BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

I have a wireless card for my laptop and I can connect to the internet out of my home.

What do I need for the n800? :mad: It is surely sleeker than a laptop and I like gadgets as any baby boomer would.

-- Do I need a new phone with blue tooth? A new phone account or can I do it with the same At&T or SPRINT (don't remember) service?
-- What are the steps for a connection?

Basically, will it cost me addional money to connect out of home???
At home I have a router and wireless LAN, so it would not be a problem

Please advice, young ones.:D

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Wooki...

the Tablets have "wifi" (wireless) built in... find a hot spot... surf the net.

Enjoy your tablet...

Regards...
Omega <-- a young 50-11 year old (go figure...)

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

I can't really advise about your cellular phone service (I'm in the UK, so don't know much about Sprint/AT&T) however as long as your phone has Bluetooth, and the phone supports the Bluetooth DUN profile (so not Windows Mobile smartphones) you should be able to connect from an N800 to the internet while out and about by using your phone. How much it will cost you is the next question, and this will depend on your data plan etc.

There's a built in "Mobile operator setup wizard" which is activated when the device is first booted, and it's also available from the Control Panel (menu->Tools). Hopefully it covers your operator(s), and this will configure the N800 and your phone in a couple of minutes.

If you're not sure if your phone is compatible, post the make/model here and I'm sure someone will be able to find out.


Milhouse <---- thirty-something. :)

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Your cell phone related questions are already covered - most any bluetooth-enabled phone should work, and depending on your plan you may either need a special data option (usually around $20/month), or be charged per minute or per kilobyte (which can run up quickly).

However, if you already have a wireless router at your house, you should be able to immediately use it with the N800. The setup is probably very similar to your notebook (i.e., if you use encryption on the wireless network (which is recommended), you'll have to enter the encryption key on the N800).

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

You will find four small icons near the top right corner of your N800 screen. For your wireless Internet connection, tap the second icon from the right. You will see options such as "Set Connection." Select it, and your N800 will start listing the wireless network connections it finds around it. Choose the one you set up for your home, and if prompted, enter the key. That should do it.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

This all sounds very exciting. My phone does not have bluetooth. So that is something that I have to further research.

Now... HOT SPOTS

Most hot spots I undertand are not open or secured so you need a key to connect through them and have to pay a fee by the hour. Am I correct?

I wonder how people connect at Borders and Cafe places. Are these free?

Are there FREE hot spots that are easy to find? I mean, wholeave stheir wireless unpr:confused: otected?

Wookishly wookish

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

It may depend upon where you live. Free hot spots are fairly easy to find in the Seattle area, especially around downtown. Borders bookstores have hot spots, too, but they are not free. Tully's and Panera Bread do offer free hot spots, though.

You can use the Wi-Fi connection setup wizard to find a free Wi-Fi near you. The N800 will show you which connections require keys and which don't.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Now I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It is almost worthless unless I find a free hot spot which I think is not common here in California, or I am at a site where I can pay for the connection and I am given the access key.

So that alternative is almost null. I don't want to pay if I can connect "free" (NOT REALLY) from home. Which is good since powering up a laptop just for e-mail and browising nowadays does not seem like a good alternative.
---

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Which part of California do you live in? I'm pretty sure there are tons of free hot spots available in the Silicon Valley and SoCal areas.

Now, how do you connect your laptop to the Internet at home? If you're using a broadband connection (such as DSL and Cable Internet), then you should be able to buy a device called "wireless router" and expand your home network to the wireless world fairly easily.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

I HAVE DISCARDED THE HOT SPOTS as a practical alternative. Now, what about the phone signal? If we already have a card and an account for wireless connection; * I THINK * It means that I can access that same signal with the harware enabled Nokia n800, using the parameters, keys and anything I was given by the phone company to connect via the wireless card .

The wireless card - bought separately - only enables the laptop to catch the signal, so if the Nokia is inherently enabled to detect and use the phone signals I just have to use its detection setup to connect to my service.

*** Unless I have to use the software they send in a CD to install in the
computer so you can connect, I don't see any problem.***
:D


ANY COMMENTS ON THIS???
-- Thank you all folks. I need to be this simple and I may be repeating myself, but bear with me if you can. It is worth the time if I make a good buying decision.

Later on, I am going to ask if am ONLY able to make conference calls via web cams with other Nokia users???? I



Is this right???

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Depends upon the "wireless card" you have. Did you purchase it from your cellphone provider? If so, the signal it uses cannot be detected by the N800 unless you connect the N800 to a Bluetooth cellphone. That's my understanding, at least.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

I live in SoCal... Simi Valley.

I do have broadband and I have a wireless LAN and several pcs including Macs in the house that connect to the LAN. So, that Is why I said it is no problem at home. I can be in the porch or patio and connect.

That would be the extent of its use If I cannot connect freely through the wireless phone signals that I could reach almost ANYWHERE. I am thinking about my job, on the road, on a trip to the east coast, etc where you may be moving and not tied to a hot spot.

