[Christof]

Guys, please pardon my ignorance on the subject but I need some help to save my face.  A friend of mine wants to know what type of wireless card to buy to use with his older Dell Inspiron 7500 laptop and I've not the slightest clue.  He is 80yrs old and I at less than half his age, having grown up surrounded by computers, have not the answer for him?  My computers (Macs) all have wireless cards in them from the factory so I've never had the need to buy aftermarket.  The wireless router he has in his building is a Microsoft MN-500.  What do you guys recommend?

-c

[F-100]

Chris,
  The Microsoft MN-500 router is an old legacy router that use 802.11b standard, which was the first wireless networking standard. Another word, this router is about as old as your 80 years old friend in term of technology.  I have some old Compact Flash Wireless 802.11b cards in my recycle bin in the garage and your friend is welcome to have them. Let me see if I can find it first and will shoot you a PM tomorrow.

[F-100]

Found it!!! 

It's a Linksys WPC11 Wireless-B Notebook Adapter and you can find more info and technical support here:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?childpagename=US%2FLayout&packedargs=page%3D2%26cid%3D1115416835852%26c%3DL_Content_C1&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&SubmittedElement=Linksys%2FFormSubmit%2FProductDownloadSearch&sp_prodsku=1115416828350

[jakepunk]

The MN-500 cannot do WPA encryption, only WEP.  Since WEP is insecure, consider all wireless traffic in his environment to be unencrypted.  This may or may not be an issue in his environment.

[Christof]

My friend is the president of an art association.  He owns a building with 20+ offices which he converted into artist work spaces.  He rents them out to local artists and thought he would also offer them wireless internet.  Should he be using a different wireless router than this outdated mn-500?  It will only be used by artists to browse internet from time to time but I have it hooked into the main computer that the board or directors uses which stores info on the 200+ members of the association.  Speed does not matter but is this unsafe security wise for the main computer?

Thanks
-c

[F-100]

By all mean, he should upgrade the router for speed and security.

[Christof]

Problem solved, gotta love the kharma at AudioCircle!
-c