How to switch wireless adapters from time to time on Dell ..

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I have a Dell Latitude D800 notebook with a built-in Intel wireless
mini-PCI card (802.11b). There are occasions when I need more range or
signal, which I could accomplish by installing a wireless PCMIA or USB
adaptor with a high gain antenna (Hawkins 6 db or 15 db antenna).
However, I don't know how to handle two wireless adapters on a single
notebook.

Suppose that I purchased a PCMIA or a USB wireless adapter. For those
occasions when I needed additional range or signal, can anyone suggest
how I would enable the PCMIA or USB wireless adaptor and temporarily
disable the Intel mini-PCI card? Then on other occasions, do the
reverse by re-enabling the Intel mini-PCI card and temporarily
disabling the PCMCIA or USB wireless adapter?

Hope to hear from someone.

John Mason

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Quaoar <quaoar@tenthplanet.net> wrote:
: John Mason wrote:
: > I have a Dell Latitude D800 notebook with a built-in Intel wireless
: > mini-PCI card (802.11b). There are occasions when I need more range or
: > signal, which I could accomplish by installing a wireless PCMIA or USB
: > adaptor with a high gain antenna (Hawkins 6 db or 15 db antenna).
: > However, I don't know how to handle two wireless adapters on a single
: > notebook.
: >
: > Suppose that I purchased a PCMIA or a USB wireless adapter. For those
: > occasions when I needed additional range or signal, can anyone suggest
: > how I would enable the PCMIA or USB wireless adaptor and temporarily
: > disable the Intel mini-PCI card? Then on other occasions, do the
: > reverse by re-enabling the Intel mini-PCI card and temporarily
: > disabling the PCMCIA or USB wireless adapter?
: >
: > Hope to hear from someone.
: >
: > John Mason

: Network connections are assigned to network cards. Disable the
: built-in, install the alternative device driver, attach card, create a
: new network connection. It should be good to go on the new card. You
: can hot-swap both a USB and PC-Card and the respective connections
: should activate, removing the cards removes the connection. Just
: disable the built-in or turn off the power before making the swap.
: There is also a method for creating a profile for each type of
: connection. Try help and support.

I tried a new 802.11g PC Card recently in my laptop. I have a
mini-PCI 802.11b card. When I installed the new card, it disabled my
old one, even if I unplugged the new card. I had to uninstall the
software and drivers for the new card to get the old one to work.
Perhaps I could have gotten both cards to work (one at a time) with
both installed, but it appears not to be intuitive in every case.

Andrew
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Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I am sure a laptop new enough to have wireless will be Cardbus (32 bit)
Terry

"John Mason" <jomason@cba.ua.edu> wrote in message
news:c39efe27.0409120330.12484f95@posting.google.com...
> Thanks for the responses. I have one more question. I assumed that my
> Dell Latitude D800 uses the 16bit PCMCIA slot, but it could use the a
> 32bit CardBus slot. Does anyone know and how can I tell?
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>
> "Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net> wrote in message
> news:<rJ6dnU8gruvqo97cRVn-vQ@comcast.com>...
>> John Mason wrote:
>> > I have a Dell Latitude D800 notebook with a built-in Intel wireless
>> > mini-PCI card (802.11b). There are occasions when I need more range or
>> > signal, which I could accomplish by installing a wireless PCMIA or USB
>> > adaptor with a high gain antenna (Hawkins 6 db or 15 db antenna).
>> > However, I don't know how to handle two wireless adapters on a single
>> > notebook.
>> >
>> > Suppose that I purchased a PCMIA or a USB wireless adapter. For those
>> > occasions when I needed additional range or signal, can anyone suggest
>> > how I would enable the PCMIA or USB wireless adaptor and temporarily
>> > disable the Intel mini-PCI card? Then on other occasions, do the
>> > reverse by re-enabling the Intel mini-PCI card and temporarily
>> > disabling the PCMCIA or USB wireless adapter?
>> >
>> > Hope to hear from someone.
>> >
>> > John Mason
>>
>> Network connections are assigned to network cards. Disable the
>> built-in, install the alternative device driver, attach card, create a
>> new network connection. It should be good to go on the new card. You
>> can hot-swap both a USB and PC-Card and the respective connections
>> should activate, removing the cards removes the connection. Just
>> disable the built-in or turn off the power before making the swap.
>> There is also a method for creating a profile for each type of
>> connection. Try help and support.
>>
>> Q
>