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    Donald C Smith's Avatar
    Donald C Smith Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Nov 2, 2006, 04:08 AM
    Dell laptop
    How to hook up wireless to internet
    colbtech's Avatar
    colbtech Posts: 748, Reputation: 66
    Senior Member
     
    #2

    Nov 2, 2006, 05:59 AM
    1. You need a broadband modem and connection
    2. follow the instructions on the modem installation instructions to configure.

    That's all I had to do for my daughters!

    Good Luck
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
    Computer Expert and Renaissance Man
     
    #3

    Nov 2, 2006, 07:14 AM
    You need more than a broadband modem

    There are two ways to do this.
    1) Connect to a WiFi Wireless Access Point (WAP). WiFi is another name for the 802.11 wireless communications protocols. An Access point is usually built into a router that connects to broadband service. WiFi service is of limited range. The wireless routers you see in most computer, electronics and office supply stores include such an Access point. You connect your broadband modem to the router, then connect your laptop to the WAP. The laptop will need a wireless network adapter, but most new laptops have one built in.
    You can also connect at a "Hotspot". Hotspots are public places with a WAP where you can connect. Some places are free, others charge a small fee. Starbucks and McDonalds are examples of places that have fee based hotspots.

    2) Use a Wireless Broadband Cellular card. These cards have greater range, but limited coverage. Generally you pay a monthly fee of upwards of $60 for unlimited usage of the network. Verizon, Cingular and Sprint all offer this service, but only in limited (usually urban) areas.
    colbtech's Avatar
    colbtech Posts: 748, Reputation: 66
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    #4

    Nov 2, 2006, 08:27 AM
    Apologies, quite correct Scott. That'll teach me to read what I write and then check that I haven't made a hash of it! D-Link and Netgear are the most popular WiFi components in the UK.
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
    Computer Expert and Renaissance Man
     
    #5

    Nov 2, 2006, 08:41 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by colbtech
    Apologies, quite correct Scott. That'll teach me to read what I write and then check that I haven't made a hash of it! D-Link and Netgear are the most popular WiFi components in the UK.
    Are there cellular networks like the ones I mentioned in the UK? Just curious.
    colbtech's Avatar
    colbtech Posts: 748, Reputation: 66
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    #6

    Nov 2, 2006, 08:58 AM
    Yes, our local airport and docks have free "hotspots". The WiFi side of the internet is all the rage. Personally it just means that I can now sit in the armchair and surf/chat while watching the football (soccer) not that rough stuff you guys play to the left of the pond.
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
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    #7

    Nov 2, 2006, 09:23 AM
    Hotspots are different.

    I was at a meeting a while back. We were in an interior conference room (no windows) in a building that is not cellular friendly nor does it have any WAPs. The vendor had a Verizon mobile broadband card and was using it to connect to a server in Seattle (from NYC). The response time and performance was amazing. If I was a road warrior I would definitely have one of those. But at $60/mth for limited coverage, that's a bit pricey.
    colbtech's Avatar
    colbtech Posts: 748, Reputation: 66
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    #8

    Nov 3, 2006, 01:37 AM
    Are home internet connections rent free in the US ? We pay about £30 ($60) every month in rent to have a broadband connection at home. There is also a one-off connection fee. The WiFi you purchase (£40 - £70) and install yourself.
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
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    #9

    Nov 3, 2006, 06:42 AM
    You aren't getting what I'm saying. I am talking about 2 DIFFERENT things. WiFi is one thing, cellular broadband is a different thing. WiFi requires an 802.11 Wireless Access Point. Most people do pay a monthly fee that ranges from $15-$50(USD)/month. This gets them a wired high speed connection into the Internet. From there, they can add a wireless broadband router which allows them to connect wirelessly to their Internet connection. There are several areas however, that are talking about putting up a WiFi network that would provide free coverage. For example, there are several public parks in NYC where you can connect to the Internet for free over a WiFi hotspot.

    But what I'm asking about is cellular broadband. This is a service that uses the same network used by cellular phones to connect to the Internet wirelessly. Several urban areas in the states have companies offering such service. It requires a cellular modem and a subscription, generally around $60/month. It does not use 802.11 protocols.
    colbtech's Avatar
    colbtech Posts: 748, Reputation: 66
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    #10

    Nov 3, 2006, 08:15 AM
    Once again apologies Scott, lack of understanding and stupidity! My phone has the facility for internet access and that is available throughout the UK.
    http://www.wavetelecom.com/templates...tB.aspx?id=604
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
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    #11

    Nov 3, 2006, 08:51 AM
    That's not what I was referring to either. Several carriers in the US allow WEB browsing over cell phones using WAP browsers. What I was referring to is something like this:

    http://b2b.vzw.com/broadband/index.html
    colbtech's Avatar
    colbtech Posts: 748, Reputation: 66
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    #12

    Nov 3, 2006, 09:06 AM
    Wow, looks cool. Don't think we have that over here, maybe the UK mainland have it in places. Wouldn't be surprised to find it in and around London. But Guernsey, don't think so.
    Curlyben's Avatar
    Curlyben Posts: 18,514, Reputation: 1860
    BossMan
     
    #13

    Nov 3, 2006, 01:08 PM
    Scott, Colb, we do have the same in the UK.
    It's known as 3G.
    There's quite a number of mobiles (cells) that will even allow direct net access using the opera browser.
    One of the main 3G players are 3
    Big but for you Colb, they don't cover your location :(

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