USB wireless adapters

[FridgeMagnet]

Friend of mine wants to get wifi, and I was advising her about what she needed. The PC doesn't have a wifi card and I don't know how good she feels about opening it up to put one in, so I was thinking about external USB solutions... but I don't know much about them, never having had to bother. Anyone got any information or recommendations?

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Can't recommend you any but know one person who uses one and he had no problems with it. It was quite cheap, easy to set up and connect his desktop to the network.

 

[newbie]

I've used the Netgear Ma-111 (? some number like that) in a couple of systems. It's cheap and seems to work ok, but it's not the full 54g if memory serves. There must be a more modern one though.

I don't remember any particular problems, and the big advantage over a card is that it can be put on the end of a USB cable, so can be mounted somewhere easy and convenient, away from all the rats nest of wires at the back of a PC.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Seems they come in varying prices.

 

[scott_forester]

I've used the Netgear

I keep one in my bag for customers who visit the office and want internet access but have no wireless card - always worked no problems, Ma111.

 

[King Biscuit Time]

I got one off eBay for £8 - works fine

 

[jung offender]

I've got a Belkin one that I use occassionaly. It comes with the option of using a stand with a long lead on it, rather than plugging directly into the USB port, which helps get over the poor reception.

Not fast or pretty but it does the job.

ebuyer link

 

[fen_boy]

I had a belkin one and it was rubbish - I took it back and got a belkin pcmcia card for the laptop instead which is great.
I've also got a belkin (again) wireless ethernet bridge which just runs off the NIC on my 'server' and that gets the best reception of the bunch but costs nearly twice as much.