I just bought my macbook and i am about to start my first year of college... i want wireless internet but have no clue how it works or what i need to buy? Do i need a modem, and if so what is it? i do not want dial up or i dont have cable to hook it up to.. please help!
Your college may well already have wireless network(s) that you can access if you're within range. Your MacBook includes an Airport card that you can use to access networks in this way. All you need do is click on the Airport icon in your menubar and select the network.
If you want/need to set up your own network, you need
1) An internet connection (your college room may have a wired connection, or you may need to purchase your own). For a high-speed connection, this would include a DSL or cable modem;
2) A wireless base station / router, such as the Apple Airport Extreme/Express. Consider which options you want before you buy - do you want to be able to print wirelessly? Stream music from iTunes to a music system? Connect a desktop using a wired connection to the internet?
Your college may well already have wireless network(s) that you can access if you're within range. Your MacBook includes an Airport card that you can use to access networks in this way. All you need do is click on the Airport icon in your menubar and select the network.
If you want/need to set up your own network, you need
1) An internet connection (your college room may have a wired connection, or you may need to purchase your own). For a high-speed connection, this would include a DSL or cable modem;
2) A wireless base station / router, such as the Apple Airport Extreme/Express. Consider which options you want before you buy - do you want to be able to print wirelessly? Stream music from iTunes to a music system? Connect a desktop using a wired connection to the internet?
what is a modem though exactly.. sorry i am not very good with technology.
i just have no idea i thought if it had the wireless card i would be eble to get online any where...
A modem is a small unit that converts either a cable or a phone signal to something that your computer can use. When you subscribe to a high-speed internet connection, the provider (eg, Verizon, Optimum, Road Runner) includes a modem with the package. It plugs into either your cable line or your phone line, and your computer (or wired router or wireless base station) plugs into it.
Your wireless card will only give you connection to the internet if you're in range of a wireless network. It's not like a cellphone where you can basically get service anywhere. For example, you can go to wi-fi cafes and get an internet connection (sometimes free, sometimes charged), but you usually can't stand in the middle of the street and connect to a public network (although some cities do have areas of public wifi, such as parks).
My recommendation is to check with your college to see what they offer in terms of internet connections.
yeah i understand now, but at my house we dont have a phone line cause we all use cell phones, and we dont have cable... am i just S.O.L or do you have any suggestions about connecting at home
If you don't have cable or a landline, and you don't want to activate a phone line to get either dial-up or DSL, you have a couple of options:
1) Hope that there's a public wireless network in range
2) Use your cellphone's data plan as an internet connection. This will typically be much slower than "normal" internet speeds, but might be sufficient to let you at least check email and do minimal browsing. Depending on the model of your phone, your phone plan (you will need a data plan), and your sync connection (bluetooth? USB cable?), you may have different options. Check your phone's documentation (or search these forums for the phone model).
