dialup wifi?

[madamesilverspurs]

A friend says there are routers that turn slow dialup into wifi, without having to hook up to a service. Is this really possible?


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[canetoad]

1. Have a look at this

http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/gadgets/wiflyer-wireless-over-dialup.asp

It's an old article so there may be something better around.

[madamesilverspurs]

2. Thanks!

Your suggestion led me to another search that brought me to this:

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-WL-330gE-Portable-Functions-Universal/dp/B0014L4ZKK/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_1

Meanwhile, Radio Shack guy said I'd need my internet provider to provide me with a modem to handle higher speed. Computer store guy said that no such technology is available. This is getting interesting. . .


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[canetoad]

3. I have a small network

and cable internet. My main destop PC has one of these http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=isOooTjt0bJAfNzB

But I prefer to use cabled network as the cables were already there. Not long after replying to your OP, I discovered that the above wireless card can be used as a WIRELESS ACCESS POINT. This means you still have your modem plugged into your main computer, but instead of receiving wireless signals, the card sends them out to laptops or other wireless devices.

In the end I didn't get it to work as it should probably because of the router, and I couldn't be bothered switching things around. However, a solution like this could be a cheap way out for you.

Read the section on the website, Overview, Software AP. It may be just what you need.

[darkstar3]

4. Short answer: no.

There isn't a market for standalone routers that will do this. There IS, however, a way to make this work using a PC with a dial-up modem, a wireless network card, and the proper software.

Assuming that you have a desktop computer plugged into your dial-up already, and that said desktop is running Windows, you should do some research into the concepts of "ad-hoc wireless networking" and the Windows feature called "Internet Connection Sharing." Combining these two technologies will essentially share your desktop's dial-up connection through the wireless network so that you can use it on your laptop in another room.

(You might also research the topic of "air cards". These cellular network access cards for laptops are generally more expensive than DSL, but they are a reasonable alternative to that technology in rural areas where it is unavailable.)