Regarding the router if your laptop is

WiFi compatible all you do is connect to the existing network.

There are lots of ways to connect with traveling.  As far as I know there are two air cards, Verizon and Sprint.  Neither card will always give you coverage.  Just like with a cell phone they each have their own coverage areas.  If you travel in the larger cities you should be good, but if you get in the mountains or in the out of the way places you might have limited to no service.

With an air card there is a one time charge, sometimes $200+ and then there is a monthly fee of about $60/mo.  They frequently offer deals with a free or discounted air card, but you have to sign up for a service plan, much like a 2-year committment on a cell phone plan. 

I've traveled extensively over the past 7 years and I always have a plan B as far as internet goes.  If you are able to download work and then work off-line then you might could do with finding a Starbucks, but if you have to work on-line and need broadband then you may be limited in your travels.  If you are staying in hotels you shouldn't have an issue, as most chains now have WiFi service.  If you are camping then things can get tricky.  Most campgrounds will have some type of service, but it may only be dial-up or WiFi restricted to a certain area, so it takes some planning. 

• help me understand laptop travel - cat of Eric
  • I use a laptop at home - desperado
  • Regarding the router if your laptop is - me
    • one more question - do you know - cat of Eric
      • It depends on the computer. My - me
        • thanks again for helping - makes sense - cat of Eric
          • I think I'd be careful - sm
    • I was wondering the same thing. Can you go into more detail about the Wifi sm - Jan
      • I don't know if you mean WiFi or the air card. - me
    • thank you - that explains a lot - cat of Eric
      • With an air card your relatives don't need a router. - me
        • Oh - so that means that in power outages - cat of Eric
          • Feel free to e-mail me privately. I - me
      • If the home you're visiting has a wireless network, you can connect to that. - sm
        • wow I need to print all of this - cat of Eric
      • Can you take your router to relative's house to - use? Just wondering, I have no idea. nm
        • once I get things hooked up and going - cat of Eric

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You don't say what kind of router your have but your wireless router DOES NOT need to be connected by ethernet cable to your computer--you only need to connect by cable when you initially install the router software.  Next, if your router has WEP or WAP security enabled, your laptop wireless will not be able to just connect automatically.  Copy your router settings from your main computer (the one you installed the router software to) onto a USB flash drive if you have one and load those settings on your laptop.

The easiest way to set up your network if you have Windows XP is to go to control panel, then go to the Wireless Network Setup Wizard. It will prompt your on how to set up a secure wireless network if your router has it and how to add other computers to your wireless network.  It is very easy if you have a USB flash drive--otherwise you'll have to manually add in the settings. Good luck!!

K(eyboard)V(ideo)M(ouse) switch lets you share those three devices across 2 (or more) PCs, using a hotkey or a button on the KVM to toggle which one is active.  Best Buy* has them for $35 or so.

You need a router to share the DSL connection.  There are options for hardwired only or hardwired with wireless -- so if you want to have your primary work machines connected with an ethernet cable, but also have the ability to have your (your kids, your guests, etc.) laptops connect to the internet using wireless.

Again, Best Buy has routers -- price depends on options per above, also have tech support to help you configure for your DSL provider.

*Not endorsing Best Buy specifically;  any local computer store or national electronics chain should be able to provide.  You could probably shout out "Anybody here a hardcore gamer?" in a local mall and get help configuring the router from the first teenager who replies....

I need to get a new router (not wireless).  Does anyone know of a good one?  I don't want to spend any more than I need to but would rather spend a bit more if it makes a big difference in the quality.

Thanks! 

When you use a laptop or desktop computer for that matter, and a "wireless" router is involved, you still have to hook up an ethernet cable from your computer to the router in order to be able to get a signal.

On a laptop computer, there is a slot for a wireless PC card, which you can get through Sprint and Verizon and possiby other cellular carriers. The card works in much the same way and has the same type of signal as a cell phone does and since I am out in the country for the time being, that is what I use.

Hope this helps.

Does anyone use 2 different computers for two different jobs and have a router to connect both to cable internet?  What do I need to get and is it easy to hook up?  Brands?  Computers are right next to each other if that matters.  Thanks for any and all help.

We have a Netgear wireless router.  I hook my computer directly to the router but we have two computers upstairs on the wireless plus my husband has a laptop.  It worked fine for a while but then kept losing the signal.  We tried lots of fixes.  Finally I went to Best Buy and purchased these plug in signal boosters,  It plugs into an outlet on the wall and then into the computer.  You plug one in by the router, and into the router, the other one goes upstairs plugged into an outlet and into my son's computer and my other son is still on the wireless but has not had a problem since the booster is making the signal stronger.  It works great and there is no more of the maybe it will work, maybe it won't that seems to happen with wireless.  I love it.  Came two in a box for like 80.00.

Any suggestions for anyone out there that uses more than one computer that is either wireless vs plug into a router.  I have three computers in my house that run off a plug into a router.  I am going to be starting for a local hospital from home and will need the internet and I have to use their computer.  I have so many wires going everywhere that I thought it might be easier to go wireless with all the computers or maybe just put the hospital computer on a plug in and the other three wireless.  I also have to have another computer that I do my two other Docs on the side, but cannot use the hospital computer to do this work, so I have to have that computer in the same room.  Any suggestions on the easiest plan for all four computers. Two of the computers are in different rooms and then I need the hospital computer and my other work computer in one room.  There are also only two outlets in this room, which makes it a little tricky when you have to plug all this stuff in.  I cannot use the hospital computer for any of my side work.

Thanks for any comments.

i set up a router on my main computer to my son's computer.  i then set up the e-mail account on his to match the ones on mine.  now, my son's computer is getting all the e-mails and mine gets none.  How can i set it up so both computers get all the e-mails.

thanks

My Sprint USB card is in my husband's PC, connected to a Linksys router and then to mine with Ethernet cables. You just have to run the internet connection sharing wizard on XP. I've been using this for almost 2 weeks now and absolutely love it. Also, Verizon has a cap on how much bandwidth you can use each month (5 GB) and you have to pay for overages. Sprint has unlimited usage for the same amount per month ($60). If you have any questions about it, I can give you the website where I purchased my equipment. My e-mail is pixie.chick@earthlink.net.

do you actually have wireless internet?  We got a Wii last Christmas and I use a wireless router and we haven't had any problems at all. 

If you are using a router you may need to adjust the channel settings on it.  I think Nintendo recommends channel 11.  You can go to Nintendo.com and see if you can find a solution or Google it and if no help there call Nintendo.  Their customer service isn't in India. 

An air card pulls the signal from the air similar to a cell signal.  It is a type of internet the same as cable or DSL.  What you are needing is WiFi capability, to connect to an existing network.   If they don't already had a network setup maybe they have high-speed internet and you can just hook your computer to the modem, at least long enough to download. 

If relatives only have one computer they wouldn't need a router unless their computer was a laptop and they wanted to work in other rooms of the house.