I'm very excited. I just came back from Dunkin Donuts. I think of everything as a learning experience. And the people around my neighorhood are very friendly.

So I'm sitting at a table in Dunkin and there's a young guy (well, younger than I am), sitting with a laptop and he's doing all kinds of things. And the laptop is plugged into an outlet in the wall.

I then asked him if he minded if I pick his brain for some info because I was thinking of getting a laptop (I can't EVER get on my computer at night because my husband can't do anything else, he has to keep off of his foot, so he hogs the computer.

This guy had an HP DV 2000 with a 250 hard drive, a 3 gig Ram and Vista.

I asked him the basic questions about "what if I bought one to use in my home (in addition to my desktop). He said 'Oh I do this all the time", "just buy a router, plug it into your modem at home, and you can go anywhere in your home and use the laptop.

I know that if my desktop dies on my, I can simply purchae the laptop and use it INSTEAD of the desktop, that it will plug directly into my modem.

However, this is not what I want to do when and if I get enough money to buy a laptop.

I want to be able to sit in another room, (When Alan's on the desktop), and I want to be able to go on the internet, make videos, WHATEVER.

So from what I learned this morning, when I am ready, I go to the store, buy the laptop, buy the case, buy the warranty, and buy a router.

The router (which he said should cost no more than $40), well, I plug the router into my dsl modem.

Okay, here's some questions I forgot to ask the guy.

I just looked at the dsl modem. WHERE DO I PLUG IN THE ROUTER?

I saw a usb port, and another round red hole. in the back where all the other things are plugged into.

So where do you plug in a router?? (He also said the router has some kind of antennae (I think he said this).

So how does the Laptop get the signal from the router?

If I am in the kitchen with the laptop do I plug in the electric power cord into my kitchen outlet (so I don't drain the battery in the laptop)???

Is this how one is able to use a laptop that is not directly connected to the dsl modem in the computer room?

Also he showed me an AIR CARD, which he called a portable modem.

He said "If this Dunkin Donuts did not have WI FI and I can't get any signal, then I just insert this here (he showed me), and I can get a signal". He also said "I pay $60 a month just for this privilige".

I said "I will not be doing this, I don't want to pay anything per month just so I can use a laptop, I won't be bringing it out of my house, I just want to be able to go on the laptop in my kitchen (or anywhere else in the house), and piggy back it off my dsl modem."

So he said: "then all you need to do is get the router, hook it up to your dsl modem and you can take the laptop anywhere in your house."

So before I get all excited, can you please answer the following questions.

Exactly where on my dsl modem do I plug in the wireless router??

And how does the Laptop pick up the signal?? Is there any wire(I know, stupid question, but I like to be sure before I do stuff), so I gather there's NOTHING that attaches the Laptop to the router, right??

So if I bring the Laptop to the kitchen, do I have to plug it into the wall to use it (I don't want to drain the battery). I gather that in order to turn it on, it needs some power source (either battery or plug it into the socket), right??

This guy showed me that this HP Laptop came with a built in webcam and speakers. He brought up the webcam software and I saw us on the video on the Laptop. It's crystal clear. So I said 'so I can continue to make my own videos like I do now and I can upload to youtube??"

He said 'Everything you do now on your computer, you can do on the Laptop"

Then he said "And when I'm not using it, I just close the top and it goes on Standby"

So if you can answer my idiot questions, and I save my money, I shall THEN be able to buy my laptop.

Thanks much to you all.

Melody

the router plugs into your computer,then the modem plugs into the router. the router has a bunch of ports on the back.

the router has 2 short antena's on it. it sends the internet signal to the laptop. like a radio. depending on how far you need to or want to send the signal will depend on what router you buy.

the batteries are rechargable. just plug in the laptop. they should last 3 hours or more on 1 charge.

you can find inexpensive laptops on craigslist. i wouldn't go the ebay route unless the shipping was low.

my son got a really good dell on craigslist for college for under $200.

Okay, let's see if I got this.

When I'm ready I buy a laptop and a router.

I go home, I unplug my dsl modem from the back of my computer. I take the router plug, and plug THAT into the back of my computer.

So now I'm looking at this square gadget with a bunch of antenae sticking out of it. This is the router. The router has all kind of ports. I take my dsl modem plug, and plug it into one of the ports. (which port, is it usb??)

did I understand this correctly?

then Alan can go on when he likes, and I can take the laptop into the kitchen and turn it on.

Oh here's one you didn't answer. DO I PLUG THE LAPTOP INTO ANY ELECTRICAL SOCKET? I don't want to use the battery on the laptop. It has to HAVE SOME KIND OF POWER SOURCE RIGHT?? Either the battery that's inside, or you plug it into an electrical socket. Like what the guy did in Dunkin.

Or does the Lap just turn on by itself. (I'm a bit confused here). I believe that if I DON'T WANT TO USE THE BATTERY THAT I SIMPLY PLUG THE LAPTOP INTO THE KITCHEN ELECTRICAL OUTLET, right?

Thanks, Mel

P..S. Does the router have an on/off switch, like the dsl modem???

some pictures here-
http://www.longviewcomputercenter.com/blog/router.jpg
http://kbserver.netgear.com/images/n101668_image01.gif
http://www.cguy.net/wireless_network...connection.jpg

always plug the modem into the plug that is by itself {diff color too}

My Dlink router has a built in antenna so it doesn't show.

most newer laptops have a built in wireless set up so if you are close to a wireless signal it can connect.

You can use the laptop with the battery in but still have it plugged into an outlet - that will keep it charged up all the time.

mel, the router i got came with a cd to explain everything. it even had a sticker covering all the ports to run the cd first. it really did explain everything.

yep has an on/off switch.

plug in the laptop when not using the battery.

the port is the ethernet port onthe back of your computer. the same port that your dsl is plugged into now. it kinda like just adding something in between your computer and your modem.

good links jo. ty.

So I buy the laptop and the router.

I unplug the dsl modem thingee from the back of the computer, and I take the router plug and PLUG that into the back of my computer.

then I take my dsl modem and plug THAT into the port of the router.

I then take my laptop into the kitchen, plug the electric thingee into the wall outlet.

I turn on the laptop and then I CAN DO EXACTLY THE SAME THING I DO WHEN I'M THE DESKTOP!!!

Did I get this all right?

thanks sOOOOOO MUCH.

mel