Cassis Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 My Freebox is of a generation without any inbuilt wi-fi capability (the new ones have Wifi MIMO). I have just bought a laptop which I want to connect to the Internet wirelessly; according to the Free site I have to buy from them a WiFi PCMCIA card for 27€ in order to do this with my existing modem - there is a narrow slot in the back of the modem to accept this. My laptop, arriving soon, has inbuilt wifi connectivity. My desktop connects to the Freebox by cable and I don't want/need wireless for that.Can I buy a WiFi PCMCIA card from anywhere, stick it into the oblong slot on the back of the Freebox, then Bob's your uncle my laptop will now connect wirelessly to the Internet?Am I right in thinking that the wireless range with a PCMCIA card will be significantly more limited than with MIMO.Should I wish to connect to the Internet from the laptop and Desktop simultaneously, do I actually need a Broadband or ICS router instead of the Freebox? I see the name Belkin bandied around a lot in this forum.Anything else I should know without overcomplicating the issues? [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Hi Phil1. from one of the freebox manuals... not exactly sure if its the same box you have but I would imagine it applies...Seule la carte WiFi fournie par Free permet de bénéficier de la fonctionnalité WiFi de la Freebox, l’utilisation de toute autre carte WiFi sera sans effet. 2. Don't really know but that's what it sounds like to me from the description on the Free website - you might not even notice the difference. The wifi signal strength will depend on many things.3. The Freebox is the broadband router you are using to connect to the internet - you don't need any other instead.hope it all works and you can take the laptop into unknown territory and still be online...Dannyedited a tad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 Okay - so you're saying the basic Freebox is a router and can take several computers at once, I'll just need a card for the laptop wifi connection and I can leave the desktop plugged in as at present. Why the heck do Free have so many different types of modem? I'm going to try to get them to change it for an integrated Mimo one. Doigts croisés. I'm number 205 in line for online assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I would imagine that you have the modem which is suitable for your connection. The Freebox HD is the most fancy one - it does television and the rest, it appears that is offered if you are in a zone degroupé.The one you have should still work well for wifi - at least the 27 euro card should work together with it (famous last words)...if you ever hear from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 We'll see - we were not in a dégroupé zone when we joined them last year. I DK if we maybe we are by now. I'm now number 111 in the Free queue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesLauriers Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 [quote user="Cassis"]We'll see - we were not in a dégroupé zone when we joined them last year. I DK if we maybe we are by now. I'm now number 111 in the Free queue.[/quote]Why are you in a Q? - You can order a card online through the website and they add the cost to your next bill.I had great difficulty in obtaining a strong signal on a laptop using an add on wifi card but a new laptop with wifi built in works very well.If you experience low transfer rates you can add a MIMO router to your Freebox using ethernet cable. MIMO "more in more out" it bends and bounces the signal around obstructions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 It's the online assistance queue. I'm talking online now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 The laptop has wifi built in. It's the modem that's the problem. They say they won't give us a MiMo modem cos we're not degroup. The tchatteur says I can connect a router without modem to the old Frrebox. Is that what you mean as well? I'm just concerned about how far you can go from the modem with a PCMIA card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesLauriers Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 OK keep it simple - how far do you want to go? Is there line of sight? Are the walls really thick? Is there much steel reinforcing in the floors or walls?If you are worried about paying for a card only to find that you need a MIMO router then remember that it's only 27€ that you will potentially waste - but you could end up with the card supplying a signal and a mimo signal so therefore an even better chance of a good signal. Are you wishing to use it at the bottom of your garden?No! just buy a pcmia card and try it - if it won't reach where you want to go then it's the mimo router route using ethernet cable to achieve the distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 Big thick walls but some good sized windows as well and the internalwalls are cloisons, so maybe I'm worrying about nowt, as you say. I've done what you suggest - ordered the card from Free, so we'll see how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 great, now we all look forward to your initiation into the rite of wifi and getting everything to work together. It may seem difficult, my child, but you must trust...( what am I on?) try not to tear your hair out!!!!Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted January 16, 2007 Author Share Posted January 16, 2007 I'm just hoping that the confirmation email from Free saying I'll receive the card "d'ici quelques semaines" is heavily on the pessimistic side regarding delivery! [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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