Question about my Wireless setup/hookups

[freetime]

Looking under my 'Network Connections' I see
'1394 Connection>Connected>1394 Net Adapter'

What is this?

Wireless Network Connection 2 > 'Connected>LinksysWUSB100 RangePlus'
This says 'signal 100%' when I move the mouse over it.

When I move the mouse over the little single monitor icon in the toolboxit says> 'Speed 48.0mps'
'signal strength excellent'
status 'connected'

Are these 2 different wireless signals my computer is getting? Why is the computer so slow if the signal strength is 100%?

[plodr]

1394 is Firewire.

[freetime]

So the 1394 is part of 'Firefox Mozilla'?

I'm wondering why the laptop is so slow, compared to this desktop I'm replying on? The desk top is on Verizon DSL, the laptop is wireless to the CPU where the wireless hookup is installed in it.

If the signal strength is 100% for the Linksys wireless, why is the signal strength 'excellent' for the connection 2 but only 48mps? How do I speed this up?

[Colemanguy]

48 mbps is the speed of your wifi connection, and is faster then your internet connection. The laptop is probably slow do to software installed and stuff, 48 mbps is fast enough for your home connectoin. 1394/firewire is a type of connector like usb is, used to connect external devices into the pc.

[freetime]

Thanks ColemanGuy and Plodr, The laptop was given to me already setup ready to use, as in, had all manner of things built into it already like DVD, a Red Thing with 2 USB holes in the right side of the computer, and everything from 2007 that needed updating or replacing.

[barfa]

I've inherited a Dell Dimension 5150 with Win 7 installed. The dsl connection works fine if directly wired to the modem. I need it to work wirelessly. There is no gold screw in connector at back. What are my options ? Thank you:

[collinsl]

please start a new thread for a new issue.

[barfa]

Originally Posted by collinsl

please start a new thread for a new issue.

thought I had. Frahffly sorry!

[freetime]

Originally Posted by Colemanguy

48 mbps is the speed of your wifi connection, and is faster then your internet connection. The laptop is probably slow do to software installed and stuff, 48 mbps is fast enough for your home connectoin. 1394/firewire is a type of connector like usb is, used to connect external devices into the pc.

Colemanguy, Though I can't even sign on to my laptop right now (see my thread under Software> Need Help Setting up new computer), I have a question.

Am I supposed to be plugging the USB cable from the Linksys wireless device into the Red Box/Card on the right side of the laptop? I've only had it plugged into the back of the laptop, where there are two stacked up USB holes. I use one for the mouse and the other I have been plugging in the wireless cord. Both are 'slow connections' according to the Linksys popup. Like I mentioned, the main Wireless Unit/antenna is installed on the CPU of the Desktop computer I am working from now.

[lbmest]

@ freetime

From your other thread, the laptop you were given is a Dell Inspiron 8100.
Can you give us the Dell Service Tag number which should be located on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop?
This would give the exact specifications of the laptop as it was manufactured.
The service tag does not have any personal information tied to it but can be used to retrieve the information from Dell Support.

[freetime]

THANK YOU!

THE FOLLOWING IS A 'MICROSOFT.COM/PIRACY/HOWTOTELL' MYLAR HOLOGRAM STICKER ON THE BOTTOM OF MY LAPTOP:

Dell Windows 2000 Professional 1-2CPU
Product Key <snip>
Bar code>00019-051-280-694
X06 21567

HERE'S THE DELL PLAQUE ON THE BOTTOM:

model no PP01X
INSPIRON 18100
INPUT 20V-3.5A
for use with adapter model PA-6
DELL LBL P/N:1E865 A00

DELL SERVICE TAG NO 9K8M411 EXPRESS SERVICE CODE 20814833125

BELOW THAT IS A MUCH SMALLER ONE I NEED A MAGNIFIER FOR HANGON,...
DS/N CN-0 1K859-12961-1C7- IN SMALLER NUMERS 6302 REV A01

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR POSTING HELP.

