My sister lives in Oz and my mother is poorly ATM, and so it seems like a good way for them to keep in touch. Currently, we have a basic TalkTalk broadband account, and we access the net using a desktop PC with a wired modem/router. I understand that iPad/iPhones use wireless wi-fi, but that's all I know.

Do I just need to get any wireless modem (is this the same as a personal wi-fi hotspot?), and then just simply use our existing TalkTalk broadband package for the iPad/iPhone "data usage". Thanks a lot for any comments.

cdr wrote:
My sister lives in Oz and my mother is poorly ATM, and so it seems like a good way for them to keep in touch. Currently, we have a basic TalkTalk broadband account, and we access the net using a desktop PC with a wired modem/router. I understand that iPad/iPhones use wireless wi-fi, but that's all I know.

Do I just need to get any wireless modem (is this the same as a personal wi-fi hotspot?), and then just simply use our existing TalkTalk broadband package for the iPad/iPhone "data usage". Thanks a lot for any comments.

There are three basic ways ...

Either replace your wired ADSL router with a wireless one (the
replacement will still accept wired ethernet connections for your
existing PCs)

Or leave the router alone and install a standalone Wireless Access
Point, this will connect to your existing ADSL router via an ethernet
cable (assuming you have a spare port)

If you live in a "normal" sized house, the position of the wireless
router will be largely irrelevant, if you live in a mansion, the
flexibility of poitioning the WiFi access point remote from where the
ADSL router happens to be might matter (but then you've got to run a
long ethernet cable to it, or use the data over mains wiring devices).

Another alternative is to simply use a 3G or GPRS data bundle from
whichever network the iPhone is connected to and ignore your home
network, then the same system will work wherever you can find mobile
coverage, not just at home.

On Sep 1, 5:40*pm, Andy Burns wrote:
cdr wrote:
My sister lives in Oz and my mother is poorly ATM, and so it seems like a good way for them to keep in touch. *Currently, we have a basic TalkTalk broadband account, and we access the net using a desktop PC with a wired modem/router. *I understand that iPad/iPhones use wireless wi-fi, but that's all I know.

Do I just need to get any wireless modem (is this the same as a personal wi-fi hotspot?), and then just simply use our existing TalkTalk broadband package for the iPad/iPhone "data usage". *Thanks a lot for any comments..

There are three basic ways ...

This is the simplest way -

Replace your current router with a wireless one. TalkTalk will provide
one for £30-40. (If you know what you are doing you can buy one
cheaper / get a better one and set it up yourself).

On Thursday, September 1, 2011 5:40:24 PM UTC+1, Andy Burns wrote:
There are three basic ways ...
(snip)
Or leave the router alone and install a standalone Wireless Access
Point, this will connect to your existing ADSL router via an ethernet
cable (assuming you have a spare port)
(snip)

Thanks very much, for both replies so far. Having thought about all the options, I do like the standalone wireless access point solution the best. This means that I can forget all about my current wired modem/router (which works OK), and simply plug in this new gadget. Hopefully, it will be fairly straight forward to get the iPod to connect to it OK...

cdr wrote:

I do like the standalone wireless access point solution the best. This means that I can forget all about my current wired modem/router (which works OK), and simply plug in this new gadget.

TP-Link TL-WA701ND seem cheap enough from Amazon

Hopefully, it will be fairly straight forward to get the iPod to connect to it OK...

Should be, you might have to jump through an initial hoop to give the
access point an address that doesn't clash with your existing router,
from there I'd expect it to come pre-configured for WPA2 (though you
ought to set your own encryption key, and SSID name) after that your
Wireless devices should see it, ask for the encryption key and connect,
getting an address allocated from your existing router.

Andy Burns wrote:
cdr wrote:

I do like the standalone wireless access point solution the best.
This means that I can forget all about my current wired modem/router
(which works OK), and simply plug in this new gadget.

TP-Link TL-WA701ND seem cheap enough from Amazon

Hopefully, it will be fairly straight forward to get the iPod to
connect to it OK...

Should be, you might have to jump through an initial hoop to give the
access point an address that doesn't clash with your existing router,
from there I'd expect it to come pre-configured for WPA2 (though you
ought to set your own encryption key, and SSID name) after that your
Wireless devices should see it, ask for the encryption key and connect,
getting an address allocated from your existing router.


A freind of mine staying for a few days and knowing my layout did
exactly this. Brought a WAP with him, installed it in his bedroom and
was able too use his macbook and I-phone without changing a single thing.

On Sep 1, 5:19*pm, cdr wrote:
My sister lives in Oz and my mother is poorly ATM, and so it seems like a good way for them to keep in touch. *Currently, we have a basic TalkTalk broadband account, and we access the net using a desktop PC with a wired modem/router. *I understand that iPad/iPhones use wireless wi-fi, but that's all I know.

Do I just need to get any wireless modem (is this the same as a personal wi-fi hotspot?), and then just simply use our existing TalkTalk broadband package for the iPad/iPhone "data usage". *Thanks a lot for any comments.

If you're outwith the minimum contract time with TalkTalk, threatening
to switch to another provider may persuade them to upgrade your modem.

--
Halmyre