PCI network card v PCIXpress

[RacybabeUK]

I have just ordered a new computer (XP Home OS) to replace my daughter's old Pentium 2 which had a network wireless card in a standard PCI slot. Her pc is up and running on my wireless network linked to a 3com Router - there are two other computers in the house sharing the network with no real problems.

The new computer has only PCIXpress slots and I have now found out that they are not compatible with the D-Link PCI card.

It looks like my best option to connect this new pc to my network is with wireless USB - have found one for sale for only £10 but I would like to know if it will be:

a. compatible with my current network setup
b. easy to set up

My network uses the old 802.11b standard but I only have wireless connections so was unable to set WEP or any encryption.

I had to set the cards up by using the 3com card manager for my laptop with 3com card and the other two computers have D-Link PCI cards with amended settings (disable windows managing my network).

[Hokie-Dave]

Why are you unable to setup WEP with only wireless cards? Can't you access your router through Internet Explorer using the IP address of the router to get to the setup utility? I only have wireless and get to my router by going to http://192.168.1.1 and then I set up the WEP encryption. I have a linksys, but I'd think the 3-com would be similar.

Oh, and to answer your question, a wireless adapter with a USB adapter should be compatible with your network as long as the adapter states that it is 802.11b compatible which just about all are.

dave

Originally Posted by RacybabeUK I have just ordered a new computer (XP Home OS) to replace my daughter's old Pentium 2 which had a network wireless card in a standard PCI slot. Her pc is up and running on my wireless network linked to a 3com Router - there are two other computers in the house sharing the network with no real problems. The new computer has only PCIXpress slots and I have now found out that they are not compatible with the D-Link PCI card. It looks like my best option to connect this new pc to my network is with wireless USB - have found one for sale for only £10 but I would like to know if it will be: a. compatible with my current network setup b. easy to set up My network uses the old 802.11b standard but I only have wireless connections so was unable to set WEP or any encryption. I had to set the cards up by using the 3com card manager for my laptop with 3com card and the other two computers have D-Link PCI cards with amended settings (disable windows managing my network).

[RacybabeUK]

Thanks for your reply I will check that the USB wireless card is backwards compatible. I assume there will be PCIXpress network cards on sale as well though so will ask about that as well to see what the price difference is.

As for the encryption - I have a 3com router that enables WPA and WEP encryption with 2 x D-Link PCI cards and 1 x 3com laptop card. The D-Link supports WEP and AES while the 3com laptop card only supports WEP.

When I first set the router and the cards up I set the router to enabled encryption but was then unable to get a connection to the other computers - when i set encryption on the computers before the router I lost the wireless connection at the router! So it is quite likely it is something I have or have not done correctly. I find the whole business of encryption with Zero Configuration Wireless settings quite

Any chance anyone can fly over and assist? LOL

[Redo40]

It would be worth the extra money to get a pci express network card, usb just isn't as reliable.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833127163

[glc]

Newegg doesn't ship to the UK, Roger.

[Redo40]

Sorry about that, I should have checked into that before posting.

[RacybabeUK]

Thats ok - it has given me an idea about what to buy - I will check and see the D-Link website (my other card is a D-Link but my router is 3Com).

I have a PCIExpress 16x slot free and a PCIExpress 1x slot free. I don't know the difference between the two - is it to do with transfer rates?

[mbossman2]

ask and ye shall recieve:

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.c...id=1087&page=5

[glc]

PCI-Ex1 is eventually replacing legacy PCI. The higher speed slots are for higher bandwidth devices. I believe the only PCI-E network cards you are going to find in the near future are PCI-Ex1.

[RacybabeUK]

An excellent site PCSTATS Will be very useful in the future for reference too so cheers!