Initial setup woes

[chrisjp]

A quick Google search turned up this:
Wifi Dongle, AC600 802.11AC Dual Band 2.4Ghz And 5GHz Mini Wireless Network USB Wifi Adapter for PC Desktop Laptop, Support Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP, Mac Os X 10.9-10.15
Price: £6.99
This may self-install once you plug it in with the computer running, or if not then drivers are supplied on a CD or can be downloaded from a supplied website.

[WSH]

The fact remains, however, that XP is over ten years out of date.  It's about as secure as a wet paper bag.

[chrisjp]

Absolutely correct but, if the OP is determined to keep using XP, then I was suggesting a way he could do it without having to run an ethernet cable through his house. Accessing broadband via WiFi won't be any less secure than his current arrangement, insecure as it is.

[WSH]

Sorry Chris.  Wasn't meant as a criticism.  Just adding my voice to those that have warned the OP that connecting XP to the outside world is now a big liability.

[licquorice]

@sambda if XP is requirement in order to use legacy apps etc, you might want to consider running it within a VM without internet access under W11 

[sambda]

Absolutely.  The XP machine is simply a media-storage thing (it also hosts my TWAIN scanner which sits next to it).  The XP is enough to provide storage and present the files over an SMB share, which is all I need for that machine.  The machine wouldn't even vaguely take Win7 let alone 10! The HDDs in it have been replaced twice when SMART has reported problems.  I don't use a web browser on it (not sure any would work properly with any modern website), and the NAT would prevent port-based attacks.  It's been OK for years and years and years (since XP was current).

I have found a couple of PCIE cards which purport to support XP (e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Archer-T4E-Wireless-Interface-Low-Profile/dp/B07NZ1ZJLR) so I'll see what that can do and if the speed is OK. I think a card would be a preferable first try rather than a dongle (haven't looked at the speeds, but I think USB2 would be a bottleneck maybe - anyone?) There's always a Wifi-Ethernet bridge or PLAs as a "driverless" alternative as a possibility too.

Thanks to all those with constructive comments.   Love ya.

[WSH]

So long as you’re aware of the dangers, up to you, of course.

Just for the record, the SMB version used by XP was also compromised long ago and is considered so insecure now that the old version doesn’t install by default on modern Windows.

USB2’s max speed was theoretically 480Mb/s.  That should be faster than most internet connections, although there are other performance factors with USB.  (USB3 is 10x that that speed, by the way).