I just got a laptop and want to surf the net

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I know crap about computers - Dec 9, 2008 at 10:55 AM
xpcman Posts 19528 Registration date Wednesday October 8, 2008 Status Contributor Last seen June 15, 2019 - Dec 10, 2008 at 01:18 PM
Hello,
My dad has a pc in the living room he has satelite internet thru dishnetwork. I just bought a la top on e-bay
w/ 37 GB Hard Drive
384 MB Ram
Intel Celeron 2.8 GHZ processor
3 USB ports
10/100 Network port
Firewire port (1394)
15" Display (no cracks)
DVD/CDRW Optical Drive
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2
Microsoft Office XP 2002
WinDVD Software
Ahead Nero
Antivirus/Spyware Suite
External Wireless card
I want to connect to my dads ISP. I have a d-link airplus G DWL-G630 wireless card, which I am assuming is used to hook up to internet, how do I use this. ALL nearby signals have security code locks, so how do i set up his pc so I can use his ISP?
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2 responses

TheParoxysm Posts 169 Registration date Sunday December 7, 2008 Status Member Last seen March 25, 2011 74
Dec 9, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Wireless is just like any other connection medium. You have to have two sides to it. In order to connect to your father's connection, regardless of his ISP, you will need to hook his incoming internet connection into a wireless router, then hook his PC up to the router for internet connectivity for him. Then you can connect wirelessly to his router for internet.

OR you could (if he didn't mind a decent drain on both his processing and internet speed) put a wireless card in his computer and connect to his wireless card directly and use his connection. But that is difficult and for most people requires special software.

The other wireless networks you are seeing are people's Secured wireless routers. They don't want random people stealing their internet so they put passwords on it, thus locking you out.

I suggest you get the wireless router and make sure to set up a password, unless you want college kids chilling around your house/apartment leeching your internet.

All in all you don't have to do anything to his PC. Just take the ethernet cable coming from his ISP and plug it into the incoming connection port on the router and plug his into any of the outgoing connections. He will automatically connect to the internet. Then you can connect to the router and will automatically connect to the network.

(bonus: you can share files and such this way once you're networked with other computers)
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msfts73 Posts 4 Registration date Monday December 8, 2008 Status Member Last seen December 11, 2008
Dec 10, 2008 at 11:09 AM
I did find a router
BRAND NEW! Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router WRT54G
found this on e-bay if I buy this is it all I need to buy to set up internet on laptop? Or is there a certain kind I need, or recomended? Some were ten dollars others hundreds of dollars and they all looked the same, I don't want to get stuck with item I can't use. Or that takes a lot of work!
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xpcman Posts 19528 Registration date Wednesday October 8, 2008 Status Contributor Last seen June 15, 2019 1,824 > msfts73 Posts 4 Registration date Monday December 8, 2008 Status Member Last seen December 11, 2008
Dec 10, 2008 at 01:18 PM
that unit should work OK
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xpcman Posts 19528 Registration date Wednesday October 8, 2008 Status Contributor Last seen June 15, 2019 1,824
Dec 9, 2008 at 11:45 AM
you need to buy a wireless gateway/router - remove your Dad's PC from the dish network box plug the router into the dish network box and your Dad's PC into the router - setup your network from your Dad's PC using the instructions that came with the wireless router. Then connect to your new wireless network from your laptop. Easy as PIE - shouldn't tkae more than a week or two to get it right.
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TheParoxysm Posts 169 Registration date Sunday December 7, 2008 Status Member Last seen March 25, 2011 74
Dec 9, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Seeing as it works right out of the box I hope it doesn't take a week.
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