Newbie Questions.

RidleyRider

Okay so I got a new phone- an android. And its only really of any use if I get WiFi installed in the house. So, my question is- Is there anyway I can install a WiFi card on my laptop? Which is painfully old and doesn't have one built in. If there is a way, is it worth my money too?

Thanks guys.

bonzodog2

Sounds like a USB or PCMCIA card would suit you. Depending on the phone, you may be able to 'tether' it, i.e. connect laptop to net thru the phone. Watch your data allowance !

here are some USB ones from Irish sellers, some less than 10 euro.

RidleyRider

Thanks bonzodog2, but I don't really understand how they work. Do I have to turn on the laptop and the device effectively creates a WiFi hotspot?

I have the three dongle at the moment and its okay, it would be adequate for usuage on my phone. They have a evice called the MiFi huawei. Its basically three WiFi but I'm unaware if my laptop has WiFi. Following steps I saw online it does have a wireless connection (when the signal is available) But how would I connect to it?

bonzodog2

Yes, tethering does create a wifi hotspot. I don't know if your phone does it though.
As your laptop is a bit old, check you can get drivers for your version of Windows when choosing a USB wifi adapter if you go that road.
Device Manager will show if you already have wifi in the laptop.

RidleyRider

Does that mean the laptop has to be constantly on?

bonzodog2

Its the phone that provides the wifi signal, the laptop connects to it as it would to a DSL wifi router, connecting through the phone's 3G signal to internet.
Tethering will drain the phone battery too, as its powering a radio transmitter.