Question Hi -
I've purchased a new laptop (Dell) for my home. I don't quite understand everything involved with the internet connection. My cable company says I can pay to have connections installed or I can do it myself with a kit. They mentioned a modem. I don't want to use my telephone to access the internet. I'd like wireless capability. What are the additional components that I'll need to buy? What is a "hotspot" like McDonalds, etc. I hear they can be used to access the internet? What are the pitfalls of using these things? I've used a network connection for many years on my office computer. This is my first attempt at having a computer at home.
Also I don't know how to measure in real time the least expensive internet connection hookup. They say it's 9 times faster than dial-up. Never used dial-up so can't picture it.
Thanks for your help!
Answer Ok, lets approach this. First the modem. People have gotten used to calling the device that connects them to the Internet a modem. So when broadband connections became popular they continued to call them modems, even though they really aren't. They are really specialzed routers, but we'll bow to popular usage and call them broadband modems. These devices connect you directly to the Internet through either a cable or telephone (DSL) line.
Second, Internet connections are measured in KBPS. What you might want to do is measure your connection at the office. You can go to this site: http://specials.zdnet.co.uk/misc/band-test/speedtest500.html
to test the speed and then compare that with the various speed offerings. Generally cable connections have the potential to be faster then DSL. But Cable is a shared medium so your speed could be dependent on traffic in your neighborhood. In most cases cable will perform better than DSL.
Wireless networking also referred to as WiFi or 802.11 connections uses radio signals to send data between a Wireless Access Point (WAP) and a Wireless network Adapter. Your laptop may have come with a built-in wireless adapter or you may have to add one to it. There are public WiFi connections like at Starbucks and McDonalds where you can connect to the Internet. These are called Hotspots. Some are free but most require a fee. WiFi connections don't have a large range, generally anywhere from 100-300 feet depending on several factors.
To be able to connect wirelessly with your laptop you will need a wireless router. This device combines a router and a WAP into one device. Your broadband modem plugs into the device and then your wireless devices connect to the WAP part of it. Usually these have a 4 port switch to connect wired devices.
