can someone explain wireless to me?

[mom-from-missouri]

When I first moved here, all that was available was dial up. Now, I hear some areas can get wireless.

(I checked into satalite, that was going to be $499 to install and $200 a month. Our dial up is like $9.95 a month)

What is involved getting wireless?? Does it require special equipment or does it require a special computer? We have 3 older PC's and an older laptop. If I had it, does that mean it would work on the road if I had my laptop?

Who do you buy it from? I called my local telephone co (the only telephone co that offers service here, and they don't sell it, only dial up). Is it through the cell company??

Any pros or cons?

[disneysteve]

I think you're mixing up apples and oranges. Wireless is not a type of service. For example, we have DSL which goes through the phone line. Our desktop computer is hard wired to the modem. However, we also have a wireless router that transmits that internet signal throughout the house so that we can use our laptop anywhere in the house without having to be hard wired to the modem. The same could be true with cable internet or satellite internet and probably with dial-up as well (though I'm not positive about that).

So you don't "buy" wireless internet access. You just buy dial up or DSL or cable or satellite and then connect that to a wireless device to give you wireless access in your home.

Pretty much all laptops sold today have built in wireless capacity. Desktops probably do, too, though I haven't been in the market for a while so I'm not 100% sure. The only special equipment needed is the wireless router to connect the internet access.

I just thought of something. Maybe what you are referring to is a service that lets you get online over the cell phone network. I know some folks have a card that plugs into their laptop and lets them access the internet anywhere there is cell phone service. You would get that from the cell phone providers like AT&T or Sprint. I'm not sure how much that goes for.

[mom-from-missouri]

In the paper, it said wireless now worked in the city park, the pool (I prefer to call it the city puddle--its 40 ft by 40 ft), and in all the city buildings, as well as some other locations. One business in town is getting ready to add a coffee room so people can bring in their laptops and access their wireless there (a mechanics shop no less).... It had a big thing about how it gave an alternative to the slow dial up that everyone around here hates.

Awhile back I saw a laptop being used at the doctors office in the waiting room. It had a "thing" sticking out the side. I assumed that was how it got its signal??

When I worked for the phone co, I sold and later installed dialup for awhile-that was when it first came out--long before wireless or dsl....... I'm talking 1992-1994. How times have changed.

[vole]

There are several ways to connect to the internet, such as dial up, cable, DSL, and satellite, and wireless.

Wireless networks are mostly used for local networks. For example, people would have a wireless network in their house for several computers to connect to the internet through one paid internet connection.

There are free ways to connect to the internet with wireless service.

1. Hotels offer free wireless internet connection while airports charge.
   
2. Many libraries offer free wireless internet connections.
   
3. Some coffee houses offer free wireless internet.
   
4. Many wireless networks are "open" and people can tap into them. Often this is a configuration error by the owner.
   
5. Many people keep their wireless network open for other to use. As with most things on the internet there's always a small group that make their WLAN open to anyone.
   
6. A street movement arose, called warchalking, to put a symbol to mark an open node.
   
7. And their are websites to track open WLANS.

So, yes. You can get free wireless internet. But it depends on where you are.

Pros:

• Free service

Cons:

• Questionable reliability
• Variable speeds
• Privacy issues

-Dave

[disneysteve]

In the paper, it said wireless now worked in the city park, the pool (I prefer to call it the city puddle--its 40 ft by 40 ft), and in all the city buildings, as well as some other locations. One business in town is getting ready to add a coffee room so people can bring in their laptops and access their wireless there (a mechanics shop no less).... It had a big thing about how it gave an alternative to the slow dial up that everyone around here hates.

Awhile back I saw a laptop being used at the doctors office in the waiting room. It had a "thing" sticking out the side. I assumed that was how it got its signal??

Yes, you're talking about Wi-Fi. That is when the internet access is broadcast so that any computer with a receiver can access it. As I said, pretty much all laptops sold today have that built-in. Ours is about 4 years old and has it so all we have to do is turn on the computer and connect to the network. That's what we do when we travel as most hotels offer free wireless internet service today. Places like coffee shops, public libraries and many others do, too. Numerous cities are working on making public parks and other gathering spots Wi-Fi hotspots. Philadelphia has been working on this.

It may not help you at home, though, unless they make the whole town accessible.

[kork13]

I just wanted to add in, there IS a paid-for wireless service.... it's sold through wireless phone companies (AT&T and Verizon both do it, I'm sure many others do), and operates off of the phone signals. Just like how your cell phone can surf the web, you can buy an internet service capability through the 3G phone network (or whatever), and have internet available to your laptop in places where normally you can't get the free/standard Wi-Fi. MFM, that's probably what you saw at the doctor's office, the guy with the "thing" sticking out the side... It's probably a 3G receiver, allowing him to work on the internet through a wireless phone service.

[noppenbd]

Just to complicate things a little bit more, there are also a few other broadband wireless technologies. Some smaller companies offer something called fixed wireless, where you have a small antenna that points at a nearby tower and gives you broadband in your home. In addition a new technology called Wimax is being rolled out by Sprint (in conjunction with a smaller player, Clearwire) which is similar to Wifi but covers a larger area. With Wimax you could have a fixed receiver in your home, and Wimax card in your laptop, and potentially a Wimax-capable smartphone (not sure if the latter are available yet). In Baltimore, Wimax is available for between $30-50 a month depending on your configuration.

[tulsa_sr5]

You might try the 'Find Service' tab on DSLreports.com and see if there's anything available in your area that you weren't aware of

[vole]

J In addition a new technology called Wimax is being rolled out by Sprint (in conjunction with a smaller player, Clearwire)

How close to you have to be for good service? I had read that throughput was
2 Mbit/s symmetric at a couple of miles.

-Dave

[FrugalTexan75]

Something to be aware of when using Wi-Fi internet (such as at the library or at a coffee house) is that it is an OPEN network. What that means is that whatever you do on it, *could* be followed by a hacker (someone who knows how to access other people's computers). So, it's not a good idea to do anything with online banking or other things which require sensitive information on an OPEN line.

Wireless internet in your own home can be different, as long as it is a locked or a secure connection.

[Johansen8]

Wifi Phone will connect with a WIreless Router. WiFi stands for wireless fidelity’ or "WLAN" this means any WiFi device will work with WIreless Routers and Access Points. Hope This Helps

[RefinanceRight]

wireless as in with out wires