Re: Questio about Wi Fi
- From: Cool_X <cool_x_usenetSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 09:02:18 GMT
Tammy,
I'm sorry to hear that you're doing a PC via rent-to-own, the interest rates of such places have generated many horror stories I've heard about.
I still think you need to read more about how WiFi works, easiest way is to go to the links listed here or search Google.
I see you're one of the people that doesn't yet realize that "wireless networking" and "wireless Internet" are VERY different things. You see, wireless networking is just like regular cabled networking, except it's cordless. If you got a second desktop and wanted to go on the Internet with both machines, you'd still have to either buy a wired router (easier) or put 2 network cards in the first machine (involves opening the desktop up) and use the 2nd one and a crossover network cable to share the connection with the 2nd desktop (that involves some very advanced TCP/IP configuration).
Networking in general doesn't have to involve the Internet, and has been around much longer. It is all about machines sharing resources like files. What I think you want is to be able to use the wireless networking features of your laptop to share your Internet connection with your desktop, in which case you need a wireless router (the easiest solution) to send out a signal that your laptop can understand, when configured properly. Before you call the cable company, I would phone your laptop's manufacturer or go to a place that fixes them to talk about what your laptop can do with its wireless capabilities and how to configure them (something I can't do from another country, I have to be in front of a machine to directly configure it unless I go to a manufacturer's site and send you a link to a specific manual).
So what's wireless Internet, you ask? Well it's based on entirely different proprietary technologies than what your laptop will understand without a specific adapter, and likely what your cable provider can give you (that's a big reason they're called "cable" providers). I think that the TV commercial you saw involves a wireless router that wasn't shown, and I suspect that they'll tell you the same thing. In Canada, there's only 2 ways to get true wireless Internet; one is to hook up a data-enabled cell phone to a machine and surf the Internet over the cellular network, and the other is to go with a wireless ISP who uses proprietary wireless or satellite technologies and get them to send you a proprietary adapter (sometimes the only option for rural customers). I should note that both options are hugely expensive, involve extra equipment, and not nearly as fast as getting a router to share the wired connection you've already got with your laptop. Besides which, a router provides extra hardware-based security that's very useful if you're using Windows, but security's another important discussion in itself.
Getting back to basics, in order to use the wireless networking capabilities of your laptop, you'll have to buy something extra that can send out signals that it can understand, your best option being a router. Once again, you can call your cable company, but I'm willing to bet they'll tell you that you need a wireless router as well. If you do call them, please let me know what they say.
Hope that helps, please let me know if there's anything more I can do for you.
Cool_X
Tammy Fontenot wrote:
Right now I have the desktop but since it is a rent-to-own, I'm giving it back to the rent-to-own place. After that I have only the one computer (my new laptop) Do I still need to buy a router to be able to get online? I have cable internet, but I would like to be able to sit downstairs in the living room instead of being "tied" to the computer room upstairs. Sorry for all these questions, but I am just ssooo happy to finally have a laptop, I've seen the ads on TV, & I want to be able to surf the internet sitting on the couch or outside (in the morning) drinking my coffee, etc. I'm going to call my cable ISP in the morning to find out the price of this service.
"Cool_X" <cool_x_usenetSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:C0qsf.90826$2k.28688@xxxxxxxxxxx
Bear in mind that most Wi-Fi cards I've come across can also support file-sharing via "ad-hoc mode", a PC-PC connection between cards without needing a router, and a desktop with a NIC can be used for wireless Internet sharing, although these features are not as commonly used.
I also prefer to use the 5GHz 802.11a standard at home, as it's not subject to interferance from microwaves, and other 2.4 GHz devices like other 802.11b or 802.11g networks and many cordless phones. Even a cordless joystick or Bluetooth device (anything that uses the 2.4 GHz frequency) can screw up a network...
Tammy, please feel free to e-mail me with any other Wi-Fi or computer-related questions, and I'll be more than happy to answer them, as I've been using laptops for quite a while (even in the Dark Ages before wireless networks were created...LOL)
Last but not least, contacting the manufacturer is always something you should do if the machine's under warranty, it's very surprising that so many people who could get their answers from there and are still paying for the warranty end up posting their questions here...or maybe people are really getting fed up with offshoring, but that still doesn't excuse paying for something that they're not getting any benefit from. I feel that the big manufacturers should face a boycott and be forced to realize that cutting costs on customer service really isn't worth it...
Cool_X
Tammy Fontenot wrote:
I got a Toshiba Satellite M45 for Christmas, it says it has "Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG network connection (802.11b/g)". Can I get on the internet? Do I need to get anything to be able to get on the internet. I have alot of questions about Wi Fi. Any info would be very helpful to me. Thank you
.
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- From: Tammy Fontenot
- Re: Questio about Wi Fi
- From: Cool_X
- Re: Questio about Wi Fi
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