Help with internet access?

[DisneyWorld Delight]

Can anyone explain how to get internet access at your hotel. We will be staying at the BC and I am going to take my laptop. I have never done this, so don't really know how it works. Do you sign up at the front desk and use their ISP? Or just plug the jack in and use your ISP with the local number provided? Any fee's I should look out for...? Any help is appreciated.

 

[safetymom]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/Resorts/wireless.htm

 

[DisneyWorld Delight]

safetymom, thanks for the link. Lots of info. But, bear with me...I still don't understand what I need to do. I can pay 9.95 for 24 hours of access, but who am I accessing. Do I just plug it in and well when I connect to the internet, I have to connect through and ISP. Do I use my Earthlink provided local number? Does the hotel give me a number to use for their ISP? I'm sorry I'm not getting this right away.

 

[d-hlaw]

You plug in a lan cable and bring up your browser, a web page appears telling you that a charge of 9.95 will apply and a "click here" button, press the button and off you go!!!

 

[Goofy4]

Their system intercepts any attempt to hit the net and directs you to their sign-in page. After that, it's transparent.

If your machine is configured to use a proxy server or some other "special" ISP configuration, you may need to un-configure your ISP settings. Chances are, you'll be OK.

 

[BCV23]

And if you don't have a cable, housekeeping will bring you one or you can ask at the front desk.

As I'm pretty much computer illiterate, I'm not sure if I understand Goofy correctly. But I found I had to switch to Internet Explorer. Was that reconfiguring my ISP?

 

[Goofy4]

Sometimes, especially with Dial-up, your ISP that will "set things up" in a way that you must connect to the internet through the ISP. Not as common as it used to be.

I'm not very familiar with AOL, but if you normally would click on an "AOL" (or other ISP) icon to connect, you would want to use the "Internet Explorer" icon instead. If that doesn't work, you could fiddle with the Internet Explorer Menu -> Tools -> Internet Options -> connections -> Lan Settings information to remove or "un-configure" any ISP or "Work" settings, but then you would need to reconfigure them once you get back home. Clear as mud?

 

[iliketoby]

OK, Goofy. I have msn and know I can get local phone numbers for Orlando. Do I still have to pay Disney, even for dial up?

I hate bugging people who understand computer-stuff , because I know they get a lot of it. Will happily try to answer any nursing, Brady Bunch, or scrapbooking questions you might have!

 

[DisneyWorld Delight]

Thanks for all the responces. It is becoming clearer.

One question, what is a lan cable? I just asumed I would plug in a phone cable, like at home.

iliketoby, I understand how you feel, asking these computer questions that should probably be pretty obvious. I know just enough to make me dangerous!

 

[safetymom]

You want to ask for an ethernet cable. It looks like a phone cable but the ends are different. The resort should have them for you. I had a long response typed out and went to send it and the hotel I was staying at lost the wireless signal in the lobby.

Switching to an internet browser is not reconfiguring your ISP. Setting up your computer at Disney to use high speed normally isn't any more complicated that plugging the cable into the laptop and the port in the room, then booting up your computer and launching Internet Explorer. When the page comes up you will pay for the service at that time. If you have any technical issues there is an 800 number you can call and they will diagnose the problem over the phone and walk you through everything until you can connect to the Internet. It's very easy to use.

If you are using dial up you only pay the 75 cents for a phone call. You don't pay anything to Disney to use dial up.

 

[goofie4goofy]

An ethernet cable looks like a phone line, one end hooks into your lap top the other into the connection in the wall jack (just like a phone).

When using this sevice you will first get the hotel's homepage then seek out your own.


Just think of your laptop as you would a telephone it's pretty much the same. There are land lines and cell phones the difference is DSL is fiber optic phone cable and wireless is satellite. It all depends on your laptop too. Some have a built in capability to pick up wireless WIFI service (hotspot) others do not. A wireless card is completely different from both services above. A card is a receiver which plugs into your laptop. There is a monthly service involved..it is just like a cell phone. This allows you to access your own homepage and computer access without having to be in a hotspot or plugging in. This works just like a cell phone and gives you the freedom to access the net everywhere...your car, a different state, on the beach, by the pool...everywhere your cell phone will work (satellite). The service can be costly..we pay $85.00 per month for unlimited service. If you travel often however, it can pay for itself since plugging into the hotels service will cost you 9.95/24 hrs and up.

 

[safetymom]

You have to watch with the term wireless card. I have a wireless card for my one laptop because it doesn't have wireless built into it. There are the other type of wireless cards that goofieforgoofy is talking about.

Many hotels have free wireless in their lobbies but Disney charges for it.

 

[timandlesley]

I am so glad I found this link. Last year we stayed at WL and they didn't have it yet and I couldn't get my AOL to work at all, and finding internet anywhere on Disney property was a nightmare. I teach classes online so it is a must for me, we almost lost a lot of money because I couldn't log on to teach. I am so excited that POP will have WIFI when we go in June, YES!!!

Lesley

 

[BCV23]

There won't be WiFi in your room unless something changes.

There will be high speed internet.

 

[DisneyWorld Delight]

I have a laptop that has wireless capability, but here's the rub. We are still using dial up because we live in the country on a dead end road. There is still no digital cable, telephone...so high speed access is still light years away for me. There isn't alot of reason to bring it down our road, as the buck stops here.

So, if I am understanding ALL of the helpful info, my choices are:

A. Use an ethernet cable, plug it into the wall and Beach Club's ISP (high speed) will automatically popup when I get on the internet. I agree to pay $9.95 for 24 hours.

B. Plug in a telephone jack, pay $.75 for the local call and use my ISP, the connection will be dial up.

Do I have it, or is it more than that?

 

[safetymom]

You have got it!!!!

 

[cottontail]

Hi: We are in the same dilema. If I only want to send an email home and receive an email to make sure everything is going fine do I just pay the 75 cents and I can use dial up for probably five to ten min then I am done for the day. Rather than pay ten dollars for the day when I am only using ten minutes use.

Deb.

 

[chamonix]

Disneyworld Delight, you DO have one more choice:

C. Find a WiFi spot

You said your computer has wireless capability, so you could also go somewhere on property that has wireless connections available. I have never used these, but they are listed on the link.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/Resorts/wireless.htm
(Scroll down to see the details on that page.)
"Price: $4.99 for the first 60 minutes or $9.95 for 24 contigious hours"