Our home computer is Windows XP, with Telstra(bigpond) ADSL 2 for the Internet connection. Our son has an Asus Eee PC 701SD. We need to know if he can use his laptop for the Internet without any leads, ariels etc., or do we need something else to be able to do this? Telstra told us it’s not possible and would cost us $150 for them to send someone around.
Wireless Networking
It sounds like you are talking about setting up a wireless network for your house. It’s actually pretty simple to set up and is not as daunting as it sounds. A network will simply allow more than one computer to share an Internet connection, a printer and even share files if you wish to set it up that way.
ADSL stands for Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line (don’t worry, there’s no test later) and it is data technology that transmits information over copper telephone lines so that it is faster than a dial-up connection. In order to use this connection wirelessly with more than one computer, you will need a wireless router. If you want to use a computer over a wireless network, your computer will need a wireless adapter - the laptop probably already has one, but you can put one on a desktop PC if you want to put it in another room. Most of them you simply plug into a USB port on the unit.
Wireless Internet Set Up
Your Internet connection runs into your home over a telephone line. It will then run into a modem (which you probably already have hooked up). The modem converts the computer’s digital signals into a frequency that can travel over phone or cable lines. You will then plug the wireless router into the modem. The wireless router will send signals to the laptop and desktop computers (most home networks have a maximum of four computers that can be used with it), a lot like the signal for a cordless phone.
I’ve edited your question, but you say that you don’t know anything about the Internet and computers. While this isn’t a very difficult thing to do, you may want to pay a professional to come and set it up for you. Or, if your son is old enough and has the interest, he can read up on the Internet about the exact steps he will need to take and the equipment he will need and tackle the job himself. Don’t tell him how much the company would charge to set it up, but you might want to give him a tip for his efforts. We can also answer specific questions about the set up as long as we have all of the information at hand.
