Build a PC Can a Toshiba Satellite 205CDS be upgraded to accept a WiFI card?

[Skyfire]

'Lo Again,

Was wondering if anyone knows offhand if my 13-year-old Toshiba laptop can "take" a wireless card. If it matters, it's an original Pentium 90 running Win'95. The problem is, I don't even know where to begin to look for an upgrade slot/compartment on a laptop (this is my first one, fresh off Ebay).

Also, can Win95 itself even handle wireless networking? If necessary, I have my own copy of Win98 that I can install; will that work? (Unfortunately, I can't put any form/shape of Linux on this thing, as the particular piece of software I require--ExamSoft--only runs on Windows).

TIA...

 

[Nodsu]

Do you have any PCMCIA slots in that machine? If yes then what type?

Do you have an ethernet adapter there? If yes then you could get yourself a small access point.

 

[Phantasm66]

Hardware wise, it might well happen, but you need OS support as well. Maybe any device you get will not support windows 95. You'd then need to upgrade to XP or something newer than 95, anyway, but your machine might not have the juice to run that.

 

[Skyfire]

Do you have any PCMCIA slots in that machine? If yes then what type?

I _believe_ so, yes. The slot somewhat resembles the following pic:
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~gc6d-htt/PCMCIA_slot.jpg

Directly above the slot itself (which is on the left side of the machine, if that matters), it has an very small sticker-icon of a "card" with the letters "ZV"

On the BACK of the machine, there is another "slot" that opens up to reveal...ah, never mind; this appears to be a printer-port

Do you have an ethernet adapter there? If yes then you could get yourself a small access point.

Not a spare one, no...would an ethernet adaptor require the PCMCIAS slot mentioned above, or would it go inside the machine?

Hardware wise, it might well happen, but you need OS support as well. Maybe any device you get will not support windows 95. You'd then need to upgrade to XP or something newer than 95, anyway, but your machine might not have the juice to run that.

Yeah, this was a fear of mine…I really don’t want to have to uninstall Win95 (which would entail removing Office ’95, as well) and put Win98SE on here…especially asince this thing doesn’t have s CD-ROM drive… :blackeye:

 

[Nodsu]

Toshiba gave me the spec sheet for 200CDS instead of 205CDS..

Anyways, that sheet says you have a Type III PCMCIA slot that supports 5V cards.
So a 5V wireless PCMCIA adapter ought to work. You have to look carefully what drivers you have available though. There are less and less devices out there that have support for Windows 95 or 98.

Instead of buying a wireless adapter only to find out it doesn't work you could take that lappy to a computer (repair) shop and try things out (just plug in the card and see if Windows detects it) before buying.

 

[Skyfire]

Toshiba gave me the spec sheet for 200CDS instead of 205CDS..

Anyways, that sheet says you have a Type III PCMCIA slot that supports 5V cards.
So a 5V wireless PCMCIA adapter ought to work. You have to look carefully what drivers you have available though. There are less and less devices out there that have support for Windows 95 or 98.

Instead of buying a wireless adapter only to find out it doesn't work you could take that lappy to a computer (repair) shop and try things out (just plug in the card and see if Windows detects it) before buying.

*AWESOME*; thanks Nodsu!