Forums > Specific Focus > Technical Mexico

beverleywood

Sep 17, 2003, 8:33 AM

Post #1 of 11 (1181 views)

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Wi Fi

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Okay, I am REALLY not a tech person. But if we get our own WiFi station here at home (Vancouver, BC) and we drive it to Mexico with us on vacation...will it work down there for internet access?

johanson / Moderator

Sep 17, 2003, 10:22 AM

Post #2 of 11 (1173 views)

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Re: [beverleywood] Wi Fi

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I'm not quite sure what you mean by "if we get our own WIFI station here". Perhaps you mean if you get a wireless card. But that's OK. You are not going to learn unless you ask.

Yes, there are a few places in Mexico that have hot spots where you can connect to the internet via WiFi technology, but they are very few and far between. I would recommend against investing in any WiFi gear for your trip to Mexico unless you just want to experiment and realize that you may not find a place to connect to.

That said, if I were to drive South from Vancouver to Mexico, I would pass by many Starbucks in the US, all of which have hot spots where I could connect if I had a wireless card in my laptop.

I hope I answered your question.

beverleywood

Sep 17, 2003, 12:31 PM

Post #3 of 11 (1163 views)

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Re: [johanson] Wi Fi

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Thanks for the reply!

I did mean the actual wireless station, like the things they have in starbucks that allow a person to connect. But I think it would get complicated... so maybe i'll just buy some dial up when I get there!!

johanson / Moderator

Sep 17, 2003, 2:59 PM

Post #4 of 11 (1150 views)

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Re: [beverleywood] Wi Fi

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If you just want to hook up at Starbucks or its equivalent, you need a 802.11b wireless card to plug into the side of your laptop. If your laptop is running on Msft XP for example it will be easy to configure and to connect.

As I recollect, I simply walked into Starbucks last June with my new laptop, turned it on, opened Internet Explorer and there on my screen was a message from T-Mobile telling me how I could pay so that I could surf the net. I entered my credit card # plus a few other facts, and I was immediately on line surfing and checking my email.

beverleywood

Sep 17, 2003, 5:25 PM

Post #5 of 11 (1143 views)

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Re: [johanson] Wi Fi

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Ok, i'm REALLY not technical, and not explaining myself well at all.

I mean an actual wireless enabling machine of our own. and if our friends came over, we could give them the password and they could use their laptops around the house. the tecnical thing that enables starbucks users to get connected. they aren't that expensive from what i understand? i know several people in vancouver who have installed them at home.

johanson / Moderator

Sep 17, 2003, 7:23 PM

Post #6 of 11 (1135 views)

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Re: [beverleywood] Wi Fi

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Ok I understand. What you are talking about isn't that hard to do if you know what you are doing. But if as you said you are a beginner, you will need help doing this. Should you decide that this is what you want to do in Ajijic, there are some good network people who could help you do this.

Should you choose Lagunanet as your service provider, the web hefe Rod Collins is very astute and would be able to set up a network for you should he have sufficient time. One way to ensure that he does is to contract to have him set up a network when he installs a fixed WIFI internet connection for you.

He even speaks Canadian. I got him hooked on Star Choice. :)

Pete

sfmacaws

Sep 17, 2003, 7:30 PM

Post #7 of 11 (1134 views)

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Re: [beverleywood] Wi Fi

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Hi Beverly,

What you are talking about is called an AP or Access Point. The problem is that the AP must have some kind of connection to the internet. So, you would still need either a dialup connection, cable broadband, DSL or a subscription to another wireless AP in the area.

The AP at your house would connect to the internet in one of the above ways and then anyone within range at your house could wirelessly connect through your AP. Does this help?

As to getting one, it is a great and convenient thing. I use one at my house in the US and at my condo in MX. I even take it along in the RV so that both of us can surf at the same time when we have a connection. It just doesn't replace the need to have a connection to the internet.

When I am in MX the only internet connection available where I live is a dial up account with prodigy.mx I set my AP to dial in to prodigy and connect. Once it has connected, both of us can wirelessly use that connection at the same time.

It allows us to move around with the laptop and sit wherever we want. Mine works on the deck and even down below on the beach. It's not too practical on the beach however, aside from that superfine caribbean sand, the light is so bright it's hard to see the screen. The deck is great in the evenings though.

Hope this helped,

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

sfmacaws

Sep 17, 2003, 7:33 PM

Post #8 of 11 (1133 views)

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Re: [johanson] Wi Fi

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I didn't see Pete's post before I wrote the last one. We are both saying the same thing howeverf. Lagunanet, that Pete mentions, is a way for your wireless AP to connect to the internet in Ajijic. If you aren't within their range, you can use whatever other way is available in your area to connect the AP to the internet.

Still make sense?

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

johanson / Moderator

Sep 17, 2003, 9:16 PM

Post #9 of 11 (1126 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Wi Fi

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Good information Jonna, I spent more time than I want to admit setting up a wireless peer to peer network so that I could take my laptop out in the yard and sit in the hammock and check my email while sipping on whatever. But just like you said, I could barely see the screen. Laptops are simply not meant for sunny beaches. Oh well.

sfmacaws

Sep 17, 2003, 10:51 PM

Post #10 of 11 (1121 views)

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Re: [johanson] Wi Fi

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Yeah, when I first set mine up going outside to the hammock was a big thing. Then I did it and after moving the screen all around to try and see it and having the battery run out as soon as I got it all set up and comfortable - well, it just wasn't what I thought it would be :)

I have used it while in the RV though, either by parking outside Starbucks or at a Flying J truck stop. That is pretty wonderful. Even on dialup it is good to be able to move around the condo in Akumal and for both of us to be able to use our laptops at the same time. So, it's definitely worth it.... just not in the way I thought it would be.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

beverleywood

Sep 18, 2003, 7:30 AM

Post #11 of 11 (1106 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Wi Fi

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Thank you both so much!

I will remember "AP" next time :)