Broadband access away from home

jaybee

I shall be staying at my friend's house while they are away and can't do without my Broadband access (especially MSE!). Please can anyone tell me (preferably in very simple language (I'm techie thick) how I can set it up using my laptop? I think the main problem is that I do not want anything to show up on their 'phone bill as I am known for staying online quite a long time sometimes. Any suggestions gratefully received.

I have tried asking AOL but they said it couldn't be done.

Thanks in advance!

nickmack

Firstly, AOL are right, you cannot use your Broadband account on someone elses phone line.

You may be able to plug into your friends Broadband connection if they have one. You need to find out how if at all they access the internet.

Not sure what you mean about 'I do not want anything to show up on their phone bill as I am known for staying online quite a long time sometimes'.

If you have Broadband, it does not show up on the phone bill as it is billed seperately and you can spend as much time online as you like without either tying up the phone line or incurring charges for time.

jaybee

Nickmack, thank you for your swift reply!

I think I should have said that I didn't want to run up a large phone bill on their account!

My friends do have Broadband (BTYahoo, I think) but they use Macs and I use a Windows XP computer.

Sorry to be so thick!

ManAtHome

Dunno about BTYahoo, but ISPs I've used don't need any software installing (even if they give you a configuration disk) - you just change the settings in your router to the new account/password (would recommend taking your own router rather than changing theirs..).

jaybee

Thanks ManAtHome - that sounds a good idea. I really don't want to 'fiddle' with their computer or bits and pieces so that sounds like a sensible solution. Thank you for that.

tosh

Jaybee

If they use a broadband router, connect your laptop using an ethernet cable and surf away. No account details will need to be changed.
The broadband connection is effectively a "pipeline" down which data moves. The router takes care of the connection and your laptop is just another machine on the pipe.

jaybee

Thanks tosh. I can see that I'm going to have to become a bit more techie savvy!! I'm just going to look up an ethernet cable now! Many thanks.

lee634

or if they have a wirless broadband router, and your laptop is wireless just set up a wirless connection that way,

jaybee

Thank you lee634. I'm not sure if they are wireless. I am (or my laptop is!). Think I'll have to ask them.