Wireless Connection

DIW

DIW

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Help please! What gadgets do I need to make a 'wireless' connection from my Laptop on board to the net ? Researched via Google and I think I need either a Notebook adapter card or USB adapter plus a Router, is this correct ?
Thanks
Ian
 
If you mean you are trying to connect to a wireless network in your marina. Simply out a pcmia wireless card in the laptop, or use a usb wireless point.

You don't need a router unless you are setting up a wireless network of your own
 
You'd better explain in a bit more detail what you are trying to achieve. You say you want to use laptop on board. What are you going to connect to?, a broadband connection on pontoon, dial up etc, via a fixed PC on board? etc etc

To create a wireless network for your laptop, you need to provide a an internet access, I cannot think of many marinas that can lay this on to the boat, and routers that can handle dial up connection (require a modem built in) are near on impossible to find.

If you are talking about using a mobile phone type connection, then that's a bit different, and doesnt need a router, just a phone with modem ability, and way of connecting phone to laptop (cable, infra red, bluetooth etc) or a laptop phone card
 
OK you are getting confused between two different types of technology then. Wireless technology is a bit different to mobile phone (even though it is 'wireless'. There is no need to use a router in a mobile phone set up, so don't go buying any wireless cards or routers.

GPRS is the connection your phone makes to the network, nothing to do with connecting to pc (other that speed connection to internet is at).

Personally, I would go for bluetooth over Infrared, as the phone can be anywhere nearby, while IR needs the 'beam' to be pointed at computer and is easily interupted. If your laptop does not already have bluetooth built in, you'll need to buy a bluetooth adaptor. You will also need to set up your laptop to connect to the internet using your phone as a modem - this software probably came on a cd with your phone, or you can down load it from the manufacturers website.
 
Apparently there is a device that you can plug into your laptop which will then connect to the inter net without the use of a mobile
 
The device you are talking about is a wireless network card that can connect you to a local wirless internet provider such as Square mile that exists in many a marine. the cards are cheap but the service is not very cheap at all.
 
There is also a GPRS card - I think only available from Vodaphone - which is essentially a mobile phone on a card.

They're also quite expensive; cheaper to use a low cost mobile with USB. I've got a triband Motorola which cost me a net £20 from Amazon.

Whichever way it's done using a mobile is V. expensive (unless you are only going to use it to send / receive emails).
 
GPRS are available from all sorts of providers, not just Vodafone.... and then there is also 2.5G and 3G cards depending on where you want to use the mobile.
 
troll perhaps, also I cant believe that some folk have so little idea about whats what, "apparantly there is now a device that doesn't need a horse infront of a carriage for propulsion"
 
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GPRS are available from all sorts of providers, not just Vodafone.... and then there is also 2.5G and 3G cards depending on where you want to use the mobile.


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Thanks for that Brendan,

I'll add that to my knowledge bank. It's the only one that I've seen advertised widely - but then I wasn't particularly looking.
 
FWIW, I occasionally use infra red, it is dead easy to set up, set your telephone to start transmitting infra red and place it alongside the laptop so the two infra red windows see each other.

Windows did the rest for me. Setting up the dial up account was just the same as setting it up with your home PC plugged into the wall.

I am only getting 28.8 connection as I currently do not want GPRS.

Does anyone know if visitors can log into the square mile access from marinas. How does it work, do you have to get a temporary account from the marina in order to log on?
 
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