VOGONS


First post, by rick12373

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Can anyone point me in the right direction for a compatible PCMCIA WIFI card for my ancient 1200 Series Presario laptop? It is running Windows 95. I was given this laptop and it is in perfect condition. I don't think it ever had much use. I have been plugging it in to a separate monitor and it has been great. I know it won't be able to do much on the internet in this day and age but I would like to play about with it none the less just for fun.

486 DX4-100 (overdrive)
16MB 72-pin SIMM RAM (2x8MB)
1MB Diamond Speedstar Pro VLB video card
SB 16 Value CT2770
AOpen VI15G Socket 3 Motherboard
HDD/FDD VLB controller card

Reply 1 of 9, by Sedrosken

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

WiFi on Windows 95 is going to be a no-go in most cases. You may try to find an Orinoco Gold card, but I think those top out at 802.11b and they might not have 95 drivers, just ones for 98 or better. You'd be better off getting a PCMCIA ethernet card instead and physically wiring into your LAN as you would on a desktop. Depending on what kind of slot you've got, whether it be 16-bit PCMCIA only like on my T2130CS or 32-bit PCMCIA, or even CardBus capable, you may have to be more discerning in what you pick up. Trying to find something for non-CardBus slots was like pulling teeth on eBay, especially for a card with the dongle still with it. I ended up getting a NOS Intel PRO/100 PC Card, though mine had the big qualifier that it was 16-bit only.

In your case, without knowing an exact model (1200 series can be a little vague) I'd say that you're running 95 instead of 98 or 2000 would be the big problem to getting WiFi working on there.

Nanto: H61H2-AM3, 4GB, GTS250 1GB, SB0730, 512GB SSD, XP USP4
Rithwic: EP-61BXM-A, Celeron 300A@450, 768MB, GF2MX400/V2, YMF744, 128GB SD2IDE, 98SE (Kex)
Cragstone: Alaris Cougar, 486BL2-66, 16MB, GD5428 VLB, CT2800, 16GB SD2IDE, 95CNOIE

Reply 2 of 9, by wiretap

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

A Compaq Presario 1200 series should be running Windows 98. It looks like the minimum processor they came with was an AMD K6-2 or Pentium MMX. If you installed Windows 98, you could use almost any older PCMCIA wireless adapter. I usually use a Linksys WPC54G since it supports connecting via WPA2 and has a separate Linksys program that you connect to AP's with. It works well with my Toshiba Libretto 110.

My Github
Circuit Board Repair Manuals

Reply 3 of 9, by cyclone3d

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

The other option is to go with a ethernet card and then use an ethernet to wifi adapter.

Yamaha modified setupds and drivers
Yamaha XG repository
YMF7x4 Guide
Aopen AW744L II SB-LINK

Reply 4 of 9, by rick12373

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

It is running a Pentium MMX 150. It is this model. https://www.cnet.com/products/compaq-presario … -mb-ram-1-6-gb/ . It came with Win 95 installed when new and has all of the Compaq utilities etc installed. I don't want to go to 98 on this one. I want to keep it original, so I need to make sure the WIFI card is compatible with Win 95.

486 DX4-100 (overdrive)
16MB 72-pin SIMM RAM (2x8MB)
1MB Diamond Speedstar Pro VLB video card
SB 16 Value CT2770
AOpen VI15G Socket 3 Motherboard
HDD/FDD VLB controller card

Reply 5 of 9, by wiretap

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Oh, that's a Presario 1600 series. If you have Windows 95b, you can use a Netgear MA401 PCMCIA wireless-b adapter. (Type II) It has Windows 95b drivers and compatible application for connecting to AP's. It only supports WEP of course..

Last edited by wiretap on 2019-09-28, 17:53. Edited 1 time in total.

My Github
Circuit Board Repair Manuals

Reply 6 of 9, by cyclone3d

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Just use an ethernet card and one of theses ethernet to wifi adapters:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VAP11G-Wireless-Brid … ts/351903580172

Yamaha modified setupds and drivers
Yamaha XG repository
YMF7x4 Guide
Aopen AW744L II SB-LINK

Reply 7 of 9, by Solplay

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Uhh, that's a Presario 1610? I'm guessing that the Presario 1200 is not what you have?

Either way, you are restricted to only two well-known options as far as I know. One is the Cisco Aironet 350 AIR-PCM352, and the other is the Netgear MA401 (as someone has mentioned above). Both of them are limited to the 802.11b standard, and they do not support WPA2 or even WPA as far as I am concerned. At most, they would support WEP.

The MA401's driver page can be found and downloaded here, while the AIR-PCM352's driver page involves registering a Cisco account to download the driver.

Reply 8 of 9, by rick12373

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Yeah it's a 1610. I got mistaken as I think I have a desktop Presario that is a 1200, although I could be mistaken as that is in my office at work right now. I got 4 old desktops and this laptop at the same time. Thanks for the suggestions. I will see if I can get one.

486 DX4-100 (overdrive)
16MB 72-pin SIMM RAM (2x8MB)
1MB Diamond Speedstar Pro VLB video card
SB 16 Value CT2770
AOpen VI15G Socket 3 Motherboard
HDD/FDD VLB controller card