Ethernet/USB adapter connection question

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Ethernet/USB adapter connection question

Is this all I need?

wyweb

3:28 pm on May 18, 2010 (gmt 0)

I bought a used computer for my G/F which does not have an ethernet port. It has a 56K modem installed as well as a wireless NIC card. I have a DSL modem, ethernet cable, and DSL filter and that's about it.

Can I get away with a simple Ethernet/USB adapter or am I being overly optimistic? I've been googling this all morning and it seems like I might be able to do this. The computer is not that old and is running XP home.

I'm not much of a hardware guy and feel like I'm in over my head here. Any help, tips, advice would be greatly appreciated.

Samizdata

3:39 pm on May 18, 2010 (gmt 0)

Can I get away with a simple Ethernet/USB adapter or am I being overly optimistic?

I have used those, they work fine but you may need to download a driver.

...

wyweb

3:48 pm on May 18, 2010 (gmt 0)

I was hoping to hear someone say that.

Thank you Samizdata!

kaled

8:58 am on May 21, 2010 (gmt 0)

In my experience, USB ethernet adapters are a pain. Assuming you have a free PCI slot, buy a cheap ethernet card - that's a much better solution.

Kaled.

tangor

5:54 am on May 22, 2010 (gmt 0)

Does GF's computer have USB? If so a USB Network bridge cable might get you there more inexpensively. That said, the PCI ethernet card suggestion is the better way to go. Getting the wireless card to work requires a wireless modem or router... and that might be the best way to go... pick one up, drop into a hub off your DSL and have it isolated.

wyweb

2:23 pm on Jun 2, 2010 (gmt 0)

Sorry for the delay in responding.

The adapter worked great. We already had a DSL modem and the PC has an ethernet card already installed. It was for wireless though. No ethernet port on the PC anywhere, therefore nowhere to plug the cable in.

I priced these adapters online and found them as cheap as 9.95 on several sites. I was impatient to get this done thouigh, and paid 29.95 at a local computer hardware retailer. The adapters driver came on a CD in the package and installation was effortless. The PC immediately picked up the modem on reboot and then it was just a matter or reconfiguring the modem. AT&T tech support walked me through that part step by step and she was online 20 minutes after we plugged the adapter in.

Win/win for me that day ;)