hook up internet without home computer

[estreet]

First of all I know very little about computers... my child received a vizio tablet for Christmas. We do not have a computer of any type at home so therefore we did not have interenet. I went online at work and ordered wireless internet, they sent me a router and instructions. It says I have to hook up the ethernet cable to a computer first. I have emailed the company to see what options I have and they just tell me to call their customer service number. I can not sit on the phone forever while at work ,so can anyone help me?

 

[epconrad]

Questions:
- Did you actually order internet service, or just the wireless equipment?
- Your best bet would be to find someone with a laptop to come over and make a wired connection to your router (using the ethernet cable) so you can then set up the wireless functions. After the wireless is turned on on the router, he can then connect to it.
In the mean time you can bring him to a place that has free wireless service (starbucks, library, etc) so he can at least play with it and get familiar with it.

 

[gjhuff]

Can't add much to epconrad's excellent advice - just make sure you set the modem/router up with a security code (WEP or better) for access to the connection.

 

[J515OP]

There are two pieces of equipment needed for a wireless network without a computer 1. a modem and 2. a wireless router. If you ordered internet service from a company and specified that you wanted a wireless internet connection they probably provided both of these pieces to you. The modem will connect to either the phone line or the cable line depending on what type of internet you ordered (DSL and Cable respectively) and then have an ethernet cable that runs to the wireless router.

As sated above you typically need a computer to connect to the wireless router via an ethernet cable for initial setup. This will allow you to rename your network (the default name will probably be the name of the wireless router) and set your wireless password. Borrowing a laptop is a good idea for this part. You sometimes also need to go to a special web page of the internet provide and complete a setup registration.

It might also be possible to do this configuration with the tablet through the wifi connection. To do this you will need to connect to the wifi using the default password (if any) and then enter something like http://192.168.0.1 to get to the settings (check the manual that came with the router). Here you can change the name of the network (the SSID) and the password. Once you are have changed the name of your network and setup your password you may need to go to the special web page of the provider to complete the setup registration.

Both of these methods are fairly straightforward for somebody that has computer experience and has setup an internet connection before. However somebody without a computer and who has not tried this before may have a difficult time. An alternative is to get a wireless hotspot from a cell phone company like AT&T or Verizon (AT&T Mobile Hotspot MiFi® 2372 - AT&T BusinessDirect® | Premier Business Center). This option is a little more expensive for the monthly fee than a dedicated home internet connection (maybe $40 a month instead of $20 for example) but also has its advantages. Since this is only for a tablet and no other devices you would also have the option of taking the hotspot with you wherever you go so that you can have a wifi connection for you tablet no matter where you are. Connection and setup are easy and just like a cell phone your connection is portable.

Going someplace with free wifi as mentioned above is also a good suggestion. Wifi is required for a little bit of basic tablet setup and downloading apps but otherwise you shouldn't need a wifi connection to play with the tablet. Of course anything useful, like maps, email, youtube, internet browsing, etc. will require a data connection.

JP

 

[epconrad]

Great advice from J515OP - just make sure that the "radio" is transmitting on the wireless router. Look for a symbol that looks like a radio antannae flashing. Some routers have this turned off as default until setup.