Adding a wireless connection to Dimension 5000

Question

Note - copied from my same message on Dimension/Upgrade hardware forum....     I bought my Dimension 5000 with Windoiws XP SP2 in April 2005 for home use.  When selecting the options, I did not include the Truemobile 1450 Wireless USB Adaptor as I was OK with the PC location near the phone line.   Now I want to relocate the PC to another place in the house, and have a wireless connection at 54 MBps.   Reading up on this topic it looks like PC users normally have 2 options.  PCI  or USB.   Using Netgear hardware for instance, this could be:   PCI option:  WG311 (PCI Network Card Adaptor) + DG834G (ADSL Modem Router) USB option:  WG111 (USB 2 Network Adaptor) + DG834G (ADSL Modem Router)   The PCI route seems the tidiest solution, as the USB method has a dongle.  But my PC appears to have no place for a PCI Network Card.  Indeed the topic is not even addressed in the Dell Owners Manual supplied.    Can someone give me some guidance here?

_Paladin · Answer

keyhole,

According to the Dimension 5000 service manual, the PC has 2 PCI slots and one PCI-Express x1 slot. Only you can determine if a PCI slot is available; open the case. If one isavailable, you can install the PCI wireless adapter. X1 PCI-E cards are not yet available, AFAIK.

You can find the entire D5000 service manual here.

keyhole · Answer

Paladin - thanks for your reply.

I've now found the part of the Dimension 5000 manual (p58) that deals with a network adaptor connection. And the System Board layout (p61) that shows the PCI & PCI Express sockets.

But are these sockets designed for the 'wireless enabled' PCI that I am after. The manual words suggest that you 'connect the cards by cable to the Internet'. I would have thought that there must be an 'antenna' external to the PC case to communicate with the wireless modem Router.

Or is that not so?

Also, I've read on this forum elsewhere that PCI is now obsolescent (slow) and PCI Express is the way to go. So what is the difference between the PCI Express X1 & the X16 sockets?

_Paladin · Answer

keyhole,   I don't have the actual book, just what is online, so I can't refer to the pages you mention, but the motherboard diagram in my previous post should match your D5000.   For the most part, a PCI slot is a PCI slot is a PCI slot.  The WG311 is a PCI Wireless Network Adapter and will work fine in either of the PCI slots in the D5000 and the antenna for the WG311 will stick out the back of the computer.   The term 'Wireless Network Card' is somewhat of a misnomer, since it does not need to be a card, per se.  'Card' is generic.  Wireless USB Network Adapters (sometimes connected by a cable, sometimes not) are often called USB wireless cards.  It's just like wired Ethernet Network Interface Cards (called NICs.)  These days, the NIC is integrated on the motherboard, so there is no 'card' any more.  But they are still called NICs or network cards.  And the term adapter and controller are often used interchangeably.   PCI is being phased out in favor of PCI-E, but the technology is still viable and will be around for a while.  It took years for old ISA slots to vanish from motherboards in favor of PCI.  And PCI is still much faster than the 54Mbps the WG311 is.    Click here to read four pages about PCI-Express.

keyhole · Answer

Paladin

Again many thanks for your advice. I took a look at the WG3111 h/w using your link, and indeed it does have an antenna. I guess one of the filler brackets at the rear of the PC case will need to be removed to allow this to protrude.

I'm still surprised that the Dell Owners Manual addresses the topic of network operation, but the word 'wireless' does not appear anywhere in the book (printed Sept 2004)

Regarding the PCI Express X1 & X16 slots, it would seem that this PC is future-proofed if the required hardware is not yet available in the market.

I read the PCI Express report with interest, 10% of which was right over my head - it's a while since I worked on processor design. I've no idea what the 'north & south bridge' are!

And I'm still not sure which is technically preferable for 802.11g operation - USB or PCI?

Cheers...

_Paladin · Answer

keyhole,   'And I'm still not sure which is technically preferable for 802.11g operation - USB or PCI?' - It's really a 'six like stick, six like spray' question.  Technically PCI is faster, but you have to be comfortable opening the case and sticking your hands in there.  And then there is the argument that the PCI adapter has the antenna almost at floor level - how good can that be?  USB is easier to install since you do not have to open the case.  And it is at the end of a 4-6 foot cable so you can position the antenna better.  'G' speed of 54Mbps is much lower than USB 2 so there won't be a speed penalty for going USB.  But USB can be a a bit more flaky/unstable than PCI.  Bottom line, choose the one you are most comfortable installing.   Wireless networking used to be the realm of laptops, probably why it's not discussed in a desktop manual.  But there are lots of maunfacturers that make wireless network adapters for desktops.   PCI-E is a fairly new technology.  Eventually PCI will vanish, but it will take 5+ years.

keyhole · Answer

duplicated in error Message Edited by keyhole on 02-27-2006 04:51 PM

keyhole · Answer

Paladin Bottom line, choose the one you are most comfortable installing. I'm going to take your advice here.  I'm happy to open the case & stick my hands in - in fact I'll enjoy that! So I'll buy me a PCI card & wireless modem. Thanks for all the good information today....

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Adding a wireless connection to Dimension 5000

Was this post helpful?