I have a Dell Latitude D800 notebook with a built-in Intel wireless
mini-PCI card (802.11b). There are occasions when I need more range or
signal, which I could accomplish by installing a wireless PCMIA or USB
adaptor with a high gain antenna (Hawkins 6 db or 15 db antenna).
However, I don't know how to handle two wireless adapters on a single
notebook.

Suppose that I purchased a PCMIA or a USB wireless adapter. For those
occasions when I needed additional range or signal, can anyone suggest
how I would enable the PCMIA or USB wireless adaptor and temporarily
disable the Intel mini-PCI card? Then on other occasions, do the
reverse by re-enabling the Intel mini-PCI card and temporarily
disabling the PCMCIA or USB wireless adapter?

Hope to hear from someone.

John Mason

John Mason wrote:
Network connections are assigned to network cards. Disable the
built-in, install the alternative device driver, attach card, create a
new network connection. It should be good to go on the new card. You
can hot-swap both a USB and PC-Card and the respective connections
should activate, removing the cards removes the connection. Just
disable the built-in or turn off the power before making the swap.
There is also a method for creating a profile for each type of
connection. Try help and support.

Q

Quaoar <quaoar@tenthplanet.net> wrote:
: John Mason wrote:
: > I have a Dell Latitude D800 notebook with a built-in Intel wireless
: > mini-PCI card (802.11b). There are occasions when I need more range or
: > signal, which I could accomplish by installing a wireless PCMIA or USB
: > adaptor with a high gain antenna (Hawkins 6 db or 15 db antenna).
: > However, I don't know how to handle two wireless adapters on a single
: > notebook.
: >
: > Suppose that I purchased a PCMIA or a USB wireless adapter. For those
: > occasions when I needed additional range or signal, can anyone suggest
: > how I would enable the PCMIA or USB wireless adaptor and temporarily
: > disable the Intel mini-PCI card? Then on other occasions, do the
: > reverse by re-enabling the Intel mini-PCI card and temporarily
: > disabling the PCMCIA or USB wireless adapter?
: >
: > Hope to hear from someone.
: >
: > John Mason

: Network connections are assigned to network cards. Disable the
: built-in, install the alternative device driver, attach card, create a
: new network connection. It should be good to go on the new card. You
: can hot-swap both a USB and PC-Card and the respective connections
: should activate, removing the cards removes the connection. Just
: disable the built-in or turn off the power before making the swap.
: There is also a method for creating a profile for each type of
: connection. Try help and support.

I tried a new 802.11g PC Card recently in my laptop. I have a
mini-PCI 802.11b card. When I installed the new card, it disabled my
old one, even if I unplugged the new card. I had to uninstall the
software and drivers for the new card to get the old one to work.
Perhaps I could have gotten both cards to work (one at a time) with
both installed, but it appears not to be intuitive in every case.

Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
************************************************** *****************
----> http://www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
************************************************** *****************

Thanks for the responses. I have one more question. I assumed that my
Dell Latitude D800 uses the 16bit PCMCIA slot, but it could use the a
32bit CardBus slot. Does anyone know and how can I tell?

John





"Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net> wrote in message news:<rJ6dnU8gruvqo97cRVn-vQ@comcast.com>...

I am sure a laptop new enough to have wireless will be Cardbus (32 bit)
Terry

"John Mason" <jomason@cba.ua.edu> wrote in message
news:c39efe27.0409120330.12484f95@posting.google.c om...

jomason@cba.ua.edu (John Mason) wrote:
You can enable/disable the onboard card with FN-F2, and enable/disable
the external PCMCIA/USB card by unplugging it.

You can also right-click on each network connection in the task bar to
enable/disable them, and/or use Network Connections.