Can I get internet access with a wifi adapter even though the place has no internet?

M

Mapper

New Member
So I'm kind of a tech dummy. We have a laptop that we us at home, but I am going to visit my mom next month and she is still living in the dark ages and has no computer/internet stuff whatsoever. We have a wifi adapter we can plug into the laptop. I would like to bring the laptop with me so I can still be connected while visiting her rather than having to go to the library to use the computer, but seeing as how she has no internet set up, my husband says that it wouldn't work anyways. Is there some way I can still connect to something from her house?
 
Unless it's a USB 4G dongle that connects through a cellular provider, no. You can't just magically suck wireless out of the air if nothing exists.
 
You need some sort of access point broadcasting wireless nearby (as well as have access to it). Some public places offer an 'open' hotspot where you don't need credentials. If there are none nearby then you won't be accessing the web.

Also, if the laptop was manufactured within the last decade or so it should already have an integrated wireless card.

Alternatively you could look into cellular type of cards that use the same data schemes as phones do, or if your phone has a tether or hotspot function then that would allow your PC to connect to the internet over that cellular link.
 
There is a library less than 1/2 mile from her house. Is it possible that I could pick up their wifi for free?
 
1) Depends if they have an open SSID
2) Depends if you have line of sight
3) Without using additional equipment you are extremely unlikely to cover that range.

I'd say it's vastly improbable.
 
Do you have a SmartPhone? Many SmartPhones have the ability to create a wifi hotspot that a laptop can connect to in order to access the net. I use the hotspot feature on my phone in order to access the net while traveling in my RV.
 
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Mapper said:
There is a library less than 1/2 mile from her house. Is it possible that I could pick up their wifi for free?
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I would me extremely surprised if you could see the network. You'd need line of site with an exterior mounted transceiver on both ends pointed at each other to get that to work. Most likely the AP in the library is in the middle of the building on the ceiling or counter (depending on the size of the library), and there is likely a lot of "stuff" between your house and it.

The only way to get internet is via a public WiFi hotspot, or use a cellular connection as a hotspot. If you have Comcast or Time Warner, they have free WiFi that they bundle with most installs so if you live in a crowded area you are likely to see an xfinitywifi or cablewifi open network, all you need to do is sign in.
 
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