what Wireless USB Adapter’ for my Desktop...?

I wouldn't use a USB adapter if your life depended on it.  Buy a PCI card adapter instead.  Look at any model from Linksys, Netgear, or D-Link which I consider to be about equal in value.

what type of wirless kit is it A,B,or G

You say "I wouldn't use a USB adapter if your life depended on it."

Why not? Can this be the source of my problems?

I have the Dell TrueMobile 1300 USB2.0 WLAN Card #4 plugged into my desktop and the connection lately is almost always "low" and only sometimes "good." I experimented by bringing the Inspiron over to the same location and it gets a "very good" connection.

i wouldn't trust what windows says about he connection i have a linksys PCMCIA card in my laptop, Window said low while the linksys software see Excelent

Wireless USB adapters are unreliable and by design have to sit either on the back of the case on down low in the front.  The best wireless  adpater would be a PCI card with an external antenna.  Buffalo and Hawking make such models.

---

@jmwills wrote:
Wireless USB adapters are unreliable and by design have to sit either on the back of the case on down low in the front. The best wireless adpater would be a PCI card with an external antenna. Buffalo and Hawking make such models.

---

What about them are unreliable?

I put mine on top of the desk and usually perch it on top of something - it seems to get a better signal that way.

But I will definitely look into your suggestion as I am not happy with the connection I have.

---

@HTT Good HT Bad wrote:
i wouldn't trust what windows says about he connection i have a linksys PCMCIA card in my laptop, Window said low while the linksys software see Excelent

---

Now that's interesting. What should I be using instead to see the connection strength? I've got a Netgear Router, BTW.

or you could go with a more known brand like D-Link or Linksys

GIGA-BIT RULES

Just stop a minute to think about the device.  How do you expect something that is no bigger than a USB thumb Drive to get as good as reception as a device with an external antenna.  It isn't going to happen unless the router is adjacent to the device.

The best wireless device is "CAT5 cable".  Call me old school, but I like wires and only use wireless when it is absolutely necessary.  YOu can hack or intercept signals from both but for moving large amounts of data, noting compares to a wired network.

---

@jmwills wrote:

Just stop a minute to think about the device. How do you expect something that is no bigger than a USB thumb Drive to get as good as reception as a device with an external antenna. It isn't going to happen unless the router is adjacent to the device.

---

Okay. That does make sense. But the laptop has an internal card and no external antennae that I can see (or is it built in somehow?) and the connection is much better in the same location. Is that just a fluke?

(I'm afraid I'm not savvy enough to know what a USB thumb Drive is.)

Yes Gig rules, that's what my internal LAN is.

My laptop (Inspiron 600) does have an internal card but I always use a PCMCIA card for better signal strength.  Orinoco makes one that you can attach an external antenna to.

A USB thumb drive is a portable removable media storage device (like a mini hard drive but uses flash memory like a digital camera) that you can use to backup critical files with and move them to other machines.  The largest one I have seen will hold 4 gigs.

there is antena in the frame of the laptops screen BTW

Did not know that.  But you take that one and I'll take my Orionoco card and we'll see who gets better reception.  I've used mine at 500 meters.

some laptop screens have more than 1 antenna, my toshiba has 2 antennas but i only have Linksys PCMCIA card and a D-link DI-624 Router, i can make it about into my neighbors house before i losse the connection