I visited my grandpa this weekend and he gave me an old Dell Inspiron 15 laptop that's been collecting dust since around 2016. I tried to run some updates using my iPhone 7's hotspot, but it wouldn't connect to either my internet or my mom's iPhone 13. I'm thinking of grabbing a LAN cable from Walmart since it has an Ethernet port. Any suggestions or recommendations on how to get this old laptop up to speed? I also bought a TP-Link AX1750 USB Wi-Fi dongle, which seems to be working fine so far. I'll keep you updated!
5 Answers
Definitely check the wireless standards and consider setting different SSIDs for the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands if you have access to the router settings. That could improve connectivity as well. Good luck!
Using an Ethernet LAN cable to connect to your router is a solid idea. It will give you a faster connection for updates. If it's on Windows 10, keep in mind that it might struggle to connect to updates if it hasn’t been updated in a while. You could try the Windows 10 update assistant for a quicker update process instead of the usual one from settings. That should help!
Consider making a partition to back up your grandpa's important files first! You could then use a USB to create a Windows 10 or modified Windows 11 installer to wipe the drive clean and start fresh. If you can upgrade to an SSD, it'll make the laptop much faster. Just ensure you save all his photos and any important zipped files before doing so!
First things first, what's the exact model number of the Inspiron 15? There are many variants. Once we have that, we can figure out the best way to connect it. Also, older models might struggle with a 5.0 GHz signal, so check if it's running only on a 2.4 GHz band. Using a good USB Wi-Fi dongle like the one you got is definitely a smart move!
I think it's part of the 3000 series.
It might be the 3558 version.
What year was the laptop made? If it's from May 2016, it probably features Intel's Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160, which supports Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). Knowing the wireless standard can help determine the best connection methods.
I totally get it. Backing up those family pictures is a must! Maybe do that first before deciding to wipe the drive.