General Discussion - Wireless Internet Access

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Wireless Internet Access

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Category: General Discussion
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: General discussion and chat on any topic.
URL: https://forums.webwiz.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=10466
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Topic: Wireless Internet Access

Posted By: Misty
Subject: Wireless Internet Access
Date Posted: 16 May 2004 at 3:50pm

I am planning on purchasing a Dell Inspiron 8600 laptop soon. I have a desire to be able to have internet access on my laptop when I am away (perhaps about 3 hours away). I use Charter as my ISP on my computer. I would like to be able to have Internet access on my computer anywhere. I would like for it to come from Charter.

Can someone please tell me what options I should choose when I buy the Dell Inspiron 8600 Laptop? It is necessary for me to purchase a wireless broadband router or not? I know that I will need to have a wireless networking card.

Wireless Options

Intel� PRO/Wireless 2100 is a key component of Centrino Mobile Technology

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Intel Pro 2100

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Intel Pro 2200

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Dell 1450

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Dell 1350

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None

Wireless Networking Cards

Help Me Choose

Use an internal or external wireless networking card to connect your home PCs to the internet wirelessly. Also requires a wireless broadband router and a separate high-speed modem provided by your internet service provider.New 802.11g technology now available! Connect wirelessly up to 5 times faster!!

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Intel� PRO/Wireless 2100 Internal Wireless (802.11b, 11Mbps) [subtract $39]

Replies:

Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 16 May 2004 at 7:04pm

Being able yo access via wireless while 3 hours away will depend upon the availability of a wireless access point at the location that will allow you to use it.

If you can get that, any 802.11g card that's also compatible with 802.11b will do.

Some ISP's are picky about the router's they're compatible with, you may want to check with them first before buying a dell router. You'll still need a broadband connection to the router though.

If you can't get a wireless access point at your remote location, you may want to look into satellite access.

http://www.braodbandreports.com - www.braodbandreports.com is an excellent resource, and probably has a forum for clients of your isp.

EDIT: - A lot of corps in my area don't allow business to be conducted - including email - over wireless or cell phones due to security problems with the technologies.

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Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me.

Posted By: michael
Date Posted: 16 May 2004 at 7:26pm

I am using Charter Pipeline and so far any router I tried works fine. That is not gonna solve it for a 3 hour away connection though. For that you must either like dpyers said have an access point for you to use or get a GSM Card from like AT&T or so, then you can use Internet wherever there is a GSM Network I believe at around 100KBit or so, but they are pretty expensive still.

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Posted By: pmormr
Date Posted: 16 May 2004 at 10:14pm

or you can...

call up nasa and tell them you want a Series IV Communications Satellite
set up a big satellite dish on your roof
get a satellite PCMCIA networking card for your laptop
launch the satellite and program it to follow you around so you get internet access anywhere in the world!

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Paul A Morgan

http://www.pmorganphoto.com/" rel="nofollow - http://www.pmorganphoto.com/

Posted By: pmormr
Date Posted: 16 May 2004 at 10:20pm

last time i checked a communications satellite cost around 650 million us... and you'd have to custom order a bunch of other stuff... so your invoice

Communications Satellite from Nasa &n bsp; 650,000,000.00
Custom Networking card from Cisco Systems ; 250,000.00
Big satellite dish &n bsp; &n bsp; &n bsp; &n bsp; 65,000.00
Really big satellite transmitter & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; 150,000.00
Launching fees (tax, liquid oxygen, etc.) & nbsp; 25,000,000.00

TOTAL: $675,465,000.00

Cheaper to buy a GSM card from AT&T

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Paul A Morgan

http://www.pmorganphoto.com/" rel="nofollow - http://www.pmorganphoto.com/

Posted By: pmormr
Date Posted: 16 May 2004 at 10:20pm

it doesn't like lineing my stuff up does it...

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Paul A Morgan

http://www.pmorganphoto.com/" rel="nofollow - http://www.pmorganphoto.com/

Posted By: Misty
Date Posted: 16 May 2004 at 10:31pm

I am certainly not interested in purchasing a communications satellite. I don't have this kind of money.

Does anyone have any idea how much it might cost to get a GSMA Card?

Michael, I would like to be able to access the Internet on a laptop when I go to another place in town. Would a simple wireless networking card allow me to do this?

Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 16 May 2004 at 10:40pm

Depends on the range of your wireless access point/router They're usually good for 1-300 meters. Although I get about a half mile with mine north of the house, much less in any other direction.

You can always just cruise around until you find a signal and leech someone elses bandwidth - lol. Happens a lot in cities

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Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me.

Posted By: Misty
Date Posted: 17 May 2004 at 1:40am

Michael,

I know for sure that a city about thirty minutes away has Charter as well. If I took my laptop 30 minutes away, do you think I would have an access point?

Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 17 May 2004 at 3:04am

You can usually find free access points at airports, hotels, cafes, bars and lately at some public libraries. If you do a google for "wireless access points cityname", you should come up with something.

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Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me.

Posted By: michael
Date Posted: 17 May 2004 at 10:03pm

Misty wrote:

Michael,

I know for sure that a city about thirty minutes away has Charter as well. If I took my laptop 30 minutes away, do you think I would have an access point?

Just cause they also have Charter there may not mean you have it enabled on that line. If it is, chances are there is a modem already and you could hook up with a router, with your card chances to go beyond your neighbourhood are slim to none. I find 802.11 to be too weak to go far distance. If you require internet access at that place 30 minutes away, either sign up for internet there or get wireless internet access. Some of our sales reps have http://www.attwireless.com/speed/ - GSM from AT&T and pay I think 80/month and got a sony card free....

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