Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:

>God I hate GLOSSY SCREENS!!!

Agree with you Larry!!

J and C wrote:

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.

In order for a wireless card to pick up an internet connection, you need
to be in an area where a WiFi signal is broadcast. This can either be
outside in a public location like a shopping mall - or inside your
house, using another bit of kit called a _WiFi wireless router_.

For one of those you need to get a new internet connection method to
your house to connect to the modem within the router. Dial-up or WebTV
is just not going to cut it. You need broadband services and these are
delivered in a multitude of different ways including DSL (over copper
phoneline) and cable.

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/broadband.html

Once one of those is installed properly, your own WiFi router will be
transmitting a beacon signal with an identifier ("JandCNET") which your
wireless card will find and pair up with. For security (to stop others
hacking into your connection and computers) you will need to encypt this
link with WPA (or better WPA2) and the router instructions will show you
how.

In a public area, your wireless card will connect to other beacons
("BurgerBar") and there may be free access, or it may be charged.

There is another type of wireless called "mobile broadband". This uses
mobile telephone technology (3G/GPRS or EDGE) and that can be used in
most areas - but you pay $ for it, and it's not especially fast compared
with fixed services. It's just convenient if you are moving about a lot
- in fact it can be used on a vehicle while in transit!

--
Adrian C

JandC805@webtv.net (J and C) wrote in news:508-49CA0AD8-439@storefull-
3172.bay.webtv.net:

> All this information is now getting over my head. I'm getting confused
> with all this technical stuff. I'm a novice when it comes to
computers.
> Larry, are you telling me I need to get a cellular phone to use with
the
> netbook as a connection device? If that's the case, it's best not to
get
> a netbook.

You don't HAVE to get a cellular phone to use a netbook. But, alas, it
must connect to the internet via "something". It will connect via wifi,
assuming wifi is available to it. Those are the options... a wifi
hotspot hooked to the internet provided by some
company/hotel/restaurant. If those are not available in the location
you're currently located in, the other option is to buy cellular data
service from a cellular phone company.

At home, there are two choices, also. Buy some kind of internet service
from your cable TV or telephone carrier, preferably broadband, not some
$9.95/mo dialup which is so slow you can't even upgrade Windows in a
day....or use your cellular phone data connection like you would on-the-
road. I use both cable TV and cellular, here. Netbooks connect
directly to your router with an Ethernet cable, or can connect to the
router's wifi radio if that's available.

Cellular just ADDS to the number of ways and convenience of the internet
connection. There's no place in a hundred miles of my house my cellular
data connection doesn't function. I'm not dependent on free/paid wifi
hotspots for internet away from home.

>
> I've come to this conclusion, maybe I should bring my Dell notebook as
> you had told me to do, to my local computer shop and have him install
> all the software that I need so that I can connect it to the internet
> and to check it for viruses, which I don't think I have on it, but
then
> again you never know. Anything is possible, I could have gotten one
when
> I was connected to AOL. I really don't like AOL and I won't use them
> again.

While he has the laptop, have him check its configuration for maximum
speed and to unload the crapware you don't use off it. It's like
getting a free new high speed computer if properly done....(c;]


>
> Larry, I do appreciate the time you spent trying to help me. If a
person
> like me doesn't have any idea of what they are doing, then it's best
not
> to venture into something they don't understand. Computers don't like
> me, they never have and they never will.
>

Way too many of us never give back to the newbies what someone before us
gave to us. Every one of the people you see on here started out totally
confused. Years later, some of them actually know what they're
doing!...(c;]

I truly like this group. I'm glad I came upon it accidently. Everyone
here is very nice. Thank you Larry, Adrian, and Bill for helping me out.

Sincerely,
Carmen