Tech crunch.

[hannah]

After wrestling with several components, after scraping some skin off my fingers, after finally figuring out all the wires and plugs, it turns out the new PC doesn't have wireless capabilities and is in fact asking me for an ethernet cable.

Every problem has a solution. The solution to this problem seems like it's some kind of additional ethernet-to-wifi adapter device, which I'm sure I can buy with minimal fuss once I figure out the specifics of what I really need instead of what looks shiny and appealing. And it's really frustrating and had me hanging up phone calls to people to express my abject anger at the whole situation rather than be talked to in a calm and patient tone because I was that far gone in my feelings which were made worse by what felt like them not hearing me.

So, tonight's going to be the unpleasant kind of research.

Comments

[katbear]

There are quite a few wireless wifi adapters out there (had to get one for a refurbished desktop I got a while back). They are not very expensive unless you want something super duper fancy (basic dongle probably $10-$15, antenna types $20-$30ish range). Assuming you don't want to open the PC to install something internally, then they typically they plug into a USB port, so the first thing to check is that you have an available USB port on the computer. You'll also want to make sure whatever you order is compatible with the operating system and your wifi network and you may need to update drivers. They come in various configurations - some are just a dongle and many have variations on an antenna configuration. If you do want to go internal, you'll need to make sure you have appropriate space/connections inside the box.

A few websites that may be of interest for general info before you start browsing for actual adapters and pricing:
https://www.tp-link.com/ae/blog/378/what-is-a-wifi-adapter-and-how-to-pick-the-best-one-for-you-/
https://www.usbgear.com/choosing-the-best-usb-wireless-adapter.html

happy hunting