as Vodafone or 3

[Ethel]

This is an example of mobile broadband:
http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/a ppmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=t emplate06&pageID=MB_0007

Be aware that not all areas of the country receive a signal. It is usually faster than dial up (but not always) but not as fast as a 2mb broadband,.

[netibiza]

Thank you Ethel, I know about the mobile broadband, but had never heard of the wifi one, you have cleared it up for us now, I can go and spout my knowledge at the less educated ha ha.

[ACtheTROLL]

just a cotton picking minute

which version of windows is on this 6 year old machine ?

getting 98 drivers isn't always "standard" these days....

[netibiza]

Well, she's got XP. and Ethel has just cleared up the problem, but thanks.

[Ethel]

Ac - XP is now 8 years old.

And there was Windows ME and Windows 2000 between XP and 98.

Doesn't time fly!

[ACtheTROLL]

gawshk doesn't it just?

we were running 98 up to about 2003
then we actually shifted to 2000 for a couple before moving to XP - still not vistaed anyone except the reps.

(corporates always are behind the times ...)