New PC - wireless ready

hjb123

Am looking for a new PC for my parents and thought had got it worked out and was going to get an Acer. However it looks like they arent wireless ready - how much would it cost to get something to make it wireless ready etc. We have a wireless system in the house already by way of an orange livebox


thanks

d900

if you purchased something to make it wireless ready it wouldnt be wireless ready it would of just been a normal pc with a wireless network card

buy any pc you like then spend the £5-£50 (depends on what one u get) on a Wireless Desktop PCI Network Card (type that into google)
so basically it will cost around 15 quid to add a decent wifi card ..

hjb123

so how easy is it to fit a wireless network card thing? does it go inside the tower thing or plug into something?

Donnie

Both options are available. I prefer the type that goes inside the tower than the USB option

hjb123

sorry, another thickie question - looking at a computer what is an 'onboard lan' is that something to do with wireless?

benjus

hjb123 wrote: »

sorry, another thickie question - looking at a computer what is an 'onboard lan' is that something to do with wireless?

No, LAN (Local Area Network) refers to wired networking (the term WLAN is sometimes used to refer to a local wireless network). It is possible to buy an adapter to connect to the LAN socket to make it wireless, but it is probably cheaper and easier to use either a USB wireless dongle or an internal wireless network card.

DCFC79

It is cheaper to buy an internal wireless network card

hjb123

ok, thanks for the replies, say for instance I bought the pc at pc world would they fit the wireless card or would i have to find somewhere to do it?

DCFC79

hjb123 wrote: »

ok, thanks for the replies, say for instance I bought the pc at pc world would they fit the wireless card or would i have to find somewhere to do it?

can you not buy a pc with the wireless network card installed, but yes i think pc world would do that but you would have to ask,

hjb123

am trying to find a computer that already has it wireless, am on a budget of upto £500 and need the computer to have at least 2 free pci slots and want the pc to work wirelessly, just seem to be struggling to work out some of the stuff on the website. I seem to get confused easily with all the technical jargon:D

Igol

For £500 the worlds your molusc and you dont have to be technical either.
Time for my normal answer on this bit of the forum.

Library - Haynes 'Build your own PC' read it, think is really that simple.
Answer - Yes it is.

I knocked up a wreless PC for the munchkins for £170, my own fancy dual core was £300.

Haynes 'Computer Manual' is also handy but avoid the 'Computer Troubleshooting' one as its mosty covered in the other two.