Connecting laptop to the internet step by step

[marine02]

Can anyone give me a step by step guide to connecting my laptop to the internet through a wireless connection? Sorry I'm not very good with it so I really need all the steps explained to me, please can anyone help!

[marine02]

Sorry forgot to add some more details: I mean right from stage one, where do I get hold of wireless devices/software/whatever - forgive my ignorance, like I said I don't know much about how it all works - and then how to I set up my laptop to receive it? Also can you take your laptop away on holiday and still use a wireless connection? Also is it expensive? Any details would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again and apologies for my lack of knowledge.

[j2buttonsw]

If your laptop is new (I gather it is the one with XP on it from an earlier question) then it will have a modem built in. This will allow you to connect to the internet via a "dial-up" using your current telephone line. You will not be able to use this using wireless and the dial-up connection is slow (56 Kbps). If you decide to go wireless you will have to get a wireless PCMCIA card (which fits into the little PCMCIA slots on the side of your laptop) and also a wireless router. Getting the wireless router means you will have to upgrade your telephone line to ADSL or get a cable connection. You will then have to get an ADSL or cable internet account. The router acts as a modem to connect to the internet (ADSL and cable connections are broadband and are much quicker - upto 2 Mbps) whereas the wireless card enables you to contact the router without the use of wires. Fitting the PCMCIA wireless card is easy, you just need the CD containing the "device drivers" which tell the computer how to use the new device. Once installed you will find that you have a new networking device. You will then have to configure the router with your internet account details to get you online. You can also place security measures to prevent other people connecting to your router. You should be able to connect to any other wireless router (such as in libraries/airports) but they will usually have to give you permission to connect to their router which will cost money.