How portable is my laptop?

Question

can i take my wireless modem router to my mates house, plug it into his phone line and surf even though he has a different broadband supplier, if not why can i go to McDonnalds without router and surf???

Answer 1

You won't be able to use your modem/router at your mates house unless you reconfigure your modem to use his login details for his broadband provider.

Three stages to a wireless connection to the internet.
1 - your laptop wirelessly to the router.
2 - the router to the modem
3 - the modem to the internet

Often (as in your case) modem and router are combined into a single box so the distinction between 2 and 3 is blurred.

The modem needs to authenticate with the broadband service provider.

In McD's, McD provides steps 2 and 3. You only need to accomplish step 1.

In your mates house, you're trying to do all 3 steps. Its step 3 that you'll fail on unless you use his login details for his broadband supplier on the modem.

Answer 2

If your mate has a broadband account you can take your wireless router to his home, connect it to his DSL or cable modem, and use it. If your device is a combination DSL or cable modem and wireless router (BT use these sometimes) it will only work at your residence.

DSL or cable modems will generally only work from the residence where they were installed. It might be possible to take a cable modem to a next-door neighbor's house and use it if they're on the same TV cable system but DSL modems are locked to the phone line of the subscriber.

You don't need a router at McDonalds simply because they already have one.

Answer 3

no not to mates house must be same line when conected
but you can subscribe to wierles networks called hotspots in macas go to ur makas and ask
Go like never before

Answer 4

my lap top works in my mates house under a different provider because its an unsecured network

Answer 5

The short answer is yes, if you have passwords, user names etc.