Whewwwwwww. I'm tired just READING ALL THAT YOU WROTE.

I did learn some things though.

Her laptop will come with a built in modem. Her friends or her children are buying her this laptop. No one else across the street has a computer so she can't get anyone else's signal.

I'm not too sure if she brings in the lap top to my house how she can get a signal. I have Verizon DSL.

Fiber Optics is NOT available yet in our neck of the woods. People either have Cablevision or they have Verizon DSL.

I'm pretty sure she has Cablevision. So she will have to contact her cable company (Cablevision) and say "hi, I have a laptop, I want to go on the internet". Am I right?

And they will send her what??"

For some reason, (and don't bop me here). I just thought she would plug in the laptop into the local electical outlet, then she would turn it on, then she would bring up the AOL software, create an account (using the wi-fi modem that will probably already be built in), and then she would be good to go. Am I wrong about this?

People take their laptops in their cars and they go on the internet, so why can't she just take her laptop, put it on the kitchen table, plug it in the wall, go to AOL and creat her account? Makes it much less complicated than calling up cablevision, etc.

Am I right? Can she do this. She can always connect it to her cable. I'm talking about the first day she gets this laptop and she wants to learn how to use it and wants to go online.

Thanks sooooooo much.
You are invaluable.

Melody

oh, you're welcome. I am a tech geek...but I don't know everything. I am sure someone else might be able to answer you better.

I don't use AOL so this is to the best of my knowledge about AOL.

I know it's a third party provider. So if cablevision offers internet and then she pays on top of that to AOL, she is essentially paying for an extra thing that she doesn't need. However, a lot of people like AOL's interface so a lot of people like to use AOL. Plus the advantage of AOL is either through cable modem or plug in phone jacks, your friend will have more versitilty with AOL then let's just say, cablevision.

I am almost certain this is how it works. But somebody feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

First of all, cablevision might already have given your friend some sort of internet access. She may have bought a bundled package from cablevision. So she probably want to call cablevision and ask them if she is internet ready.

She will need a modem (unless cablevision is advanced and have installed the modem already which I highly doubt)

what this modem provides is an unique/specific TCP/IP address.

this gives her a unique access for herself, it is like her signature, just like you have a unique TCP/IP address. This forum tracks unique TCP/IP addresses so they won't let you register twice. LOL
(this unique TCP/IP changes when she go and uses a hotspot. Her internal modem is reconfigured and has a temporary unique ID)

so she'll need to get that unique TCP/IP address that will be provided by her internet provider, which is probably going to be cablevision or she can go through verizon like you are doing.

the ethernet in the wall unless it is activated,is just a connection. If she hasn't signed up for internet, she won't have a TCP/IP through that internet access(but feel free to try?)

(I could be wrong about this part, maybe some other AOL users can come correct me)

the modem is the brain that will connect her and the internet and send infos back and forth and trasmit her unique tcp/ip each time.

So, if cablevision can give her a good deal with her internet access, I don't see why she would want to use AOL in addition.

but this is for ETHERNET connection (high speed).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if she was wanting to use dial up(using the phone line) then she can connect through AOL without a modem cause she can just use her internal built in modem to access through the phone line. She can connect through AOL that way and they can set her up using the phone line with the option to use DSL if she wants to speed things up a bit.

if she just wants to get on line her first day, I would just plug it into the phone line and go through AOL, they have a 30 days free trial anyways.

I'll include a diagram below:

as you can see, you can connect either way, using AOL or using a TCP/IP access (cablevision in her case, or verizon)



hope these helps instead of confuses

I started off being really interested in this thread and in particular, your post "Moi".

b-u-t.................

I should have left well alone and stayed in my own web of insignificant, ignorant Bliss!

I will go back and read this over, and over, and over, and over, and.... ... you get the picture! Hopefully soon I'll begin to understand.

Thank you Moi for putting the info out there for dummies like me to wade through.

LMAO....you are NO dummie...

I a very bad explainer...

and to think, I used to teach computer stuff...*shakes finger at self...

But maybe something will happen if you can get through all the gibberish that I've typed. I am not a conventional explainer...I come with spits et al...LOL

well, I'd better go spend some time with da wife instead of with this modem. The modem isn't as snuggly as da wife.

good luck to anyone that can decipher...LOL

Oh my god, I thought I KNEW COMPUTERS!!! You lost me when you started talking about Internet signatures. lol

I'll learn though, I'll learn!!!

Thanks much

Melody

Mel here is the cablevision website where you can take a look at the online connection options for her-
http://www.cablevision.com/

here is a listing of dial up providers -
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...rs&btnG=Search

some general laptop/notebook info - shows & tells about connectors
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Noteboo...on.2559.0.html
If they are getting her a new one it will most likely have Vista on it-
here is the Msoft site that you can explore all about Vista.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...it/mobile.mspx

If you click the "see it now" it'll play a demo explaining some of the features.

Maybe her kids will take care of getting it set up online for her??


some other easy ways to get her online would be to have her bring it over to your house and plug it into your connection temporarily - or go to a wifi hot spot just long enough to get it set up for a dial up if that is her preference.

for dial up - Go to the website of the internet service provider she chooses and if needed download their software { I've used Netzero & parents still use it}

for the cablevision call or go online to find out more about connecting - they might even send someone out if you need help setting it up.

I don't know if cost is a factor for her but that is something to look at also and any fees, commitment times etc.

Cost IS NOT A FACTOR FOR HER. She has taken 3 cruises this year already.

I'm just trying to picture a 77 year old and me, the 60 year old, in her kitchen, plugging in her laptop and going: ???????????????? I might just say "let's call this guy I know". He owns a computer company and he sells computers and he has an IPHONE and two laptops.He does not live near us but he pops up from time to time.

If anyone knows how to do this, he will. I just wanted to try and figure this out for myself.

This should be very interesting.

I will tell you when she gets it.

I do thank you soooooo much.

Regards.

Melody

sorry mel..i just skimmed the last few posts.

with a laptop, if her internet service is by cable and she wants to be wireless, then she can use a service like aol for broadband.( it's like $10 a month or something) she just hooks up the wifi router like you got.

that was how it was explained to me by aol.

that is the only reason to use aol if someone has cable internet.

but check with her cable service. they may offer their own router. most do.