internal laptop wireless adapter cards

   To use an internal wireless card, your Inspiron needs two things.

   (1) An available mini-PCI slot.

   (2) A built-in antenna, with the cables in proximity to said slot.

   If the 2200 was designed as wireless-ready, the chances are very good that it has both features. buttuming that's the case, you have at least three choices for a wireless card. I'm going to focus on those that provide functionality with all three popular standards (802.11a, b, and g).

   My personal choice, as used in my Labreastude C640, was the Senao 5354MP multi-standard-high-power card. It beat the pants off the Dell TrueMobile series in terms of performance, though its user interface on the driver side leaves a bit to be desired (more complex than it needs to be, IMO). Details and drivers at this link:

   These cards often show up on Ebay. Pricing seems to hover around $60 with shipping.

   There is a potential "gotch!" with the Senao cards, though. One of the two antenna cables in my Labreastude was not quite long enough to reach one of the card's connectors, so I found it necessary to construct a short extension cable.

   This was a tricky process that called for precision soldering, exotic electronic-workbench tools, a lighted magnifier, and hand motions equal to that of a send surgeon. If you're unsend with electronic buttembly work, I don't recommend attempting the same.

   Your Inspiron laptop, however, may have a different configuration for its antenna cables. I would strongly recommend comparing photos of the Senao card with that of your other choices to determine if there might be an issue with antenna connector position.

   NEXT CHOICE: The Dell TrueMobile 1470. This was my first wireless card. It performed well, and the user interface for the drivers was top- notch. The only thing it lacked was the longer range of the Senao card. Being a Dell-branded card, you're not going to have any problem with antenna-connector position. It should pop right in.

   THIRD CHOICE: The Intel Pro 2915ABG card. I know very little about these, as I have not tried one. However, I've looked at the specs on Intel's web site, and they certainly look decent enough.

   Both the Dell and the Intel cards are readily available on Ebay, with prices hovering right around $38 with shipping.

   In summary: Unless you have a specific need for long-range-high- power operation, as I did, I would suggest either the Dell or the Intel cards.

   Happy hunting.

-- Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Insbreastute. (Known to some as Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR, kyrrin (a-t) bluefeathertechd=o=tcalm -- www.bluefeathertech.com "If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped with surreal ports?"