So my desktop is this Dell from like 5 years ago, but it works quite well still. I've been using a wifi hotspot for the past year or two and had no problem streaming a couple hd videos at a time if I want. But about a week ago, the internet connection got super ****ty--signal strength was almost nil, and it would lose connection often. And even when it was connected, I would get like 10kb of speed--it's a ****ing joke. It takes 20 seconds to load a Wikipedia page now.

I'm skeptical that it's the hotspot because I use that same hotspot for my laptop and tablet, and it's quick and strong as ever. Also, when I open the panel to see available wifi connections on my desktop, often networks will have changed drastically in signal strength, which makes me think something is up with my wireless card. But to be honest, I don't even know what a wireless card looks like or how it works, so I don't know if I should try to buy a new one to try to fix this issue.

Thanks for any insight.

WiFi care probably has one or more antenna sticking out the back of it. If you wanted to try something you could buy a usb WiFi adapter and see if it helps. If it does, it’s the WiFi card. If not, return the USB adapter.