[freetime]

it would still be helpful to find out the Dell Support Information you obtain. I did get help today in the other thread, and the laptop is now back to 3 days ago...working!

[lbmest]

You can go to Dell Support/Service Tag Choice and input your Service Tag and troll the information as I have done.

Here are a few items that will help you familiarize yourself with the laptop.

System Specifications

Tour of your computer

Removing and replacing Parts

In answer to where to plug in the USB cable from the Linksys, the only USB ports you have are on the back which you are presently using. You should not try to plug the cable anywhere else.
As to you getting a pop up about being slow, the age of the laptop means that the USB ports were manufactured to the USB 1.0 specification which is the slowest. USB 3.0 is the current spec but you can use newer items in the older ports as they are backward compatible. The newer items just work at the slower speeds of the older spec.

[freetime]

Gotcha on the first part, though that third listing, 'removing and replacing parts' ain't for this farmer! The laptop has me so nervous/cautious just using it I feel like new steer hooked up to a field plow for the first time! I don't know if the next push of a key or command will have me crying or overjoyed. It's like knowing you're gonna have some lambs born, just don't know how healthy they'll be til they're running around in the field after the fact.

Thanks for that, USB PORTS (I kept calling them 'holes', sorry to let that linger so long folks). I know it's important to use the correct terms and will try hard to do so as I gain experience.

Ok, so mine work, just slower than the /devices/ I'm hooking up to them.

Reason I asked if they should be 'plugged in to the Red Box/card on the side, there was mention that I have '1394 Firewire' installed on the laptop. Not sure where it is?

Thank you again for your time and patience.

[plodr]

Visuals
Firewire port http://www.cultofmac.com/106120/any-...ithin-minutes/
it may also point the other direction so if it has 5 sides, it is firewire

USB http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/0...hand-usb-port/
4 sided and has that snaky symbol with an arrow near it (probably need a magnifying glass to see it on the laptop)

[plodr]

From looking at pictures of your laptop, the boxy thing is called a card slot. PCMCIA slot. These are no longer popular and have been replaced with more USB ports.

I had an old laptop that had a card with a connector for a phone cable. I had to put the card into the slot then attach the phone wire to connect to the internet.

visual of one of these cards
http://www.cooldrives.com/esii2pcancqp.html

Now forget my visual on the firewire port. Yours is older and is shaped differently. It is more rectangular but should have 1394 near it.

Enjoy your new laptop.

[freetime]

Yessiree! It does have a tiny 1394 under the 'Red Box/Card thingy' there Plodr. I took a magnifying glass and scoped out the whole laptop yesterday to see all the 'fine print'. It would've given you regular computer users a LOT of laughs watching me do that.

I'm going to be thrilled to be able to use the laptop someplace other than on a desk. It's what I don't like about the desktop, it sticks me in one room in the house and I can't see what is going on in the rest of the house (something to do with 4 cats).

[freetime]

Plodr, Hopefully I'm not being too forward here, if so I apologize in advance. If you don't mind would you take me for a spin around my laptop. Start on the right hand side when you are facing the laptop and just tell me what all the different input holes and slide out things are for?

I can see a DVD drawer on the right hand side. How does that work/ how do I utilize it?

[lbmest]

Hi freetime.
Did you take the Tour of your computer from my previous post?
All of the items around the laptop are shown with a short explanation of each under the pictures.

The DVD tray should have a small button that you press that ejects the tray.
You can pull it out the remainder of the way, insert a CD or DVD, then push the tray back in. Depending on how the previous owner left it, the CD/DVD could start playing or you could go to My Computer on the Start Menu and double click, and the drive will show up (as probably D: drive) and you can click on it to see what is on the CD/DVD and choose to play or not by clicking on the file/s listed.

[plodr]

Yup, freetime, I used lbmest's link to see the ports.
Download it to your computer as a pdf and you can look at it. Better yet, print out some of the pages with things on it you want to learn about. I do that when I get a new computer so I don't have to keep opening the pdf to find information.