Plea for help

MortgageMamma

Hi All,

Firstly, apologies for posting what is probably a very simple question, but I am not very good with IT.

I am self employed and work from home. I have a home PC which is fine but as I spend a lot of time away from home I need to buy a laptop (which I am getting tommorow). This is what I'm struggling with.

1. I need wireless internet access on my laptop whereever I am. How is best to do this, and, how much does it cost?

2. I want to be able to transfer data from my laptop to my pc and vice versa. Again how do I do this safely and what does it cost.

3. My current ISP is supanet. I am not tied into them. I need to use the pc at home and laptop at the same time, (hubby would like to use PC in evenings as I've pretty much got it 24/7 for work). How is best to do this? do I have to sign up to two ISP's or can I have one that will do both?

If anyone can help me with the above I'd be VERY grateful

Lisa

Browntoa

answers are

1) you need a supplier like Btopenzone , www.btopenzone.com , to access the internet from various wi-fi hotspots.. A good laptop should have wireless built in and openzone for example do pre-pay from about £10

2) and 3) if you get a wireless router at home you can share the broadband connection between the laptop and the PC at the same time , setting up "Filesharing" and "printer Sharing" means you can move files between both easily and share the printer ...you only need 1 broadband connection

MortgageMamma

Browntoa wrote:

answers are

1) you need a supplier like Btopenzone , www.btopenzone.com , to access the internet from various wi-fi hotspots.. A good laptop should have wireless built in and openzone for example do pre-pay from about £10

2) and 3) if you get a wireless router at home you can share the broadband connection between the laptop and the PC at the same time , setting up "Filesharing" and "printer Sharing" means you can move files between both easily and share the printer ...you only need 1 broadband connection

Thanks for that, its still a little bit over my head though. I really am dim about this stuff. Would you mind helping me a little further?

1. BTopenzone. How many hotspots are there? I am around the country in hotels etc all the time. I dont want to end up anywhere where I can't access my email/internet as my company is internet based.

2. are you saying I can transfer files and print stuff through thin air with no wires connecting the PC and laptop? if so, how do i do this? would I be better getting a professional in to set this up?

3. Someone has mentioned get a 3g card. how do these work? are they expensive?

Many thanks

Lisa

Browntoa

1) there is a list here

http://www.btopenzone.com/find/index.jsp

just put in your location and it gives you a list of the nearest (most of which are Hotels ). This also sort of Ties in with 3) as 3G is a card you put in the Laptop like this

http://www.itreviews.co.uk/hardware/h592.htm

where you are paying for the download and connection time but can access the internet Anywhere you can get a 3G signal (these are patchy, 3G is good in major cities but poor elsewhere), all the UK providers now do these

2) if you have XP on both machines then it sets filesharing up for you more or less, I'm sure with a little help from us "Techies" you can do it

Lord_Chris

WI FI hotspots (e.g bt openzone) are few and far between, and it all depends on which company owns them - there is no simple answer to that. MOST hotels will have broadband access, however this will only be in larger hotels, and chains such as Hilton.

Yes a wireless router means that you plug a box into your phone socket which transmits your internet connection to your laptop and your PC. Your PC will require a wireless Ethernet Card. Your laptop will probably have built in wireless connectivity (WI-FI) but if not you can buy a wireless PCMCIA Ethernet card. all of this stuff you can easily get from a local PC shop or from somewhere like PC World.something like this would prbably suit your needs at home. Simply plug the USB dongle into your PC (ethernet adaptor) and the router into your phone socket and there you have wireless internet for your PC and Laptop.

Setting up file sharing and printer sharing is similar, but is a little more difficult, so if you don't know anyone who knows more about computers, forget it. your best bet is to buy a USB Flash Drive like this... that one is 1GB which should be more than enough for most files (except movies and games) simply plug it into your laptop, paste files onto it, take it out of your laptop, plug it into your PC and copy them onto your PC (or visa versa)

3G cards are NOT worth it. firstly you need to be in an area with good 3G access, and secondly Vodafone cards are around £200, and are expensive when using the internet.

hope this helps, unfortunetly you will not find any quick fixes for this stuff, and you are unlikely to find anyone to fix all this up for you unless you have a local PC shop that ISNT a chain.

