I want to finally get a Techstream setup going..

Check out Hybrid battery diagnostic and repair tool for Toyota and Lexus

I purchased the PanLong. So far so great
moto g power ?

 

[ Short version: don't worry much about the dongle but find one with recent reviews that successfully installed on your version of windows, preferably without remote help. ]

The only "legit" Techstream software is from Toyota, and they charge more for a 2-day pass than most of the Amazon/eBay ones that let you use them indefinitely. The issue with clones isn't so much the dongles. It's how the original Techstream software was, um, "customized" for resale. Ideally you want to find one where recent buyers have been able to install on XP without assistance. (Recent buyers because as Techstream is updated and then re-"customized", it's ease of installation can change.) So dig through the most recent reviews would be my advice.

Or decide in advance whether you're willing to allow the seller to remotely access your laptop for installation, as many offer now. If the netbook is dedicated to this and nothing private, then maybe that's not such a gamble.

One other thought on the dedicated old XP laptop approach -- if the laptop battery is dead and hard to replace (like mine), you'll want to power it from something other than the car. Because there are situations where you need to restart the car and you'll lose the AUX power long enough for the laptop to die. (I remember the specific frustration but not the specific scenarios.)