Ethernet Adapter Question?.

[bluesjunior]

I have recently installed an old WinXP desktop PC to my workshop. It lay in the loft the last few years packed and unused. I have it all working now updated to XP SP3 final updates and it is at present connecting to the internet through a long Cat5E cable from my Virgin superhub 2 modem. The XP PC connects via a VIA VT-6102 Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter on the motherboard. My question is, can someone with more technical knowledge tell me if this adapter is wireless capable and if so what do I need to get it connected wirelessly to the Virgin Superhub wi-fi?.

 

[townsbg]

Ethernet and wireless are not the same thing so no you cannot use it to connect wirelessly to the internet. However you can buy a wireless adapter if you can find one compatible with XP. That won't be easy and you might have to go with a site that uses private sellers such as ebay or amazon.

 

[AddRAM]

No it is not, you`d have to buy a wireless adapter.

Why would you want to go wireless, when wired is better ???

 

[derekimo]

Why would you want to go wireless, when wired is better ???

Does it matter why? What difference would that make? They want to use wireless probably because of this,

it is at present connecting to the internet through a long Cat5E cable

 

[bluesjunior]

No it is not, you`d have to buy a wireless adapter.

Why would you want to go wireless, when wired is better ???

The cable I have is quite long and I don't want to go drilling holes through walls etc. Also for some reason I am being limited to 10Mbps on the XP machine while my Win7 main PC is getting the full 200Mbps. My wife's tablet and mobile phone get a great service from the WiFi from the Virgin superhub2 and as the workshop is just outside the house I should get a much better service wirelessly.

 

[AddRAM]

If you want wireless then you`ll have to get a card at your closest retailer.

Make sure you get the fastest speed you can afford, a wireless N adapter should be fine.

200 Mbps on your other machines is very good, check the ethernet card speed on the XP machine you`re working on, make sure it`s set to auto negotiate or 100 Mb Full Duplex

 

[townsbg]

If you want wireless then you`ll have to get a card at your closest retailer.

Are there cards at retail stores for XP?

 

[AddRAM]

Who knows. But if he wants one he`ll have to find one somewhere.

 

[bluesjunior]

If you want wireless then you`ll have to get a card at your closest retailer.

Make sure you get the fastest speed you can afford, a wireless N adapter should be fine.

200 Mbps on your other machines is very good, check the ethernet card speed on the XP machine you`re working on, make sure it`s set to auto negotiate or 100 Mb Full Duplex

Yes, I tried that but if I set it at anything other than auto/negotiate it won't connect at all just goes through an endless loop of connecting/disconnecting. When set to auto/negotiate it only connects at 10Mbps even though the card is capable of 100. I have checked that it is the "latest" drivers which are installed. One thing that I don't understand is that above the Local Area Connection icon there is one called Internet Gateway. I have a feeling that somehow it is connecting through my Win7 machine and not through its own connection to the Virgin Hub even though I have set individual setting info with the proper Virgin IP addresses in the internet settings options box.

 

[DavidE]

One thing that I don't understand is that above the Local Area Connection icon there is one called Internet Gateway. I have a feeling that somehow it is connecting through my Win7 machine and not through its own connection to the Virgin Hub even though I have set individual setting info with the proper Virgin IP addresses in the internet settings options box.

Here's something you could do to see if the XP pc is connecting through the Win 7 pc.

• Turn off the Win 7 PC.
• Unplug the Win 7 PC LAN cable.
• Re-boot the XP PC.
• See how the XP PC internet connectivity looks and works.
• If it works the same, i don't see how it could be connecting through the Win 7 pc when that PC is off and unplugged.

2)
Regarding Wireless adapters that support XP.
I looked at several on Newegg (US) and every one of them supports XP.
There is a wide range of prices and "device types".

If you want to get an idea of what devices might be available to you, here is a Newegg link for Wireless adapters:
Wireless Adapters, PCI Adapter, Wireless-G Adapter - Newegg