Wireless card needed and speed problem

Lady_K

I've saved that ram thing for her. This means she keeps the 256mb card shes already got in but adds another one to make the 512 then? Can she add a 512mb one instead of the 256mb to end up with 768mb ram or is that not suitable?

Lady_K

albertross wrote:

The lack of Ram is why the computer is slow (although she may have an infection as well), 256 just isn't enough for XP to run smoothly, you need 512 or more. Crucial is a good place to get it from.

I would set up encryption, WPA-PSK (not wep), https://www.grc.com/passwords, and disable the SSID. (It is a student area, they are bound to be other students sniffing the airwaves, reading your mails, knicking your passwords if you don't.)

If she is saving her work on this laptop, then encourage her to backup with Norton ghost or Acronis trueimage, or just blank CD's.

Yes the whole area is student houses so prob better to be safe than sorry she banks on the internet too so even more important

albertross_2

I don't know the model, but provided that she has got a spare slot (usually under a flap on the bottom, or under keyboard), she can add the 512 making 768. If there isn't a spare slot, then the 512 can be put in to replace the existing chip

viru.doshi

According to this website:http://www.memoryx.net/acas13nome8.html you can have a max of 2GB RAM installed on your laptop. It also states that there are 2 slots for the RAM, so if you wanted 2GB of total RAM you could buy two 1GB RAM sticks.

Installing RAM on laptops usually isn't particularly difficult, really on takes a few minutes. Usually, there's a cover/flap on the underside of the laptop which you can unscrew that exposes the RAM slots, then its just a case of making sure you have the RAM stick the right way round and pushing it in firmly.

Your ACER manual might have instructions, or at the very least a diagram showing you whats what under the laptop.

Lady_K

Yes it says check manual then theres nothing in the flippin manual but I'm sure it will be worked out. Do we really need a non magnetic screwdriver? I donn't think weve got one

viru.doshi

I've used magnetic screw drivers to remove the screws on a pc case plenty of times, without any problems afterwards.

Lady_K

Shes going to get the ram from crucial but shes not sure if to get the 512 or the 256 yet to add to the 256 shes already got but she will decide. I dont think getting 1gb is really worth it on a laptop that age just so long as she gets it a fair bit faster and it gets her through uni its ok.

I was looking at the link people gave for the wireless card and noticed further down there are alternatives. There is quite a difference in price is it worth spending more on the more expensive ones there a bt one at £20.95? Does it make a lot of difference? Its a shared student house and they have put it in the loft but shed want to use it in her room and other places I guess

http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=NEB-1060

espresso

Lady_K wrote:

I was looking at the link people gave for the wireless card and noticed further down there are alternatives. There is quite a difference in price is it worth spending more on the more expensive ones there a bt one at £20.95? Does it make a lot of difference? Its a shared student house and they have put it in the loft but shed want to use it in her room and other places I guess

http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=NEB-1060

Only worth it if the wireless router supports a speed higher than 54Mbs i.e. a non standard 802.11g Plus etc. which are specific to individual manufacturers.

The faster speeds are not really any benefit for ADSL but do help when transferring large files across a home network.

*!*HIBS*!*

When going to buy the Ram from crucial make sure you go through a cashback site to save even more money off the hardware. Currently you can get up to 12% off.

Lady_K

Thanx a lot I never thought of that, in fact I always forget to use the cashback sites especially for smaller orders but it all adds up. It says 7% on there but maybe its if you buy a lot of it that you get more maybe? Oh yes I re- read it thats including the 5% from crucial for limited period

I cant see where its saying 5% off at crucial where is that?