Re: A question about the 9 inch Dell Inspiron

JandC805@xxxxxxxxx (J and C) wrote in news:27813-49C83D64-3323
@storefull-3173.bay.webtv.net:

I was browsing around looking for a computer laptop discuss group and
I
came across this group. I hope you don't mind me asking a question
about
the 9 inch Dell Inspiron.
I own a Dell Inspiron 1200 notebook which I purchased in 8/05 with
windows xp. It doesn't give me any problem. You might be asking why do
I
want the 9 inch when I already have the Inspiron 1200, it's because I
love small gadgets. I would love to have the Dell 9 inch with the
windows XP operating system. I'm pretty sure the 9 inch doesn't have a
modem. My question is: On a wireless card, does the machine need a
modem? I don't know how wireless works. I had my Inspiron connected to
dial-up. I never used wireless. I do know that Dell computers are
good
computers.

I would appreciate info about this.

Carmen



The wireless card IS a modem....a radio modem. Most come with software
that helps you automate the connection, rather than having to fight
through the maze of Windows networking nonsense to use it. The software
makes it simple. The card looks around scanning the channels and
listing all the connections it finds from their broadcasts, usually on
channel 6 or 11. You look to see which ones are not protected by WEP or
other passphrases, keys it takes to connect to them. When you find one
not protected, you tell the software to connect to it and just sit back
as the software connects to it and tries to find the internet on it. If
it finds it...or not....it reports what it has found so you will know
whether you're connected or not. It's already on the net if the
connection were successful.

Some open access points, especially in commercial establishments like
chain restaurants, force you to open your web browser and call any
webpage, like www.google.com. The router intercepts the port 80 call
out then returns a page of spam from the establishment to show you the
menu or sell you something with a click button for you to click to
"activate your internet connection". Hotels, these days in the face of
competition, have gotten away from the pay-me-now-for-access nonsense
and will let your modem's MAC address use the internet for 24 hours
before demanding your room number for continued access. This makes sure
the neighbors aren't unwanted guests, forever, and lets unguests use
their laptops while sitting at the hotel bar paying 3 times a fair price
for a beer or triple for a hamburger.

Lots of open access webpages will simply boot up google you asked for.
These are uncontrolled hotspots worth noting as you can use them
forever. Smaller hotels simply don't bother with the expense of hiring
some outsource company to run an internet they can simply do themselves.
It's not worth it to go through the webpage nonsense.

Once Windows connects to a hotspot, successfully, it will remember it
for you and simply autoconnect from then on as soon as it finds
it....seamlessly.

If your "wireless card" is not wifi but a cellular phone high speed
modem, it comes with software from the carrier that automates connecting
your laptop to the cellular phone's data system, probably automatically.
I use a Motorola Z6m slidephone for my modem, rather than the laptop USB
modem because it's much cheaper. I can connect through the phone via
bluetooth DUN from the netbook or for faster speeds that my bluetooth
stereo headset doesn't trash I use a directly connected USB cable, which
also charges the little phone from the netbook battery.

I use both these methods to connect so I'm never without net service.
With the cellphone data, I can even stream my fav internet radio through
my little Nokia Linux tablet plugged into the big stereo...driving down
the road at 70, without interruption....even when email comes in or
someone calls me on Skype or to my Skype landline numbers (2)....



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