Wireless card for Inspiron B120

Question

I just bought an Inspiron B120 laptop and I later bought a linksys wireless notebook card ((WPC54G) . I thought all I have to do is to insert the wireless card into the PC card slot but it will not go all the way into the PC card slot. I looked into the slot and it appears that it will not take a rectangular shaped card. The card has to have a a cut out to go into the slot. The question is what type of wireless card do I need then? Help this was a gift to my wife and I promised it would be up and running. It is not working.

Jerry Park · Answer

I looked at the documentation for your system. You appear to have one cardbus slot. Note that a wireless cardbus card will not insert all the way into the computer. The part that sticks out contains the antenna.

Your system also has a place for a mini-pci (internal) wireless card. Your system may already have a wireless card in it.

Look at the system documentation here to see what you have:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1300/en/index.htm

volcano11 · Answer

Paul-Crystal,

Actually the slot on the side of the B120 is an Express card slot and will not accept PCMCIA cards at all. Currently there are no known wireless newtwork cards that will work in that slot. Furhter, although the B120 has a MiniPCI slot, it does not have an internal antenna, thus putting a wireless card in the MiniPCI slot will be fairly useless without the antenna. Unfortunately, you have the bottom of the line notebook that was never advertised as having wireless capability ( or perhaps decesptively advertised). These issues are discussed extensively on this forum. Right now, if you want wireless capability on the B120 your only option is a USB wireless adapter.

Steve

Jerry Park · Answer

Thanks for correcting me. Sure looked like a cardbus slot. I also didn't know Dell sold a system with a mini-pci slot and no antenna.

volcano11 · Answer

Hi Jerry, It is a rather confusing issue and Dell has done nothing to clarify it in their documentation.  Steve

sge · Answer

Okay thanks I also just talked to dell support and they told me about an express card for the B120 I don't know if that is what I need but they said it would work.  thanks for your help

sge · Answer

So what is your suggestion for a card  or should I send the computer back, I bought it for my husband and I have the same problem

volcano11 · Answer

I think you have three options (1) get a USB wireless adapter that plugs into a USB port on the computer, (2) wait for an wireless Express card to come out in the next few months, or (3) send it back and get a B130 with an internal wireless adapter. You could also do option (1) while you waiting for option (2), then you would have the USB adapter as a back up or for use on another computer.

Steve

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Wireless card for Inspiron B120

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