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Need help getting connected with a laptop

11 years ago

I need help to get an Acer Aspire laptop online for a disabled friend. I have a desktop and I'm not familar with setting up a lap top.

She lives in a rural area and will have to go through the phone co with dial up. (I know dialup stinks but she's never had anything else so maybe it won't be so bad for her as it would be for most of us.) We live several states apart but I plan to visit her soon and would like to get her online while I'm there. (I'll only be there for 2 days) She's going to make arrangements with the phone company to get service before I get there.

On the box it reads Acer Nplify PM 802.11 B/G/N. Does that mean her computer already has wireless capability or does she need a router? Will she need some kind of box from the phone company? It also has Windows 7 installed.

This computer was purchased in 2008 as a Christmas gift and is still in the box!

Please be specific on what I need to get her online because as I said before I'm not familar with setting up a wireless lap top. She will only be using this in her home.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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Comments (10)

bob414
11 years ago
With dial up she will probably need a modem that plugs into a USB port. The phone line will have to be plugged into that. I don't know that anyone makes a router for dial up. Here's an example: USB modem.
mikie_gw
11 years ago
Its a bit hard to make dial up work over a wifi connection without a specialized modem/router. You maybe could find an old stock one on ebay like the WiFlyer or apple airport. But I think its been quite a long time since they have been made . Probably a company or two selling new ones but I'm sure they would be pricey.

Her phone company should have instructions online for configuring their dial up.
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mike_kaiser_gw
11 years ago
As Mikie mentioned, dial-up routers are pretty are rare these days and the ones that do exist are going to be used or rather expensive. She probably doesn't really need one.

If she is going to use dial-up, you need to find her an ISP that provides dial-up service. I don't know who they are any more but Google should be able to help. She doesn't need to contact the phone company unless she wants DSL. If she happens to be on one of the restricted minute phone plans, she'll need to change that. Dial-up is just like a voice call and would count toward her call allowance.

Unless the laptop has a built in modem, she's going to need an external one that connects via USB. With that setup, there will be no need to worry about wireless networking.
grandms
11 years ago
Probably a newer laptop with Windows 7 will NOT have an internal modem, so as several others have mentioned, she will need an external modem to connect. One of the posters here has a setup like that, so I will contact her and get her to post just what she has.
urlee
11 years ago
Thanks grandms, "here I are".

I am on a dialup service. I have an Internal modem for dialup RJ11 in my desktop which was set up to connect to the Internet.
When I bought my windows 7, 64 bit laptop, I had to purchase an external modem. (1st one I had was Txxxx and no good)
I highly recommend This one. (Hardware Based)
All I did was plug in one end of the modem to my phone outlet and the other to the USB port on the laptop.
I had to go to Internet connections to set it up to use.
I am on my desktop now so can not give the exact specifics from here. Will check it out and see if I can post a graphic of from my laptop.
mikie_gw
11 years ago
Zoom has a Blue Tooth 56k modem. If she needs or wants some wireless mobility.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.zoomtel.com/products/bluetooth_overview.html
urlee
11 years ago
Rosies,
What model number is the laptop?
goldenbuckeye
Original Author
11 years ago
Urlee, I think the model # is Aspire 5742Z4512. Thanks to everyone who's responded as I need all the help I can get. I'm almost sure DSL isn't available where she lives. At one time she was connected to the internet with an old desktop.
urlee
11 years ago
rosies,
Did you get my e-mail to you?
I have graphics etc. etc. to help understand.
goldenbuckeye
Original Author
11 years ago
Urlee,
No I didn't get your email but I'll be looking for it and I really appreciate your help.

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