Wireless Laptop and Dial-up

[JamieLynn]

I bought this laptop yesterday from Staples. It is a Compaq Presario with XP. It is fully ready for internet with all the built in wireless stuff. I was playing on it today and it said that there was a wireless network to connect to and asked if I would like to connect. I said yes, and then got on AIM. AIM connected fine but my dialup box came up asking if I want to work offline or connect (via dialup). I cancelled it and tried to get on a web site, but my browser said that it needed to connect via dialup in order to work.

I am really new at wireless and I am really confused. The salesman at the store said I need DSL or cable in order to use my wireless at home, well I live in the boonies of no where at my moms and dsl and cable are unavailable. At my dads trying to get him to switch to anything is going to be a challenge enough. So I've heard I need a wireless router inorder to make the internet thing work at my houses and such, so can I get a wireless router that works with dialup? Do I have to buy two since I drive back and forth from my moms to my dads from week to weekend (Its a long story about work and college.)

Also, I am planning on going to out to my boyfriends in California in 3 weeks and would like to use my lap top and get online out there, but then do I need a router to use my wireless out there. His family has DSL, but the getting to the cords are a hassle in itself. OR will I be able to pick up a signal and be able to work online/ on the internet without a router. I am so confused because I have people telling me so many conflicting solutions.

Any help would be AMAZING! Thanks. :mrgreen:
Jamie*Lynn

[zeroth]

Hi Jamie,

I´m going to try and make this as simple as possible.

To get onto the internet you need to have an account with someone, whether it´s dialup, DSL or cable.

Wireless doesn´t give you any special way to get on other than it´s without any cables. If you got a connect dialogue from AIM, then there should be some way to sign on to the service from that sign-on message or a phone number where they can tell you how to sign on. It could be a pay service or just someone´s private wireless lan. In any case, it´s obviously within your range, so you might be onto something with AIM.

A wireless router will be useless to you if you only have access to dialup. You will notice that you have a place on the computer where you can plug a normal telephone line. That is a modem and once you have a dialup account with some service, that will enable you to plug into the telephone lines and connect to the internet.

btw, Jamie, how are you accessing this forum, from someone else´s computer?

[Dark_Omen]

But the wireless connection could have came from a source. You can walk around with a wireless laptop and pick up the signals and connect, unless they have security stuff on it. But in order to connect to the internet you have to get a service like zeroth said.

[DMR]

Just to add to what the others have said:

...but my browser said that it needed to connect via dialup in order to work.

That's usually due to a conflict/misconfiguration in the network connection settings of Windows itself and/or your ISP's connection software. If you have access to a broadband Internet connection (regardless if it's wired or wireless) and want your computer to use that instead of your dial-up modem, you need to go to the Connections tab of your Internet Options control panel and set your Dial-up connection to "Never dial a connection". If your ISP has provided you with their own connection configuration utility, you will need to make similar adjustments to the settings there (the exact settings will depend on the specific conneciton utility). Obviously, for everything to work properly, you'll also need to have your LAN/wireless connection configured correctly as well.

The salesman at the store said I need DSL or cable in order to use my wireless at home...can I get a wireless router that works with dialup?

The salesman was wrong; there actually are a few wireless solutions for dial-up. Apple's Airport Extreme Base Station is probably the best bet (yes, it works with Windows computers too).

Do I have to buy two since I drive back and forth from my moms to my dads...

No, but you'd have to lug the Airport along with you.

but then do I need a router to use my wireless out there.

If they do not currently have a router- yes.
If they currently have more than one computer in the house sharing a single Internet connection, chances are that that they already have a router or a DSL modem with the built-in capability to connect multiple computers. If that's the case, and you did buy an Airport base station, you could just bring that with you and connect it to their existing network. The Airport will act as a wireless extension (Wireless Access Point) to their wired network. :)