Does Vista slow down Internet on wireless network? [Archive]

prader

12-26-2007, 07:08 PM

Hello, all. Just purchased for my wife a Dell Vostro 200. In ordering online, the ONLY upgrade I made was to select a wireless modem, so it could talk with our humble network. [We have the RoadRunner cable modem run directly to a D-Link wireless router. The desktop PC is run directly from that via cable connection. The two laptops in the house depend upon its wireless capability. The laptops run fine.]

When I selected 'wireless modem' to add to the Vostro, a popup said I couldn't get it with Vista, I had to get XP; so I did.

When I set it up today, it booted up Vista! It took forever to boot up, and it CRAWLS on the Internet (or perhaps, it crawls over the network?). Could this "We'll sell you XP but send you Vista" swap be the cause of this slow speed?

Thanks for your help!!!

Paul Komski

12-27-2007, 08:59 AM

I think you have it the wrong way round. You can try customising another to see if I am correct but I'm pretty sure there is no support for that wireless card for WinXP but it is OK with Windows Vista. The reverse happened to me because I wanted a wireless card and WinXP but had mistakely chosen Windows Vista Home instead of Windows XP Home. The wireless card worked quite OK with my own TP-Link Wireless router under Vista. I sold that PC on and ordered another Vostro 200 - this time I made sure I got WinXP Home - but then I got the message about the Wireless Card's incompatibility. I just removed the wireless card from the customisation so got my next box with WinXP and no Wireless Card. That was also sold to another client who had dial-up and I have ordered another one - my fifth - yet to arrive.

If you are connecting by cable to the router I would just remove the wireless card to simplify matters. I can only say that none of the Vostro 200s (4) that I have used to date have had any connectivity problems (cable or wireless). They are bottom-end budget business Dells but I think they are very good value for what they are and have had very little trouble in shifting them.