Wireless access for Dial-UP?

[RealBlackStuff]

My brother-in-law has a laptop with wireless access built-in (Compaq Presario X1000, model X1220US).
Is there something on the market that you could plug into a telephone outlet, which will then connect the laptop wirelessly to that telephone-gadget?

Or better still, that could connect you wireless to any telephone-point?

 

[Rick]

Not directly (that I know of), but you could setup a server (perhaps a cheap old computer), add a wireless card and leave it connected to the Internet (or connect on demand so the line isn't always tied up) and enable Internet sharing.

If you set the wireless up as an "ad-hoc" instead of infrastructure, that might work.

But I'm totally unaware of a wireless "router" for dial up.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

He's looking for something small and portable, as he travels a lot between different destinations in the USA and Europe. The laptop has a Centrino CPU, so the wireless bits are integrated and no problem.
The Apple Airport is the closest I have seen sofar, but it needs a Mac to set it up (works after that on any PC) and it is not universal enough (yet).

 

[jshields13]

Other than distance, is there a reason that you cannot just plug the modem on the laptop directly to the telephone jack? If I am not mistaken, most cable and DSL ISP's also offer x amount of dial-up at no additional charge.

 

[Nodsu]

http://www.dlink.com.au/products/routers/di824vup+/
http://www.netgear.com.au/products/prod_details.asp?prodID=220

I'm sure there are more.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

It looks like I gave not enough information.
That laptop has built-in wireless access with Intel Centrino to back it up. It also has a built-in 56K modem.
Everything connects fine (modem via RJ11 cable).
He was just wondering if there is a gadget that you can stick in/put next to the wall telephone-outlet, which then would transmit wirelessly to the laptop.
Sounds to me like some spy hardware to tap into the phone-system without being physically connected.

Looking for a white elephant?

 

[Rick]

Did someone say... White elephant?

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=12567

 

[Nodsu]

There are wireless phone jacks but they will not transmit anything outside the human speech range so it would be useless for modem use.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Rick, I did not mean it THAT literally, but thanks fo the interesting tidbit anyway.

Thanks guys for your info. Looks like the real Startrek is still a long way from us.

 

[Goalie]

As an option.. there are devices which you can plug into a phone line and a power outlet, and that transmits to another similar device.. run the phone cable from there.

Probably not what you want at all, if I"m understanding properly.

The problem with your idea here is that wireless assumes certain things- that the device it connects to is responsible for anything further "upstream". If you want to connect to the world, then the device, not the laptop, is responsible for doing that.

I know of nothing which transmits the dialup settings over wireless, and then the secondary device executes those settings, sadly.

Would be derned handy to use 802.11g over to my wall, instead of running a 75ft phone cable across the room to the desk...