Wifi connection with Windows XP

Discussion in 'Windows XP General Discussion' started by aliwatts, Oct 31, 2014.

  1. aliwatts

    aliwatts

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    Hi there. I have an old Dell laptop that had Windows 7 installed , the hard drive is only 40Gb and there was a lot of wasted space, i couldnt get to any old users and so i installed Windows Xp to see if it would go better. The laptop goes better but now i havent any Wifi connection as i did when i got it with Windows 7. Maybe i made a big mistake by installing Xp right? So why cant i connect to the internet via Wifi now? The option isnt there to connect to Wifi. Its a Windows Xp home edition version.
    Hope someone can help. Thanks in advance.
     
    aliwatts, Oct 31, 2014
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  2. aliwatts

    fingerfood12345

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    I'm not sure how complete your XP install is, but are you sure you installed the driver for WIFI? I recently had the same problem, until I realized I had no driver installed. You may have to go to the manufacturers homepage to find out more about the WIFI, and they may also have the required driver. Hope this helps....
     
    fingerfood12345, Oct 31, 2014
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  3. aliwatts

    Aunty Jack

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    Hi Aliwatts,

    I have the same sort of PC set up. The "big" PC running Win 7 and a Thomson modem/router connected to the net by phone line/ethernet. Win 7 just said, "ok, you are a Thomson model number/type" and Win 7 had the drivers for it, no problems. PC number two is an old Dell GX270 running XP Home. XP has very limited support for net via wi-fi if any. PC number two has a Realtek 802.11n USB wi-fi pickup which gets it's "net" from the Thomson modem/router. The Realtek has it's own install CD (one of the very small ones) and all I had to do was put in the Thomson WEP (hex) number when the Realtek picked up available networks to connect to. Distance - the closer the better. I get a 100% signal because both PC's are only a few feet apart.

    I did try an ethernet cable connection but that failed because the Thomson does not have it's install CD (which was specific to an ISP anyway).

    Do you have two PC's and the main one connected to a modem/router) , that is the question. If you do, any USB connect wi-fi pickup should recognise the signal and all you have to do is look at the bottom or back of the main modem/router for it's WEP numbers.

    But, as Fingerfood12345 advises, at this stage you seem to have no driver or hardware to connect your laptop to the net.

    An alternative (if you only have one PC, the laptop), but probably expensive and with horribly slow download/upload speeds, is to go the way of buying contract/plan with your ISP for a USB wi-fi pickup and driver install CD. I tried that once with an Australian (here) ISP and took the whole thing back after a day and had a dedicated phone port put in the "office" so I could use an ordinary modem and ethernet connection. Would a phone line extention/port and an ordinary modem and ethernet connect to your laptop be too expensive.

    I would say don't dump XP. Forget Vista because it too has limited wi-fi support. Linux (from Linux Mint 17 on) does auto detect a USB wi-fi pickup but you need to have a signal to, "hook into". Anyway, as good as Linux is it is still years behind Windows.

    Sorry I have no other ideas.

    Cheers from Aunty Jack.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2014
    Aunty Jack, Oct 31, 2014
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  4. aliwatts

    Elizabeth23

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    Elizabeth23, Nov 1, 2014
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