I guess you have to tell your friend it is not that easy. Otherwise they wouldn't have tech supports from India and there would be no complaints about anything. LOL

I guess this is the part where someone says, welcome to the real life.

The internet world is an evolving process. What's true for today may not be true for tomorrow. There are many variables and only few that are defined.

What is true is this. What I was trying to convey is how puters communicate is very much like humans communicate with eachother. And now instead of us calling eachother on the phone, we can do it via puters and internet.

What you were asking originally was can one go through ethernet to AOL without an external modem and just her laptop, I don't think so, personally cause ETHERNET = HIGH SPEED.

She needs an EXTERNAL modem. Laptops have INTERNAL Modems but now we are talking about two different things here.

this is because of the speed that is needed to process high speed information back and forth. A dial up "talks" a lot slower while ethernet connected to a modem "talks" a lot faster.

If she doesn't want to call anybody and want to by pass all and want to do it legally, then I think she needs to do the PHONE jack set up. That is NOT ethernet. That is a dial-up setup.

She then can always upgrade or choose later.

I'll include a link where I think best answers your question at the end of this post.

I was saying give it a shot anyways, but I don't think it'll work. But who knows. Maybe cablevision mistakenly gave her some sort of internet access, but how can she log in without an EXTERNAL modem would be beyond me. That would mean that everyone else can do it and that would mean no money for these folks. And we know that they want to squeeze every penny they can outta us little folks. (no offense to anyone working at Cablevision)

I've known people to tap into others internet cables illegally and you can just youtube that and there will be people showing you how. But I don't think she wants to do time at her age. LOL (do you think she'll look good in stripes? LOL)

if you go back and look at the picture I included a couple of posts ago and follow that blue line on top of the computer. It says, AOL modem. That is for high speed/ethernet connection.

But I know you can do aol through dial up without a high speed modem.

I am not sure if I can explain anymore than I have already. LOL Maybe someone else with better knowledge can do a much better job than I have done. So good luck with everything.

I hope your neighbor appreciates all you've tried to do for her. We all should have caring neighbors like you. So give yourself a pat on the back!!

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/do_you_...ble_modem.html

I think I understand a bit more.

If she gets the laptop, turns it on, brings up the AOL Software and creates an account and goes online, she's using the Laptop's internal modem?? And this is known as dial up and it's slower than dsl, right?? But she'll be able to get online, right? But she won't be able to view youtube vidoes or online live streaming stuff, right?? You need high speed for this, right??

But if she wants high speed, she'll have to get an external modem and plug THAT into her laptop, right? She needs to go through her cable company or whatever to do this right?

I am not sure even if she has cablevision. Many people on my block have Directv (I do), and some have Cablevision.

I never asked her. She lives right across the street from me. I think she's scared to death of getting a laptop.

This is so fascinating to learn.
I'll click on the links you gave me and I'll continue to learn.

I might be at your level some day!!! Wouldn't that be cool?? lol

Thanks so much.

Mel

you almost got it. LOL

the internal modem is NOT a dial up modem. It is just a modem but let's not get confused over there. LOL But yes, it will be slower than a dsl.

as for youtube. You need high speed(broadband)of at least 500+kpbs to process their streaming media. But let's not even get there yet, your first priority is to set her up, correct?

I am sure she is scared to death yet excited at the same time. But tell her it is something fun, it is something that she CAN do once she gets the hang of it. She doesn't have to be scared of anything. Especially when you are there to help her.

As for getting to my level. Sheesh, don't let that be something to strive for. LOL I have not learned a lot of new things lately and the puter world have something new everyday. It would be hard for anyone to know everything there is to know about the puter world.

But what you are doing is the right thing. Asking questions and trying to learn.
They have said that it wasn't about Confuscious' teaching, but his ability to let his students think and ask questions that made his students wanting to study under him.


and I am helping with what I know only and there are always better and more knowledgeable folks than moi...knowledge is an endless thing and as you learn, I learn with you as well....it's all good...ya know??

Just today, I am learning about haptic technology...gosh, talk about being able to reach over the puter screen and "touch" someone...sheesh...

Okay, gotcha on that the internal modem is not a dial up modem. It's just a plain old modem.

But can I assume, that if she turns on the laptop, and loads up the Internet software that is already on there, (let's go with AOL for instructional purpose here), and she creates an account, puts in her password, gives them her credit card info, then when her account is created, and she follows the prompts, and is online, THEN IS THIS CONSIDERED A DIAL UP MODEM.

Don't forget, she has no other internet connection in the house, no modems, no nothing, just cable tv (not sure if it's cablevision or sattelite).

So when all this happens, IS THIS A DIAL UP MODEM CONNECTION??

Good Lord, I feel so stupid!!

lol

[So when all this happens, IS THIS A DIAL UP MODEM CONNECTION??]

maybe it's less confusing to call it this - DIAL UP CONNECTION
that's what it would be.

I think they call it "dial up" connection as opposed to DSL connection or cable connection etc, and because it has to dial the ISP service every time you connect using the telephone line.

She does understand will not have use of her phone for incoming or outgoing calls when she is online using the dial up.
If she gets lots of calls she may want to get a voice mail service.
She'll either need a little connector with a double phone line connector and a spare phone line cord, or she'll need to change the cord back and forth from Laptop to phone after each use.

But my parents only go online for 1-2 hrs at a time so they don't usually miss any important calls, so no biggie for them.

She doesn't need to use her home phone. she has a cool cell phone.

Who the heck doensn't have a cell phone these days??

Oh that's right!!! my husband. He doesn't believe in them.

good grief!!

lol