??? about lap tops

[mom2kayzb & jakers]

Okay, as you will see, I know very little about computers! Here is my question for you smart people!!!!! If I bought a lap top, do I need a wireless connection or can I just plug into my phone jack & use like my desk top? No, I am not on dial up, it's DSL, but I don't want to have to order wireless at a higher price! Oh wise ones, please HELP!!!!!

 

[Duchie]

I don't think that will work. It sounds like you will need to get a wireless router for your DSL line.

 

[rflorek]

I don't think that will work. It sounds like you will need to get a wireless router for your DSL line.

My IT guy at work agrees.

 

[mom2kayzb & jakers]

So I assume that wireless connections are more than DSL???

 

[LauralF22]

Assuming the laptop has an integrated wireless card.... all you will need is a $50 wireless router (that you can buy anywhere). You can connect it to your existing DSL line in your house, and then your desktop can connect directly in, and the wireless router will broadcast throughout your house.

IMHO, it's the best reason to buy a laptop - being able to use it anywhere in your house (back deck, bedroom, kitchen counter).

 

[sbpebbles]

as long as your computer came with the wireless card already in it you will just need to buy a router that connects to your desktop and you can connect your laptop that way. We have 3 computers (2 desktops and 1 laptop) all running off the same router and we have DSL..hope that helps

 

[shortbun]

OR your neighbors wireless might just work for you without the router IF your laptop already has the wi-fi card in it. lol! We find we can hook up to just about any house in the neighborhood but we use our own. just sayin'. If you live in the country or in a neighborhood with huge lots, it won't likely work. Also, we have found that the really cheap routers sometimes interfere with our PC's internet connectivity -not the laptops, just the PC that works off the tower that has the router.

 

[Halbleib1]

You can plug in direct like with your desktop but you will not be wireless/mobile without a wireless router and either a built in wireless card or an external usb card.

 

[BrettS]

Okay, as you will see, I know very little about computers! Here is my question for you smart people!!!!! If I bought a lap top, do I need a wireless connection or can I just plug into my phone jack & use like my desk top? No, I am not on dial up, it's DSL, but I don't want to have to order wireless at a higher price! Oh wise ones, please HELP!!!!!

Most laptops do have a jack for a wired network connection (but some of the newer really tiny netbooks do not). Assuming that your new laptop does have a jack for it, then you can definitely plug it in to the network at your desk. (Note that it's really not a phone jack, but the network connection does look like a really big phone jack). Depending on the DSL modem you have, it might only have a connection for one computer, so if you still have a desktop then you might have to switch the cable back and forth between that and your laptop and you could only have one connected to the internet at a time. Some modems have multiple connections, so you could have two computers plugged in at once.

That said, it really is very convenient to have a wireless connection with a laptop. Laptops are portable and if you've never had one before you'll find that it's great that you can take it all around your house and use it from anywhere. Like a previous poster mentioned, a wireless router will be under $50 and you can often find them for $10 or $20 (or even free) after a rebate. For the most part they're all pretty similar, so I always suggest going to Best Buy or a similar store and just buying the cheapest one. You really won't use any of the advanced features of the more expensive ones.