How Do Laptops Connect to the Internet Without a Cable?
Laptops are able to connect to the Internet without a cable, with the help of wireless routers and wireless cards. This wireless connection allows your laptop to pick up an Internet signal much like how a radio picks up radio waves. Once you understand what a wireless connection is, you will be able to get your laptop Internet-ready without a cable.
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Wireless Routers
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In order to use wireless Internet, there must be a wireless signal present, which is what a wireless router offers. It sends a signal into the air that wireless-ready devices pick up, which will allow a user to surf the Internet.
Built-In Wireless Cards
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Most laptops built now come installed with a wireless Internet card. Look in your laptop's manual to see if your laptop comes with a wireless Internet card. If it does, then your laptop is able to connect to a wireless router by finding the connection over the airwaves.
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Add-On Wireless Cards
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If your laptop does not have a wireless card built in, you can buy a wireless card that connects into the laptop's expansion bay. The card's transmitter will stick out the side of your laptop and will be able to connect to a wireless signal.
Open Internet Connections
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Open wireless Internet connections allow your laptop with a wireless card to connect to them without any problems. It only takes a few seconds for your laptop and the router to sync together. Many restaurants and stores have open connections for their customers.
Closed Internet Connections
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A closed wireless Internet connection uses a closed connection created by the owner of the router. To access a closed connection, you must know the password to connect to that network. If you do not have this password, you cannot connect to this router. Most home Internet connections are locked for their own protection.
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