PC Internet Question

[SarahsKnight]

I'm actually not sure why I don't know something seemingly simple like this myself, but, I hope you guys could help me know what to do here. It's about getting Internet service on my desktop PC at my mother's house. I assumed I would have to go to a local ISP for Internet service, like Comcast or Suddenlink or whoever is around here in Houston, but mother just goes, "We have WiFi, why would you need cable Internet? Just connect with WiFi." At&t is our cell phone service provider. I am typing this out right now on my phone thanks to WiFi, but I've really no idea exactly how it works. I've just known Internet through calling someone out to my place to put something into the wall, then me running an Ethernet cable from my desktop comp to a modem, and a coaxial cable from my modem and into that place in the wall. So, I guess ultimately my question is this: in this case, would all I need at this point to get Internet for my PC is a wireless network adapter and be done? Or is there something more I need and am not thinking about? Or am I just somehow way off completely and thus confusing you with my question in the first place?

I would like to get Internet on my desktop eventually while i'm living here in Houston. After all, while browsing CF is easy enough on a phone, I guess, I think my desktop would be more practical when doing things in the near future like searching for work or getting into Google Hangouts with my friends.

 

[Gnarwhal]

The thing your mom is being unclear about is that cell phones and WiFi are too different things, and WiFi itself is not an internet source but a means by which internet can be disseminated wirelessly in a small space.

SO, it would be easiest if you could go to your mothers house and see for yourself what they do or don't have. If they do have WiFi then there's a router around there somewhere (it has nothing to do with their cell plan), and you'll need to get the password to connect your desktop to it wireless; assuming your desktop has a wireless card installed in it.

If your mom's completely wrong and she doesn't have any internet, then you could talk to her about subscribing to a DSL or Cable internet provider. If she already has cable TV then it would just be a matter of adding internet to her existing services, or if you'd rather save money you can go with DSL and have the phone company install it.

At any rate, it's possible that your mom is right and she just doesn't know how to communicate that properly. She might have bundled services with AT&T for cell phone and internet, in which case you would just connect to her router like I mentioned above.

 

[SarahsKnight]

The thing your mom is being unclear about is that cell phones and WiFi are too different things, and WiFi itself is not an internet source but a means by which internet can be disseminated wirelessly in a small space.

SO, it would be easiest if you could go to your mothers house and see for yourself what they do or don't have. If they do have WiFi then there's a router around there somewhere (it has nothing to do with their cell plan), and you'll need to get the password to connect your desktop to it wireless; assuming your desktop has a wireless card installed in it.

If your mom's completely wrong and she doesn't have any internet, then you could talk to her about subscribing to a DSL or Cable internet provider. If she already has cable TV then it would just be a matter of adding internet to her existing services, or if you'd rather save money you can go with DSL and have the phone company install it.

At any rate, it's possible that your mom is right and she just doesn't know how to communicate that properly. She might have bundled services with AT&T for cell phone and internet, in which case you would just connect to her router like I mentioned above.

That's one issue. I don't even know how to tell if my comp has a wireless card.

Yes, my mother has cable TV at her house. That's all she knows when it comes to media entertainment. (I've been only video games and books, ... and YouTube has substituted as my television set for years. )

And you may be right I'm that she's just not communicating it correctly. I have that problem, too. So yeah, i assume At&t provides both her Internet and our phone service.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I'm assuming you're running Windows, or maybe Linux. I don't know about Linux but with Windows usually any PC equipped for wireless connectivity has an icon in the bottom-right corner on the task bar that denotes whether it's connected to anything or not. If it's not then you can click/double-click it to access any available WiFi networks.

As far as your moms house goes, now it's a matter of determining A) if she really does have internet, and B) if she does, whether that internet is Cable or DSL—from there you should be able to figure out how to connect to it.

 

[rickster]

If the OP was using Linux, I highly doubt he would need to ask these questions.

The other thing that can be happening is that your mother has a wifi router and is using someone else' internet for free!

Assuming your mother is not stealing/using someone's internet, you would just buy a wifi adapter and connect to your wireless network. If she doesn't have her own internet, you should encourage her to get Att's internet. This is in case you get cut off from your free internet and to not upset your neighbors if they found out.

 

[Sketcher]

AT&T now has a network of WiFi hotspots that it has for its customers. If your mother has an account that lets her connect to it, and if she is in range of the hotspot, she might be able to take advantage of that with a wireless adapter. It's basically like leeching off of the neighbor's WiFi, only it's legit.

 

[Qyöt27]

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that connecting to the Internet through a Wi-Fi connection is slower than through an Ethernet cable - sometimes significantly slower depending on the router/adapter combination.

Although this also depends on the bandwidth provided by your service plan. Ethernet will always get the entire speed of the connection you're paying for, whereas wireless will always be a fraction of what you're paying for.

 

[SarahsKnight]

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that connecting to the Internet through a Wi-Fi connection is slower than through an Ethernet cable - sometimes significantly slower depending on the router/adapter combination.

Although this also depends on the bandwidth provided by your service plan. Ethernet will always get the entire speed of the connection you're paying for, whereas wireless will always be a fraction of what you're paying for.

Yep, went through the whole wireless phase back in college when my friend I lived with and I just had cheap laptops and didn't want to run cables from opposite sides of the house to a router stationed somewhere sure to be inconvenient for at least one of us. ... But oh how we thought wireless Internet access was soooo obviously the better choice because .... no wires everywhere! Boy were we wrong. In anything the connectivity fluctuation alone makes it inferior to cable Internet.

 

[William67]

If your mother has internet through her cable company, there will be a cable modem. If she does have wireless, there will be a connection between the modem and the wireless router.