I am very novice to computers, can I connect in any way to the internet with a laptop ?

Question

Do you have to be "hooked up" to phone etc?

Answer 1

You get on the internet the same as a desktop - however, IF you have a wireless card (external or internal), you should be able to get on wirelessly at home (using a router) or a hotspot (outside your home).

There should be a modem on your laptop (look for the phone jack somewhere) - If you don't have a wireless card, they're pretty inexpensive today. Of course, you don't say if you're running 98 or XP. XP makes it pretty easy to connect to the internet.

Your computer should at a minimum, have a modem (jack) to plug your phoneline into for dialup), a 'larger' phone jack for cable modem that would plug into and most likely (if it's newer), you may have an internal card.

Answer 2

It all depends. Do you connect to the internet with any other computer in the house. If so here are the possibilities.

1. If you use dial-up, there should be a phone modem built into your laptop. Copy the dial up settings(write em down) from the other computer and use them to set up your connection on the laptop.

2. If you connect to the internet with a broadband connection, and you don't have a router go out and by a nice four port wireless router. If you have a wireless adaptor built into your laptop then you will be good to go after installing the router. If you do not have a wireless adaptor you will have to buy one of those also or run an ethernet cable from your router to the laptop.

Good luck... More info is needed for any more help... Laptop model, internet connection available, etc.

Answer 3

With laptops the most convenient way to connect is wireless if the laptop has a wireless card (most laptops today do). You need a wireless supplier though. There are many places called (hot spots) that have free wireless connection. Depending on how old your laptop is there might not even be a dial up modem (phone jack) in it. Most newer laptops have ethernet ports for cable connection (the larger phone jack-like port). I would get cable modem or dsl, buy a wireless router and set all that up in your home. Cable modem is roughly $50-60 a month. DSL is cheaper. A wireless router is about $50. It would help if you knew what kind of modem you have.

Answer 4

Most laptops come with wireless networking cards in them. If yours is newer than 1-2 years old it probably has this built in.

If not then it will most definitely have a dial-up modem card in it instead and that will require you to connect to a telephone to use the internet.

What I would suggest is brining your laptop to someplace like the "Geek Squad" (they are at Best Buy, but also have some independant stores as well). They can walk you through exactly what you need to connect your laptop to the internet.

Answer 5

Yes. You will either need to be have an account with an internet service provider (or ISP), such as ATT-Yahoo or Earthlink, or you will need access to a public-access internet spot (many libraries and some coffee shops offer free or low cost internet access).

Internet accounts are generally of two types:

1. Dial up -- which means that you will either use a modem built into your laptop or a separate modem you attach to your laptop to dial a telephone number. The modem will connect, you will enter your account number and password, and you will be connected to the internet. If you travel frequently, you will want an ISP that offers toll free dial up numbers so you aren't paying long distance charges. Advantages of dial up: You can dial in from any telephone line and don't need a special line. Disadvantages: Relatively slow connections. You typically cannot use your phone line while dial in. Also, you have internet access only when dialed in.

2. Broadband -- Using this option, your ISP will configure your telephone line or cable service to allow an always-on internet connection. The ISP may also provide a plug in filter for the phone line so that you can use the phone on the internet line, even when you are surfing the internet. The ISP will also provide--or ask you to supply--a cable or broadband modem which plugs into the filter and into the ethernet port on your laptop. Advantages of broadband: Much faster, always on connections. No need to dial in. Through use of a device called a "router" broadband connections can be shared by more than one computer. Disadvantages of broadband: Requires you to reconfigure your phone line. Can't be used while traveling although some broadband providers also provide limited dial up service for broadband subscribers who travel. Always on connection means your computer is more vulnerable to hackers so software called a "firewall" should be installed on it (many ISPs provide this as part of the subscription price).

As mentioned above broadband connections can also be shared, either through a device called an ethernet router, which plugs into the broadband modem and has ethernet cables going out to to the computers that share the line, or through a wireless router, which lets computers connect to the internet through radio signals exchanged by the wireless router and a wireless modem in the laptop. Wireless connections allow you to use the internet in different rooms of your house without snaking cables through the walls. Wireless service is also available through free or subscription wireless access points in libraries, coffee shops, airports, and other locations.

Answer 6

Sure you can. Most of the latest laptops do come with built in wireless modems, fax modems and also have a slot for the wired DSL connections. Look for these on the sides and you will find a slots.

Alternately you can have an external wireless/ wired DSL connection or a fax modem for dial up connection and can log on to internet using that connection.

Good luck!!!!

Answer 7

Concerning internet, there's no difference between a desktop computer and a laptop, except that laptops have more frequently a wileless LAN facility. Apart from that there's nothing to add to what chuckufarley2a wrote.

Answer 8

You either have to have a phone line, a dsl line, a cable modem, or satellite.. or, you can even hook up wireless, but, you have to have some way to get the isp into the house and into your computer..

Answer 9

yes you can connect your laptop to the the internet.look for a ethernet port either at the back or side of your laptop .no you can have cable conection instead of a phone line.

Answer 10

you can get wireless internet connection and then u should be able to get the internet any where in the house