Wireless card type

Exar Khun

My dad bought a new computer the other day and well it arrived. We have a wireless network in our house and my dads old computer connected via a wireless card in the back of the back of the computer. Now when took the wire less card out of the old computer and tried to put it in the new one from dell it physically couldnt fit. Not that all the slots were taken just the slot on the motherboard would accept the old wireless card onto it. I presume Dell may be using a new motherboard and the old Pci slots may not be compatible. I was wonder if anyone had any suggestions for buying a new wire less card and what type to get in order for it to fit into the pc and still work on the old wireless network.

the old wireless card is a Linksys wireless G Pci adapter
and the computer is a new Dell dimenson 5150c

Possbily I might try to get a usb wireless card?

Alun

Should fit OK ... are you sure you're not trying to fit it into a PCIe slot?

EDIT: Are you saying that the edge connector on the card looks totally different to the slot, or that it's just difficult to get the card in? Sometimes it can take a bit of a push, sometimes even the little notch in the middle of the edge connector can be a bit narrow with respect to the bit in the slot that it fits over. I've on occasion had to take a small file to the notch to clean it up / widen it just a little.

Exar Khun

Well the tower is kinda small so theres only one slot it could go into. I'm going to try it again and get back to ya

*a while later*

Yeh tried it again. The card wont physically fit. The indentations in the card itself dont match up with the recieving slot and the slot is too far back to even try forcing it to fit or filin back the notch.

irlrobins

PCI slots are standard, so if it fitted in a pci slot in old pc it will fit in PCI slot in new machine.

Having said that, the 5150c manual seems to suggest that it doesn't have any PCI slots. Only a x16 PCIe and a x1 PCIe slot.

Since you can't fit it in the new Dell, USB is your alternative option. Stick with a linksys one if you can, they're generally the best. Either that or netgear, dlink. Avoid belkin at all costs.

Alun: Filing a slot??? Are you mad???

Alun

irlrobins wrote:

PCI slots are standard, so if it fitted in a pci slot in old pc it will fit in PCI slot in new machine.

Having said that, the 5150c manual seems to suggest that it doesn't have any PCI slots. Only a x16 PCIe and a x1 PCIe slot.

The Dell website says it has 2 PCI slots

Alun: Filing a slot??? Are you mad???

No, I'm not mad. I'm talking about the little notch in between the two sets of contacts on the card itself.

Sometimes the tolerances with which the card and/or the slot itself have been made are less than ideal. I've seen some el-cheapo cards where the notch almost looks like it was cut with a chainsaw it's so rough, or is the right size but ever so slightly out of alignment, making it a PITA to insert. A small flat needle file can clean this notch up sufficiently to make it possible to insert ... it's only bloody fibreglass after all. I'm not talking some big bastard rasp file or anything here

Exar Khun

Will the usb cards still have the same range/quality?

irlrobins

Alun wrote:

The Dell website says it has 2 PCI slots

2 PCIe slots. Not PCI.

Alun wrote:

No, I'm not mad. I'm talking about the little notch in between the two sets of contacts on the card itself.

You're a braver man than me so! Reminds me of that urban legend of the kid who sawed parts off his PCIe graphics card to make it fit in a AGP slot... But yea understand where you're coming from.

irlrobins

Exar Khun wrote:

Will the usb cards still have the same range/quality?

Should do.

Exar Khun

Cheers and good luck with your exams.

irlrobins

mmmm I don't have exams, but cheers!

Alun

irlrobins wrote:

2 PCIe slots. Not PCI.

Oops, my bad ... I was looking at the 5150, not the 5150c. Maybe people should read the specs of things before they buy them ?

You're a braver man than me so! Reminds me of that urban legend of the kid who sawed parts off his PCIe graphics card to make it fit in a AGP slot... But yea understand where you're coming from.

I've been doing this stuff since before the first IBM PC came out, so I've had my fair share of ill-fitting cards of all flavours .. S-100, ISA, EISA, VLB, PCI .... I tell you, you've not seen anything unless you've tried inserting one of the old VLB (Vesa Local Bus) cards ... now they were fun

TerrorFirmer

Seems mightily unusual for a pc of any type to not have any free pci slots...

irlrobins

well it's the compact version of the 5150 and the typical buyer probably isn't interested in upgrading or expanding it. They'll just replace the whole unit when it starts to crawl.

The only PCI card I have is my Audigy sound card. And you could prob get a PCIe version of that now too. So not a biggie not having PCI slots, as long as you were aware of this BEFORE you bought.