i have never really bothered learning about wireless as i dont use it, how would a wireless internet connection work on a laptop?

can someone explain to me as i havnt a clue

thanks in advance

 

if your lucky u may be able to pick up on someone elses signal n get it for free... dont know how it works though but it happens.

 

it most certainly does

 

If your laptop is WIFI enabled, then inside it will be a reciever or transponder. This pick up wireless internet "radiowaves" (for want of a better word) in the same way your TV aerial or Sky dish picks up TV broadcasts.

If your laptop is not WIFI enabled, then you need to fit either a PCMCIA wireless ethernet card;



Or one of these : A USB plug-in wireless transponder thingy;



Both work in the same way, tho I have been told that the PCMCIA cards are typically more stable.

Tho, and this is the bit I am not sure about, these two items will not just let you connect to any old network floating around in the sky - only to the ones they are assigned to, which would be one of these - a wireless router modem;



I could be completely fooking off base, but I thats how I understand it anyway...

 

and download netstumbler if a laptop

 

so you would have to have a network provider installed on your laptop??

like pipex or something?

 

no m8 all ya need is a wireless card and drive round with net stumbler running

 

cool, i only worked out how to use to bluetooth the other day

slippery slope that was

 

im on my laptop now in the front room on the floor wireless rocks just buy a wireless router put the setup disc in and away you go basically its that easy took me about 2-3 minutes to do it mines a belkin wireless modem/router

 

This may help

 

Lol @ diagram!

Right, so I asked my mate, who sets up wired and wireless networks for a living, tonight for the low down on it.

He says I am kinda on the right track but a little off.

It doesn't matter if its a built in wifi or "plug in" wifi (pcmcia or usb) laptop - both will connect to the net if a WAN signal is found. But only if it is decrypted - basically "open" as a free for all.

If the WAN network is encrypted - basically it's a private network and PC's are assigned to it - then you won't be able to connect to it.

But if it's say, on a Virgin train or in a posh business hotel/conference centre/office or whatever, you might find a decrypted WAN service which will allow you to hook into it and get internet.

There are plenty of hotspots all over the pace where you can pick up decrypted WAN services - you just gotta find em and remember em

 

thanks, thats cleared it up loads!!

 

Salv, I had Wireless set up at my old house, its the bollocks!
Could take my laptop anywhere in the house and connect to the net without wires! All I needed was a wireless card for the PC, a wireless aerial for the laptop and a wireless router (BT sell good kits with all included). ADSL Phone line plugs straight into the router, set the software up on the pc's and hey presto! Sounds so easy when I write it down but I still couldn't get the damn thing working at my new house.
If you do get a wireless kit make sure you have a firewall on it so people dont latch onto your connection as is being described above.