Little_John

Another option for when your out and about a GPRS/3G card so you dont need to be a wireless hotspot to get access. i know Vodaphone were giving the cards away to people that bought a new laptop a few months ago, they are Pay as you go aswell so no contract or anything.

option 2 and as above, get a wireless router and create your own network at home, it will allow you to share files, printers and internet access. no need to change ISP unless your not happy with Supanet

Pretty much all hotels have some sort of internet access, travel odge premier travelinns have them but no one seems to use the same provider, Bt openzone have hotspots in mcdonalds and most service stations but not really places you would pull a laptop out and start working. The hotels work on a pay as you go system you open your laptop connect to the hotspot and open your web browser you receive a page that you can buy time online, usually 2 hours 12 hours or 24 hours, I use the 2 hour option and get everything done as quick as I can. In the US you pay a flat rate for 24 hours and some hotels offer it free.

Im based reasonably local to you if you want buy the hardware your happy with and give me a call and I will either talk you throught he seting up of the router ect or as long as your not north lancashire I could come and help you out, I know you do alot on the forum in the mortgage section and I plan on using your advice in the next few years.

Let me know by PM if your interested
John

Browntoa

list of all the uk Wireless operators and prices

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/specials/wifimap/operators-pricing.htm

and a Map here

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/specials/wifimap/

very good Wi-Fi search from MSN here

http://www.bcentral.co.uk/technology/mobile/hotspot/hotspot.aspx

tells you supplier,and prices

Lord_Chris

the GPRS cards require 3G access... i got one with my laptop.. ive never used it because other than getting your email you wouldn't be able to do much online without runing up a substantial bill.

i know GPRS doesnt require 3G, but thats what it says on the card.

its all very well giving a map of all the wireless hotspots in the country, but unless you are prepared to pay for access to all the different companies, thats no good.

MortgageMamma

Excellent thanks. I've just found this deal on one of the other threads what do you think? deal or no deal?

http://www.acernotebooks.co.uk/Acer_TravelMate_2423WXMi_LX.TB205.043/version.asp

MortgageMamma

Also, another mortgage broker from these forums who is too shy to ask himself wants to know if you can use a mobile via usb for dial up connection?

I think I know what this means!

Please help STANMORESAVER, who is so obsessed with moneysaving he will not fork out for a 3G card

Browntoa

this is better with a 6 cell battery for longer life (4.5 hours)

Recalculating Price

(N06135) Inspiron 1300

Module Description [FONT=arial,helvetica]Show Details[/FONT]BaseIntel® Celeron® M Processor 380 (1.60 GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 400 MHz FSB)
Microsoft Operating SystemGenuine Windows® XP Home Edition, SP2
Memory512MB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2x256)
KeyboardInternal Keyboard - UK/Ire (QWERTY)
Hard Drive60GB (5.400rpm) Hard Drive
ModemInternal 56K v.92 Capable Fax Modem
CD/DVD Drives8X DVD+/-RW with Software (No Media)
Wireless Local Area NetworkingDell™ Wireless 1370 802.11b/g Mini PCI Card
SoftwareMicrosoft® Works 7.0Standard Warranty
90-Day Collect and Return serviceCover It with Dell Support Services No service upgrade selected - 90 Day Collect and Return service only
Power Supply60W AC Adapter
Digital PhotographyCombo: Paint Shop® Pro and Photo Album® TrialOrder InformationInspiron Order - UK
Primary Battery 6 Cell 56Whr
Dell Media ExperienceDell Media Experience 3.1 Basic - Inspiron
Adobe ReaderEnglish - Adobe Reader 6.
System Backup & RecoveryPC Restore recovery system by Symantec
LCD14.1inch WXGA (1280x800) LCD Panel


£410.74

via home section of Dell site (these deals change each Thursday, sometime cheaer, sometime better spec)