I do not know whether this is the correct place for my post, but cannot see a better one, so here goes. I am thinking of getting a Laptop PC. My current PC is a desktop consul and served by Virgin Media Broadband Cable. My contract is yearly, paid monthly . I have checked the web to find out how a mobile Laptop works, but have not got much satisfaction. I am not some ignoramus, simply that the web does not deal with elementary "How it works" procedures in elementary terms. Will the Laptop work in my home using my existing Virgin/Cable contract ? How can it, when the Cable connection is to my desktop computer and nothing to my Laptop ? My desktop computer is in my lounge, how can the Laptop work in my bedroom with no Broadband connection ? How can this Laptop work outside the home ? Perhaps long distances away where Cable does not have a strong signal, but SKY satellite does ? If some SKY adapter is available, then how does my Laptop re-adjust to my paid up Cable signal when I return home ? Can somebody please describe in precise detail how on Earth a Laptop works in the home under normal Cable contract and then away from home on some other arrangement using a different server ? John
Well thank you everybody for your generous response. All I wanted is to know how to operate a Laptop remotely and to my unbelievable surprise this elementary question has baffled the entire expertise of Wilder`s. Well, all I can say is that you sure live and learn. Wilder`s have never failed me before. With all the millions of Laptop enthusiasts who do not wish to answer my question, I guess I will have to put this Kindergarten question elsewhere or hack it out on my own. I thank all of you for your overwhelming response and help. John
If you have the desktop connected via a router, then all you need is a wireless access point which you plug in to your existing router. I have it like that at home so that my wife can use her laptop anywhere, but my study is reserved for moi and my desktop.
At home, as suggested, ask Virgin to give you a wireless router and then you can connect and use laptop throughout your home. If you want to use laptop outside your home then you can either connect to free wifi connections or purchase a mobile broadband connection (from likes of t-mobile, orange etc.)
By all means, ask Virgin for a wireless router. I doubt they will give you one. A friend of mine recently bought a laptop, and rang Virgin, they sent him a hub, a router and modem combined, £60 Or you can simply buy a cable router yourself, either from a shop ( they will advise ) or pick a used one from ebay for under a tenner. The most important thing is, when you get your wireless router or hub is to secure it. So that no one can use your connnection or read your wireless data. Virgin make this quite easy, I believe you are required to enter a password. When you search for a wireless network, you will need to enter the same password ( only once ) onto your laptop. If you buy one from a shop you will get a cd to do this. Or you can do it manually by logging onto the router
Your internet source (ISP) pipes it to you on the phone line (DSL), on the tele cable line, or on the air waves (wifi), whether it is local broadcast from towers or satellite. Wifi requires a dish to recieve the signal, just like satellite tv or dish tv does. Some now have it coming in over AC powerlines as well. Whichever way it comes in, you need (normally) a modem to get the incoming signal turned into something your computer can talk to (ethernet). Once the modem converts it, you are free to connect your computer to the modem. Then the reverse happens, your computer sends something, the modem converts it, and sends it along whatever pipeline you are using. Modems come in two flavors usually. A modem which is sometimes called a bridge, and a modem-router. The bridge flavor justs converts the signal, and when you attach your computer to it, you are live on the internet, with nothing between you and me except your software firewall. When it is a modem-router, you have the router between you and me, not just the modem. The router is the key element to your security. It is the armed guard at your perimeter, saying "you cannot come in unless the boss invited you". Technically it isn't just a router, but I don't think I will try to explain NAT quite yet. Any consumer router ranging from 50-100$$ falls into this category most likely (like dlink, linksys, netgear, belkin, buffalo, etc). Many people who have a modem only (the bridge) buy a router to put between the modem and their computer. This gives not only the security of the router, but also expandability, because a router will generally have 4 wired ports, thus you can use 4 computers with one interent connection. Some routers have wifi as well, so you not only get 4 wired ports, but wireless devices can also attach. When you hook up your rig in the lounge, you have consumed 1 port. If you have a router, you could run some cat5e cable to your bedroom (or wherever) and essentially make a long extension cord for you laptop to a spare port in your router. If you are only using a modem or a modem-router with one port, then you cannot do this. In this case, you could simply buy a switch. The switch will connect to the modem or modem-router, and also connect your lounge machine and your laptop in another room, but all through hard wires. If you want wifi to your bedroom, you might by a wireless AP, or access point. Again, you normally would plug it into your modem or modem-router, and you would plug your lounge machine into it (it can have 4 ports for wires), and then it beams the signal wirelessly to your other room for your laptop. When you leave your house, and you want to attach to a network somewhere (assuming for internet connection) you can either plug your computer into a hard wired port, or pickup a wifi signal and attach that way. It will not matter where the source comes from, sattelite, dsl, cable,etc, as it will already be converted to a form your computer can talk to by a modem somewhere. So you needn't worry about how you will connect with a laptop and wifi, you just find an open network and connect, the rest is done by hardware somewhere. This is a simplistic explanation, but it sounds like you might not understand it, so maybe it helps. Sul. BTW: I don't know about others, but I don't frequent this hardware area nearly as much as other areas. That is most likely why you haven't recieved many replies
