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General discussion

I need some help understanding "wireless" please.

May 1, 2005 3:37PM PDT

Please be patient with me folks.
I took the wireless course here at Cnet.
I have purchased a router and a usb adapter for my lap top in order to set it all up.

That is all one issue. But what's really bothering me is that "wireless" isn't REALLY "wireless" is it?
It seems that my router needs to be connected to DSL or something else. I am really disappointed.
What I was imagining is that wireless would mean exactly that. In other words my cell phone is wireless. These wireless systems are not.
I expected that the router would gain access the same as my cell phone, and I thought that perhaps my modem would help with that. But I see that was an unrealistic expectation.
Perhaps I am missing something. But the USrobotics 8054 router I just bought, comes with instructions fit for nothing. It states clearly that it needs to be connected to a cable or DSL modem. What a let down...
So now I am guessing that a router is merely a piece of broadcasting equipment at the end of a line?
If so, I sure don't want that.
I haven't seen anything yet that seems to explain connectivity of the system itself. The course only talked about setting up the local system etc.
If I am wrong and I am simply misinformed, could someone please help me with this? Is there another way to connect to the internet?
Scott

Discussion is locked

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Will you pay for it?
May 1, 2005 9:50PM PDT
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hmmm I doubt it
May 2, 2005 2:16AM PDT

You're talking to an anti corporationist.
I really do not see the value nor justification of spending 80 a month on internet access.
I think that the set up will become economical when the "air" branches of the various companies make their packages as competitive as their wire pakages. For 55 a month I get all the long distance and calls I want.
My cell phone on the other hand is regulated by minutes, a european concept. It isn't even as "attractive" as the LL.
I don't object to the companies recouping their investment in infrastructure from us, I object to them doing it within a year and establishing precedent for unwarranted profit.
I'm tired of taking it in the shorts. Of course this says to you that I do not have a high paying job, and you would be right. To me the money has more than a simplistic relative value.
Having said that, and knowing that what is presented to us as some super technology, has already been around for quite some time, I just want to find the rational hook up for the system.
Verizon can't be it. They can't even fix my local phone lines. They are too busy makin money to pay attention to customers. I guess we are lucky to be able to speak to americans when we call them at least.
(I still have LEAD connectors with paper insulation on my pole out back, as do my neighbors)

Look... just think about it.
If there are millions of customers, which there are, and even half of these use that plan, or even 1 million, then they pull in 80m.
I am not interested in purchasing mercedes benz and other stuff for strangers.

So I guess what you are telling me is that there isn't any decent way to connect without a lot of expense?

The reason I don't have DSL, Bob, is that I don't even have cable coming to the house. People that I rented muy place out to in the past did, but the cable out here in the desert gets fried and degraded by the sun's radiation, so the 50 bucks a month people pay for their idiot box shows still get snowy reception on a lot of channels. Add another 30 for DSL and they're paying 80. So that's a wash.
In California, they don't even run the lines to your house without you paying for it, at least where I live. So to heck with them.

If you consider what I have been saying then you can see that I am looking for a good solution.
Scott