Guide to Laptop Wireless Internet Connections

Buying information for laptop wireless Internet connections.

So what's the buzz with wireless Internet technologies?

Wireless technologies today offer tremendous capability to mobile users in today's digital world. In fact wireless Internet connections are in so many places these days that it is simply amazing.

If you setup a laptop wireless Internet connection in your home it’s literally like having your own personal Starbucks hotspot. Browsing the Internet wire free is only the most basic use of a wireless networks potential too.

Besides surfing the Internet from the comfort of your own sofa if you choose, you can also share printers and files with your family members, or even play head to head in a high tech computer game all without a single wire stretching from machine to machine. As you see laptop wireless Internet connections are going to be a valuable benefit for many of you.

Of course surfing the Internet from the comfort of your couch is only a fraction of the benefits that laptop wireless Internet connections offer to your business or family. 

With laptop wireless Internet connections you can even send video or audio through thin air these days using these the technology. And yet even more usages exist on top of these.

In fact, more and more consumer electronic devices are taking advantage of today’s wireless technologies, and this trend will surely continue as wireless technologies advance even further.

Setting up a laptop wireless Internet connection is a is a must have feature for any mobile warriors digital lifestyle.


What are my wireless options?

Common wireless options today include 802.11a/b/g/n (WiFi), Bluetooth technology, and mobile broadband wireless technology. WiFi is most often what someone is referring to when discussing laptop wireless Internet connections and because of this we are going to primarily focus on WiFi within this laptop buying guide. Just in case you don't know, WiFi is simply another name for the 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless standards.

WiFi technology allows you to access what people commonly refer to as a wireless hotspot at Starbucks and other coffee shops, libraries, airports, and any other place where wireless may be setup.

When WiFi is available, somewhere in the vicinity there is a device called a wireless access point or wireless router setup. Basically you connect to the Internet via this device using your laptops wireless card. Pretty cool!

Things to note about WiFi technology is that wireless range is limited by the routers signal strength and various other factors. 

So for example you cannot use a 802.11a/b/g/n (WiFi) laptop wireless card to connect to the Internet while sitting on the beach for example, unless of course there happens to be a wireless router near by.

In order to have wireless Internet anywhere, or what we like to actually refer to as wireless almost anywhere, you will need a special device called a mobile broadband card. 

Mobile phone companies such as At&t, Sprint, Verizon, and many others provide this service.

These wireless broadband cards are basically cell phones that plug into the side of your laptop. So pretty much anywhere you can use your cell phone, a mobile broadband card will also work. For this type of wireless you will pay your mobile carrier for the service just like a cell phone. Mobile broadband cards are very popular with business users and frequent travelers.

Bluetooth wireless technology on the other hand is used for connecting electronic devices together at shorter distances. Common uses include connecting your cell phone to a Bluetooth headset or an automobile equipped with a hands free Bluetooth feature, and also connecting your computer to a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse.


Ok, what wireless should I get then?

We recommend you get a laptop with a built-in wireless card offering all 802.11 standards. Having a 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless card will assure that you can connect to any 802.11 (WiFi) network that you may encounter. At the minimum make sure the laptop has a built-in 802.11 G card.

Wireless N is the newest standard and it offers longer range and faster data rates over previous standards such as 802.11 G. If wireless N is offered be sure to grab it for the price increase is usually negligible and having it will come in handy when all networks eventually switch over to the N standard.

Because the usage for Bluetooth is growing everyday, and the cost isn’t usually that much to add it to your laptop, we also recommend you grab Bluetooth if offered as an option. Even if you don’t see a use for it just yet, you never know if it will come in handy in the future.

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