Subj : Re: Learned something new
To   : Ky Moffet
From : Ed Vance
Date : Sat Jul 27 2024 20:42:11


> AUGUST ABOLINS wrote:

> I can't find Ed's message on the topic, but anyway. Pretend you're Ed. 
> I'm talkin' to Ed. :)

> There's no such thing. You're probably remembering a USB-to-Ethernet
> adapter. GatorCable sells a good one for very few bucks (I have four of 
> 'em) that includes an unpowered USB hub (suitable for a mouse or 
> keyboard or a flash drive, not for an external HD). You can get them in 
> the standard larger USB plug, or in newfangled USB-C. I use them with my
> netbooks that don't have an ethernet port.

> There are dongles that do both wifi and bluetooth, but wifi-only cost 
> 1/4 as much.

> Bluetooth is much less secure and a lot more likely to randomly fail to
> connect. Especially does not work well with XP. I have a BT adapter on 
> my XP64 box for no good reason, because it won't connect with any modern
> devices, and only sees about half of them. Its only virtue is it's old 
> enough that the driver is for XP.

> That's an old router (only does 10/100, gigabit has been standard a long
> time) but should be decent enough.

> https://downloads.linksys.com/downloads/userguide/1224638533883/BEFSX41_V21_U
> G_B-WEB.pdf

> Hmm. I have one of those here somewhere. Perfectly good router, except 
> it's too slow for everyday use on my network.

> I don't have much hooked to my router, but I have three TP-Link 8-port
> switches daisy-chained and most of the ports are full. :)  Nice switch 
> because you can hook things up any which way with any cable you have, 
> and it autosenses and everything works, and unlike most, the unit 
> doesn't get hot. Plug 'em in and they Just Work.

> Wired ethernet is more reliable and WAAAAY faster (20x to 200x depending 
> on your port capacity). But wifi does work reliably with XP.

> Wifi will never be as secure as wired, because it's broadcast to the 
> world, and you need to make sure security is set (if not on by default). 
> But so long as all the security is enabled and you have a router less 
> than 20 years old, it should be sufficient.

> One of my small entertainments is watching wifi-enabled cars go by on 
> the highway. It's about 200 feet away but they still show up on any 
> device that's looking for wifi. Some are secure, but many are not.

> It doesn't exist. And if it did, it wouldn't work with XP, and it 
> wouldn't be particularly secure either.
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