Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (
More info?)
On Sat, 03 Sep 2005 11:26:37 -0500,
Andrew.Playford@cps.gsi.gov-dot-uk.no-spam.invalid (andrew_Playford)
wrote:
>i phoned up my ISP which is AOL to enquire about wirless and they told
>me that since i am on the lowest price plan Silver that it was not
>available and i had to uprgrade to gold, i mean i pay £17.99 a month
>which is a bit steep and now they want me to pay £24 a month surley
>this is a con??
That would really depend on the speed of the wireless connection to
AOL. If it is the SAME speed as the speed of your dialup (at most,
56kbps), you really would have no advantage in using a wireless
connection.
The only advantage in using a wireless connection would be if it
allowed for GREATER-than-voice/fax-modem speeds, and you had no other
way of getting broadband speeds.
It also depends on the METHOD AOL uses to DELIVER the wireless signal
to you, such as DSL, CABLE, or SATELLITE, which would ALL use a
COMPLETELY different type of modem (digital rather than analog, and
which would be connected from the wall to the modem via either a CATV
cable or, in the case of DSL, via a standard phone cable). The way
you would connect from the modem to your machine would be by a
standard Ethernet cable running from the modem to a wireless network
card installed in your machine, rather than a standard phone line, as
in the case of a voice/fax modem.
>
>Why wouldnt silver work with wireless?? surley wireless works with
>everything rite?
Unless you have a specialized modem for a broadband signal, you would
be unable to recieve such a signal. If your machine and OS are setup
to use ONLY a voice/fax modem, you would be UNABLE to receive a
wireless signal. To put is bluntly, WIRELESS is NOT a "POTS" signal
delivered via a telephone line, it is a RADIO signal, delivered over
the Airwaves. Voice/fax modems are NOT able to receive (or send) such
signals. So wireless does NOT "work with everything".
Wireless ONLY works with a WIRELESS network card. The method used in
Windows to connect to a network card is COMPLETELY different from the
method used to connect Windows to a voice/fax modem.
By the way, did you know that ALL ISPs' much-advertised "broadband
speeds at dialup prices" are ACTUALLY a RIP-OFF, since the speed of a
signal delivered via a voice/fax modem CANNOT physically exceed 56kbps
(the actual top speed of an analog modem. In most cases, this is
approximately 40-50kbps ,unless, of course, you live way out in the
country, where your speeds are more likely to be 14-28kbps.)
>any comments on this would be graetly appreciated as i dont want to
>get ripped off.
>
>thanx
>
>Andy
Donald L McDaniel
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