Wireless Usb - slow speeds?

Infidel

I'm sure one of the resident experts here will know the answer to this.

My PC isn't set up for wireless as it's an old one (bought in 2001). If i want to set it up for wireless using a 'wireless usb adaptor' am i likely to have many problems.

For example, will i get slower internet speeds because my PC is old - e.g. - my usb ports are probably the older type (when i plug in my all-in-one scanner for example i get a message saying something like 'fast peripheral has been plugged into a slow port'). Is this also likely to affect my wireless broadband speed, as the planned broadband may be up to 20mb, yet this will be pointless if my usb port won't support fast data transfer, will it not???

Secondly, if i do get a wireless usb adaptor, does it have to be the same make as the wireless router, or is there pretty much cross compatibility across the board?

Red_Rose_Exile

I base this on what you have told us, so excuse me if there are some inaccuracies

It appears that your USB is a USB 1.0 or 1.1 port, in which case it can transfer data at up to 12Mbps (Megabits per second)

If you were to go to cable with a 20MBps (Megabytes per second) connection, you would throttle the connection down to the fastest possible of the slowest part of your system, in which case this would be the USB 1.x port

To be honest, if you are on Windows 98 (heaven forbid) or later, and have a spare PCI slot, for a small outlay of £3.99 +P&P, you can have full USB 2.0 connectivity with its 480Mbs data transfer rate, which would leave you with the slowest part of your connection being the 54Mbps wireless transfer, more than adequate for cable or adsl.

As for whether the USB adaptor needs to be from the same manufacturer, the simple answer is no, though sometimes it can make it easier as a user

Infidel

Red_Rose_Exile wrote: »

I base this on what you have told us, so excuse me if there are some inaccuracies

It appears that your USB is a USB 1.0 or 1.1 port, in which case it can transfer data at up to 12Mbps (Megabits per second)

If you were to go to cable with a 20MBps (Megabytes per second) connection, you would throttle the connection down to the fastest possible of the slowest part of your system, in which case this would be the USB 1.x port

To be honest, if you are on Windows 98 (heaven forbid) or later, and have a spare PCI slot, for a small outlay of £3.99 +P&P, you can have full USB 2.0 connectivity with its 480Mbs data transfer rate, which would leave you with the slowest part of your connection being the 54Mbps wireless transfer, more than adequate for cable or adsl.

As for whether the USB adaptor needs to be from the same manufacturer, the simple answer is no, though sometimes it can make it easier as a user

Thanks for that, yes i think my usb ports are 1.0 or 1.1.

Though i don't fully understand the speed part. Okay hypothetically speaking lets say i get a 20mb broadband connection (say virgin XL) and it is running at full 20mb capacity and nobody else is using the connection, so i have the full 20mb available to me. What is the max download speed i can expect through an old 1.0/1.1 usb port, and what is the max download speed i could expect through a 2.0 usb port given the same scenario?

Also, how can i tell if i have a spare PCI slot (can i tell from looking at the front of the PC? as there is a 'blank area' under the dvd drive - that's roughly the same size as that drive). Additionally are they easy to fit in yourself?

Btw - I have Windows XP.

Red_Rose_Exile

The maximum speed you could expect is 12Mbps

Think of it like a normal road, but you can't overtake. You can drive your 200mph ferrari at 200mph until you catch up to a truck which can only go at 60mph. Then your fastest speed would be 60mph. So your internet would be whizzing along at 20Mpbs ie 20480 bits per second, then it hits your USB 1.0 connection so has to slow down to 12000 bits per second.

The USB 2.0 port theoretically would be capable of 480,000 bits per second, BUT your USB 2.0 wireless adaptor can only transmit and receive at 54000 bits per second, but that is still faster than your Broadband connection

The PCI slot is in the back of your PC on the motherboard

see this page on how to identify a PCI slot and install a PCI device

Infidel

Ok, thanks.

Sp basically getting a wireless usb adaptor and plugging into my current usb port would mean i could only expect a maximum of 3/5ths of the max broadband connection (if running at optimum). Which might not be so bad after all, as it's going to be a shared connection between 4 (with at least one of whom works on the PC 24/7) then i'd only be expecting a max of around 5/6mbps to play with anyway.

