A friend of mine is selling a laptop and I am considering buying it. I am trying to figure out if it’s internet ready but I’m not sure where to start. How does one go about accessing wireless high speed internet via a laptop?
Several ways. Many laptops have builtin wireless cards. Failing that, you can buy (very cheaply) PCMCIA cards or USB adapters to do the job.
The laptop should also have an ethernet card for hardwired connections (again, you can buy a PCMCIA adapter if it doesn’t have ethernet builtin).
Almost any laptop constructed in the past 6 years should handle wireless just fine.
One tip – an older laptop probably has a failing battery and may only keep a charge for a short time. You might check this out and adjust the price accordingly if you have to spring for a new battery.
W/ a wireless receiver. Some are built in and others are added via PCMCIA cards that are just plugged into the laptop.
Many newer laptops have the capability built in. You want to look for a reference to 802.11(x) wireless capability. 802.11b is the older standard and plenty fast for internet connections. 802.11g is newer and preferable if you have to buy a card anyway.
If it doesn’t have the capability, the cards are cheap and sold at almost all computer type stores. They usually cost $40 - $70 and aren’t very hard to set up under Windows XP. Windows 98 may be harder. You just plug the card into the side of the laptop and it acts as its own antenna.
What specifically should I look for to see if this laptop has a wireless card/receiver?
It should have an 802.11(x) sticker on it or you can look in the network control panel for an 802.11(x) connection that is already set it. It will have its own icon.
Thanks,
There is a sticker that says WI-FI - contains radio device MPC13A-20 - is this what I’m looking for?
The user manual/original invoice would be easiest. Failing that, you’d have to look at the hardware profile of the system.
What is the specific brand & model # of the unit (should be on sticker underneath) . If you have that we can probably tell you whether it’s built in or not.
I second the warning about older notebook batteries (and used notebooks generally) often being problematic. You can get new (with warranty) wireless ready notebooks at retail for around $ 500. after rebates. If the used unit is not a LOT cheaper than this you may want to reconsider the purchase.
The laptop is a Toshiba Satellite Pro 6000 Model# PSC600C-01QW4
Other sticker says “contains radio device MPC13A-20” and has a WiFi Logo.
Laptop OS is Windows XP.
The friend that is selling it to me is of little to no help - she knows very little about the unit. There is no bill of sale or instruction book. She got this laptop when her previous job forgot to ask for it back when they let her go.
That Toshiba does come with a built in 802.11b wireless card, which should be plenty fast enough for web serving. You will need a get a wireless router though, which attaches to your cable/dsl modem, and connects it to the wireless card on the laptop. Linksys makes some nice routers, this one would work quite nicely.
Ack, I mean web browsing, not serving. :smack:
Thanks for your answer. Apart from going wireless at home, do I have what is necessary to connect to wireless high speed in hotel rooms, Starbucks, etc?
It’s a circa 2002 notebook & iIt appears to be wireless ready, but only with the older (and slower) Wireless B standard.
Ebay sold pricing for complete functioning units is $ 225- 300 - Ebay Batteries for for 60-70.
If you go to www.belarc.com and download their little system specs analysis applet (it’s tiny you can save it on a CD or floppy) it will read out the compelte system hardware for you.
Pray that laptop does not have tracking software on it. Your friend may have avoided internet use with this machine. Last thing you need is the cops showing up at your home…especially since you are aware you are receiving stolen property.
Make sure its still worth buying after replacing the hard drive.
Tracking software? Good heavens this is starting to sound like a bad idea.
http://www.winlocate.com/?ovchn=GGL&ovcpn=WinLocate+Tracking&ovcrn=laptop+tracking&ovtac=PPC
just a few of the options
The real world chances of it having some kind of “tracking software” are about the same as you getting attacked by a great white shark while shopping at the mall. The more relevant concern is if it’s serial # is entered as “hot” on some stolen goods database you could have some 'splaining to do if it ever comes to the notice of the authorities. On a practical level if they didn’t even try to get it back from her (and knew she had it) the chances of it being listed as “stolen” are probably remote.
Quite frankly at 250-300 (aside from the legal issue) it's not all that compelling a deal vs a new 450-500 unit.
I was going to offer her about a hundred bucks. It’s not like it cost her anything!
…Ummm…ahhhh… yeah… I should have stopped at post # 14.