I don't know how many free hot spots their could be in my area since I have never had a device to connect and the only time I asked in a place like Borders there was a fee of about $7-12/ hr. Not my cup of tea.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

daihard said:
Depends upon the "wireless card" you have. Did you purchase it from your cellphone provider? If so, the signal it uses cannot be detected by the N800 unless you connect the N800 to a Bluetooth cellphone. That's my understanding, at least.

-- I have to look but I think we did purchase it from the cellphone provider. In which case based in your info I need to change my phone to a Bluetooth one. It's a PMCIA (or something similar) card with an antenna!!!

I guess it connects to the Nokia vai a special phone cable???

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Call your internet provider they may have a plan that you can use when you are roaming in your area. Also check out Boingo they provide wifi roaming service, .

My stepfather plays with a computer and he is almost ninety!!

heavyt mid fifties :D

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

That is so cool. I bless him. That keeps his neurons active and young. I am 60 and I know I should not think old, but I am constantly bombarded with the thought since people think I cannot understad, do or design or think well because of my age.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Pushing the envelope: So, what about the plan we are already paying for???
Can it work with a bluetooth phone?

Guess I will have to call them and I don't have the info right here.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Who is your cellphone provider? If it's T-Mobile, I believe they have Bluetooth phones that can be used with the N800. Not sure about the others.

By the way, I have a similar issue. I _can_ find a lot of free hot spots in town, but they're still not everywhere - i.e. bus stops, park & ride's, public parks, etc., are still mostly not connected, and that's exactly where I'd like to use my N800.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

It's Sprint... I am going to their page right now So you already have the
N800???

Aside form this issue, Are you Ok with it?

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

There are tons of free wifi hot spots everywhere in the US; all MacDonalds, most public libraries, many Internet cafes, and most hotels/motels. On a recent 4,000 mile road trip, I never had any problems finding one. All phone plans will increase your monthly bill if you don't already have a suitable plan; free wifi hot spots are...free.
Tom (61)

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

I've only had mine for a week, but I'm pretty happy with it so far. It would be nicer if more free hot spots were available where I need them, but that's something I can put up with for now. :)

I am with Sprint, too. I doubt they have Bluetooth phones, but I could certainly be wrong. (I hope I am, anyways!)

Hi Tom.

Yes, there are lots of free hot spots available, but like I said in a previous post, they aren't where I want them to be. For instance, no state/public parks have them where I live (Seattle, WA). Neither do park & ride's. Some buses do have hot spots, but the quantity is extremely limited.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

THANKS:
Tha is my very point.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Yes you could say that is the Achilles heel for devices like N800 at this point in time, if you are depending on wifi connection.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

And devices like the N800 wouldn't be very useful without a network connection, would they? You could still use it for listening to music, but not for checking mail, surfing the Web, or chatting via messenger. :(

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

Sprint has plenty of bluetooth phones, never fear. When buying one though, you'll want to make sure you get one that has EV-DO Rev. A, which is the fastest mobile broadband they offer. This is probably the mobile broadband you use with the card you have for your laptop. The question is more of how Sprint is going to do the whole data plan thing. If the data plan covers every phone on your account, then a new phone on the account with bluetooth will let you use the mobile broadband at no extra charge on your n800. If the data plan is specific to the sim card that is in the laptop card, you might have a bit of a problem, since they might want to force you to buy an entirely new data plan to cover your phone as well. This is what AT&T wanted to do to me, but they are a bunch of horrible horrible people, and it's better to not get me started on that rant. Anyway, what you need to do is talk to Sprint about this, I wouldn't call them since you are likely to get some person insulting your intelligence and reading off of a bunch of cue cards, instead walk into a Sprint store and talk to one of those people about it, just don't start talking about the n800 specificly, since they won't know much about it at all (Sprint is planning to release a n800 with WiMax sometime next year, and they might think you are refering to that, if they even know about it)

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

I have a question about free wi-fi;

I have tried in a number of places and get a message....something like "wi-fi error; cannot connect" (I don't have my N800 readily available so I'm trying to remember the message". No more information.

The last one was at a local hospital yesterday; they advertise they have free access and I was able to see it....but to no avail....

Any clue?

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

That has a tendency to happen if the signal is 2 bars or less. I also suspect it might happen sometimes when wifi hotspots use the weird system when they make you go through a web page portal before you can actually get to the internet. I have a 770 and I experienced a similar problem at a convention center in Tampa. It was supposted to have free wifi, and I found a place where I had decent signal to the hotspot, but it still wouldnt connect right. I think I recieved the 'local link' error though.

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

I do not doubt they are horrible, horrible... They are in for the money and they have also done horrible things to us. Anyway, this is good information and I will use it. I think I will pay a visit to one of their stores.

"When buying one though, you'll want to make sure you get one that has EV-DO Rev. "

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

But, wouldn't it be better if I wait for the release of the n800?

Is it a similar divise and not and updated version ?

Re: BAsic questions ffrom an older person
 

I love how no one can answer a simple question. The woman said from the beginning she has wireless in her home. FORGET HOTSPOTS AT COFFEE SHOPS ETC.. If you have a wireless router at home, you can connect to anything you want to it as long as it has a wireless adaptor, card, or whatever you use. The Nokia N800 has wireless built in!!!! USE YOUR WIRELESS ROUTER AT HOME! END OF STORY :)