Dummies, Wireless

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Part III: Installing a Wireless Network
3. After the wireless client software is installed, restart the computer if
the install tells you to do so.
4. While the computer restarts, insert the PC Card wireless network
adapter into the available PC Card slot.
Windows XP comes with generic drivers for many wireless PC Cards to
make installation simpler than ever. Some PC Cards, which are made
specifically for XP and certified by Microsoft, have no software included
and rely on XP to take care of it. Even so, we recommend that you follow
the directions that come with your PC Card and check whether your card
is compatible with XP. Later in this chapter, we discuss the Windows
XP Wireless Zero Configuration tools, which provide software for many
Windows XP compliant and noncompliant cards.
Windows Vista does not have many built-in generic drivers, and you will
want to be sure that your PC Card has certified Vista drivers. At a minimum,
the card should have a gray box on the package that says “Works
with Windows Vista” and the Microsoft logo.
When Windows finds the driver, it enables the driver for the card, and
you’re finished.
PCI and PCIx cards
If you purchase a wireless networking adapter that fits inside your PC, you
must make sure that you have the right type for your computer. Most desktop
computers built in the past five years contain PCI slots. The type of slot
your computer has is most likely standard PCI. If you have a newer computer
that uses PCIx, you’re all set because PCIx is fully backward compatible. That
means that you can use standard PCI cards in PCIx slots. The only difference
you see is that the card doesn’t fill the slot — the PCIx card slot is almost
twice the length of the older standard PCI slot. Refer to your computer’s documentation
to determine which type of slot is inside your computer, and then
purchase a wireless network interface adapter to match.
Most manufacturers choose to mount a PC Card on a standard PCI adapter.
Some of the newest PCI adapters consist of a mini-PCI adapter mounted to a
full-size PCI adapter. In either of these configurations, a black rubber dipoletype
antenna, or another type of range-extender antenna, is attached to the
back of the PCI adapter.
Most PCI cards come with specific software and instructions for installing
and configuring the card. We can’t tell you exactly what steps you need to
take with the card you buy, but we can give you some generic steps. Don’t
forget to read the manual and follow the onscreen instructions on the CD
that comes with your particular card.