2006-08-08 22:34:26 · 5 answers · asked by NATALIE N 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Computer Networking
get a wireless network card or maybe a usb network thingy.
2006-08-08 22:49:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Find out the make and model of your laptop. It should be written on the laptop. Post it in additional details, someone will tell you if your laptop already has wireless built-in.
If it doesn't, you can buy a PCMCIA wireless card from a shop or eBay if you're feeling stingy. Your laptop will have at least one PCMCIA slot - it's rectangular about the size of a credit card (but thicker), either in the left or right side of the laptop. There are three main types of wireless card: 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. Some cards are all-in-one, they tend to be quite good.
Whatever you do, don't get a card that only does 802.11a - it uses a different radio frequency to the other two and is less common.
Once you've got a bog-standard PCMCIA wireless card, go to the uni IT help centre, or if it's busy (especially at the start of term) go to their website. At our uni, a helpful set of webpages comes up when you try to connect to the wireless for the first time, which explains how to authenticate.
Hope that helps.
2006-08-08 22:46:16 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suppose calling the Uni and asking their networking crew what they recommend would be too simple/obvious? Quite often, a site will recommend a particular vendor's card/software because they've deployed other things that play well with it (for instance, if they have authentication software that works better with a certain card's hardware..).
It would really suck if you went down to Radio Shack and bought what was cheapest or looked best, only to get to school and find out that particular card doesn't play at all nicely with the school's networking hardware.
2006-08-09 00:00:51 · answer #3 · answered by Valdis K 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to any computer store, Radio Shack type place and buy a wireless card for about £20 They slot into the side of your computer (new puters are almost all wireless enabled anyway) and they will search for available broadband slopping around. if there is an open source near you, you're laughing. Otherwise, McDonalds and Starbucks are all awash with the stuff.
2006-08-08 22:39:14 · answer #4 · answered by scotsman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you will need a wireless network card or alternatively the USB stick variety. If Uni is providing wireless broadband you might need a software disk to load on to your lap-top.
Perhaps you could call in at your local PC-World and ask them for some advice. I've always found them most helpful.
2006-08-08 22:46:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