In some respects i'm wondering if it's worth all the hassle of upgrading my old PC, since i plan to buy a laptop sometime soon. Whilst you're here, I don't suppose you know much about laptops do you? As they are all set up fro wireless anyway, aren't they?
My MAXIMUM price is £350. I would want a MINIMUM HD capacity of 60gig. Any ideas?

chuckles1066

Infidel wrote: »

Thanks for that, yes i think my usb ports are 1.0 or 1.1.

Though i don't fully understand the speed part. Okay hypothetically speaking lets say i get a 20mb broadband connection (say virgin XL) and it is running at full 20mb capacity and nobody else is using the connection, so i have the full 20mb available to me. What is the max download speed i can expect through an old 1.0/1.1 usb port, and what is the max download speed i could expect through a 2.0 usb port given the same scenario?

Also, how can i tell if i have a spare PCI slot (can i tell from looking at the front of the PC? as there is a 'blank area' under the dvd drive - that's roughly the same size as that drive). Additionally are they easy to fit in yourself?

Btw - I have Windows XP.

Although you've used a hypothetical example, in a real world scenario it would be exactly that; hypothetical.

Nobody that I know ever achieves the published speeds..........I'm on Virgin XL (20mb) and the fastest I've ever reached was between 11 and 12......and that was at 2.45 in the morning when I couldn't sleep!

Don't become too pre-occupied with speeds that are never likely to be truly available to you.

From what you've posted, a wireless USB dongle will do pretty much everything you need and it's as simple as plugging it in and away you go!

Red_Rose_Exile

Even on a shared connection you can usually get more that the straight forward division of bandwidth, but that is far more complex to explain and certainly not in a non techie way.

In the case of the lappie, I would really consider this lappie. It costs just £334 from Dabs, VAT and P&P included. It runs XP Pro and If you use quidco, you get 2% cashback, meaning it will cost you a mere £327, well within your budget

Red_Rose_Exile

Let me revise that

Use quidco and purchase this Acer for £349. 2% cashback

Infidel

Red_Rose_Exile wrote: »

Let me revise that

Use quidco and purchase this Acer for £349. 2% cashback

Can you post the 2nd link again please as it didn't work.

Red_Rose_Exile

Acer lappie

Infidel

chuckles1066 wrote: »

Although you've used a hypothetical example, in a real world scenario it would be exactly that; hypothetical.

Nobody that I know ever achieves the published speeds..........I'm on Virgin XL (20mb) and the fastest I've ever reached was between 11 and 12......and that was at 2.45 in the morning when I couldn't sleep!

Don't become too pre-occupied with speeds that are never likely to be truly available to you.

From what you've posted, a wireless USB dongle will do pretty much everything you need and it's as simple as plugging it in and away you go!

Thanks, yeah i am well aware of the 'up to marketing con'. I just used that example to see if having a usb 1.0 would stop me from receiving the paid for broadband, but it seems likely that it probably won't make much of a difference.
What's a dongle?? :eek:

In the first instance, i just need to know the cheapest way to make my current PC wireless compatible. Which i think would be by just buying a standard wireless usb adaptor such as http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0006374PK/ref=s9_asin_title_1/202-0348139-5920632?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=03HXZC7W7GNKE4APEK9M&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=139045891&pf_rd_i=468294

or something similar.

Then if (which is likely) if i needed an extra usb or 2 to plug other stuff into i'd need to buy something like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000658CH/ref=s9_asin_image_1/202-0348139-5920632?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=03HXZC7W7GNKE4APEK9M&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=139042191&pf_rd_i=468294

is this right? If anyone has any better suggestions (inc better prices) please let me know. Of course i also have to factor postage costs and delivery time into this. As if these kinds of things are available on the high street (argos,pc world etc.) then i may be best to just go and buy in person.

Thanks for everybody's input so far.

Edit; or it maybe cheaper to put that PCI thing in.