I currently have a NETGEAR MA401 wireless adapter installed on my WINDOWS XP Home Edition laptop. For several years I have been using it to link to a wireless transmitter on my desktop PC so that I could access the internet via the stationary machine and its USB one-port ADSL modem.

This week, I have received a D-Link DSL 2640-B Wireless G Modem ROUTER from my ISP and I would like to use it wirelessly with my laptop.

I have a new BT 1055 USB adapter that promises better compatability and security than the elderly Netgear card.

Will I NEED to uninstall the Netgear card before I add the BT hardware ?

Will I also need to erase information from the laptop about the former Ad-hoc network?

In the portable computer's "Network Connections" there is a section called "Network Bridge" which includes an icon for a "Network Bridge Enabled MAC Bridge Miniport".

I don't really know what this is, whether or not I should remove it and how I should go
about that deletion if it is a necessary action.

Any tips would be hugely helpful.....You should delete the ad-hoc network from control panel>network connections and any software/drivers from the netgear card, then install and set up the new hardware, but I think that it won't do any harm if you still have the old card installed when you set up the new one.Hi

Thanks for replying.

I am confused about what "Network Bridge" is.

When I go to my "Network Connections" via the Control Panel the *only* section I have is "Network Bridge".

It has four icons. The full details are as follows -->

Local Area Connection
Connected, Bridged, Firewalled
Intel (R) PRO/100 VE Network


1394 Connection
Connected, Bridged, Firewalled
1394 Net Adapter

Network Bridge
Connected, Firewalled
MAC Bridge Miniport

Wireless Network Connection
Not Connected, Firewalled

I am currently connected to the internet with an ethernet cable running straight to my router from the jack on my laptop. I assume this relates to the "1394 Net Adapter".

I don't understand why the Adapter appears under a "Network Bridge" heading when I would expect it to be categorised as "LAN or High-Speed Internet".

Is the "bridge" likely to be a REMNANT from when I was using the Ad-Hoc connection that I no longer require ?


The 1394 connection is firewire, leave that alone. "Local area connection" should be the ethernet connection. I don't know why everything is under "network bridge". Did you set up the new card yet? If not, set it up and report back with what shows up under network connections.Hi

I moved my Network items away from the "Network Bridge" and they are now logically labelled by type.

I had been trying to get the old Netgear MA401 card to work with WPA by following some flashing instructions posted at wifi-forum.com.

Eventually, I gave up with that and installed the BT product.....without having to uninstall the (modified ?) Netgear. I just "disabled" it before running the drivers for its replacement.

That replacement is *absolutely brilliant*. I can get a strong signal from the bottom of the garden (YAY !!!!) and the freedom and efficiency I am now experiencing is amazing compared to the shabby system I had before when I was using a (very, VERY noisy) Desktop PC as an internet gateway with a USB-cable daisy-chaining a wireless transmitter so that it could send its 6 metre range signal and get me to the dining room table !
I really didn't know what I was missing.
The Router lets me swap quickly between wired and non-wired connections (whicj I had imagined would be a pain. It isn't and I no longer have to "Dial Up" to access my ADSL. Great stuff !

Nice