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How To Get Wi Fi

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rsvp | 11:51 Sat 06th Feb 2016 | Technology
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I'm moving on Monday to a different area - the cottage has a bt broadband land line which I don't particularly want - Is there a way for me to get a wifi connection for my computer - I use the internet a lot so really am trying to find the cheapest way to get access. Am not at all technically minded so please treat me like a complete idiot with replies! thank you.
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but is more costly than using bt lines and wireless router from a provider
Question Author
thank you Murrymints
In most houses wi fi comes from a device called a router that is inside your house.

The BT broadband cable comes in to your house, connects to your router, then the router broadcasts the wi fi around you house.

If you get rid of BT Broadband then you can use the router and so you wont have wi fi.

You can buy a broadband dongle, but that is not really using wi fi. It is using a device that plugs in to your computer that acts a bit like a mobile phone and downloads the data down a mobile connection, so it is no wi fi.

And if the mobile service in your area is poor you wont get a good speed down this broadband dongle.

The easiest and cheapest way to get wi fi in the house is to use the telephone line you already have and get broadband on that (either keep BT broadband or go for another broadband company).

They will send you a router that plugs in to the telephone line, and that will broadcast wi fi round your house.
Whoops slight spelling mistake above

>>If you get rid of BT Broadband then you can use the router and so you wont have wi fi.

That should say:

If you get rid of BT Broadband then you CANT use the router and so you wont have wi fi.

you need to find ut what sort of coverage you have for which network before you decide what to buy
Question Author
Thank you all for the very helpful replies - I've checked the wifi coverage for the property and it's dire so think I may keep the landline. To be honest my friend who owns the property and has been living in the cottage has a land line and a package which includes internet connection - she's pretty switched on and would have checked out the best options I'm sure. Very grateful for the replies and info.
I think you are confused about wifi (comes from a router connected to your BT line) and mobile broadband which uses the same system as mobile phones and is a dongle that plugs in to your pc or a 'mifi' device that allows several devices to connect wirelessly using the same mobile broadband data.

By far the cheapest and most reliable will be from a router connected to your BT line. You don't have to stick with BT, there are many providers to choose from.
Miss Marples was only 50 in that drawing....?
sorry wrong thread.
Question Author
Thank you hc - I do try to drag myself into the technical age but it's my success rate is minimal! I appreciate the patience too - stay well
Router? Err, No. A router is only of use in these circumstances if the OP has a cable broadband connection at the cottage. The OP has not said that this is the case.

If you do not have a cable broadband connection rsvp, the device you need is called a modem/router.

We tend to think of routers as devices that allow us to access the internet. But that's not strictly true. You actually need a modem to connect to the internet - the router then transfers the data, in the form of web pages and streamed content, to your connected devices.

A router is of no use at all without a modem if you have a non-cable broadband supply. Virtually all ISP's supply a modem/router. Ensure you check with the ISP all the same. A dedicated router is only of use if you want to extend the signal range in your cottage, which I think would unlikely in your case.

Routers generally do not have a socket to take the standard RJ11 cable from the ADSL filter. You can only plug this cable into a modem or a modem/router. That's certainly the case with my D-Link DIR-890 and all the others I looked at prior to purchase.
The OP said:

the cottage has a bt broadband land line.....
Just to say that I am happy with my BT wifi at home via landline. Also if you have a contract with BT then you can log on to their hot spots all over the place when you are travelling and get free wifi.
MTbowels, I think you have just made everything 10 time more confusing and complicated.

rsvp, just sign up with a broadband supplier, Sky, Talk Talk, Virgin, Bt, to name a few, they will give you everything you require.
Question Author
I'm thinking it may be easier and less stressful for me to just stick with the system that's already in situ - I really do appreciate the advice and suggestions from everyone - thank you one and all
On this subject, i have accessed the internet through a dongle provided by '3' for the last 5 or 6 years (at £16.54 per month for 15MB). I have recently been experiencing connectivity problems - some days my connection is severed after just a few minutes, time and time again. So i am looking to change and have just discovered that my daughter has a 4G Mobile wifi from '3' which is compatible with my laptop. I have done the research and i find that if i take out a 24 month contract on direct debit, i can get 2GB per month for around £9 per month. My question is, would i experience the same connection problems as it is with the same provider?
Ken, can you get a good 4G signal in your house? That's the first consideration.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/mobile-coverage
^^
hc; yes, according to your link, it is likely that i will receive a sufficient signal for 4G.
Make sure this is a cancellation period if the signal is not good enough before you sign up.

If you're having problems with 3G I can't see things being any better on 4G, to be honest. Do you use it only at home?

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