WiFi?

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DrSparks

The Everlasting Know-it-all!
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Occupation
Master Electrician and General Contractor
My network card failed on my work desktop. Troubleshoot says no cable but two different ones and different locations point to card.
Wifi via a usb port or get a card coming?
I'd get a new Ethernet card. I prefer a wire for a desktop machine.

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caribconsult

Senior Member
Location
Añasco, Puerto Rico
Occupation
Retired computer consultant
My network card failed on my work desktop. Troubleshoot says no cable but two different ones and different locations point to card.
Wifi via a usb port or get a card coming?
WiFi adapters that plug into a USB port are very common. And you don't need anything faster than your internet service - if your internet service is say, 100mbps, you don't need a 1Gb adapter. And by using a USB device, you won't need to open the cabinet. If the non-working adapter is built in to the motherboard, just disable it in the system devices window. If it's a plugin card, you might want to remove it.
 

synchro

Senior Member
Location
Chicago, IL
Occupation
EE
Have the cards changed so much that one from an old '98 PC would not work? At least for a week or so?
A '98 PC would have a PCI parallel bus. The PCIe (PCI express) serial bus became available around 2005. If you have a recent desktop PC then it's not likely it has any PCI slots but you can check. Even if it did have one there could be an issue with getting drivers to work with your old Ethernet card.
 

caribconsult

Senior Member
Location
Añasco, Puerto Rico
Occupation
Retired computer consultant
You haven't said (at least I don't see it) what O/S your are using, so finding drivers for an old network card might be tricky....most desktops these days (and for the last 15 or so years) have the ethernet adapter built in to the motherboard and come with a disc of drivers for it...PCI cards are really old technology. Some specifics, particularly about which O/S you use, would be helpful here. But since you mention 'cable,' I'm guessing you are using ethernet, not WiFi. But you apparently do have Wifi, even if you are using cable ethernet. I believe they still make USB-Ethernet and USB-WiFi external adapters, or at least they are available...try eBay. And USB 2 will work if you have the right drivers. If you find either one, ask the seller if it comes with the right drivers for your O/S, or get the model number of the device and see if you can find the right drivers on line. Some adapters will run on XP/NT/2000 and others require at least Win7 or beyond. There are lots of sites that have drivers for practically anything. From your description, I wonder if you are still running XP or even something older than that, in which case you may have difficulty finding ANYTHING for that old an O/S, but USB might be your best bet. If you are using something that old, you probably don't have USB 3, but 2 will work.
 

caribconsult

Senior Member
Location
Añasco, Puerto Rico
Occupation
Retired computer consultant
Windows 10. Dell. Six to eight years old?? Not low end.
I wondered about it being on the MB. It is on at least one of my older units. I have a call in to my local PC guru and Dell is their deal, or was.
I assume this is not a laptop, it's some sort of desktop or tower. Is that right? Have you looked on the back, where all the connectors are, for an Ethernet receptacle? It would be near the holes for the speakers and other receptacles. And Dell would have the right drivers for the network device, assuming it's on the motherboard. If it had an Ethernet receptacle (looks like a big phone receptacle), why were you using a separate network card? Or am I misunderstanding something here? You did mention there was a separate network card, yes? Any brand name computer of that age would have a built-in Ethernet circuit with a motherboard-mounted receptacle. Something doesn't add up here.
 
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Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
Good luck with this, but I think you should consider replacing it (the PC). 6-8 years old is ... OLD in computer land.
It was outdated before it was delivered.

I was hoping not new. I want to retire.
My wife broke her leg, ten screws and a plate, so I am trying to do more from home. I can’t be both places and the broken desktop was my link to the Office accounting.
 

caribconsult

Senior Member
Location
Añasco, Puerto Rico
Occupation
Retired computer consultant
See post 13.
Desktop and yes, I looked. I know what the Ethernet receptacle looks like. I don’t know if it’s separate from the MB.
i will know more Tuesday.
Look carefully at where it's located. If it's part of the MB, it will be in a strip of connectors along one edge of the case near the sound and video and USB receptacles, and not removeable. If it's a separate card, it will be in a PCI card slot space, one you can pull out of the MB slot, and usually secured by a screw or a clip. If you can't tell the difference, you should not be opening the case to mess with this. Ask your experts. Could to take a picture of the back of the computer where all the connectors are and put it up here for us to see?
 

oldsparky52

Senior Member
It was outdated before it was delivered.

I was hoping not new. I want to retire.
My wife broke her leg, ten screws and a plate, so I am trying to do more from home. I can’t be both places and the broken desktop was my link to the Office accounting.
Wow, man I am so sorry to read about your wife. I can empathize with you. My wife broke her femur years ago and they put a rod and screws in it and she has been suffering with it ever since. There seems to be a 1" difference in the length of her legs and it's killing her. After 7 major surgeries spanning 5 decades she's done with doctors. If she was a horse, we'd shoot her (her leg is close to the bottom of the list of problems she has).

Retiring is good. Best of luck to you, I wish you success.
 
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