Linux Lite Forums
Hardware - Support => Network => Topic started by: Vera on November 23, 2018, 12:59:49 PM
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Hi, I have a hardware issue on my LL machine and am looking to buy a new Wi-Fi card.
Brief background (no need to read this part unless you want to): I've been having Wi-Fi problems that got worse over time and got an error situation like the one here by this person on Ubuntu forums https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2309044 (https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2309044), and their solution that worked was to install a new Wi-Fi card.
Current question (the important part): While I could look into the card they got in the link above, I'm aware that their answer was posted in 2016 and I'm looking to in the near-term future update my machine to LL 4.2 (currently on 3.8 ) Any recommendations from the LL community on what Wi-Fi I should buy? My machine specs are as shown in my profile. It's an HP tower. I am a total noob at this, but luckily I'm able to get someone who is willing to help with actually opening up the machine and taking out old card and putting in new one (FYI he says its been years since he's done anything like that).
Anyway, I need to purchase a Wi-Fi card first, so if anyone has recommendations on which brand or model I should get, I'd love to have guidance. Reliability/ease of use/compatibility/ease of installation are all more important to me than price considerations. Thanks for any information that anyone can provide.
UPDATE: I've been looking at https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/wireless-n-pci-express-dual-band-mini-half-height-card-w-full-height-bracket-option-tpe-nh (https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/wireless-n-pci-express-dual-band-mini-half-height-card-w-full-height-bracket-option-tpe-nh) and it said that some models of HP (among others) limit what types of hardware can be installed inside. For those users, it recommends a USB WiFi. USB Wi-Fi's are supposed to work best when in line of sight from the router, which works fine for me (my computer is in a direct line of sight in same room as router). So, now I'm thinking of a USB Wi-Fi. Maybe this one? https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/penguin-wireless-n-usb-adapter-gnu-linux-tpe-n150usb (https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/penguin-wireless-n-usb-adapter-gnu-linux-tpe-n150usb) Any comments?
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The PCI card and usb dongle both look good. Both have Ubuntu 18.04 (LL 4.x base) compatibility and most important don't have broadcom chips. But since you're not sure if you can even install it in your laptop i'd say take the USB dongle if you don't want to take the risk.
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Thanks for the advice, @UltraCookie . I also realized I should not get the PCI card I listed, since it's a mini one for laptops, whereas I have a desktop tower. But looking at the desktop PCI cards, it was still hard to know which one to get, etc etc. So, that supports the idea of the USB one, because as you said, I don't have to worry about installation.
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http://www.pandawireless.com/