use the same laptop on DSL as wifi

Are you asking about WiFi (limited range, requires a router) or wireless broadband (subscription based service that uses a proprietary network adapter)?  If you have a wireless router connected to a dsl modem,  then you can connect to it either by WiFi or by ethernet, it's your choice, but the speed will be the same.   Most WiFi cards have a setting that disables the wireless when an etherent connection is detected.   If you don't have a router just have the dsl modem, then you can connect  an etherent cable between your ethernet adapter and the dsl modem for a dsl connection.   If you have the broadband wireless service, then you can temporarily disable the broadband adapter while connecting to the dsl modem by ethernet.  

 

Steve

No wireless broadband. No router either.

 

Just a 1390 802.11g mini card on the laptop. The laptop also has a 10/100 ethernet LAN.

 

 If I read you right if I hook up the laptop to my ethernet cable (DSL connection) that would disable the wireless card.

 

Now is the just while the laptop is connected  to the DSL or is it permanently disabled.

 

 I  primarily want to use the laptop while we are traveling. We RV and most parks have free wifi. But judging from what I have read about download rates it would be much faster to do my updates at home with the DSL speeds

 

Thank you for your help, I hope I have explained it better this time.

 

Pam

 

You can set the 1390 card to disable the wireless adapter when it detects a wired ethernet connection.   To do this, open Device Manager, expand the listing for Network Adapters, right click your 1390 wireless network adapter, and select Properties.   Click on the Advanced tab, then select the entry for Disable Upon Wired Connect and change the Value to Enable. 

 

With this setting, it will only disable the wireless when you are connected by ethernet.  Otherwise it will be enabled. 

 

The speed of wireless connection between the wireless adapter and whatever router it connects to will in almost all cases be faster than the internet speed.   Thus there should be no difference between the speed of the wireless and the speed of the ethernet connection.  If the RV park has dsl, then the speed will be the same as your dsl connection at home.   If the RV park has cable, then the speed will be higher than your dsl connection at home.

 

Steve

:womanvery-happy: thank you every so much.

 

And the information about connecting wireless at the same speed is very enlightening. Maybe I will look into a router for here at home.

 

What I read about the card types and speeds was on webpoedia it didn't mention DSL

 

Pam