Is Wireless Dialup Internet Possible?
Wireless internet is becoming the most common way to access high-speed, or broadband, internet service. But can this same wireless technology be used with dialup internet service? It certainly can, but it's a little trickier to set up than a broadband wireless network.
The easiest, and most expensive, way to do this is to simply purchase a wireless dialup router, and yes, there are a few available. Routers like the WiFlyer or older versions of wireless broadband routers will be sufficient to set up and get you online.
The setup is very similar to setting up a wireless network with a broadband router. You run a cable, likely a phone cable, from the modem to the back of the router. The router will then pick up the signal and disperse it wirelessly within a certain diameter.
Also, much like a wireless broadband network, any computer that will be receiving the wireless signal will need a wireless network card. The connection should be just as fast as the dialup service you are receiving, even though there is an extra step in the process.
There is another, much cheaper and more flexible, way to access dial up internet wirelessly. That way utilizes another computer to share the internet connection with a regular broadband router, which in turn broadcasts the signal to any computer with a wireless network card.
This is also a little more complicated to achieve. The setup for the wireless router is very quick and extremely easy. Setting up a shared internet connection will take a little more time, but is worth the effort in the end.
For this setup to be successful, you'll need a desktop computer that can connect to your dialup. This desktop also must have an Ethernet card in it that will be used to connect it to a regular modem.
Basically, you need to make sure your desktop is able to connect to the internet via your dial up connection. Once that's been established, enter 'network connections' and check the 'allow other network users to connect through this computer's internet connection' box under the advanced tab, as well as the 'establish a dial-up connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the internet' checkbox located directly below.
The next step requires any standard broadband router. Enter the router's setup menu and make sure DHCP is turned off. That way the router will not try to establish another internet connection. Run an Ethernet cable from the desktop to the router. The router will then pick up the signal and begin broadcasting it. As long as you have the 'establish a dialup connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the internet' checkbox selected on the desktop's network connections menu, you'll be able to connect to your dial up connection from any computer on the network.
While a little trickier or a little pricier, setting up wireless dialup internet is possible with the right tools.
