OT Internet on a laptop

[rsooty]

I don't tend to spend much time at home but still want to use the internet. Does any body know how i could connect my laptop to the internet without using a phoneline, and how much it costs roughly?

Sooty

[Ste]

Erm, are you asking how to network your desktop computer and your laptop together so that you can use the internet on the laptop, or are you asking how you can use the laptop to access the internet with needing to use a phoneline?

[rsooty]

Say i was on a train traveling home, how would i connect then?

Sooty

[Davo]

Sound's like the obvious one is going to be connected to the internet through your mobile phone.

Firstly you'll need to confirm if your mobile phone is data compatible, and if data services are enabled by your service provider.

Providing both above are yes, what you'll need to do is to connect the the laptop and mobile together using cable/infrared or bluetooth.

Then go into Dial Up Networking and setup a connection to your Internet service provider.

Please be aware though you will only get 9.6kps over a modem link (you can go up to 28.8kps on orange with certain mobiles - expensive though). Using GPRS i believe you get better speeds.

If you need any help, feel free to contact me via PM/MSN and i can walk you through the procedure of getting you online whilst your out and about..

Hope this helps

[rsooty]

Thanks but i was looking for a slightly cheaper way... Phone calls are too expensive on mobiles so i dread to think what it would cost to access the internet. What are those Vodafone cards that you can buy? I've heard they're for the internet but not heard anything else.

Sooty

[Davo]

The vodafone cards are basically mobile phones in PCMCIA form, although they can (and probably do use) GPRS.

The advantage with gprs is that you are charged for data sent/recievied and not time online.

This will be cheaper than using conventional dial up if browsing web pages. I think throughput is around the 36.6kps mark (on orange though).

The only other way i can think is to see if any train companies provide WiFi hotspots on their trains.. but i've not seen any.

(Davo scribbles down new business plan)

[Frost]

i would expect that a Wi-FI hotspot would actually require some form of wireless router connected to a phone line. hence having one on a train would be very difficult. the only way i could think of doing it would be a router which allows uses to connect wireless then routes data via satalie, or radio to the nearest station which then routes data to the nearest exchange.

possibly hundreds of laptops would be swapping stations and exchanges every few minutes, so chances are its not going to get implemented any time soon

i think Wi-FI is a nice idea for companies, but for users the future of wireless internet is in mobile phones.

[Demonic69]

Basically you can't do it unless you get one of those PCMCIA cards. The contracts that come with them aren't too badly priced but it's the price you gotta pay
____________________
Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

[rsooty]

Where can i get one from, how does it work, do i need any programs, do i need to register it with anyone? Etc.

Sooty