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wifi from my computer
I recently purchased a new Dell 660s desktop that has wifi capabilty. How do I get to work? Do I need a router if it's built in?
New Contributor
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1 Message
I recently purchased a new Dell 660s desktop that has wifi capabilty. How do I get to work? Do I need a router if it's built in?
Health_Edge
Valued Contributor III
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4.2K Messages
12 years ago
Laptops don't have routers built in, just wireless adapters. Just like a cordless phone needs the phone and the base to work, Wifi needs the wireless adapter inside the laptop and the router to go along with it.
What kind of router you get is up to you. You can buy it from Cox, or Walmart, Bestbuy, etc. You don't want a modem, or a gateway, just a normal stand alone router. You DON'T want a DSL router, but those are the minority. Pretty much if you go into any electronic store and tell them you have cable internet and want a router, they will set you up. If you want suggestions, then what price point were you trying to stick to? 50$? 100$? 200$ A normal Wifi N router will go for 60$, where a higher end will be 120-150$
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Bruce
Honored Contributor III
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5.7K Messages
12 years ago
Do you need a wireless desktop? Meaning, do you want to move your desktop away from your Internet modem?
If I'm correctly reading into your current situation, you have one computer, a desktop, and it's wired via Cat-5 or Cat-6 cable to your Internet modem. If that's true, you're now getting the fastest speeds and most secure connection. Leave it as is.
If you want to move your desktop away from your Internet modem and also don't want to run a longer cable to the modem, then, yes, you would need to purchase a wireless router.
The Dell 660s has the DW1506 half mini-card (802.11 b/g/n). Purchase a dual band 802.11n wireless router. Remember, you can connect anything that's Internet-capable...TV, game console, desktop, laptop, refrigerator, Blu-ray player, cell phone...either wired or wireless...to a router. Get a router and connect them all.
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