Dell Inspiron 9100 - wireless internet question

[hooah]

So I helped pick out features for a Dell Laptop for my gf's parents to buy her a new laptop. They want this thing to have power and to have wireless high speed internet, but since I've never hooked that up before, I thought i'd ask here. Its already ordered, but i'm just gonna head into bestbuy or futureshop and grab what is still needed for wireless internet.

Its a Dell 9100 Inspiron
P4 3.2Ghz 800mhz - WUXGA 15.4"
ATI 9700 Mobile
1GB PC3200 Ram (2x512)
60GB 7200 RPM Hard-Drive


Comes with Internal Dell 1450 Internal Wireless (802.11a/b/g, 54Mbps) network card. I know I have to add a wireless base to which the high-speed is plugged into...but is their anything else needed?

 

[Karbon]

My dad has an inspiron that he uses at work with a wireless router. I'm pretty sure that all you need is obviously the wireless router and the internal WLAN. I'm not sure how you would input the WEP, SSID, channel, etc but i would imaginate that the Dell would have some sort of utility

Would you mind answering how much the laptop costed? I picked out one for my sister for college (she already ordered) and it was about $1300 i think, only a p4 2.6, 512 ram, 60gb hdd, etc.

That will be a nice folder

 

[hooah]

Ok, so wireless router and also the wireless card for the laptop...so that means Dell's wireless network card is useless pretty much?

This was $3800cdn with 15% taxes, $10 shipping and with the 3 year complete care warranty. However, there was a deal at the time, free upgrade from 512 to 1GB dual channel DDR400 (the big reason I said spring for it, 3.2 + 1GB DDR400 + 9700 mobile + 7200rpm HDD...**** its as good as my desktop A64 although costs $1800cdn more). They said they wanted it to last like atleast 5 years...so I told'em to go big

 

[Karbon]

Maybe I worded it wrong, I meant to say that you don't need anything else other than the wireless router, (b/c the laptop has the internal).

 

[hooah]

so the router (802.11 a/b/g) would work fine with dell's internal network card? That means i'd only have to pick up like an $80$100cdn wireless router with usb so i can plug the highspeed modem into the router then right?

The highspeed modem would plug into the router, the router would then send the signal to the dell network card and i'd be set right?

 

[TimDgsr]

so the router (802.11 a/b/g) would work fine with dell's internal network card? That means i'd only have to pick up like an $80$100cdn wireless router with usb so i can plug the highspeed modem into the router then right?

The highspeed modem would plug into the router, the router would then send the signal to the dell network card and i'd be set right?

if you buy a wireless router that uses the 802.11 standard, then yes the dell truemobile card should be compatible. I used my truemobile 1300 with linksys, netgear, and dlink access points, all have worked fine so far.

i'm not so sure about the usb part. does your modem not have a ethernet out port? i haven't seen any routers with usb ports i don't think, not to say they don't exist, but i just haven't noticed any.

what kind of modem are you using?

 

[hooah]

nope, has phone line to plug in walljack and then usb to plug into system. Its an Alcatel Modem for Bell Sympatico High Speed Internet (Canada)

Alcatel Speed Touch USB Modem is what it says on the front

I'll try speaking with Sympatico to see if I can get a different modem from them with ethernet on it...otherwise how the hell would I get this hooked up with only usb on the modem?

 

[Doc_Skurlock]

They make usb wireless access points. They aren't as good as a router, but they should suffice. Check out Linksys or netgear.

 

[BUBBLE]

How are you going to connect the router to internet? through a another compute4r a straightly to the internet? well most probably I'd advice get the ethernet not hte usb cause usb might gives lot of problems. By the way if ya going through the g wirless ten u may feel internet is pretty fast i think. try to get the adsl router where modem and the router are both intergrated which is a good pick to be done. Hope you'll enjoy it.

 

[hooah]

it will be internet connected right to the router. I may be stuck with the ****ty modem that came with the high-speed, but I'll look at getting my own modem and just using their internet service. I emailed Sympatico, maybe they'll send me another modem with ethernet.

 

[TimDgsr]

with that modem you'll have to have a computer make the internet connection for you as far as i'm aware.